Because I Cannot Hurt You

Nana glanced at Jun. "Jun. Don't be so harsh."

Jun snorted. "I am right. He is too innocent for his own good. If his Mama is so nice, why would his Grandaunt say such things to him?"

He flicked Siying's forehead again. 

"Jun!" She rubbed his forehead. "Aiya. Don't mind him."

"Your Mama is so good to you so how can you think that she will send you away?"

Jian said, "Of course. Did you even ask her if it was true?"

Nian sighed. "It's only because you blindly trusted her. Adults are devious and sly. Like Dad and Grandpa."

Siying's brows scrunched up in confusion. "Grandaunt lie to me?"

"Yes!"

Jian coughed. "You have to double-check! If somebody said that to us that Mom wants to send us away, I would hammer her with questions all day long!"

Nian nodded. "Because it is really possible with us that Mom would throw us out one day. As if we will get out of the house without putting up a fight."

"..."

They banged their little fists on the table. "Learn to take advantage of your cuteness! Even it was true, you should guilt trip her by saying, "I am small." "I am only three." "I don't know the ways of this world. How can you bear to throw me out?" "What if the harsh world out there eats me up?" "What if I become a criminal?"

They clicked their tongues and sighed. "Life is so harsh for kids like us."

Nana's mouth twitched. Jun looked at them in disdain. At this point, he knew there was no point in arguing with his brothers so, he went back to reading his book.

Nana cupped his cheek and smiled. "I think you should have a good talk with your Mama and Dada. Ask them yourself if they really thought about you that way. Only then you will get your real answer."

Siying small's face was filled with doubt and concern. 

"Siying. Always remember this. If you have any doubts or questions, you should always ask and clear them as soon as possible. If you don't, then it goes on getting bigger and bigger. Don't hesitate even if you are afraid."

He pursed his lips and fiddled with his fingers.

"Especially the things that you are scared of. You shouldn't hide anything from your Mama and Dada. Questions, doubts, fear, happiness, sadness - you should share everything with them."

Jian and Nian smoothly chimed in. "If we confess everything, wouldn't we be in trouble?"

Nana glared at them. "That's because you always pull pranks on others!"

"Hehe but that is fun~~"

She ignored them and looked at Siying.

"I know that your Grandaunt is also family. But if you had asked your Mama once, I am sure she would have denied saying anything like that. Even if children make mistakes, parents would never leave them or send them away because Mama and Dada never hate their children."

His voice faltered a bit. "Re-really? Mama Dada not hate Siying?"

She chuckled and squished his cheeks. "Yes! How about I call your mother? When she comes here, you ask all your doubts yourself."

He stiffened and shook his head. "Si-Siying scared…"

She sighed. But it was understandable. He saw his parents get hurt because of his small plan that he thought to be harmless. Then somebody at the same time brainwashed him into thinking that he was unwanted. It was too much for a three-year-old child to bear and understand and too easy to believe into those words when he already felt so guilty. So, he was still afraid to hear that maybe Xinyi and Zhiyuan would really say that they didn't want him anymore.

"You have been away for too long now. Your Mama and Dada would be searching for you everywhere. Your Mama would be crying so much."

Siying paled. Tears rimmed in his eyes. "Mama cry?"

"En. She loves you a lot. If you run away, she would be the saddest. Your Dada would be so stressed too. There are many bad people outside who hurt others. They must be scared for you. Do you want to see Mama and Dada sad?"

Siying shook his head.

"That's why we should call them. Your Mama and Dada would come rushing to your side."

Suddenly, they heard a loud crying sound. "Waaaaaaaaa…."

"Oh. It must be Jin."

Siying got startled by the crying. The head waitress, Meili, quickly came down and said, "Mam, Jin is crying."

"He is awake and must be hungry now. I am coming."

Siying was curious to know what was happening. She chuckled. "You want to see him?"

He nodded hard.

"Okay. First, let me call Jinhai and explain to him the situation. He will take care of contacting your parents."

