Anqi's Thoughts

After the picnic, the family was on their way home.

The sun had soon begun to set, and the golden gleam of the sun was diminishing. The car hummed gently along the road, trees passing in a blur outside the windows. 

Li Anqi had fallen asleep, her tiny hands curled into fists, her cheek resting softly against Lin Shuang's arms. 

Lin Shuang glanced down at her sleeping daughter and smiled tenderly. "Don't you think she had a lot of fun today?" She turned to her husband.

Li Zixuan nodded, "Hmm... She did. I haven't seen her laugh like that in a long time. She's usually so quiet," Li Zixuan kept his eyes on the road but stole a glance at the rearview mirror. "I like seeing her like this," he said softly. "She's growing up fast."

Lin Shuang leaned back against the seat, still holding Li Anqi close. "Too fast," she whispered. "Sometimes I wish I could freeze time for a little while." 

There was a comfortable silence for a few moments. Then Lin Shuang added, half-teasing, "I still can't believe how she hit that ball today."

Li Zixuan gave a quiet laugh. "That was strange, wasn't it? Her timing was perfect. Like she knew it was coming."

Lin Shuang frowned slightly. "Yes… almost like a reflex. But she's only a baby…"

They exchanged a glance.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Lin Shuang said quickly, brushing off her concern. "Probably just luck."

"Maybe," Li Zixuan agreed, but there was a flicker of something thoughtful in his eyes. He wanted to forget some things, yet they kept surfacing.

----

Li Anqi had slept soundly through the evening, without any dreams for a long time.

Close to midnight, she woke up feeling hungry.

She hadn't eaten dinner. From the moment they left the park and got into the car, she had been sleeping. 

She looked at the ceiling for a few seconds, then turned her head toward the bed where her parents were sleeping.

Her hunger made her feel uncomfortable, and soon she started to cry. The cry wasn't very loud, but it was enough to wake her parents.

Lin Shuang got up first and came over to pick her up. "Are you hungry?" she asked gently. "I knew you would be, so I kept your warm milk ready."

Li Zixuan sat up too. "Then give it to me. I'll feed her, you go back to sleep."

"No," Lin Shuang said, shaking her head. "You have work tomorrow. I'll take care of her."

He smiled. "You also have work tomorrow. Don't forget that."

After drinking her milk and getting her diaper changed, Li Anqi slowly began to doze off again.

When her parents gently placed her back into the crib and went to lie down on their bed, only then did she open her eyes.

She knew very well that if she didn't sleep, her parents would stay awake with her. That's why she closed her eyes and acted like she was sleeping.

Just so they could rest a little.

Everything went silent again.

Li Anqi lay quietly, her little eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling.

She was thinking about the day, how she laughed so much, how she played without anyone stopping her, how nice it felt to be surrounded by everyone.

It was a happy day. A free day.

She remembered… in her past life, how everyone pressured her and restricted her so much that she had forgotten what freedom felt like. Forgotten how it felt to just laugh, to just play.

As a child, she had once been like this too, innocent, carefree, full of laughter.

But somewhere along the way, that freedom had been taken from her.

Now, lying here in this small body again, after such a warm day, she felt something stir inside her, something soft… something hopeful.

Maybe this time… she could hold on to it longer.

Maybe this life… could be different.

Now, even the space was here for her.

But the moment she thought about it, her mood turned a little sour. She still didn't know how to use it properly. And the biggest problem was… she was just too small to do anything. She couldn't even talk or walk yet.

She sighed softly in her heart. 'If only someone could teach me how to read and write in this country's language,' she thought. 'That alone would help me so much.'

She had read in some novels before; some spaces even had teachers inside them. Could hers be like that too? Could someone be there, waiting to guide her?

She had to check the space again.

Maybe… just maybe… she'd find something inside that could help her, even a small clue. A library filled with books in languages she already knew would be more than enough. At least it would give her a starting point.

If she truly wanted her freedom… if she wanted to live the way she dreamed, then she had to start now.

She pouted slightly, thinking bitterly. 'Why didn't I get photographic memory?' Every female lead she'd read about had it, even those who didn't have a space like hers. And here she was… with a whole space, but no magical cheats. No overpowered talents. Nothing.

But then her eyes softened, and her tiny hands curled into small fists.

Fine then. I'll use what I have. I'll do my best in everything.

No more complaints. No more waiting for miracles.

She would carve her own path slowly, step by step, even if she had to do it all on her own.

She would tell them one day, not with words, but with actions. She would show them who she truly was.

Not the girl people talked about behind her back… not the weak, silent one who didn't fight back.

She wasn't that person anymore.

This time, she would be strong. Not to impress anyone. Not to prove anything to others.

But for herself.

So that no one could look down on her again. So that no one would dare bully her in this life.

Even if she had to crawl her way up, one tiny step at a time… she would still do it.

Because she had been stolen from once - her voice, her choices, her peace. But this time, she would protect what was hers.