Jiang Nuan waited a little longer in the storage room.
Only after confirming that the others had left and that no voices could be heard did she push open the door and step outside.
She did not approach the laboratory building again. Instead, she retraced her route through the surveillance blind spots and walked out through the metal door.
On the way back to the banquet hall, the conversation she had overheard among the three men kept echoing in her mind.
She was walking a little too quickly and nearly collided with someone coming around a flower bed.
“Stop.”
A security officer in Lighthouse Base uniform blocked her path. His gaze swept over her from head to toe, his expression less than friendly.
“Which department are you with? What are you doing in this area?”
Cold sweat still clung to Jiang Nuan’s back, but she had already composed her expression. “I was invited by Captain Lu to be his dance partner for the opening-dance rehearsal.”
The security officer frowned and muttered, “Captain Lu’s dance partner? I never heard anything about a girl this young…”
He reached for his terminal to verify her identity.
“I invited her.”
A gentle voice came from the side.
Lu Zhaoming appeared around the corner on the other side of the flower bed and approached at an unhurried pace.
The weariness he had shown in the laboratory building earlier had vanished without a trace. As he walked over, his expression was relaxed, as though he had merely been taking a stroll beneath one of the nearby trees.
The security officer froze, then immediately straightened. “Captain Lu!”
“Thank you for your hard work,” Lu Zhaoming said mildly. “There have been a lot of staff coming to the base these past two days because of the gala. Just keep up security. She’s my dance partner. She stepped out for some air during the rehearsal.”
The security officer’s back stiffened. The questioning attitude he had displayed moments ago disappeared instantly, and he nodded repeatedly. “Yes! I’m sorry, Captain Lu. I didn’t know…”
Lu Zhaoming waved a hand and no longer spared him another glance.
His gaze settled on Jiang Nuan’s face and lingered for a moment.
“Come on. Let’s return to the banquet hall.”
Jiang Nuan followed him. The two of them walked side by side through the courtyard corridor.
Winter sunlight streamed down from above. Lu Zhaoming’s shadow stretched a great deal farther than hers.
After a few steps, he turned his head and glanced at her. “You don’t look well.”
Jiang Nuan touched her cheek and gave him an obedient smile. “I’m a little nervous. It’s the opening dance, after all.”
Lu Zhaoming did not press her. He merely gave a quiet “Mm.”
His gaze returned to the path ahead, and his tone grew lighter. “The opening dance should be much easier to deal with than the anomalous energy you encountered on the ice lake.”
“You weren’t nervous then.” Lu Zhaoming tilted his head slightly. “Your response was very decisive.”
Jiang Nuan managed a weak smile. “That’s because my teammate was reliable.”
To be honest, Lu Zhaoming made her somewhat uneasy.
He had always maintained that same gentle demeanor, speaking as though his patience were limitless. The voice she had heard in the storage room just now had been the same.
If a few had to be sacrificed to save the many…
Like Lu Shiyan, he was right in a way that left no room for argument.
Yet things that could not be argued with inspired more than just conviction. They also inspired fear.
Lu Zhaoming smiled. “Speaking of the ice lake incident, you and your teammate did work together remarkably well. Your timing was so perfectly matched that you barely needed words to communicate.”
“We practiced,” Jiang Nuan said with a nod. “He’s always been reliable.”
After all, he was her team captain. When it came to combat, he had always been dependable and made people feel safe.
Jiang Nuan relaxed a little.
But in the next second, Lu Zhaoming added offhandedly, “Still, what interests me even more is you.”
Jiang Nuan stopped in her tracks.
Lu Zhaoming stopped as well.
The banquet hall lay just ahead. Brilliant light spilled through the doors, and the faint strains of a waltz from the rehearsal drifted outward.
Lu Zhaoming looked at her, his gaze still gentle. “Ability users whose powers manifest in silver are extremely rare.”
Jiang Nuan tightened her grip on the edge of her scarf.
“Jiang Nuan.” Lu Zhaoming called her name, his tone patient enough to be almost disarming. “What type of ability user are you?”
