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The morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the sheer curtains. Su Ning opened her eyes and found the seat next to her empty.

Chen Xiaojun always gets up earlier than him, especially on days when there are rehearsals.

On the bedside table lay a sticky note with her neat handwriting: "Breakfast is in the insulated box. I might be back late today, so don't wait for me to eat. —Your Xiaojun"

Suning picked up his phone and habitually opened social media.

A trending video was automatically pushed to the top of the screen...

A close-up shot of Chen Xiaojun on stage, captioned "The latest performance of the opera goddess amazed the audience."

The video has garnered over a million likes, and the comment section is overflowing with enthusiastic praise.

"Is it that popular?" Su Ning muttered to himself, swiping his finger across the screen.

Chen Xiaojun's image can be seen on almost every major platform...

On Douyin, there are short videos of her teaching opera movements; on Bilibili, there are full performance clips of her performances; and even on Weibo's trending topics, there is the topic of "Chen Xiaojun's classical beauty".

In the kitchen, Hu Yue was making coffee. Hearing footsteps, she said without turning around, "Awake? Xiaojun left you some steamed buns and millet porridge."

"She's...very popular lately?" Su Ning leaned against the door frame and shook her phone screen.

Hu Yue turned around, her eyebrows raised high: "You're only just realizing that?"

She took the phone and skillfully opened several pages. "Look, she has five million followers on Douyin, two million on Bilibili, and over three million on Weibo. Her 'water sleeve dance' and Korean dance video have been shared tens of millions of times."

Suning took the phone. On the screen, Chen Xiaojun was dressed in white, her flowing sleeves fluttering like clouds and water, breathtakingly beautiful.

The other one was dressed in traditional Korean clothing, dancing "Arirang," and every smile and gesture was captivating.

The comments section was filled with praise for Chen Xiaojun, saying things like "She's a goddess," "If you're going to marry, marry Chen Xiaojun," and "That's what you call a beauty of unparalleled grace."

“Now, tickets for her shows sell out in seconds.” Hu Yue poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Su Ning, giving him a meaningful look. “Scalpers can sell tickets for ten times the original price.”

Su Ning took a sip of coffee, the bitterness spreading on her tongue: "That's a good thing, she's always been very talented."

Hu Yue suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice: "Su Ning, have you noticed any changes in Xiao Jun?"

"What changes?"

“She’s a hot commodity right now.” Hu Yue stirred her coffee with a spoon. “The rich, celebrities and government bigwigs who are after her could line up all the way to the Bund. Last week, some internet upstart sent 999 roses to the theater troupe.”

Su Ning's fingers unconsciously tightened, and the ceramic cup made a slight creaking sound: "She was already quite famous in the industry."

“Things are different now.” Hu Yue looked directly into Su Ning’s eyes. “Before, it was just industry recognition; now it’s universal adoration. Su Ning, aren’t you worried she’ll change her mind?”

"Impossible!" Su Ning put down her cup, the force slightly so that a few drops of coffee splashed onto the table. "I have no doubt about this kind of thing."

His voice remained very calm; as a man, he still possessed that much confidence.

Hu Yue shrugged and said no more, but the worry in her eyes did not disappear.

After breakfast, Suning drove Hu Yue to a shooting club in the suburbs.

This was a membership he secretly obtained after becoming a time traveler, so that he could train his family to use weapons in a relatively safe environment.

"Do we really want to learn this?" Hu Yue looked at the various firearms displayed in front of her, biting her lower lip nervously.

Suning picked up a Glock 19 and skillfully removed the magazine to check it: "The next world is dangerous, I have to make sure you can protect yourself and Nian Nian."

"Is Niannian going too?"

"This time is a bit special! We will be the first to travel there, and we need to get a foothold as soon as possible. Then the elderly and children will be the second group to travel there. This time, the entire population of the parallel world Earth will travel there together."

"So exciting?"

"So you need to work hard from now on."

"And what about Xiaojun?"

"Don't worry about her! She's more formidable than you think."

He stood in the firing position, raised his gun, aimed, and hit the bullseye three times in a row.

"See, it's very simple. The posture must be correct, the breathing must be steady, and you must hold your breath when pulling the trigger."

Hu Yue tried to imitate his movements, but the first shot made her scream in surprise, and the bullet flew off somewhere.

“Relax,” Su Ning stood behind her and gently adjusted her posture. “Don’t be too stiff in your shoulders, and keep your eyes on the crosshair instead of the target.”

His voice suddenly seemed distant, and a scene of training soldiers appeared before his eyes.

The weapons at that time were bows and arrows and swords, but the teaching principles were the same...

Focus, stay calm, and control your breathing.

“Su Ning?” Hu Yue’s voice pulled him back to reality. “Your eyes were so scary just now, like…like you had really killed someone.”

