Chapter 285: Morning Sun and Soft Steps

Runze’s POV

The room is still dim, the thick velvet curtains drawn tight against the morning sun. Only a sliver of pale golden light traces the bottom edge of the fabric, barely reaching the carpet.

My head rests against Bael’s chest, rising and falling with his breathing. His arm lies draped over my waist, his hand resting against my back.

I turn my head slightly against his chest to look at him.

In the faint shadow, his features look soft, the usual sharp focus gone while he slumbers. A few dark strands of hair rest across his forehead. I reach up slowly, brushing the hair back from his brow before my fingertips lightly trace the clean line of his jaw.

Bael stirs, his eyes opening slowly. The moment he sees me, his arm tightens, pulling me slightly higher against him until my chin rests against his shoulder.

He doesn’t say a word. He reaches up, his fingers sliding into the back of my hair to draw my face down to his. The kiss is slow and deep, his mouth moving against mine with an unhurried, quiet heat. I lean my weight into him, closing my eyes as the kiss deepens, letting the calm of the morning wrap around us.

When he finally lets go, his lips brush against my cheek, his palm lingering on my waist.

"Sleep more?" he asks quietly.

"No," I say softly, resting my face back into the crook of his neck. "Siying was up fussy until early dawn before she finally went back down. I think we both needed the rest."

He hums softly, his fingers combing through my hair, untangling the light strands at the back of my neck with a slow, soothing rhythm. I close my eyes again, content to just lie there and listen to the faint rustle of the garden leaves outside the glass.

After a few quiet moments, I am the one who sits up first, pushing the duvet back to stretch my arms. I reach over to the nightstand, pour a glass of water from the pitcher, and take a long drink before handing the glass to Bael. He takes it, drinking half the glass before sitting up on the edge of the mattress.

"I’ll take a quick shower first," Bael says, setting the glass down and pressing his palm against my knee for a brief second before standing up.

By the time I finish showering and getting dressed, the morning has already slipped away. Breakfast is long finished, and the house has settled into its usual daytime rhythm.

I carry Siying out to the covered courtyard terrace myself. Mrs. Wen has already laid out a wide, woven straw mat over the stone tiles under the shade of the garden trees, with a padded cushion in the middle for the baby.

At two and a half months old, Siying is spending more of her waking hours alert and curious about everything around her. Her eyes are wide open, watching the green leaves sway above us while her little arms and legs kick wildly in the air.

"Good morning, little one," I say, dropping down onto the mat beside her.

Hearing my voice, her head turns toward me. Her mouth opens into a small, enthusiastic bubble, her tiny arms flailing until her fingers snag the hem of my cotton shirt, holding on tightly. I shift closer, resting my elbow on the mat so she can inspect my sleeve while her little feet continue kicking against the padded cushion.

Quiet footsteps sound behind us, and Bael steps out onto the terrace in a simple linen shirt and trousers. He slips off his shoes at the edge of the mat and sits down cross-legged on the woven straw beside me.

He leans down, extending his arm toward her. Siying lets go of my shirt and immediately reaches out, her little fingers wrapping tightly around the fabric of Bael’s linen sleeve.

"She holds on and doesn’t let go," Bael remarks, a faint smile touching his lips as he lets her pull at his cuff.

"She gets that from you," I reply, leaning my shoulder against his. "Once you set your mind on something, you don’t let go until you get what you want."

Bael lets out a low, quiet breath, looking over at me with a soft glint in his eyes, but before he can answer, his phone vibrates silently in his pocket. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and checks a quick notification.

"An email from the overseas board," Bael says, turning to me. "I’ll handle it from the study upstairs so I don’t drag work down here."

"Go ahead," I say, reaching out to smooth down the hem of Siying’s onesie. "Feifei should be here soon anyway."

He nods, leaning over to press a brief kiss against my temple before standing up and heading inside.

Around noon, the quiet sound of a car stopping out front signals Feifei’s arrival.

Ever since our parents’ visit, Feifei and I have slowly begun to bridge the distance between us. The awkwardness of the past has faded into something much quieter... a tentative, steady rhythm of regular messages back and forth that makes visits like this feel far more natural than they ever used to.

