Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

But he still didn't tell the truth, and couldn't explain everything to his daughter and Song Wen, because he himself didn't understand what would happen next. At this moment, Li Xiangqian seemed to be a small boat struggling in a storm, not knowing when it would be swallowed up, and even not knowing how to sail.

"Dad will definitely protect you." Li Xiangqian whispered, with a tone of determination he had never had before. He knew that he could no longer avoid it and had to face every problem in front of him, no matter how difficult it was.

However, all this is not easy. He clearly knows that the challenge ahead is not only how to deal with He Yuzhu's mysterious behavior, but also how to protect his beloved family in this seemingly unsolvable situation.

Li Xiangqian sat in the kitchen, a bowl of soup in front of him was emitting a faint heat, the temperature was just right, with a hint of family warmth. However, this warmth could not calm his turmoil. His mood was still heavy, and every time he closed his eyes, Xu Damao's words would appear in his mind: "You have to be careful."

He looked down at the wooden spoon in his hand again, stirring the soup gently. The floating bubbles seemed to remind him that the current situation was no longer simple, and even his life might have changed quietly. The seed in He Yuzhu's heart had taken root in the courtyard. Everyone was no longer just a neighbor, but was in a complex network of relationships.

Li Xiangqian suddenly stopped and stared at the wooden door at the kitchen entrance, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Could he still maintain a clear judgment? Or was he confused by the situation before him?

He knew that he was no longer the husband and father who could make decisions and take responsibility at any time. He had given a lot to his family, but now it seemed that all this could not help him cope with the current predicament. Everything at home seemed calm, Song Wen's smile, his daughter's innocence, the warmth in the house... all these made him forget the outside world temporarily, but the anxiety in his heart kept swallowing him like a tide.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Li Xiangqian's thoughts were interrupted by his daughter's small voice. She stood at the door, her eyes clear and her face full of curiosity.

Li Xiangqian's mood suddenly became complicated. His daughter was always so carefree, but he himself was overwhelmed by a series of doubts and complicated things. How could he hide these unknown storms from her world? He lowered his head, smiled and rubbed her hair: "Nothing, just thinking about something."

"Can you tell me what it is?" The daughter's voice was soft, with a hint of puzzled expectation.

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, staring at her blankly. He suddenly didn't know how to answer. He knew that the little girl in front of him didn't understand the current predicament and shouldn't let her bear these burdens. But the doubts in his heart could not be dispelled.

"Dad..." Seeing that he was silent, the daughter immediately reached out and pulled Li Xiangqian's sleeve, "Don't worry about me, I understand."

Li Xiangqian's eyes flashed with tenderness. He gently picked up his daughter and sat her on his lap. Her soft body temperature brought him a little warmth. He whispered, "I know you are very sensible, but you must remember that no matter what happens, Dad will protect you."

The daughter smiled in confusion: "Dad, I know. But you have to take care of yourself too."

Li Xiangqian smiled bitterly and rubbed her hair: "Dad will, don't worry." There was a hint of uncertainty in his tone, and even he himself doubted how long this guarantee could last.

He hugged his daughter tightly. At that moment, countless thoughts were churning in his heart. He knew clearly that everything in front of him was beyond his control. Every time he tried to sort out the clues, he found himself sinking deeper. The stories and mysteries behind He Yuzhu, Xu Damao, and even the silent chicken became more and more elusive.

"Dad, what's wrong?" The daughter seemed to sense the change in Li Xiangqian's mood, raised her head and asked cautiously.

Li Xiangqian's eyes flashed with a complex feeling. He did not answer immediately, but looked out the kitchen window. The sky outside was gradually getting dark, and the weak street light shone through the curtains and onto him. At that moment, he felt as if he was being pressed down by something and everything around him seemed to become blurred.

"Dad..." the daughter called softly again, interrupting Li Xiangqian's thoughts.

He was stunned for a moment, then came back to his senses, stroked her hair and smiled. "It's okay, I'm just a little tired."

But in fact, he didn't feel tired at all. Instead, he was more awake than ever. In his heart, he was filled with deep worry and fear about the future. Xu Damao's words, He Yuzhu's actions, and the chicken, all told him that the life ahead was much more complicated than he had imagined. Every choice, every silence, would determine the direction of the future. And now, facing all this, he couldn't make a clear judgment.

He began to wonder if he had done something wrong. Did those seemingly insignificant decisions unknowingly change the fate of him and his family? What would have happened if he had made different choices?

Li Xiangqian sighed deeply, and the tangle and anxiety in his heart became stronger. If he had known what would happen today, perhaps he should have given up everything, taken his wife and daughter away from it all, and found a place where no one knew about it, and lived an ordinary life. But now, everything is irreversible.

"Dad, I want to eat some fruit." Li Xiangqian's daughter's voice broke his contemplation. He was stunned for a moment, then looked down at her, "Okay, Dad will get it for you."

He stood up and walked to the corner of the kitchen, took out a few apples and handed them to his daughter. His eyes inadvertently swept across the corners of the house, but new questions began to arise in his mind.

He never thought that the peaceful life between him and his family would be broken by these complicated factors. Every seemingly ordinary day hides unspeakable crises. He thought about giving up and escaping, but when he saw the eyes of his wife and daughter, the sense of responsibility in his heart made him unable to retreat.

Li Xiangqian stood in front of the window, looking at the gradually darkening sky outside, and an inexplicable feeling of depression rose in his heart. The lights on both sides of the street shone into the house through the glass windows, but they could not dispel the haze in his heart. Whenever night fell, this feeling became stronger. All the busyness during the day seemed to be a disguise, and at night, loneliness, anxiety, and confusion came like a tidal wave.