Summary: Chen Yao arrives to live at the base…and a certain someone, let's say, is going to regret every decision in his life for daring to cross her.
Overprotective/Darker/Morally gray: Chen Family
Darker/Morally Gray Powerful: Chen Yao
Darker/Morally gray Powerful: Chessman
Chapter Four
Flashback: A Toddler's Nightmare
The halls of the Chen estate were dark, silent, and vast…too vast for a tiny toddler desperately seeking her favorite person in the world.
Her little feet were bare against the polished floors as she ran, her breath hitching in quiet sobs. The shadows seemed to shift and stretch around her, and every flicker of torchlight made her tiny heart race. She didn't understand what she had seen—green lightning, bright and terrifying, illuminating the darkness of her dreams. But she knew it wasn't just a dream.
She knew it was real.
"Qi-Qiang-gege…" her voice trembled as she called out, her small hands gripping the fabric of her sleepwear.
She needed him. She needed the only one who made the world feel safe. She sniffled and forced herself to keep moving, her tiny fingers trailing against the wall to guide her. She knew where he was, she always knew. Even when her grandfather called him cold, even when others feared his sharp, calculating gaze, she never did.
Because she knew that her Ge-Ge wasn't cold. Not to her. The moment she reached the heavy door of her eldest brother's room, she didn't hesitate. She stretched onto her tiptoes and banged her tiny fists against the wood, sniffling as she did so.
"Qi-Qiang-gege." Her breath hitched as the door was wrenched open.
Chen Qiang stood there, shirtless, his hair disheveled from sleep. His dark eyes, normally unreadable, immediately softened when he saw her, taking in her tear-streaked cheeks and trembling form. A breath of silence passed between them before he knelt down, his voice unusually gentle. "Yao-er?"
She didn't say anything. Instead, she launched herself at him, her small arms barely able to wrap around his waist as she clung to him with every ounce of her tiny strength. His body went rigid for a fraction of a second before something in him gave way.
Qiang exhaled through his nose, wrapping an arm around the small child who had barreled into him, his free hand smoothing over the top of her crimson-tinged hair. "What happened?" His voice was a quiet murmur, lacking its usual edge.
Her tiny fingers clutched at him, bunching the fabric of his sleep pants as she hiccuped. "I saw green lightning… but it—it wasn't lightning. It was bad."
A frown ghosted across Qiang's face. Green lightning? That wasn't something a child her age should even be able to recognize, let alone fear. His mind whirred with possibilities, but right now, logic and analysis weren't what she needed.
So, instead of questioning her, he simply lifted her up effortlessly into his arms, carrying her back inside his room. Yao curled into him immediately, her tiny fingers still clutching onto his skin as if he was the only thing anchoring her to reality. He sat down on the edge of his bed, rubbing slow circles on her back.
"Sleep, mei-mei," he murmured, his voice low. "I've got you."
She peeked up at him, her wide viridian emerald eyes searching his face as if making sure he meant it. After a beat, she nodded against his chest. "…Okay."
Minutes later, the steady rhythm of her breathing told him she had finally drifted off.
Qiang let out a slow breath, staring down at the child nestled against him. His fierce little sister, who feared nothing, except this. Something told him that whatever she had seen… it wouldn't be the last time it haunted her. And if it ever came for her again? He would make sure it regretted it. Because no one, no one, touched his mei-mei and lived to tell the tale.
~~~~~~
The ZGDX base was still shrouded in silence, the early morning hours draping the entire space in a peaceful stillness.
That peace, however, would not last.
By the time the first signs of movement stirred upstairs, Chen Yao was already there.
She had arrived before dawn, her presence seamlessly integrating itself into the base without a single alarm raised. Her room, the second largest bedroom downstairs, had already been claimed, reshaped entirely to suit her tastes. Gone was the sterile simplicity of the previous design. Now, the space bore her mark: thick silken drapes of deep crimson, dark wood bookshelves filled with both arcane tomes, potions books, spell books, healer tombs and e-sports strategy notebooks, a massive intricately carved cherrywood desk, and a plush reading chair nestled in the corner.
