"You can destroy it all!" Bai Peiwen's tone was deep and desote. "What's left for me to lose? Everything I had is already destroyed, clean and clear."

  The sound of a door closing indicated that Bai Peiwen had returned to his own room.

  Holding her breath, Fang Siying stayed still for a long while, feeling every muscle in her body stiffen, every nerve aching. The conversation she had just overheard shocked her, left her in disbelief, and filled her with a deep, intense feeling of insult. Staring at the ceiling, she found herself unable to sleep any longer.

  She had already suspected the deteriorating retionship between Bai Peiwen and his wife, but she never imagined it could be so hostile. What kind of family was this? And what role would she py in it? A simple private tutor, perhaps?

  Listening to Ai Lin's tone earlier… “Fang Siying, you are wrong. You are wrong. You are wrong!”

  She repeatedly said to herself. Then, she suddenly froze, a thought rapidly passing through her mind: retreat! Leave now, it's not too te; retreat! But... but... what would happen to that motherless child?

  The next morning, because she had stayed up too te the previous night, Fang Siying didn't get up until after 9 AM. Luckily, it was Sunday, so she didn't have to go to school.

  After getting ready, she went downstairs, and Bai Tingting rushed over to her with a bright, joyful, childlike face.

  "Teacher, did you sleep well?"

  "Yes," she replied, but couldn't help yawning.

  "I've been waiting for you to have breakfast together."

  Fang Siying felt a sharp pang in her heart as she looked into the sorrowful eyes of the little girl. Her own heart seemed to break at the sight of the child's pleading, fragile expression. She gently patted the space beside her on the sofa, inviting the girl to come closer.

  "You're not at fault, dear," Fang Siying said softly, her voice filled with warmth, though her mind was clouded with exhaustion. "It's just... I'm very tired. I think it would be best if I returned to the school, and then I can come here every day to tutor you. That way, I won't be too worn out, and I can give you my best energy."

  But even as she said the words, she knew they were a lie, a half-truth. It wasn't just the fatigue—there were other, more complicated emotions tangled up in her mind. She couldn't escape the tension in the house, nor could she ignore the discomfort she felt in this strange family dynamic. But at the same time, she couldn't bear to see the disappointment on this little girl's face.

  The room fell into a heavy silence, with only the sound of their breaths filling the space.

  The child′s pleading eyes never left her, and Fang Siying was torn between the truth of her own needs and the child′s desperation for stability.

  "Who's leaving?" a voice asked. Fang Siying looked up, and Bai Peiwen was descending the stairs. In his own home, his movements were practiced and effortless, and he wasn't using a cane.

  "Oh, Dad," Tingting said anxiously. "Please ask Teacher Fang to stay! She said she's going back to the school."

  Bai Peiwen stood there stunned, not speaking for a long time. Fang Siying also remained silent, and a painful, awkward atmosphere hung in the air. Then, after a while, Bai Peiwen softly, almost to himself, said, "After all, she's impressive. I can't even keep a private tutor!"

  His tone hurt Fang Siying.

  "Oh? Sir!" She cried in pain. "Please don’t say that!"

  "Then what else is there to say?" Bai Peiwen's face was expressionless, his voice hollow and distant. "She has always been victorious, forever."

  "But..." Fang Siying said hastily, "I haven't really left!"

  "Then you′re staying?" Bai Peiwen asked quickly, anger fshing on his face.

  "I... ah, I think..." Fang Siying hesitated, but finally, the words came out: "Yes, I'm staying."

  The moment the words left her lips, she felt a vague sense that she had fallen into Bai Peiwen's trap. But she still felt happy that she had said it, so happy that it seemed to lift some kind of emotional burden. She was surprised by how gd she felt.

  From that night onwards, Fang Siying realized one fact: there was no friendship between her and Mrs. Bai. Not only was there no friendship, but from the very beginning, they had almost become adversaries. Fang Siying anticipated a series of difficult days ahead.

  In the first few days, she stayed on high alert, waiting for the storm that could come at any time. However, nothing happened. Fang Siying noticed that she and Ai Lin rarely saw each other. Every morning, when Fang Siying took Tingting to school, Ai Lin was still in bed.

  By the time they returned in the afternoon, Ai Lin had usually already gone out, and when she went out, she wouldn′t return until te at night. These days were peaceful, and the unease and fear she had felt when first entering the Bai residence gradually faded.

  Fang Siying began to focus entirely on taking care of Bai Tingting. At breakfast, she made sure Tingting drank a gss of milk and ate an egg. For lunch, Tingting brought a packed lunch, and Fang Siying personally worked with Yazhu to pn the menu, aiming to increase the nutrition and change the fvors.

  As for herself, Fang Siying had lunch at school; she could never get used to the packed lunch. Dinner had become the most important meal. For some reason, Bai Peiwen had taken a liking to coming downstairs for dinner, and the meal was often spent with Tingting's ughter and Fang Siying's gentle care.

  Bai Peiwen rarely spoke, but he was always keenly aware of everything around him.

  Sometimes, he would pause with his chopsticks, simply to listen attentively to the conversation between Fang Siying and Tingting.

  Tingting's changes were quick and noticeable. Her cheeks became rosy, her height grew astonishingly, and her appetite increased several times over... But the biggest change was her constant ughter, which began to echo through the house like the sound of silver bells. Her joyful nature was fully revealed, and she seemed to radiate happiness, spending her days nestled close to Fang Siying like a little bird. Even the kind-hearted Yazhu, with tears in her eyes, said to Fang Siying, "This child is growing so well. She’s always needed someone like you, Teacher Fang, to take care of her."

  Fang Siying was content with her work, even immersed in the joy of it. She temporarily forgot about America, forgot about Alec—yes, Alec, who had once written her a harsh letter scolding her, criticizing her mercilessly, calling her a fool, a madwoman, a woman without feelings or responsibility. Let him go; let him scold her. She understood Alec—three months from now, he would have a new girlfriend. He couldn’t bear loneliness.

  Bai Peiwen went to Taipei twice a week. Fang Siying knew he was visiting the factory there to handle business matters. The factory's manager was a man in his fifties named He, who also frequently visited the Bai residence to report on matters or called Bai Peiwen to discuss business.

  Fang Siying was surprised to find that although Bai Peiwen was disabled, he handled business matters with remarkable efficiency, decisiveness, and authority. Every time she heard him giving instructions to Manager He over the phone, she would sigh and think to herself, "If only he weren't blind!" If he weren't blind, what would he be like?

  Fang Siying often found herself lost in thought while gazing at his face. It was a man′s face—firm, resolute, composed... If only the sadness in his eyebrows and the mencholy and helplessness at the corners of his mouth could be removed, he would be handsome! Quite handsome, in fact! Fang Siying often found herself absentmindedly thinking about what he had been like ten years ago, young and unmarked by disability. What had he been like then?

  The days passed quietly, smoothly. Quietly? Was it really smooth?