Chapter 14: A Fragile Balance
The new apartment was quiet, almost too quiet.
Lin Xiao Yan padded across the living room in her slippers, inspecting every corner with a seriousness that didn't match her small frame. The place was clean, minimalist, and clearly prepared in a hurry—but it was safe, private, and far from prying eyes.
She nodded to herself. Acceptable.
Hua Yichen set her bag down and looked around, still feeling unreal. "We'll stay here temporarily," she said, more to reassure herself than anyone else.
Liang Zhiwei stood near the door, careful not to intrude too much. He had insisted on giving them space, but he also hadn't left. He didn't seem to know where to put his hands, or himself.
Xiao Yan noticed.
"Daddy," she said suddenly, "you can sit."
He stiffened, then did as told, sitting on the edge of the sofa like a student waiting for instructions.
Hua Yichen watched the interaction quietly. Something about it made her chest ache—not painfully, but deeply.
That evening, the three of them ate together for the first time.
It wasn't dramatic. No heavy confessions, no arguments. Just simple food, soft clinking of chopsticks, and long pauses where no one quite knew what to say.
Xiao Yan broke most of the silences.
"Mommy, you should rest more."
"Daddy, you chew too fast."
"This soup is okay, but not as good as the one you make, Mommy."
Each comment chipped away at the tension, little by little.
Later, while Hua Yichen was in the shower, Liang Zhiwei sat beside Xiao Yan at the small table. She was drawing—simple lines, three stick figures holding hands.
"You planned this," he said quietly, not accusing, just stating a fact.
Xiao Yan didn't look up. "I guided it."
He studied her small face, the calm in her eyes far beyond her age. "You shouldn't have had to."
She paused her crayon, then looked at him seriously. "Someone had to protect Mommy. You weren't there yet."
The words were gentle, but they struck deep.
"I'm here now," he said. "And I won't leave again."
Xiao Yan searched his face, as if weighing the truth of that promise. After a moment, she nodded and went back to drawing.
That night, Hua Yichen tucked Xiao Yan into bed. "Are you scared?" she asked softly. "Things are changing very fast."
Xiao Yan shook her head. "Change is better than being stuck."
When the lights were off and the apartment quiet again, Xiao Yan lay awake for a while, staring at the ceiling. The twin soul within her was peaceful now, no longer urging, no longer restless.
Outside the room, Hua Yichen and Liang Zhiwei spoke in low voices—not arguing, not reconciling, just… talking. Carefully. Honestly.
It wasn't a perfect family.
But it was real.
And for Lin Xiao Yan, that was more than enough—for now.