The air itself hummed with the weight of her magic, the wards layered and weaved into the very foundation of the walls, ensuring her absolute privacy.
Sprawled across the luxuriously charmed bedding were two enormous creatures.
Da Bing, the full-grown white Kneazle with streaks of gray along his ears, feet, and tail, lay elegantly stretched across the bed. He was enormous, a little bigger than the size of a clouded leopard, his piercing blue eyes watching the room like a king surveying his domain. His presence radiated regal authority, exuding the silent command that this space was now his as well.
Beside him, curled near the foot of the bed, was his younger brother.
Xiao Cong, a gray-striped Kneazle, nearly as large but slightly leaner, rested with an air of lazy amusement. Unlike his brother, Xiao Cong was more playful, his tail flicking absently as he dozed, only half-aware of his surroundings. However, despite his laid-back nature, his ears twitched, always aware of his mistress's movements.
At the foot of the bed stood two House Elves, their sharp, intelligent eyes gleaming in the dim light.
Dobby and Kreacher.
Both were here not just as Yao's attendants, but as her personal protectors, unwilling to leave her side even as she took residence in unfamiliar territory.
Everything was set.
Her sanctuary had been established, her place claimed.
Now, it was time for introductions.
~~~~~~
The base stirred to life slowly.
Above her, she could hear the first groggy movements of the players, the telltale sounds of feet dragging across the floor, doors opening, and muffled complaints about needing more sleep.
Yao smirked. This was going to be fun. Without bothering to speak up, she strode into the main living area, her usual confident swagger in place. At 5'3, she was the shortest person in the entire base, but her presence filled the room with an air of undeniable authority. Her viridian emerald green eyes were bright with amusement, her crimson-tinged hair twisted into its usual bun, a strict adherence to one of the few Pure-blood traditions she actually followed. No one was allowed to see her hair down unless they were her bonded or someone she trusted explicitly. No one was allowed to touch her hair. Just as no one was allowed to touch her without her explicit permission.
Beyond those customs? Everything else was fair game for her brand of chaos and mischief.
Behind her, Da Bing and Xiao Cong padded in silently, their sheer size immediately setting an intimidating presence.
It was Lao K who saw her first. Still half-asleep, he froze mid-yawn, his brain taking a moment to register the petite but powerful crimson-haired woman standing in the middle of their space, flanked by two massive, very much not normal-sized cats. "…You're early." he uttered with a hard swallow.
"I like to keep people on their toes." Yao smirked as she shrugged her shoulders and eyed the male.
Ming and Pang came stumbling in next, looking like zombies in need of caffeine.
Ming, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, stopped abruptly, blinking at the sight before him. He stared at Da Bing, who was lounging near Yao's feet with the air of an aristocratic warlord, and then at Xiao Cong, who was grooming his paw like this was all perfectly normal. "…I haven't had coffee yet, right?" he mumbled to Pang, who simply shook his head.
"Nope. This is real."
Then came Lao Mao.
Unlike the others, he was awake enough to process what he was looking at.
And the first words out of his mouth were: "What the actual hell?"
His gaze darted between Yao, the massive Kneazels, and the House Elves standing off to the side like silent sentinels.
"Good morning to you, too." Yao grinned, completely unbothered.
Before anyone could say anything else, Sicheng entered the room. Unlike the others, he didn't pause. His sharp whiskey-amber eyes swept across the scene, taking in the familiar presences of the House Elves, the massive Kneazels, and finally, Lady Chen Yao herself, all of it without missing a beat. "You move fast." he nodded to her as a slow, knowing smirk curled his lips.
"I don't like waiting." Yao shrugged, unbothered.
"They don't like people, do they?" inquired Sicheng as his gaze flickered toward Da Bing, who met his stare with an eerie, almost knowing intelligence.
