Sweat dripped from his chin to the ground. Er Mao's face was flushed and covered in sweat, but he didn't bother to wipe it off. He just kept running frantically on the track.

His loose trousers had sagged down to his backside during the run, and Er Mao, panting, shouted towards the small hill to the south as he struggled to pull them up:

"Wen... Wen'er!"

"Wen'er!"

"Boom boom boom boom boom."

He called out all the way, but still received no response from Wen'er. Only the distant rumbling sound from across the hillside made Er Mao feel more and more regretful and panicked.

He gradually realized that, just as his father had said, he had said some outrageous things that had definitely hurt Wen'er's feelings. Now that Wen'er was missing, it must be because of his outrageous words that she had run away from home.

If Wen'er really leaves home, then I will have committed a terrible sin. What will happen to that little girl who finally has a home?

Wen'er is pretty. What if some kidnappers kidnap her? Her own mother was kidnapped before. What if she is kidnapped too?

Even without filming Hanako, how would she live? Where would she live? Where would she eat? Would she go back to being a beggar like before?

Most importantly, is it possible to find her again? Or is it really impossible to find her again?

One frightening thought after another appeared in Er Mao's mind, making his voice crack as he shouted. His face fell, and he felt anxious and regretful.

Overwhelmed by guilt, he finally cried out. After running to a plum tree on the hillside, Er Mao, too exhausted to run any further, collapsed to the ground and slapped himself across the face.

"Bastard, bastard!"

His face was slapped red, and Er Mao knelt on the ground, punching the grass again and again, tears streaming down his face in regret.

"Rumble... Rumble..."

The roaring sound continued to grow louder as it approached. Er Mao heard the sound, but he didn't want to look up at this "strange sight" that was rarely seen.

He was exhausted and breathless, and he was filled with self-reproach, hating himself for saying such awful things.

"Rumble... Rumble..."

"elder brother........"

Just as he was kneeling on the ground, crying and punching wildly, sending grass clippings flying, a clear and melodious voice, like the song of a nightingale, entered his ears amidst the roaring sound. Er Mao was startled and hurriedly raised his head to look ahead.

However, apart from the divided wheat field ahead, all that remained was the "huge object" rushing in from afar.

"Wen'er! Wen'er!"

Although he couldn't see anyone, Er Mao still hurriedly stood up and started shouting towards the front.

"Rumble... Rumble..."

The roar grew louder and louder, the enormous noise almost shattering Er Mao's ears. As the "giant" drew closer and closer, Er Mao finally felt panicked.

He stared at the "strange sight" before him, his body trembling like a leaf. His parents usually forbade him to go near this place, but Er Mao had secretly come to this hillside a few times with his playmates from the village. Moreover, this was Wen'er's favorite place to come to. So, after discovering that Wen'er was missing, Er Mao quickly ran to this "forbidden zone".

"Wen'er! Where are you?!"

Despite being terrified, Er Mao still shouted at the enormous creature. He had heard his mother say that this thing would take away children every time it passed by, and they would all be eaten.

But Er Mao knew that his mother was just making things up and he never believed it. However, as it got closer and closer, Er Mao finally panicked and began to believe it.

"Wen'er... Wen'er!"

Er Mao cried out in fear, but his feet wouldn't obey him and he ran straight down the slope, even though there was an iron fence blocking the way at the bottom of the slope. This iron fence seemed to stretch endlessly, dividing the wheat field. Er Mao thought that Wen'er might have been taken over by this huge creature.

But no matter what, he had to find Wen'er.

As Er Mao thought this, his legs kept trembling, but he still tried his best to run down the slope.

"elder brother!"

But before he could run more than a few steps, Wen'er's voice rang out again amidst the increasingly loud roar. This time, Er Mao heard it more clearly. He stopped, turned around abruptly, and ran back to the hillside.

Upon reaching the top of the hill and seeing the view in the distance, an overwhelming joy almost made him faint.

He hadn't misheard; it really was Wen'er.

She ran swiftly along the path leading to the hillside, like a sparrow fluttering its wings.

Looking at her small figure, Er Mao was so happy that tears almost came down.

He waved his arms and started running again, but before he could take two steps, his legs gave way and he fell to the ground.

Er Mao was utterly exhausted. He hadn't run this far in a long time. When he finally saw Wen'er standing there so beautifully, he was completely drained. His mind went blank, and he collapsed onto the grass, feeling dizzy.

Panting heavily, Er Mao looked at the sky. The June sky was so blue, with a few white clouds drifting slowly in the sky. The plum trees on the slope were lush and laden with fruit. The branches that reached out blocked half of Er Mao's view, and the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the bushes dappled his face.

The worries that had been weighing on his heart quickly dissipated, replaced by the joy of a false alarm and the recovery of what he had lost. Er Mao grinned foolishly.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!