At the entrance of the Qin family mansion, a low-key yet luxurious black Volkswagen Phaeton came to a gentle stop. The golden hues of the setting sun cast a warm glow over the car's sleek surface, illuminating the two graceful figures—one tall, one small—who had been waiting patiently by the gate.
"Daddy!"
Xiaoxiao's sweet, childish voice pierced the quiet. Like a joyful little fawn, she dashed toward Yang Chen, who had just stepped out of the car. Her tiny braids bounced behind her, and her pink sundress fluttered in the breeze.
"Slow down!" Yang Chen's heart clenched as he hurried forward, catching his daughter in a firm embrace. The faint milky scent of her skin, mingled with the warmth of the sun, brought a sudden moisture to his eyes. Xiaoxiao giggled, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, before twisting around to wave at her mother. "Mommy, hurry! The gorillas are waiting for us!"
Qin Xi smoothed her wind-tousled hair and feigned annoyance. "You little traitor, forgetting all about Mommy the second you see Daddy?" As she walked toward them in her high heels, she didn't notice the way Yang Chen's gaze lingered on the sway of her skirt.
At the zoo's glass exhibit, Xiaoxiao suddenly let go of her parents' hands and, with great seriousness, pressed their palms together. The moment their skin touched, Qin Xi shivered as if electrified—his hand was broad and rough with calluses, yet so warm it made her pulse race.
"I... I'll go get water," she stammered, pulling away, only to hear Xiaoxiao's disappointed murmur: "All the other mommies and daddies hold hands..."
Yang Chen's ears burned. The same hands that had never trembled in the face of gunfire were now damp with sweat. He stole a glance at his wife's flushed profile, suddenly reminded of that drunken night five years ago—how her cheeks had burned the same shade of pink, her eyes hazy with intoxication.
"Look! King Kong is eating a banana!" Xiaoxiao's excited cry shattered the tension. Behind the glass, a silverback gorilla was comically peeling a banana, sending the little girl into fits of laughter. Qin Xi seized the moment to raise her camera. Through the lens, she saw Yang Chen hoisting Xiaoxiao onto his shoulders, their silhouettes gilded by the setting sun. Her finger trembled slightly as she pressed the shutter—the scene was so perfect it ached.
On the highway at dusk, the Phaeton glided smoothly along. In the rearview mirror, an unmarked Jeep Wrangler maintained an unnervingly precise distance. Yang Chen narrowed his eyes and tapped the steering wheel three times—a battlefield signal for imminent danger.
**BANG!**
The Wrangler suddenly accelerated, swerving to T-bone them. At the last possible second, Yang Chen wrenched the wheel. Tires screeched against asphalt as the car fishtailed, sending a whirlwind of fallen plane leaves scattering across the road.
"Hold onto Xiaoxiao!" His voice was steel. From the backseat came Qin Xi's stifled gasp, but her arms around their daughter never wavered. Then, like a bolt of black lightning, a Ford Raptor roared past, slamming the Wrangler into the roadside greenery. In the cloud of dust, Ma Chao's cold, sharp features flashed for just an instant.
"There's been an accident behind us!" Qin Xi paled.
"Just a fender bender," Yang Chen replied, his eyes locked on the rearview mirror where figures grappled in the distance. As Ma Chao lifted the Wrangler's driver by the throat, Yang Chen eased his foot onto the accelerator. Some shadows were best kept far from the light.
Neon lights blazed outside the First Club. Yang Chen stood beneath the garish sign, his black trench coat billowing in the night wind. Ma Chao handed him a tablet, its screen showing Xiong Wei clinking glasses with a woman, bragging, "That bastard'll wish he was dead!"
"Clean it up." The words were ice.
Ten minutes later, the entire building plunged into darkness. Amid panicked screams, the VIP suite's door exploded inward. Before Xiong Wei could react, a steel liquor cabinet toppled onto his legs with a sickening crunch. Through the pain, a voice like the devil's own whispered, "Did you ever consider the cost of touching my family?"
Meanwhile, on the balcony of the Qin mansion, Qin Xi stroked her sleeping daughter's hair. In the distance, a strange red light flared in the night sky—then vanished just as quickly. She would never know that the man who'd vowed to protect them was, at that very moment, keeping his promise in the most brutal way possible.