CHAPTER 76 — A Home Reopened, A Heart Unlocked
Mu Lingchen didn't force anything.
Not her trust.
Not her forgiveness.
Not the bond she had fiercely protected between herself and the three little pieces of her heart.
He simply… showed up.
Patiently.
Quietly.
Relentlessly.
Every morning, he sent breakfast to the apartment Yunxi was staying in — lightly seasoned because he remembered she hated heavy flavors in the morning. Fresh fruit because she used to crave it. And warm pastries because Shi Qing'er loved anything sweet, Shi Yichen devoured anything flaky, and Mu Rui—
Mu Rui liked the ones filled with custard.
The triplets ate together every morning now.
Together.
The sight alone made Yunxi's chest tighten painfully every time she watched them. Three identical faces. Three pairs of eyes, bright and curious. Three voices calling her "Mommy," "Mama," and "Mum."
Three children she carried.
Three children who should have grown up side by side.
And every morning, Mu Lingchen waited downstairs in his car — not demanding entry, not insisting she see him. Just… present.
Present in a way he never had been three years ago.
She wasn't sure whether that made her heart warm or ache.
Probably both.
On the fourth day, Yunxi paused at her window, watching him through the glass. He leaned against his car, scrolling through documents on a tablet. His hair was messy from running his fingers through it too many times. He wore the same black coat he'd had on for hours.
He looked tired.
Exhausted.
But determined.
Like a man who refused to give up.
A soft tug on her pajama sleeve pulled her from her thoughts.
"Mommy," Shi Qing'er whispered, leaning against her leg, "is Daddy going to keep waiting like that?"
Yunxi stiffened.
The word "Daddy" still shook something in her.
Before she could reply, Shi Yichen chimed in, "He looks cold. Should we let him in?"
Mu Rui — quiet, observant Mu Rui — stood between his siblings with a small frown.
He didn't speak, but his dark eyes lifted toward her, full of something that made her heart twist.
Hope.
Curiosity.
Longing.
He wanted to know her.
He wanted her to choose him too.
Yunxi closed her eyes.
This wasn't about her hurt anymore.
This was about them.
The children.
Their healing.
Their right to family.
A family that had been stolen from all four of them.
"Okay," she breathed softly. "Let's go."
Mu Lingchen noticed the apartment door opening before he heard footsteps. His head snapped up, eyes widening as Yunxi stepped out holding Shi Qing'er's hand, with Yichen on one side and Mu Rui on the other.
The triplets walked with her — three little shadows around their mother.
Lingchen's breath caught.
He'd seen them individually.
He'd seen them in pairs.
But seeing all three children together…
The same height.
The same tiny steps.
The same soft features that mirrored his and Yunxi's so perfectly—
It knocked the breath out of him.
The life he should have had.
The family he should have protected.
The mistake he could never undo.
"Lingchen," Yunxi said softly.
His eyes snapped to her.
He straightened immediately, trying not to look too surprised, too relieved, too desperately grateful.
"Yes?"
His voice was calm.
His heart was not.
She swallowed once.
"Do you… want to come inside?"
Mu Lingchen froze.
Just completely froze.
He blinked once, as if making sure he heard her correctly.
Then again.
Then—
"Y-Yes," he managed, his voice breaking for the first time in front of her. "If you'll have me."
The triplets all turned to look at him with wide eyes.
Mu Rui, the quietest, took one step forward.
"…Daddy," he whispered, almost shy, almost testing the word.
Lingchen's heart fractured.
Repaired.
Shattered again.
Repaired again.
He knelt immediately, opening his arms.
Mu Rui walked straight into them.
Shi Yichen and Qing'er exchanged a glance — a silent "Is it okay?" between siblings — before they also ran forward, colliding into him with such force he nearly toppled.
Three small bodies buried against him.
Three warm heads pressing into his chest.
Three heartbeats he never got to hear when they were born.
Yunxi watched, hand covering her mouth, eyes burning.
This…
This was what had been stolen from them.
This was what she had survived without.
This was what the children deserved.
She inhaled deeply and opened the apartment door wider.
"Come in," she said, voice steady.
Mu Lingchen stood, one child on each arm, Mu Rui holding his coat tightly.
He stepped into the apartment as though entering holy ground.
Inside, the atmosphere softened almost immediately.
Shi Qing'er dragged him to the couch, showing him her drawing book.
Shi Yichen proudly displayed his handmade robot — made out of boxes and too much tape.
Mu Rui simply sat beside him, small fingers quietly clutching Lingchen's sleeve as if terrified he might disappear again.
And Yunxi watched all of it quietly, arms crossed loosely, leaning against the wall.
Lingchen caught her gaze once.
Just once.
And the softness in his eyes made her breath stall.
"I'd like…" he started slowly, voice quiet, "…to bring all of you to my home. Just for safety. The media is still trying to harass you. I can protect you better there."
Yunxi's brows knitted.
She opened her mouth.
But Shi Qing'er jumped in first.
"Mommy! Can we? Please?"
Shi Yichen added, "We'll all be together."
Mu Rui tugged her sleeve gently.
"Mom," he whispered, "Daddy's home… big?"
Yunxi almost laughed.
Almost.
"It's not about how big it is," she said softly, brushing his hair. "It's about whether it's safe."
Mu Lingchen spoke again, slower this time.
"Yunxi… I won't pressure you. I won't force anything. But I want you safe. I want them safe. Please."
The sincerity in his voice—
It was nothing like the man from three years ago.
This version of him was steady.
Patient.
Willing to fight for every inch of her trust.
Yunxi exhaled, looking at the triplets.
Yichen's hopeful eyes.
Qing'er's excited bouncing.
Mu Rui's soft grip.
"Alright," she whispered.
"We'll stay with you."
Mu Lingchen's entire body seemed to loosen with relief.
And for the first time in a long time—
A real, unguarded smile touched his face.
A father's smile.
That evening, as they prepared to move, Yunxi stood at the doorway with her luggage handle in hand, watching the triplets run to Lingchen's car excitedly.
Her heart thudded hard.
This was a step she never expected to take.
But maybe…
Maybe trusting him again was the beginning of healing.
For her.
For him.
For their children.
For their family.
She closed the apartment door behind her.
And walked toward a future she had once been certain she'd never touch again.