Not far ahead, a small roasted-chestnut shop was squeezed between two stalls.
The wooden signboard read “Song’s Chestnuts,” with the words “A Century-Old Establishment” carved in smaller lettering beside it.
This was the shop Zhang Qiang had mentioned.
Jiang Nuan checked the time. There were nearly three hours left before the mission, so she simply joined the end of the line.
Chen Ping’an dutifully maintained a three-meter safety distance. He stood beside the stall across from her, pretending to look at the sugar paintings.
The sugar-painting vendor had already begun eyeing him warily. After all, Chen Ping’an had been staring at the stall for almost five minutes without buying anything or leaving.
A faint plea for help came through the mental link.
【This guy’s looking at me more and more like I’m a thief.】
The people in line chattered among themselves.
“I suppose the seal at the Lighthouse has finally stabilized for good, right? Nothing’s happened for so many days.”
“Exactly. People were cursing them so viciously before. Now that I think about it, I feel kind of guilty…”
“I’m telling you, I never cursed at them. I always believed in Captain Lu!”
The crowd suddenly grew restless.
“Isn’t that Captain Lu!?”
Jiang Nuan turned toward the commotion.
Lu Zhaoming was walking over from the other end of the pedestrian street. He wore a gray overcoat and nodded with a smile at the passersby who greeted him.
Sunlight fell across his shoulders, turning everything around him into a mere backdrop.
The marketplace was bustling with noise, yet he stood there as if all the clamor had been shut out.
Chen Ping’an had completely forgotten about the sugar paintings. He stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded.
【Oh my God, oh my God! The legendary Lu Zhaoming!】
Jiang Nuan sighed inwardly.
As expected of Lu Shiyan’s father. Even in the middle of a crowded market, he had the bearing of someone standing atop a mountain peak—exactly like his son.
Lu Zhaoming’s gaze swept across the crowd and stopped when it reached her.
Then he smiled.
“Miss Jiang Nuan, you’re here too.”
“Captain Lu, just call me Jiang Nuan.” The formality of the address made her feel a little awkward. “Are you here to buy chestnuts too?”
“I had some business to take care of nearby.” Lu Zhaoming naturally joined the line behind Jiang Nuan. “Since we’re here, I thought I’d take Shiyan out for a walk. He’s been insisting on having roasted chestnuts.”
Shiyan?
Jiang Nuan’s heart gave a sudden leap.
A boy peeked out from behind Lu Zhaoming.
Jiang Nuan froze.
It was a miniature version of Lu Shiyan.
Though his face was still round and childlike, the sharp lines of his adult features were already beginning to show. His brows and eyes looked as though they had been carved from the same mold as Lu Zhaoming’s, and his brown eyes were so quiet that he hardly seemed like a child his age.
He looked no older than seven or eight, but he was already quite tall.
Standing beside Lu Zhaoming, he looked up at Jiang Nuan and, as instructed by his father, politely called, “Hello, big sister.”
Jiang Nuan stared at him for two seconds.
Young Lu Shiyan had called her big sister.
…Even if he was only eight years old.
Her mind flashed to the adult Lu Shiyan’s cold, restrained face. Then she looked down at the obedient little boy gazing up at her and calling her “big sister.”
Shen Wu’s voice drifted through the mental link.
【Would you like me to record your current heart rate?】
Jiang Nuan replied,【Shut up.】
She shoved all those chaotic thoughts into the deepest corner of her mind, then crouched down and smiled at the boy.
“Hello there. Do you like roasted chestnuts too?”
Young Lu Shiyan glanced at her and shook his head.
?
If he didn’t like them, why had he come all the way here to buy them? The line alone would take at least half an hour.
He answered very seriously, “A friend of mine likes them. I’m buying some to take back to my friend.”
Lu Zhaoming smiled as he explained to Jiang Nuan, “This child said several days ago that he wanted to come here and buy chestnuts. I kept wondering when he had developed a taste for them. Now I know—they’re for a friend.”
He lowered his gaze to his son, looking somewhat amused and helpless.
“And he insists on buying them from this shop. No other store will do.”
Jiang Nuan ruffled young Lu Shiyan’s hair. It was soft, and he obediently let her touch it without pulling away.
Young Lu Shiyan was so adorable. How had he grown up to become such a miserable man?
