You went on a blind date and presented an A-level wanted criminal as a meeting gift?

Grand Theater, backstage lounge.

Su Ke'er sat alone in front of the bright makeup mirror.

The girl in the mirror had exquisite makeup and wore a white dress that was as pure as snow, making her look like an ethereal fairy.

But those big eyes that should have been full of starlight were now covered with a layer of mist, and the eye sockets were red, like a wronged little rabbit.

She looked at herself in the mirror again and again, feeling more and more aggrieved.

A lump formed in her throat, and large tears welled up in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.

He promised to come.

He said he would sit in the audience and listen to her play her most important piece.

However, after she stepped off the stage, her eyes searched the entire audience, from the VIP seats in the first row to the corner of the last row, but she couldn't find that familiar figure.

All the applause and cheers seemed utterly meaningless at that moment.

It's like a child who gets a perfect score on a test and runs home excitedly, only to find the house empty. That immense sense of loss almost overwhelms her.

Just as she could no longer hold back her tears, at the very moment...

"Squeak—"

The door to the lounge was gently pushed open.

Su Ke'er suddenly stood up, and all her grievances and temper tantrums instantly found an outlet.

She turned around, about to question the intruder in the most furious tone.

However, all the words he had prepared got stuck in his throat the moment he saw who it was.

Lin Chen was standing at the door.

His expensive shirt was wrinkled and disheveled, with an unnatural, charred black patch on his left shoulder.

What made her heart clench even tighter was the overwhelming, pungent odor that hit her face.

That's not the scent of any particular perfume.

It was a mixture of gunpowder smoke and burnt smells, with a faint, sweet, and slightly metallic scent of blood mixed in.

Su Ke'er had smelled this scent on Su Qingge before.

That's the smell of the battlefield, left behind after a life-or-death struggle.

In an instant, Su Ke'er understood everything.

He didn't break his promise.

He was simply fighting against the most terrifying darkness once again in a place unseen by himself.

The resentment that had arisen from the broken promise crumbled instantly, transforming into a heartache and lingering fear as powerful as a landslide and a tsunami.

If something happens to him...

The moment the thought crossed her mind, it chilled her to the bone, and her very soul trembled.

"Wow--!"

Su Ke'er could no longer control herself. A suppressed sob escaped her throat, and tears streamed down her face like broken pearls.

She didn't say anything, she didn't ask anything.

She was like a fledgling returning to its nest, rushing headlong into Lin Chen's arms without a care in the world.

"Bang!"

Her petite body carried a tremendous impact, causing Lin Chen to take a half-step back.

The wound on his left shoulder was aggravated, sending a sharp, piercing pain through him, causing him to furrow his brow almost imperceptibly.

But he didn't push her away.

He simply extended his broad, warm palm and gently, again and again, stroked the girl's trembling back.

The delicate body in his arms trembled violently, as if she wanted to release all the fear and anxiety she had endured during this time through tears.

Lin Chen's comforting words did not calm her down; instead, they made her cry even harder, feel more aggrieved, and more upset.

The cries were filled with the fear of surviving a disaster and a deep heartache for his selfless act.

Lin Chen felt somewhat helpless and also a little heartbroken.

He knew that any words of comfort would be inadequate at this moment.

Just then, a thought struck him: he remembered the SSS-level reward he had just received.

[God-level vocal proficiency].

next second.

Lin Chen stopped talking.

He leaned close to Su Ke'er's earlobe, which had become pink and hot from crying, and slightly opened his mouth.

A deep, ethereal voice, seemingly emanating from the deepest part of heaven and possessing a soothing, magical quality, gently rose in the quiet lounge.

That is not any known song.

It was a melody without lyrics, composed purely of musical notes.

It was at that moment that Lin Chen spontaneously hummed a soothing melody for the girl in his arms.

With the blessing of [God-level Vocal Mastery], his voice has reached the ultimate perfection that humans can imagine.

