Fear and Worry

The girl sobbed softly.

Her little hands clutched the fabric on Xiao Xiao's shoulder.

After quite a while, Xiao Xiao finally felt the small body in his arms stop trembling.

He lowered his voice. "Little Bell, are you feeling better?"

"Big Brother."

The girl's voice was muffled, thick with a stuffy nose. "I'm so scared."

Xiao Xiao gently stroked the girl's head.

He didn't say anything. Suddenly, he thought that perhaps his earlier guess had been wrong.

The girl probably hadn't been frightened by the sound of the elevator.

"Will Mommy and Daddy yell at me?"

"Will they... hit me?"

The girl's little body trembled again as she spoke.

Xiao Xiao couldn't help finding it both amusing and exasperating. He patted the back of her head. "Little Bell, what are you thinking?"

The girl abruptly lifted her head. If Xiao Xiao hadn't quickly raised his own and pulled her a little farther from his chest, her head would have collided with his chin.

He looked down, about to say something, when he heard the girl's hopeful voice. Her red, swollen eyes sparkled like a puppy's when it saw a meaty bone.

"They won't yell at me?"

"They won't hit me?"

"I don't know."

Xiao Xiao honestly shook his head.

Uncle Jin and Auntie Yu had certainly been worried about the girl, but he wasn't sure whether they might be so angry when they saw their daughter safe and sound that they'd want to smack her.

Little Bell's face immediately fell, and her eyes began to grow damp again.

"Little Bell, when you've done something wrong, you have to be brave enough to face your mistake."

Xiao Xiao met Little Bell's eyes.

The child's eyes were clear and pure. After being washed by her tears,