Lian Ziho didn't move. Jun Wei's small hand stayed in his, warm and trusting, but the tension in Lian's shoulders had already hardened into something sharp and controlled, like a blade held just beneath the surface. Across the street, the two men had stopped walking entirely now, no longer even pretending to be part of the flow of pedestrians.
They stood still in a way that felt deliberate, watching rather than waiting, and that distinction made Lian Ziho's instincts tighten. Jun Wei tugged lightly at his sleeve. "Lian Gege… are they villains?" Lian Ziho forced a steady breath through his nose before answering. "Maybe." Jun Wei's eyes widened a little, but instead of fear, there was recognition. "But heroes don't panic." he whispered, repeating the rule like it was something carved into him.
Lian Ziho glanced down at him briefly, and despite everything, a faint, almost reluctant smile touched his lips. "That's right." Jun Wei puffed up slightly, proud of himself. "I'm brave." "I know you are." Lian Ziho said softly, but his attention never fully left the men across the road. Because something about them didn't sit right. They weren't advancing, weren't retreating, weren't even pretending anymore they were observing, calculating, waiting for something unseen to arrive.
They were the signal of it. Lian Ziho shifted subtly, placing his body between Jun Wei and the street without making it obvious. His voice lowered. "Listen carefully." Jun Wei looked up immediately, obedient and alert. "Yes?" "If I say run, you run straight to the school gate. Don't stop. Don't look back." Jun Wei frowned slightly, as if trying to process the seriousness behind the instruction. "But what about you?" Lian Ziho didn't hesitate. "I'll catch up."
Jun Wei studied him for a moment, then nodded with surprising seriousness. "Okay." A car engine rumbled nearby, breaking the stillness like a warning that had finally arrived. Lian Ziho's gaze snapped toward the sound instantly a black sedan parked half a block away that hadn't been there before. The door opened. Jun Wei followed his line of sight, eyes widening with curiosity. "Is that another villain?" Lian Ziho didn't answer, because the man stepping out didn't match the others at all. No dark coat, no uniformed professionalism, no obvious affiliation. Just a plain jacket and an unremarkable appearance but his movement was what gave him away.
The man stopped a few meters away, eyes moving in a measured sequence: first Lian Ziho, then Jun Wei, then back again, as if confirming something against an internal list. His voice was calm when he finally spoke. "You're not the one we expected." Lian Ziho's expression remained cold. "And yet here I am." Jun Wei leaned slightly forward, whispering far too loudly, "Lian Gege… he talks like a boss villain." The man blinked once, then something faintly amused crossed his face. "Children are very honest."
Lian Ziho stepped forward half a pace, protective without hesitation. "State your purpose." The man tilted his head slightly, almost conversational. "You already know." "No." Lian Ziho replied firmly. "I don't." The man's gaze dropped briefly to Jun Wei before returning to Lian Ziho. "Your brother has something that doesn't belong to him." Jun Wei immediately shook his head, voice rising with conviction. "Gege doesn't steal things!" Lian Ziho tightened his grip on Jun Wei's hand just enough to ground him. "It's okay." he murmured, without looking away from the man. But the stranger's expression sharpened subtly. "He opened something that should have remained closed."
Jun Wei, however, stepped forward before Lian Ziho could stop him. "Are you talking about the secret mission?" The man crouched slightly, bringing himself closer to Jun Wei's eye level, his tone softening just a fraction. "Yes." Jun Wei nodded as if that settled everything. "Then you should talk to Suo Ran Gege." Lian Ziho's hand tightened instantly. "Jun Wei." But the boy continued anyway, earnest and unaware of the weight of his words. "He knows everything about the mission."
The man's eyes flickered interest,calculation, something shifting behind his calm expression. "Oh?" Lian Ziho gently pulled Jun Wei back to his side. "That's enough." Jun Wei blinked, confused now. "Did I say something wrong?" Lian Ziho lowered his voice, steadying him. "No. You did fine." But internally, something had already changed. The man wasn't just observing them anymore he was evaluating them, measuring every reaction, every slip of information, every connection that could be exploited.
