Qiong Xing knelt down so they were at the same eye level and conveyed his words only through gestures.
"If you truly cannot hear me, then that is fine. But if you can hear me, there is something I want to tell you."
"..."
"She doesn't respond."
Maybe she truly could not hear him.
But...
"...Nicole, do you want to see your mama?"
"..."
The slight movement of her shoulder gave Qiong Xing a small glimmer of hope.
"It's alright now. You did well. You kept your promise with your mama properly. You protected that promise, so... it's okay now. You don't have to hide anymore. You can use your voice again."
"!"
She still did not make a sound.
However, the light that had been missing from her eyes finally returned.
Her gaze no longer wandered away.
She was looking directly at Qiong Xing.
"You did very well. You must have been scared, right? You must have felt lonely, right? You must have wanted to... see everyone again, didn't you?"
"..."
