One night, the apartment was wrapped in silence.
Only the faint hum of her laptop and the distant sound of traffic drifted in through the half-open window.
Qinran rubbed her eyes and leaned back slightly.
Her gaze shifted to the calendar pinned beside her desk.
Two months.
It had already been two months since Luoli started kindergarten.
Time really did move quickly.
A small smile touched her lips as a memory surfaced—
"Mom! We went to the zoo today! There was a big elephant!"
He had stretched his arms wide to show how "big" it was.
"I gave it peanuts!"
"You what?" she had laughed, pretending to gasp.
"It took it with its nose! Like this!"
He had flailed his little arm around, imitating a trunk, nearly knocking over his juice.
She let out a soft chuckle now.
He really loved animals.
The room fell quiet again.
She turned her head slightly.
On the bed, a small figure slept peacefully, one arm thrown above his head, blanket half-kicked away.
The dim bedside lamp cast a gentle glow over his round cheeks.
Without realizing it, Qinran smiled.
In her previous life, nights had been different.
Always meetings. Deadlines. Endless work.
No time to breathe.
No time for herself.
No time for love.
Success had come — but it had felt empty.
Her eyes softened.
This time… I'll still get back to where I belong.
She wasn't planning to stay small forever. She knew her abilities. She knew what she was capable of.
But… Let's do it slowly this time.
She turned back to her laptop.
As she adjusted her posture, her gaze stopped briefly on the business card resting near the edge of her desk.
Mr. Shen. Opportunity.
Her fingers hovered for a second.
Then she looked away.
There was no rush.
With calm resolve, she returned her focus to the screen, the soft tapping of keys filling the quiet room once more.