Chapter 458 – Is That Person Siyi’s Dad?
Almost the moment the door was knocked, Song Siyi heard it.
“Grandma, someone’s knocking on the door!” Song Siyi called out toward the kitchen.
At this time, Xu Fanghua was at school, and Xu Jinning wasn’t home either—only Mother Song and Song Siyi were there.
Mother Song was in the kitchen cooking, so she had closed the courtyard door from the inside and told Song Siyi to stay in the yard and not go out.
Song Siyi had been crouching by the door, watching ants move their nest.
But her call didn’t get a response.
In the kitchen, the noise of frying food was loud, completely drowning out Song Siyi’s voice.
“Grandma, the door’s knocking!” Song Siyi called again, but still got no response.
Crouched on the ground, Song Siyi tilted her little head and thought about it.
She figured it couldn’t be her mom or her aunt, because both of them had keys and would just come right in.
Could it be Uncle-in-law?
That didn’t seem likely either. Uncle-in-law usually came over with Aunt.
In the end, since she couldn’t figure out who it was, little Song Siyi slowly stood up and toddled over to the door with her chubby little legs.
Given her height, she couldn’t reach the door handle, but…
There was a stool nearby! If she moved the stool over and stood on it, she’d be able to open the door.
However, Song Siyi didn’t fetch the stool or open the door.
Instead, she blinked her eyes, leaned against the door, and asked, “Who are you? What do you want?”
Outside the door, after knocking, Song Yi waited.
As he waited, he thought he might have heard the sound of a child’s voice inside, though it wasn’t very clear.
But the door still hadn’t opened.
He knocked again.
This time, there was some movement.
However, the door still didn’t open. Instead, a little girl’s soft, milky voice came through, as if she were asking through the door who he was and what he wanted.
Song Yi was momentarily stunned.
That’s strange.
Why would there be a little girl’s voice coming from inside this small courtyard?
Wasn’t this where Fanghua and Xu Jinning lived?
Could he have gone to the wrong place?
Song Yi stepped back and looked at the courtyard and the surroundings, confident that he hadn’t made a mistake.
Even though it had been more than four years, his memory couldn’t be that bad.
“Who are you?”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
It seemed that, not hearing a response from the person outside, Song Siyi asked again.
The reason she hadn’t opened the door immediately was that she remembered her aunt talking about bad people.
Her aunt had said that bad people often waited until only children were home, then knocked on the door, asking them to open it and offering candy to make the children follow them.
But once they left, they would never come back.
They’d never see their parents again.
So, children must never open the door for strangers.
Little Siyi had taken those words to heart.
That’s why she didn’t open the door right away—she was just asking first.
Hearing the little girl’s voice again, soft and sweet, Song Yi couldn’t help but think she must be an adorable and beautiful child.
Since he was sure he hadn’t come to the wrong place, Song Yi figured it might be a friend’s child inside.
So, he replied, “Hello, little one. I’m looking for Xu Fanghua. Is Xu Fanghua home?”
Without even realizing it, Song Yi’s voice had become much gentler.
Inside, Song Siyi’s eyes widened slightly.
Xu Fanghua?!
She knew that name.
That was her mother’s name!
“Are you looking for Xu Fanghua for something?” Song Siyi asked again.
Song Siyi thought, could this person be one of her mom’s classmates?
First, she confirmed it was a man.
In the past, her mother had male classmates who had visited.
So, Song Siyi wondered if this person might be the same.
Hearing this, Song Yi couldn’t help but chuckle.
Before he could reply, the little voice from inside asked again, “What are you to my mom… I mean, what are you to Xu Fanghua?”
Song Siyi had almost said “my mom” but quickly covered her mouth.
Her aunt had warned her not to reveal her mom’s identity before confirming the visitor wasn’t a bad person.
Song Yi chuckled again.
What was he to Xu Fanghua?
He was her husband, of course.
That’s what he thought, and that’s what he answered.
“Little one, I’m Xu Fanghua’s husband.”
Song Siyi’s eyes widened.
She knew what “husband” meant!
Just like how her aunt’s husband was her uncle, and when her aunt had a baby, that baby would call her aunt “Mom” and her uncle “Dad.”
And the person outside was saying he was her mother’s husband?
That meant… he was Siyi’s father?!
Song Siyi knew that her father, who she had never met since she was born, was supposed to come back from a faraway country soon.
Her mother had told her that he would be back any day now.
What she didn’t know was that Song Yi was actually supposed to return a week later.
But little Siyi had no idea about that.
She only knew it would be sometime soon.
She didn’t know the exact date.
So lately, she hadn’t been going out to play with the neighborhood kids. Instead, she stayed at home, waiting for her dad to come back so she could see him the moment he arrived.
She wanted to tell her dad just how much she had missed him.
And now, outside…
Was that person really her dad?
Song Siyi couldn’t contain her excitement. Her little face lit up with joy, and she could barely stop herself from grinning.
She was so eager that she quickly grabbed a stool with both hands, ready to open the door for her dad.
But just as she stepped onto the stool, she hesitated.
She suddenly remembered what her aunt had told her…
What if the person outside was a bad guy? What if the bad guy was pretending to be her dad?
If she opened the door for a bad guy, wouldn’t he just scoop her up the moment the door opened?
Then she’d be taken far, far away.
She might even get hurt by the bad guy.
She’d live a very sad life, never being able to see her mom and dad again.
So, Song Siyi hesitated.
She thought she needed to be sure first.
So, she asked, “Do you know what Xu Fanghua’s sister’s name is?”
Song Yi had assumed that after he said who he was, the child inside would open the door for him.
But instead, she asked him another question. Was she afraid he was a bad guy, or was this some kind of quiz?
Song Yi couldn’t help but laugh.
But his patience was in full swing right now.
He replied, “Of course I know. Xu Fanghua has only one sister, her name is Xu Jinning. Everyone likes to call her Ningning.”
Song Siyi: !!!
He actually got it right!
“Then, do you know who Ningning’s husband is?” she asked.
“It’s Xie Ting’an!”
Song Siyi: ! He got it right again!
“Little one, do you have any more questions? I think I can answer them all,” he said with a gentle laugh.
“By the way, could you tell me your name before we continue?” he added. “Actually, before you do, let me tell you my name first. I’m Song Yi.”
The moment the name Song Yi reached her ears, little Song Siyi froze in place.
Her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
So… was the man outside really her dad?
Was it really her dad, the one she had been waiting for?
