Hush Now, Darling (2)

Zhang Jiren moved in silence as he went upstairs and gently opened the door to his stepdaughter's nursery room. In the rocking chair next to the crib, Li Meili held her daughter who refused to calm down and continued wailing. 

She was surprised when the door opened and saw Zhang Jiren looking at them. Her lips quivered as complex emotions washed through her. Li Meili wanted to yell at him, scold him, and hit him for making her worry about his whereabouts, but she didn't. However, her expression betrayed her as Zhang Jiren understood at once the helplessness he'd seen in her eyes. 

Her eyes were rimmed red and held remnants of tears indicating she just had cried along with Leyan. Strands of her midnight hair framed her small face; the strands escaped the messy bun on top of her head. 

Zhang Jiren's heart ached seeing her like this. If he could, he wouldn't dare to leave them alone like this.