She saw the raw need in his eyes, a need she understood intellectually but could not feel in the chambers of her own heart. In her father's kingdom, she was loved unconditionally, not for what she could provide, but simply for being. She was the jewel of the deep, cherished, her every comfort seen to. She had never lacked. She had never needed.
Here, in this dry, brittle world, she had chosen these entanglements. Chen Xiao, the little boy, was a project, a living testament to a debt she felt she owed to humanity, a small life she could steer toward safety. Pleasant, yes. Worth her life? No. Yuyan was a sweet, temporary responsibility, a step-daughter whose warmth she appreciated, but whose ultimate security and belonging was the duty of the man before her, Lu Yuze. He was the one who owed her a home. Not the other way around.
