Bai Li did not say much, but she could feel the attention in every small motion. It was strange, really. In a world that had become so messy and scary, something as simple as having a wound cleaned with care could feel almost too gentle. The room itself seemed to hold that feeling. The sofa was a little messy, the tea table had snacks and medicine and a few random things on it, and the windows had been shut tight because of everything happening outside, but even then the apartment still felt warm. The little girl watching from the living room kept leaning forward and then back again, as if she was trying to understand what adults were doing with that serious face, yet she did not dare to interrupt. She only blinked and stayed quiet, her small body curled around her doll, looking very much like she had already decided that this auntie was someone worth paying attention to.

Looking at the neatly bandaged wound, Bai Li stood up and thanked her, "Thank you, then I’ll go back now." Her tone was as polite as ever, but there was a tiny bit of reluctance in it too, because staying here had felt calmer than she had expected. Bai Li was not the type to linger too long in another person’s home, especially when she had already taken up their time, eaten their food, and made the room busier than it had been before. She had come for the dressing, she had brought the snacks, and she had meant to leave quietly after that. But the little girl heard the word go back and immediately got upset in the soft, worried way children do when something they like starts moving away. "Ah? Auntie, you’re leaving? Aren’t you going to play with me?" The little dumpling struggled a couple of times in Yan Laojin’s arms, got down, and ran to Bai Li with her short legs, hugging Bai Li’s leg. Her aunt had brought her delicious food and pretty things, and she liked this aunt a little. Bai Li looked down and found the child clinging to her with complete trust, which made her expression soften right away. "Yes, my hand is injured, I need to go back and rest, right? I’ll come see you again when I have time, okay?" Bai Li squatted down so she could look the little girl at eye level and poked her cheek lightly. The child’s little face was soft and warm, and Bai Li found it difficult not to smile back at her.

Bai Li had actually expected to feel a little awkward after being cared for so closely, but Yan Cijin made the whole thing feel natural. There was no unnecessary talking, no weird air, no rushed movements either. She cleaned the wound, checked the skin around it, then changed the gauze with practiced hands. Every now and then she would lightly press the edge of the dressing as if checking whether it sat right. Bai Li watched her from the side and suddenly thought that Yan Cijin really did have that kind of steady presence people liked to rely on. It was not loud. It was not flashy. It was just there, quiet and solid, and that kind of thing tended to stick in a person’s mind. Bai Li had met plenty of people who smiled too hard and said too much, but very few who were this careful without making a big deal out of it. The little girl in the living room, on the other hand, seemed to think the whole process was a little boring, because after watching for a while she started hugging her doll tighter and tilting her head, still peeking over from time to time to make sure the grownups were okay.

"Oh right, Auntie needs to rest." The little one was a little reluctant to leave Bai Li, looking at her with lingering affection. She clearly wanted to keep her here longer, and Bai Li could see that in her face. Yan Cijin was amused by the little girl’s expression. The sight of her daughter hugging Bai Li’s leg, then looking up with those huge, hopeful eyes, was enough to make Yan Cijin’s own mouth curve in a little smile. "Alright, why don’t you stay for lunch? If you want to rest, you can go back for a nap after lunch." She said it naturally, but it was also partly because she did not really want Bai Li to leave so quickly either. There was no need to be too formal about it. Bai Li had helped them, and she had come with kindness instead of trouble. The least they could do was keep her for a meal. "Yay! Auntie, let’s eat together!" the little girl said excitedly. She instantly brightened up at the idea of Bai Li staying, which made the whole room feel lighter. Yan Cijin glanced at the little girl, then looked at Yan Laojin. Seeing that her daughter and the little girl seemed quite satisfied with Bai Li, Yan Laojin, who was already even more satisfied with her probable future daughter in law, laughed loudly and said, "Yes, then stay for lunch. Your hand is injured, so it’s not good for you to cook for yourself." Bai Li did not refuse a second time after that. There was no reason to. The room already felt warm enough, and the little girl was clinging to her with such open affection that it seemed rude to leave right away. "Then I’ll have to trouble you." Bai Li agreed when Yan Laojin agreed. The little girl immediately hugged Bai Li’s leg again and smiled so wide it was almost impossible not to laugh with her. "Auntie, then you can watch cartoons with me. You and Mom can each sit on one side with me, and I’ll sit in the middle, okay?" She asked it with a kind of innocent confidence that made everyone in the room look at each other for a second. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

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To be continued.