"A list?" Hinata tilted her head, confusion written all over her face. "Why do you need this?"

"Why?" Saya frowned slightly, obviously not understanding what Hinata meant. "Without a list, I won't know what to buy, right?"

"But..." Hinata said cheerfully with a matter-of-fact smile on her face, "I remember everything Mom said!"

"Remember?" Saya was stunned for a moment, her eyes fell on Hina, her face full of confusion.

"Yeah, I remember it after hearing it once," Hinaya said, counting gently on her fingers. "For example, there's milk and potatoes, right? And there's also butter sauce for stews!"

Sayo stared at Hinata in a daze, still clutching the list in her hand. Her mouth dropped open slightly, a look of unconcealed shock on her face. "All... all exactly as it's on the list?! But how could you possibly—"

Hinata shrugged as if it was a trivial matter, her tone as if she was talking about a trivial matter. "Huh? Can't I remember it if I just listen to mom say it once?"

Sayo's expression froze for a moment, a complex emotion flashing across her eyes. She glanced down at the list in her hand and lowered her voice, "I can't... remember."

"Really? That's strange!" Hina blinked, completely unaware of the dejection in Sayo's tone. She continued with a relaxed expression, "Just remember it!"

"Xiao Yuege, look, isn't my sister awesome?" Rina looked at Yuege with a smile, trying to change the subject.

Yue Ge nodded immediately, an expression of admiration appearing on her face: "Yeah! Sister Hina is so awesome!" Her big eyes were full of joy and admiration.

Saya stood aside, looking at Yuege's admiring eyes, and felt like something was gently piercing her heart.

She bit her lip, her eyes dropped to her toes, and her voice was so low that it was almost inaudible: "... Obviously I am the oldest..."

She didn't say anything else, but tightened her grip on the list a little.

In the slightly chilly air, Sayo's steps grew heavier, and a flicker of self-doubt involuntarily crossed her mind: Why am I not as good as Hinata in even such a small matter? Even though I'm the older sister...

Just as she was lost in her own emotions, Hina's energetic voice suddenly reached her ears: "Ah! Birdie!"

Saya looked up and saw Hinata excitedly pointing at a bird flapping its wings in front of her, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Xiaoyuege, let's have a running race with the bird!"

"Okay!" Yue Ge nodded immediately, her face filled with pure joy. She shook off Sayo's hand and tried to catch up with her on her short legs.

"Yue Ge, I haven't said start yet!" Rinna took Yue Ge's hand and rushed out like a gust of wind. The two of them chased the little bird one in front and the other behind, making crisp laughter that echoed in the street like bells.

Sayo was stunned for a moment, then realized that they were getting farther and farther away, and quickly chased after them, her tone filled with urgency: "Hina! Yuege! Don't run so fast! Be careful not to fall!"

————————————————————

"Huh... Huh... Huh..." Hikawa Sayo stopped in front of the station, supporting her knees with her hands, breathing heavily.

The cold wind blew in her face, but she felt hot all over and her heart was beating so violently that it almost jumped out of her chest.

"Hina... Tsukika..." Sayo looked around, anxiously searching the crowd, but no matter how hard she looked, she could not see her two sisters.

"Where did they run to..." She murmured softly, with a hint of helplessness in her voice.

She originally thought that everyone should have stopped near the station, but now there was no sign of Hinata and Yuege.

Saya's mind was in a turmoil, as if countless possibilities were swirling in her mind: Could they be lost? Could they be caught in something dangerous? The thought made her shudder, and her palms turned white.

"No... I'm your sister..." She gritted her teeth, trying to cheer herself up and force herself to suppress her trembling voice: "We must find them."

"Because she's my older sister, I have to work harder."

Saya repeated this sentence over and over in her mind, trying to use it to soothe her anxiety.

But no matter how much she told herself to stay calm, the seven-year-old still found it difficult to truly calm down.

The reality that her two younger sisters were missing was like a huge rock pressing down on her still tender shoulders, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

"Wuwu...Hina...Tsukuge..." Sayo's voice gradually became tearful. She turned around and continued shouting towards the nearby street corner, "Are you here?"

Her calls blended into the hustle and bustle of the station and received no response.

"Crying is useless... I need to calm down..." She forced herself to think clearly. Although her legs were still shaking slightly and there was still a hint of tears in her voice, she was no longer as panicked as before. "We must find them quickly... They must be scared too..."

