Yuanfeng blinked and smiled faintly. "No, sweetheart. Just thinking."
Huaijin climbed onto his lap, curling into his chest like a cat seeking warmth. "Grandfather sent you a letter, didn't he?"
He hesitated. "…Yes."
"Does he want us to go back to the mansion?"
Her voice was too calm for a six-year-old.
Yuanfeng looked down at her in silence. After a long pause, he simply wrapped an arm around her. "No matter what he wants, I'll make sure you're happy, Huaijin. That's all that matters."
"I know," she whispered, closing her eyes.
But deep down, she was already preparing for the storm.
Because if the Chi family thought she would quietly return and let history repeat itself, they were in for a rude awakening.
This time, Chi Huaijin wasn't just an extra in someone else's story.
*
*
*
When Chi Huaijin returned home that afternoon, she was perfectly satisfied, like a general returning victorious from battle, her tiny chest puffed up proudly.
