That single bout of fear was enough to haunt him for the rest of his life.
He absolutely did not want to go through that again.
"Tell Grandpa Mu and Grandma Tan not to worry too much."
"Mm, I will."
"Thank you, Xiao Xiao."
The man looked deeply grateful, though there was a complicated mix of emotions in his eyes.
He was quite a bit older than Xiao Xiao, so even though they were neighbors, they had never had much to do with each other.
Later, he left home, and they lost touch completely.
The reason he'd remembered who Xiao Xiao was so quickly was that the incident where he'd been caught bullying someone had left a deep impression on him. There was also the fact that, even as a child, this guy had been different from other kids.
He was especially unlike a child.
And especially unlovable.
He hadn't expected that, in the end, it would be this man—someone he'd barely known—who came to his aid.
He'd spent quite a long time struggling to make his way in society.
Naturally, he could tell that this guy had helped him entirely for his father's and grandmother's sake.
Otherwise, this guy probably wouldn't have spared him a glance.
After all, when it came down to it, his predicament could be considered his own fault.
Only after the footsteps outside had faded away did Meng Jixi speak again. "Master Xiao, I'll call Brother Li at the station right now and ask him to look into that man's identity."
"Sorry for the trouble."
Xiao Xiao nodded with a smile.
"Why be so formal?"
Meng Jixi waved a hand. "You've helped us several times already."
"If you're the one asking, I don't think Dad would mind Brother Li doing a