"Fairy sister all the best. You got this" cheered Huo Moshe bouncing on his feet.
He had woken up especially early today, dressed in his neatest little suit, hair carefully combed. Even the tie was straight -clearly a serious occasion. Huo Moshe didn't know whether his unreliable father would show up or not, but that didn't matter. He would be here. He wanted to make sure his fairy sister didn't feel alone and felt supported.
"We'll be right here to pick you up when you're done," Huo Shen said calmly. "Don't stress. Don't worry too much."
As he spoke, he handed her a transparent pencil case filled with stationery. "I checked the pencils," he added after a brief pause. "They're sharp."
Lu Mian smiled.
It was a small thing. Ordinary, even. But the warmth it brought settled deep in her chest.
It felt… good, being seen off.
He hadn't been home the past two days. She knew he would be busy and didn't give it much thought.
But, that morning, when she came down the steps, there he stood. With breakfast ready, a glass of milk poured and ready to take her to the exam.
For a moment, she had stood frozen on the steps, heart tightening before it softened all at once. It was as if a long, cold place inside her - one she hadn't even realized was still aching -had been quietly wrapped in warmth.
She wasn't used to this.
In her past life, no one had sent her off like this. No one had waited. She had always walked alone. Her achievements were taken for granted, efforts demanded but never acknowledged. Even when she succeeded, it was only ever expected.
Right then she knew, this would be the best exam she ever gave.
She couldn't know that Huo Shen had brutally driven himself and his team to get ready - so that he could have the time today to send her off.
But even if she didn't see the effort behind it, she noticed the gesture. Huo Shen always kept his promises.
"I got it uncle. Thank you Moshe. I will see you guys soon" Lu Mian waved and went in.
Just one final step. After this, she would be one step closer to the National Defense University
Jubilant, Lu Mian happly flew through the entire paper. It wasnt hard. In about an hour, she submitted her paper and walked back out - back to the people who were waiting for her.
"Done already?" Huo Shen asked, clearly surprised to see her back so soon. "Hmmm. It wasn't hard smiled Lu Mian.
So she's not just skilled in medicine. Thought Huo Shen with pride. Little girl, you sure do have a lot of secrets. And he was going to enjoy getting know her bit by bit.
An unconscious smile formed on his lips at the thought. "Well, it's still early for lunch. What would you like to do?" he asked her. "This is your first time in the Capital - I will be happy to show you around." He didn't know what little girls liked, but, he was hoping it wouldn;t be too hard.
Lu Mian was thrilled. Oh, she could go get them the jade pendants! Just as she opened her mouth to voice her thoughts, Huo Shen's phone buzzed. Insistently.
It was a message from Falcon. "It's set". They were ready to deploy the codes and reel in the mole.
It was time for him to leave. Again.
Huo Shen looked up, guilt flashing through his eyes. Would she hate him? Would she feel disappointed?
"I need to go. I…"
"Of course, Uncle Shen," Lu Mian said immediately, smiling. "Don't worry about us. I'll take Duoduo back." No tearful goodbyes like his mother gave him. Not even angry, disappointed looks.
Huo Shen felt something twist faintly in his chest.
Was he… disappointed? Did she not care if he was around? Conflicted and unable to place the feeling, he nodded and turned to leave.
Huo Moshe, however, was not as composed. "Bad Daddy," he muttered unhappily. "You always break promises."
Huo Shen's heart clenched. He turned back instinctively, about to explain, to apologize…
But Lu Mian knelt down first. She cupped Huo Moshe's small face gently, her voice soft and steady. "Duoduo," she said, smiling, "Daddy didn't break his promise. He's keeping one."
Huo Moshe blinked. "Huh?"
"Daddy is a soldier," Lu Mian explained patiently. "When soldiers leave, it's because they're protecting something important. When he promises to protect people… he has to go."
She brushed Moshe's hair back lightly. "That makes him very brave. And very reliable."
Huo Moshe thought about it hard, little brows furrowing. "…So Daddy's not bad?"
"No," Lu Mian said firmly. "He's very good. And, as his family, we need to do our best to support him." Huo Moshe sniffed, then nodded. "Okay."
Behind them, Huo Shen stood frozen. For the first time in a long while, he felt seen. His job was demanding and so critical. All his life, he had been judged for giving what he did to it. But not today.
She hadn't just soothed the child. She had understood him. And subconsciously, a bit of weight he carried, a little bit of the guilt that was almost a constant part of him, fell away.
He breathed a bit easier. She'd called them family. His lips turned up in a smile as he turned and left, this time with peace of mind.
