A man and a woman stood beside the doorway of their bedroom, their voices growing increasingly heated as they argued in hushed tones. On the bed, a small child slept peacefully, her tiny form curled beneath soft blankets.
But as the tension between her parents escalated, the harsh whispers cutting through the stillness of the night, the child’s peaceful expression began to shift. Her delicate features twisted slightly, small frowns creasing her brow as the disturbance penetrated her dreams.
Finally, her eyes snapped open. Her eyes were bright and gleamed with an intelligent light that held far too much awareness for someone so young. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, her small hands automatically moving to rub the sleep from her eyes as she blinked in confusion at her surroundings.
The two adults immediately noticed their daughter was awake and fell silent, their argument forgotten as they quickly moved toward the bed with concern etched on their faces.
"Xiao Yao, did we wake you up?" the mother asked softly, her voice thick with guilt as she gathered the child into her arms, holding her close against her chest.
"Are Mom and Dad fighting?" the little girl asked, her eyes darting between her parents. "Yao Yao doesn’t like it when Mom and Dad fight," she added.
The father’s stern expression melted away, replaced by a gentle smile as he moved closer to embrace both his wife and daughter. "Xiao Yao, how could Mom and Dad fight? Dad loves Xiao Yao and Mom the most in the whole world," he said warmly, his large hands encompassing both of them in a protective embrace.
The mother’s face brightened with a matching smile, though worry still lingered in her eyes. "Mom also loves Xiao Yao and Dad the most," she echoed, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her daughter’s head.
The child’s face lit up with pure joy, her earlier concern evaporating. "Yao Yao loves Mom and Dad the mostest!" she declared.
Both parents couldn’t help but smile at their daughter’s cuteness, their hearts warming despite the gravity of their situation. But their moment of familial peace was shattered by a tremendous explosion that erupted from somewhere outside. The blast was so powerful that it shook their entire house, causing the walls to tremble and dust to rain down from the ceiling.
"They’re here," the father whispered, his expression hardening.
"What do we do? Xiao Yao is—" the mother began frantically, but her husband coughed and gave a meaningful glance toward their daughter. She understood immediately that they couldn’t discuss this in front of their child so she kept quiet.
"Dogs of the Li family, hand over the immortal inheritance and I’ll let you live!" a voice boomed from outside, reverberating with such overwhelming power that it shook the building even more violently than the earlier explosion. The windows rattled in their frames, and several small objects fell from shelves throughout the room.
"Mom," the little girl tried to speak, fear creeping into her voice, but her mother quickly pulled her even tighter against her chest.
"It’s okay, don’t be afraid. Mom is here," she whispered soothingly, though her own voice trembled.
"Yao Yao isn’t afraid," the child said, though she clung to her mother’s robes. She looked up at both her parents with determination in her eyes. "Are those bad guys? Grandpa said that I should protect Mom and Dad from the bad guys," she spoke.
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