The stranger straightened slowly, his voice calm but heavier now. "You're protecting the wrong target." Lian Ziho's reply came immediately, quiet but firm. "I disagree." The man's gaze briefly drifted toward the school gate, where the normal rhythm of morning life was beginning to unfold children arriving, parents leaving, teachers greeting the day.
The man sighed softly, the sound almost lost beneath the distant noise of traffic and children gathering near the school gates. "This is inconvenient." he said, though his expression remained calm, composed in a way that felt practiced. Jun Wei leaned slightly toward Lian Ziho and whispered excitedly, "Does that mean we win?" Despite the tension coiled through his body, Lian Ziho almost smiled at the hopeful seriousness in the boy's voice. "Maybe." he answered quietly. But the man shook his head once. "No."
He stepped back slowly, measured and unhurried, his eyes never fully leaving them. "This round simply ends differently." Lian Ziho didn't relax not even slightly. Then the stranger said something that seemed to freeze the air itself. "We'll speak to Suo Ran soon." Jun Wei blinked immediately. "Why?" The man's gaze sharpened faintly. "Because he opened the scroll." Lian Ziho felt his pulse spike hard against his ribs. Jun Wei tilted his head, confused. "What scroll?"
The man smiled faintly then, calm and unreadable, and somehow that expression was more dangerous than anger. He stepped back another pace. "This round ends here," he said evenly. Jun Wei looked between them again, still trying to understand. "Does that mean the mission is over?" The man's eyes moved toward him thoughtfully this time. "You could say that." Lian Ziho's voice remained cold. "You came all this way just to talk?" A faint smile touched the man's face. "Not just talk."
His gaze flicked toward the school entrance again where more parents and children were arriving by the minute, the crowd thickening enough to limit what either side could do openly. He exhaled quietly. "This location is… inconvenient." Jun Wei whispered excitedly again, "So we win?" The man almost laughed at that, a soft sound edged with amusement. "No, little captain." He straightened his jacket calmly. "This is only the beginning."
Lian Ziho's jaw tightened at the words. "Then say what you came to say." The man studied him carefully for a moment before lowering his voice slightly. "Tell Suo Ran something for me." Lian Ziho didn't respond."Some doors shouldn't be opened." Jun Wei blinked immediately. "What doors?" But the man ignored the question entirely. His expression sharpened one last time. "And tell him… the scroll was never the real problem." Something cold settled deep in Lian Ziho's chest. "Then what is?" For the first time, the man's composure shifted not enough to call it emotion, but enough to feel deliberate. "You'll find out soon enough."
Then his phone vibrated once. He checked the message quickly, and when he looked up again, his eyes settled on Jun Wei once more linger this time."…Interesting." the man murmured under his breath. Lian Ziho noticed instantly. "What?" But the stranger was already turning away. Behind them, the two men stepped back as well, the pressure around them easing just enough to feel intentional.
Across the street, the sedan engine started. The man walked toward it without another word, disappearing into the flow of traffic moments later. Jun Wei tugged gently on Lian Ziho's sleeve. "Lian Gege…" "Yes?" Lian glanced down automatically. "Did we pass the level?" Lian Ziho looked toward the disappearing car, instincts screaming louder now than before.The man hadn't reacted to Lian Ziho himself. He hadn't reacted to seeing Jun Wei either. But earlier when Jun Wei had spoken that had been the moment something changed in his expression.
