Lucas, Who Are You Talking To?

In a rural village to the south.

Golden wheat covered the ground, summer sunlight intertwining with cicada songs.

Under the big elm tree by the village.

Sophia wore twin pigtails today, her fair arms exposed in a short-sleeved shirt as she sat on a swaying rattan chair, bobbing her little head.

"Achoo!"

Sophia suddenly sneezed, rubbing her little nose in confusion, "Huh? Why did I suddenly sneeze?"

Just then, a little girl beside her, fanning her with a small fan, said sweetly:

"Sister Sophia, it must be your Lucas thinking about you! My mommy says you sneeze when someone's thinking of you."

Sophia jumped down from the rattan chair, her face blushing as she swung her pigtails, "Oh, don't call me Sister Sophia! Just call me Sophia, okay?"

The little girl was Sophia's new playmate from the past few days.

She greatly admired Sophia.

Because Sophia was now the best fighter among the village children.

Even the village bully, a chubby boy who once ruled the village, was no match for Sophia.

Once, the chubby boy brought some followers to throw pebbles at Sophia's door.

She was doing summer homework with her new friend at the time.

Hearing the commotion, Sophia marched out on her short legs and quickly knocked down the chubby boy and his followers, threatening in her sweet voice:

"If you dare come again, I'll break your legs!"

The boys were terrified, crying for their parents.

But surprisingly, this made Sophia hit them harder, swinging her little fists, truly embodying someone's essence.

"Crying? Crying counts as time!"

"The more you cry, the harder I'll hit!"

The chubby boys were thoroughly subdued, avoiding Sophia whenever they saw her after that.

This made the little girl, who had been bullied by them before, admire Sophia immensely, becoming her devoted fan.

The little girl nodded, "I know, I know, Sister Sophia."

Seeing she couldn't correct her, Sophia gave up and instead pondered about the sneeze.

Because something felt strange.

She bounced back home.

Seeing her grandmother twisting corn, she helped hold the basket and asked:

"It's so strange, Grandma, why do I suddenly feel anxious?"

"It's like... like someone's trying to steal my treasure."

Grandmother looked at her delicate granddaughter, amused by her adorable expression, saying fondly, "Who would dare steal my Sophia's treasure? Nobody can steal it, because my Sophia is the greatest treasure."

Hearing the praise, Sophia's face immediately turned rosy as she blinked her big eyes, secretly thinking:

Yes, Sophia has the greatest treasure, nobody knows, not even Grandma. Sophia keeps him in her heart, nobody can steal him away.

That evening.

After washing up, Sophia eagerly took the phone from her grandmother.

Her sister had said she was still too young, too much phone use would hurt her eyes, so she could only use it for two hours at night, keeping it with Grandma during the day.

Lying in bed, she opened the video chat app and found that name in her contacts.

Sophia excitedly made the video call.

"Lucas, Lucas, Lucas..."

She kept whispering, her little feet kicking, her heart jubilant.

But this time, the call rang for a long time with no answer.

Sophia's happy face visibly crumpled as she stared at the "Call Unanswered" message, feeling like her world was collapsing.

Lucas hadn't answered.

The first time in all these days.

She rolled over in bed, her fair little toes curling tight.

"It's okay, it's okay, Lucas probably didn't see his phone, Lucas is busy, he can't answer Sophia's calls every day, he said so before."

Comforting herself this way.

Yet Sophia kept staring at the screen, her big eyes refusing to look away.

She decided to wait a few more minutes.

But minutes passed with still no response.

She suddenly remembered.

Her sister had said, if someone doesn't instantly reply to messages one day, maybe they're not just missing it, but simply don't want to respond.

"Could it be... because I haven't paid the friendship fee in so long?"

"Could it be... Lucas finds Sophia annoying and doesn't want to talk anymore?"

A thousand little people seemed to be crying and screaming in her head, every reason seeming possible.

She was on the verge of tears.

Just then, a video call suddenly popped up.

Seeing Lucas's name.

Sophia's eyes instantly brightened as she frantically pressed accept.

Lucas indeed hadn't checked his phone earlier.

Seeing Sophia's missed call, he immediately called back.

Sophia's round face appeared on screen.

But today, her big eyes were misty, her little nose red, as if about to cry any second.

"Lucas, Lucas, why didn't you answer my call?"

Lucas sat at his desk, placing the phone on its stand, explaining, "I was busy just now, what's wrong?"

Sophia wiped her eyes with her little hands, saying pitifully, "I thought... you were tired of Sophia and wouldn't answer Sophia's calls anymore."

Where did this silly girl get such sensitive thoughts?

Lucas comforted her, "True friends never tire of each other, you can be sure of that. If they do get tired, then they weren't true friends to begin with."

Sophia was instantly convinced, nodding dumbly, "That's... that's good, Lucas and I are definitely the very best friends."

She immediately cheered up, chattering away for a while.

Then seeming to think of something, she lowered her head, her face blushing as she asked, "Then Lucas, do you think... Sophia is... is cute?"

Lucas looked at her shy, hesitant expression and answered honestly, "Of course... you're cute."

Truthfully, with Sophia's delicate features, she'd definitely grow up to be a beauty.

You could tell just by looking at Emma.

Sophia immediately giggled silly, her pigtails swaying happily.

"Then Lucas, if you meet another girl as cute as me, would you be good friends with her too?"

At first glance, Lucas thought nothing of it.

But thinking carefully, something was off.

He immediately became alert, narrowing his eyes, "Sophia, are you implying something?"

Sophia froze completely, looking innocent, "No, Lucas, I'm just curious! I'm too silly to understand hidden meanings!"

Lucas was suspicious.

He suspected this silly girl was trying to trap him with words, but had no proof.

Seeing Lucas not responding.

Sophia's big eyes sparkled as she seemed to notice something, her face falling as that ominous feeling grew clearer, saying pitifully:

"Lucas, say something, why aren't you saying anything? I feel so anxious, did you make friends with another girl?"

Something was wrong.

This silly girl was twenty times more suspicious than usual.

Lucas naturally had nothing to hide.

Just as he was about to lecture her that such thoughts were wrong.

Because true friends can't be exclusively possessed.

That's not friendship, and it would lead to trouble.

Just then.

His door was pushed open.

A beautiful little head peeked in, Luna looking at him puzzled, asking coolly:

"Lucas, who are you talking to?"

And hearing this voice.

Sophia's little face on the video instantly froze.

...