"I don't know how long he's had this idea."
"But I know it'll take quite a bit of effort to correct it."
Xiao Xiao paused. "I tried talking to him briefly just now."
"He hurt my friend."
The couple froze.
Seeing their reaction, Grandma Zhang hurriedly explained in a low voice.
The couple immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a cat.
For a moment, they'd thought... the boy had hurt someone...
They'd nearly lost their breath.
"I hope he won't hurt my friend again."
The others nodded.
That was only natural.
And the fact that Xiao Xiao was so calm also eased some of the tension the couple had felt.
People who loved cats and dogs really did love them wholeheartedly these days.
They treated them as friends, as family.
It was easy to imagine how they'd react if their friends or family were hurt.
They'd seen scenes like that in the residential complex before.
"I'm sorry."
The woman smiled sheepishly.
Thankfully, the cat was all right.
Otherwise, this young man's attitude would probably have been entirely different.
Xiao Xiao smiled faintly.
"He didn't agree."
Everyone froze.
"Just as I said before..."
"No matter what I said..."
"He insisted that it was just a cat, and that hurting it didn't matter."
"He didn't understand what I was asking."
"He even felt wronged."
"The conversation couldn't go any further after that."
Xiao Xiao glanced at the firmly shut door.
The boy had stayed inside and showed no intention of coming out.
"I suggest you have a proper talk with him."
Xiao Xiao looked at the boy's parents. "And that he have a proper talk with a psychologist, too."
"Changing his outlook... I think he'll need help from a professional."
"...Xiao Xiao, thank goodness you're