Large snowflakes were falling on the street, and every corner was decorated with items peculiar to the New Year, the bustling streets filled with people and cars, showcasing the festive excitent.
At the entrance of a famous children’s restaurant, because there was a special New Year event offering children’s toys, many parents brought their kids here for a al.
Countless people ca and went, but no one noticed the two or three-year-old girl curled up in the corner outside the restaurant.
Her hair was a tangled ss, and her little white cotton coat had turned a different color with dirt. She closed her eyes, hugging her knees, shivering as she huddled in the corner.
A black luxury car parked in the restaurant’s parking area.
A woman wearing fur got out of the car, opening the backseat door while cheerfully saying to the boy inside the car, "Wilder, isn’t this your favorite restaurant? They’re even giving away toy cars today, hurry up and get down."
With a sullen look, the boy, appearing to be eight or nine years old, stepped out. The suit he wore lent him a mature air.
While other children walked into the restaurant holding their parents’ hands, chatting and laughing, the boy walked in alone, as if unwilling to interact with anyone.
The woman waited for the man in the car to get out. Watching the boy walk away alone, the man complained to the woman, "It’s your spoiling that caused this bad temper!"
The woman, holding the man’s arm, said, "Oh, he’s just going through a rebellious phase, our Wilder is still a good boy."
They followed the boy’s footsteps into the restaurant but saw him stop at the entrance, looking towards the dirty little girl curled up in the corner.
The woman frowned with disdain, pulling the boy along into the restaurant, saying, "Oh, it’s filthy! Let’s go quickly."
Inside the restaurant, the warm heating and festive atmosphere were particularly lively, possibly due to the holiday.
However, it took much longer than usual to serve the als. The woman impatiently urged several tis before the dishes were finally brought out.
As she placed food into the boy’s bowl, she said, "Co on, son, eat more. You’re growing, so you can’t be picky."
The boy ate with a blank expression, appearing distracted, occasionally glancing out the window.
After only a few bites, with the dishes not yet fully served, the boy put down his chopsticks, "I’m full."
The woman was montarily stunned, then couldn’t help nagging, "You’ve eaten so little, and you’re full? Co on, eat more, your favorite dish hasn’t arrived yet!"
But the boy acted like he didn’t hear, grabbed two cupcakes from the table’s giveaway and headed downstairs.
The boy walked out of the restaurant, going straight to the girl’s side.
It took a while for the girl to realize soone was in front of her, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Her eyes were bright and clean, contrasting with her dirty little face.
The boy looked down at her, asking emotionlessly, "Are you hungry?"
The girl simply stared at him with wide eyes, watching the cupcakes in his hand. Though she said nothing, the boy understood from her swallowing motion.
The boy squatted and handed the still-warm cupcakes to her, "Here you go."
The girl glanced at the cupcakes, then at the boy. Perhaps too hungry, she reached out with her frostbitten, purple-red little hands to take the cupcakes, devouring them ravenously.
Seeing her eat the edges with the paper, the boy retrieved the cupcake, peeled off the paper for her, then handed it back.
"What are you doing?! She’s so dirty, who knows if she has so infectious disease!" The woman’s sharp voice pierced through, and a hand with painted nails pulled the boy up: "Let’s go!"
The boy shrugged off the woman’s grip, firmly saying, "I want to take her ho."
The woman seed in disbelief, "What?"
The boy pointed at the girl, repeating, "I want to take her ho!"
The woman frowned: "Stop making trouble! Get back and eat, there are still your favorite dishes."
The boy’s tone grew annoyed, "I said I’m full!"
Woman: "Why are you shouting at your mother? You’ve eaten so little, and you say you’re full? You’re growing, so go back and eat more."
The boy again brushed off the woman’s hand, focused on unwrapping the other cupcake, squatting to give it to the girl right in front of the woman.
This made the woman scornful, "You must be bored! Finding novelty in so little beggar?"
Amid the mother and son’s quarrel, the boy’s father ca down, sternly saying, "If he doesn’t want to eat, then leave him be. He’s old enough to know if he’s hungry! If he doesn’t eat, then we’re leaving, let’s go!"
The woman, too, no longer cared about eating, just wanting to pull the boy away quickly.
But the boy turned to his father, "I want to take her with us."
The man frowned, glancing disdainfully at the girl.
The woman helplessly looked at the man.
Before they could respond, the boy took the girl’s hand, asking her, "Do you want to go ho with ? We have lots of good food at ho."
The girl didn’t give a clear answer, only finding the big brother’s hand to be very warm.
The boy led the girl to where they had parked, with her following step by step behind him.
Displeasure echoed in the woman’s voice, "Aren’t you going to do anything?!"
The man’s voice was equally disgruntled, "Do sothing? If he behaves back ho, leave it be."
In the car, the woman said so unpleasant things in front of the girl. Though she was young, she seed to understand she wasn’t welcod and sat silently in the corner.
The boy, seeming accustod to the woman’s chatter, took a wet wipe from the car and began cleaning the girl’s face, undeterred by any dirt.
Once her face was clean, she looked especially adorable, just a bit thin, and would be fine with so care.
"Do you have a na?"
The girl timidly looked at the boy, unsure if she couldn’t speak or didn’t know her own na.
The boy, on his own accord, said, "Then I’ll give you one."
The woman gave the man a cross look, frustrated that he wasn’t intervening.
The man, however, acted as if he hadn’t seen anything. Having so quiet was a rarity in this household.
The boy thought seriously for a mont, his eyes falling on a butterfly embroidered on the girl’s coat. He said, "I’ll call you Vanessa, ok? Do you like that na?"
The dream ended there as Vanessa Sterling slowly opened her eyes, everything in sight was white, and the air filled with an unpleasant antiseptic sll.
"She’s awake, check her again," soone said. Through the blurred vision, she saw a group of people in white coats standing beside her bed, among them was a familiar face...
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