6years ago:
Zhejiang, 1:54 pm.
The man peeked around before plodding into the room.
"Where are you?" He whispered as he looked around, pretending to not hear the giggle under the bed.
"Xiao... Where are youuuuu"
The girl's giggle got louder, immediately he turned and kneeled right in front of her, startling the girl whose giggle had turned to loud laughter.
"There is my little girl", the man said as he took her out.
Her golden hair almost got in his eyes but he waved them away gently, enjoying his daughter's cute laughter, it warms his heart.
He made sure his daughter remains happy so as to not remember the tragedy that had happened a year ago.
"Daddy! Again again!"
The man smiled as he made her sit on his lap, running his fingers through her hair.
"We will definitely do that and after that...."
"After that... You continue the story of you and your mom and uncle Zhou, how you protect her from bad people" she excitedly said, her blue eyes smiled at her father.
He agreed with a nod.
Xiaofan knew he had something to tell her, she stared at her father, waiting for him to spill it.
He caressed her hair and said.
"How will you like to have a new mom".
*****
Present-day:
The woman looked away, she let out a scoff and her gaze back at the little girl still frowning at her.
"Do you have anything to say... FAN!" She asked and instantly grabbed the girl's hand roughly.
Xiaofan shrieked as the woman tightened her clasp.
"Let me go..."
The woman ignored as she stared at the girl attempting to free herself from her captivity.
"Listen carefully, little demon. If you still want to keep living under this roof, you will respect my command, I do not care if you like me or not. Your opinion doesn't count so you better watch your tiny mouth before I have them sealed forever".
Xiaofan should be threatened by her word, but instead, she felt a lot of anger in her toward the woman, she wouldn't stop struggling to get free from the pain.
Suddenly the woman dropped her hand, she looked up at her husband approaching them.
"Xiaofan hurt her hand and I am trying to help her look at it.. But I guess she prefers yelling at me, she does this anytime I tried being caring".
The man saw the crumb of bread on the table and the empty mug right next to it.
"I made sure she had breakfast", she added.
Xiaofan scoffed.
"What a lie", she said out angrily, "Father... She literally...."
"XIAOFAN!"
The girl got startled, her father has never called her full name.
"What is your problem, why do you enjoy stressing your mother this way? Why can't you act like your sister Xiu lan?..."
"Maybe that is because Xiu lan has her mother right next to her and mine isn't..." she yelled back, huffing and puffing.
Her voice broke, hand shivered at the result of the strong squeezing her stepmother had done.
Tears filled her eyes as she grabbed her backpack and trotted out.
"Xia!"
The girl ignored her dad as she hasten her steps.
The man let out a sigh, he turned to his wife and saw her eyes already on him.
"Did... Did she just walk out on us?" He asked, still in surprise.
Xiu lan's presence caught the woman's attention, she smiled as her daughter walked toward her father.
The man picked her up immediately, he poked her nose slightly, making her giggle in excitement.
"I hope you were not scared at my yelling? Your sister was just been stubborn but you know what? I will definitely make it up to you on your 6th birthday coming soon... Okay?", he promised.
The woman let out a comforting smile as the man walked away with Xiu lan.
"Just as it is supposed to be", she mumbled.
She suddenly remembered her visitor would be there anytime soon.
"Meili!!!".
The lady who has been around, waiting to be called sprinted towards her madam.
"Yes ma'am",
The woman frowned at her reply, "what did I tell you about the way you address me... I am your madam... Are you crazy?" She yelled.
Meili fell to her knees, "I am sorry madam... It will never repeat itself", she promised.
The woman sighed as she looked through the table.
She moved closer to the maid and immediately grabbed her by the hair.
Meili made a feeble cry, " I am... I am sorry madam".
The woman pulled harder as she made the maid look her in the eyes, "the next time you go against my wish, I will make sure to chop your head off and feed it to the dogs", she said and finally, let go of the hair.
Meili let out a sigh of relief.
The woman who was now looking through the food again turned to the maid on her knees, " Go tell Phillip to drop all he is doing at the moment, he need to drive my daughter to school" she ordered.
"Can... Can I stand madam?" She asked for permission.
The woman looked at her angrily, "are you dumb? Do you want to crawl to phillip? You knelt on your own... Do not make me the bad one".
The lady hurried up, "I am sorry madam... I will get him right away".
(A little cottage in Zhejiang)
A little hand left the door open as she walked in without hesitation.
As expected the smell of pig intestine was all over the room, an old picture of Bruce Lee hung over the wall, hung next to it was the head of a lifeless deer.
The girl noticed something different.
"What is... that?" She whispered before taking steps closer to the big cage on the table.
The girl saw it, a baby owl.
It was of a rare type, it looked scarier with its big shiny golden eyes, and white dots all over its feather.
"What are you?" She thought and instead of being scared of the mysterious bird, she got even more interested.
She raised her fingers and slowly stretched them towards the cage.
Suddenly, the bird flapped its wing, she flinched and tripped over, falling to the ground.
The turning doorknob instantly caught her attention, she turned her face slowly to the door as it opened widely.
A huge tall man, holding an axe and a dead fox, dripping blood all over.
His eyes met the girls'
"Xiaofan?... What are you doing?"