Chapter 13 Red Camellia
The nanny said Pei Xi had been swinging in the yard that morning.
She stepped into the kitchen for fruit.
When she came back, the child was gone.
They’d searched every corner of the villa.
Nothing.
We rushed back to Shanghai.
My mind spun with every worst-case scenario—kidnapping, trafficking.
I couldn’t stop shaking.
She was only three.
So small, so trusting.
If someone cruel got hold of her…
Pei Yuchuan covered my hand with his.
He was terrified too, but he forced calm into his voice.
“The villa compound has round-the-clock security. She couldn’t have left the grounds.”
“As long as she’s still inside, she’ll be safe.”
I repeated it to myself over and over.
But the dark possibilities kept coming.
That soft little girl who called me Mother—I hadn’t even begun to make up for lost time.
She couldn’t be hurt.
By the time we reached Shanghai, she still hadn’t been found.
We joined the search, calling her name until our throats were raw.
No answer.
I dug my nails into my palms to keep from breaking down.
Then, turning past the holly hedge, I saw her.
A tiny figure in a pink cotton coat, squatting on the grass, chubby hands cradling a single red camellia.
Relief hit so hard my knees nearly buckled.
I ran and scooped her up, holding her tight, voice trembling.
“Pei Xi, you scared me so much.”
She blinked, surprised by the fierce hug, then held the flower up to me, eyes shining.
“It smells pretty. For you.”
“Father said it’s your favorite.”
Her little face was full of hope.
Her shoes were muddy, her pants dirty.
I couldn’t hold the tears back anymore.
I cried into her hair.
She looked worried.
“Mother, did I make you mad?”
“I saw the flower and wanted to give it to you when you came. But I got lost trying to find my way back.”
“Please don’t cry. When you cry, I feel sad too.”
She pressed the camellia into my arms.
I tried to stop, but the sobs only came harder.
She wiped my cheeks with her small hands, then wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Mother, how long are you staying this time?”
“Can I wish for just one whole day with you?”
From a distance, Pei Yuchuan saw us.
He started running.
When he reached us and saw Pei Xi safe in my arms, he stopped.
He stayed back, watching quietly.
His gaze was soft, warm, tracing every line of us as if memorizing the moment.
Three years ago, I’d believed the gap between our worlds was impossible to cross.
Now, holding my daughter, feeling the man I loved standing close, I took the red camellia and pressed a kiss to Pei Xi’s forehead.
“Pei Xi, we would see each other every day from then on, okay?”