“Getting bold, huh?” The man raised his fist, large as a sandbag, watching as the little kid’s eyes filled with tears, trembling like a tiny hamster.

That scared and pitiful look was both endearing and pitiful, something hit him hard in the chest, flooding him with a strong sense of guilt.

He never intended to actually hit the kid, just wanted to scare the two of them enough to quiet down.

But now, with Yu Yuanyuan looking so terrified, he felt like the bad guy in a children’s storybook.

Some young couples nearby even pulled out their phones, filming and pointing at him, accusing him of bullying the children.

“Hmph.” The man, not wanting to stir up trouble, snorted impatiently through his nose and turned to leave.

Who would’ve guessed… he’d feel another tap on his back.

Yu Yuanyuan saw the handsome older boy reach out again and pat the man’s waist, though without much force.

The man, now furious, whipped around angrily, “Kid, you—”

“Your clothes are dirty,” the handsome boy calmly pointed out.

“Yeah, your clothes are dirty, the boy wasn’t lying,” someone in the crowd chimed in.

Twisting awkwardly, the man noticed a patch of white dust smeared across his dark jacket, clearly visible.

Cursing under his breath, he patted his clothes and walked away, the crowd around him parting like the Red Sea to avoid him.

The onlookers hadn’t even fully dispersed when a loud crash stopped them in their tracks.

Distracted while dusting off his clothes, the man had walked right into a display stand by the wall.

A metallic sculpture, which looked expensive, toppled over and split in two on the ground, and part of the rectangular display stand cracked as well.

Startled, the man panicked and tried to step away, but his foot landed on a piece of debris, sending him tumbling to the floor. He clutched his back, groaning in pain, unable to get up.

The scene was a mess—his cries of pain mixed with the staff’s shouts of alarm over the damaged items.

Yu Yuanyuan frowned, her small face scrunching up, forming a double chin as if she felt the pain herself, her expression reflecting the man’s misery.

The crowd’s attention shifted toward the chaos, while the handsome boy sneered slightly before turning to leave. Just as he was about to go, he felt a soft tug on his fingertips.

“handsome brother…” Yu Yuanyuan, quick with her hands, had accurately grabbed hold of one of his fingers.

The handsome boy flinched as if shocked, his expression instantly filled with resistance. He quickly yanked his hand back, “Don’t touch my hand!”

Startled, Yu Yuanyuan stood frozen, resembling the little penguin on the advertisement board behind her.

The boy’s gaze flickered with complex emotions as he clasped his hands tightly together, almost as if fearing they might be touched again. His shoulders rose and fell with anxious breaths.

“S-Sorry, handsome brother,” the little one stammered, though she didn’t cry. Instead, she kept staring at his face, “Yuanyuan just wanted to ask… um, can pretty brother help Yuanyuan?”

“You’re called Yuanyuan?” After calming down, the boy stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Did you get lost?”

From the start, this little dumpling had been wandering around alone. After being stepped on and no parents showing up, it was obvious she had gotten separated from her family.

Yu Yuanyuan nodded, not at all shy, and grabbed the hem of his shirt, “Yes! Can handsome brother help me find my brother?”

“Do you remember where you got lost?”

The little dumpling shook her head.

“Do you remember what time it was?”

She shook her head again.

The boy sighed but didn’t abandon her. “I’ll take you to the customer service center. They can make an announcement for you.”

“Okay, okay! Thank you, handsome brother!” Yu Yuanyuan obediently clutched onto the edge of his shirt.

“Be careful. Watch your step. Don’t get stepped on, and don’t bump into anyone,” the boy warned as he glanced down at the trusting eyes looking up at him. His expression grew more serious, “In short, just be careful.”