Morning came quietly.
Too quietly.
Xiaoyu woke up before the alarm, her eyes opening to a room that felt unfamiliar despite spending the night in it. For a moment, she didn't move. She just stared at the ceiling, letting the memories from last night settle into place.
The alley.
The hands grabbing her.
The moment she realized she couldn't escape.
And then—
Him.
She exhaled slowly and sat up, pressing her fingers lightly against her temple. Her body still felt sore, a dull reminder of everything that had happened. But it wasn't the pain that bothered her.
It was the clarity.
She understood now. Running blindly wasn't going to solve anything. If she wanted control back, she needed answers.
Real ones.
Not the kind Lu Shen chose to give her.
Her gaze shifted toward the window, sunlight slipping through the curtains in soft lines. For the first time since everything began, she wasn't thinking about escaping.
She was thinking about digging deeper.
Downstairs, the house was already awake.
Xiaoyu stepped into the living area, her movements slower but steadier than before. She spotted Lu Shen near the dining table, reading something on his tablet as if nothing had changed.
Of course.
He never looked affected.
"Sit," he said without looking up.
She frowned slightly. "That wasn't a request, was it?"
"No."
She walked over anyway and took the seat across from him. A simple breakfast had already been prepared. She glanced at it briefly, then back at him.
"You always plan everything this far ahead?"
"Yes."
She let out a quiet breath. "That's not unsettling at all."
He didn't respond.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Xiaoyu leaned forward slightly, her expression more focused than before.
"I want to know about my father."
That got his attention.
Lu Shen looked up.
Not surprised.
Not confused.
Just… attentive.
"You already know what happened," he said.
"No," she replied calmly. "I know what people said happened."
There was a difference.
A big one.
"And you think I know more?" he asked.
"I think you know everything you're not telling me."
A pause followed.
Not long.
But enough.
"You're asking the wrong question," he said.
Her brows pulled together slightly. "Then what's the right one?"
He studied her for a second before answering.
"What did your father leave behind?"
The words felt deliberate.
Carefully chosen.
Xiaoyu blinked. "He didn't leave anything. After everything collapsed, there was nothing left."
"Are you sure?"
She hesitated.
For a brief moment, something flickered in her memory.
Old.
Faint.
Easy to ignore.
Until now.
"There was…" she started, then stopped.
Lu Shen didn't interrupt.
Didn't push.
He just waited.
"There was a box," she said slowly. "At our old house. After my father disappeared, my mother packed everything away. Most of it was thrown out, but that box…"
Her voice trailed off.
"I never opened it," she admitted.
"Why not?"
She looked down at her hands.
"Because my mother told me not to."
That was reason enough back then.
But now?
Now it felt like a mistake.
Lu Shen leaned back slightly, his gaze sharpening.
"Where is it now?"
"I don't know," she said honestly. "After we lost the house, everything was moved. Some things went into storage, some didn't."
"Think."
"I am."
Her tone wasn't defensive, but it carried a hint of frustration. She closed her eyes briefly, forcing herself to focus.
The house.
The day they left.
The chaos.
Boxes everywhere.
Her mother crying.
Everything falling apart.
Then—
A small detail surfaced.
"I remember a name," she said suddenly, opening her eyes. "A storage company. My mother mentioned it once."
Lu Shen didn't move, but his attention was fully on her now.
"What name?"
Xiaoyu frowned slightly, trying to recall it clearly.
"…Jinhai Storage."
The moment the words left her mouth, something shifted.
Subtle.
But real.
Lu Shen's expression didn't change much, but there was a pause.
A rare one.
"You're sure?" he asked.
"Yes."
He looked away for a second, as if connecting something internally.
"That place closed five years ago," he said.
Her heart sank slightly. "Then it's gone?"
"Not necessarily."
She leaned forward. "What does that mean?"
"It means," he said calmly, "if something was important enough, it wouldn't just disappear."
Hope flickered.
Small.
Fragile.
But there.
"You think it's still there?" she asked.
"I think someone made sure it didn't vanish."
Her chest tightened.
"Someone?" she repeated.
Lu Shen's gaze returned to her.
"You're not the only one connected to your father."
The words carried weight.
More than she expected.
"Then who?" she asked.
But he didn't answer.
Instead, he stood.
"That's what we're going to find out."
An hour later, they were in the car.
The city moved around them as usual, unaware of what they were heading toward. Xiaoyu sat quietly, her hands resting in her lap again, but this time they weren't trembling.
They were steady.
Focused.
"You're coming with me?" she asked after a while.
"Yes."
"I thought you'd send someone."
"I could," he said. "But this involves you."
She glanced at him briefly. "That's new."
"No," he replied. "This is necessary."
She didn't argue.
Not this time.
Because for once—
She agreed.
The car slowed as they entered an older part of the city.
Buildings worn down.
Shops half-closed.
Time felt slower here.
Heavier.
"Jinhai Storage used to be here," Lu Shen said, looking ahead.
Xiaoyu followed his gaze.
A large, abandoned building stood at the end of the street.
Faded sign.
Broken windows.
Locked gates.
It didn't look like a place that held answers.
It looked like a place that buried them.
The car stopped.
Neither of them moved immediately.
"This is it," she said quietly.
Lu Shen opened the door.
"Then let's see what your father tried to hide."
Xiaoyu stepped out, her eyes fixed on the building.
Her heartbeat picked up slightly.
Not from fear.
But anticipation.
Because for the first time—
They weren't running from the past.
They were walking straight into it.