Chapter 12: A Door Left Open
The night after filming was quiet in a way Hua Yichen had not felt for years.
The studio dormitory lights were dim, and outside, the rain had finally stopped. Lin Xiao Yan slept soundly, curled up under the blanket, her breathing light and even. For the first time since transmigrating into this body, her mind was calm. The two souls within her rested together, no longer tugging in different directions.
Hua Yichen sat by the bedside, watching her daughter sleep. Her fingers brushed gently over Xiao Yan's hair, her thoughts tangled and heavy. Everything that had been hidden had come rushing back in a single day. She felt exhausted, but strangely relieved.
A soft knock came at the door.
She stiffened, then stood and opened it quietly.
Liang Zhiwei stood outside, his expression restrained, his posture careful, as though afraid to step too close.
"I won't take much of your time," he said softly.
Hua Yichen hesitated, then stepped aside. "Come in."
They sat across from each other at the small table. For a moment, neither spoke. The past pressed between them, thick and unspoken.
"I never knew," Liang Zhiwei said at last. "If I had known… I would never have let you face everything alone."
Hua Yichen's fingers tightened around her cup. "But you didn't. And I did face it alone."
"I know," he replied. "That's why I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm asking for a chance to make things right now."
She looked at him, really looked. He wasn't the distant man from her memories anymore. There was restraint in his eyes, and something else—regret that hadn't dulled with time.
Before she could respond, a small voice drifted from the bed.
"Mommy…"
Hua Yichen turned immediately. Xiao Yan had woken up, eyes half-open.
"Why are you whispering?" Xiao Yan asked sleepily.
Liang Zhiwei froze, unsure whether to move closer or stay where he was.
Xiao Yan blinked, then looked directly at him. "Uncle… no. Daddy."
The word landed softly, but its impact was anything but small.
Liang Zhiwei's breath caught. "Xiao Yan…"
She pushed herself upright with some effort and stretched her arms toward him. "Come here. You're too far away."
He didn't hesitate this time. He stood and approached the bed, careful, almost reverent. Xiao Yan studied him closely, then nodded, as if confirming something only she could see.
"You can stay," she said. "But you have to listen to Mommy."
A faint, helpless laugh escaped him. "I will."
Hua Yichen watched the scene unfold, her heart tightening in a way she couldn't name. She didn't stop him when he gently tucked the blanket back around Xiao Yan.
That night, nothing was decided. No promises were made. No wounds were fully healed.
But a door that had been sealed shut for years was finally left open.
And for the first time, all three of them stood on the same side of it.