Siying seemed a little hesitant and uneasy. She ruffled his head. "Don't worry! Aunt is here with you! You don't need to be scared of anything."

Siying slowly nodded.

"Waaaaaaaaaa!!"

She chuckled. "Well, the youngest is getting impatient."

Nana picked him in her arms and climbed upstairs with her three sons following her. She opened the door and Siying immediately saw a cradle at the side. When she went near, his eyes sparkled on seeing a baby in it. He was crying and flailing his chubby hands towards his Nana.

"Aiya. Mama is here to feed you."

Jun shook his head. "Such a crybaby."

Jian and Nian hopped on either side of the cradle and pinched their youngest brother's cheeks. "Little brother, little brother, your most favorite brothers are here~~ Who are them? Jian and Nian!"

Jun's mouth twitched.

Such horrible poetry…

Siying stared at the baby with sparkles in his eyes. This was the first time he was seeing a baby. His eyes were black and his cheeks were so squishy like a pillow. Until this time, he only saw adults around him and Leina and Chyou were almost the same age as him. But this was the first time that he met someone smaller and younger than him.

Nana pulled her twins aside. "Oof. Don't crowd. He is already hungry."

"Baaaaaaa…"

Jin was restless to go in his mother's arms. She picked him and sat on the bed. "Haish! Mama is here!"

"Waaaaaa…"

"Yes, yes I know you are hungry."

Siying silently but curiously watched the baby and Nana. At first, he was wailing really loudly. But then he suddenly stopped crying when he saw him sucking her breast.

He blinked his eyes and tilted his head. "What is he doing?"

Nian eagerly said, "Drinking milk!"

Jian added. "Filling his tummy! He is hungry!"

Siying asked, "Why drink milk? I eat when I am hungry!"

Nana laughed. "Haha. That's because he is just a baby. He doesn't have teeth yet to bite into food. So he can only drink. Babies should always drink milk because that's what makes them healthy."

Siying was fascinated by the sight. After a while, Jin was completely satisfied. His teary eyes brightened and he giggled.

"Baaaaaaaa…"

Jian and Nian eagerly hopped onto the bed. "I want to hold him!"

"No. He is full now. Let him rest on the bed."

"Booooo!!!"

Little Jin was curiously looking at Siying. Maybe because this was the first time he saw someone else besides his brothers, he was staring at him for a long time. Then he slowly lifted his arms and waved at him. "Baaaaaaa baaaaaa…"

The twins fumed. "What? You don't want us to hold you? We are your elder brothers so you better respect us."

Nana smacked their heads. "Enough."

She smiled at Siying. "Hehe. He really likes you."

Siying blushed. "He is cute."

"Haha, isn't he?"

Jun pushed his spectacles up and mumbled. "Babies are more annoying rather than being cute."

Her brow twitched. "Jun. Next time, you are on the watch."

Damn! She heard it.

Siying trotted towards him and leaned in. Jin stared at him and giggled which made Siying laugh as well. He slowly poked his cheek and Jin laughed. "Baaaaaaa…"

"Soft!" Siying chirped. "He is so soft."

Nana chuckled. "Yes."

Siying gently held his hand and was amazed to see how small it was compared to him. His fingers were fair and tiny. Then he tickled him and Jin laughed again, making Siying beam in happiness. He had never played with a baby before and strangely enough, he felt calm and happier with him as if all the fear and sadness until now was a lie. 

Nana smiled. "He is so small, right? He cannot walk and talk like you so if I don't pay attention to him, he could get hurt. If he is lost somewhere, he would be in even more danger."

Siying somehow easily understood it. "En! Baby is small and soft."

"Yes. And just like him, you are a child too. You are older, but there are many things you don't know about this world. So just like how I would panic if something happened to him, your Mama and Dada would too."

Siying blinked his eyes and his shoulders slumped. "En…"

The door opened and Meili stepped in. "Mam!"

"Yes, Meili."

"Siying's parents are here!"