A Past Better Left

The taxi's tires whispered against the uneven asphalt as Su Luqi guided it down an unmarked road, far from the neon glow of the city. The streetlights grew sparse, the air thickened with silence, and the buildings became skeletal remnants of forgotten ambitions.

Lu Siyan sat forward, a flicker of unease in his chest. "Su Luqi, where exactly are we going?"

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she turned the wheel with practiced ease, navigating through crumbling alleyways and rusted fences until the taxi came to a stop before an abandoned structure. Its windows were shattered, the walls marred with graffiti, and time itself seemed to have sunken its claws into the bones of the building. The place reeked of neglect, of memories buried under dust and decay.

Su Luqi killed the engine and leaned back in her seat, exhaling softly. "Here."

Lu Siyan frowned. "And here is...?"

She didn't meet his gaze. Instead, she opened the door and stepped out. A cold breeze ruffled her hair as she walked toward the entrance. For a moment, Lu Siyan hesitated before following, his steps echoing in the stillness.

Inside, the air was stale, thick with the scent of mold and rusted metal. The remnants of broken furniture littered the floor, and faint moonlight seeped through the cracks in the boarded-up windows. Su Luqi stood in the center of it all, her fingers grazing the wall as if retracing something long lost.

"I spent my childhood here," she said finally, her voice low, detached. "Not by choice."

Lu Siyan stilled, the weight of her words settling over him.

She let out a quiet, bitter laugh. "This was where they kept us. The ones no one would miss. The ones who had no place to go."

Lu Siyan's throat tightened. "You mean..."

"Trafficking," she confirmed, turning to face him. "I was taken when I was six. Smuggled in, locked away. I don't even remember how long I was here before I escaped. Days? Months? It blurred together. Hunger does that. Fear does that."

She gestured to a rusted metal door at the far end of the room. "I got out through there. Broke a window, ran until my legs gave out. I ended up in the streets, barely more than a beggar. Survived however I could." A smirk tugged at her lips, but it held no warmth. "Turns out, people will ignore a child as long as she knows how to be invisible."

Lu Siyan's hands clenched into fists. "Why are you telling me this?"

She met his gaze, unflinching. "Because you think I'm a mystery. Because you think I'm 'different.'" She shook her head. "I'm not. I'm just someone who survived."

A heavy silence stretched between them. Lu Siyan struggled to find the right words, something that wouldn't sound hollow in the face of what she'd endured. But before he could speak, Su Luqi's expression shifted, the old mask slipping back into place.

"Anyway," she said, rolling her shoulders. "Now you know. So, tell me, Lu Siyan—what do you think?"

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "I think..." He hesitated, then met her gaze with quiet conviction. "I think you're more than just someone who survived. You're someone who kept going, no matter what. And that? That's not nothing."

Something flickered in her eyes—something raw, unguarded. But just as quickly, she looked away, scoffing. "Sentimental."

Lu Siyan grinned. "Honest."

She studied him for a moment before turning toward the door. "Come on. We've lingered here long enough."

As they stepped outside, the city felt distant, its noise and chaos replaced by the quiet hum of history. Lu Siyan glanced back at the abandoned building, then at Su Luqi.

He didn't say it out loud, but he knew—this place had shaped her, but it did not define her. She had carved her own path, far from the shadows of her past. And for that, he respected her more than ever.

The taxi rumbled back to life, its headlights cutting through the darkness as they left the past behind.

But in the quiet between them, something had changed. Something unspoken, yet understood.

*****

In a grand office adorned with traditional Chinese motifs, a high-ranking minister sat behind a large mahogany desk, his expression stern. Across from him stood an officer in perfect posture, presenting a report on the recent disturbances that had plagued the nation.

"We need to establish a special Two-man team to handle these recent cases," the minister declared. "Additionally, notify our top scientists. They must accelerate their research efforts immediately."

The officer hesitated before responding, his voice measured. "Sir, I must inform you that Paras has turned out to be a failure. Even its own members seem disinterested in the mission. For instance, Jian, one of their key member, recently took days off and was seen enjoying himself in a hotel with a woman. It's all over the news."

He unfolded a newspaper and placed it before the minister, showing an image of Jian in the company of a woman, clearly indulging in leisure rather than duty. The minister's expression darkened, his fingers drumming lightly against the desk.

"It seems we must reconsider our approach," the officer continued. "We should select our Two-man team from the new candidates." He gestured toward a table where several photographs of young men and women were scattered.

Shifting the discussion, the minister inquired, "What is the progress of our research?"

The officer turned slightly and pointed toward a picture of a young boy. "Thanks to his contributions during a college collaboration, we have made significant advancements. We successfully maintained a space gate linking our world with the cultivation realm for two seconds. Within our research team, he has been nicknamed 'The Engineer.'"

The minister picked up the boy's photograph and studied it closely. He smirked. "Why is he on this list?"

"Because of his exceptional understanding across multiple fields," the officer explained. "His unconventional approach to problems is almost like a superpower. Because of him, we are on the brink of a major breakthrough. However, he is not the primary choice compared to others on the list."

The officer then pointed at another photograph, this one depicting a young man with a commanding presence. "This one, for example, is a son-in-law of a well-known cultivator. He is famous for his high cultivation and was personally recommended by his master. However, he is unsuitable for service. He spends his days playing with women—a true scum."

As the officer's eyes moved across the table, they landed on the picture of a breathtakingly beautiful woman, her elegance reminiscent of a white goose. His brows furrowed as recognition struck him. "This is the daughter of a legendary Chinese commander… What is she doing here?"

The officer in charge responded without hesitation. "She possesses exceptional magical control and understanding, along with martial arts skills that surpass every member of Paras. Her father personally recommended her."

The minister leaned back, contemplating. He picked up the photograph of the young boy known as The Engineer and the graceful woman who stood out among the rest.

With a smirk, he declared, "We have found our Two-man team. An interesting pair indeed."