Chapter 5: The little girl's dependence on her.

Giving her medicine while she was unconscious would be dangerous, so Xu Yiran cradled the child in her arm and gently tried to wake her up.

Little Xu Lianyi felt herself lying in a warm embrace, someone softly caressing her cheek. The warmth felt so comforting, and the faint, sweet fragrance reminded her of her mother. Half-conscious, she believed she was in her mother’s arms. But when she forced her heavy eyelids open, she found herself staring at an unfamiliar young woman looking at her gently.

In an instant, she felt so wronged. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her small lips pouted.

Xu Yiran saw the little girl finally open her eyes, looking at her with confusion. Just as she was about to sigh in relief, she noticed the child’s big, round eyes turning misty. Her lips trembled as if she was about to cry loudly.

Xu Yiran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Did she look that scary? But it was quite heartbreaking to see the little girl shedding silent tears.

Freeing one hand, she gently wiped the corners of the child’s eyes with her finger and softly asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Seeing their sister cry, the two boys also immediately tensed up.

Her gentle voice seemed to trigger something in the little girl, and she started crying even more, letting out tiny sobs.

Xu Yiran felt helpless. Even during her travels, she had rarely dealt with children and had no idea what had triggered the girl’s emotions or how to deal with it. She continued wiping her tears while gently patting her back.

“Are you feeling unwell? You can tell me, okay?” she coaxed.

“Are you looking for your brothers? Look, they’re right here with you. You don’t have to be afraid. You’re safe here.”

But no matter what Xu Yiran said, the little girl didn’t stop crying. Instead, her sobs grew louder and louder. She clung tightly to Xu Yiran’s neck, burying her face in her chest, her small body trembling evey now and then.

Seeing her in such distress, Xu Yiran stopped talking and simply continued patting her back, soothing her emotions. She guessed the child needed to vent her pent-up fear and frustration.

Xu Zehao and Xu Yuqiong, on the other hand, were feeling frustrated. They couldn’t do anything but stand there and watch their sister cry so heartbreakingly. Their own eyes turned red over the time.

Their little sister had always been the darling of the family. When had she ever suffered like this? The past two days must have been unbearable for her. They couldn’t even begin to imagine the chaos back home.

It took a full thirty minutes before the child finally stopped crying, though she still sobbed softly from time to time. It was unclear whether it was the environment or the warmth of Xu Yiran that made her feel safe, but the little girl clung to her tightly.

Xu Yiran didn’t say anything and simply let her hold on. She bent down to test the temperature of the water. It had already turned cold. Lowering her gaze to the little girl still clinging to her sweater, she spoke softly, “Can you stay with your brothers for a few minutes? The water has turned cold. I’ll bring you some warm water, okay?”

The little girl stared at her pitifully, pouted again, and tightened her grip. Just when Xu Yiran thought she might cry again, the child reluctantly let go and turned toward her brothers for a hug.

Xu Yuqiong quickly embraced his sister. Seeing her puffy red eyes, he felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart.

In the kitchen, Xu Yiran boiled some eggs, took out all the snacks she had, and returned to the living room with three glasses of warm water and the food.

The moment little Lianyi saw her, she immediately reached out for a hug. This big sister smelled so nice—so gentle and warm, just like her mother.

Xu Yiran couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the little girl spreading her arms toward her. She placed the things on the table and took the child from her brother’s arms.

Xu Yuqiong felt a little sad but still let go of his sister.

“Here, drink some water,” Xu Yiran said as she sat down with the little girl in her arms, placing the warm glass against her lips. The child immediately started drinking in a hurry.

“Slow down, don’t choke.”

Seeing how anxious the two brothers were as they watched their sister drink—staring at the glass as if they wanted to bore a hole through it—Xu Yiran was speechless.

She sneered but still said in good temper , “The washroom is over there. Go and wash your hands and feet.”

The brothers looked down at their mud-covered hands and feet and felt embarrassed for dirtying someone else’s home. Exchanging glances, they decided that one of them would stay with their sister while the other went to wash up.

Xu Yiran didn’t mind. After feeding the little girl some water, she let her sit on the couch and took a wet towel to wipe her dirty face, hands, and feet.