"Even if Hinayana brings Yuege with her, she will probably feel uneasy." She thought to herself, tears still welling up in her eyes, but she started searching nearby anyway.

------------------

Rina and Yuege's pace in chasing the bird gradually slowed down, and they watched the bird in front of them fly over a low wall and disappear into the world on the other side.

"Stopped?" Hina gasped, looking up at the low wall and clapping her hands regretfully. "Oh, the bird runs so fast! But it's really fun, isn't it, Xiaoyuege?"

Tsukuge didn't respond like Hinata did, but instead looked down at her surroundings.

The excitement of chasing the bird gradually faded, and she finally realized that the surrounding environment had become unfamiliar.

"This is..." Hinata looked around, her brows slightly furrowed, and the smile on her face slowly faded.

Yue Ge's little hands had already quietly grabbed Rinna's clothes, and there was a hint of uneasiness in her emerald green eyes.

She whispered, "Hina-sister...are we lost?"

Chapter 3: A Must-Try Christmas at the Hikawa Family (Part 2)

Hinata is actually a little scared now, but considering that Yuege is still by her side.

"No...I'm the older sister now. I have to take good care of Yuege."

Hinata tried to put on a smile, leaned over and said to Yuege, "Alright, I'm the awesome Hinata sister! I'll be able to take little Yuege out with me once I think about it."

Despite saying this, she still looked towards the end of the alley with a bit of uncertainty, and a sense of panic began to set in. She looked back at the way she had come, but found that the previous chase had made her completely lose her sense of direction.

"Sister..." Yue Ge's voice came softly, with a hint of tears in her tone, "Where is Sister Sayo?"

"Sister Sayo will definitely come find us!" Hinaya replied immediately, holding Yuege's small hand, trying to make herself appear more confident. "Until then, we can find the way ourselves, don't worry."

Tsukuge blinked, and though she wasn't entirely appeased, she nodded and took Hina's hand and moved closer.

Hinai stood up, suppressed the panic in her heart, and began to look for a way out with Yuege.

------------

"Hina! Tsukune!"

Hikawa Sayo's voice echoed in the street, but received no response.

She ran from street corner to street corner, anxiously searching the crowd until her voice was hoarse. The cold wind whistled in her ears, as if mocking her helplessness.

"Hina... Yuege..." She stopped, breathing heavily, her hands tightly grasping the hem of her clothes, her fingertips almost digging into her palms. She looked around, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the two familiar figures.

Tears welled up in her eyes unconsciously, and her voice trembled, almost crying: "It's all my sister's fault..."

The image of them running away flashed through Sayo's mind. Tsukuka's short figure and Hina's bright smile flashed through her memory alternately. She bit her lower lip, her chest feeling heavy as if it were being pressed down by a huge rock.

"If I could have stopped them earlier..." Saya slowly covered her face with her hands, tears sliding down through her fingers.

After a brief moment of self-blame, Sayo suddenly raised her head, tears still hanging in the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away with her sleeve, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down.

"Crying is useless... I must find them!" She whispered to herself, a hint of determination rekindled in her voice.

Just then, a familiar melody came to my ears - "Jingle bell, Jingle bell".

Saya stopped and looked around. The voice, accompanied by a light rhythm, floated in the cold wind, like a kind of guidance coming from somewhere.

She looked in the direction of the sound, her eyes filled with nervous anticipation. At the end of the alley in the residential area was a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

Through the gaps in the light, she saw two small figures flash by - the familiar pale blue hair made her heart tremble.

"Tsukuge! Hinata!"

Saya straightened her body instantly, shouted in that direction, and could no longer stop her steps.

She ran almost as hard as she could, her footsteps echoing rapidly on the cobblestones of the alley.

------------

"Hina-nee...are we lost?"

Bingchuan Yuege held Ricai's hand tightly, her emerald green eyes showed a bit of uneasiness, and her tone was slightly trembling and faintly crying.

Her eyes scanned the unfamiliar scenery around her, and every corner of the alley seemed unchanged, which made her even more frightened.

"Tsukage-chan…" Hina looked down at Tsukage and forced a smile, trying to comfort her younger sister.

Yet, she knew in her heart that she was equally frightened.

This was the first time she had to protect Yue Ge. In the past, she had her sister Sayo taking care of her, and she had never felt the pressure brought by this sense of responsibility.