Every syllable precisely hits the most comfortable and peaceful frequency for the human soul.

The voice seemed to have a physical form, transforming into the gentlest of hands, penetrating directly into her soul.

The heart-wrenching cries abruptly ceased.

Su Ke'er froze completely.

She could feel that the singing was like a warm, holy light, gently enveloping her heart, which was trembling with fear, and smoothing out all the wrinkles little by little.

The trembling in his body gradually subsided, and his breathing became steady and long.

She subconsciously raised her head, her delicate face streaked with tears, filled with an indescribable shock and confusion.

What...what is that sound?

Is this really a sound that a human can make?

Through her teary eyes, she looked at Lin Chen's sharply defined profile, so close to hers, watching his Adam's apple bob, and seeing the magical notes flowing from his lips.

In an instant, Su Ke'er was completely stunned.

On her pretty face, still wet with tears, lay a hint of almost obsessive infatuation.

She stopped struggling and crying. Like a docile kitten that had found its warmest harbor, she obediently pressed her face against Lin Chen's firm chest, closed her eyes, and greedily listened to this lullaby that belonged only to her and was the most beautiful in the world.

And it was right at the entrance to the lounge.

Su Qingge, Ye Qingcheng, and Jiang Tingxue, three women of unparalleled beauty, had gathered here at some unknown time.

They came looking for Su Ke'er out of concern, but they happened to witness this incredibly heartwarming yet incredibly moving scene inside the house.

Su Qingge looked at the man who was holding Su Ke'er in his arms and humming softly. The sharpness and coldness in his eyes that belonged to the criminal police captain had long since melted into tenderness and dependence.

She subconsciously raised her hand, as if she wanted to go in, but then stopped in mid-air and finally just leaned quietly against the door.

Jiang Tingxue leaned against the door frame, her usually cool and aloof eyes, which were always exploring the truth of all things in the world, were now filled with pure fascination and awe.

This man always manages to shatter her understanding of "human limits" time and time again.

Ye Qingcheng, who was always aloof and arrogant, was completely mesmerized by the sight.

Her heart, long frozen by the cutthroat world of business, felt an unprecedented warmth and peace the moment she heard that song.

Her fingertips curled slightly, and her eyes held a hint of envy that she herself was unaware of.

At this moment, there was not a trace of jealousy or rivalry in their hearts.

All they felt was a deep-seated, shared dependence and gratitude towards this man who, all by himself, had sheltered them from the storm.

His safety is more important than anything else.

As if sensing the gaze from outside the door, Lin Chen's singing slowly stopped.

He raised his head, his deep gaze piercing through the crack in the door, meeting the eyes of the three women in mid-air.

A gentle smile curved his lips, yet it also carried an undeniable hint of weariness.

That smile seemed to be telling them something.

it's all over.

rest assured.

Just as this warm atmosphere was about to reach its peak.

Buzz—Buzz—

A sudden, sharp tremor shattered the tranquility.

Lin Chen's phone started vibrating wildly in his pocket.

He patted Su Ke'er, who was almost asleep in his arms, reassuringly, and took out his phone.

Lin Chen glanced at the screen, and the gentleness and weariness on his lips vanished instantly.

Those eyes, which had just been brimming with tenderness, instantly turned as deep and cold as the sea!

The sudden burst of chilling killing intent even made Su Ke'er, who was half-asleep, shiver and instinctively shrink into his arms.

On the screen was a red emergency alert from the highest-encryption channel of the Criminal Investigation Department.

[Urgent Update: S-class criminal, "The Magician" Jack, successfully escaped from prison one hour ago!]

At the scene of the prison break, a tarot card with a specific symbol—"The Fool"—was found. On the back of the card, a hastily drawn portrait was depicted in blood.

[AI facial recognition analysis revealed a striking resemblance between the image and Lin Chen, a specially appointed consultant to our bureau!]

"The Magician" Jack.

The guy on Miracle Island whom he personally sent to prison.

It really is like a persistent ghost.