On April 24th, which happened to be a Saturday, there were no restrictions on time for me and Feya. Around 9 o'clock, we left the house.

Before leaving, my mother said to Feya, "Feya, don't stay out too late. Come back around four or five o'clock. Mom has prepared..." Even though my mother liked to keep her words, I already knew what she was going to say. It must be a big cake and a birthday present. I was certain.

"Yes, Feya will come back on time. Well... Mommy, Feya is going out with Youjie, the big brother."

"Well..." My mother smiled, her smile so beautiful that I never saw it on my birthday. I couldn't help but feel a little down. It seems I was really picked up from the trash.

"Yujie, take care of your sister. If Feya gets hurt or anything, Mommy will spoil you." This wasn't about when I was a child, sometimes neglecting my sister to play by myself. Now that I was a high school student, I wouldn't only think about myself, let alone leave my sister aside. Besides, this outing was supposed to accompany Feya. Why was my mother so worried? But I wouldn't contradict anything she said unless it touched a sore spot for me. After all, my mother's doting was terrifying.

"Mummy... Feya is already eight years old today. I don't want to be treated like a child. And Yujie will take good care of Feya, right?" Feya's dark eyes looked at me, making my face inexplicably warm. I didn't know where to look. Why did I have this strange feeling? She was still a young girl in her growth stage, and I wasn't interested in lolis.

"That's right." I could only say that under her gaze.

"Alright, alright. Since Feya doesn't want to be treated like a child, Mommy won't say anything else. Be safe outside, and when necessary, hold your brother's hand. There are lots of cars and people outside, you know?"

"Mhm..." Feya nodded heavily. Why did going out feel like starting an independent life?

"Then... Feya is going out with Youjie." Feya said.

"Be careful on the road and come back on time," my mother said before we could finally leave.

We closed the door, and Feya took a step forward with a cheerful smile on her face. She seemed happy to be able to go out.

I noticed her outfit. Although it was still childlike, with a blue skirt and a blue and white short-sleeved shirt, and she changed her hairstyle from a short cut to two braids, she looked quite cute. Maybe Feya noticed that I was staring at her for too long, as her face turned red and she lowered her head slightly, clutching her skirt as if she was holding back something. I quickly moved my gaze away and chuckled, "Where should we go then..."

"Yujie, don't you have any ideas?"

"Well, I haven't thought about it at all. Feya, don't you have any places you want to go?" I showed an embarrassed expression.

"Feya thought that Yujie would know a lot, and Feya rarely goes out. Last time, it was with Sister Zhiye." Feya seemed visibly disappointed. It seemed like I hadn't thought it through.

"Then... let's walk and see. Maybe we'll discover something different," I said with a brave tone.

"Mhm..." Feya nodded. We officially started our outing. But before we started, I sent a message to Su Yuqian. The content was marked as [Accompanying Feya today]. It was Feya's birthday. After sending it, Su Yuqian quickly replied with a message that said, [Don't report this kind of thing to me, and I don't want to go out today]. Originally, I wanted to invite her, but it seemed like she didn't want to go out. It's better to accompany Feya properly. We left the apartment and arrived at the crowded street. There were bustling sounds, advertisements from the malls, and the cacophony of people, making my ears buzz. It was too noisy outside, and the unexpected noise pollution made my mood a bit worse.

Did everyone come out to relax on Saturday? Looking at the endless crowd of people like countless dots, I suddenly felt a bit creepy.

"Ah..." Feya whispered softly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, puzzled.

"Just now, someone bumped into Feya and she lost her balance," Feya is now leaning on me, I looked at the moving crowd, I don't know who bumped into Feya, so there's no way I can scold that guy. "Feya, let's go to a less crowded place," I suggested. Feya nodded and I was about to walk forward when she tugged on my sleeve. I turned back and asked, "Anything else?"

Feya said shyly, "Um...there are a lot of people here, and Feya wants to hold Brother Youjie's hand...so we won't get separated."

"I see, then let's hold hands," I casually held Feya's hand, and for some reason, her face turned bright red. "What...what's wrong?" I felt a bit panicked, afraid that she might be uncomfortable.

"No...nothing. Brother Youjie, let's hurry and go," she replied.

"Oh...then you better hold my hand tightly," I said.

