"Mom!" they cried in unison, voices high and trembling with emotion. "We missed you so much!" They collided with her legs, then scrambled upward, clinging to her neck with the desperation of children who had counted every second of her absence. Ling Li dropped to her knees, arms wrapping around them tightly, her breath catching in her throat. "My babies," she whispered, pressing kisses to their foreheads, their cheeks, their hair. "I missed you more than you’ll ever know." Kim Kim’s grip tightened, her little fingers digging into her coat. Chin Chin buried her face in Ling Li’s shoulder, sniffling softly. The reunion was not just joyful — it was a release, a flood of emotion that had been dammed for too long. Then came the sound of footsteps — measured, confident, familiar. Four Eyes approached, dressed in casual clothes that somehow made him look even more dashing. His shirt was slightly rumpled, his sleeves rolled up, and his eyes — those sharp, intelligent eyes — were locked on his wife with quiet intensity. He didn’t rush. He didn’t speak immediately. He simply walked forward and wrapped his arms around all three of them, enclosing the family in a cocoon of warmth. "It’s been hard on you," he said softly, his voice low and full of concern. "Are you hungry? Would you like to grab some food before we go home?" Ling Li looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with exhaustion and love. "I’ve already eaten on the plane," she said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Let’s go home." Four Eyes nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "Home it is." They stood together, the four of them — mother, father, twins — bathed in the soft glow of the terminal lights. Their silhouettes were striking, almost unreal. Passersby paused, drawn by something they couldn’t name. Phones were raised discreetly. Pictures were taken. Whispers floated through the air. "Are they celebrities?" "They look like a royal family..." Ling Li didn’t notice. Or perhaps she did, but chose not to care. Her focus was on the warmth of her children’s hands, the steady presence of her husband, and the quiet promise of rest. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝘯𝘦𝘵 But beneath the surface — beneath the smiles and the soft laughter — there was tension. Ling Li could feel it in the air. A subtle pressure. A whisper of something watching. She glanced once over her shoulder, toward the distant shadows of the terminal. Solaris was stirring. And Shanghai would not stay quiet for long. The car glided through Shanghai’s midnight streets like a phantom — its sleek body absorbing the city’s neon reflections, its interior wrapped in quiet luxury. Inside, the warmth of reunion still lingered. Still, the air had shifted — charged now with playful tension and the unmistakable scent of mischief. Ling Li sat with her daughters nestled against her, their small bodies pressed close, their energy still buzzing from the airport reunion. She brushed a strand of hair from Chin Chin’s forehead and looked down at both girls, her voice gentle but edged with curiosity. "I heard you two made a lot of trouble at your dad’s office," she said, her tone light — but her eyes sharp, the kind that saw through illusions and half-truths. Kim Kim’s mouth parted slightly, her expression caught between innocence and alarm. Chin Chin blinked rapidly, her grip tightening around her mother’s arm. It was the look of two guilty souls who hadn’t expected their secret to surface so soon. But they were trained in the art of denial. "Mom, we never did!" Kim Kim blurted, her voice high and defensive. In a flash, she wriggled out of Ling Li’s embrace. She launched herself onto her father’s lap, grabbing his collar with practiced desperation. Four Eyes raised a brow, amused but silent. Kim Kim stared into his eyes, blinking pitifully, her thoughts flowing directly into his mind like a whispered plea. Dad, you won’t let Mom send us to the mountains, right? Four Eyes didn’t answer. Not aloud. Not mentally. He simply smirked, letting the silence stretch, curious to see what further tactics his daughters would deploy. His fingers rested lightly on Kim Kim’s back, steady and warm, but his eyes sparkled with mischief. Chin Chin, still curled in Ling Li’s arms, took a different approach — one of logic and charm. "Mom, we were honestly behaved in the office," she said earnestly, her voice steady. "Even the office itself likes us! You can ask Uncle Jack!" Ling Li tilted her head, unconvinced but entertained. Kim Kim scoffed. "There’s no use asking Uncle Jack! He can’t even comprehend our abilities and looks dumb." From the front passenger seat, Jack stiffened. His fingers twitched on his tablet. ’Do they think my ears are only for decoration?’ Four Eyes reached up and flicked Kim Kim’s forehead with a gentle tap. "You can’t speak like that about Uncle Jack or anyone else," he said, his voice calm but firm. Kim Kim rubbed her forehead, pouting. "Oh, I was only speaking the truth!" Ling Li turned to her daughter, her expression soft but serious. "Kim Kim, not all truth needs to be spoken loudly. If you think it might make someone feel awkward or misunderstood, it’s better to keep it to yourself. Words, once spoken, are like spilled water. No matter how much you apologize, you can never gather them back." Her voice was patient and melodic, yet carried the weight of wisdom earned over centuries. Both twins nodded solemnly, their eyes wide and unblinking, absorbing the lesson as if it were sacred scripture. Four Eyes chuckled quietly, wrapping an arm around Kim Kim and pulling her close. "You two are lucky your mother’s a sage and not a storm." Kim Kim grinned, her earlier guilt melting into affection. "She’s both," she whispered. Chin Chin giggled, nuzzling into Ling Li’s shoulder. "But she’s our storm." Ling Li narrowed her eyes, though the corners of her lips twitched with amusement. She wasn’t fooled — not by the praise, not by the yawn, and certainly not by the synchronized innocence of her twin daughters. "Now," she said, her voice calm but unmistakably firm, "back to my question. Tell me what happened at your father’s office."