The moonlight brushed against her cheek, glimmering like a quiet promise.
'In this life,' she whispered in her dreams, 'no one will hurt you again, Father. Not even fate itself.'
And as the night deepened, the faint, invisible shimmer of energy pulsed around her body, a gentle light that flickered once and faded, unnoticed by anyone but the stars.
*
*
*
The night had been quiet, peaceful, but only on the surface. Beneath the stillness, Huaijin tossed and turned in her little bed, clutching her blanket as if it were a lifeline.
The dreams came again, the recurring nightmare from her past life. It was always the same: the landslide that claimed her life, the overwhelming loneliness, the ache of being forgotten, and, most of all, the image of her father, young and alive, yet somehow unreachable, crying over her tiny, broken body.
In the dream, she would call out, reach for him, try to hold onto his warmth, but her hands always passed through his like smoke. She would wake up screaming, panic clawing at her chest.
Tonight, the nightmare seemed stronger. The wind outside rattled the window slightly, making the shadows in the room sway like ghosts. Huaijin's small frame trembled, tangled in her blankets. Her breath came in short, uneven gasps.
"Ahhh…" she whispered, the dream's echo still ringing in her ears.
A gentle shake.
"Ji… Huaijin?"
The soft, concerned voice jolted her awake. Her eyes blinked open to find the familiar, warm, and slightly worried gaze of her father hovering above her. His hand rested lightly on her shoulder, steadying her, grounding her in reality.
"Daddy…" she whispered, voice hoarse from the scream in her dream. Tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She couldn't tell him the truth, she couldn't burden him with the story of her rebirth.
Yuanfeng's brows knitted, his lips pressing into a thin line as he surveyed her tiny, quivering form. "Did… did you have a bad dream again?" he asked softly, voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile world around them.
She nodded, clinging to him instinctively. "Yeah… it was scary…"
Without another word, she wrapped her small arms around his neck, burying her face against his chest. He felt her trembling, heard the quick, shallow breaths, and a pang of guilt and sorrow shot through him. How could she, so small and fragile, carry such fear in the world?
Huaijin lifted a tiny hand, gripping his index finger. "Pinky promise, Daddy…" she murmured softly. "Promise… you'll never leave me… ever. Not like in my dream. Promise!"
Yuanfeng's heart clenched. He couldn't help but smile through the worry, gently locking his pinky with hers. "I promise, Ji… I will never leave you," he said, his voice steady but filled with emotion.
She exhaled slowly, the tension in her little body melting just a little. Her father's arms were her safe place, the one constant she could cling to, and this time, she would never let it go.
By morning, the sunlight spilled over the small apartment once again, catching in Huaijin's golden-brown hair and reflecting off her flushed, still slightly tear-stained cheeks. The nightmares of last night were still fresh, lingering like the scent of rain, but her father's presence had banished the fear for the moment.
Breakfast was warm and cozy: steaming rice porridge, soft-boiled eggs, and a few small buns that Yuanfeng had carefully picked out from the bakery down the street. Huaijin sat on her little stool at the table, her feet dangling, swinging gently back and forth.
Yuanfeng poured her porridge into her bowl and set it in front of her, trying to hide the tension that had settled into his chest overnight. The dreams she had, the fragile innocence in her eyes, the way she looked at him as if he were her entire world, all of it threatened to undo him with a single smile or word.
He tried to speak lightly, but his hands trembled just slightly as he picked up his chopsticks. "Huaijin… can I ask you something?" he began, carefully, as if approaching a delicate flower.
She looked up, eyes still wide and a little sleepy, nodding eagerly. "Yes, Daddy?"
He cleared his throat. "I… um… I wanted to ask about your thoughts. You know… about having a… new mother, someday."
The words felt strange on his lips. In his mind, he had tried to consider the possibilities, but how could he explain to a six-year-old girl that people might expect him to marry again? He had always considered Huaijin his world; why would he want anyone else to take that place?
Huaijin's small brows furrowed for a second, her eyes sparkling mischievously before a soft, determined smile spread across her face. Without hesitation, she climbed onto his lap, a bold, uncharacteristic movement for a child in public, yet utterly natural between them.
Then, in the purest and most innocent gesture of affection, she leaned forward and planted a quick, soft kiss on each of his cheeks.
Yuanfeng's chopsticks froze midair. His heart skipped three beats. His daughter… had kissed his cheeks. For the first time in her life, she had expressed such open affection.
"Daddy," she said softly, burying her face in his neck, "I don't need anyone else. Not a new mother, not a teacher, not a nanny, not even a friend. I only need you. Only you, Daddy."
He felt the words like warm sunlight on his chest, melting away years of exhaustion and heartache. His eyes widened slightly, as if he'd been struck. The pink flush that rose to his cheeks betrayed his attempt to stay composed. He had read about children saying such things in stories, but to hear it from his daughter, so pure, so genuine, it was almost unbearable.
Almost.
"Ji… Huaijin…" he managed to say, voice trembling just slightly. His heart threatened to explode. His little girl, so small, so delicate… calling him her everything. "You… you're killing me with your cuteness!"