Xingtetsu: You are not included in Elio's script!

Outside the space station, soft starlight streamed into the corridor through the viewing windows.

Lin Yu dragged his legs, which felt like they were filled with lead, and finally returned to the door of his room.

Today's adventure in the simulated universe, especially the final experience of guiding the consciousness of the three people to dive into that space and face the gaze of the observer, almost exhausted his mind and physical strength.

Now he just wanted to fall on the bed and completely empty his mind.

Abundance cannot heal the mind.

The door slid open silently, and warm light poured out.

I saw Lin Ruan curled up on the sofa in the living room, holding a thick picture book and reading it intently.

When she heard the door open, she immediately looked up, a smile on her face, "Dad!"

But when she saw the fatigue and paleness that was hard to conceal on Lin Yu's face, her smile was instantly replaced by worry.

She put down the picture book, jumped off the sofa barefoot, and ran to Lin Yu, "Dad, what's wrong with you? You look so bad. Did Sister Heita ask you to do some super difficult experiment again?"

Lin Yu felt warm in his heart, and he forced himself to cheer up, squeezed out a relaxed smile, and reached out to rub his daughter's hair.

"It's okay, just a little tired."

"Just some... strenuous tests. Just a break will do."

He didn't want his daughter to be involved in dangerous secrets that were beyond her understanding.

Lin Ruan blinked her big eyes, obviously not believing this statement.

But when she saw Lin Yu slumped on the sofa without even taking off his coat, her lips pouted slightly.

She knew that her father always reported good news but not bad news, and he took on the most difficult tasks himself.

"Hmph, this must be something dangerous again..." She muttered softly, but did not continue to ask.

Because she understood that if her father didn't want to talk, no matter how much she asked, it would be useless.

She rolled her eyes and a sly look appeared on her face.

She quietly walked around to the back of the sofa, looked at her father's profile with his eyes closed and brows slightly wrinkled, then stretched out her little hand and gently placed it on his shoulder.

Lin Yu felt a pair of slightly cool but soft hands pressing on his stiff shoulders and neck, with neither light nor heavy force, kneading with a clumsy but extremely serious attitude.

He was slightly startled, opened his eyes and wanted to look back.

"Don't move, Dad." Lin Ruan's voice came from behind, with a little pride.

"I see Mom is tired sometimes, so you help her massage like this. I've been secretly learning this for a long time! How is it? Do you feel better?"

His daughter's fingertips were full of youthful vitality. Although her technique was far from professional, her clumsy yet sincere heart was like the most effective soothing agent, gradually relaxing his tense muscles and nerves.

The careful pressure seemed not to be kneading sore muscles, but to gently smooth out the wrinkles in his heart caused by facing terror.

Lin Yu's heart was instantly enveloped by a huge warm current, which was warmer and more healing than any other power.

He closed his eyes again, relaxed his body, and let his daughter "show off her skills", a soft sigh of satisfaction escaping his throat.

"Well...our Ruan Ruan has grown up, so amazing."

Lin Ruan worked even harder after receiving the praise. Although her little hands felt a little sore after a while, she still persisted and kept muttering like a little adult.

"Dad, you should rest more and stop carrying everything on your own... Also, next time if Heita asks you to do such a tiring test, just... just pretend to have a stomachache!"

Lin Yu couldn't help laughing when she heard her daughter's innocent yet protective words.

At this moment, all the fatigue, tension and heaviness of facing the unknown were mostly dispelled by this simple warmth.

He reached out, accurately grasped his daughter's wrist, and gently pulled.

Lin Ruan took advantage of the situation and lay down from behind the sofa, resting his chin on Lin Yu's shoulder, tilting his head to look at him, "Dad, are you feeling better?"

"Much better." Lin Yu turned his head and looked at his daughter's face so close to him.

When Lin Ruan heard this, his eyes immediately lit up.

"Of course! I'm dad's little cotton-padded jacket!" she announced proudly, then remembered something and added with a wrinkled nose.

"But Dad, you have to keep your word. You can't work so hard in the future! Otherwise... otherwise I will tell Mom!" She brought up Ruan Mei, trying to make her words more powerful.

Lin Yu couldn't help laughing, and the last trace of heaviness in his heart disappeared.

He raised his other hand and gently scratched his daughter's nose. "Okay, Daddy promises you that I will try not to make myself so tired in the future."

"but.."

He changed the subject and asked, "Who did you learn this trick of telling tales to your mother from?"

"I'm not learning!" Lin Ruan blushed and stiffened her neck to defend herself, "This is... This is strategy! Do you understand strategy? Sister Heita said we should utilize all available resources!"

"Okay, okay, strategy, it's strategy. Our Ruan Ruan is now a grown-up girl who knows how to use strategy."

Lin Ruan felt a little embarrassed and said in a low voice, "That's how it is..."

After a while, she raised her head and her eyes returned to their previous seriousness.

"Dad, I know that the research you, Mom, and Sister Heita are doing is very important and may be dangerous."

"I may not be able to help much, but I don't want to be kept in the dark and wait foolishly. At least... let me know that you are safe."

These words made Lin Yu's smile fade slightly.

He stared into his daughter's clear yet determined eyes and realized that she was no longer the child who could fool people with a stomachache.

Her concerns are real and her demands are reasonable.

Lin Yu was silent for a moment, and finally nodded solemnly.

"I understand. From now on...if things are not so urgent, Dad will talk to you and put your mind at ease."

"But if it comes to real danger," he said in a serious tone, "you have to trust that Dad and Mom can handle it, and you have to learn to protect yourself, okay?"

Lin Ruan nodded vigorously, "Yes! I promise you! I will take good care of myself, and I will also...work hard to become stronger and not hold you back!"

"Silly child, you have never been a burden." Lin Yu patted her back gently, "You are our greatest motivation."

The two smiled at each other, and the air was filled with the warmth of understanding and trust.

At this moment, Lin Ruan's stomach growled, and the sound was particularly clear in the room.

Lin Ruan's face turned red instantly, she covered her stomach, and her eyes were wandering.

"Hmm...I feel a little hungry."

Lin Yu laughed, stood up and stretched his stiff shoulders.

"That's perfect. I'm hungry too. Let's go see what's in the kitchen. Daddy's going to show you some cooking skills. As a thank you for Ruan Ruan's strategic support and... massage service?"

"Really? That's great!" Lin Ruan immediately jumped for joy and took her father's arm.

"I want to eat the fried rice you made!"

...