Lin Yan suddenly pulled Lin Zhiyue into a fierce embrace, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
“Zhiyue, don’t leave Father. Father won’t let you go hungry. I’ll definitely give you a good life. And your mother—your mother still hasn’t seen you come back. Your grandparents, your uncle… they all like you very much.”
“No, Dad, listen to me. I can only take things from my old home. I’m not leaving.”
Lin Zhiyue hurriedly reassured him.
“Last night while sleeping, I was thinking about my old home. I don’t know what happened, but I suddenly returned there. I can only go back to my house—I can’t return to the time and world I used to live in.”
Once she started speaking, the rest came naturally.
Calmly, she told him about her life in the modern world.
Lin Yan listened quietly.
Hearing that his daughter had lived twenty-one years without parents made his heart ache with bitterness and sorrow.
Hearing that she had gone to school filled him with pride and happiness.
Lin Zhiyue skipped over the car accident, the hardships of working while studying, and all the unhappy moments of growing up in the orphanage.
She only spoke about the warmth and kindness of the orphanage director she called “Mother Dean.”
Even if that warmth had been shared among more than twenty children, she had still received it, hadn’t she?
And now, she finally had a warmth that belonged solely to her.
She was Lin Zhiyue.
Wrapping her arms around Lin Yan’s neck, she said softly,
“Dad, I really won’t leave.”
Though Lin Yan found everything unbelievable, he believed every word his daughter said.
Whether she was the twenty-one-year-old from another world, or the seven-year-old before him now—
She was still his daughter, Lin Yan’s daughter.
Hadn’t the eminent monk once said that his daughter possessed great fortune? Perhaps this was her destined opportunity.
“Dad, hurry and eat this. It’s really delicious.”
Lin Zhiyue handed him an unwrapped chocolate bar, then rummaged through the bundle on the ground for the water pouch.
Yesterday, she had mixed a little spiritual spring water with purified water from her old home into the pouch.
If they drank pure spring water all the time, she worried there might be strange effects on their bodies. They needed to experiment slowly, so she had only added one spoonful.
Lin Yan accepted the dark-colored thing his daughter handed him and took a doubtful bite.
He thought to himself: Something this black can actually taste good?
But the moment it entered his mouth, it melted instantly.
Sweet, with a hint of bitterness, yet carrying a rich fragrance.
Lin Yan had never eaten anything with such a strange texture before.
After finishing it in two or three bites, he opened the water pouch his daughter handed him and drank a few mouthfuls.
This water…
It also seemed extraordinary.
“Daughter, this water…”
“This water came with the space holding my house. I don’t know where it came from either.”
Curious, Lin Yan took a few more drinks and couldn’t help sighing in amazement.
Truly miraculous.
Fortunately, dawn had not fully broken yet, and they weren’t on the main road. The surroundings were silent, without another person in sight.
Finding a more hidden spot, the father and daughter began taking food out.
Snickers bars, chocolates, packaged chicken drumsticks, biscuits, oranges…
Lin Yan stared in astonishment as Lin Zhiyue kept pulling out foods he had never even seen before.
“That’s enough, Daughter. We have enough to eat. Save some.”
Lin Yan quickly grabbed her busy little hand, unable to suppress a smile.
The way his daughter busied herself was adorable.
It was an expression he had never seen on her before.
Her frown—was she searching for something?
Her puzzled expression—was she deciding what to pick?
Her delight—had she found what she wanted?
Such a tiny child, yet every expression was unbearably cute.
Before this, his daughter had never shown any expression at all.
She had always looked dull and vacant, her unfocused eyes never truly seeing anyone or anything.
Even when eating, she would only open her mouth when food was brought to her lips, but her gaze never rested on a single person.
It wasn’t until about two years ago that she began to change slightly.
If food tasted bad, she would spit it out. If unhappy, she would cry and shout.
When in a good mood, she would even respond with little “ah, ah” sounds when spoken to.
Yet even those tiny changes had made Lin Yan and Wan-niang so excited they couldn’t sleep for nights.
“Dad, eat the chicken leg.”
Lin Zhiyue handed him a braised chicken drumstick after tearing off the packaging. Tossing the empty wrapper into the space, she opened a braised chicken claw for herself and began gnawing on it happily.
After no longer feeling hungry, Lin Yan reached out to pull his daughter closer.
Seeing his movement, Lin Zhiyue hurriedly stopped him.
“Dad, wait a moment.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she disappeared into the space.
Lin Yan stared blankly at the spot where his daughter had vanished, panic rising in his chest.
Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Daughter only returned to her old home. She’ll come back.
He kept comforting himself, but his heartbeat only grew faster and faster.
Just when Lin Yan was about to lose his mind, his daughter reappeared.
Only now, her face had been smeared with something.
Her complexion looked waxy yellow, with freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose.
From her right cheek down to her neck stretched a dark patch, resembling a birthmark.
This…
Lin Yan gaped at the magical transformation.
He opened his mouth several times, but no words came out.
Both father and daughter were clever people.
On the refugee road, the uglier and more miserable one looked, the safer one would be.
During these days of fleeing famine, his daughter’s appearance had always been Lin Yan’s greatest concern.
That was why he constantly avoided crowds and didn’t even dare travel on the main road.
Once they finished preparing, Lin Yan picked up his daughter and finally headed onto the official road through a smaller path.
By now, the sky was fully bright.
Sparse groups of refugees were already trudging along the road.
After stepping onto the road, Lin Yan set his daughter down and said,
“If you can’t walk anymore, tell Dad. I’ll carry you. Dad has plenty of strength right now.”
Holding his hand, Lin Zhiyue replied,
“I know, Dad.”
The original body was only seven years old. Walking an entire day was obviously unrealistic.
Lin Zhiyue didn’t try to force herself.
After all, they needed to keep moving, and traveling alone as just a father and daughter on the refugee road was dangerous.
Though they could guarantee they wouldn’t starve for now, the supplies in her space weren’t endless. One day they would run out.
And neither of them had much fighting ability.
That was what worried Lin Zhiyue the most.
“Dad, do Grandpa and Grandma really like me?”
“They do.”
“What about Uncle?”
“Your uncle and aunt both like you very much. How could anyone not like my daughter? My daughter is so obedient and beautiful.”
Lin Zhiyue felt a little embarrassed.
In her modern life, she had been an adult already, yet here she was asking childish questions.
But she wanted to ask.
She wanted confirmation that her family truly cared for her.
After all, the original owner of this body had always been considered foolish. In most families, it was normal for people to dislike or resent a foolish child.
Especially relatives—very few wouldn’t look down on such a child.
“You also have two older cousins and one older female cousin.”
“Your eldest cousin is Lin Zhishu, the second is Lin Zhili, and your cousin sister is Lin Zhixing.”
Lin Yan paused, then suddenly picked her up and looked directly into her eyes as he said solemnly,
“Daughter, everyone in the family likes you. You don’t need to doubt it.”
Flustered, Lin Zhiyue buried her face against Lin Yan’s shoulder to avoid his gaze.
Now she was truly embarrassed.
Ever since leaving the orphanage to attend university after turning eighteen, she had always handled everything alone.
Whenever she saw her roommates being cared for by family members—
Receiving food, necessities, concern over sickness, concern over exhausting studies—
She had always envied them.
Late at night, hidden beneath her blanket, she would secretly imagine what life would be like if she had family too.
And now—
She had parents.
She had family.
Lin Zhiyue smiled.
Her smile deepened more and more, her eyes curving brightly.
It felt…
So very happy.