"Nope. Not really." Yao grinned with mischief and chaos dancing in her eyes as her babies were the love of her lives and she spoiled their pampered feline asses.
"Uh… so… you're really living here now?" Pang cleared his throat, still trying to process the reality of this situation.
"That's right. Your new Healer and Data Analyst coach, at your service." Yao folded her arms, her smirk widening.
Da Bing flicked his tail. Xiao Cong yawned, baring sharp teeth.
"…We're never going to have a peaceful day again, are we?" muttered Ming as he ran a hand down his face, finally grasping the weight of this.
"Absolutely not." Yao beamed with pleasure as she was really going to like it here.
"We're so doomed." Lao Mao exhaled sharply as he eyed the felines as if they were going to eat him.
Sicheng, however, merely smirked with dark amusement glinting in his whiskey amber eyes, as he had a feeling this was just the beginning.
~~~~~~
A few hours had passed since the initial chaos of the morning, and the base had settled into its usual rhythm.
The others had scattered to their respective spaces—some retreating to their rooms, others seeking quiet moments of relaxation.
Sicheng remained in his office, drowning in paperwork.
The only ones present in the common area were Chen Yao, her familiars, and the ever-loyal House Elves, until Rui walked in, blissfully unaware of the disaster about to unfold.
~~~~~~
Xiao Rui had been in a fantastic mood. Despite the absolute hell that had been his meeting at HQ, he had finally escaped, and the idea of returning to the ZGDX base, where things were at least semi-manageable, was a relief. That relief, however, was short-lived.
Because the moment he stepped into the common area, his eyes landed on two of the largest and most majestic creatures he had ever seen. "Good Lord." he breathed, completely enchanted.
A massive, white-furred Kneazle, regal and larger than any feline he had ever seen, was currently lounging on the floor. The way the creature carried itself, with an almost superior indifference, made Rui immediately think of an ancient guardian spirit or some kind of noble beast from mythology. Right next to it was another slightly smaller but still intimidating Kneazle, striped gray fur sleek and powerful, its piercing blue eyes staring directly at him with open suspicion.
Rui had seen cats before. These were not cats. They were something else entirely. And he wanted to pet them. Without thinking, without listening, he crouched down and reached out toward Xiao Cong.
Xiao Cong's ears flattened. His pupils narrowed into sharp slits as his tail flicked once in clear agitation. A deep, rumbling warning growl built up in his chest.
Rui did not listen. Instead, he laughed nervously. "Aww, come on. Don't be like that. I just want to say hi....."
The growl deepened.
And than, Da Bing moved. The massive, clouded leopard-sized Kneazle, who had been silent until now, lifted his head, his blue eyes locking onto Rui with the cold weight of judgment. Then, in a single, fluid motion, he crouched, muscles tensing, shoulders coiling like a spring ready to release.
Rui didn't notice.
Xiao Cong did. The younger Kneazle immediately bared his teeth, his tail flicking with increasing agitation, but it was already too late. Da Bing leapt. From his position on the staircase leading upwards, the white Kneazle launched himself toward Rui like a silent, deadly hunter. Xiao Cong, sensing the inevitable storm of hell about to crash down, swiped out with his claws—
And just before both could reach their target… A pure gray wave of magic filled the air, stopping them both in their tracks.
~~~~~~
Chen Yao had felt it the moment Rui overstepped. Her Familiars were deeply connected to her magic, and the instant their emotions shifted into something hostile, she knew. The moment Da Bing launched, her entire aura darkened. The air turned icy, suffocating. And she moved. A flick of her wand, Da Bing was caught mid-air, frozen in place by an invisible force.
Another flick, a translucent shield flared to life, blocking Xiao Cong's swipe before it could make contact.
For a few seconds, the room was silent. Then, slowly, Yao lowered Da Bing back onto the ground, her hand tightening around her wand. Her viridian emerald green eyes were burning with rage. Not fiery, not explosive but something worse. Something ice-cold, measured, dangerous. And it was all directed at Rui. The clueless manager, still kneeling on the floor, looked up with wide eyes, only now realizing that he had made a massive mistake.
