Xiao Ding quietly listened to his daughter's account, then fell silent for a long time.
He was not angered by Xiao Xiao agreeing to Xu Tianyao's conditions on her own. Instead, he slowly raised a hand and gently stroked his daughter's soft, silky hair, his eyes filled with tenderness and fatherly love.
To him now, nothing mattered more than his daughter being alive and safe.
Having gone through this brush with death, he understood more clearly than ever that as long as Xiao Xiao was alive, as long as father and daughter could be reunited, everything else was a price he could accept.
Besides, Xiao Xiao had been facing such a hopeless situation at the time.
For a young girl to remain calm in the face of death, to think of borrowing Xu Tianyao's strength to secure a sliver of survival for herself while also preserving hope for the Xiao Clan's future—this had far exceeded the responsibility expected of someone her age.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ding felt no blame whatsoever. Instead, his heart was filled with pride.
"Xiao Xiao, you did nothing wrong."
Xiao Ding looked at his tearful daughter, a gentle smile appearing on his face as his voice grew even softer.
"In that situation, surviving was the most important thing. You chose to live for your own sake, and you also thought of your father, thought of the entire Xiao Clan. That truly comforts me."
"Our Xiao Xiao has grown up. You've become sensible too."
"You are no longer just that little girl who needed her father's protection. You've learned to think in times of danger, to shoulder responsibility, and to plan for your loved ones and the family's future."
"So I won't blame you. I have even less right to blame you."
As he spoke, Xiao