Floating life reflects two lotuses

Chu Wanlian's fingertips tapped lightly on the table. The laboratory was dimly lit and coldly bright. On the screen was the data she had just decrypted from the database. The chaotic data was like a fog, but the term "core area" appeared frequently, making it impossible for her to ignore.

Li Chenyao's voice came from behind, as steady as ever: "Are you sure you want to go there?"

Chu Wanlian turned her head, her expression resolute: "I need to know the true purpose of the laboratory. The information on the core area is vague, but it's clear that it's the key to the rune experiments. I must go."

Li Chenyao frowned slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "You know, the core area isn't a place you can just enter casually. It's not just a matter of access; every corner there is fraught with risk."

Chu Wanlian paused for a moment, then said softly, "Li Chenyao, if I back down, I may never find the answer I'm looking for. About the runes, about... us."

Li Chenyao's expression became subtle. He gazed at her, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately sighed, "Okay, I'll go with you..."

The two walked slowly down the main corridor of the laboratory, their footsteps echoing in the quiet environment. Every few meters there was a surveillance camera, and the electronic door ahead flashed a red warning light.

Li Chenyao skillfully operated the control panel, and a few seconds later, the electronic door slowly opened. Chu Wanlian held her breath, her gaze fixed on the inside—it was a long, dark corridor, the light at the end of which seemed to belong to another world.

"Have you been here before?" Chu Wanlian asked in a low voice.

“No one can enter the core area at will,” Li Chenyao said calmly. “Apart from the founding team of the laboratory, everyone else can only access information from the periphery.”

Chu Wanlian seemed to be deep in thought as she followed him into the core area. The walls on both sides were inlaid with glowing patterns in the shape of runes, the intricate lines seeming to come alive, slowly flowing with a faint light.

“These runes…” Chu Wanlian’s gaze was drawn to them. She stopped and reached out to touch the wall. “They look a lot like the runes I’ve seen before.”

Li Chenyao didn't respond; his gaze was fixed on the door at the end of the corridor. He took two steps, then turned back to look at Chu Wanlian: "Don't get distracted, keep up."

After passing through several security doors, Chu Wanlian and Li Chenyao stood in a huge laboratory. In the center of the room was a complex rune array that occupied almost the entire floor. The lines of the runes crisscrossed like blood vessels, flowing with blue and white light and emitting a strange energy.

"This is..." Chu Wanlian held her breath, her voice filled with shock.

“Runic array.” Li Chenyao’s voice was deep and calm. “The core project of the laboratory seems to revolve around it.”

Chu Wanlian slowly walked towards the edge of the array. The complex symbols gave her a sense of déjà vu. She crouched down, her fingers touching a line. Instantly, a faint energy surged into her fingertips. The feeling was like the power of runes she had experienced in another world.

“These are not ordinary energy devices,” Chu Wanlian said softly. “These runes… are more like channels to the soul.”

Li Chenyao walked to her side, his tone wary: "You mean, they're related to soul binding?"

Chu Wanlian nodded, her gaze complex: "Their arrangement is very similar to the runes in the Spirit Offering Secret Ground. These symbols seem to be trying to stabilize the flow of souls, which means... the laboratory may be researching how to allow souls to transcend time and space, or even permanently bind them."

Upon hearing this, Li Chenyao's expression became even more solemn. He looked towards the center of the formation, where the light was the most dazzling, as if some kind of power was slowly circulating.

Chu Wanlian's thoughts raced. She suddenly remembered the ancient artifacts in the Spirit Offering Secret Land, and the soul swap between herself and Xiao Jinlian. Could those runes be the root of this phenomenon?

“If these experiments succeed,” Chu Wanlian whispered, “are they trying to create a… soul-swapping control mechanism?”

Li Chenyao did not answer immediately. His gaze was fixed on the center of the formation. After a moment, he slowly said, "The power to control the soul is dangerous and unpredictable. Anyone who tries to manipulate it will pay the price."

“But the owner of this laboratory clearly doesn’t care about the cost,” Chu Wanlian said coldly. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t have set up such a formation here.”

Just then, the rune array flickered and then emitted a faint vibration, as if in response to their presence.

"It's been triggered!" Li Chenyao quickly grabbed Chu Wanlian's hand and pulled her back a few steps. "Don't come any closer!"

Chu Wanlian did not back down. Instead, she stared intently at the formation, vague images flashing through her mind. In those images were ancient palaces, runes of the Spirit Offering Secret Land, and the figure of Xiao Jinlian.

“It’s responding to me,” she whispered, her tone certain. “It knows I’m here.”