She bit her lip and whispered comfortingly, "It's okay, Xiao Yuege...I'm here."

Although she said this, she herself didn't know what to do next.

In fact, she had completely lost her sense of direction.

The deserted alleys around her made her panic grow. When she thought that she might never see her sister Sayo and her parents again, tears welled up in her eyes.

She wiped her eyes vigorously with the back of her hand, trying hard to hold back the tears, fearing that Yue Ge would see her weakness.

"Sister Rinna..." Yue Ge called her softly, and pulled the corner of Rinna's clothes with her little hand, as if trying to find a sense of security.

Hinata raised her head and was about to say something when a sudden loud noise came to her ears, breaking the silence of the alley.

"What is that?" She held Yue Ge's hand tightly and walked carefully in the direction of the voice.

After turning a corner, their view suddenly opened up: a massive Christmas tree stood in the middle of the street. The tree was adorned with colorful lights and ornaments, its flickering light seeming to dispel the darkness of the alley, bringing a sense of long-lost warmth to the two.

"Wow! What a big Christmas tree!" Hina looked at the huge Christmas tree in front of her, her eyes lit up with excitement for a moment, and her voice became a little brighter because of surprise.

However, that brief joy was quickly replaced by frustration.

"Hmm..." Hina lowered her head and clenched Yuege's small hand, a hint of regret in her voice, "It's all my fault... I took little Yuege running around... Now I can't find the way back..."

Her voice gradually became low, and her tone was full of self-blame: "I'm going to be scolded by Sister Sayo again..."

What's worse is that a more terrifying picture emerged in Hinai's mind: What if... my sister really hates me? What if we never see our parents again? This kind of thing...

There was a heavy sobbing tone in her voice, and tears were already welling up in her eyes.

"Uta-chan…I'm sorry…" Hina said softly, her voice thick with guilt.

"No!" At this moment, Yue Ge's soft and tearful voice sounded, childish but firm, "At least... I won't hate Sister Hina!"

Hinata was stunned, her eyes, which were about to fall with tears, widened in surprise: "Huh?"

"Because Sister Hina is really awesome!" Yuege raised her head, choking a little, but her tone was full of seriousness and affirmation. "Sister Hina always takes Yuege out to play, and she's very reliable. She's even helping me find my way home."

Hinata was speechless for a moment. Yuege's gaze was filled with childish determination, as if gently touching the softest part of her heart.

"So... Sister Hina, don't cry." Yuege gently pulled Hina's hand. Although tears were on her little face, she still tried to squeeze out a small smile, "We will find the way."

Chapter 4: Christmas at the Hikawa Family (End)

"Hina! Tsukune!"

A familiar call came from a distance, the voice was a little hoarse, but full of anxiety and deep concern.

Hina and Yuege were both stunned for a moment, and almost instantly raised their heads, looking around for the source of the sound.

"This voice is..." Hinata's eyes flashed with a glint, and her tone was filled with suppressed anticipation.

"elder sister!"

"Sister Sayo!" Yue Ge also shouted excitedly, her face full of surprise and relief.

They turned together and saw a familiar figure running from the other end of the alley.

Saya panted as she quickly approached them, her emerald eyes filled with anxiety and traces of tears.

"Hina! Yuege!" Sayo shouted again, her voice mixed with disbelief and excitement of surviving the disaster.

"elder sister!"

"Sister Sayo!"

When the three finally met, Hina and Yuege threw themselves into Saya's arms without hesitation. Their small arms tightly wrapped around Saya's waist, as if they wanted to hold her tightly and never let go.

"Sister Saya..." Yue Ge's voice was still filled with tears. She buried her face in Saya's clothes, feeling the familiar warmth and comfort.

At that moment, she felt that she had finally found the most reliable safe haven.

"Great! Sister found us!" Hina raised her head, her eyes flashing with relief, and looked at Saya, as if she saw the hero in her heart.

However, Saya didn't immediately respond with a warm hug. Her face was filled with anxiety and anger. "Hina! You idiot!" She said in an urgent and angry tone, almost unable to hold back her scolding.

"...Sister?" Hina was stunned. She was a little surprised by Sayo's sudden scolding, and there was a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Sayo's emotions were mixed. She lowered her head, almost choking with sobs. "I was so worried about you..." Her voice was clearly tearful, and anger was mixed with helplessness and fear. "I've been looking for you for a long time..."

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