The silence that followed felt endless. Shou Lin's hands were still shaking, her thoughts tangled in fear and uncertainty. She looked down, one hand slowly resting over her stomach, as if protecting something fragile and unseen.
After a long moment, she spoke—her voice soft, almost breaking.
"I'll agree," she said.
Ming Xu looked at her, still unreadable. "You're sure?"
Shou Lin nodded. "Not for me," she said honestly. "For the child. I want my baby to grow up protected… respected." She took a breath. "If marriage gives that safety, then yes."
Ming Xu accepted her answer with a quiet nod, as if sealing a decision already made. "Then we'll proceed properly," he said. "Our families will be informed."
The word families made Shou Lin's chest tighten.
Her world was small. She had only her father—a tired but kind man who had raised his daughters alone—and her younger sister, who still looked at life with innocent hope. They were her entire support system, her only home.
Ming Xu's world was very different.
When Shou Lin first stepped into his family house days later, she felt overwhelmed. Ming Xu's family was large, influential, and tightly bound together. His father carried authority in his voice, his mother observed quietly but sharply. His grandfather sat at the center, eyes wise and heavy with experience.
There was his younger sister, curious and talkative.
His uncle and aunt, polite but assessing.
His cousin—his uncle's son—formal and distant.
And his uncle's daughter, watching Shou Lin with open interest.
So many eyes. So many unspoken judgments.
Shou Lin stood beside Ming Xu, her posture stiff, her fingers clenched together. She felt small—out of place—yet she didn't move. Not when the elders spoke. Not when the questions came. Not even when the weight of their expectations pressed down on her.
Because this wasn't just about her anymore.
When the engagement was finally accepted, Shou Lin felt a strange mix of relief and fear. Ming Xu's family had agreed calmly, almost effortlessly—like this was simply how things were meant to be.
Later that night, standing alone by the window, Shou Lin whispered to herself,
"I hope I made the right choice."
Behind her, Ming Xu's voice came quietly, steady as ever.
"You did," he said. "I won't let anything harm what's mine."