Because I Cannot Hurt You

Siying's eyes sparkled in delight. Xinyi was amazed as well. 

"I couldn't have explained it better myself," she softly said.

Zhiyuan coughed in embarrassment. "Is that so? I think it was too much for Siying."

Siying pouted. "I understood what Dada said! I am a big boy!"

"Hahaha of course," he laughed. "Well, then I am glad."

She smiled. Zhiyuan stared at Xinyi and Siying and his heart felt light and warm, seeing his family so happy. But when he thought about the last few days, his heart would tighten in pain.

After the temple visit ended, everybody took the bus. It started to descend downhill near where the forest began. Before the forest started, there was a safe area to camp and have a break. A few minutes later as they stepped out, Siying suddenly said, "Mama put me down! I want to meet Leina!"

"Ah okay."

Siying giggled and ran away. 

It is time for the plan now! 

At the same time, Chyou headed to start her plan too. She tugged Caihong's dress. "Mama let's go there! I saw a cute rabbit."

"No. Don't bother me," she coldly said.

Chyou pursed her lips. "I want to see the rabbit! I am going by myself!"

Caihong widened her eyes. "Wait! You cannot go alone like that!" she didn't give a second thought before she rushed to quickly follow her.

Instead of meeting Leina, Siying ran towards the forest. He waved his hand at Xinyi and shouted. "Mama! Look what I found here! It's a rabbit!"

Xinyi turned and was shocked to see him so far away. The rest of the class was busy setting up campfires with kids helping their parents. The teachers were also accommodated with their own work. Of course, they were keeping an eye on the kids, but since the parents were here too, kids mostly stayed with them that lightened their responsibility.

Wasn't he with Leina and Ah Cy?

"Siying, you cannot go that far dear! Come back!" She panicked in fear.

"Mama I found a squirrel too!"

He was heading deeper into the forest and Xinyi couldn't waste any more time. She ran after him before he could lose his way inside. As she entered the deep and thick forest, she called out, "Siying, where are you? Come back, dear."

Siying popped his head out of behind a tree and giggled. "Mama look here!"

Relief washed over her. For a moment her heart had stopped beating. She started heading towards him. But she couldn't be too quick in her steps. The ground was moist and soft and slippery. 

Maybe there is another stream of that big waterfall flowing from here, she thought.

She finally reached his spot and sighed in relief. "Siying!" She twisted his ear softly and reprimanded him, "How many times have I told you not to head off like that alone? You scared me!"

"Owwwie! It hurts!"

"Don't act dramatic. I am not pulling that hard."

Siying pouted. 

"Now let's go back."

"No, wait! I want to show you. There is a sea here!"

"Huh? Sea?"

"En!" He pointed his finger over at the other side, "Look! So much water!"

Xinyi craned her neck and saw it. There was a straight passage filled with water that flowed into and joined the big waterfall at the base of the hill. It was slightly tilted at an angle such that the passage itself looked like a small waterfall. "Ah...that is not a sea. It is called….hmm... it is too small for a river…you can say that as a small lake?"

Siying hopped up and down. "There are fishes in the sea right! I want to see the fishes!"

He held her hand and dragged her. Xinyi said, "Siying. We cannot stay here for long. Zhiyuan will get worried."

But his plea fell to deaf ears as he happily pulled her over towards the lake. Siying glanced up at her and giggled. He let go of her hand and naturally, she sped up to catch him. "Siying, wait- Ah!"

She suddenly tripped and fell in the water. Siying beamed. He had planted a small tripwire to make her fall.

Now I will call Dada! Mama is in twouble!

"Mama wait! I will call Dada for help!"

Siying dashed away, leaving Xinyi coughing in the water. Xinyi thought she would easily get out but to her horror, the depth of the passage wasn't too shallow as she had expected. She flailed her feet but couldn't find the ground, and she found herself quickly drowning in the water. 

"Help! *Cough cough* Haaahh!!"

She took a deep breath. Her eyes widened as panic set in her heart. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reach the shore. The more she moved, the more she got sucked in the water. Water started to fill her mouth and she gasped, coughing hard.

"Help!"

The terrifying thing was that Xinyi didn't know how to swim. With the water current that flowed towards the big waterfall, she was helplessly getting swayed away.

---

"Chyou! Stop! I said stop!"

Caihong grabbed her arm and turned her to face her. She had no words to describe how angry she felt. "Enough! You think you are an adult who can go wherever she pleases?" She snarled as she glared at her.

Chyou jolted and stepped back in fear. 

"Don't forget that you are just six years old! How dare you run off like that? You test my patience every single day! Isn't it enough? Don't make things difficult for me! If something happens to you, Xiaosi will make my life even more hellish! Do you want to kill me?"

Chyou sadly pursed her lips. 

No no! I cannot get sad! I have to make Mama and Dada come together!

Chyou used the same kind of tripwire that Siying used to make Xinyi fall. As soon as Caihong took another step, she lost her balance and fell. "Ah!" 

Her foot twisted in sharp pain, and she gasped. She stumbled across a slope and rolled down. Chyou heard a soft thud, and that was an indication that her plan succeeded.

"Mama! You fell!" She said as she bent to look down the slope. 

"Ahhh…my foot…" she yelped in pain.

Chyou eagerly said, "Mama! Wait! I will call Dada! He will help you!"

"What? I don't need his help- Hey! Where are you going?"

Chyou ran away just like Siying to call for Xiaosi.

Caihong tried to get up, but a sharp pain shot up in her ankle. "Ouch!" Her brows tightly furrowed in pain.

When she took a look, she found that there was a small swelling slowly appearing on her skin.

"Damn… this is painful," she muttered.

She looked around and all that she could see were tall trees covering up the sky with little to no sunlight shining on the way.

"What will I do now?"

She had no choice but to stand up herself and slowly make her way back to the camp. Even if it was painful, she couldn't sit and do nothing.

"Ow!"

Somehow, she managed to stand up amidst the sharp pain. Then she heard the crack of a twig from behind her. She turned and saw three men, looking at her in shock. She froze for a moment. Then she paled further, seeing the sharp weapons that they carried.

Now even if Siying and Chyou's intentions weren't harmful, there was a great fallacy in their plans.

When Siying took Xinyi to make her stumble into the water, he didn't realize that the passage was deep. From upfront, it looked narrow and he mistook it to be a shallow water body. So, the most that would have happened to Xinyi according to him was getting wet.

Whereas at Caihong's side, Chyou simply wanted her to roll down the gentle slope that was covered in soft grass which wouldn't have hurt her. But she didn't know that down the slope, it was the bandit's area where they hunted.

---

With the water's current, Xinyi was rapidly flowing along the waves at an alarming rate. Not only she was drowning, but she was quickly losing her energy to help herself stay above the water adding to the breathlessness she felt in her chest. Her gaze got blurry as dizziness set in.

She looked further and was horrified as she faintly saw herself reaching near the end of the passage. It seemed like that the water flowed downwards that would make her fall from a dangerous height if she didn't stop.

"H-help…"

She gasped as she weakly called for help. But it was so inaudible that nobody could have heard it. The edge was coming nearer and the closer she reached, the faster the current got. It was a matter of few seconds after which she would-

"Xinyi!!!"

With the last strain of consciousness still intact, she faintly heard someone screaming her name.

"Xinyi!"

She weakly turned her head to see a figure rushing towards her hastily with all his might. He jumped through the obstacles to quickly reach her. She coughed hard and recognized the man.

"Zhiyuan…"