Before the man said those words, he had already anticipated how the child would react.
He had also prepared himself to deal with her reaction.
"It's just a doll."
The man was very "coldhearted."
"It never could talk."
"It's your Little Bear Doll."
"You lost it twice."
"Both times, Eldest Brother helped you find it."
"If you don't want it..."
"You'll never find your Little Bear Doll again."
"No!"
"No!"
The child screamed.
Her eyes were red.
It looked as if tears would fall at any moment.
The woman felt a little sorry for him.
In truth, parents were always willing to preserve their child's innocence and the fairy-tale world in his eyes.
But...
The child's behavior had gone a bit too far this time.
They could accept him talking to his doll.
Playing house with it.
Treating it like a real friend.
They could accept all of that.
They would even play along.
They would only think their child was adorable.
But...
They couldn't understand...
Why did he insist that this Little Bear Doll wasn't his Little Bear Doll?
It was so strange.
What did he mean, this Little Bear Doll couldn't talk...
Which Little Bear Doll could talk?
Wasn't it all just the child's "make-believe"?
His stubborn insistence on this reason left them utterly baffled.
If only the child had given a different reason...
They might not have been able to bring themselves to shatter his fairy-tale world.
The man looked at the child.
His expression showed not the slightest sign of relenting.
The child looked at his mother.
The woman put away the pity in her expression.
She looked at the child.
"Your dad is right, Bao Bao."
The woman softened her voice.
"Take a good look."
"It's your Little Bear Doll."