The afternoon sun poured through the tall lattice windows of the main hall at Huo Shen's residence. It highlighted the dust motes drifting lazily in the air, making them look like spun silk.
Lu Mian lay resting on the daybed, a thin blanket drawn over her shoulders. Her face was pale, yet peaceful. Soft music played from her phone, and when the song switched to one she liked, her lips curved unconsciously in quiet enjoyment.
She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so free.
She didn't have to stay on guard against the Lu family's endless schemes. She didn't have to plan three steps ahead, calculating every word and action.
For once, she could simply be - a regular high school student savoring the calm after a difficult exam.
Lu Mian didn't take this peace for granted.
She closed her eyes briefly, breathing it in. The quiet wrapped around her, more comforting than the blanket. It felt… good.
A short distance away, Huo Shen stood mesmerized at the scene before him. His arms folded loosely behind his back, he didn't know when he stopped moving.
The light touched her hair, turning the black into something softer, almost translucent at the edges.
With her here, the silence at the residence didn't feel forced or sterile.
It felt… peaceful.
The realization stirred something unfamiliar in his chest; an emotion he had no name for and didn't wish to examine further.
For a second, he wished this moment could remain untouched. Yet, reality called.
He pulled himself together and cleared his throat softly.
"Uncle Shen?" Lu Mian turned toward him, a smile blooming that reached her eyes. "Your home is lovely. I was just enjoying the sunshine."
Without replying, Huo Shen stepped forward and handed her the document in his hand.
"From now on," he said quietly, "this is your home too."
Lu Mian looked at the document and froze. There, right in her hands was the guardianship certificate.
Her fingers trembled slightly, betraying the magnitude of emotions she was feeling.
I am free she screamed in her mind.
There it was, written in unyielding black and white - it stated only Huo Shen could legally make decisions for her.
Not the Lu family. Not the Pei family.
To Lu Mian, it wasn't a piece of paper - it was her road to independence. From the time she had been reborn, this was what she was chasing. This was the freedom she didn't have in two lifetimes. And now, here it was.
A soft sound escaped her throat before she could stop it. She bowed her head, her shoulders trembling.
"Thank you Uncle Shen" she whispered hoarsely… "I promise - I won't betray your trust"
The words struck him harder than any bullet had.
Fury surged through him - fury at everything that had brought her to this point. The people who failed her, the families that had broken her down.
I will make them pay he snarled.
With the fury, Huo Shen also felt pain.
She shouldn't have to promise anything. She shouldn't have to tremble and say thank you for having a chance to live her life. How alone must she have felt to treasure a mere piece of paper!
Not anymore. She needed to know that his protection didn't come with conditions.
"Look at me" he told her gently.
Lu Mian slowly raised her tearfilled beautiful eyes at him.
"You never have to thank me for protecting you." he said, his voice steady and solemn. "And you never bow your head to anybody ever again."
He paused, letting his words settle in.
"As my ward, live your life to the fullest. Even if the sky falls, I will hold it up for you" he promised.
Lu Mian made a broken sound and suddenly stepped forward, burying herself against his chest.
She hadn't cried when she was betrayed in her last life. She hadn't cried when her own father turned against her.
But now, she couldn't stop.
Pressed against Huo Shen's solid, dependable chest, years of grievance spilled free. He wrapped an arm around her instinctively, holding her as her shoulders shook.
She was just a child. A child who needed a home.
The realization steadied his heart. He could be that for her.
He could be whatever she needed him to be - and right now, he was her Uncle Shen.
He gently patted her head, offering silent comfort. "It wasn't all me," he said after a moment, deliberately lightening his tone. "Researcher Mo helped."
Lu Mian looked up, eyes red, embarrassment flickering - but he didn't give her the chance to dwell on it.
"Researcher Mo used her clearance to push the vetting through and kept everything confidential," he continued calmly.
That had been their deal. Mo Jiali fast-tracked the guardianship and kept it off his father's radar. In return, Huo Shen would turn his attention inward - to Project Nexus, and the mole festering inside it.
"Don't rush to thank her," he added with faint amusement. "She wants you to join her project. You can think about how to refuse."
Lu Mian laughed softly, her heart full. She recognized the effort he was making to put her at ease- and her admiration for him deepened. What a wonderful person!
"I understand," she said, carefully tucking away the document that marked her freedom.
"I'll be busy for the next few days," Huo Shen said as he moved toward the door. "Rest well. The Science Olympiad has been postponed by two days. I'll come back to take you."
"I will wait for you" smiled Lu Mian. She reveled in the feeling of having someone care for her. Never in her life did she have someone drive her to an exam. Her mental age was a lot older. She really didn't need someone to send her off. But somehow, when she opened her mouth, the words of refusal just wouldn't come.
Just then, hurried rushing footsteps echoed from the entrance.
"Daddy". Huo Moshe's small figure burst into the hall, his school bag slung crookedly on his shoulder as he rushed to see his father.
He noticed Lu mian in the main hall, and skidded to a stop, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
For a long, solemn second, he stared. Then his face lit up. "Wow," he breathed. "You're real."
Lu Mian blinked.
Before she could speak, he marched straight up to her, hands clasped behind his back with exaggerated seriousness.
"Hello," he announced. "I'm Moshe. Are you a fairy?"
"…Moshe." called Huo Shen warningly.
"She must be," Moshe insisted, nodding to himself. "Dad never brings anyone home. And you're prettier than the people on TV."
Lu Mian laughed, enchanted by this sweet little boy. "Then I suppose that makes you the little guardian spirit of this house?"
Moshe's eyes sparkled. "I knew it!"
From the corner of his vision, Huo Shen watched them - the easy warmth, the way she didn't flinch, didn't tense. Something unfamiliar loosened in his chest.
"This is my son, Huo Moshe. Moshe, this is Lu Mian. She'll be living with us from now on" he introduced them.
They didn't look like they needed it - Huo Moshe had already dragged her off to play.
Huo Shen shot them a quick grin and his face eased into a slight smile. Now he knew why soldiers with families always did their best to come back - why they were the hardiest of all.
I would do anything to come back home - to this he realized. And moved with renewed energy.
Too many things had gone wrong lately. His mission had been compromised. A safehouse was breached, and he very nearly lost a team mate.
On top of that, today, he found that even Project Nexus - a top secret operation was infiltrated.
Black Lotus had grown far beyond anyone's anticipation. And they needed to counter it. Quickly.
Until now, Huo Shen as Aegis had always reacted - intercepting intelligence and dismantling cells. Now, they needed to be proactive. To set the trap and let Black Lotus walk into it willingly.
Project Nexus was the perfect entry point. That was why he had agreed to Mo Jiali's terms.
The guardianship had never been the true bargaining chip. They both knew that. With his resources, Huo Shen could have forced the issue if he wished
Mo Jiali needed to repay Lu mian, and weed out the mole in Project Nexus. Their interests aligned.
It was time to train his team - this would be perfect he smirked. Laughter drifted faintly from inside the residence - unguarded and real. It covered Huo Shen like armor making him feel invincible.
Han Zheyu, I hope you are ready for what's coming!