Floating life reflects two lotuses

Li Chenyao stood at the end of the corridor outside the laboratory, his gaze fixed on the focused figure behind the glass door, his expression calm yet revealing an unfathomable emotion.

His fingers tapped lightly on his palm, as if consciously concealing the turmoil in his heart.

Memories flooded back, pulling him back to that conversation that had decided their fates not long ago.

That night, the wind howled, and the office lights were soft and lonely.

Chu Wanlian stood before him, her eyes firm yet tinged with nervousness, as if preparing a story that would defy all expectations.

“Li Chenyao, there’s something I have to tell you.” Her voice was low and serious.

He looked at her, sitting there calmly as always, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "Go ahead and speak."

At that moment, Chu Wanlian took a deep breath and recounted all the truths—about her soul's journey, about the ancient woman named Xiao Jinlian, and about the power of the runes and the mysterious connection between the two timelines.

After she finished speaking, the air became eerily quiet.

Chu Wanlian expected Li Chenyao to show shock or suspicion, but he didn't. He

He merely raised his eyes slightly, gazing at her with a profound look, as if he saw through everything, yet showed no surprise whatsoever.

His calm demeanor surprised Chu Wanlian.

"You...believe me?" she asked tentatively, her voice trembling slightly.

A faint smile played on Li Chenyao's lips, his voice low and firm: "There are too many things in this world that cannot be explained by common sense, and I have never doubted you. You dare to confess everything, which means you are prepared to bear all the consequences, so why can't I choose to believe you?"

That night, his answer was brief and powerful, yet it landed like a rock in Chu Wanlian's heart.

"Why?" Chu Wanlian murmured then, her eyes flashing with a complex light.

Li Chenyao raised his head, his gaze revealing a firm tenderness: "Because you are you. No matter where your soul comes from, you standing here has a reason to be protected."

His answer left her stunned, and then a strange emotion welled up in her eyes.

Li Chenyao knew in his heart that he did not make this decision on a whim.

The suspicious points he had noticed before—her strange habits, her sudden calmness and wisdom, her familiarity with runes—had already pieced together a rough outline in his mind.

She may indeed have some connection with that era and that runic power.

Even so, he was not afraid. He chose to stand by her side because her steadfastness and persistence allowed him to find a long-lost resonance in this decaying and cold laboratory.

"If it really relates to the balance between the two timelines, then let's go find it together." That was the promise he made at the time.

Now, standing at one end of the laboratory, watching her tireless efforts to find the truth, Li Chenyao felt calm and resolute.

"You walk in front, and I will always be behind you, side by side."

He raised his head slightly, looking at the flashing red light at the end of the corridor, his eyes gradually sharpening—this pursuit of the truth was both hers and his.

Their fates were already intertwined, and he would never allow anyone or any force to take her away from him.

Chu Wanlian stood at the end of the laboratory corridor, her brows furrowing slightly as she gazed at the heavy metal door. The air was filled with the faint hum of disinfectant and the workings of unknown equipment, eerily calm.

Li Chenyao's voice rang in my ears: "Are you sure you want to go in? This lab isn't the usual research greenhouse anymore; security is much tighter here today."

“Of course.” Chu Wanlian’s eyes were firm, her fingers gently stroking the USB drive in her pocket. “I need to find out what they’re trying to do.”

Li Chenyao stood behind her, his gaze deep, and sighed softly: "Fine, I'll go with you. But promise me, if you find anything amiss, retreat immediately."

Chu Wanlian glanced back at him, raised an eyebrow, and smiled slightly: "When did Director Li become so fussy?"

Li Chenyao shook his head helplessly and said softly, "I'm making sure you're safe, I'm not being fussy." Although his tone was calm, there was an undisguised worry in his eyes.

The metal door slid open automatically with a click, and the two quickly entered the core area of ​​the laboratory. Chu Wanlian's gaze swept over the scene before her: rows of tall, sealed glass chambers, inside which lay the bodies of human volunteers. Their eyes were closed, their faces were pale, their chests rose and fell slightly, and the runic devices floating above their heads emitted a faint blue light.

“They…” Chu Wanlian’s heart tightened suddenly, and her brows furrowed even more deeply.

“The runic energy is rapidly permeating their souls,” Li Chenyao explained in a low voice, grabbing Chu Wanlian’s wrist and pulling her back half a step. “See these blue lights? These are signs of runic resonance. They are using these volunteers to test the stability of the soul channels.”

Chu Wanlian gasped, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes: "They're using living people as experimental subjects?!"

Li Chenyao squeezed her wrist, signaling her to calm down: "Don't be impulsive. You and I both know they won't stop easily. The experiment has reached this stage; they're capable of anything."

Chu Wanlian lowered her eyes, her chest heaving, forcing herself to calm down. Her gaze fell on the glass chamber above, on the constantly flashing symbols—the very rune array she and Xiao Jinlian had encountered. The power of the runes was resonating; the volunteer before her was clearly nearing his limit.

“We must stop them,” she whispered, her fist clenching quietly.

Li Chenyao seemed to have anticipated her reaction. He released her hand, turned slightly to the side, and focused his gaze on the control room at the rear of the cabin: "Listen to me, this place is under surveillance. There are people in the core area who are watching every move. If you act rashly, you will only alert them."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Chu Wanlian's tone was filled with urgency, and her gaze suddenly turned to him.

Li Chenyao remained silent for a moment, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He slowly said, "Give me a day, and I will create an opportunity for you."

"Li Chenyao?" Chu Wanlian was slightly taken aback, looking at him in surprise. "What are you going to do?"

Li Chenyao's expression was calm and resolute: "I will distract them and give you a chance to enter the core control room. Only by finding the core device that activates the passage can we truly stop them."

"But you-"

“I’ll be fine.” Li Chenyao interrupted her, a faint smile playing on his lips. “At least here, I still have a voice.”

Chu Wanlian bit her lip, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew that Li Chenyao's identity was special, that he had always walked a fine line between the upper echelons of the laboratory and the bottom line, and that his choice might mean putting himself in danger.

"Li Chenyao, why did you help me?" she blurted out, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Li Chenyao paused, looking deeply into her eyes, his voice low and deep: "Because you deserve it." After a moment, he added, "I won't stand by and watch them use human lives as pawns, nor will I watch you bear all the risks alone."

Chu Wanlian's heart skipped a beat. She turned her head away to hide the strange feeling in her heart: "The way you put it, I feel a lot of pressure."

Li Chenyao chuckled, his voice carrying a hint of gentleness: "Give me a little trust once in a while, okay?"

Chu Wanlian didn't speak again, but simply looked up and met his gaze for a moment before nodding slightly.