Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

With Yukina's undisguised gaze, it was impossible for Muzan not to notice.

He didn't even need to bother reading her babbling thoughts; just by looking at her eyes, he knew this idiot was secretly criticizing him.

A surge of anger arose from being questioned by an idiot.

"Keep your head down," he commanded gruffly, his voice laced with warning, "and don't stare at me!"

"oh oh!"

Startled by the sudden low rebuke, Xue Nai instinctively shrank her neck and obediently buried her head back in his neck.

The child's fine, soft hair brushed against his skin, causing a slight tickle.

Muzan frowned even more deeply.

This is truly bizarre.

How can a ghost feel itchy?

The street ahead gradually widened, the flow of people thinned out, the noise subsided, and the night breeze brought a cool mist from the riverbank.

"There are fewer people here."

Muzan stopped, his tone hard and tinged with relief, "Go on your own."

After saying that, before Xue Nai could react, he loosened his grip and gently placed her back on the ground.

The feeling of being grounded came over me, but it was followed by a sense of disappointment at having my embrace broken.

Yukina tilted her head up, her face filled with undisguised reluctance, her ruby-like eyes glancing at him with tears in them, her lips slightly pouting.

Waaah...

I don't want to leave my father's embrace.

I still want to be held.

"Okay (⋟﹏⋞)"

She dragged out the last syllable, her voice muffled, but her little hands were still clutching Muzan's sleeve, her face clearly showing her reluctance.

at this time,

"Whoosh—Bang!"

A sharp, piercing sound tore through the night sky, followed by a spectacular explosion.

Suddenly, a huge burst of fireworks, like shooting stars, burst open in the sky, scattering light and instantly illuminating countless faces looking up below, as well as brightening Yukina's suddenly wide-open eyes.

"Wow!"

She instantly forgot her unhappiness, turned her head sharply, and unconsciously loosened her small hand from Muzan's sleeve, pointing to the sky. Her small mouth was slightly open, completely captivated by the sudden and magnificent sight.

Fireworks rose into the sky one after another, bloomed, and then went out.

Exclamations and laughter echoed through the streets.

...

Just as Xue Nai was craning her neck, engrossed in watching, she suddenly felt her clothes being gently tugged.

She paused, pulled her gaze away from the lingering glow of the fireworks, and turned around.

Standing before her was a little boy who looked a year or two older than her. He was dressed in a neat black t-shirt, had a handsome face, and his eyes and brows exuded a spoiled and lively energy.

The boy was looking at her with a grin.

"Sister, sister, hello there."

The boy's voice was clear and bright, with an air of familiarity.

Yukina blinked, and subconsciously took a small step back, her back gently resting against Muzan's leg.

She didn't interact much with children her age, her memories of her human life are vague and mostly related to illness, and she has been in a long sleep since becoming a ghost.

Faced with the sudden conversation from the strange boy, she felt a little flustered, and her small hands involuntarily tightened.

But basic politeness compelled her to respond softly, "Hello. What can I do for you?"

"Zhengzhi! You've run off again!"

An anxious female voice came from the side, and a well-dressed young woman with an angry expression squeezed out from the crowd watching the fireworks and grabbed the ear of the boy named Zhengzhi.

"How many times have I told you not to run around? When we get home, your father will give you a good spanking!"

"Ouch, Mother, be gentle! My ear's going to fall off!" Masashi cried out dramatically, twisting his body in an attempt to break free.

The woman then turned to Muzan and Yukina, her face immediately changing to an apologetic smile, and she bowed slightly:

"I'm so sorry to bother you both. This child is mischievous; I hope he hasn't caused you any trouble?"

No.

Xue Nai quickly shook her head and whispered.

Masashi finally managed to break free from his mother's grip, rubbing his reddened ears, but his gaze remained fixed on Yukina's face, grinning and completely ignoring his mother's scolding:

"Oh, it's because my sister is very pretty! I just want to get to know her!"

He turned to Yukina, his tone even more enthusiastic, "Little sister, you haven't answered my question yet! My name is Yamaguchi Masashi, what's your name?"

Muzan lowered his eyes, his crimson pupils fixed on the little boy named Yamaguchi Masashi, his gaze sinister.

Mrs. Yamaguchi keenly sensed the displeasure emanating from the young father.

Her heart tightened, and she quickly tugged at her son again, this time with more force and a truly stern tone:

"Zhengzhi! Don't be rude! Apologize to them right now, we're leaving!"

But Masashi's attention was entirely focused on the "pretty girl" in front of him, and he didn't notice his mother's sudden change in expression or the terrifying look in the man's eyes.

Seeing that Yukina didn't answer for a long time and just stared at him with wide eyes in a somewhat blank manner, he found it amusing.

Yukina was indeed getting anxious.

She tugged at the hem of Muzan's clothes pleadingly, looked up, and asked urgently in a breathy voice, "Daddy, Daddy... what's my name?"

Her question seemed abrupt, and Masashi was clearly taken aback, his gaze towards Yukina becoming somewhat strange.

This little girl looks pretty and quite smart, how come she's so old and doesn't even know her own name?

Could it be... that he's not quite right in the head?

Coincidentally, the thought that popped into Muzan's mind at that moment was strangely synchronized with that of the little boy.

This idiot, he even has to ask what his own name is? Is he really that stupid?

Yukina became even more anxious when she saw that Muzan was just looking at her like she was an idiot and didn't understand what she meant.

She stamped her little feet and couldn't help but mutter to herself:

How silly of you, Dad!

My question is, do I need to use my real name when I'm out in public?

Doesn't Dad always pretend to be someone else when he's out in public?

What if I reveal my real name and it exposes me?

We're ghosts, you know!

However, Muzan clearly had no patience to observe the children's attempts at social interaction, and was even less inclined to decipher Yukina's intricate and subtle thoughts.

His patience had long since run out.

"roll."

Mrs. Yamaguchi was completely stunned.

She didn't expect the other party to be so direct and rude in asking her to leave.

Although she found the young father extremely rude, at this moment, she felt more of a mixture of embarrassment and shame for her son's repeated incorrigibility.

Especially Zhengzhi, this is the sixth little girl he's approached tonight and asked for her name!

"I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry!"

Mrs. Yamaguchi was truly embarrassed and angry this time, her face turning red.

She grabbed her son's arm tightly, almost dragging him along, "Masashi Yamaguchi! If you don't leave, don't even think about stepping out of this house again! I mean it!"

When Masashi saw that his mother was really angry, the playful expression on his face finally disappeared, and he became a little scared.

He glanced at Yukina one last time with lingering reluctance, muttered "Goodbye, little sister" softly, and was then reluctantly pulled by his mother into the crowd, quickly disappearing from sight.

The lively interlude came to an abrupt end, and the surroundings seemed to quiet down considerably, with only the lingering echoes of fireworks in the distance and the faint murmur of the crowd.

Xue Nai looked in the direction where the mother and child had disappeared and breathed a sigh of relief, but then she remembered the embarrassing situation she had just been in and her father's silly reaction.

She turned around, her back to Muzan, and deliberately stomped her foot, mimicking how Mrs. Yamaguchi had been angry.

Her little mouth was pouting so much it could hang an oil bottle, and she muttered in a tone that was both complaining and a little coquettish:

"Hey, Dad, you're so silly! You don't understand me at all!"

After saying that, she angrily turned her back to Muzan, but her eyes secretly turned back a little to observe Muzan's reaction.

Like a kitten testing its owner's limits.