Movie (continued)

Don't be so nervous, I'm not going to eat you.

Auntie Liu gave Xie Xiaomei what she thought was a gentle smile.

Then, with a "whoosh," Xie Xiaomei was gone from her seat, and belatedly, the sound of someone going upstairs could be heard.

Si Ming said helplessly, "As a junior, it may be a bit disrespectful to comment on an elder like this, but your smile is just too aggressive. It's not a caring smile at all; it's more like trying to gain the upper hand in a business negotiation."

Auntie Liu rubbed her face and said, "I can't help it. I've gotten so used to smiling like this that it's almost instinctive. I've forgotten how to smile naturally. Give me half a day to adjust myself in front of the mirror."

"Children are very sensitive, especially introverted and withdrawn types like this. Unlike mischievous kids, they are very good at reading people's expressions. Putting on a fake smile will only backfire. You should try a different approach."

"So many demands." Auntie Liu frowned impatiently.

Si Ming used reverse psychology. "You can't even handle a little kid, can you?"

"How dare you speak to your elders like that?" Auntie Liu glared at Si Ming and threatened, "Do you still want to marry my Qingqing in the future?"

Now that his weakness had been exploited, Si Ming was powerless to resist and had no choice but to follow the example of the Nationalist army and make a strategic retreat. "I'll go upstairs to check on Xie Xiaomei's condition and bring her down in a bit. You hurry up and get yourself together, and stop scaring people." After saying that, he used his lightness skill to escape.

After watching the person enter the room, Auntie Liu took out a mirror, stared at herself in the mirror, and asked doubtfully, "Is it that scary?"

After a while, he said dejectedly, "Okay, maybe a little bit."

He put down the mirror, rubbed his temples, and muttered to himself, "Speaking of which, how did I take care of Qingqing before? It feels like a memory from a very long time ago..."

On the other side, Si Ming, who entered the room, found that Xie Xiaomei had not hidden in the wardrobe, but was lying on the bed with her head and half of her body buried in the blanket, with her lower body exposed, in a kneeling position, and she was trembling incessantly.

Are you pretending to be an ostrich?

Si Ming stepped forward, intending to pull back the covers, but suddenly stopped, staring at the other person's exposed body, especially the trembling buttocks, and inexplicably felt a little... well...

"I suddenly have a bold idea! Oh my!"

He was hit on the head by Liu Qingqing, who had transformed into a hammer.

Finally, under Liu Qingqing's supervision, Si Ming repeatedly comforted and assured her, and managed to persuade Xie Xiaomei to come out. However, she shrank back the whole way, clutching the hem of his clothes like a little hamster.

The two women went to check the living room but didn't see anyone. Xie Xiaomei breathed a slight sigh of relief. Just then, Auntie Liu's voice came from the kitchen. "Please sit down for a while. I'll make you some simple food."

After a while, Auntie Liu brought out freshly fried chicken cutlets and some plum juice. When she put the food on the table, Si Ming noticed that Xie Xiaomei moved aside slightly.

Perhaps sensing Xie Xiaomei's State of Mind, Auntie Liu sat down opposite her and asked directly, "What's your name?"

Xie Xiaomei's hand trembled slightly. She turned her head and looked at Si Ming with pleading eyes, as if she wanted Si Ming to answer for her. Combined with Liu Qingqing's face, this pitiful appearance was extremely effective.

Si Ming forced himself to harden his heart. "Come on, answer the question quickly, don't be afraid."

Xie Xiaomei looked somewhat aggrieved, but ultimately nodded and said to Auntie Liu, "Xie... Xie Xiaomei."

"Xie Xiaomei, what a cute name. I'm Qingqing's mother. You can call me Auntie, or like Si Ming, Auntie Liu. Let's eat first, be careful it's hot."

"... Um."

Xie Xiaomei stared at the chicken cutlet for a while, then turned to Si Ming and asked, "Can I eat it now?"

"Of course, eat whatever you want, no need to ask anyone else, just make yourself at home here..."

Si Ming suddenly realized that the other person probably wouldn't allow this or that at home, which is why they've become like this, always needing permission before doing anything.

"Here you can do whatever you want, but of course, you should ask about anything you don't understand before trying it."

"... Um."

Xie Xiaomei picked up a piece of chicken cutlet with her chopsticks, took a bite, and then stuck out her tongue. "Hot!"

"I told you to be careful, here, this plum juice is cold."

Auntie Liu scooped some rice with a spoon and brought it to Xie Xiaomei's lips. Xie Xiaomei hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth and drank it down.

"... Thanks."

"It's alright, just be careful."

After this incident, Xie Xiaomei's fear of Auntie Liu lessened considerably. Although she was still somewhat restrained and nervous, she was at least no longer in a state of being easily frightened. Si Ming noticed that Auntie Liu's attitude also became more natural, less deliberate, and it felt like she was genuinely taking care of her daughter.

After finishing her meal, Auntie Liu suggested, "Let's go see a movie together."

Xie Xiaomei blinked and asked Si Ming, "What's a movie?"

Have you watched TV?

"Qingqing showed me how to use it yesterday. It has animated comics and sounds, it's very interesting."

"Movies are just TVs on a bigger screen. Do you know what a screen means? It's the picture you see. A movie screen is dozens of times bigger than a TV screen."

"Dozens of times!" Xie Xiaomei exclaimed in surprise.

Auntie Liu asked, "Want to come along? There's a movie I really like playing tonight, I guarantee it'll be very interesting."

Xie Xiaomei asked hesitantly, "Can I go?"

"Certainly."

"... I'll go."

Si Ming watched the two interact more and more, feeling very gratified. It seemed that the first step had been successfully taken, and that his idea was correct. Auntie Liu was indeed a suitable candidate. When faced with someone who looked just like his daughter, he naturally felt a sense of closeness.

He naturally went to the movie with them, otherwise, leaving Xie Xiaomei and Auntie Liu alone, it was hard to say whether the former would run home halfway through. However, he felt that his job was just to be a companion and he had no interest in the movie itself.