The "standoff" here had temporarily come to an end, but the "standoff" over there was still going on.
"It did."
Xiao Xiao answered seriously.
"Didn't you hear it in your dream just now?"
"No!"
The child answered instinctively.
But after the words left her mouth, something flashed through her mind...
A hint of hesitation appeared on the child's face.
"...I was asleep."
The child mumbled.
"I didn't hear anything..."
"And besides..."
The child suddenly raised her voice. "Little Bear would never leave me!"
"Then why are you looking for it?"
Xiao Xiao's question immediately left the child speechless.
"If you say it wouldn't leave you, what have you been doing these past few days?"
The child opened and closed her mouth.
She stammered for a long time, but couldn't manage to form a complete sentence.
"...It didn't leave me!"
The child finally came up with an explanation.
She cried out urgently, "Little Bear went to get the Little Bear Balloon!"
"Because the Little Bear Balloon at home had sprung a leak..."
"It went to get a new Little Bear Balloon!"
"Then it got lost!"
"Right."
"It got lost..."
The child murmured.
"I have to find it."
"I have to bring it home."
"I..."
"Bao Bao."
Xiao Xiao lowered his eyes.
He looked at the child.
"You're making Little Bear sad."
"You didn't hear its last goodbye to you."
"You didn't hear its thanks, either."
"Those were the last words it said to you."
The child stood frozen in place.
"I..."
"Don't rush."
Xiao Xiao smiled.
"Think carefully."
"Are you sure you didn't hear it?"
The child's brows drew together.
Her little face scrunched up.
She looked terribly troubled.
Xiao Xiao smiled.
"Forget it."
"It's okay if you didn't hear it."