Second Chance At Life

4

After Han Sicheng walked inside, Li Chaoxing followed. The next scene she saw was really heartwarming. She saw her mother hug Han Sicheng really tightly and then pulling his cheeks.

Li Chaoxing chuckled and it seems that it didn't go unnoticed by Han Sicheng as he sent her a playful glare. She stuck out her tongue at him and walked past them.

She walked into the dining room and found most of them already seated, except her mom and Han Sicheng. Chaoxing took a seat and conversed with her family and soon after her mom and Sicheng joined them. It was as if they were a real family, now don't get me wrong, they are a real family but... this just felt different.

And as always the food was delicious, like suuuuper delicious. After dinner they took a seat in the living room and continued their conversation from before.

Then, she suddenly heard a deafening cry. Li Chaoxing followed the sound and found her darling niece, Li Hwa Young crying. Ai Jia looked visibly distressed as she couldn't calm down the toddler. 

"Ai Jia, do you want me to take her and try to calm her down?" Li Chaoxing asked gently. Ai Jia looked at her for a second before carefully handing over her daughter. Li Chaoxing and the baby were making their way out of the living room when Ai Jia asked where they were going. Li Chaoxing replied that they were going to the music room and so they left. Li Hwa Young, the baby, was still crying as they made their way to the music room.

Once they left, Ai Jia rushed to the television and typed in the code to watch the security camera. At this point everyone was curious as to what she was doing and so they took a seat on the sofa in front of the television. She chose the music room and there she saw her baby and Li Chaoxing.

Li Chaoxing was carefully rocking the baby back and forth in front of the beautiful moon. One of the walls was a glass wall where you could see the starry sky and the beautiful garden. The moon was full and the sight of it all together could take your breath away.

Then to calm her down, Li Chaoxing started to sing with her soothing voice. The song that she sang was a song she had written in the middle of the night after dreaming about her baby.

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

The other night dear
As I lay sleeping
I dreamt I held you in my arms
When I awoke dear
I was mistaken
So I hung my head and cried

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

The baby had stopped crying a while ago and a lone tear fell down Li Chaoxing's face.

Everyone stared at the screen in shock not knowing how to react. They never knew Li Chaoxing could sing so beautifully... They also felt the sadness from the song. It was clear Li Chaoxing was grieving yet no one understood why. Li Zhou was the first to speak up; "Did she lose her baby?" Li Xiowen answered: "No, that's impossible. Although she was together with Yu Feng, she has always been traditional and so no touching until marriage."

Han Sicheng took the remote and said the following; "I feel like this is a private matter and that we shouldn't have intruded on her like that." As he was about to put out the television, Ai Jia stopped him. "No, although we did intrude, I did it for the safety of my baby. And as long as she is in that room with my daughter, I will keep watching."

Once Li Chaoxing stopped singing completely the baby started crying again. At that, Chaoxing lightly chuckled and sang one of her favourite disney songs from Frozen 2, it became one of her favourites when she felt it suited her situation quite well.

Where the North wind meets the sea
There's a river full of memory
Sleep, my darling, safe and sound
For in this river, all is found

In her waters, deep and true
Lie the answers and a path for you
Dive down deep into her sound
But not too far or you'll be drowned

Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear
And in her song, all magic flows
But can you brave what you most fear?
Can you face what the river knows?

Where the North wind meets the sea
There's a mother full of memory
Come, my darling, homeward bound
When all is lost, then all is found

Li Hwa Young had finally fallen asleep. It took 2 songs and some swaying but it worked. After that Li Chaoxing carefully returned to the living room to see everyone staring at her in shock. She didn't realise what was going on until she looked at the television and saw the security camera of the music room on.

Understandably, she felt betrayed. They intruded on her privacy like that, but then again... she could see from where they were coming. She suddenly had a whole personality switch, it's normal that they weren't going to trust her just like that. But...it still hurted.

Everyone noticed the betrayed look on her face even though she managed to cover it up quite fastly and nicely. They felt even more guilty, nearly everyone but Ai Jia.

Li Chaoxing approached them and as careful as possible handed the baby to Ai Jia.

Her father, Li Xiowen was about to apologise for what they did, but she intervened. "Don't worry about it, I understand. I mean, I suddenly had a whole personality switch. It's normal that you're a bit suspicious." That made them feel even more guilty.

Then Han Sicheng spoke up; "No, we really shouldn't have done that..." Li Chaoxing brushed it off and the mood became quite awkward.

She tried to endure it, but she could no longer handle the awkwardness and so she said; "Well anyway, me and Han Sicheng are off to my room." With that she grabbed his hand and led them to her room. Once they entered her room she ran and jumped on her bed and patted the place next to her. Li Chaoxing saw that Han Sicheng didn't make a movement to come closer so she expressed it verbally.

"Are you going to keep standing there by the door? Come closer little Hanhan." He started approaching her slowly while blushing as he loved the nickname. He took a seat beside her on the bed.

"Hanhan you are so adorable and you blush so much, you're just sooooo cute." Han Sicheng playfully glared at her before saying; "You're doing this on purpose aren't you."

With a shrug she answered "Maybe or maybe not."

Then they were quiet, it wasn't an awkward silence, not at all. Instead it was a peaceful silence, one where they both felt comfortable in. They didn't need to talk to each other but they could and that's something that they both appreciated. Li Chaoxing was lying down while Han Sicheng was sitting next to her. She heard some shuffling and when she looked beside her she saw Han Sicheng also laying down and facing her. They were now looking at each other with not that much space between them. You could hear them breathing.

Han Sicheng was the one that broke their shared silence. "Why do you have such eyebags?" Chaoxing was startled but also touched that someone noticed. Yeah, she hid them but she still hoped someone would notice and not because she wanted attention but more because she wanted support.

"I couldn't sleep..." She whispered, but he was laying next to her so he heard her.

"Why?" Han Sicheng was asking and not demanding, he was caring and oh so kind with her. She only just realised what she had missed and what she put someone like him through.

"I have nightmares..." She whispered even quieter than before. Chaoxing was not even the slightest ready to tell him about those nightmares and he seemed to have understood as he didn't inquire more about it.