In the dead of night, the room was pitch-black.
On the large bed, the girl curled up into a small ball, her pale face covered in cold sweat.
Click—
The door opened gently, and light from the hallway flowed in through the crack.
A tall figure entered the room silently.
The door closed again, and darkness enveloped the room.
"Don't…" The little girl on the bed sobbed softly.
Her trembling murmur was filled with panic.
With each whimper, hearts broke.
The man standing by the door felt a sharp pain in his heart.
He quickly walked to the bedside, tossed his chilly coat onto the sofa, then wrapped the girl and her blanket tightly in his arms.
The girl trapped in the nightmare felt the warmth and clung to it like a lifeline, desperately grabbing at his clothes.
"Save me…"
The girl's fragmented cries made the man's heart feel as if it were splitting open.
He held her, and lightly kissed her forehead.
"Baby, don't be afraid," Xi Jiu's voice was husky and gentle, "I'm here."