"I know," Han Feng interrupted her, his voice softening unconsciously. "But Mu Xiaoxiao isn't an ordinary person." He paused, "Have you... encountered anything strange lately? Or have strangers approached you?"
Liu Mengran thought for a few seconds: "No, I've been perfectly normal lately, nothing unusual has happened."
Just then, the surveillance footage suddenly became active. Three black SUVs silently drove into the villa area, and twelve fully armed special forces soldiers quickly dispersed, with six of them heading straight for the main gate.
"The owl has arrived," Su Wanwan reported softly.
At this moment, Night Owl on the screen was instructing his subordinates to carefully unload the package and put it into a container. Night Owl seemed to know that Han Feng and the others were watching the surveillance footage, so he made a gesture towards the living room camera and beckoned them to leave.
Only one female team member was left to go upstairs and arrived at the door of Liu Mengran's room.
"Han Feng?" Liu Mengran's voice came from the phone, accompanied by a soft knock on the door. "Someone's here, saying you sent them..."
"It's the Night Owl Squad." Han Feng's voice finally relaxed a bit. "Have them search the entire villa. You... you're safe now."
Liu Mengran seemed to have reached the door, and after it opened, a brief conversation followed. A moment later, her voice was clear again: "They said they've already taken the package... Han Feng, what happened?"
"I'll explain in detail when we get back." Han Feng glanced at his watch. "We'll be back on a military plane, arriving in about three hours. You rest first; Night Owl's men will stay at the villa to keep watch."
Liu Mengran was silent for a few seconds: "Okay... I'll wait for you to come back." Those five simple words made Han Feng's heart pound wildly.
Two hours later, at the airport of Kyoto Ryugen Base.
The roar of the military transport plane's engines still echoed in his ears as Han Feng set foot on Chinese soil. He had endured the agonizing three-hour flight, his mind replaying every detail of the suspicious package. As soon as Liu Xiaoran disembarked, Han Feng rushed her to the base to submit her mission report, while he and Su Wanwan went straight to the villa.
"Drive faster." Han Feng urged the driver for the third time, his thoughts already back in the villa.
Su Wanwan glanced at him sideways: "Is it really necessary? Night Owl has confirmed she's safe. Sister Mengran isn't missing a single hair."
Han Feng didn't answer, but simply rolled down the car window, letting the night breeze in to dispel the stuffiness in his chest. The halo of the streetlights formed an orange line in his vision, just like the taut nerves he was holding back.
When the outline of the villa finally came into view, Han Feng's breathing unconsciously slowed down. The living room light shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the lawn, and a blurry figure was vaguely visible.
Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Han Feng pushed open the door and jumped out.
The moment the villa door was pushed open, the figure on the sofa sprang to her feet. Liu Mengran ran over barefoot, then abruptly stopped in the entryway, her eyes wide as if to confirm that this wasn't a hallucination.
"Han Feng..." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.
The next second, Liu Mengran had already thrown herself into his arms, her forehead resting on his shoulder. Han Feng froze for a second, then tightened his arms, holding her firmly. The faint jasmine scent on Liu Mengran's body diluted the lingering fishy smell on his collar, and his nerves, which had been tense for several days, finally relaxed.
"Ew—how embarrassing!" Su Wanwan peeked out from behind Han Feng, making a face. "You're already this lovey-dovey after just a few days?"
Liu Mengran immediately pulled away from Han Feng's embrace, her ears burning red: "Wanwan! Are you...are you alright?"
"Nothing's wrong, of course!" Su Wanwan pulled Liu Mengran towards the living room, gesturing exaggeratedly as she went, "We went through a major battle in R Country! You didn't see it, Han Feng—"
Han Feng coughed lightly, and Su Wanwan immediately changed her tune: "—He's incredibly awesome! Of course, I'm awesome too!"
Liu Mengran was amused, her eyes still glistening with tears. Han Feng stood in the entryway, his gaze sweeping over every corner. The Night Owl team had already left, but they had left behind a full set of surveillance equipment. A half-finished glass of milk sat in the kitchen, a testament to Liu Mengran's anxiety while waiting.
"Are you alright?" Han Feng walked up to Liu Mengran and carefully examined her complexion.
Liu Mengran shook her head, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes repeatedly: "I was just a little scared... When you called, I thought it was like what happened before again."
Han Feng's eyes darkened, and just as he was about to speak, his phone suddenly rang. Lin Zhengguo's name flashed on the screen.
"Sir." He went to the balcony to answer the phone.
"The sender of that package was indeed Mu Xiaoxiao; she didn't hide her identity at all," Lin Zhengguo said wearily. "But the contents... are rather strange."
Han Feng gripped his phone tightly: "What is it?"
"It's just some information, about reclusive families in R country and M country." Lin Zhengguo paused for a moment, "The technical team has checked it; there's no hidden information or encrypted files, just ordinary paper documents."
Han Feng frowned: "What does she mean by this? A provocation? Or...?"
"I don't know." Lin Zhengguo sighed. "We've already started analyzing the data Liu Xiaoran brought back. You all should get some rest first, and we'll discuss it in detail at the base tomorrow."
Hanging up the phone, Han Feng stared blankly at the distant tree shadows. Mu Xiaoxiao never did anything meaningless; this "gift" must have a deeper meaning. Was it a warning? A misdirection? Or...?
"Han Feng?" Liu Mengran's voice came from behind, "Are you alright?"
He turned around and met Liu Mengran's worried gaze. In the living room, Su Wanwan was excitedly describing something, gesturing as if she were shooting.
"It's nothing." Han Feng forced himself to relax. "It's just a work-related issue."
Liu Mengran didn't press further and continued chatting with Su Wanwan about their trip to R country. Su Wanwan said, "Then I said I was his girlfriend! That Makino Tenki was so angry he almost tore Han Feng apart. Later, Han Feng even turned that Makino Tenki into a eunuch."
"Girlfriend?" Liu Mengran raised an eyebrow at Han Feng, grasping the key point in Su Wanwan's words, and smiled slightly as she looked at the two of them.
Han Feng's scalp tingled: "That's an arrangement based on the mission's identity..."
"Really?" Liu Mengran walked towards Su Wanwan, her voice suddenly becoming sweet and affectionate. "Wanwan, how does it feel to be his girlfriend?"
Su Wanwan's face flushed red instantly: "Who, who wants to be his girlfriend! If it weren't for the mission..." She grabbed a cushion and threw it at Han Feng, "It's all your fault!"
Han Feng easily caught the cushion, watching the two girls laughing together, and the knot in his chest eased slightly. This kind of everyday life was exactly what he was willing to give everything to protect.
"I'm going to take a shower." He sniffed his sleeves, frowning in disgust. "I haven't cleaned myself properly since I crawled out of the sea."
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