章節標題：穿越重生的自由之旅

第一章：斷絕退路的啟程

謝晴蔚坐在車，心澎湃。這趟前往機場的旅程，對來說既是解，也是抉擇的開始。無數次地在心中模擬這一刻，每一個細節，以確保萬無一失。

rear-view mirror to glance at the sleeping baby nestled against her chest. With a deep breath, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Just picking up the child had been a near disaster; she feared the嬰兒 would awaken and cry at any moment. Lucky for her, the little one seemed content to remain in her arms, or perhaps just to be close to her mother.

As the car passed through the lights at a stop, she swiftly changed into her attire—a plain nightgown covering a stylish dress and shoes neatly tucked away inside. She navigated the security checkpoint with the baby cradled in one arm and the suitcase in the other, her legs wobbly from the effort by the time she sat down in the waiting area.

The moment the plane took off, she and her daughter would be free. She gazed down at the peaceful infant, chubby and rosy, sleeping soundly, her lips occasionally twitching as if in a contented smile. A middle-aged woman beside her struck up a conversation, peering over to examine the child.

“How old is she?” the woman asked.

“Two months,”謝晴蔚 replied.

“Oh, what are you heading for?” the woman inquired.

“To join my husband in the United States,”謝晴蔚 answered casually. “He’s there on business and couldn't come here.”

“Oh, being a mother is such a hard thing,” the woman lamented.謝晴蔚 chatted with her briefly, and to her relief, the flight was on time. She boarded the plane without any hitches that she had feared might occur before takeoff.

She watched the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, her heart finally at ease. The baby stirred and she quickly fed her, using the prepared bottle and water from the stewardess to make a bottle. She changed the diapers with practiced hands, just as she had watched the maid do at the NIE family's house, preparing herself in case of an emergency.

The child was very cooperative, settling into her arms after a feeding and diaper change, her dark eyes watching her intently.謝晴蔚 stroked her little face, soft and delicate, and kissed her cheek. “I've named you,” she whispered to her daughter, “Thaddeus Xiaoxing, but you can call her Fenfen, where Fen is for 'abundant' and Fenfen is after 'abundance' of stars.”

The name was a little awkward, but it was a gem she had found in a set of classical Chinese poems, with “xia” meaning bright.謝晴蔚 held her tiny daughter, from day into night, as the stewards informed her that she could place the child on the seat beside her if she so desired, given that she had purchased a ticket for the baby.

The first-class seat converted into a bed was spacious enough for the tiny infant.謝晴蔚 shook her head. “No, she prefers being held.”

“The best mother,” the stewardess said with a smile.

As night fell, the baby stirred again.謝晴蔚 pointed to the stars in the sky. “Fenfen, look at the stars. You are the brightest among all the stars.”

She pressed her face to the baby's as she spoke, not concerning herself with the panic in Wu Jie's eyes, nor the innocent confusion of Zhang Jie, who knew nothing of the situation. And there was that young woman, who lost her husband and child, now heartbroken and desperate.

None of this mattered to her. She was not a saint, nor a bodhisattva, and she did not need to shine upon others like a divine light. All she cared about was her daughter being with her, and her life being in her own hands.