The next morning, after a breakfast carefully prepared just for her, Li Xiyan practiced walking, focusing on each step.
Yet, no matter how hard she tried, her gaze kept drifting toward the door, waiting for someone to finally enter.
Noticing the way Li Xiyan kept glancing at the door, Nurse Lin couldn't help but smile. "Waiting for the little one to show up?"
Li Xiyan, still looking at the door, shifted her gaze to the nurse. She pressed her lips together, hesitant to admit it.
Without Shen Rui in the room, the vast space felt oddly empty, even though Nurse Lin was present.
It was a strange sense of quiet, as if something was missing.
After a moment, she nodded. "I don't know why... even though Shen Rui doesn't talk much, just knowing she's in the room... it makes everything feel lighter."
Nurse Lin nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. It's not that I know everything, but after hearing Master Shen's words yesterday and seeing how things have gone these past few days, I think I understand a bit more. It seems like you two have formed some kind of bond after all that's happened."
Li Xiyan paused, mulling over the words.
She understood why Shen Rui might feel close to her—after everything, the child would naturally feel a bond with the person who protected her.
But why did she feel so attached to the child?
Noticing the way Li Xiyan was lost in thought, Nurse Lin added, "Shen Rui doesn't get close to just anyone. I've been her nurse for a while, and even after months of care, she doesn't open up to me or talk much. But with you... it's different."
She sighed softly, her tone warm. "Shen Rui's a sweet girl, there's no doubt. But with her condition, it's been hard for her to connect with others, to have a normal childhood. So, it's nice to see her starting to form a bond with someone outside of her family."
Li Xiyan felt a knot tighten in her chest.
She had already guessed that Shen Rui's life wasn't easy, given her condition, and she could only imagine how protective Shen Yuze must be.
Shen Rui's world must have felt small and isolating.
But now, hearing Nurse Lin's words, it clicked for Li Xiyan.
She wasn't just offering Shen Rui protection or comfort—she was offering something deeper.
The child wasn't the only one who had been alone.
She, herself, had been alone, too, and maybe that's what was pulling her toward the girl.
A shared loneliness, a mutual understanding of what it felt like to carry the weight of isolation.
It dawned on her, suddenly and clearly: she wasn't just helping Shen Rui out of sympathy.
She was helping her because she understood. And, in some small way, the connection she was forming with Shen Rui was helping her, too.
Just like Shen Rui, she had spent the past few years with very few people she could truly call close.
She had friends, of course—people who shared smiles and casual conversations—but none of them had ever been more than that.
She'd never allowed herself to get too close to anyone.
She could talk to them, share small things, even laugh and joke, but never the deep stuff.
The real things. Her worries. Her fears.
It wasn't that she didn't trust them.
It wasn't about a lack of faith, but something inside her always held back.
Something afraid that, just like before, they might eventually betray her too.
Now, as she sat in the quiet room with Nurse Lin, she realized something.
With Shen Rui, it was different.
The child had found a way into her heart.
However, for Li Xiyan, she wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
As she stood there, lost in her thoughts, the door opened.
Li Xiyan turned instinctively, half-expecting Shen Rui to come running in, but when her gaze landed on the figure in the doorway, she felt a quiet disappointment.
It was Shen Yuze.
Shen Yuze paused as he saw her standing with Nurse Lin's help.
His expression softened, though there was a hint of concern in his voice. "Are you so determined to leave that you're pushing yourself to recover faster?"
Li Xiyan didn't respond. She simply avoided his gaze.
Shen Yuze noticed her silence and took a step closer.
He studied her for a moment before speaking again, his tone more gentle this time. "Ms. Li, it seems I can't make you stay any longer. If you're truly set on leaving, then tomorrow, I'll have you moved back to your place. But," he added, his eyes lingering on her with a touch of insistence, "I'll make sure Nurse Lin and Doctor Zhi stay with you to continue monitoring your recovery."
He didn't want to pressure her any further.
If she was truly certain about leaving, then the least he could do was respect her decision.
Shen Yuze stood there for a moment, letting the silence hang between them.
He had offered her the space to make her own choices, but part of him still wished she could stay.
Li Xiyan's heart skipped a beat at his unexpected kindness, but she kept her guard firmly in place.
She remained silent, and Nurse Lin, noticing the quiet tension, let out a soft sigh. It was she who spoke next, breaking the silence.
"Master Shen, if you don't mind me asking... where is Little Miss?"
Shen Yuze, who had already turned toward the door, paused and glanced back at her.
"Her teacher arrived today, so she's having her lesson," he explained, his gaze shifting toward Li Xiyan, who was now watching him. "She hadn't been able to have her lessons for the past few days because she was worried about you, but it couldn't be put off any longer."
He gave her a reassuring smile before continuing, "Don't worry, after her class, which ends in the afternoon, I'm sure she'll come back to check on you."
Shen Yuze observed Li Xiyan's hesitation and, sensing her unspoken thoughts, continued, "If that's all, I'll leave now. Should you need anything, please inform Nurse Lin, and she'll notify me."
With that, he opened the door to leave, only to find his mother standing just outside, appearing as though she'd been waiting.