A young boy from the 1970s, separated from his family, fled famine and led his younger brother into

"Get out of here! You can come back into this house when you've figured things out!"

Lu Zhenguo's thunderous roar, mixed with the whooshing sound of a feather duster cutting through the air, his mother Zhou Yayun's heartbroken sobs, and his sister Lu Nianci's earth-shattering wails of "grievance," exploded in Lu Xingzhou's ears like a pot of boiling porridge.

He, Lu Xingzhou, the youngest special reconnaissance company commander in the Northern Military Region, codenamed "Iceberg," is a tough, iron-blooded man who can fight his way in and out of the border amidst gunfire without batting an eye. But now, he is being made to throb in the temples by this absurd family farce.

He looked down at his "little sister," who was being held tightly in her mother's arms, her little shoulders trembling as she cried, almost fainting.

Her small face, streaked with glistening tears, was so pale it was almost transparent. Her large, watery eyes were red and swollen, like two frightened little rabbits, filled with innocence, fear, and immense grievance. That pitiful sight would melt the hearts of not only soft-hearted mothers, but even seasoned, hardened men in the military region who were used to life and death.

But Lu Xingzhou clearly remembered that just a few minutes ago, under his oppressive scrutiny, the little girl's eyes were so calm, so composed, and even carried a hint of all-knowing indifference that was completely out of character for her age.

That's definitely not the look a five-year-old should have!

And now, these tears come so easily, this acting skill is superb…

Liar! A complete and utter little liar!

A master conman who manipulates his shrewd father and kind-hearted mother with ease!

Lu Xingzhou's gaze grew increasingly cold.

He ignored his father's roar and his mother's disappointed look. He simply picked up his heavy backpack, turned around, and walked out of the house that felt so unfamiliar to him.

A biting wind, mixed with snowflakes, instantly rushed into the warm room.

"Xingzhou! Come back here!" Zhou Yayun shouted anxiously.

"Ignore him!" Lu Zhenguo trembled with rage. He slammed the feather duster on the ground with a sharp "smack." "Tell him to get lost! If he's so capable, let him never come back!"

Outside, the military truck's engine roared again. But it didn't drive away; it simply stopped at the gate, like a silent steel behemoth, confronting the warm house.

Inside the room, Lu Nianci's crying gradually subsided.

She nestled in Zhou Yayun's warm embrace, her red eyes glancing timidly towards the door before asking in a thin, nasal voice, "Mommy, brother...does brother not like me and my brother?"

The grievance and cautiousness in that voice pierced Zhou Ya Yun's heart.

"Nonsense!" Zhou Ya Yun quickly hugged her tighter, rubbing her face against her cold cheek, and said with heartache, "Your brother doesn't dislike you, he... he just has that bad temper!"

"He's been in the army a long time, just ignore him! Wait until he's thought things through tomorrow, then Mom will have him personally apologize to you and your brother!"

"That's right!" Lu Zhenguo also came over. He squatted down and gently wiped away the tears on Lu Nianci's face with his calloused hands. His voice was gentler than ever before.

"Nianci, don't be afraid. In this family, your mom and dad will support you! If anyone dares to bully you, Dad will be the first to object!"

Looking at his daughter's face, which resembled that of his comrade's wife but was even more delicate and beautiful, he was filled with endless guilt.

It's all his fault.

It was because he hadn't communicated with his son beforehand.

He caused this poor child, who had finally found a little bit of family warmth, to suffer injustice once again.

"Alright, alright, don't cry anymore." Zhou Yayun hugged Lu Nianci and gently rocked her like she was soothing a baby. "Look, you scared our little Shi to death."

Lu Xiaoshi, who had been hiding in the corner and not daring to breathe, saw his sister crying and also pouted, his eyes red, looking like he wanted to cry but dared not.

Lu Nianci quickly broke free from Zhou Yayun's embrace.

She ran to her younger brother, took his little hand, and comforted him in a voice still trembling with tears, "Don't be afraid, Xiao Shi, I'm okay."

Looking at their daughter, who was so sensible it broke their hearts, and their young son, who was trembling with fear like a little quail, Lu Zhenguo and Zhou Yayun felt their hearts breaking.

They grew increasingly dissatisfied with their biological son, who had turned the house upside down as soon as he returned.

……

late at night.

Lu Xingzhou sat alone in the cold cab of the military truck.

Outside the car window, the wind and snow were getting heavier.

Snowflakes, as white as goose feathers, swirled and danced under the dim streetlights, turning the whole world into a vast expanse of white.

The car heater wasn't on.

A biting chill swept in from all directions.

But Lu Xingzhou seemed not to notice.

He simply gazed quietly at the two-story building in the distance, its warm lights shining through.

That was his home.

