The words made Yan Cijin laugh too, and even though she had been feeling distracted a moment ago, that tiny bright voice pulled her right back into the room. She leaned closer to Lili and gave her a soft look full of affection. She always said such sweet little things without thinking much about them, and that was part of why she was so easy to love. Yan Laojin, who had been watching the exchange from the side, finally let out a small breath and smiled in a relaxed way, as if she had been waiting for this exact kind of normal family moment all day. There was something comforting about a child laughing while adults worried, something that made even fear step back a little. The three of them ate together, and the table slowly grew quieter as they settled into the meal. The rice steamed gently, the dishes got half emptied, and the sound of chopsticks and small bites filled the space between their words. For a while, no one mentioned the monsters outside, or the group chat, or Bai Li’s injury. It was just a family lunch, plain and steady, with warm food and a child’s laughter holding the room together.

Yan Laojin and Yan Cijin were both amused by the little one. Yan Laojin reached out and pinched Lili’s cheek lightly, making the little girl squirm and laugh harder. Yan Cijin looked at them and felt the tightness in her chest ease a little more. She still had Bai Li on her mind, of course, but the feeling had softened now instead of turning into worry that could not be handled. Bai Li was not alone. She was just across the building, and Yan Cijin would ask her again later. She would not forget. She never really could. Even when she tried to focus on the meal, her thoughts kept drifting back to that quiet apartment on the other side, to Bai Li resting on her bed, maybe with her crossbow nearby, maybe still too tired to check messages. Yan Cijin lowered her gaze and took another bite of rice. If Bai Li did not respond by afternoon, she would go again herself. That thought gave her peace. It was enough to know what she wanted to do next, even if she had to wait a little first.

The lunch continued slowly after that, with Yan Laojin reminding Lili to chew properly and not eat too fast, and Yan Cijin smiling every time the little girl tried to show off how well she could use her spoon. The apartment stayed warm with the smell of food and the soft noises of family life, while outside the window, the world was still broken and dangerous. Inside, though, they had this one small table, this one quiet meal, and the simple comfort of being together. Yan Cijin finally put down her chopsticks for a moment and looked at the bowl in front of her, then at her mother, then at Lili, and she thought that no matter what happened later in the day, this was still the part of life she wanted most to protect. The food in the bowl, the laughter at the table, the mother who worried about her, the child who trusted her so completely, and Bai Li waiting somewhere close by with her injured hand and her calm face. It all fit together in a way that made the world feel less cruel for a little while. Yan Cijin reached out and adjusted Lili’s bowl again, then smiled when she looked up with those bright happy eyes. The little girl was still swinging her feet and smiling as if the meal alone was enough to make the day good. Yan Cijin thought maybe, in a time like this, that was already a kind of luck.

Lili finished another spoonful and then looked up proudly as if she had just won something important. "Mommy, I ate all by myself," she said, her voice bright and full of little child confidence. Yan Cijin’s smile deepened immediately. She reached out and wiped a tiny grain of rice from the corner of Lili’s mouth with her thumb. "Yes, you did very well. Our Lili is getting so good at eating on her own." The little girl’s face lit up at once, and she sat up a little straighter, clearly proud of herself. Yan Laojin laughed softly at the sight. "She likes praise more than food," she said. "That is true," Yan Cijin replied, looking at her daughter with fondness. "But I think that is fine. Children should hear nice things." Lili swung her legs under the chair again and gave a little giggle, then reached for her spoon like she was ready for the next bite. The simple happiness in her face made Yan Cijin think even more strongly that whatever happened outside, this child should stay protected for as long as possible. She had already lived through too much fear these past days. She did not need to understand all the ugly things adults were saying in the chat. She did not need to know about the greed and the selfishness and the way people could twist fear into cruelty. For now, she only needed warmth, rice, family, and enough love to keep her small world safe. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Yan Laojin stood up after a while to add more hot water to the porridge pot and glanced out of the kitchen toward the living room. She had the same kind of caution in her eyes that many mothers had during these days, but she kept it quiet so the child would not feel it. "Xiaoyu," she said, "if Bai Li still does not answer later, then maybe you can ask again in the evening." Yan Cijin nodded. "I will." She did not say that she had already thought the same thing. She had this little worry sitting in the back of her head like a stone. Not huge, not crushing, but always there. Bai Li’s silence had felt strange, not because Bai Li was cold exactly, but because she was more careful than usual.

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TO BE CONTINUED.