"Um..." and so I held Feya's hand and we made our way to a less crowded place. "Finally, we can take a breath comfortably," with fewer people around, I felt relieved.

"Youjie Brother..." Feya called me softly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Can Feya hold Brother Youjie's hand a little longer?" Feya asked, a bit shyly.

"No problem, as long as Feya doesn't find it troublesome, I'm fine with it," I replied.

"It's been a very long time since Feya held Brother Youjie's hand," Feya said with a hint of sadness.

"The last time was probably when Feya was four years old," I recalled that memory. Ever since becoming a high school student, I haven't done something like this again, because it seemed childish to me, holding hands with my little sister. But maybe that was just my own perception.

"Back then, Brother Youjie seemed to be immersed in his own hobbies, and didn't pay much attention to Feya. Although occasionally, he would take Feya out to play, but usually left her on the side," Feya complained.

"I see," I felt a little embarrassed being told that.

"But since then, Brother Youjie hasn't held Feya's hand again," Feya said with a touch of melancholy.

"Well, Feya is seven years old now, she can go to school, bathe herself, and do everything on her own. So as an older brother, I should be in a position to supervise," I explained.

"That's true, but it feels like Brother Youjie is now far away from me, even though..." Feya's voice trailed off.

"What's wrong with Feya today? Why does she feel so sentimental? Weren't you always watching TV dramas and holding onto the TV all day long?" I teased.

"That's Feya's hobby, just like how Brother Youjie used to only focus on his own hobbies and neglect Feya. Although he would occasionally take Feya out to play, most of the time he would leave Feya aside," Feya pouted unhappily.

"Well, that's not the case anymore, Feya just needs to be carefree," I said.

"But...it feels like everything has been in vain," Feya muttered.

"What do you mean by in vain?" I asked.

"Oh...it's nothing, Brother Youjie. Where are we going next?" Feya quickly changed the subject, covering up her previous thoughts. But maybe this was her little secret and annoyance, so I didn't pursue it further, hoping she could resolve it on her own.

"Let's just keep walking," I said. Without any purpose or direction, it felt like we were just wandering aimlessly. But I didn't plan ahead, so I apologized to Feya, "I'm sorry, Feya. After all, today is your birthday and you should have a fun and enjoyable time."

After hearing that, Feya shook her head, "Being able to go out with Brother Youjie is already very happy and satisfying for Feya."

"That's too easily satisfied, but since you're satisfied, let's go back home then," I jokingly said.

"No...we can't. It's such a rare opportunity to go out. It would be a waste to go back so soon, and besides, Feya hasn't played anything yet," Feya insisted.

"You're right, haven't played anything. How about I take you to an arcade or the aquarium or zoo? Of course, we'll have to take the subway because it's a bit far," I suggested.

"Let's go to the zoo... Feya wants to see the lions and elephants."

"Sure, we can go to the zoo. Let's go then."

"Okay..."

And so, I took Feya to the nearby zoo. After buying tickets, Feya and I walked along the sides of the iron railing surrounding a large activity area where various types of animals roamed.

"Big Brother Youjie, is that a lion?" Feya excitedly pointed at the lion locked in a cage. Despite being enclosed, its wild instincts were still apparent from its gaze, as if it were staring at its prey. I swallowed nervously; there's no way I'm going near that beast.

"Wow... it's Feya's first time seeing a lion," Feya ran over without hesitation. Lost in my thoughts, I only noticed when Feya reached the edge of the iron railing.

Those lions' eyes were full of predatory intent, and they might pounce on Feya.

"Feya!" I shouted and quickly rushed over. Feya looked at me with confusion. By then, the lion was getting closer and closer to Feya.

"Be careful, Feya, move away!"

"Why should Feya move away? The lion seems quite gentle," Feya replied, unaware of the danger.

"That's just a deceptive facade. The real lion is extremely fierce and won't even leave bones after it devours its prey."

"I've never heard that on TV, besides lions only hunt and kill for food. They don't eat humans or anything like that."

Why can't I get through to Feya at this critical moment? I wished I had the power of teleportation or better physical stamina. I couldn't even run such a short distance.

As I observed Feya again, I noticed that the lion was already close to the iron railing, seemingly about to open its jaws wide. The situation was extremely dire.