"Nothing... Nothing's wrong, but you don't need to reward me. I just happened to be here. I have something to attend to, and I'll leave the little girl in your care. Your mother should be looking for her," Liu Yifeng knew that Yao Yao's mother was still around, but for some reason, she hadn't appeared yet.
He also didn't want to see her icy face; it really affected his mood.
After speaking, he turned to leave.
Yao Yao, however, didn't want him to go. "Uncle, can you stay and keep Yao Yao company? I'm scared being alone, and I don't know these people."
"Be good, Yao Yao. These people are not bad. They'll stay with you until your mother comes back. Uncle has other things to do and can't stay," Liu Yifeng said with a gentle smile.
The manager looked surprised. "What? You know each other?"
Liu Yifeng explained, "This child and my son attend the same kindergarten and are in the same class, so we've met a few times."
"Really? What a coincidence that you were the one to save her," the manager said with a smile.
Liu Yifeng smiled and didn't say anything more. Who would wish for such a coincidence!
"Young man, I saw you threw this away when you were saving the child. I picked it up for you.
It looks like it's bottled nutritional supplement, and it's broken. The liquid has spilled out.
The fruits are also smashed and don't look very fresh." The elderly woman who had spoken to Liu Yifeng earlier was holding a lot of his belongings.
"It's fine. These are just material possessions. The most important thing is that the person is safe!" Liu Yifeng said casually and took them.
Seeing this, the manager quickly said, "Sir, we will compensate you for the items you broke. Please don't refuse. This is just a small gesture from our mall."
He immediately instructed someone behind him to go to the supermarket and get the exact same nutritional supplements and fruits.
Liu Yifeng felt that he couldn't refuse such kindness, so he agreed.
Everyone else also felt that he deserved it. After all, if it weren't for saving the child, his newly bought items wouldn't have been broken. No compensation would be too much. Lives are priceless.
As Liu Yifeng waited for the staff to bring the items, Xu Muqing, who had fainted earlier, slowly woke up.
She opened her hazy eyes and looked at the lights of the mall, feeling a bit disoriented.
Then, she suddenly remembered Yao Yao falling, and her face turned pale. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Yao Yao, Yao Yao..." She got up from the ground like a zombie, broke free from the grasp of those around her, and stumbled towards the railing.
She expected to see her daughter lying in a pool of blood.
Instead, she saw Yao Yao clinging to a man's leg, refusing to let go. This man was the father of a boy in her daughter's class.
She thought she was seeing things and rubbed her eyes hard. It was still the same; Yao Yao was not hurt.
She was overjoyed and started crying uncontrollably, overwhelmed with the feeling of having her child back.
Then, wiping away her tears, she ran down the escalator.
Upon reaching the first floor, she saw her daughter standing alive and well in front of her. She quickly hugged Yao Yao and cried, "Yao Yao, you scared Mommy to death. If something had happened to you, Mommy wouldn't want to live either."
Yao Yao was her whole world. She couldn't imagine what she would do if Yao Yao were gone.
Yao Yao hugged her mother back. "Mommy, I'm sorry. Yao Yao shouldn't have done such a dangerous thing."
"No, it's Mommy's fault. I shouldn't have left you alone to go get things," Xu Muqing knew that children are young and sometimes can't distinguish between danger and safety, or what they should and shouldn't do.
If a child gets hurt, it's the guardian's responsibility.
Fortunately, the child was safe. It was truly a blessing in disguise.
But she had clearly seen Tongtong fall. Even if Tongtong were safe, she shouldn't be completely unharmed. What was going on?
Just then, the manager's voice rang out, "Madam, you should truly thank this gentleman. If he hadn't disregarded his own safety and caught your daughter with his bare hands, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"Exactly. I don't know how you, as a mother, could let your child be alone. If something had happened, you'd have nowhere to cry!"
Facing everyone's criticisms, Xu Muqing didn't react at all.
Instead, she focused her gaze on Liu Yifeng. "Thank you for saving my daughter. Whatever you ask for, just name it, and I'll do my best to fulfill it!"
This was the first time she spoke to Liu Yifeng with a pleasant expression, but the underlying aloofness was still evident.
Liu Yifeng waved his hand indifferently. "I didn't save Yao Yao for these external things.
It was her good luck today that she met me.
In the future, please keep a closer eye on Yao Yao and don't let her do such dangerous things again.
Since you're here, I'll be going now."
He gently pulled Yao Yao off his lap and said softly, "Yao Yao, your mommy is here, so you're not scared anymore, right?
Uncle has other things to do, so I'm leaving. Goodbye!"
He was extremely patient with children, showing no hint of impatience or displeasure.
Xu Muqing watched him care for a strange little girl with such tenderness, and her ingrained hostility towards all men seemed to soften slightly.
At that moment, the mall staff brought the new nutritional supplements and fruits. "Sir, this is a small token of our appreciation. Please accept it!"
The manager took the items from the staff and handed them to Liu Yifeng with both hands.
"Thank you!" Liu Yifeng accepted them without pretense.
But as he extended his hand, everyone noticed that the joint of his elbow was red and swollen, a gruesome sight.
Xu Muqing also saw it. "Sir, your hand is injured. Shall I take you to the hospital to get it checked?"
Liu Yifeng glanced at his injured arm and said nonchalantly, "It's nothing, just a minor injury."
With that, he prepared to leave.
Unexpectedly, Xu Muqing blocked his path. "No, you were injured saving my daughter, and I cannot shirk responsibility. If you don't go to the hospital with me to get it checked, I won't let you leave."
Liu Yifeng felt a bit speechless. Were all women this unreasonable?
Who was it that was so indifferent to him at first, and now she was so proactive?
However, he didn't like to make a fuss over trivial matters. A man getting a little hurt was no big deal.
He wasn't a young idol in the entertainment industry; the wound would heal even if he didn't go to the hospital.
"Madam, I'm really fine. Could you please move aside?"
However, Xu Muqing remained silent, staring at him intently, her attitude making her intentions clear.
Liu Yifeng felt a headache coming on. Wasn't this woman usually cold and aloof? When did she become so meddlesome?
Yao Yao, standing beside them, said softly, "Uncle, please go to the hospital to get it checked. Otherwise, Mommy won't let you leave."
It seemed Yao Yao knew her mother's personality very well.
"Young man, it's best to go to the hospital and get an X-ray or something.
After all, a child falling from such a height and landing on you could easily cause internal injuries.
And internal injuries usually aren't felt immediately. By the time you realize it, it might be too late."
Helpless, Liu Yifeng had no choice but to agree to go to the hospital.
A long-lost smile appeared on Xu Muqing's face. This smile was enough to captivate any man.
Indeed, women looked better when they smiled. Otherwise, they looked like they owed someone ten million.