And Lian Ziho couldn't stop thinking about it. Why? He knelt slowly in front of Jun Wei, forcing his expression softer for the boy's sake. "For now." he said quietly. Jun Wei grinned proudly. "I knew it." But even as the boy smiled, Lian Ziho's thoughts were racing faster now, piecing together fragments that refused to settle into something reassuring. At that exact moment, far across the city inside the safehouse, the black card resting on the table pulsed violently. Once. Twice. Three times. Cai Lang's eyes narrowed immediately as he stared at it. "That's new." Suo Ran looked up sharply. "What?" Cai Lang pushed the card toward him slightly. "It's reacting to something." Suo Ran picked it up at once. The surface flickered faintly beneath his fingers, almost like a signal trying to break through. Cai Lang's voice lowered. "They found him, didn't they?"
Suo Ran didn't answer, because his phone vibrated at the exact same moment. Unknown number. One message. The boy shouldn't be near the scroll. Suo Ran's fingers tightened so suddenly around the phone that his knuckles whitened. A cold dread spread through his chest, heavy and immediate, because only one question mattered now. How did they know that? Meanwhile, Lian Ziho slowly folded the small paper in his hand, expression unreadable even though every instinct inside him was screaming. Jun Wei looked up curiously. "Lian Gege… what does it say?" Lian ziho slipped effortlessly back into calm. "Just trash." Jun Wei frowned at that explanation. "Villains send trash messages?" "Sometimes." Lian Ziho replied evenly.
Jun Wei accepted that answer surprisingly easily. "Then we should throw it away." Lian Ziho slipped the folded paper into his pocket instead. "Later." But he didn't move right away. His eyes scanned the street carefully once more, every shadow and reflection suddenly feeling important. Someone had placed the keychain there. Which meant someone had been close.
Jun Wei swung his backpack onto his shoulders with a dramatic little huff. "Are we going back to Teacher Liu's house?" "Yes." Lian Ziho answered automatically. Jun Wei brightened instantly. "Good! I want noodles again." Despite himself, Lian Ziho almost smiled. "You think about food a lot." Jun Wei nodded proudly, completely serious. "Heroes need energy."
Across the city, the safehouse sat in unnatural silence. Cai Lang leaned over the table, eyes fixed on the black card resting near the edge. It pulsed faintly beneath the dim light, rhythmic and steady, almost like a heartbeat that belonged to something alive. Across the room, Suo Ran stood near the window, staring down at the street below without really seeing it. Cai Lang watched him for a moment before speaking. "You're thinking too loudly."
Suo Ran let out a quiet breath, not turning immediately. "You can hear thoughts now?" "No," Cai Lang replied calmly, leaning back slightly in his chair. "But I can recognize the expression of someone about to do something reckless." That finally made Suo Ran glance over his shoulder. "And what reckless thing am I about to do?" Cai Lang didn't hesitate. "Leave." Silence settled instantly between them.
Suo Ran didn't deny it, and that alone was answer enough. Cai Lang sighed softly and rested an arm against the back of the chair. "You're worried about him." "Yes." The answer came too quickly to hide. "You trust Lian Ziho." Suo Ran's gaze shifted briefly back toward the street below. "I do." "Then sit down." Suo Ran didn't move. Cai Lang studied him for another second before exhaling again. "Hovering by the window won't protect Jun Wei." "I know." "Then why are you doing it?" Suo Ran's voice lowered, roughened slightly by exhaustion and worry. "Because I promised him I would."
Cai Lang didn't answer after that. Because both of them knew promises like that were impossible to guarantee. Back across the city, Jun Wei hummed happily beside Lian Ziho as they walked home, completely unaware of the weight hanging over everything around them. The sun had already begun sinking lower, stretching long shadows across the road and painting the streets gold and gray. "Lian Gege?" Jun Wei asked suddenly. "Yes?" "Can I ask a question?" Lian Ziho glanced at him briefly. "You just did." Jun Wei giggled immediately. "Okay. Another one."
Lian zysighed quietly, though there was no real annoyance in it. "Go ahead." Jun Wei thought carefully for a few steps. "Why do villains follow us but never attack?" Lian Ziho's pace slowed just slightly. The question landed harder than it should have. "That's a good question," he admitted quietly. Jun Wei brightened proudly. "I'm good at questions." A faint expression crossed Lian's face something softer, almost distracted. "Yes. You are."