Su Ning forced a smile: "Focus on practicing. Let's do it again."

After three hours of training, Hu Yue was able to barely hit the target.

While packing her gear, she suddenly asked, "Do you often do this? Suddenly disappearing to go to dangerous places?"

Su Ning paused for a moment: "The frequency is not fixed, but it has indeed happened a few times."

"Xiaojun knows?"

"Yes, only she knows. And now you're here too."

Hu Yue seemed thoughtful: "So that's why she works so hard? Because she doesn't know when you'll disappear again?"

These words were like a blunt knife piercing Suning's heart.

He had never considered his wife's behavior from this perspective.

Looking back now, it seems that Chen Xiaojun's career took off after his first time travel.

On the way back, Su Ning suggested picking up Su Nian from school.

At the kindergarten gate, he saw his daughter run happily toward a young male teacher, who affectionately ruffled her hair.

A strange sense of jealousy welled up inside me...

In his absence, these strangers accompanied his daughter as she grew up.

"Dad!" Su Nian spotted him and ran over in surprise.

But she slowed down halfway through the run, as if she suddenly remembered that her father was not often in her life.

Su Ning squatted down and opened his arms: "Niannian, Daddy's here to take you home."

The little girl hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching him for a hug.

She smelled of sunshine and crayons, and her small body was warm and soft.

"Teacher Wang said that parents need to help with crafts today," Su Nian whispered. "Can you come?"

“Of course,” Su Ning answered without hesitation, even though he had originally planned to go to the company that afternoon.

The young male teacher walked over and extended his hand in a friendly manner: "You must be Su Nian's father, right? She often mentions you."

Su Ning grasped that hand, unconsciously tightening her grip: "Yes, thank you for taking care of Nian Nian during this time."

"You're welcome! It's all I should do."

During the craft class, Su Ning skillfully helped her daughter make a cardboard house, attracting curious glances from the other mothers.

He overheard people whispering: "Is that Su Nian's dad?" "He's so handsome! But I heard he's often not home." "He must be a very busy man! I heard he's a bank manager, and his wife is also a bank employee."

Every word felt like a needle piercing Suning's ears.

He peeked at his daughter, but luckily Su Nian was focused on pasting "windows" on the paper house and seemed not to hear the gossip.

In the evening, Chen Xiaojun unexpectedly returned early.

She was wearing a simple white suit, with exquisite makeup, and looked even more radiant than in the video.

Su Nian cheered and rushed towards her: "Auntie! Daddy came to pick me up from school today!"

Chen Xiaojun looked at Su Ning in surprise: "You went to pick up Niannian?"

"Yes, I want to spend more time with her." Su Ning walked over and gently kissed her confidante's cheek.

I could smell the faint scent of perfume on her...

This is a new model from a luxury brand, and it's quite expensive, but they're certainly not short of money these days.

During dinner, Chen Xiaojun's phone kept vibrating. She checked it several times and finally had to apologize: "The troupe has an impromptu video conference, and I have to participate."

Su Ning nodded, but a sense of loss welled up inside her.

She used to be the one waiting for him to come home, but now it seems like the roles have been reversed.

Chen Xiaojun didn't finish work and return to her bedroom until 10 p.m.

Suning leaned against the headboard, checking the shooting club's membership information and considering who to bring for training next time.

"How was your day?" Chen Xiaojun asked casually as she took off her earring.

"It's all good. I took Hu Yue to the shooting range and picked Niannian up from school." Su Ning put down her tablet. "What about you? You seem very busy."

Chen Xiaojun sighed and sat down at her dressing table to remove her makeup: "I've landed three new commercial collaborations. The troupe is going on tour to Beijing next month, and there are two TV talk shows..."

Her voice held both weariness and barely concealed excitement.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Su Ning suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

This radiant woman seemed subtly different from the quiet and gentle wife he remembered.

"What's the deal with that internet upstart who sent roses?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Suning regretted it.

Chen Xiaojun's hand froze in mid-air. She turned to face him and asked, "Hu Yue told you?"

She shook her head. "They're just fans. I've already told the troupe to refuse any gifts."

“I’m not doubting you,” Su Ning hurriedly explained, “it’s just… I’m a little unaccustomed to the fact that you’re so popular right now.”

Chen Xiaojun walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, taking his hand in hers: "I am still me, Su Ning. It's just that now more people appreciate my work."

She paused, then said, "Just as you have your secret mission, I also have my career aspirations, don't I?"

Suning was speechless.

Yes, what right did he have to ask his wife to wait for him when he repeatedly left without saying goodbye to embark on adventures she couldn't participate in?

"When is the next time we travel through time?" Chen Xiaojun suddenly asked.

"I'm not sure, but there should be some time." Su Ning pulled her into his arms, inhaling the fragrance of her hair. "This time, I want to spend more time with you, Hu Yue, and Niannian."

