CHAPTER 151: CHAPTER 151; YOU ARE HERE?

Her school uniform swayed with each hurried step, pigtails bouncing, the strap of her satchel slipping from her shoulder as she broke into a run.

To her, the vast hall of glass and marble, the black-suited guards, the watchful men across continents, they didn’t exist.

"Daddy!"

Her voice rang clear, cutting through power and silence alike.

Jin Shuren’s chair scraped back before he even realized he had moved.

His arms opened, wide, unguarded, and uncalculated. And in the next breath, Yueqin collided into him, with all warmth and breathless giggles, her little arms circling his neck as if no empire of glass and steel stood between them.

He lifted her easily into his arms, holding her close. The crisp black of his suit swallowed her small frame, her cheek pressing against the fabric, leaving faint imprints of heat and life.

His hand lingered against the back of her head, steady, protective, as though she might vanish if he let go too soon.

Around them, the guards stood stone-faced, and the men behind the glass walls of power murmured, but their voices meant nothing.

"Daddy," she whispered again, softer this time, as if she, too, could sense the vastness she had just broken through.

He eased back into his chair, settling her on his lap. Her little shoes tapped against his polished leather, a stark, almost tender discord. One hand still curved around her back, as though anchoring her.

"Daddy," she whispered again, tugging at his collar, "is Mommy awake? Did she look for me?"

For a heartbeat, Jin Shuren’s breath stalled. His hand, which had signed away empires and ended lives without tremor, faltered slightly as it smoothed her hair.

The truth pressed against him, cruel and sharp. When Yueyao woke up, he hadn’t asked about her, and with her current condition, he was afraid that his little princess would be heartbroken.

His jaw tightened. Be it the numbers, amount of risks, and wars his empire’s council recited them like scripture, but to him, every word was drowned out by the fragile quiver in Yueqin’s voice.

"How was school? You haven’t even asked me how I have been today! My dear little princess, don’t you think I’m hurting! You forgot all about me..." He calmed down teasing her.

Yueqin pouted, her small lips pressing together, her brows knitting in mock seriousness.

"But Daddy," she countered, wriggling closer against him, "you are always strong. You don’t hurt."

Jin Shuren gave a low chuckle, the sound rumbling in his chest, though the ache she stirred in him was far from light. "Ah, but even the strongest men feel pain when their little girl forgets them." He tapped her nose gently, his gaze drinking in her innocence as though to steady himself.

Her giggle slipped out, high and bright, chasing the heaviness from the air. "I didn’t forget you, Daddy! I told Fang Lin I was going to sit on your lap today, no matter how scary your guards looked."

At that, his eyes flicked briefly toward Fang Lin, who just sat on the couch on the other side also waiting to hear if her friend was awake. Her Uncle has been super protective of her, and they haven’t managed to see her at close range.

His hand curved once more over Yueqin’s back, his thumb brushing soothing circles. "Then you have won, my little princess," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. "No one else dares to claim this throne but you."

Her laughter burst out again, light as bells, filling the glass-walled chamber where power usually reigned. Even the guards, stone-faced and unshakable, glanced once at the scene, as though reminded that their master bled like any man.

But then Yueqin tipped her face up to him once more and asked, so innocently, "Daddy, when can I see Mommy?" The weight of the pressure returned.

Jin Shuren’s smile faltered, just for a heartbeat, before he masked it with a gentleness so rare that it startled even him.

"She will wake up soon, and you will see her..." he said softly, when suddenly footsteps echoed from behind.

"Jin Shuren, who are you carrying? Who is that?" The rough, unmistakable voice made them turn around hastily. Standing there, barefoot and fragile yet sharp-eyed, was Yueyao.

"Mommy, mommy! You woke up!" Yueqin tumbled off Shuren’s lap, dashing across the polished marble until she nearly crashed into her mother’s legs.

Yueyao bent down, her balance unsteady, but still swept her daughter into her arms.

She staggered forward a few steps before sinking back down, right onto Shuren’s lap. The sight froze the room. The meeting hadn’t been dismissed, and through the glass walls, powerful men witnessed something none had ever imagined.

Since when did their cold, untouchable boss have a woman by his side much less one perched so naturally on his lap?

"Yueyao...." His voice was gentle and warm, he could see the possessiveness in her eyes.

"How come you are home from school so soon? Beck do early!" Yueyao asked, brushing a hand over her daughter’s hair checking her out.

"Hehe, we closed early today... It’s normal for all Fridays!" Yueqin giggled, simply overjoyed that her mother was awake.

"All right, go clean up, and change those uniforms," Yueyao murmured, kissing her cheek before letting the maids usher her away.

From the couch, Fang Lin rose, eyes flicking between her uncle and Yueyao. She was relieved her friend was well again, but why... why was she sitting on Jin Shuren’s lap as though they belonged to each other?

"Yueyao..." Fang Lin’s voice wavered, nervous and shocked.

"Lin Lin? You are here? Since when?" Yueyao brightened, sliding off Shuren’s lap and rushing to embrace her. The warmth in her face shocked everyone watching. They had no idea Yueyao had known Fang Lin since she was six so her memory won’t just fade away.

"Hehe... Didn’t I come here with you?" Fang Lin asked, bewildered. Something about Yueyao felt different; her mood, her tone, her very presence. It was as if she had stepped back in time.