His lion tail, which had been hanging low behind him, stopped moving entirely.
Lin Huahua’s small body was pressed against him, her arms wrapping around his waist as much as they could, and because Hu Baiyu was so much bigger than her, the whole scene looked less like one person hugging another and more like a tiny white dumpling trying to hug a huge warm mountain.
Hu Baiyu’s brain went blank.
For one second, he truly did not know what to do.
His female was hugging him on her own without him asking and without him dreaming.
Without him imagining it in his head and then waking up to disappointnt.
This was real.
His heart began pounding so loudly that if there had been another person nearby, they might have heard it.
But then, because he cared about her more than his own shock, Hu Baiyu slowly relaxed and hugged her back.
His arms ca around her carefully, protectively, as if he were afraid that if he used even a little too much strength, he might break this precious little thing in his arms.
Then he lifted one hand and gently patted her head.
That motion was so soft that it was almost like touching a cloud.
Hu Baiyu still did not know why she was crying.
He still did not know what had happened in the short ti he was gone.
But he knew one thing very clearly.
He did not want her to be sad.
Not at all.
Seeing her cry made his heart feel as though soone had taken a claw and raked it across his chest.
It hurt.
It truly hurt.
And because he could not ask her properly, because he could not speak, because he felt so helpless and useless in that mont, Hu Baiyu began blaming himself too.
If only he could talk.
If only he were not mute.
If only he could comfort her with words the way others could.
Would it be easier then?
Would she cry less if he could simply ask, What is wrong?
Would she feel better if he could say, I am here?
Hu Baiyu’s throat tightened.
He held her a little more carefully, his eyes full of pain.
anwhile, Lin Huahua, who had buried her face against him, was still crying, though the crying was no longer as explosive as before. It had turned into smaller sobs, little shaky breaths, and occasional sniffles that made her look extra pitiful.
Then suddenly, she felt sothing wet touch her hair.
Lin Huahua paused and blinked in confusion.
Another drop landed.
She slowly lifted her head and touched the top of her hair, then looked at her fingertips.
Wet.
Lin Huahua frowned.
A very confused frown.
Then she muttered in a small tearful voice, "My tears are supposed to go down. Why are they going up?"
That question was so silly that if she had not still been crying, the heavens themselves might have laughed.
Lin Huahua looked up properly.
And then she saw it.
Hu Baiyu was crying too.
Silently.
His face still looked composed in that quiet lion way of his, but tears had gathered in his eyes and were slipping down before he could stop them.
Lin Huahua went still.
The sadness in her chest paused from sheer confusion.
She stared at him. Then stared harder.
Now she was not even sure whether she should keep crying.
Why was he crying?
She was the one who had just been abandoned by her cruel family in a primitive simulation.
She was the one who should be the tragic one here.
Why had this lion suddenly joined the crying party?
Lin Huahua’s brows scrunched up in confusion, and with her eyes still wet and cheeks still damp, she looked even more like a soaked little white rat who had lost her way and sohow found a second wetter rat beside her.
"Why are you crying?" she asked, voice soft and hoarse from earlier sobbing.
Hu Baiyu imdiately looked flustered.
Very flustered.
He quickly lifted his hands and signed to her in a slightly ssy rush, his usual calm movents becoming less neat because of how emotional he was.
Do not cry.
Please do not cry.
He did not like seeing her cry.
The mont Lin Huahua understood what he ant, she did not know whether to laugh or cry harder.
Her mouth opened.
Then closed.
Then opened again.
He was crying because she was crying?
This lion really was too much.
Too soft.
Too earnest.
Too pure.
She stared at him with wide watery eyes, and because the situation was so absurd, her sadness cracked open just enough for a strange little laugh to bubble up in her chest.
At the sa ti, she still felt wronged.
So her expression beca wonderfully mixed up.
Half crying.
Half wanting to laugh.
Half confused.
That was already three halves, but her face really did manage it.
Hu Baiyu watched her nervously, clearly afraid she would cry again.
Lin Huahua shook her head and sniffed. "No, I am not crying because of you."
That part was true.
But then ca the difficult part.
How was she supposed to explain this?
Could she tell him that she missed her ho from the sci-fi world?
No.
Could she tell him that the people she had just spoken to were her real father and real brothers outside this simulation?
Absolutely not.
In this world, she already had a father and family. If she suddenly started saying she missed ho and missed her family, it would only sound strange and suspicious.
Lin Huahua’s little brain spun quickly.
Then, because she was Lin Huahua, it ca up with the most convenient lie possible.
She looked at Hu Baiyu with her wet eyes, sniffled once more, then said in a soft voice, "I just... missed you so much."
Hu Baiyu froze again.
If he had been a statue, he would have cracked right there.
She missed him? He could not believe his ears.
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