Chapter 13

The text message burned into Lin Mian’s mind like branding iron. *”A sparrow can never truly escape a cage. See you soon.”*

In his previous life, Lin Mian had been too blinded by his own hedonistic lifestyle to see the puppet strings controlling his family’s demise. But floating as a ghost, he had eventually learned the truth.

The man behind that text was **Shao Ting**, a ruthless international tycoon based in Hong Kong. Shao Ting wasn’t just a business rival; he was a sadistic predator who viewed the Lin family as an amusement park to be dismantled piece by piece. In the original timeline, Shao Ting had used Lin Mian’s debts and scandals to blackmail Master Lin, eventually driving the family to absolute ruin.

Lin Mian’s hands trembled slightly. The sheer psychological terror of facing the architect of his past nightmare made his breath hitch.

Suddenly, a heavy, warm wool coat was draped over his shoulders, blocking out the chill of the lobby. Lu Chen stepped into his line of sight, his massive frame effectively shielding Lin Mian from the lingering eyes of the committee members and journalists.

“Xiao Mian, look at me,” Lu Chen commanded gently, his voice a low, grounding rumble. He took Lin Mian’s phone, glanced at the encrypted number, and memorized it in a split second before slipping the device into his own pocket.

He then took Lin Mian’s freezing hands into his large, warm palms, rubbing them to bring the color back. “He is thousands of miles away in Hong Kong. He cannot touch you here. Not while I am breathing.”

Lin Mian looked up into Lu Chen’s fierce, unwavering eyes. The absolute certainty in the older man’s gaze acted like an anchor to his drifting, terrified soul. He took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded. “I know. I’m just… I’m not afraid for myself, Lu Chen. I’m afraid of what he’ll do to my family.”

“Then let him try,” Lu Chen whispered, his jaw clenching with a lethal intensity. “The Lu Corporation has been expanding its maritime logistics into Hong Kong this past year. I have enough leverage to tie Shao Ting’s hands before he even sets foot in Shanghai.”

Before they could speak further, Master Lin and Lin Heng walked out of the auditorium, surrounded by a flurry of congratulatory handshakes from city officials. When Master Lin spotted Lu Chen standing so close to his youngest son, his stern face softened into a beaming smile.

“Ah, Lu Chen! You missed it!” Master Lin roared with laughter, clapping Lu Chen on the shoulder. “Our Xiao Mian absolutely humiliated Guangshi Real Estate! The boy is a genius! We are throwing a massive celebration banquet at the estate tonight. You must come!”

Lu Chen smoothly transitioned his protective stance into a polite, respectful nod. “Of course, Uncle Lin. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ll drive Xiao Mian back home to rest first.”

Lin Heng gave Lin Mian a knowing, affectionate wink. “Take him home, Lu Chen. He worked through the night to draft that fake proposal. The kid needs to sleep.”

The ride back to the Lin estate was quiet, but it was a comfortable, heavy silence. Lin Mian leaned his head against the cool glass window of the Maybach, his eyes growing heavy as the adrenaline from the corporate showdown finally faded.

He felt a gentle tug on his hand. Lu Chen pulled him closer, guiding Lin Mian’s head away from the window and letting it rest securely against his own broad shoulder.

“Sleep, Xiao Mian,” Lu Chen murmured, his hand gently stroking Lin Mian’s soft hair. “I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

Wrapped in Lu Chen’s familiar, soothing scent of sandalwood and rain, Lin Mian let his guard down. For the first time in weeks, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, completely safe from the ghosts of his past.

When he woke up, the sun was already setting, casting an amber, golden glow across the car interior. The Maybach was parked quietly in the driveway of the Lin estate, the engine turned off. Lin Mian blinked, realizing he was still resting against Lu Chen’s shoulder-and Lu Chen hadn’t moved an inch, remaining perfectly still just to avoid waking him.

“You’re awake,” Lu Chen said softly, his voice slightly raspy from the long silence. He offered a small, tender smile, his fingers lingering on Lin Mian’s cheek.

Lin Mian sat up, feeling a warm blush creep up his neck. “How long have we been parked here?”

“About an hour,” Lu Chen replied casually, as if staying frozen for sixty minutes in an expensive car was completely normal.

“Lu Chen! Why didn’t you wake me up? Your shoulder must be numb!” Lin Mian cried out, immediately reaching over to massage Lu Chen’s right shoulder with a look of pure panic and guilt.

Lu Chen let out a low, deeply amused chuckle, capturing Lin Mian’s frantic hands in his own. He pulled the younger boy slightly forward, their faces now inches apart in the dimming light of the car cabin.

“Xiao Mian, I would let you lean on me for a lifetime, and I wouldn’t complain about numbness,” Lu Chen said, his dark eyes burning with an intensity that made Lin Mian’s heart stop. “A text message from a stranger shouldn’t make you look so fragile. Tell me… who is he to you?”

Lin Mian’s throat went dry. He couldn’t tell Lu Chen the truth-that Shao Ting was a monster from an alternate timeline where Lin Mian died on the asphalt.

“He’s… a dangerous man I met at a high-end gathering in Hong Kong last year,” Lin Mian lied softly, his eyes dropping to look at Lu Chen’s lips. “He wants to destroy the Lin Group because of an old grudge against my father. He used to text me to try and manipulate me into stealing family secrets. I always ignored him before, but now… now that I’m actually working in the company, I think he’s getting impatient.”

It was a plausible cover story, blending the truth of the past life with the reality of the present.

Lu Chen’s gaze darkened, his thumb tracing Lin Mian’s lower lip, his touch sending a jolt of electricity straight down Lin Mian’s spine.

“Then he made a fatal mistake by targeting you,” Lu Chen whispered, his voice dropping into a dangerous, possessive growl. He leaned in closer, his breath fanning across Lin Mian’s face. “Because you belong to me now, Lin Mian. From the moment you opened your eyes and cried in your father’s arms, I decided I would never let anyone else have a say in your life. Do you understand?”

Lin Mian’s breath hitched, his heart hammering violently against his ribs. The confession was heavy, almost intoxicatingly possessive, but to a soul that had died alone in the cold, it was the ultimate form of salvation.

Slowly, boldly, Lin Mian closed the remaining distance, pressing his lips softly against Lu Chen’s.

To be continue