Volume Two: Shadows of the Past Chapter Fifteen: I Will Not Let Anyone Harm Her

Sometimes, events unfold in ways that defy all expectation.

"You mean Molly's ability can repair the damage in the seventh brain region?" Chen Jing looked at Molly, his tone uncertain.

"Yes, Molly's restorative ability is different from others who can only heal the body. Hers is for healing the mind—specifically, it works on the seventh brain region," Sun Ruoqing replied, her face alight with excitement. She hadn’t expected that a simple experiment would actually uncover an ability useful to Chen Jing.

Chen Jing frowned. Was this really such a coincidence? He had searched high and low, risking everything, yet never found an ability that could help him. And now, by mere happenstance, it appeared before him. Was it truly luck?

He looked at Molly, gently brushing her purple hair as she gazed silently back at him. Chen Jing smiled, then turned to Sun Ruoqing, his expression turning serious. "Check again, thoroughly. If there’s no mistake, let Molly try her ability on me."

"Alright."

After another round of examination, the results remained unchanged. Chen Jing took a deep breath—if this was the case, it was time to see if this ability could truly help.

He crouched down to Molly, smiling, "Molly, come, try your ability on me and let’s see what happens."

Molly hesitated, then reached out and placed her hand on Chen Jing’s forehead.

Immediately, he felt a gentle energy flow, merging into his mind, followed by a sharp, stabbing pain. In an instant, something went wrong.

A muffled groan escaped Chen Jing as Molly’s ability was abruptly cut off. Her eyes closed and she fainted, but Chen Jing caught her in his arms just in time.

"Chen Jing!" Those present cried out his name and rushed over, their faces filled with worry.

He raised a hand to signal that he was fine and quickly handed Molly to Sun Ruoqing, urging, "Please, check on Molly and see if she's alright."

A flurry of anxious checks ensued.

Afterwards, Chen Jing sat up from the hospital bed and asked the doctor, "Well, doctor? Has my condition improved?"

The doctor frowned. "There’s some improvement, yes, but it’s so slight that it’s barely noticeable unless you look very carefully."

Chen Jing nodded in understanding, thanked the doctor, and dismissed him.

Once the doctor had left, Chen Jing turned to Sun Ruoqing. "How is Molly?"

"She overused her ability and fainted from exhaustion, but she’ll be fine," Sun Ruoqing replied, shaking her head.

Chen Jing’s brows furrowed deeply. "Molly’s ability may be effective, but her level is too low. We shouldn’t consider her as an option for my treatment."

"Why? This is the only chance we’ve found!" Sun Ruoqing protested, baffled.

He shook his head. "Like I said, her ability is too weak to make a real difference for me. There’s no point in considering her."

"But that doesn’t matter! We can train her, even help her directly to increase her level," Sun Ruoqing insisted.

"Enough. Molly is only five years old. You want to force her to grow her power? That would hurt her!"

"But it’s the only way we’ve found to treat you so far. Even if we don’t push her, we can let her ability grow naturally and have her treat you as she improves, can’t we?" Sun Ruoqing’s tone was stubborn.

Chen Jing’s voice hardened. "Every time she uses her ability on me, she collapses from exhaustion. You and I both know that overusing one’s ability causes irreversible brain damage. Never mind whether she can heal me—at this rate, do you want Molly to end up like me?" By the end, his agitation was unmistakable.

Sun Ruoqing bit her lip and fell silent, standing there without another word.

Chen Jing took a few deep breaths to calm himself, then said quietly, "Let’s not speak of this again. From the moment I made Molly my daughter, I swore I would never let anyone harm her—not even myself."

Seeing Sun Ruoqing’s continued stubborn silence, Chen Jing sighed in resignation and was about to continue when someone interrupted.

"Um... Molly’s awake, so we brought her to see you."

It was Zhang Jingzhi and Xie Yuanshan. They entered the room, carrying Molly.

Xie Yuanshan hurried over and demanded, "Brother, Ruoqing, what are you talking about? What’s wrong with your illness? I thought you just couldn’t use your ability anymore?"

Chen Jing realized they must have overheard some of the conversation, but he maintained his composure and smiled. "That’s right, I just can’t use my ability. But it turns out Molly’s power can help with my recovery, so Ruoqing wanted to use her ability to try to restore what I’ve lost."