Li Chenyao frowned, clearly unable to understand her reaction: "This is not something you can control. We must leave here before it completely spirals out of control."

Chu Wanlian gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement to his suggestion, but her gaze remained fixed on the rune array. She knew that the answer to all of this lay hidden here. She was determined to find the truth, no matter what.

After Chu Wanlian and Li Chenyao withdrew from the core area of ​​the laboratory, the silence lingered in her heart for a long time. The cold light of the corridor shone on them, and their footsteps echoed in the empty space. Chu Wanlian's thoughts were in turmoil, the resonance of the array and those inexplicable images flashing through her mind.

Li Chenyao glanced at her and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"

Chu Wanlian raised her head slightly to meet his gaze, which was filled with genuine concern. She nodded with difficulty, "I'm fine, it's just that the formation just now... seems to have formed some kind of connection with me."

Li Chenyao stopped slowly, standing beside the passageway, his voice softer than usual: "Are you hiding something? Why did it respond to you?"

Chu Wanlian paused, a sudden unease welling up inside her. She knew Li Chenyao had been testing her, and she sensed that his interest in runes was far greater than he had shown. She whispered, "Perhaps... it's because I possess power related to runes. But I don't know the reason myself."

Li Chenyao frowned slightly, but did not press further. He simply sighed softly, "If you need time, I can wait."

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor. Li Chenyao quickly pulled Chu Wanlian aside, shielding her against the wall. The two held their breath, watching several researchers in protective suits rush past, whispering among themselves.

"They said there's a problem in a certain area of ​​the lab," Li Chenyao said in a low voice after listening for a while. "It might be related to the array fluctuations in the core area."

Chu Wanlian nodded, but remained vigilant: "It's best if we don't go back now, let's leave here first."

Li Chenyao looked down at her, seemingly wanting to say something, but simply nodded and pulled her toward the exit leading to the outside.

However, just as they reached the vicinity of the exit, a massive energy wave suddenly spread out from the core area, causing the lights throughout the corridor to flicker rapidly, followed by a piercing alarm. Before Chu Wanlian could react, she felt the ground beneath her feet tremble, and she lost her balance and fell backward.

With lightning speed, Li Chenyao grabbed her wrist and pulled her firmly into his arms. His arms encircled her shoulders, and his voice was urgent and deep: "Be careful!"

Chu Wanlian's heart raced instantly. Hearing his breathing beside her and feeling his instinctive protectiveness, a complex emotion welled up within her. She looked up and saw Li Chenyao's lowered eyes; his usually calm face now appeared somewhat gentle.

"Are you... alright?" Li Chenyao looked down at her, his eyes filled with a rare tenderness.

Chu Wanlian paused, then shook her head: "It's nothing, all thanks to you."

He released her, took a small step back, but still stood in front of her, cautiously observing their surroundings: "It's dangerous here, we must leave as soon as possible."

In the tense atmosphere, the two finally passed through a small passage and arrived at a safe area. Chu Wanlian leaned against the wall to catch her breath, while Li Chenyao stood beside her, looking down at his communicator, trying to contact the security team outside.

“That formation shouldn’t have fluctuated so violently just now,” he said in a low voice, his eyes filled with deep thought. “It might be related to the resonance you experienced when you touched it.”

Chu Wanlian didn't reply. She looked down at her hands, her fingers still trembling slightly. Just a moment ago, she had indeed felt a strong connection, but she couldn't explain it, nor dared to easily tell Li Chenyao.

Li Chenyao turned his gaze to her, saw her solemn expression, and sighed softly: "I will be there when you want to talk."

She looked up, meeting his gaze, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her. She knew Li Chenyao's trust was genuine, but she also knew that behind that trust might lie further tests. She whispered, "Thank you. Just now... if it weren't for you, I might be dead."

Li Chenyao smiled slightly, a rare gentleness in his expression: "I told you, I would protect you."

These words startled Chu Wanlian. She lowered her head, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes. Li Chenyao's gentleness and protection touched her heart, but the image of Li Heng lingered in her mind. She knew she couldn't easily give her feelings to anyone, but this hesitation gradually swayed under Li Chenyao's tenderness.

“Xiao Jinlian?” Li Chenyao suddenly spoke, his voice low and resolute. “No matter what happens, I hope you can believe me. We are on the same path, and I will do my best to help you find the answer.”

Chu Wanlian looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and finally just nodded gently: "Thank you, Li Chenyao."

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, an unspoken emotion filling the air. At that moment, Chu Wanlian vaguely felt that perhaps she shouldn't resist Li Chenyao's approach so much anymore. But another figure in her mind reminded her that on this path, she couldn't easily give her heart away.