Chapter 15: Ripples Beyond the Door
The calm didn't last long.
By the third morning in the apartment, Lin Xiao Yan sensed it before anyone said a word. Phones buzzed more often. Hua Yichen grew quieter when reading messages. Liang Zhiwei stepped out to take calls that lasted just a little too long.
The outside world had caught up.
Xiao Yan sat at the dining table, quietly finishing her breakfast while listening.
"…Yes, suppress what you can."
"No, don't deny anything yet."
"…I understand. We'll respond carefully."
Liang Zhiwei ended the call and turned to see Xiao Yan watching him.
"Daddy," she said matter-of-factly, "they're going to make noise."
He didn't pretend otherwise. "They already are."
Hua Yichen joined them, placing a glass of warm water in front of Xiao Yan. "The studio called. They want to resume filming next week."
Xiao Yan's spoon paused. "Do you want to go back?"
Hua Yichen hesitated. She had once clung to that show as her last chance. Now, it felt different. Heavier.
"I don't know," she admitted.
Xiao Yan thought for a moment. "If you don't go back, they'll guess. If you do go back, they'll watch."
Liang Zhiwei raised an eyebrow slightly.
"So," Xiao Yan continued calmly, "we go back. But on our terms."
The adults exchanged a look.
That afternoon, the internet exploded.
A blurred photo circulated—Liang Zhiwei leaving the apartment building. Another showed Hua Yichen holding Xiao Yan's hand nearby. No clear faces, no direct confirmation, but the implication was obvious.
Speculation turned into frenzy.
Xiao Yan watched it all from a tablet, legs swinging lightly. She wasn't worried. This was just another stage.
"Xiao Yan," Hua Yichen said softly, sitting beside her, "people will say things. Some of them won't be kind."
Xiao Yan leaned against her. "They always do."
Liang Zhiwei crouched in front of them. "If you want to stay out of the spotlight, I can handle it."
Xiao Yan looked at him seriously. "Hiding makes people imagine worse things."
He was silent.
She smiled faintly. "It's better to let them see just enough."
Two days later, the production team released a statement: filming would resume with a "special family arc," and all rumors would be addressed "at an appropriate time."
Chen Zehao's name appeared in the news again that same night—this time linked to an official investigation.
Xiao Yan lay in bed afterward, staring at the ceiling.
The game board was expanding now. The pieces were bigger. The risks higher.
But she wasn't alone anymore.
From the living room came the sound of quiet conversation, of cups being set down, of two adults learning—slowly—how to stand on the same side.
Xiao Yan turned onto her side, pulling the blanket up.
The ripples had spread beyond the door.
And she was ready for what came next.