Little family reunion

After sorting out the matter with Rui Feng,she quickly shot a text to Jinhai to update him.

Then she spent the next few weeks,focusing on upgrading the base and keeping note of the resources to be acquired.

25th March,3019

It was currently 7 o'clock am in the morning and Qianqian just came back from excersing. Her mind kept drifting to the text message Jinhai had sent to her the previous night.

"Hey,dad has been asking of you. I did tell them that everything has been sorted out but strangely enough they decided to stay for now. They still think you are at school...come see them okay."

Qianqian sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the phone in her hand. Her thumb hovered over the screen.

"Are you going to stare at it forever?" Echo's voice broke through the silence, lighthearted as always but tinged with concern.

Qianqian sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I just… don't know how to face them, Echo."

"You've faced zombies, life-or-death situations, and the apocalypse itself, yet this scares you?" Echo teased gently, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's different." Her voice was quieter now, trembling with emotion. "It's not just seeing them. It's… everything I left behind, everything I failed to do for them."

Echo was silent for a moment, as if giving her the space to let her emotions spill out.

"You were doing your best to survive," Echo said finally. "You didn't know what would happen. You didn't have the time or the resources to think about everything at once."

"But I do now," Qianqian whispered. "And it makes me realize how much I wasted the time I had with them."

Echo's tone turned a little firmer. "That's why you're afraid to see them, isn't it? You're scared they'll remind you of what you lost. Scared they'll see the guilt in your eyes."

She nodded, even though Echo couldn't see her. "It's not just guilt, Echo. It's… everything. They've been back for weeks, and I've avoided them. I've made excuses, thinking it's better this way. But the truth is, I'm just really really scared."

"They don't know what you've been through," Echo reminded her. "To them, you're still their little girl who's just been busy at school. They're probably worried, wondering why you're keeping your distance. You can't keep running, Qianqian."

For a moment, the room was filled with silence, broken only by the faint ticking of the clock.

"I'm scared, Echo," she admitted, her voice trembling.

"I know," Echo said gently. "But you're also brave, Qianqian. Braver than you think. And if you need me, I'll be here. You're not facing this alone."

She closed her eyes, holding the phone tightly in her hands. Slowly, she let out a deep breath.

"Okay," she whispered. "I'll do it. I'll go see them."

"That's my girl," Echo said playfully. "Now go remind them how lucky they are to have such an amazing daughter."

Qianqian couldn't help but smile through her tears. "Thanks, Echo."

"Anytime, kiddo."

And just like that,here she was.

Xu Qianqian stood in front of the gates of the sprawling Xu family estate, her heart heavy with anticipation.

The living room was as grand as ever, but its warmth felt different. Xu Wei was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper, while Wang Lihua was sipping tea with her usual air of calm authority. Xu Xiaoyu was sprawled on the other end of the couch, scrolling through her phone.

When Qianqian entered, Xu Wei was the first to notice. His face lit up with a grin as he put down the paper. "Qianqian! There you are!"

Her mother's gaze lifted, cool and assessing. "It's about time," Wang Lihua said, though there was a faint note of relief in her voice. "You've been scarce."

Xu Xiaoyu glanced up and smirked. "Scarce is an understatement. Did school swallow you whole, little sister?"

Qianqian forced a small smile and sat down, Snowy curling up at her feet. "It's been... hectic."

"You could have told us," Xu Wei said, his tone both affectionate and reproachful. "We came back as soon as we heard about the incident at school, but Jinhai said everything was fine."

"Yes," Wang Lihua added, her sharp gaze fixed on her daughter. "We assumed you were busy catching up, but your brother was surprisingly vague."

"Jinhai did handle it," Qianqian said quickly, not meeting her mother's eyes. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" Wang Lihua repeated, her voice carrying a quiet edge.

"She's here now," Xu Wei interjected, his jovial tone cutting through the tension. "That's what matters. Right, Xiaoyu?"

Xu Xiaoyu grinned. "Of course. So, Qianqian, are you finally back to stay, or is this just a courtesy visit?"

"I'm here for a little while," Qianqian replied, keeping her tone even. "I've been... working on a few things."

As the family sat down to eat, Wang Lihua broke the comfortable chatter with a pointed question. "Qianqian, what are you really up to?"

The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to her. She hesitated, her mind racing. They can't know the truth—not yet.

But before she could respond, her phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at the screen, her stomach dropping. It was a message from Jinhai.

"Urgent. We need to talk."

After dinner, Qianqian excused herself under the pretense of freshening up. She slipped into one of the upstairs sitting rooms, where she could have some privacy. Snowy followed, settling near her feet.

Pulling out her phone, she opened Jinhai's message.

"Meet me tonight at the usual spot. Don't be late."

Her chest tightened. What now? She had just started to smooth things over with her family. Whatever Jinhai had to discuss, it couldn't be good if he was pulling her away so abruptly.

A soft knock on the door startled her. "Qianqian?"

It was Butler Feng.

"Come in," she said, slipping her phone into her pocket.

The older man stepped inside, his face kind but unreadable. "Your parents are concerned," he said gently. "They might not show it, but they've noticed the change in you. If there's anything you need..."

"I'm fine," Qianqian interrupted, though her voice softened. "Really, I am."

Butler Feng studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. But remember, you don't have to carry your burdens alone, Miss Qianqian."

She watched him leave, her thoughts in turmoil.