The little girl immediately turned to her and retorted, "I really won't cry."
Yan Cijin's heart softened. "Okay, okay. We'll see."
Bai Li watched them and felt the feeling in her chest settle just a little. The whole room was still a mess in some ways, but it also felt strangely warm. There was no need to rush. No need to force anything. The world outside was already bad enough. At least in this room, the people inside could still laugh, still tease each other, still worry about whether someone's hair was dry or whether the food would spoil.
That thought made Bai Li's eyes drift back to Yan Cijin again.
The woman had leaned slightly forward to help the little girl with a toy, and a fine line of sweat still sat near her temple because she had not fully rested after the work earlier. Bai Li looked at that tiny bit of moisture and suddenly thought of all the things she had just told herself she was not ready to face. Her heart tightened again, then softened at the same time.
