Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian looked up at her, then frowned slightly, "Are you talking about this cat?" He looked down at the kitten rubbing against his hand, "It's quite smart."

Zhang Lin smiled and said, "I think it knows how to comfort people better than you do. It can sense your current mood, which is warmer than any words."

Li Xiangqian gradually relaxed. He gently picked up the kitten and placed it in his arms, feeling its soft breath and warm body. The soft touch brought him a sense of peace without him realizing it. The kitten purred slightly in its throat, as if it was also sharing the peace with him at this moment.

"Lin," Li Xiangqian suddenly whispered, "I always feel that the things that have happened recently are not coincidences. There is something that I always feel is not right."

Zhang Lin turned to look at him, his eyes full of concern. "What's wrong?"

Li Xiangqian frowned slightly, but his eyes unconsciously fell on the kitten, and his eyes gradually became solemn. "You know, Xu Damao said something yesterday. I went to see him today, and he mentioned the land again. Obviously everything seems to be fine, but his tone seems to be warning me about something. In addition, during this period of time, I always can't help but wonder if there is something hidden on our land that I haven't noticed."

Zhang Lin listened quietly, without too much surprise in her eyes, but with a kind of rational calmness. She looked at Li Xiangqian, sighed softly, and raised the corners of her mouth slightly, "Are you a little too sensitive? This land does have its history, but life must go on after all. You can't just do nothing because of these claims, right?"

Li Xiangqian did not respond for a moment, but lowered his head and gently touched the kitten's back. The cat's fur was soft and warm, and this touch gradually calmed his anxiety. He felt a deep fatigue surge in his heart, as if this small home was the only safe haven he could rely on.

"Lin, you know what?" Li Xiangqian said in a low and slow voice. "I always thought that if I ignored these things, they would go away on their own. But now, I find that the more I avoid them, the closer they get."

Zhang Lin paused and was silent for a while, then said softly: "But if you are too anxious, it will affect your ability to make decisions. You need to stay calm and don't let fear determine your next move."

Li Xiangqian nodded. Although her words made him reflect, the uneasiness still remained. He was used to bearing all this alone, but Zhang Lin's words made him realize that he was not alone.

"You're right, Lin." Li Xiangqian said softly, "I can't let my anxiety control me. I have to calm down."

Zhang Lin smiled slightly, reached out to pick up the teapot on the coffee table, and poured him a cup of tea. "In that case, why not relax for a while and think about how to deal with these things tomorrow. Besides, you don't have much energy to think about these problems now, so take a rest first."

Li Xiangqian didn't say anything else, but took the teacup and took a sip. The tea was warm and refreshing, gradually taking away some of his irritability and anxiety. The wind was still blowing outside, and the world outside the window seemed so far away that it could be touched, but it was helpless.

He lowered his head and looked at the kitten in his arms, and suddenly an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart. The kitten nestled comfortably in his arms, breathing steadily, as if at this moment, it was his only comfort.

"Do you think we are too suspicious?" Li Xiangqian asked softly, looking at Zhang Lin.

Zhang Lin did not answer immediately. She just looked at him quietly with a complicated look in her eyes. She knew that the contradiction in Li Xiangqian's heart had been growing quietly for a long time, and even he himself had not noticed it. There are too many unknowns and uneasiness in life, and this courtyard, this land, and even the kitten in front of him cannot completely answer the confusion in his heart. Perhaps the real answer cannot be found in these external things at all.

"Maybe." Zhang Lin said softly, "But no matter what, we have to move on. I hope these confusions can end soon."

Li Xiangqian nodded silently, the uneasiness in his heart still lingered, but he knew that only in this quietness and company could he truly find the strength to move forward. And the kitten lying quietly in his arms seemed to be the symbol of this comfort, making him no longer feel so lonely.

Li Xiangqian looked down at the kitten in his arms, and gently stroked its soft fur with his fingertips. The house was quiet, and even the wind outside the window seemed to have become gentle. There was no Zhang Lin in the kitchen, and even the aroma of the food gradually dissipated, as if everything had slowed down. However, behind the seemingly invisible silence, Li Xiangqian suddenly felt uneasy - why hadn't his daughter Xiaoli come back yet?

He gently put the kitten back on the windowsill, watched it stretch lazily, and walked out of the house. The surroundings were still the familiar scene, the old locust tree in the yard was lush and leafy, the autumn sun shone through the leaves on the ground, and the mottled light and shadow seemed to be recalling something. Li Xiangqian didn't think much, so he quickened his pace, walked to the door of the room, and shouted into the room: "Xiao Li, where are you?"

There was no response from inside the house. Li Xiangqian's heart suddenly tightened and his steps quickened involuntarily. He pushed open another door next to him, and there was no one inside. Li Xiangqian didn't know what to do for a moment. His heartbeat began to speed up, and everything in front of him suddenly became blurry.

"Where did she go?" Li Xiangqian asked himself, his brows furrowed, anxiety gradually rising in his heart.

Zhang Lin came out of the kitchen with a bowl of freshly cooked noodles in her hand. "What's wrong? Are you looking for Xiaoli?" Her tone was calm, but Li Xiangqian could see the confusion in her eyes.

"Where did she go?" Li Xiangqian's voice was a little hurried, and he subconsciously looked at every corner of the house.

"She...ah?" Zhang Lin was obviously a little surprised. "She was playing in the yard, what happened?"

Li Xiangqian's heart suddenly sank, and a trace of uneasiness flashed in his eyes. Xiaoli has always been a sensible child, how could she disappear for no reason? She has never done this before, and she didn't tell him where she was going. Li Xiangqian subconsciously looked outside the yard, his eyes became a little anxious, "Didn't she tell you when she went out to play?"

"No..." Zhang Lin was a little stunned. Then she lowered her head with a thoughtful look in her eyes. "She seemed to have gone out to play, but I don't know where exactly she went."