Neither Duoduo nor Lu Mian noticed that he had listened to their conversation.
"Come on, I have a place to take you" she laughed and hand in hand, she walked with Duoduo to the Lin familiy's antique shop.
Old Lin, who recognised Lu Mian immediately, welcomed her warmly. "Welcome back miss. The jade pieces you picked out are still here. I knew you would come back for them" he smiled.
"Thank you, you are very kind" replied Lu Mian sincerely, knowing the shop keeper must've intentionally saved it for her. The Jade she saw was top quality - there was no way other patrons overlooked it.
"Not at all - Jade is fated after all" said the shopkeeper happily taking out the jade she'd been interested in. He had been a shopkeeper for ages and knew how to read people. This quiet girl didn't have money, but she had something that was far more important. Old Lin could tell that she had character. And he liked it.
"Does Duoduo like this?" asked Lu Mian, making sure to get his opinion. Though Huo Moshe was just 4, he was a particularly intelligent child and knew his mind.
However, this time, Huo Moshe was truly lost. He had never been exposed to antiques or Jades before.
Traditional families like the Huo families had very strict upbringing. The children at a very young age were exposed to such things very early. It was considered an essential part of their heritage and values.
However, Huo Moshe, strictly speaking, wasn't included in the ancestral book yet.
So he wasn't considered the heir and his upbringing wasn't as rigorous. He was quite confused by Lu Mian's question "I.. er.. I don't know fairy sister" he admitted quietly, embarrassed.
He lowered his head, feeling a familiar anxiety creeping in. His grandma got disappointed whenever he didn't know things. Would his sister be upset too?
But Lu Mian only smiled.
She squatted beside him and patiently explained, simplifying the art of jade appreciation into something a four-year-old could understand. Color like clear water, texture like skin, warmth when held. She answered his intelligent questions with delight rather than impatience.
Old Lin watched from the corner, fascinated.
This girl was truly well informed about jade, her knowledge rivalling even his - a veteran in the industry. And her patience with the kid was remarkable.
It would be great if she was in his family, he thought fleetingly. And then chuckled quietly at that thought. No way, his disappointing grandson didn't stand a chance with her.
Old Lin was content to watch the two of them who talked and laughed and immensely enjoyed their afternoon.
"Thank you shopkeeper Lin, we've taken so much of your time" Lu Mian said warmly when they finally came to the counter to pay.
"Nonsense" laughed Old Lin. "The pleasure was mine." It had been a long time since his shop had this much life and joy.
The Lin family had been the vassals to the Gu family and were once imperial merchants, their trade being paintings, jade and jewels.
They were renowned for their trade and had quite the fame in the capital - until one fateful night. Almost two decades back, they were framed, their loyalty questioned and their family fractured. Overnight, their business collapsed.
Now, Old Lin, who used to be the patriarch of the main branch, quietly managed this one shop - the flagship store he himself had set up.
The rest of the shops were taken up by the wolves in the family and it was being run to the ground. Unfortunately, his grandchild wasn't interested in reviving it. Having Lu Mian and Duoduo here today helped distract him from his heavy thoughts.
"Little girl" he said kindly. "We are quite fated. Please take a look around the shop to see if anything catches your fancy. I can hold it for you again" he smiled.
Lu Mian was touched. She felt the genuine good will from this old man and reciprocated. "You have a lovely shop" she sighed from the bottom of her heart.
The place was indeed full of treasures - the kind a seasoned connoisseur would appreciate.
Her eye however was caught by an obscure set of needles packed away in a corner. "The needles caught my eye" she confessed. "Can I trouble shopekeeper Lin to show it to me"
Old Lin's eyes lit up "The girl is interested in Chinese traditional medicine?" he asked delighted. "This is a rare treasure - it was passed down by renowned medical doctors, an imperial physician himself used it once." and carefully rolled it out.
Lu Mian's breath caught. Was this the Ninefold Celestial Meridian Needles? Legend had it that any acupuncture technique with this needle case was bound to succeed - because it automatically aligned the meridians.
Of course, a lot of it was also a myth. Lu Mian didn't believe in the mythical legends. But, since her rebirth, she had a new appreciation of the mystiques. The world was so vast, dismissing ideas because your brain can't fathom them was foolish to her.
She badly wanted to take a closer look.
"I can keep it for you again" offered Old Lin gently, reading her body language perfectly.
Lu Mian blushed. I need to earn more she thought ruefully.
"I will take that" came a voice from the door. Young master Tang, Tang Feng was back.