CHAPTER 126: CHAPTER 126; HE GENTLY CARESSED

Fang Lin and Jin Zhou slipped into the front, Jin Zhou settling closer to the gearshift while Fang Lin took the passenger door seat.

Her gaze flicked to the back, immediately finding Yueyao, still unconscious in Jin Shuren’s arms, with Yueqin sleeping against her. The sight silenced the thousand questions that had risen to her tongue.

The car pulled away without another word, heading toward the waiting helicopter.

The drive to the airfield was a blur of dark roads and the occasional flash of streetlights. The hum of the engine filled the silence inside the car, broken only by the soft breathing of the two in Jin Shuren’s arms. Fang Lin kept his gaze on the streets.

After staying in this city for over ten years, she was leaving so abruptly but she understood, it was for her safety. It’s been so long since she stayed with her Uncle or even had a normal chat, it did feel awkward but she had no other options.

They reached the outskirts of the city, where the glow of buildings gave way to open ground. Beyond a chain-link fence, the silhouette of the Airbus H175 waited under floodlights, its rotors idle but glinting faintly in the damp air.

The sedan rolled to a stop. Fang Lin was the first one out, and then followed by Jin Zhou, his coat snapping in the wind as he opened the rear door.

Jin Shuren glanced down at the two sleeping forms, Yueqin’s small head pillowed against one thigh, Yueyao’s heavier weight settled on the other.

With a quiet word, Jin Zhou leaned in to lift Yueqin, cradling the little girl against his chest, only then did Jin Shuren ease Yueyao upright, one arm sliding behind her back, the other beneath her knees, before stepping out into the cool night. Fang Lin followed, clutching her small suitcase like a lifeline.

The wind from the open tarmac carried the sharp scent of jet fuel, whipping at the hems of their coats.

The private Airbus H175 waited under the floodlights, its sleek fuselage gleaming in the damp night. The cabin door stood open, where the chief pilot stood beside the retractable steps, clipboard in hand, eyes scanning a checklist with practiced precision.

Jin Shuren adjusted his hold on Yueyao, her limp form secure in his arms, and crossed the tarmac without hesitation. The low hum of the engines vibrated softly beneath their feet, a steady promise of departure.

Jin Zhou followed close behind, shielding Yueqin’s head with his palm from the cool wind, while Fang Lin trailed with her small suitcase, eyes fixed on the open doorway as if it promised safety.

As they neared, the chief pilot stepped forward, voice raised over the growing hum. "We are ready for immediate departure, Mr. Jin."

Jin Shuren gave a curt nod and mounted the steps without breaking stride, disappearing into the cabin with his burdens as if they weighed nothing at all.

The cabin door slid shut behind them with a smooth, reassuring hiss, sealing out the damp chill of the night.

Inside, soft ambient lighting bathed the space in a warm, golden glow, transforming the aircraft into a sanctuary far removed from the storm outside.

Jin Shuren carefully lowered Yueyao onto one of the plush, leather-clad beds that lined the cabin’s side, adjusting the blankets over her with meticulous care. Her chest rose and fell in steady, shallow breaths as she slept, the faintest flush returning to her pale cheeks.

On the opposite bed, Yueqin still nestled in Jin Zhou’s arms, stirred slightly but remained fast asleep, the soft rise and fall of her tiny chest mirroring her mother’s.

Fang Lin settled into a plush leather chair near the cabin’s window, clutching her small suitcase close. She tucked her feet beneath her, eyes flicking between Yueyao and Yueqin, her expression a mixture of relief and worry.

Jin Shuren moved with careful precision, pulling two sets of small noise-cancellation headphones from a nearby compartment. Gently, he placed one over Yueyao’s ears, then the other over Yueqin’s, muffling the low hum of the engines and the distant storm.

He settled himself in a low seat close to the beds, the soft leather creaking beneath him as he moved. The quiet that followed was profound, a barrier of silence wrapping around them like a protective cocoon.

He glanced down at Yueyao and Yueqin, the faintest crease of worry tightening his brow before he let it ease away. This flying sanctuary was more than transport, it was a fortress, a refuge, a promise of safety.

He finally exhaled, the tension in his shoulders loosening just enough to show the weight of the night’s burdens settling, if only for a moment.

The engine whined to life, a deep vibration running through the cabin as the rotors began their slow, steady spin.

A moment later, the ground fell away, city lights shrinking beneath them until there was only darkness and the faint, endless line of the horizon.

The gentle hum of the helicopter blended with the steady rhythm of the night. Outside, the world faded into a soft blur of stars and silence.

Jin Shuren sat upright, every inch the unyielding lord of shadows and steel. Wealth and power cloaked him like armor, there was nothing in this world, no threat or whisper, that could shake his resolve.

Watching over the two sleeping figures, his gaze was sharp, unblinking, guarding them not out of fear but command.

For all the darkness trailing behind them, Jin Shuren knew this: the future was his, to shape.

The cabin lights dimmed as the helicopter cut through the night sky, a silent testament to a man who feared nothing and lost nothing.

He gently caressed their faces moving the fringes of hair to the side.

"You are safe now.." he mumbled to himself...

— — — —

The heavy door slammed shut behind Jin Zhou, the echo lingering like a cruel final sentence. The silence that followed pressed down on Shen Xiao and Bai Zhi like a suffocating weight.