Chen Xiaojun leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "When I took on the Beijing tour, I was thinking, what if you suddenly disappeared again? But then I realized—no matter where you are, my life with Hu Yue and Niannian must go on."

This statement is both heartwarming and cruel.

Su Ning tightened his arms, as if he could hold onto something. Outside the window, the city lights still shone brightly, and he began to sense that the challenges in the real world might not be any easier than those who traveled through other worlds.

Late at night, Su Ning suddenly woke up, feeling a persistent sense of being watched.

He tiptoed to the window and carefully pulled back a corner of the curtain...

Across the street downstairs, a black sedan was parked quietly, and there seemed to be someone inside.

Holy crap! Someone is actually spying on his house?
Suning's muscles tensed, and they went into a state of alert.

No matter the world, danger always seems to find him.

……

For three consecutive days, the black Audi A6 appeared precisely on time under the sycamore tree across from the residential area.

The car windows were tinted dark, but that couldn't hide Suning's keen perception in the later stages of its infrastructure development...

Two men were sitting in the car, taking turns pointing a telephoto lens at his window.

"It's like a persistent ghost." Su Ning stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, her fingertips unconsciously tapping fine cracks into the glass.

The residential area they live in is one of the top villa districts in Shanghai, so it's not a place that just anyone can come and go as they please.

Therefore, the identities of these stalkers are definitely not simple...

Su Ning wasn't worried about Chen Xiaojun's safety, after all, she was already a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The sound of porcelain clinking came from the kitchen; Chen Xiaojun was preparing breakfast.

She wore a smoky gray silk shirt today, with subtle embroidery on the cuffs; it was a new piece from a high-end brand.

Since becoming the "Goddess of Chinese Style", she has received a constant stream of gifts from major luxury brands.

"Staring at that car again?" Chen Xiaojun flipped the fried egg without looking up, her divine sense already covering the entire neighborhood. "Should I get rid of it?"

Suning turned around, admiring his wife's fluid and graceful movements.

After completing her foundational practice, Chen Xiaojun's skin became as smooth and radiant as jade, and she exuded an otherworldly charm with every smile and frown, which explains why social media went crazy for her.

But only he knew how terrifying power could be unleashed from those slender wrists.

"Don't get your hands dirty." Su Ning walked behind her, gently inhaling the faint scent of lotus in her hair. "Isn't your troupe supposed to be filming a promotional video today?"

Chen Xiaojun turned off the heat, and the egg mixture solidified into a perfect circle in the frying pan.

“Starting at two in the afternoon,” she suddenly turned around, her fingertip touching her husband’s forehead, “Did you scan the entire city with your divine sense again last night?”

Su Ning held her fingers; they felt slightly cool to the touch.

“We found three suspicious locations, but they were all run by ordinary corporate spies.” He frowned and looked out the window. “This car is different; they smell like soldiers.”

At the breakfast table, Su Nian was using children's chopsticks to pick up a piece of ham, her little face serious.

Since accidentally breaking a ceramic bowl last month, Chen Xiaojun has been teaching her to control her strength.

"Dad, Teacher Wang said there's a parent-child sports day next week." Su Nian suddenly looked up, her bright black eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Can you come?"

Suning felt a pang of anxiety.

Before his last time travel, he missed the kindergarten's open day. When he returned, he saw a group photo on his daughter's bedside table without her father present.

"Of course I'll come." He ruffled Su Nian's hair and secretly channeled a wisp of spiritual energy to check the flow of her meridians. "How about Daddy races you?"

"No!" Su Nian pouted. "Mom said I'll scare the kids if I run too fast."

Chen Xiaojun covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her eyes filled with tenderness.

Who would have thought that this classical beauty would be a cultivator?
Su Ning was so engrossed in watching that he sensed the Audi suddenly start.

"I'm taking Niannian to kindergarten." He stood up, picked up his car keys, and kissed his wife on the forehead. "What do you want to eat tonight?"

"Anything you do is fine." Chen Xiaojun straightened his collar, her fingertip lightly tracing a hidden rune across his collarbone. "Be careful."

Three hours later, Su Ning stood on the Bund observation deck, the river breeze ruffling the hem of his trench coat.

The Audi was parked fifty meters away on Binjiang Avenue, and the camera was still pointed in his direction.

What's even more ridiculous is that the other side actually sent a third informant disguised as a tourist to get closer.

"You're courting death." Su Ning took out a one-yuan coin from his pocket, his inner energy flowing through his palm.

This technique was an electromagnetic manipulation skill he learned from a technological world, and its effect is even better when used in conjunction with cultivation techniques.

The coin flipped between my fingers, and an invisible wave pierced through the air.

The Audi's onboard computer suddenly issued an error warning, and the steering wheel began to vibrate violently in the driver's hands.