“Your friend must be very happy,” Jiang Nuan said, drawing her hand back and smoothing down a lock of hair she had messed up. “You’ve waited in line this long just to buy them for your friend.”
Young Lu Shiyan nodded and hummed in agreement before adding, “Because I heard these are the best.”
“Captain! I finally found you!”
A familiar voice came from nearby.
Lin Zhou jogged over from the arched bridge leading to the island in the middle of the lake. His curly hair had been tousled by the wind, and he hurriedly stuffed something into his bulging coat pocket.
When he reached them, he casually adjusted his coat collar.
“There are so many people around here. It took me forever to find you.”
Then he spotted Jiang Nuan and immediately brightened.
“Jiang Nuan, you’re here too! What a coincidence.” Grinning brightly, he came over without the slightest trace of formality. “About that drink we talked about last time—surely we can make it happen today?”
“I have other plans today. Definitely next time.” Jiang Nuan found an excuse to turn him down.
She looked at the curly-haired man, who was always smiling.
“Why are all of you here today? What are the odds?”
How had they all ended up at the Ice Lake? It was far too coincidental.
Lin Zhou scratched the back of his head.
“The weather’s nice. I brought little Shiyan out for a walk. He’d been cooped up at the base for several days.”
“Captain Lu said he was here on business?” Jiang Nuan shifted her gaze from Lin Zhou to Lu Zhaoming.
Lu Zhaoming smiled gently. “It’s taken care of. We decided to look around while we were here.”
Jiang Nuan did not press him further.
But the thought still turned over in her mind for a moment. Shen Wu’s intelligence had confirmed that the coordinates of the Cleaners’ weapons depot were scheduled to be handed over at the Ice Lake today. The Lighthouse team also happened to be here today.
Was it a coincidence?
She glanced at Lu Zhaoming, who was crouching down to tie young Lu Shiyan’s scarf.
The Ice Lake was the most popular place in District A during winter, and this chestnut shop was a century-old establishment. Bringing a child here for a stroll was perfectly normal.
Besides, who would bring a six-year-old to the site of a weapons handover?
She was probably overthinking it.
Lin Zhou leaned close to Lu Zhaoming’s ear and whispered something.
Lu Zhaoming’s brows drew together slightly. His gaze passed over the crowd and turned toward the arched bridge leading to the island.
After looking away, he lowered his head and thought for two seconds.
When he turned back to Jiang Nuan, his expression had returned to its usual gentle smile.
“Jiang Nuan, I’m sorry, but something’s come up that I need to handle.” There was a hint of apology in his voice. “Could I trouble you to look after Shiyan for a while? I’ll be back in about twenty minutes.”
Jiang Nuan checked the time.
There were still more than two hours before the mission window—plenty of time.
“No problem.” Her gaze fell on young Lu Shiyan, who stood quietly to one side. “Leave him with me.”
Lu Zhaoming bent down and spoke to his son in a low voice. Young Lu Shiyan looked up at his father, then obediently nodded.
“Then I’ll leave him in your care.” Lu Zhaoming straightened and nodded at Jiang Nuan.
Lin Zhou had already turned away. After taking two steps, he suddenly spun back around.
“Oh, right, Jiang Nuan! The Lighthouse base is holding a celebration party in a few days. I’ll send you an invitation ahead of time. You have to come!”
“Sure. I’ll see what my schedule looks like.” Jiang Nuan smiled as she agreed.
“It’s a promise! Don’t stand me up!” Lin Zhou walked backward with a grin. “You can bring a few more people too. We’ll have drinks together!”
Jiang Nuan’s thoughts stirred.
They were just missing a plausible reason to get into the Lighthouse Base.
The material used for the barrel of the outlining pen came from snake-pattern trees. They had searched everywhere in Area A where they could, but found nothing unusual.
The only place they had yet to investigate was the handful of those trees planted inside the Lighthouse Squad’s base.
And now, the opportunity had presented itself.
Lu Zhaoming and Lin Zhou’s figures soon melted into the flow of people at the market.
The line for roasted chestnuts had moved forward a few steps.
Young Lu Shiyan stood quietly beside her and shuffled forward two steps.
He neither fussed nor made a sound, so quiet that he hardly seemed like a six- or seven-year-old boy.
Jiang Nuan lowered her head to look at him and tried to start a conversation. “What do you usually like to play?”