"Y-you stopped them just in time! I was almost—" he stammered, laughing weakly.
"Silence." Yao's voice was quiet but it cut through the air like a blade.
Rui immediately shut up.
Still calm, still collected, Yao turned her head slightly and said, "Dobby. Kreacher. Winky." Three sharp cracks echoed in the air as her House Elves appeared instantly. "Take Da Bing and Xiao Cong to my room. Now." The House Elves did not hesitate. With a deep bow and a snap of their fingers, the two massive Kneazels were gone, leaving behind only a tense silence and the feeling of unrelenting magic pressing into the atmosphere.
And then, Chen Yao turned her full focus back onto Rui.
The air crackled.
Yao could feel her magic writhing beneath her skin, a storm raging inside her as she gritted her teeth, fighting to hold it back. She wanted blood. Everything in her magic, everything in her soul, demanded retribution for the insult. No one touched the familiar of a witch or wizard. It was taboo in the magical world. It wasn't just an act of disrespect—it was a violation of trust, a declaration of war.
And Rui had dared.
Dared to ignore her familiars' warnings. Dared to reach for what was hers without permission.
If she had not caught Da Bing mid-air… if she had not shielded Xiao Cong's claws…She would have let them rip him apart. Her fingers twitched around her wand. She was seconds away from striking. The walls of the base trembled, a low hum of magic vibrating through them as her power threatened to lash out. And then, another force surged into the air. A magic as dark, as possessive, as cold as her own. And it was coming fast.
~~~~~~
Sicheng had felt it.
One moment, he had been in his office, sorting through contracts, half-distracted as he finished going over player schedules.
The next—
Magic.
Familiar. Powerful. Deadly.
His head snapped up instantly, his whiskey-amber eyes narrowing. The sheer weight of Yao's magic crashing through the base was enough to send a sharp pulse of warning through his very bones.
And Sicheng moved. He was out of his office in seconds, his long strides carrying him through the halls with purposeful, silent fury.
Someone had angered her. Someone had made her magic surge out of control. And he had taken her under his personal protection. He had promised her brother. So whoever had pushed her to this point? They were dead. By the time he reached the common room, the others had also arrived—drawn in by the suffocating presence of magic saturating the air.
Ming, Pang, Lao K, and Lao Mao all stopped in their tracks the second they stepped into the room.
The scene before them was tense.
Yao stood tall, but shaking, her viridian emerald eyes burning with rage so potent it was almost physical.
Rui to his credit had finally realized the gravity of his mistake. He stood there, frozen, pale as a ghost, eyes wide with the kind of terror only someone who knew they were seconds away from death could feel.
And just as she opened her mouth, just as she demanded to know what the hell Rui had been thinking, touching what was hers without permission—
Sicheng made his presence known.
~~~~~~
The temperature in the room plummeted. The moment Sicheng stepped in, the air grew heavy, suffocating, cold. His whiskey-amber eyes were unreadable, his expression a mask of calm, deadly control.
And yet—
Magic curled around him like a living entity, slow and deliberate, filled with silent rage.
No one dared to speak.
Not Ming. Not Pang. Not even Lao Mao, who usually had something sarcastic to say.
Because they knew.
They knew this version of Sicheng.
This was not their Captain. This was Chessman and Lu Scion, the man who had built ZGDX with an iron grip, the man whose presence alone could command an entire battlefield, the man who, if pushed, was capable of making someone disappear without a trace. And right now, his fury was locked onto Rui. His eyes flickered between Yao, whose hands were clenched so tightly around her wand it looked like she might snap it in half, and Rui, who was visibly shaking. Finally, in that quiet, terrifying voice of his, he spoke. "What happened?"
Rui flinched.
Yao's chest rose and fell, her breaths slow and measured as she tried…tried to pull herself back from the edge of violence. She didn't even look at Sicheng when she spoke. "I saved him." Her voice was low, icy, and controlled, but underneath it was the unmistakable promise of death.
