The world was silent for a long time. Then, a child's laughter broke through the darkness.
Meilin's eyes fluttered open. The ceiling above her looked oddly familiar — the pale cream paint, the little crack above the chandelier… everything was the same. Her chest rose in panic as her trembling hand touched her face.
Warm. Alive.
What… what is this?" she whispered.
Then a small voice called from outside the door, "Mommy! Mommy, are you awake?"
Her heart clenched.
That voice — she would recognize it anywhere.
Before she could think, the door creaked open, and a small girl with wide, innocent eyes peeked in. Six years old. The same child she had neglected, shouted at, and left crying in hunger.
"Xiaoya…" Meilin whispered.
The girl blinked. "Mommy? Did you call my name
Tears filled Meilin's eyes as memories came flooding back — her cruel words, her child's cries, her husband's quiet heartbreak.
And her death.
Am I… alive again?" she murmured, holding the trembling child.
The moment her arms wrapped around Xiaoya's tiny body, the girl stiffened in shock. Her mother had never hugged her before.
"Mommy, are you sick?" Xiaoya asked, her voice small and confused.
Meilin's tears soaked into her daughter's soft hair. "No, my love… Mommy was sick before. But not anymore.
The little girl blinked, still unsure, but slowly smiled. "Then can you eat breakfast with me today?
That simple question broke what was left of Meilin's heart. She nodded quickly.
"Yes. Mommy will eat breakfast with you every day.
As Xiaoya skipped away happily, Meilin stood up and faced the mirror.
Her reflection showed the same cold, beautiful woman she had always been — but now her eyes held something new. Regret… and determination.
Heaven gave me a second chance," she whispered.
"This time, I'll protect them both my child and… my husband."
But as she turned toward the door, a tall shadow appeared in the hallway.
Jiang Rui stood there, calm and composed, just as before yet this time, she saw the pain behind his eyes.
Meilin," he said coldly, "I didn't expect you to wake up this soon."
She looked at him the man she once ignored, the man who had loved her silently through all her cruelty.
Her heart ached.
Rui," she whispered softly, "can we… start again?"
He frowned, clearly confused. But before he could answer, Xiaoya ran into the hall shouting,
"Daddy! Mommy said she'll eat with me!"
And for the first time in years, Jiang Rui froze — caught between disbelief and something dangerously close to hope.
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End of Chapter 2
Watch out for Chapter 3 — "The Man Who Loved in Silence