The cordon was removed, and the mall returned to its usual bustle, as if the twisted space-time and deadly rules inside that “Strange Dream Café” had never existed at all. Sunlight spilled down through the glass dome, illuminating everything in a dazzling glow and dispelling the lingering gloom.
“You brat, do you have a death wish?!” Mo Fei’s booming voice was the first to break the calm after their narrow escape. His great fan-like hand slapped heavily onto Bai Yu’s back, making him stumble. “You said the more people there were, the more trouble it’d be, and then you went in by yourself and nearly got yourself killed! Hei Yan’s ability was affected? You dared to hide something that serious!”
Bai Yu coughed from the force of the slap, his face turning even paler than when he had first come out of the ghost story. He smiled wryly and waved a hand, but before he could say anything, An Mu’s stern face moved in close.
“He’s right.” An Mu’s tone was steadier than Mo Fei’s, but the lingering fear and anger in his eyes were even clearer. “Bai Yu, I approved your return to participate in missions because I trusted your judgment, not because I wanted you to go get yourself killed. Instability in a Nightmare ability is a top-level alert. Why didn’t you retreat immediately?”
Faced with his captain’s questioning, Bai Yu could no longer brush it off the way he had with Mo Fei. He put away his smile and answered seriously, “Captain, the situation didn’t allow it. The rules had already been activated. I couldn’t withdraw. And… that child was still inside.”
He opened his palm. The crystal-clear glass marble lay quietly there, refracting a warm light.
An Mu looked at the marble, then at Bai Yu’s utterly exhausted face. At last, the taut line of his jaw softened slightly. He sighed, took a card from his pocket, and handed it to Bai Yu. “This is a mandatory recuperation order from the Medical Department. From now on, you are going back and resting properly. You’re not allowed to take any missions for at least a week. Let Lan Ce sort out the follow-up report. You don’t need to handle anything.”
“But…”
“No buts.” An Mu’s tone brooked no argument. “Also, the little girl you brought back is still waiting at registration. Don’t make her think our Nightmare Investigation Bureau is the kind of place that tosses people aside and forgets about them. Get her settled, then go rest. Immediately. Right now!”
Bai Yu knew there was no winning against his captain, so he could only nod helplessly and accept the recuperation order.
When Bai Yu dragged his somewhat heavy steps back to the registration office, Lu Yueqi was sitting in the waiting area with her knees hugged to her chest like a frightened little rabbit. Uncle Haiyin had poured her a cup of hot tea and was chatting with her in fits and starts, trying to ease her nerves.
At the sight of Bai Yu, Lu Yueqi’s eyes instantly lit up. She almost sprang up from her chair at once and hurried over to him, looking him up and down as she asked worriedly, “Are… are you all right? They said you had an emergency mission…”
“I’m fine. It’s been resolved.” Bai Yu gave her a reassuring smile, though exhaustion made it seem somewhat forced. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Is the registration all done?”
“Mm. Uncle Hai took care of everything for me.” Lu Yueqi nodded, then secretly glanced at his slightly pale face and asked in a small voice, “Was the mission… very dangerous?”
“It was all right. Just a bit taxing on the brain.” Bai Yu brushed it off lightly. He did not want this girl, who had only just come into contact with the hidden world, to shoulder too many heavy things too soon. He glanced at the time. “Let’s go. I’ll take you back to your place first so you can pack your important belongings, then we’ll move you into the Bureau’s residential area.”
“Huh? I still have to trouble you? I can do it myself…”
“Are you sure?” Bai Yu raised an eyebrow. “Your place is a ‘haunted house’ now. You’re not afraid to go back alone?”
Lu Yueqi’s face turned pale with a whoosh, and her little head shook like a rattle drum. The terror of that night was still vivid in her mind. If she had to go back alone, she would rather sleep on the street.
“Then… then I’ll have to trouble you,” she said softly, the tips of her ears warming.
“I’m going too, I’m going too!” Mo Fei appeared out of nowhere and slung an arm around Bai Yu’s shoulders. Grinning, he said to Lu Yueqi, “Sister-in—cough, younger sister-in-law… no, that’s not right either. Miss Qiyue, how could moving, a job that requires muscle, be without me?”
Lu Yueqi was at a loss before his overly familiar enthusiasm, her cheeks reddening further. She could only look to Bai Yu for help.
Bai Yu helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead and pried Mo Fei’s arm off his shoulder. “Aren’t you supposed to be going back to write the report?”
“How could a report be more important than helping a friend move? Captain An said Lan Ce would write the report!” Mo Fei puffed out his chest with perfect righteousness.
And so, the moving team was formed in this strange combination.
By the time they returned to Lu Yueqi’s small apartment, it was already afternoon. The door lock had been damaged in the previous incident and was only loosely shut. The instant they pushed the door open, a gust of air mixed with dust and the faint smell of blood rushed toward them. The room was a mess: overturned chairs, shattered cups, and dark brown stains dried into the wooden floor. Every detail reminded them of the terrifying scene that had taken place that night.
Lu Yueqi’s body trembled uncontrollably, and the fingers clutching the hem of her clothes turned white from the force.
A warm palm gently settled on her shoulder.
“It’s all over.” Bai Yu’s voice was very soft, yet carried a reassuring strength. “It’s safe here now.”
He was the first to walk in and naturally began tidying up the mess on the floor. Mo Fei also put away his usual joking expression and silently helped set the furniture upright. Seeing them both get to work, Lu Yueqi took a deep breath, tried hard to suppress the fear in her heart, and began sorting through her own things.