Young Lu Shiyan thought for a moment. “Read.”
“What kind of books do you read?”
“All kinds.”
…All right. Conversation over.
A few meters away, Chen Ping’an had been standing in front of the sugar-painting stall for far too long.
The sugar-painting craftsman finally couldn’t help asking, “Young man, are you buying one or not?”
Chen Ping’an finally recovered from the shock of seeing Lu Zhaoming. “Ah… Yes, yes. I’ll have a… dragon?”
As Chen Ping’an nibbled at the sugar figurine he had just bought, he sighed through the mental link:
【Your captain was pretty cute as a kid.】
Shen Wu replied blandly, 【You can say that to his face, too.】
【…I think I’ll pass.】
Jiang Nuan looked at the little boy beside her.
This young Lu Shiyan was far too adorable. No matter how precocious he was, he was still only six or seven years old.
She refused to believe she couldn’t coax a childish expression out of him. Opening her right hand, she gently channeled a thread of her supernatural ability.
Silvery-white light gathered at her fingertips, slowly condensing and taking shape.
A little rabbit.
Only as large as her thumb, the silvery-white rabbit lay in her palm, its entire body glowing with a soft radiance.
It perked up its ears, then kicked off with its hind legs and bounced once in her hand.
Young Lu Shiyan’s gaze shifted toward it.
His eyes clearly lit up, and he stared at the little rabbit without blinking.
A smile spread across Jiang Nuan’s eyes. As expected, he was still just a child.
The silvery-white rabbit hopped around in her palm a few times, then leaped into the air and landed lightly in young Lu Shiyan’s outstretched hand.
The rabbit tilted its head and looked at him. Then it kicked off with its hind legs and jumped back into Jiang Nuan’s palm.
Young Lu Shiyan shifted his gaze from the rabbit, raised his head, and said, “Big sister, you’re a lot like my friend.”
Jiang Nuan paused for a moment as she withdrew her ability. The silvery-white rabbit shattered into a shower of starlight in her palm.
“You mean… the friend who was buying chestnuts?”
Young Lu Shiyan nodded.
Now Jiang Nuan was interested. Smiling, she crouched down so that she was at eye level with him. “What’s similar? Your appearance?”
“My friend… is in the laboratory at the base.” Young Lu Shiyan shook his head, then hesitated. “She always wears a mask, so I’ve never seen what she looks like.”
The smile faded somewhat from Jiang Nuan’s face.
That did not sound like the sort of friendship a child should have.
“Then what’s similar?” she asked.
Young Lu Shiyan’s gaze fell on the starlight that had scattered in Jiang Nuan’s palm and had not yet completely faded.
“Your supernatural ability. My friend’s ability is the same color.” There was even a hint of pride in his voice. “My friend once used her ability to make a galaxy.”
A galaxy?
Jiang Nuan thought for a moment, then opened her palm again.
This time, instead of condensing her ability into a solid form, she let it disperse.
Silvery-white points of light spilled from her palm, slowly rising and spreading above it, flowing quietly.
It was simple.
It really did look like a tiny galaxy.
“Is this what you mean?”
Young Lu Shiyan suddenly became fully animated. His eyes fixed on the galaxy in her palm, and he nodded emphatically. “Yes! It’s exactly the same!”
“Those few days after my mother died, I couldn’t eat.” Young Lu Shiyan lowered his eyes. “My friend came to see me and made this for me.”
His long eyelashes fluttered several times.
“It was beautiful. After watching it for a while… I was able to eat.”
Jiang Nuan’s nose stung. She deliberately let the galaxy continue flowing for a little longer before slowly drawing it back into her palm.
She moved forward with young Lu Shiyan as the line shuffled ahead a few more steps. “That friend must be very important to you.”
Young Lu Shiyan nodded once, then again. As if that still wasn’t enough, he added a quiet, “Mm.”
Lu Shiyan had actually had a friend in the laboratory—someone who wore a mask and possessed a silver-colored supernatural ability—during his childhood.
Jiang Nuan wondered whether that person was still alive in the original timeline.
Suddenly, she really wanted to know the friend’s name. “What’s your friend called?”
“She doesn’t have a name.” Young Lu Shiyan tilted his head. “But everyone in the laboratory calls her Number Zero, so I call her Zero.”
