Now... the girl knew that Strawberry hadn't come, right?
The man sighed inwardly.
His daughter really loved Strawberry.
He patted the girl's head. "It's all right, Qiqi."
"Once we get home, maybe you'll see Strawberry again."
"Really?"
The girl's eyes lit up.
Seeing how hopeful she looked, the man found himself unable to say the word "really."
Because he didn't know either.
He just hoped it was true.
The man smiled. "Qiqi and Strawberry are good friends. If Qiqi misses Strawberry this much, Strawberry must miss Qiqi, too."
"When Strawberry misses Qiqi, Strawberry will come find her."
The man didn't answer the girl's question directly.
Instead, he gave her a somewhat crafty explanation.
A saying suddenly came to mind: Adults just love to pull the wool over children's eyes.
Yes, adults just love to pull the wool over children's eyes.
He was that kind of adult, too.
The man smiled wryly.
"Mm."
The girl nodded firmly.
Her face brightened with joy.
"What's Strawberry?" the woman asked the man.
"One of Qiqi's animal friends," he explained.
As he said it, he suddenly realized that he had never found out what kind of animal Qiqi's friend was.
A cat?
Or a dog?
This wasn't the right time to ask.
The man pushed his curiosity aside.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He hoped his daughter would see Strawberry again someday.
Then he would finally learn what kind of "great being" Strawberry was.
If they never met again, he hoped the child would forget Strawberry easily.
After all, there was no telling where a wild animal might wander off to.
Or when it might be gone for good.
The man couldn't bear the thought of his child being disappointed and heartbroken then.
He reached out and patted the girl's head.