Zhou Hanyu smiled and glanced at a worried Yang Yan, then immediately walked over to the shop owner and said:

"Boss, four cotton candies."

Dawn quickly said:

"Three...three will do, I...don't want any!"

"Boss, make it four!"

Zhou Hanyu seriously repeated.

Just as Dawn was about to say something else, Yang Yan walked up to her, placed a loving hand on her shoulder, and said:

"As long as you want it, even if it's the world, I'd give it to you. It's just a cotton candy, don't overthink it."

Hearing Yang Yan's words, Dawn hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, and finally didn't insist further.

When the cotton candy was handed to her, she slowly reached out and grasped it in her hand, then instinctively glanced at Yang Yan.

"Bro, that's some impressive boasting!"

The cotton candy vendor chuckled as he handed a cotton candy to both Ruyi and Cai'Er.

Yang Yan gently laughed and didn't explain anything.

To others, those words might indeed sound like boasting or coaxing a child, but Yang Yan was very serious.

As long as Dawn wanted it, he would find a way to get it for her, regardless of what it was.

Watching the four girls licking their cotton candies, Zhou Hanyun finally showed a relieved smile.

She had just been comforting Yang Yan, saying things would get better over time. But walking all this way, seeing Dawn remain the same had actually made her somewhat anxious.

Now it seemed Dawn had taken the first step, and it should be easier from here on out!

Thinking back, at first, there was only Cai'Er, then Ruyi was added, and now with Dawn, the number of daughters was growing.

For Zhou Hanyun, who had shouldered family responsibilities early on, she greatly enjoyed the current atmosphere.

Moreover, she could feel that Dawn was gradually becoming more cheerful under the subtle influence of Ruyi and Cai'Er.

She had every reason to believe that at this rate, Dawn would soon fully integrate into this big family.

"Wow! This plush toy is so big! It's as big as Auntie's teddy bear. It must be so comfortable to sleep with."

Suddenly, Ruyi excitedly pointed at a plush toy on the counter.

"A teddy bear is nothing, hugging it isn't as comfortable as Nine Treasures. I secretly made Nine Treasures bigger one day, and it was so comfy to sleep with."

Cai'Er whispered conspiratorially into Ruyi's ear.

She clearly didn't want Zhou Hanyu to hear.

"Yeah!"

Ruyi thought for a moment and immediately nodded.

Indeed, when it came to comfort, what plush toy could compare to the slightly larger Nine Treasures?

"What is Nine Treasures?"

Dawn curiously asked.

Ruyi replied with a smile:

"Nine Treasures? It's a big kitty that can grow really big, and it's so comfy to sleep with at night. At least ten times...no, a hundred times comfier than these plush toys!"

"When we get back, you should try it too. But it doesn't really like to sleep with us, it prefers sleeping with Dad."

"Of course, if we ask Dad, it shouldn't be a problem. It seems to listen to him well."

Upon hearing Ruyi, Cai'Er eagerly nodded in agreement:

"Yeah, ask Dad to tell Nine Treasures to sleep with us. It wouldn't dare disobey."

After saying this, the two of them turned their heads to look at Yang Yan.

Dawn also turned to glance at him.

Seeing this, Yang Yan quickly nodded:

"Alright, no need to wait until we get back, Nine Treasures should come over today, and I'll have it get bigger to sleep with you."

Yang Yan's words not only made the two girls laugh but also caused a passerby who overheard the conversation to chuckle.

"See how well he charms children. You're always yelling at them. It's truly infuriating to compare; I even think I married a fake husband and found a fake dad for the kids!"

An adjacent woman furrowed her elegant brows, pinching the man beside her fiercely.

Witnessing this, Yang Yan and Zhou Hanyun exchanged a knowing smile and then led a group of little girls away.

After wandering around, Dawn only asked for a cotton candy and nothing else.

Even when she clearly liked something, she still refused.

In contrast, Cai'Er and Ruyi bought quite a few things.

"Are you hungry? Should we go eat something before continuing?"

Zhou Hanyun suggested.

"Eat, eat! I want to eat that duck. It's so delicious."

Excited about eating, Ruyi quickly responded.

"Yeah! Let's have that duck."

Having developed a tacit understanding, Cai'Er and Ruyi promptly nodded in agreement.

"What do you want to eat, Dawn?"

Zhou Hanyun turned to ask Dawn.

Hearing Zhou Hanyun, Dawn was momentarily taken aback, then lowered her head and said:

"I'm not hungry, you all go eat! I'll wait for you here."

Upon hearing Dawn, Yang Yan frowned and then said to Zhou Hanyun:

"You all go eat, I want to have a word with Dawn."

After a glance from Yang Yan, Zhou Hanyun turned and led the other three towards the Imperial Capital Roast Duck restaurant.

Zhou Hanyu wanted to say something to Yang Yan but was taken away by Zhou Hanyun.

After they walked away, Yang Yan spoke softly:

"Come with me, there are some things I think it's better to tell you early so you don't feel out of place."

With that, Yang Yan led Dawn to a nearby café.

After finding a spot near a corner, Yang Yan looked at Dawn and said:

"I know you've probably noticed something. Ask me anything you want to know!"

Dawn lifted her head to look at Yang Yan, hesitated for a moment, and then seriously asked:

"Do you...know my father or mother?"

Yang Yan nodded:

"Yes, I know both your parents very well!"

Yang Yan understood that the hardships she'd faced over the years had caused the twelve-year-old to mature beyond her age.

In strictly speaking terms, Dawn wasn't an ordinary person to begin with.

Or rather, she wasn't even human.

After all, she was the child of those two.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Yang Yan hadn't planned to treat Dawn like a child and deceive her but was prepared to tell her everything.

"Then where are they? Why...did they abandon me?"

On hearing Yang Yan, Dawn immediately asked further.

Faced with Dawn's question, Yang Yan was momentarily at a loss for words.

He thought for a moment, then carefully organized his language before speaking:

"It's a long story. However, I can tell you that they didn't abandon you. They love you more than anyone, and they sent you away to protect you."

"Unfortunately, later some things happened, and both of them met an unfortunate end. To be more precise, they...they died because of me."

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