Fu Xiaoya fell asleep unknowingly. She seemed to have had a dream where she saw a little girl in a princess dress. The little girl appeared lost, standing in the hallway of a castle, looking around in confusion. On both sides of the hallway were tightly closed red doors.
"Is anyone there?" the little girl asked with a hint of fear, her voice sweet and innocent.
Silence surrounded her, and the only response she received was an echo. With only one path ahead, she gathered her courage, lifted her skirt, and continued walking. After a long journey, she finally found an open door and, feeling exhausted, entered the room.
The room was in complete disarray, with shattered fragments scattered all over the floor. It was a large room, and the darkness obscured her vision in the distance. Once again, the little girl asked, "Is anyone there?"
No one responded, but she heard the sound of clinking iron chains.
"Is anyone there?" she asked again, walking towards the source of the sound. As the sound of the dragging chains grew nearer, the little girl's curiosity intensified. However, a sudden loud noise, as if the chains struck a hard object, startled her.
Terrified, the little girl fell to the ground, crying inconsolably, struggling to catch her breath.
"Hey..." a displeased voice of a little boy came from within the cage.
The little girl was crying too hard to hear him.
"Keep crying, and I'll devour you!" the voice of the little boy grew more impatient. The iron chains occasionally clashed against the cage, reflecting his annoyance.
Gradually, the little girl ceased her crying, but her sadness lingered, occasionally causing her to sob, while she sat on the ground, staring into the darkness. Her eyes were bright, like stars in the sky.
Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and the little girl could see everything within the cage. The room was in a state of disarray, with a bed and a bathroom in ruins. The little boy, who had made her cry, sat at the edge of the cage, his eyes fixed on her as if she were an intruder in his territory.
The little boy was remarkably handsome, dressed in simple white attire. His hands were dripping with blood, yet he seemed oblivious to any pain.
"Are you the third brother from the Qin family?" The little girl seemed less afraid now, but she continued to sob. Taking a few steps forward, she spoke in a sweet and childish voice, "My name is Fu Xiaoya, and I'm your neighbor. I heard it's your birthday today, so happy birthday!" She offered him the cake in her hand with a smile, saying, "The cake is really delicious. Give it a try."
The little girl, dressed in a princess gown, reached out her hand, revealing her fair and tender arm, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at the little boy. The little boy originally wanted to push her hand away but hesitated, afraid that her crystal-clear eyes would well up with tears once again.
In the end, the little boy's hand moved, not to accept the cake but to frighten her. "Didn't anyone tell you that this place is off-limits? I don't eat cake; I specifically eat children, especially young and tender ones like you. I devour them one by one!" he threatened.
Thinking that this would scare the little girl away, the little boy was taken aback when she burst into giggles, her laughter as clear as a silver bell. "Third brother, you're so childish. You're not a monster, so how can you eat children?" she replied.
The little boy's face couldn't hold up, and he became angry, using the iron chains to strike the cage, hoping to frighten the little girl. But the little girl remained unfazed, taking a few steps forward and holding the cake up to his mouth. "Third brother, try it. The cake is really sweet."
Accidentally, some cream got on the boy's lips. The cream tasted soft and sweet. The little boy froze, allowing the little girl to feed him more and more cake, one bite after another. So, this was what cake tasted like—truly delicious.
The little girl said, "Third brother, it's really delicious, isn't it? Cake is the most delicious thing in the world!"
The little boy licked his lips, still tasting the sweet and sticky flavor. He shook his head, "Not delicious."
"It's obviously delicious, why don't you admit it?" The little girl, catching onto the boy's refusal, had a sudden realization. "Are you afraid of getting cavities? My mom doesn't let me eat too much cake either, saying it will make worms grow on my teeth, and they'll eat away my teeth. Then I won't be able to enjoy tasty food anymore. So, whenever someone offers me candy, even though I really want to eat it, I always say I don't want to."
The little girl rambled on and on, while the little boy hardly responded. However, his expression showed that he was attentively listening.