The sun had dipped below the horizon by the time Alexandra stepped through the front door of the Ling family mansion. Her heels clicked against the marble floor, echoing through the quiet halls. She paused for a moment, letting the familiar scent of jasmine and polished wood wrap around her. It still smelled the same after all these years, like home, even if it didn't always feel like it.
She tugged off her shoes at the entryway and padded quietly across the hallway, hoping no one would notice her return. The house was unusually silent. No chatter from the kitchen, no faint piano music from the sunroom, no Silvia lecturing Adrien about overusing her face creams. Alexandra exhaled quietly. Maybe she could sneak up to her room, collapse into bed, and process the chaotic day she'd just had.
" Ling Yaxuan," a voice called.
She froze mid-step.
There was only one person who would call her with that name. She turned slowly toward the living room and saw him.
Leonard Ling sat alone on the couch, a cashmere throw wrapped over his knees, a book resting in his lap. A single standing lamp glowed behind him, casting soft light on the lines etched deep into his face. He looked thinner than she remembered, more fragile somehow, but his eyes still held that unwavering steel.
"Sit down," he said, gesturing to the armchair across from him.
Alexandra hesitated. Her instinct was to offer an excuse — tired, long day, early start tomorrow — but something in his voice, in the way he looked at her, made her walk forward and sit.
"I was hoping you'd come home before bed," he said, placing a silk bookmark between the pages of his novel and setting it aside.
"I didn't know anyone would be awake," Alexandra replied. "Where's everyone?"
"Silvia took your mother out. Something about needing to replace all the towels in the guest bathroom. Apparently they're too 'vintage.'" He chuckled quietly. "Your brother went with them. Thought it best to stay out of the towel debate."
That drew a small smile from her. "Good call."
Silence settled between them again. Leonard shifted slightly, wincing as he adjusted his legs. Alexandra noticed his movements, stiffer than before, more deliberate.
"I wanted to talk to you," he said at last. "About the other night."
Her shoulders tensed. She remembered the dinner, the raised voices, the look on Silvia's face as she muttered about peaceful family meals being a myth.
"I shouldn't have said what I did," he continued. "About the blind date. About pushing you."
Alexandra blinked. She had braced herself for a lecture, not… an apology.
"I just—" Leonard paused, as if tasting the words before offering them. "I only wanted what's best for you. But I realize I've been going about it all wrong."
She leaned back slightly, surprised. "You're… apologizing?"
He gave a soft snort. "Don't sound so shocked. I'm capable of introspection, you know."
"Could've fooled me."
That earned her a wry look, but his expression softened again. "Still, I deserved that."
Alexandra tucked her legs beneath her. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have lost my temper. You touched a nerve."
"I figured," he said gently. "That's why I wanted to ask… about your life. These past twelve years. You've been away so long, and I realize I never really asked."
She wasn't sure where to start. How did one summarize over a decade of growth, heartbreak, success, and survival in a conversation?
"I became a doctor," she said. "Specialized in emergency medicine. I worked in a hospital in Singapore for a while. It was demanding, but I loved it. I learned a lot… about people, about myself."
Leonard nodded. "And you were happy?"
"I think so," she said, then added more honestly, "for the most part."
Another pause. Leonard studied her carefully, then sighed.
"I may not be a doctor," he said, "but I know when someone's trying to distract themselves."
Alexandra looked away, her gaze landing on the framed photograph on the side table, a family portrait taken before she left. Adrien had braces back then. Vincent had more hair. She herself looked younger, of course, but more than that, unburdened.
Leonard leaned forward slightly. "Yaxuan… there's something I haven't told the others yet."
She turned back to him. "What is it?"
"I don't have much time left."
The words dropped like stones between them. For a second, she wasn't sure she'd heard him right.
"Don't joke like that," she said quickly. "You've had check-ups. You're just tired, that's all."
He smiled faintly. "We have the best doctors, yes. But even the best can't turn back the clock. And when a person's nearing their time… they know. I can feel it in my bones. My lungs aren't what they used to be. My heart's slowing down."
"No," Alexandra said firmly. "You're just… overworked. You need more rest. I can call someone, I—"
Leonard raised a hand. "It's alright. I'm not afraid."
But she was. She hadn't expected this, not tonight, not so soon after coming home.
He reached across the coffee table and tapped the wood gently, as if to ground them both. "All I want now is peace. And to know that when I go, I won't leave you behind, stuck in the past."
She looked up at him sharply. "I'm not stuck."
"Then why do you flinch every time I mention a man's name?" he asked, not unkindly. "Why do you freeze when someone brings up your love life?"
Alexandra opened her mouth, then closed it again. She didn't have an answer. Not one she was ready to say out loud.
Leonard sat back, a satisfied glimmer in his eye. "I'm not trying to meddle. I swear it on what little time I have left."
She exhaled. "Then why bring this up now?"
"Because I need to ask you one thing." He looked at her with an expression she rarely saw from him, vulnerable, fatherly in a way that made her chest tighten. "I want you to meet someone. Just once. And then I'll never bring it up again."
Alexandra groaned softly. "Not this again."
"Hear me out," he said. "His name is Zhao Ruihan. He's the son of an old friend. Smart, sharp, a little guarded, reminds me of you, actually. He's back in town. Just… meet him. If you hate him, fine. I won't arrange another blind date ever again."
"Dad…"
"Please," Leonard said quietly. "I want to go knowing you're open to happiness, even if it takes time. Not… shut off from the world."
She swallowed hard. The conversation had veered into territory she wasn't ready to explore, but there was no malice in his voice. Just tired hope.
"One dinner," he said. "That's all."
Alexandra looked at him. Really looked. He was older now. His voice wavered more. His hands shook slightly when he moved.
"One dinner," she repeated slowly.
He nodded.
"I'll think about it."
That was the best she could offer. For now.
Leonard smiled, and it reached his eyes. "That's all I ask."
He stood, slower than he used to, and made his way to the hallway. "I'll turn in. Long day."
She rose too, watching him shuffle down the corridor toward his bedroom. When the door clicked shut, the house fell into stillness again.
Alone now, Alexandra wandered to the window. The garden was dark, illuminated only by faint lights hidden in the hedges. Somewhere out there, the stars were beginning to prick the sky.
She whispered to herself, barely audible, "Just once, huh…"
And for the first time in a long while, she wasn't sure whether she meant it as a promise or a warning.