Teacher Liu's house greeted them with stillness when they finally arrived. Evening air slipped cool against their skin as Lian unlocked the door. Jun Wei rushed inside first, dropping his bag near the entrance. "I'm home!" The empty house echoed faintly around his voice. He kicked off his shoes and immediately ran toward the couch. "Can I watch cartoons?" "After homework." Lian ziho answered automatically while closing the door behind them. Jun Wei groaned dramatically and collapsed against the cushions. "You're worse than Teacher Liu." Lian's mouth twitched faintly. "Good."
Jun Wei muttered something about cruelty but obediently pulled out his notebook anyway. Lian ziho started toward the kitchen then stopped instantly. Something felt wrong. His eyes lifted slowly toward the window above the sink. It was open. A cold draft slipped quietly into the room. He was certain he'd closed it earlier. Jun Wei noticed his stillness almost immediately. "Lian Gege?"
Lian ziho kept his voice calm, though every instinct in him sharpened instantly. "Stay where you are." Jun Wei blinked in confusion. "Why?" "Just stay." The seriousness in Lian's tone made the boy nod slowly. "Okay." Lian ziho moved carefully toward the window, steps silent against the floor. The kitchen looked untouched. Then Jun Wei suddenly spoke from behind him. "Someone was here." Lian turned immediately. "What?" Jun Wei pointed toward the table. "There wasn't candy there before."
Lian ziho's eyes followed the direction instantly. A small wrapped candy sat alone on the table. Bright red. Jun Wei leaned forward slightly, curious instead of afraid. "Can I eat it?" "No." The answer came instantly. Jun Wei blinked. "Why?" Lian's eyes stayed fixed on the candy. "Because we didn't put it there." Jun Wei stared at it for a second longer before his expression shifted slightly. "Oh." His voice lowered into a whisper. "Villains?" Lian ziho didn't answer, because something else had caught his attention beneath the candy a folded note. His chest tightened immediately.
Slowly, carefully, he stepped closer and picked it up. Jun Wei leaned over the couch eagerly. "What does it say?" Lian ziho unfolded the paper. Three words.' Wrong house.' Jun Wei whispered quietly, "Lian Gege…" "Yes?" "Are the villains lost?" Lian ziho stared at the note in silence.They weren't lost.
They were sending a message. And the meaning behind it settled heavily in his chest. Someone had entered this house while they were gone and left again without leaving a trace. Which meant they could reach Jun Wei anytime they wanted. Two streets away, inside a parked black car, the man from earlier watched the house through binoculars. One of the agents beside him finally spoke. "Why didn't we take the boy?"
The man lowered the binoculars slowly. "Because orders changed." The agent frowned. "Changed?" "Yes." "Why?" The man's gaze drifted back toward the house thoughtfully. "Because someone realized something." "What?" A faint smile touched the man's mouth. "That the boy might be more useful than the scroll." Back inside the house, Lian Ziho remained motionless for several long seconds, the note still held between his fingers. Wrong house. Jun Wei watched him carefully from the couch. "Lian Gege…?" Lian ziho folded the paper slowly. "Nothing important."
Jun Wei frowned immediately. "You always say that when it's important." Lian almost sighed. The kid noticed too much. "Finish your homework," he said instead. Jun Wei looked unconvinced but obeyed, dragging the notebook closer again. "Fine. But if villains come, you have to tell me." "Deal." But Lian ziho's eyes had already drifted back toward the kitchen window again. Someone had entered without struggle without noise. And instead of attacking, they had left a warning.
Meanwhile, back at the safehouse, Suo Ran had finally stopped pacing. Mostly because Cai Lang had physically moved in front of the door. "You're not leaving." Cai Lang said calmly. "I didn't say I was." "You didn't have to." Suo Ran crossed his arms tightly. "You think Lian Ziho can't handle himself?" Cai Lang held his gaze evenly. "I think you're about to walk straight into a trap." Suo Ran stayed silent.