A home for which he risked his life, shedding blood on the border, and guarded for three years...

But now, he feels that home has become so unfamiliar.

His mind kept replaying the stories his father had told him on the phone about that "younger sister."

"Xingzhou, you have no idea how amazing your younger sister is!"

"She fled from Henan to Harbin with her younger brother all by herself! Thousands of miles! And she was just a five-year-old child!"

"She encountered human traffickers on the train, and do you know what she did? She slashed the traffickers' wrists with a shard of glass! Then, with the help of the train police and other passengers, she caught both groups of traffickers in one fell swoop! Her intelligence and courage surpass even those of your scouts!"

"Furthermore, as soon as she arrived in Harbin, she revived a nearly bankrupt stall with an improved recipe for candied hawthorn! She helped that mother and daughter, who were so poor they were barely making ends meet, to live a better life!"

"The most amazing thing is her chess skills! She played chess with Li Hao, that troublemaker from Commander Li's family, and utterly defeated him in no time! Commander Gao himself said that what that child played wasn't chess, but military strategy! It was tactics!"

……

The father's tone was filled with undisguised pride and self-satisfaction.

It was as if the girl named Lu Nianci was his biological daughter.

Lu Xingzhou, on the other hand, was just an insignificant outsider.

Lu Xingzhou pulled out a pack of "Daqianmen" cigarettes that was already crushed beyond recognition from his pocket.

He pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and then lit it with a windproof military lighter.

With a "sizzle," an orange-red flame flashed across the darkness, illuminating his sculpted, cold profile.

He took a deep breath.

The acrid smoke filled my lungs, bringing a brief, numbing sensation.

He admitted that the little girl was very smart and special.

She is shrouded in various inexplicable mysteries.

But the more he thought about it, the more he felt she was... dangerous.

A five-year-old child with such a deep and cunning mind.

A "genius" who can manipulate everyone.

Was her appearance really just a coincidence?

Is she really Uncle Su Weiguo's daughter?

Uncle Su Weiguo...

A tall, cheerful figure appeared in Lu Xingzhou's mind.

That was one of the few warm colors in his childhood memories.

Uncle Su was my father's best comrade-in-arms and the elder who loved him the most.

He still remembers the scene of Uncle Su carrying him on his shoulders, taking him to see airplanes, and taking him to the shooting range to practice shooting.

I also remember what Uncle Su said in his last letter to him before he sacrificed his life.

"Xingzhou, you'd better take good care of your parents from now on."

"Also, your uncle has given you a newborn little sister. Her name is Nianci. When you grow up, you must protect her and never let her suffer any injustice."

……

Protect her?

Lu Xingzhou twitched the corners of his mouth, his expression full of self-mockery.

Given that little girl's cunning and methods, it's not certain who's protecting whom.

He stubbed out his cigarette and then pulled out a small square wrapped tightly in oil paper from his pocket.

He unfolded the oil paper layer by layer.

Inside was a faded black-and-white photograph.

The photo shows two spirited young officers.

One of them is his father, Lu Zhenguo.

The other one is Su Weiguo.

Between the two stood a beautiful woman in a white coat, smiling gently and serenely.

That was Su Weiguo's wife, and also Lu Nianci's mother.

A woman equally shrouded in mystery.

Lu Xingzhou slowly shifted his gaze from the photograph.

He flipped the photo over.

On the back of the photograph, a line of elegant small characters was written in pen.

"To my dearest friend, Zhenguo. May our friendship be as pure and eternal as the snow and ice atop Kunlun Mountain."

The signature consists of two characters.

"Wenqian".

It wasn't Su Weiguo.

It was Zhou Wenqian!

That surgical professor from the First Military Medical University in Harbin!

The "ally" of Lu Nianci that her father repeatedly mentioned in the telegram!

Lu Xingzhou's pupils suddenly contracted!

He finally caught him!

They caught the little fox's first glimpse of its tail!

What exactly is her relationship with Zhou Wenqian?!

Why would she use a photo that Zhou Wenqian gave to my father to impersonate Uncle Su's keepsake?!

What exactly is her purpose?!

One question after another, like wildly growing vines, instantly entangled Lu Xingzhou's heart!

He felt as if he had fallen into a huge labyrinth woven from lies and conspiracies!

And that little girl named Lu Nianci is the creator of this maze!

He is also the only one who can solve this problem!

"Oh."

Lu Xingzhou let out a cold chuckle.

He restarted the car, then turned it around and slowly drove away from the military compound.

He did not listen to his father and sleep in the car overnight.

He is going somewhere.

I'm going to see someone.

Someone who might be able to help him uncover all the disguises of this "little liar"...

Harbin Public Security Bureau.

The same person who was filled with suspicion and interest in Lu Nianci... the train police captain, Lei Ming!