A New Kite String: A Gift of White Moonlight

The evening deepened as the sky turned darker, and the staff stationed at the Little White Bear settlement were already packing up, preparing to return with reports, collected feedback, and repair suggestions.

"Xiaoyan, are you ready?"

"Almost. We can leave now."

Xiaoyan, urged by her colleague, stood up from her chair with effort. Her neck throbbed with pain, and the lingering suffocation from earlier still left her dizzy. A simple neck brace hung around her neck, faintly revealing patches of bruised, purplish-red skin.

Lowering her head, she gazed at the work bag she carried everywhere, her expression hesitant, as though she were deliberating on something.

Suddenly, a sharp voice broke the stillness. The girl beside her sounded alarmed. "Chen... Chen Dafeng, what are you doing here?"

Xiaoyan snapped her head up, looking toward the direction her companion indicated. The crowd that had previously gathered had dispersed, leaving an empty, dark expanse ahead. From the shadows emerged a tall, imposing figure.

It was Chen Dafeng, the troublemaker from earlier in the day. He strode forward, his face expressionless, stepping out of the darkness and into view.

"Chen Dafeng, what are you planning to do?"

A soldier stepped forward, weapon raised in caution, but Chen Dafeng shoved him aside effortlessly, walking straight up to Xiaoyan. He had waited the entire day for this—a perfect opportunity with no one to intervene. No little sister to stop him, no Lu Nianxin to interfere. Just a handful of guards, none of whom could stop him.

"Comrade Chen, is there something you need?" Xiaoyan's voice was calm, her gaze curious as she looked at the man now blocking her path.

Chen Dafeng remained silent, his cold eyes scanning her petite frame. He weighed his options. Perhaps there was a more satisfying way to inflict pain on this woman who had dared to offend him.

If Xiaoyan noticed anything amiss, she didn't show it. Or perhaps she simply didn't believe Chen Dafeng would harm her again.

"Oh, right!" Xiaoyan suddenly lowered her gaze, as though reaching a decision. Taking a deep breath, she rummaged through her work bag and placed an item on the table beside her.

"This is for you. I heard from Mr. Lu that your sister loves these."

She spoke with an air of generosity, pushing the item toward him. Chen Dafeng's icy gaze shifted briefly to the table.

It was a small, intricately decorated strawberry cake.

The packaging was slightly crumpled, as though it had been carried around for days. It was clear its owner had been reluctant to eat it too quickly. Yet the subpar appearance didn't hide the sweet fragrance wafting from it.

"For me?"

Chen Dafeng hesitated, his chilling demeanor softening ever so slightly.

"Yes."

Xiaoyan nodded. She tried to smile politely, but her lips betrayed her reluctance, trembling as though holding back tears. She clearly didn't want to part with it.

But since she had already offered it, she couldn't take it back now.

"My mom always said people who love cake are kind-hearted," she added with a soft sigh. "Your sister must be a kind soul. Though with a brother as fierce as you, she's probably got her hands full."

Xiaoyan sniffled and pushed the cake closer. Her eyes shimmered with an almost imperceptible sorrow. "Take it. But next time, don't cause trouble during work hours. If you have any issues, you can report them to the staff. The settlement doesn't exist just to serve you alone."

"I know you've contributed greatly here, but rules are rules. Unless you're granted special privileges, no one's going to make exceptions for you."

Her tone was matter-of-fact as she picked up her bag and braced herself against the chair, standing with difficulty. Despite her evident discomfort, she prepared to leave with her colleagues.

Chen Dafeng's eyes lingered on the strawberry cake as Xiaoyan exited his line of sight.

The surrounding soldiers remained on edge, wary of Chen Dafeng making any sudden moves. As they cautiously escorted the staff away from the settlement, they maintained a protective formation, fully aware that no ordinary human could stand against Chen Dafeng—a man who was practically a walking weapon.

But even as Xiaoyan and her team left, Chen Dafeng didn't follow.

Mike, standing nearby, watched as Chen Dafeng finally reached out and picked up the cake. His rough hands studied the small dessert with an almost delicate care.

"You must've been in a lot of pain," Chen Dafeng muttered under his breath, his voice low and contemplative. "With how hard I grabbed you..."

A faint, almost bitter smile flickered across his face as he tucked the cake away.

"Fair enough. Consider us even. I'll let you live."

And just like that, he was satisfied. After all, he still had what he came for.

Mike scratched his head, observing Chen Dafeng's subtle shift in mood. Whether it was Lu Nianxin's persistence or his sister Xiaoling's nagging, something had evidently chipped away at Chen Dafeng's edge.

Yet something about the situation gnawed at Mike, an uneasy feeling he couldn't shake. There was a hint of conspiracy in the air, and it lingered like a shadow.

Moments later, in a command room miles away, Jiang Xiaoci, busy coordinating nighttime search operations, was handed a communications transcript.

"Nightingale has left the nest. The kite string has been secured," the brief message read.

With an indifferent glance, Jiang Xiaoci gestured for the soldier beside her to burn the document.

The faint glow of the flames illuminated her delicate face, but her focus remained on the city's resource allocation reports. She seemed utterly unbothered by the message, as though she had anticipated everything that would unfold tonight.

Back at the settlement, Mike finally pieced it together, his expression one of startled realization.

"Dammit!" he muttered under his breath. "Chen Dafeng's been played again!"

His gaze flicked toward the cake.

"This... this was a setup. A perfectly tailored White Moonlight, just for him!"

4o