Luo Yao was like a child lost in darkness for too long, finally finding someone to lean on.
Lin Ran looked at the young Luo Yao with aching heart, holding her tightly in his arms, feeling her tremble as guilt flooded his chest.
"Remember your words. If you dare lie to me in the future, I’ll burn you to ashes."
Luo Yao whispered against Lin Ran’s chest, her voice carrying a faint threat but laced far more heavily with dependence on him.
As her words faded, Lin Ran slowly began to vanish again. His hand clasped Luo Yao’s, and a slip of paper materialized in her palm.
On it was his promise to her—a testament transcending time, an invisible thread binding their hearts together.
"This is my vow to you. Keep it safe..."
Just as Lin Ran was about to disappear completely, Luo Yao suddenly asked in a rush,
"Do you love me?"
Lin Ran: "I do. Remember, one day... I will love you..."
"With all my life..."
When Lin Ran opened his eyes again, he was back at the manor.
The estate was serene, sunlight streaming through the windows and painting patches of gold across the floor.
"At least Luo Yao didn’t grow up carrying this loneliness and despair."
Lin Ran was grateful for the extra minute Little Black had granted him—it had been crucial.
Speaking of which, where was Little Black?
Just as Lin Ran was about to look for him, urgent knocking rattled the door.
"Young Master Lin, are you there?" Uncle Fu’s voice came through, tinged with anxiety.
"Come in," Lin Ran called, his voice still weak. Fresh from the time tunnel, his body and mind hadn’t fully recovered.
Still, it was a far better state than the last time he’d returned.
Uncle Fu hurried into the bedroom, and the moment he saw Lin Ran, he exhaled sharply in relief, the tension visibly draining from his face.
Luo Yao had called earlier, saying Lin Ran’s signal had vanished, and Uncle Fu had nearly panicked.
He knew how vital Lin Ran was to Luo Yao—and that if anything happened to him, the entire manor would descend into chaos.
The thought of Lin Ran suddenly disappearing terrified him; his very purpose was to protect Lin Ran and Luo Yao.
Meanwhile, Luo Yao, who was rushing back to the manor, noticed the signal on her phone flicker back to life.
Her heart, wound tight as a drawn bowstring, eased slightly, and she immediately dialed Lin Ran’s number.
"Yao Yao?" Lin Ran answered.
"Ah Ran, where are you?" Luo Yao’s voice trembled with the aftershocks of fear.
"I’m home."
A pause. Then, her voice returned, firm yet urgent: "Wait for me there. Don’t leave the manor—no, don’t even step outside the villa."
Her tone brooked no argument. All she wanted was Lin Ran’s safety.
"Alright."
Lin Ran agreed, knowing her worry. He had no intention of causing her more distress.
Hanging up, he stayed put, sitting on the edge of the bed as a storm of emotions churned inside him.
Useless. That’s what he was, always making Luo Yao worry. The least he could do was avoid being a burden.
"Ugh. Can’t this worthless guy at least rage for once?"
Silently, he vowed to grow stronger—to protect Luo Yao properly.
Outside the manor, a dozen figures lurked in the shadows near the flower beds.
Clad in gray, they blended into the surroundings like specters haunting the night.
"Boss, this place isn’t easy to breach. What’s the plan?" one whispered, unease flickering in his eyes.
"The guards at the gate are pros, and they’re armed," another added, well aware of the mission’s risks.
The leader, cold and composed, spoke softly.
"Wait. Once we get word from Master, we move."
His gaze was icy, brimming with confidence.
"But what if Master fails? Do we really obey that man?"
"Impossible. Master isn’t just our teacher—he’s that traitor’s teacher too. How could a disciple defeat his master?"
Just then, something round rolled toward them with a faint, ominous clatter.
The group tensed, muscles coiling like startled predators.
Their eyes locked onto the object—and their breath hitched.
"Your master... is no longer a factor."
Luo Yao’s voice cut through the night as she stepped from the darkness, flanked by a squad wielding "physical enlightenment tools."
Her frosty glare radiated a terrifying authority.
The men gaped at her and her entourage, shock and dread twisting their faces.
"Luo Yao! You heartless witch! You’d even kill your own mentor?" one spat, trying to rattle her.
"Spare me the theatrics."
Her reply was glacial, utterly unmoved.
"Remember—take them alive."
Her command sliced through the air, absolute.
As Luo Yao strode into the manor, her team swiftly subdued the intruders.
Under the persuasive threat of "BBQ diplomacy," resistance was futile. In a straight fight, they might’ve stood a chance, but against 7.62mm persuasion? No carbon-based life form stood a prayer.
Like lambs to slaughter, they were disarmed and restrained.
Wang Bao and Little Tong exchanged glances before barking orders:
"Search them for poison. Confiscate their weapons."
In moments, the men were stripped of their gear, reduced to helpless captives awaiting judgment.
Back in the villa, Luo Yao finally relaxed upon seeing Lin Ran.
But the moment her nerves unwound, a wave of dizziness crashed over her.
"Ah Ran, I—"
Before she could finish, her legs gave way, and she collapsed.
Lin Ran lunged forward, catching her. His pulse spiked as panic seized him.
Then he saw it—blood seeping through her clothes, staining the fabric crimson.
Who could’ve possibly hurt Luo Yao?
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