Her apartment was not large, but she had quite a lot of belongings, especially her livestreaming equipment, which she treasured dearly.
“Whoa! So this is the legendary livestreaming room?” Mo Fei looked at the professional microphone, sound card, and ring light, letting out an exaggerated exclamation. “My niece is a die-hard fan of yours! She watches your streams every day and says Qiyue-chan is the cutest female streamer in the world! Um… could I get an autograph?”
This sudden request stunned Lu Yueqi, instantly diluting the tense atmosphere. Looking at the nearly two-meter-tall man before her handing over a notebook with a face full of anticipation, she could not help letting out a laugh.
“O-okay.” She took the notebook and somewhat shyly signed her name, “Qiyue.”
“Awesome!” Mo Fei put the notebook away as if he had obtained a treasure. “By the way, this kid Bai Yu is also a fan of yours. Don’t be fooled by that aloof act of his. I’ve seen him secretly watching your streams in the middle of the night several times!”
“Mo Fei!” Bai Yu’s voice came from the bedroom, carrying a hint of warning.
Lu Yueqi’s cheeks instantly burned hot enough to fry an egg. She secretly glanced at Bai Yu, who was carrying a large suitcase out of the bedroom, and her heart began to thump uncontrollably.
While packing, Lu Yueqi discovered that although Bai Yu did not speak much, he was extremely meticulous. He would help her wrap fragile cosmetics in soft cloth, untangle the various data cables one by one before binding them with ties, his movements so practiced it was as if he had done it thousands of times.
When he lifted a heavy cardboard box filled with books, Lu Yueqi noticed that his arms trembled almost imperceptibly. A fine layer of sweat had also appeared at his temples, and his breathing seemed a little heavier than usual.
Only then did she suddenly remember that the powerful and reliable man before her had only just come out of a deadly ghost story. He was not an tireless machine. He could also get tired. He could also be hurt.
“Um… let me. I can carry this myself.” She hurried over, wanting to lend a hand.
“No need.” Bai Yu turned slightly, avoiding her hand, and set the box steadily on the floor. “It’s not heavy.”
His tone remained calm, but from those deep eyes of his, Lu Yueqi caught a fleeting trace of exhaustion. In that moment, her heart filled with gratitude.
After an entire afternoon of work, they finally packed all of Lu Yueqi’s “worldly possessions” and loaded them into Mo Fei’s spacious off-road vehicle. When the car once again drove into that enormous metal city, Lu Yueqi’s feelings were completely different from when she had first arrived.
The car did not head toward the office area from the morning, but instead drove toward an entirely different district. There were no cold metal buildings here. In their place stood rows of neat apartment blocks, shaded by green trees and filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers. There was even a small park in the central area, with children playing on slides and elderly people playing chess on benches. It was full of a tranquil, peaceful sense of everyday life. If not for the towering metal walls in the distance, this place would look like an ordinary high-end residential community.
“This is the residential area,” Bai Yu introduced. “Most investigators’ families, as well as Dream Entrants like you who need protection, live here. It has an independent security system. It’s the safest place in the entire Bureau.”
The car stopped in front of an apartment building. Bai Yu helped her carry her luggage upstairs and opened the door to one of the apartments.
It was a standard one-bedroom apartment with a living room. The decor was simple and clean, the furniture and appliances fully equipped, and even the bedding was brand new. On the south-facing balcony, sunlight shone brightly.
“This will be your home from now on.” Bai Yu set down the final box. “If you need anything in daily life, you can contact the Logistics Department. This is an internal communicator. If there’s any emergency, press this red button, and I’ll receive it immediately.”
He handed Lu Yueqi a black bracelet-like communicator.
Lu Yueqi accepted the communicator and held it tightly in her hand. She looked at the man who had been busy for her all afternoon. A thousand words clogged her throat, and in the end, they became only one most sincere sentence. “Bai Yu, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Bai Yu looked at her, his gaze softening slightly. “Rest well. In the future… you’ll slowly get used to it.”
With that, he turned to leave.
“Wait!” Lu Yueqi gathered her courage and called out to him.
Bai Yu looked back, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
“You… you should rest well too.” She looked into his eyes and said seriously, “Don’t… push yourself too hard.”
Bai Yu was stunned for a moment. Then, an extremely faint but heartfelt smile spread across his lips, like warm winter sunlight, instantly melting the weariness between his brows.
“All right.” He answered softly, then turned and left.
The door was gently closed, leaving Lu Yueqi alone in the room. She looked around this brand-new yet unfamiliar home, then at the familiar boxes belonging to her piled in the living room. A complicated emotion welled up in her heart: a farewell to the past, confusion toward the future, but more than anything, an unprecedented sense of security.
She walked to the balcony. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the horizon a warm orange-red. In the distance, scattered lights had begun to shine across the residential area, full of the warmth of ordinary human life.
This would be her new beginning.
Lu Yueqi dug her laptop out of a box, connected to the internet, and skillfully opened the livestreaming platform she had been away from for two days. Her private message inbox had already exploded. Countless fans were asking why she had suddenly ended the stream that day, worried that something might have happened to her.
Looking at those concerned messages, her nose stung, and her eyes grew a little moist. She typed a line, thought about it, then deleted it. After repeating this several times, she finally posted only one sentence in her status.
“I’m fine. Sorry to make everyone worry. Something happened at home recently, and I need to move, so I’ll be taking a break from streaming for a while. Wait for me. —Qiyue”
After sending it, she closed the laptop and let out a long breath. Perhaps there was no returning to her old life, but she knew that she was not alone. In this world shrouded by shadows, she too could find that beam of light that belonged to her.