When she pulled back, her forehead rested lightly against his chin, "Thank you… for being here," she whispered.
His arm around her tightened slightly. "I told you, I made a promise," he murmured, his lips brushing the top of her hair, "I wasn't going anywhere for a lifetime."
She closed her eyes, listening to his steady heartbeat under her cheek.
Slowly, her breathing deepened, her body relaxing fully against him, as if the tension and fear finally drained away in his warmth.
Zhi Hao remained still, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, one hand stroking her back lightly under the blanket.
Outside, a bird chirped in the distance as sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting faint patterns across the quiet room.
For that brief moment, nothing else mattered except the fragile peace between them.
— — — — — —
Lu Zi Zhen's Room, Late Morning
The clock on his bedside table read 11:03 AM when Lu Zi Zhen finally opened his eyes.
He lay there silently for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling as sunlight streamed into his minimalist room, illuminating the grey sheets and dark wood furniture.
He rarely slept in this late, but last night's operations briefing with his covert team had run past 4 AM.
With a quiet exhale, he pushed himself up, swinging his legs off the bed. His feet touched the cold marble floor, grounding him instantly.
He sat there for a moment, elbows resting on his knees, head bowed as he gathered his thoughts.
Finally, he stood, stripped off his black sleep shirt and sweatpants, and walked into the en suite bathroom.
He turned the shower on warm, stepping under the spray as steam curled around his lithe but toned form.
For a sixteen-year-old, his physique was striking.... broad shoulders balanced by a narrow waist, lean arms defined with visible lines of muscle from daily gym drills and weapons conditioning.
His abdomen was flat and firm, his skin smooth but lined with the faint outlines of disciplined core training.
He shampooed his hair quickly and rinsed off, efficient as always.
The water ran down his back in rivulets, highlighting the sleek, disciplined build of someone who trained daily under the mansion's strict regimens.
Stepping out, he towel-dried his hair briskly and wiped the fog off the mirror.
His reflection stared back at him with clear dark eyes under straight brows, his expression impassive yet carrying a quiet sharpness.
Water dripped from his hair down his neck onto his chest, soaking into the white towel knotted low around his hips covering the lower part of his body.
His phone buzzed on the bathroom counter. He picked it up without checking the caller ID, swiping to answer.
"Speak." His voice was cold and distant and still commanding.
"Third Young Master," a calm, clipped voice said on the other end, "Reporting on last night's operations follow-up. We cleared eight individuals who are from the underworld business association's arms distribution network and were connected to Professor Mo. Three are detained for intelligence extraction. Five… have been permanently removed. Their records, accounts, and familial traces have been erased as per your protocols."
"Any leaks?"
"None, sir. Their deletion was clean. The files are ready for your review."
"Send them to my secured inbox," Zi Zhen replied, evenly, his eyes narrowed slightly, the only flicker of emotion on his face, "I will handle final clearance this afternoon."
"Yes, sir."
He ended the call, set the phone down, and exhaled slowly.
The steam curled around him, blurring his reflection for a moment before fading away.
He looked at himself in the mirror once more admiring himself, just a sixteen-year-old, yet his eyes carried a maturity and silent darkness far beyond his age.