Though she had a lot of questions, Madam Xiao wasn't in a hurry.
Her son was right there beside her.
He would tell her everything she needed to know.
"Xiao Xiao."
Madam Xiao, standing by the window, called out to her son as he passed by.
The weather was too cold to go out into the courtyard and admire the plum blossoms at night.
Still, after dinner, the Xiao Family would stand by the windows and look at the plum blossoms in the courtyard.
They were truly beautiful.
Even when they weren't trying to, they would catch sight of the White Plum Blossoms outside the window and find themselves stopping to admire them.
"Mom."
Xiao Xiao walked over to Madam Xiao.
Outside the window, the White Plum Blossoms seemed to glow, drawing the eye.
Madam Xiao smiled.
"Xiao Xiao, the White Plum Blossoms are so beautiful. How could that boy have been frightened by them?"
She found it hard to believe.
"He wasn't frightened by the White Plum Blossoms."
Xiao Xiao turned his face toward her.
"It was his first time seeing them today."
"And like you said, they're so beautiful. Most people wouldn't be frightened by them, would they?"
"Oh."
Madam Xiao found her earlier question a little amusing.
"I must be muddle-headed."
"Then was he frightened by some other monster?"
Xiao Xiao's eyes curved with a smile.
"Not every monster looks like something humans would find beautiful."
"Some monsters like to scare people, too."
And some monsters hurt people.
"Oh, right."
Madam Xiao nodded.
"That's true."
"If I suddenly saw a monster, I'd be frightened, too."
"Xiao Xiao."
Madam Xiao was curious.
"Have you ever been frightened by a monster?"
He...
Xiao Xiao thought for a moment.
"Not that I