Zayden handed the photo over to Melon, pointing to the figure in the photo, and said, “See, this is your dad. And this is me."

Melon examined the photo. The man in the photo was indeed his father, standing beside this strange man.

To his astonishment, this man was indeed his dad's cousin. This revelation puzzled Melon. It was his first encounter with the idea that his father had other family members.

Melon's eyes widened in shock. He turned to Zayden, his voice filled with astonishment. "Are you really my uncle?"

Zayden, with a reassuring smile, stowed the photo and responded, "Yes."

Yet, Melon remained cautious. He scrutinized Zayden and questioned, “What's your full name? I need to confirm this with my mom."

Hearing that, Zayden couldn't help but grimace. Why did this kid have to be so stubborn?

Without wasting a moment, he said, "Your mom doesn't know me, either."

Melon gave him a puzzled look, tilting his head to one side.

"I've been overseas for a while. Your dad used to talk about your mom a lot, but I've always been swamped with work and never got the chance to meet her in person. I wanted to introduce myself the right way when we did meet, but somehow, I missed out on that. I tried visiting your mom, but she wasn't home, so I thought I'd drop by and see you first," Zayden said, managing a smile.

"Really?" Melon was still skeptical.

"Yes, it's true," Zayden replied with a sheepish grin, then went on to fabricate a bunch of stories. Convincing Melon took quite the effort, but he finally got him to agree not to contact Ariana.

Looking at Zayden curiously, Melon asked, "Uncle, what's your name? You haven't told me about it yet."

Zayden paused for a moment before answering, "My name is Zayden."

Melon scratched his head, puzzled. He had never heard the name before, yet he accepted that the man was his uncle.

When Melon finally stopped bombarding him with questions, Zayden breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, patting Melon on the head, Zayden asked, "What do you say? How about we head to the amusement park? Kindergarten can get a bit dull, don't you think? Let me take you out."

Melon shook his head, his expression serious. “Kindergarten isn't dull. Besides, I've got studying to do.”

“You're so young; there's plenty of time for studying. Enjoying your childhood should be your top priority. The amusement park is filled with fun rides. It's bound to be more exciting than here," Zayden said.

Melon looked uneasy. “But mommy doesn't know I'd be going to the amusement park. She'll be worried if she can't find me."