Child's Mom hurriedly crouched down. Seeing the child with red eyes and a frightened look, her heart ached terribly.
She pulled the child into her arms, her voice urgent. "Linlin, don't be scared. Mommy's here."
"Don't be scared."
"It's okay."
The child clutched tightly at his mother's clothes. Surrounded by her familiar scent, his trembling body slowly calmed down.
"It's all right now, Linlin."
"It's all right..."
Child's Mom gently comforted her child. "Don't be scared."
"Mommy's here."
"Mommy, waah~"
The child burst into tears.
The people in the store, who had just been startled by the child's shout, were startled again by his crying.
But seeing how heartbroken he looked as he cried, they didn't know what to say.
Instead, they watched the child with some curiosity.
Why was this child crying so hard when everything had been fine?
Was it because his mother wouldn't buy him something he wanted?
Everyone instinctively came to that conclusion.
Most children who cried and fussed in the store did so for that reason.
After satisfying their curiosity, most people paid no more attention to the crying child and focused on their shopping.
Only a few occasionally glanced over at the mother and son.
They'd simply been drawn by the child's crying.
"It's all right, it's all right..."
Child's Mom gently patted the child's back.
She helped the child, who was crying so hard he could barely catch his breath, steady his breathing.
The child's sobs gradually quieted, turning into intermittent sniffles.
Child's Mom let go of him, her expression gentle. She took out a tissue and wiped his face. "You've cried yourself into a little flower cat."
"All right."
Child's Mom stroked the child's soft hair. "Can you tell Mommy what happened now?"
"Were you scared by-"
Something?