Seeing that he had eaten his fill, Tianyi said, "You must have been starving when Alva kept you locked up. Didn't he give you food?"
"He did, but not enough," Little Star's eyes reddened, and he lowered his head to ask, "Dad, how did you know I was hungry?"
"When I saw you in the castle, you had lost weight. And just now, you kept biting your lip and swallowing saliva when you spoke." Tianyi sat beside him and ruffled his hair, saying, "It would be easy for Alva to deal with children like you."
Little Star nodded and said, "He's too mean, not a good person."
Tianyi felt Little Star's thoughts were still very naive, and said, "It's good that you want to help Xiaoxiao, but you can't be stubborn like hitting a dead end and insist on doing things your own way."
As he spoke, Tianyi pointed to his head and continued, "You need to use your brain more when facing problems. When you realize you can't defeat him, don't confront him head-on; you'll only get hurt."
"Dad, I understand." Little Star felt it was good to have his parents around. His mother's care and his father's patient guidance warmed his heart.
Tianyi patted his back and said, "Since you're a man, you should be able to bend and stretch. Whether Xiaoxiao marries the old man in the future or not, that's something for years from now. For now, it might not be a bad thing for Alva to be a bit stricter with her and temper her personality. Didn't you encounter strict teachers when you were in school?"
"Most teachers at the school I attend now are very strict," Little Star replied.
Tianyi asked, "Are they all bad people then?"
"No, they are doing it for our own good as students," Little Star said affirmatively.
Tianyi smiled at him and said, "It's good that you think that way. Your main task now is to study. Do you really plan to give up your studies for Xiaoxiao?"
"I won't give up my studies, but I can't ignore Xiaoxiao if I know she's not doing well," Little Star said, not daring to look at Tianyi.
Tianyi asked, "Do you like her?"
Little Star's mind went blank. This was a secret he had buried deep in his heart.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled to answer his father.
Tianyi said to him earnestly, "With your current experiences and age, your disposition hasn't settled yet. You don't even know what kind of person you like or who is suitable for you..."
"Dad, I don't. Xiaoxiao and I have gone through life and death together. She's my best friend," Little Star interrupted him, suppressing the pain in his heart.
He knew it had nothing to do with his disposition or age. His parents would never agree to him and Xiaoxiao being together.
He also vaguely knew about the enmity between his parents and Xiaoxiao's mother, which was why he couldn't express his true feelings to his parents.
Hearing him say this, Tianyi didn't know what else to say. He was afraid that if he said too much, Little Star might actually develop feelings for Xiaoxiao if he hadn't already.
"That's good then. You should focus all your attention on your studies. Go take a bath and get to bed early. We'll send you back to school tomorrow morning."
Little Star said in a deep voice, "Okay." It sounded like he had made a difficult decision.
Actually, he didn't want to leave like this, but he had asked himself this question countless times in his heart.
With his current abilities, he truly couldn't help Xiaoxiao, let alone take her away from Alva.
He still needed time to become stronger.
He had already figured it out. The time left for him before Xiaoxiao came of age was not much, only a few short years.
In these few years, he had to become stronger than Alva and have the strength to protect Xiaoxiao!
After Little Star took a bath and went to sleep, Tianyi quietly left the room and knocked on the door of the adjacent room.
Susu had just finished a design drawing and was about to go to bed when she heard a knock on the door. She looked out through the peephole and saw it was Tianyi, so she quickly opened the door.
As soon as Tianyi entered her room, she hurried to ask, "Why aren't you with Little Star? Is he alright?"
"He's eaten his fill, bathed, and is already asleep," Tianyi said, seeing her anxious look, and hugged her. "Don't worry, I think Little Star has come to his senses and won't stubbornly insist on staying here."
"What did you say to him? You weren't too harsh on him, were you?"
"I talked to him, but he still wouldn't open up to me," Tianyi sighed, feeling that Little Star hadn't given up on Xiaoxiao.
Susu pushed him away and said, "Then you should go spend more time with him. What are you doing here with me now? You're supposed to be with Little Star tonight. I'll sleep in a room by myself."
"I know. I just wanted to come see you. Can't I even say goodnight?" Tianyi held her tighter, unwilling to let go.
Susu smiled and said, "Goodnight, is that enough?"
Tianyi still lingered in her room, saying, "I want to chat with you."
Susu yawned, feeling tired, and asked, "What do you want to chat about? Go ahead."
"What kind of daughter-in-law do you hope Little Star will marry in the future?" Tianyi asked, becoming serious. "If the person he wants to marry is Xiaoxiao, can you accept it?"
Susu thought of Shu Yan and the tragically dead Huo Jin, and said, "I can't accept it. Little Star isn't... does he have feelings for Xiaoxiao that go beyond friendship?"
Tianyi said worriedly, "I asked him, and he said he only sees Xiaoxiao as a friend. But I feel like he's hiding something in his heart, and his feelings for Xiaoxiao aren't that simple."
"When she was little, I thought Xiaoxiao was too withdrawn. It was good that Little Star could keep her company, but I never expected this child to have developed such deep feelings. It's all my fault. I thought they were too young to have anything significant, and then Xiaoxiao went back to her biological father, so I thought Little Star had already forgotten Xiaoxiao..."
"Don't blame yourself yet," Tianyi just wanted her to be mentally prepared. These were all uncertain matters for now. "It's not necessarily like that. As Little Star grows up and his horizons broaden, and he meets more women, he'll know what kind of girlfriend or wife to choose."
"I hope that after he grows up and matures, he won't be fixated on Xiaoxiao anymore," Susu also hoped so.
As Xiaoxiao's distant aunt, she could take care of Xiaoxiao, but she didn't want Little Star to be with Xiaoxiao in the future.
Tianyi said, "It seems we'll have to pay more attention to Little Star's romantic affairs in the future and guide him as much as possible."
Susu suddenly thought of something and said, "If An Jing can hire a lawyer to get Xiaoxiao back, why don't we have them become sworn siblings? That way, we can sever Little Star's uncertain feelings for Xiaoxiao."
"Okay, that's a good idea. If they become sworn siblings in front of us elders, it will put an end to Little Star's thoughts." Tianyi agreed.
Susu nodded repeatedly and then urged Tianyi, "Hurry back to your room and be with Little Star. What if he wakes up and doesn't see you, and his mood changes again?"
"Oh, right. I've arranged with Little Star to send him back to school tomorrow," Tianyi said, turning back with a smile at the door. "Goodnight."
Just as Susu was about to wave at him, he hugged Susu and kissed her on the cheek, saying, "Sweet dreams."