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

Sweetie smelled the delicious aroma and felt a strong urge to eat it. Since Sister Xiaoyu insisted on giving her candy, she shouldn't refuse.

Sweetie hesitated for a few seconds, then stuck out her little tongue and lightly licked the candy. Her tongue and mouth were filled with the sweet sensation, and the little girl immediately smiled with satisfaction.

"Sister, it's delicious."

Xiaoyu then let go of her hand, letting her hold the food herself.

Sweetie stopped being polite with her best friend and popped the candy into her mouth with a "whoosh," her little nose wrinkling as she laughed.

"Thank you, sister, you're so kind."

With a candy in her mouth, she felt it was a little difficult to speak, but she still started chattering away.

"Hey little sister, you know what? Sweetie was amazing today! She found so many singing stones! Have you ever seen singing stones? You know, the kind that make a 'crackling' sound, and you have to use Grandpa Xu's pipe to hear them. Isn't that really interesting?"

Sweetie recounted her experiences of the day, gesturing with her little hands as she spoke. When she got excited, she even stood up and spun around Xiaoyu several times.

"And also, Tiantian led Grandpa Xu and the others to a dark, big cave with lots and lots of singing stones inside. Grandpa Ge praised me for doing a great job and even rewarded me with a fried egg!"

The little girl naturally ignored the embarrassing incident of dropping the fried egg and only talked about her happiest and proudest moments.

She told me about the picture book of "Journey to the West" that Grandpa Xu gave her, how greedy Pigsy was, and how Sun Wukong could travel 108,000 li in a single somersault. She also told me about the Big Bad Wolf catching the Little White Rabbit, and how the Little White Rabbit, as clever as Little Red Riding Hood, led the Big Bad Wolf to the hunter's gun, so that the bad wolf would get what he deserved.

She described the story vividly, immersing herself in a dreamlike fairytale world. Although Xiaoyu didn't speak, she watched her intently, patiently and quietly being her only listener.

In the past, no one had ever told her these things.

Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Journey to the West... these were all stories she was hearing for the first time.

Even the story of the Big Bad Wolf and the Little White Rabbit, which Sweetie told best, was something she was hearing for the first time.

When she was little, her mother would always hold her, soaking her childhood in tears and sighs.

She would either hysterically curse her father or beg the strangers to let her and her out.

At that time, she and her mother lived in a house with high fences, like two caged birds. She could only see her father once a month, one day at a time. Many people were still watching them, eavesdropping on their family conversations.

Later, her father's absences became longer and longer, until he was completely out of contact. Her mother no longer had the strength to cry. She would sit in front of the door day after day, her eyes vacant, ignoring her as if she were just an extra wisp of air.

Later, in despair, the mother escaped with her. They hid beneath the deck of a dilapidated cargo ship and drifted at sea for an unknown amount of time.

They were captured by human traffickers, beaten, and sold like livestock before being brought to this mine by a man named Liu Mazi.

She never had the chance to hear these interesting stories, and unlike Sweetie, she never received praise, rewards, or kindness from adults.

At this moment, as she looked at the carefree little girl beside her, full of happy dreams for the future, and felt that vibrant life force, a hard and cold corner in her heart seemed to be gently touched by something, rippling with a bittersweet feeling.

She felt her eyes getting a little wet.

Sweetie had no idea what kind of turmoil was brewing in Xiaoyu's heart. As she talked, the excitement of the day ran out, and coupled with running too much, a strong, irresistible drowsiness washed over her like a tide.

She couldn't help but yawn loudly, and a single tear welled up from the corner of her eye.

Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and her head bobbed up and down like a chick pecking at rice. So she crawled back to Xiaoyu's side and rested her little head on Xiaoyu's thin shoulder.

"Little sister," she mumbled sleepily, "Sweetie is sleepy... After Sweetie wakes up, we'll go back to find Daddy... Don't make Daddy worry..."

Her sweet voice gradually faded, turning into a muffled murmur. But she still wanted to say something more to Xiaoyu; it was her last, hazy consciousness before falling asleep.

"Why aren't you saying anything, miss... Do you have any good stories to tell Sweetie?"

"Is Aunt Zhen feeling better? Are you no longer in pain? From now on, Tian Tian will protect you and won't let bad people bully you..."

The voice gradually faded until it was inaudible. Xiaoyu felt the weight on her shoulders getting heavier and heavier. Looking down, she saw that Tiantian had closed her eyes and was snoring softly and evenly.

Her small mouth was slightly open, with a sweet smile on her lips, as if she was savoring the ultimate sweetness brought by that fruit candy in her dream.

Xiaoyu silently watched her for a long time, her gaze complex. Seeing that Tiantian was already fast asleep, she reached out and gently laid Tiantian flat on the grass.

The little girl's small body was soft and fluffy, like a warm, fluffy cotton candy.

Xiaoyu looked down at Tiantian's sleeping face, which was completely unguarded, and gently took off her own coarse cloth coat to cover her up, so as to prevent her from catching a cold in her sleep.

After doing all this, she shrank back into the pile of fallen leaves, leaned against the large rock that was big enough to hide behind, and silently closed her eyes.

The wind whispered softly, like a mother's loving murmur; the long night was silent, embracing all things in the world. Being in such a spacious, peaceful, and secluded environment, she felt more at ease and relaxed than in any place she had ever been before—whether it was that cold cage or that turbulent cargo ship.

Time flowed silently under the canopy of trees, all was quiet, as if the whole world had fallen asleep.

I don't know how much time passed; maybe an hour, maybe just a few minutes.

Xiaoyu's body suddenly stiffened without warning.

Her ears twitched slightly, her previously relaxed shoulders tensed instantly, and her fingers hanging at her sides tightened unconsciously.

She raised her head warily, held her breath, and her ears caught a faint, yet distinctive sound carried on the wind.

The sound was not the wind, nor the chirping of insects, nor the footsteps of wild animals hunting for food.

It was a rhythmic, slight scraping sound, mixed with the rustling of clothes against bushes.

Someone is approaching.

Moreover, the man was trying his best to hide his whereabouts.

Sweetie seemed to sense Xiaoyu's nervousness, and stirred restlessly in her sleep, mumbling something indistinctly.

Xiaoyu's heart tightened, and almost instinctively, she immediately reached out a cold hand and covered Tiantian's mouth without hesitation.