Huaijin giggled, completely unbothered, the sound like a tiny chime filling the kitchen. She poked his chest playfully, wrapping her arms around him again. "Then you better be nice to me forever, Daddy!"
He laughed, trying to regain composure, his hands brushing against hers gently. "I… I will. Forever," he said, though inside, his heart was racing like a storm.
The meal continued, but the air had changed. Gone was the tension, replaced by a warmth so thick it wrapped around them like a blanket. Huaijin hummed happily as she ate, stealing a piece of bun from his plate and giggling at his mock protests.
It was a small, simple moment, yet in it, both of them felt the weight of everything that had happened and everything that could happen. They were a team now, bonded not just by blood, but by mutual determination and love.
Once breakfast was over and the dishes were cleared, Yuanfeng hesitated. He sat back, running a hand through his hair.
"Huaijin… there's something I need to talk to you about," he began carefully.
Huaijin's head tilted, curiosity piqued. "What is it, Daddy?"
He sighed softly. "Your Grandfather… he's invited us. To the Chi family's monthly dinner."
Huaijin's eyes widened. The thought of returning to the grand, imposing manor, with all its stern faces and endless rules, would have been terrifying, if it weren't for her father. Her heart skipped a beat, sensing the tension in his voice.
"I… I don't know if I should take you," he continued, voice soft. "I've never been invited back to that dinner since I left… almost two and a half years ago. If you don't want to go, we won't. I'll never force you."
Huaijin's small hands gripped his arm tightly, her little face brightening as she leaned up and kissed his cheeks again, the same gesture from breakfast, but now even more confident.
"Daddy!" she squealed, voice bubbling with excitement and determination. "I'll go wherever you go! You're my everything! I want to be with you, always! I don't care about anyone else! If you go… I go!"
Yuanfeng blinked, almost having a heart attack from the overwhelming cuteness and earnestness radiating from his daughter. She looked so small, so determined, yet carried a confidence that made him ache in the chest.
"You really… mean that?" he asked softly, his voice low and full of emotion.
"I really do, Daddy," she said solemnly, pinky outstretched toward him. "Pinky promise, I'll always stick with you!"
He laughed, ruffling her hair. "Alright, alright. Pinky promise, then. I'll take you with me, wherever we go."
And so, the morning passed in quiet preparation. Huaijin helped him pick his clothes, insisting on a tie that matched the color of his eyes, which made him laugh at her meticulous attention to detail. She polished his shoes with a cloth she had found tucked away, proud of her handiwork.
Her father watched her with amazement and a deep, swelling love he had never felt so intensely before. How had this little girl, this tiny being he had protected, worried over, and cared for, has grown into someone so bold, so unafraid, and yet so innocent?
'She's not just my daughter,' he thought, as he straightened his tie one last time. 'She's my heart walking outside my chest.'
Huaijin, meanwhile, had her own thoughts. She had no intention of letting the dinner go smoothly. Her grandfather might try to manipulate, threaten, or intimidate her father, but she would be ready. She would be the shield, the guardian of this small, precious world she shared with her father.
Her eyes gleamed with the kind of quiet determination only someone who had lived a lifetime before could possess.
'This time,' she vowed silently, 'nothing will separate us. Nothing will hurt him. Nothing will ruin our peace.'
The little girl climbed into his car, still clutching his hand tightly, her tiny body radiating both affection and resolve.
Yuanfeng glanced at her, seeing the fire in her eyes, and, for the first time in a long time, he felt a flicker of hope.
Perhaps this time, they could face anything together.
And so, father and daughter drove toward the towering gates of the Chi Manor, hearts beating in tandem, ready to meet the storm with courage, love, and unwavering trust.
*
*
*
The Chi family manor stood like a palace in the middle of a private world, grand white marble walls stretching high into the morning sky, vines coiling neatly up the columns, and a fountain shaped like a phoenix in the courtyard spraying crystal water into the air.
For Huaijin, who had lived in this place in her first life and remembered the cold that lingered in every corner, the familiar sight carried an unexpected warmth this time. She sat in the car beside her father, clutching his sleeve as the gates slowly opened.
"Daddy," she whispered, looking up with her big, glimmering eyes. "Do we really have to go in? It looks like a giant's house…"
Yuanfeng chuckled softly. "That's because your grandfather likes things to be… big. And shiny."
"Why, is he a crow? I read that only crows like shiny things!"
"Pfttt!" Chi Yuanfeng almost choked in his laughter as he had a hard time composing himself.
'This girl, seriously...'
'My daughter is so mischievous!'
"Grandfather is Grandfather; he is not a crow, but he does like shiny things. Just like you like cookies, alright?"
"Hmm," Huaijin muttered, puffing her cheeks. "Then he must be really rich, right?"
"He is," Yuanfeng admitted, trying not to laugh. "But that doesn't mean he's right all the time."
Her little face brightened as she tilted her head. "Then Daddy's right all the time!"
That earned her a laugh and a light flick on the forehead. "Not all the time, my little fox."
When the car stopped in front of the main entrance, servants rushed forward, their movements as synchronized as soldiers. Huaijin could tell most of them were new, fresh faces, trained to perfection, just like in her past life.