"Is that really so?" Xie Yuanshan looked between him and Sun Ruoqing suspiciously.

"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?" Chen Jing replied earnestly.

"True enough," she laughed. "That’s great! Now you finally have hope of regaining your power."

"Yes, we’ve found a way. But Molly’s ability is still too weak right now. We’re planning to wait until she grows up and her power increases, then try again," Chen Jing said, glancing at Molly in Zhang Jingzhi’s arms with a smile.

He wondered if he would live to see that day.

"Mm-hmm!" Xie Yuanshan nodded enthusiastically.

Sun Ruoqing said nothing, lost in her thoughts. Of everyone present, only Xie Yuanshan was unaware of the truth. Zhang Jingzhi, possessing an ability of her own, could sense the emotional undercurrents between Chen Jing and Sun Ruoqing—she knew it wasn’t as simple as Chen Jing claimed, but seeing him so determined to hide it, she didn’t press.

As for Molly, though she didn’t fully understand what had happened, she had overheard from outside the room. She’d heard Chen Jing—her father—say, "I would never let anyone hurt Molly, not even myself."

Molly knew, from that moment on, that Chen Jing would be her most reliable protector.

With all the examinations and tests completed, the purpose of their visit was fulfilled. Chen Jing considered that there was nothing more for him here, and with pressing matters awaiting, he decided to leave the next day.

Zhang Jingzhi and Molly had no objections. Instead, Ji Hao and Xie Yuanshan suggested that since everyone was free and the leader was here, they should have a bonfire celebration tonight.

Everyone quickly agreed to the proposal. Chen Jing, too, was happy to accept—after all, who knew if they’d ever have another chance to all gather like this again?

After a shower, Chen Jing carried Molly and, with Zhang Jingzhi, made their way to the outdoor training field. Liu Zexuan and the others had already built a huge bonfire with wooden logs.

"Wow! It really is a bonfire party!" Zhang Jingzhi exclaimed in wonder at the towering pyre. She’d imagined a small fire where everyone would sit and chat, maybe eat together—never expecting such a grand blaze. It truly was a bonfire festival.

Chen Jing smiled with nostalgia. "Whenever we finished a mission and had nothing pressing, we’d always celebrate with a party like this."

With their leader present, the festivities began at once.

"Come on, let’s all wish our boss a speedy rise to superstar fame!" Ji Hao raised his bottle in salute.

"Boss, go for it! When you make it big, I can brag about knowing you," Wu Wen laughed.

"Get lost! If you want to show off, do it yourself—I don’t know you," Chen Jing retorted with a laugh.

"Come on, boss, show us your musical genius—improvise a song for us right here," called out Li Zijie from his wheelchair, ever the restless spirit.

"Yes, yes, sing for us! When else can we hear the music prodigy perform live?"

"Sing! Sing!" Everyone joined in, even Zhang Jingzhi and Molly clapping gleefully.

Seeing such enthusiasm, Chen Jing felt his own excitement rise. "Alright, Wu Wen, get the guitar. I’ve seen you hiding it—you planned this from the start!"

Wu Wen quickly shifted the blame. "Hey, it was Fifth Brother’s idea to bring the guitar—I just did the legwork!"

Li Zijie shot back, "Nonsense, everyone knows you were the one most eager to fetch it!"

"Heh heh..."

Ignoring the banter, Chen Jing took the guitar, tuned it, and asked, "Alright, what kind of song do you want to hear?"

"Boss is so cool—letting us pick the genre for an improvised song!"

Seated beside him, Xie Yuanshan eagerly raised her hand. "How about a song about seeing all the world’s wonders? You’ve been away two years—this moment, isn’t it just like having seen all the hustle and bustle of the world?" She giggled, lost in her girlish fantasies.

"Uh... seeing all the world’s wonders?" Chen Jing was surprised, then nodded. "Alright! I know just the song. Let me dedicate it to you all."

The crowd fell silent, awaiting his performance. Chen Jing strummed the guitar softly:

Ting—

"Once dreamed of wandering the world with sword in hand,
To see the splendor of life’s expanse..."

His weathered voice resonated around the bonfire, flames dancing in the night. Everyone felt their hearts unburdened, carried away by the music.

"The girl who once made you ache with longing,
Has now vanished without a trace..."

As Chen Jing sang, a lovely figure surfaced in his mind. Yet, tonight, she still refused to appear.