A few minutes later, the faint sound of footsteps coming through the side corridor breaks the quiet of the patio. A maid leads Feifei out onto the terrace, where she enters wearing a long dark skirt and a light cream top, holding a small paper gift bag.

"Runze," she greets me, her expression brightening as she steps onto the stone tiles. "How are you?"

"Good," I smile, standing up to meet her and taking the bag from her hands. "Siying is already out on the mat."

"Perfect," Feifei says warmly. "I brought a few cotton bibs, but honestly, I mostly just wanted to make sure she didn’t forget what her aunt looks like."

When we step over to the edge of the terrace, Feifei immediately slips off her shoes and drops onto her knees beside the wide mat. "Hi, Siying."

Siying pauses her kicking, her eyes locking onto Feifei’s face. Feifei leans down closer to coo at her, but before she can move back, Siying’s little arm shoots up. Her tiny fist clamps firmly around a long strand of Feifei’s hair, yanking it down with surprising strength.

"Ow!" Feifei winces, a sudden, surprised laugh escaping her as she reaches up. "Runze, wait—she has a grip!"

A genuine laugh breaks from me as I drop down beside them, carefully unclasping Siying’s tiny fingers from the lock of hair. "Once she catches something, she really doesn’t let go."

"You could have mentioned that before I leaned down," Feifei laughs, shaking her head as she pulls a hair clip from her bag and sweeps her hair up into a quick twist. "Lesson learned."

She reaches back down, letting Siying bat at her empty hand instead, while Mrs. Wen steps out to place a tray of chilled fruit juice and light melon slices on the side table.

Feifei spends most of the afternoon on the floor, eventually scooping Siying up into her arms to cradle her against her shoulder. She walks slowly back and forth along the shaded edge of the stone terrace, humming soft, mindless tunes while Siying babbles contentedly into her neck.

"She looks so much like Bael it’s almost funny," Feifei remarks softly, stepping back toward the mat to adjust Siying in her arms. "Like he spat her out himself. But when she stares at something... she has your exact eyes."

"Bael claims she inherited my stubbornness too," I say with a faint smile, picking up a glass of juice from the tray.

Feifei lets out a quiet laugh, looking over at me. "He isn’t wrong about that. You’ve always had that quiet, unyielding streak when you set your mind to something."

She pauses, her expression softening as her eyes drift over the quiet courtyard, taking in the dappled sunlight on the stone tiles and the easy space around us.

"You look really settled here, Runze," Feifei says softly, her voice dropping into a quieter register. "I was thinking about it on the drive over. You look happy. Really happy."

I look at my sister, taking in the calm, open look in her eyes.

Feifei had been the only one in our family who consistently showed me kindness. But when the truth about my pregnancy came out and the scandal broke, the warmth between us fractured under the humiliation of having her fiancé taken by her own brother. We were both left wrecked in the aftermath, weighed down by months of anger and guilt.

Watching her sit here now, cradling Siying without that old hurt between us, I feel a knot I didn’t realize I’d been carrying slowly loosen in my chest.

"...It took a long time to get here," I say softly, keeping my voice low. "But it feels peaceful."

Feifei smiles, a gentle warmth touching her eyes as she reaches over with her free hand to pat my knee. "I’m glad. You deserve that peace, Runze."

In her arms, Siying lets out a sudden, loud yawn, her little arms stretching wide against Feifei’s shoulder before her eyelids begin to droop. Her small legs stop kicking as sleep takes over.

"Looks like Auntie duty is winding down," Feifei whispers with a soft smile, stepping closer so I can take the baby.

"She fought it as long as she could," I say gently, leaning over to gather Siying into my arms.

She nestles against my chest with a small, contented sigh, her little hand curling loosely. Bael steps back out onto the terrace just as I stand up, having finished his call upstairs. He gives Feifei a welcoming nod.

Bael falls into step beside me as I carry our daughter toward the nursery. Behind us, Feifei remains on the terrace, and the afternoon sunlight stretches across the courtyard.