Transmigration; Married to My Ex-Fiancé's Uncle-Chapter 359; Chaos 1

"Just barely within range, but not ideal." Yu Shou considered for a moment, then shrugged. "It will have to do for tonight. Tomorrow we can make better arrangements." She glanced at Shuyin’s sleeping form in Lu Yuze’s arms. "She needs rest more than she needs perfect protection right now. And I doubt anyone will attack in the next few hours, they’ll be regrouping after the failed hunting construct."

"All right then," Lu Yuze said. "Get some rest. We’ll figure out the longer-term arrangements in the morning."

With that, he turned and carried Shuyin toward the mansion’s entrance. His footsteps were quiet on the stone pathway, careful not to jostle her unnecessarily. Behind him, he heard Ting Fei leading Yu Shou toward the east wing, their voices fading as they moved away.

The mansion’s front door was unlocked, and the household staff knew to expect their return. Lu Yuze pushed it open with his shoulder and stepped into the darkened foyer. The grand entrance hall was silent and shadowed, only a few strategically placed night lights providing minimal illumination. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dimness as he made his way through the familiar corridors.

He navigated the mansion just from the previous movement, taking the route toward the west wing where their guest room was located. The room where the children slept. Where they’d claimed space in this house of enemies, carving out a small territory of safety in hostile territory.

The corridor was long and carpeted, his footsteps making no sound as he approached their door. He shifted Shuyin’s weight to free one hand, turned the handle carefully, and pushed the door open as quietly as possible.

Inside, the room was dimly lit by a small night light plugged into the wall near the children’s bed, just bright enough to navigate without tripping, not bright enough to disturb sleep. The warm glow cast soft shadows across the space.

In the larger bed against the far wall, Chen Xiao was sound asleep and snoring softly, the gentle rumbling sound of a child deep in dreams. Yuyan lay beside her now little brother, one arm draped protectively over him even in sleep, her body curved around his smaller form in unconscious guardianship.

But as Lu Yuze stepped into the room, carefully closing the door behind him with his foot, Yuyan’s eyes snapped open. She’d been sleeping lightly, barely sleeping at all, really, her body attuned to any sound, any movement, any potential threat. Too many nights of uncertainty and fear had trained her to wake at the slightest disturbance.

"Father..." Her voice was barely a whisper, careful not to wake her brother.

Lu Yuze placed a finger to his lips in the universal gesture for silence. "Shh," he breathed, moving carefully toward the second bed where he and Shuyin had been meant to sleep.

He laid Shuyin down with exquisite gentleness, supporting her head as he lowered her to the pillow, making sure she was positioned comfortably before withdrawing his arms. She made a small sound, shifting slightly, but didn’t wake. Her face in sleep looked younger somehow, the careful control and calculated coldness that usually marked her expression completely absent. She looked peaceful. Safe.

"Go back to sleep," Lu Yuze said softly to Yuyan, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "Everything’s fine. We’re just getting back."

Yuyan studied him for a long moment with those too-old eyes, then seemed satisfied by whatever she saw in his face. She nodded once and let her eyes drift closed again, though he suspected she wouldn’t truly sleep deeply until morning came.

Lu Yuze moved to the bathroom, his movements quiet and efficient. He found a soft face towel hanging by the sink, turned on the warm water, and let it run until the temperature was just right, not too hot, not too cold, but pleasantly warm. He wet the towel thoroughly, wrung out the excess water so it wouldn’t drip, and carried it back into the bedroom.

Shuyin hadn’t moved. She was still sleeping deeply, her breathing even and slow. Lu Yuze knelt beside the bed and began carefully cleaning her face, wiping away the accumulated grime and stress of the night. The warm cloth moved gently across her forehead, her cheeks, around her eyes where exhaustion had left faint shadows.

She stirred slightly at the touch, a small furrow appearing between her brows, but didn’t wake. He continued methodically, cleaning her hands next, her palms, between her fingers, around her wrists where the jade stone had rested. Then her arms, up to her elbows. Her legs, careful and respectful, just enough to remove the feeling of accumulated tiredness that clung to her skin after such a long night.

When he was satisfied, he returned the towel to the bathroom and searched through the drawers until he found sleepwear, simple, comfortable pajamas in soft fabric. Returning to the bedside, he began the careful process of changing her clothes without waking her.

It was more difficult than cleaning her face had been. He had to lift her slightly, maneuver arms through sleeves, and be conscious of modesty and comfort simultaneously. But he’d done this before, nothing was new to him. His movements were practiced, efficient, and gentle.

Finally, she was dressed in clean pajamas, the day’s clothes folded and set aside. He pulled the covers up over her, tucking them around her shoulders, making sure she was warm and comfortable. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Only then did he allow himself to attend to his own needs. He returned to the bathroom, shut the door most of the way to muffle the sound, and took a quick shower. The hot water felt like heaven against his own tired muscles, washing away the stress and tension of the night. He didn’t linger, didn’t want to leave Shuyin alone for too long, didn’t want to risk waking the children with too much noise.

He dried off quickly, pulled on his own pajamas, and emerged back into the darkened bedroom. The night light still glowed softly. The children were still sleeping, Yuyan had drifted back into lighter rest, her breathing evening out. Chen Xiao continued his gentle snoring.