Silence.
"Because he was seconds away from being slaughtered." spoke Yao as she turned her unblinking gaze toward Rui, her expression devoid of any warmth.
Sicheng's eyes darkened.
Ming sucked in a sharp breath.
Lao Mao let out a quiet, unfiltered curse.
Pang swallowed hard.
They all understood what Yao had not said outright. If she hadn't stopped her familiars. If she hadn't caught Da Bing mid-air. If she hadn't shielded Xiao Cong. Rui wouldn't be standing here anymore. And the worst part? She wouldn't have felt guilty about it.
"I-I d-didn't know—" Rui, still white as a sheet, managed to choke out a sound.
"Exactly. He tried to touch what was mine. Without permission." Yao's voice cut him off like a blade before she finally turned to Sicheng, her viridian emerald eyes locking onto his whiskey-amber ones.
The room dropped into silence again.
Sicheng's jaw tensed. His magic, previously only simmering, flared in response.
That single word.
Mine.
It was not a word thrown around carelessly in the magical world. It was a word of ownership. Of deep, personal ties. And the fact that Yao had used it? The fact that she had stated it with absolute certainty and fury? This was not something that could be ignored.
And Sicheng, who had already accepted her under his personal protection, who had already made it clear to everyone that she was under his watch. Would not allow this insult to go unanswered. His gaze shifted back to Rui. And for the first time since arriving, he allowed the full weight of his magic to press down on him. "Explain. Now."
The silence was suffocating.
Rui, still pale and trembling, tried to piece together words, tried to find something, anything, that could make this situation less deadly. He had never felt magic as powerful as what was pressing down on him now.
Chen Yao's magic was still simmering, dangerous, the air around her crackling like ice ready to shatter. And Cheng's magic? It was a quiet storm, cold and unrelenting, waiting for an answer. One that had better be the right one.
"I-I just thought—I mean, they looked so… so majestic. I wasn't trying to offend anyone! I was just—just trying to be friendly—" Rui licked his lips, forcing out words in a weak, nervous stammer.
"Enough." Sicheng's voice wasn't raised. It didn't need to be. The single word slammed into the room like a commandment, crushing any further excuses before they could even leave Rui's mouth. Whiskey-amber eyes burned into him, sharp and calculating, completely devoid of patience. "You knew," Sicheng stated coldly.
"Excuse me?" Rui froze with fear and swallowed hard.
Sicheng's gaze never wavered. "You knew," he repeated, his tone dipped in ice. "You knew Heiress Chen was bringing her familiars." Rui opened his mouth, then closed it. Sicheng took a step closer. "You may not be a Pureblood. You may not even be a Half-blood," he continued, his voice controlled, but sharp like a blade. "But you are not ignorant of magical law because you were born with magic." Rui swallowed hard. Sicheng's expression remained unreadable, but his next words were lethal. "And you knew," he said, slowly and deliberately, "that touching someone's familiar is one of the most sacred laws in China."
The weight of the truth crashed over Rui like a wave. His throat went dry. He had known. Of course, he had known. Everyone in the magical world did. The laws protecting familiars weren't just tradition, they were absolute. Familiars weren't just pets. They were extensions of their master's magic. Touching one without permission was an insult. Ignoring its warnings? A provocation.
And what Rui had done? He had ignored the warnings. He had reached out anyway. He had broken the law.
Chen Yao, still silent, merely watched him, her viridian emerald gaze a frozen storm.
Rui wanted to explain, to apologize. But under the combined weight of both Sicheng and Yao's magic, he could barely breathe. And the worst part? They weren't wrong. He had known. And he had still done it. His legs felt weak. He was in so much trouble.
Sicheng exhaled slowly, as if trying to rein in his temper. But when he spoke again. His voice was final. "You owe her an explanation." His whiskey-amber eyes burned into Rui's, unyielding. "And you'd better make it a good one."