The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

At this critical moment, everyone's eyelids twitched simultaneously—

As the boulder fell, it suddenly struck the exposed roots of an old tree, causing its originally straight trajectory to deviate instantly.

It bounced and whistled past, barely grazing Sweetie's body, without even touching a single hair on her head...

With a deafening roar, it crashed into the bottom of the mountain, raising a cloud of dust.

Everyone who witnessed this held their breath in shock.

For a few seconds, no one moved and no one made a sound.

Everyone stared in disbelief as the boulder rolled down the mountainside, then at the small figure on the hillside, who wore a childlike, innocent smile and waved her arms at them.

"dad!"

"Grandpa Xu!"

Liang Zhe suddenly realized what was happening.

He used his fastest speed ever, using both hands and feet, and rushed up the mountain in a few strides.

His knees, calves, and palms were scratched and bleeding from stones and thorns, but he felt no pain at all, his eyes were filled with his daughter's small, soft body.

Xu Qiang, who was down the mountain, suddenly swayed and fell backward due to exhaustion. Zhou Xiaobing caught him firmly with quick reflexes. The old professor clutched his chest, panting heavily, unable to speak for a long time. His back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Feng Dapao let out a long breath, his limbs went weak uncontrollably, and Qin Yan and the others next to him could no longer hold back, covering their mouths and weeping with joy, tears streaming down their faces.

Behind them, gasps, exclamations of admiration, and incredulous gasps rose in succession, gradually merging into a tidal wave of sound. Everyone was relieved that Tian Tian had escaped a disaster. Even the miners who had previously been prejudiced against Liang Zhe and his daughter were now overjoyed.

Seeing Liang Zhe's frantic state, Tian Tian quickly called out, "Daddy, don't worry, Tian Tian is alright, come down right away!"

As she spoke, she moved her short legs, preparing to slowly descend the mountain.

"Don't move! Stand there obediently!" Liang Zhe shouted sternly, only then realizing that his voice could no longer be clear.

When he rushed up the hillside in his most disheveled and desperate state, he finally managed to hug his youngest daughter.

The overwhelming joy of finding what he had lost sent his blood rushing to his head, while the moment he was almost overwhelmed by fear made his heart feel like it was being clenched. These intense emotions intertwined in his mind, making him almost kneel down and burst into tears.

Fortunately, his daughter wrapped her soft arms around him and proudly whispered in his ear, "Daddy, Sweetie found the singing stone!"

"What...what did you say?"

Liang Zhe froze. He had been so worried about his daughter's safety that he hadn't noticed what she was holding.

"A stone!" Sweetie proudly held up the stone she was clutching in her hand, exclaiming, "Grandpa Xu asked me to find this stone, and I found it for him!"

In that instant, an overwhelming sense of fear surged up his head, almost overwhelming him.

He almost lost his daughter forever because of this one stone!

He always puts national interests first, and for the sake of his mission, he is willing to sacrifice himself without hesitation, or dedicate everything he has to the country.

He lived in anonymity, risked his life, and even abandoned his family and honor—this was his responsibility as a soldier.

But now, looking at his daughter's small body, he was filled with fear and regret. He dared not think about how he would face his deceased wife if the boulder hadn't shifted, how he would forgive himself for not protecting his daughter.

Shufen, I'm sorry. You entrusted Tiantian to me, but I failed to fulfill my responsibility as a father, leaving our daughter in the most dangerous place...

Immense regret gnawed at his heart like a thousand ants, tearing at his internal organs; he dared not even think about the worst possible outcome.

"Daddy, don't be afraid, Sweetie is really okay."

Perhaps it was a father-daughter connection, but Tian Tian keenly sensed her father's panic and self-blame, and immediately obediently threw herself into his arms, hugging his neck tightly and softly comforting him.

"Let's go down the mountain. Tian Tian wants to give the stone to Grandpa Xu."

"Going down the mountain... Okay, going down the mountain..."

The danger in the mountains had not yet subsided, and loose rocks were still occasionally rolling down. He dared not linger and had to take Tian Tian back to a safe area as soon as possible.

But in his heart, he kept asking himself: In the future, should he let Tian Tian be in such danger again? Between duty and family, how should he choose?

He couldn't find a single answer to this question at that moment.

"Daddy, Sweetie has a secret to tell you."

To comfort her father, whose face was deathly pale, Tian Tian leaned close to his ear and whispered, "When Tian Tian was climbing the mountain just now, the rocks all avoided her; they didn't touch me."

"Wh...what?" Liang Zhe stood there, stunned, unable to react for a moment.

Sweetie's eyes curved into little crescents as she smiled: "Daddy, don't worry. Sweetie promises you, I'll protect myself from now on and won't make you cry. Sweetie's all grown up now, I can take care of myself!"

This maturity beyond his years brought tears to Liang Zhe's eyes, and he couldn't say a word. He could only hug his daughter even tighter.

The father and daughter had barely taken a few steps when Feng Dapao, along with security guards and miners, came to meet them, carefully protecting them and taking them completely away from the danger zone.

As soon as Tian Tian landed, she broke free from Liang Zhe's hand, ran quickly to Xu Qiang, and shouted loudly with her little face upturned, "Grandpa Xu, Tian Tian found the sleeping stone!"

With Zhou Xiaobing's help, Xu Qiang had already stood up. He was startled when he heard this, and then a deep sense of guilt and self-reproach welled up in his heart.

He quickly stepped forward and picked up the child.

"Sweetie, you're so foolish! In such a dangerous place, nothing is more important than your life! If something happens to you, how will Grandpa explain to your father?" Xu Qiang's voice trembled with pain. "Remember, nothing in this world is more precious than your life!"

Sweetie was startled by his serious tone, wrinkled her little nose, and timidly let out a soft "Oh".

"You must promise Grandpa, this is the last time!"

Xu Qiang did not stop blaming her; instead, he glared at Tian Tian with an even more stern look.

Sweetie hesitated for a second, then nodded obediently, "Grandpa, Sweetie understands, I won't do it again."

Xu Qiang then turned to look at Liang Zhe. Their eyes met, both filled with bitterness and helplessness. All their unspoken words turned into a silent sigh.

"Let's retreat to the mining area first. It's dangerous here. We'll talk about the rest when we get back!" Feng Dapao shouted. Although the wind in the mountains had weakened somewhat, it had not yet subsided. Fortunately, after Tian Tian came down the mountain, the rolling of loose rocks on the mountain gradually stopped.

The group dared not linger and led Liang Zhe and his daughter, along with Xu Qiang and the others, toward the mining area. As they passed Tian Tian, ​​many people cast their gazes, some with curiosity, some with admiration, and some with praise.

Several older miners patted Liang Zhe on the shoulder, silently comforting him. This terrifying ordeal in the back mountain was ultimately a close call, and it made everyone remember this brave and sensible four-year-old girl.