"What's going on?" the man in the passenger seat exclaimed, reaching for the walkie-talkie.

It's too late.

The electric window rolled down automatically, and the seatbelt buckle suddenly popped open.

Amidst the astonished gazes of passersby, the black sedan, as if pushed by an invisible giant hand, accelerated through the guardrail and plunged headlong into the turbid Huangpu River.

The loud thud elicited screams.

Su Ning coldly watched as the vehicle splashed up huge sprays of water on the river, his divine sense locking onto the three people inside the car...

They may faint or choke on water, but they will never die.

A nearby patrol boat will arrive within two minutes, enough to teach these guys a lesson they'll never forget.

"If you dare to come near my family again..." He crushed the coin in his hand, the metal powder scattering in the wind.

The phone vibrated at that moment.

It was a short video sent by Chen Xiaojun...

Wearing a flowing sleeve dance costume, she leaped into the air in the rehearsal hall, lightly touching the pillars with her toes, and spun seven times in the air before gracefully landing.

The background noise was filled with exclamations from the crew.

"The director said to add this to the promotional video [smiley face]" followed by a tongue-out emoji.

Suning smiled.

The lightness skill of a Foundation Establishment cultivator would indeed be astonishing in modern society.

He was about to reply when he suddenly sensed something unusual...

On the top floor of a high-rise building across the river, a glint of light flashed by in the reflection of a lens.

"So there was a backup plan." Su Ning narrowed his eyes, his divine sense spreading out like a tide.

The other party was clearly prepared, cutting off all electronic devices the moment they detected the mental probe.

But that fleeting aura reminded Su Ning of a tracking device from a certain technological world.

On his way home, Suning made a detour to the shooting club.

The receptionist's eyes lit up when she saw him: "Mr. Su, your Glock 34 has arrived."

"Thank you." Su Ning took the heavy gun case, then suddenly lowered her voice, "Has anyone been asking about me lately?"

The girl's expression froze, her nail-painted fingers unconsciously tapping on the keyboard: "Well... a gentleman did ask about your training frequency the day before yesterday..."

In the monitoring room, Suning pulled up the video footage from the day before yesterday.

The man in the picture is wearing a baseball cap and a mask, but the snake tattoo on the web of his right hand is clearly visible.

What concerned Suning even more was his actions while checking the ballistic analyzer...

They're more professional than the average gun enthusiast.

"Interesting." After copying the video, Su Ning's phone suddenly received a location from Hu Yue.

She and her parents took Su Nian to Disneyland, but they discovered suspicious people following them in the parking lot.

A cold glint flashed in Su Ning's eyes.

It seems the warnings this morning weren't serious enough.

He dialed his wife's number: "Xiaojun, can I take some time off to go to Disneyland? I suspect someone is targeting Niannian."

The sound of tearing fabric came through the receiver—Chen Xiaojun had clearly shattered her costume.

“I’m already on my way.” Her voice was as cold as ice. “This time, I’m going to handle it personally.”

As night falls and Disney's dazzling fireworks illuminate the night sky, in an abandoned warehouse in Pudong, three men with their right hands crippled kneel on the ground, trembling with fear.

Before them, Chen Xiaojun, dressed in Hanfu, had a ghostly blue flame dancing on her fingertips.

"Speak." She flicked her finger, and flames transformed into a peacock circling the warehouse. "Who sent you?"

……

Meanwhile, in a luxury mansion on the banks of the Huangpu River, Su Ning was coaxing Su Nian, who was tired from playing, to sleep.

The little girl was sleeping soundly, clutching the chalcedony doll her father had brought back from the world of cultivation.

Outside the window, the faint sound of police sirens could be heard...

That meant the rescue team that salvaged the Audi had finally finished their work.

"Is it cleaned up?" Su Ning asked the air.

Chen Xiaojun's figure emerged from the shadows, her sleeves still carrying the lingering chill.

"We found out that it was someone from the headquarters of Shenzhen Mao Bank."

Suning's pupils constricted slightly.

"It seems I really can't continue in this job." He gently tucked the blanket around his daughter. "Tomorrow I'll go to the bank and then submit my resignation."

Chen Xiaojun walked behind him and put her arms around her husband's shoulders: "Is the problem serious?"

"It's alright! You should know me, I've never been interested in money." Su Ning placed his hand on his wife's, their wedding rings gleaming in the moonlight. "The system hasn't rewarded me with money or anything like that for a long time now."

"Hmph! So, will the reward be all the beauties of the heavens? Like Li Shuihua from 'Love Between Mountains and Seas'?"

"Hehe, you're the smartest one."

The two exchanged a smile, but the cold glint in their eyes was colder than fireworks.

In this seemingly ordinary modern city, a covert war that defies common sense has quietly begun.

The Audi submerged in the Huangpu River was just the first warning.

...(End of chapter)