Cai Lang watched him carefully before speaking again, quieter this time. "You promised Jun Wei you'd stay alive." That stopped him completely. Suo Ran looked away first. "…I know." Cai Lang's expression softened just slightly. "Then trust the people protecting him." After a long pause, Suo Ran finally sat down. But even then, his fingers remained wrapped tightly around the black card. It pulsed once beneath his grip. Then again. Cai Lang noticed immediately. "That thing reacts when something changes." "Yes." "Then something just changed."
Back at Teacher Liu's house, Jun Wei had completed exactly one page of homework and clearly considered that a major accomplishment. "Done!" Lian glanced at the notebook. "That's one page." "That's a lot." "You have three more." Jun Wei groaned loudly. "You're worse than the villains." Lian leaned against the wall nearby. "Villains don't assign homework."
Jun Wei sighed dramatically but kept writing while cartoons hummed softly in the background. Slowly, the house settled back into a fragile sense of normal. The television murmured quietly. The sky outside darkened. Everything almost felt ordinary again. Then Jun Wei suddenly stopped writing. "Lian Gege." "Yes?" "Did we close the door earlier?" Lian frowned immediately. "Of course." Jun Wei pointed toward the hallway. "But it's open now."
Lian ziho turned sharply. The hallway door had definitely been closed earlier. He was certain of it. Now it stood slightly open. Barely a crack. Jun Wei whispered excitedly, "Secret level?" Lian's voice dropped instantly. "Stay here." Jun Wei nodded with complete seriousness. "Okay." But curiosity still gleamed brightly in his eyes. Lian ziho moved slowly toward the hallway, each step careful and silent.
The house felt unnaturally still again. He reached the door and pushed it open carefully. There was nothing. Then his eyes caught something resting on the floor. A small black envelope. He crouched slowly and picked it up. Jun Wei called from the living room, "Is it treasure?" Lian ziho stared at the envelope. His name was written neatly across the front. 'Lian Ziho.' Jun Wei gasped loudly. "Oh! Someone knows your name!"
Lian ziho opened the envelope carefully. Inside was a single photograph. His breath stopped. Jun Wei rushed closer before he could stop him. "What is it?" Lian flipped the photo over too late. Jun Wei had already seen enough. A photograph of the safehouse, taken from across the street. And inside the frame Suo Ran standing at the window, watching the road below. Jun Wei blinked in recognition. "That's Gege." Lian's chest tightened hard. "Yes." Which meant Suo Ran had been under surveillance too. Longer than any of them realized.
Jun Wei tilted his head again. "Why do villains take pictures?" Lian ziho didn't answer, because his attention had shifted to the words written on the back of the photograph. Four simple words. 'We see everything.' Jun Wei tugged gently on his sleeve again. "Lian Gege?" "Yes?" "Are we losing the mission?" Lian ziho forced calm into his voice despite the cold dread spreading through him. "No." But internally, his thoughts were spiraling faster now.
And one terrifying realization that refused to leave him alone. If they had photographs of the safehouse, then they had been watching both sides for far longer than anyone understood. Somewhere else in the city, inside a quiet office lit only by dim overhead lights, the man from earlier placed another photograph carefully onto a table.
One of his agents stood nearby. "The boy is under observation." The man nodded once. "And Suo Ran?" "Still at the safehouse." A faint smile crossed the man's face. "Good." The agent hesitated. "Should we proceed?" The man leaned back slowly in his chair, eyes drifting toward the photograph of Jun Wei. "Not yet." "Why?" He tapped the edge of the photograph lightly with one finger. "Because the boy might open the door we need." The agent frowned. "What door?" The man's smile deepened ever so slightly. "The one his father tried to lock forever."