Chapter 46: Need to be cautious

It was nearly ten when they finally decided to call it a day.

Kai wanted to return to the ruins since he still had the scroll to tear and the martial arts it could teach him to learn. However, he was a little fatigued today, and his mind had been wandering in strange directions. The system had also advised him to enter the second stage with a fresh mind, especially since things would only grow more difficult from here on.

That was why Kai currently lay on the mattress while Jean and Elara rested on the bed.

Elara had been unusually energetic ever since he returned, moving around excitedly on the bed while Jean and Kai sat at opposite corners, each urging her to come to them.

Her enthusiasm had Kai and Jean smiling throughout the evening. Before they knew it, however, Elara was yawning as she lay comfortably on her mother’s lap, slowly settling down for the night.

Kai, on the other hand, wasn’t tired enough to fall asleep just yet.

Sometimes, he wished he had a switch in his mind that he could simply turn off whenever he needed to rest.

"Can’t sleep?" Jean suddenly called out from the side.

Kai hummed in surprise. "Yeah... Do you not feel comfortable?"

He thought perhaps some discomfort was keeping her awake, even though Jean was usually an early sleeper.

"No, I’m good. I’ve rested a lot today, that’s why I can’t sleep." Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet in the quiet room, it reached him as clearly as though she were lying right beside him.

That realization made him suddenly conscious of the situation. He was sharing a room with his crush, sleeping only a few feet away from her.

Shaking away the thought, he asked, "Something on your mind?"

"I was about to ask you the same." Jean paused before continuing, "Has something been bothering you? Is it related to the meeting you had today?"

Kai faintly smiled. "Stop reading me so easily. I spent years building this reliable mask for myself."

Jean huffed softly. "Don’t think you’re the only one who can notice things about me."

Kai rolled onto his side, turning to face the bed. "I’m hesitant to share this with you. I don’t know if you’d be comfortable having this conversation."

That immediately caught her attention. He saw movement above him, and a moment later, Jean was looking down at him.

Even in the darkness, her beautiful eyes caught his attention, leaving him staring for several seconds before he slowly pushed himself upright.

Sighing, he said, "Should we wait until morning? I mean, we could disturb Elara."

He clearly saw her eyes narrow before she began to move. Instead of lying back down, Jean slowly shifted toward the foot of the bed, carefully extending her leg over Elara before climbing down onto the mattress.

Startled, Kai gave her some space by folding his legs as Jean settled across from him.

Staring at him, she asked, "Is it something related to me or Elli? And if it is, why have you been silent about it until now?"

Kai sighed. "Well, as I said, I don’t know if you’d be comfortable..."

"It doesn’t matter, Kai. As long as it concerns our family and your well-being, I need to know."

It was only a few words, yet they struck him deeply. Hearing Jean consider him important enough to include among her concerns left him momentarily speechless.

Still, he didn’t keep her waiting for long.

"Daniel Vancroft. Do you know that name?"

He watched as she suddenly went completely still.

That reaction alone was enough to confirm that Adam hadn’t been lying about the connection between Daniel and Jean.

After several seconds of silence, she finally murmured, "My... family chose him as my partner. But... why are you asking about him?"

"Well, the man who harassed you yesterday, Drake? He’s Daniel’s younger brother."

The shock on her face deepened instantly.

The coincidence was so absurd that even Kai had been left speechless for several minutes when he first learned about it.

Jean recovered much faster. "I did hear a couple of times about a younger brother who cut all ties with his family. Only Daniel’s mother used to mention him occasionally."

Kai hummed. "That’s true. And the good thing is that the Vancroft family hasn’t pressed any charges against us. Apparently, they were fed up with Drake’s irrational behavior as well."

Jean slowly shook her head. "No... Kai. I don’t think his mother would let this matter go so easily. If there’s one thing I remember about that family, it’s her obsession with keeping everyone together and close. Even though Drake misbehaved with her countless times, she always spoke fondly of him."

Kai’s expression turned serious.

Adam had assured him that neither his nor Jean’s name would come up as far as this incident was concerned. However, Kai didn’t trust Adam enough to take his word for granted, nor could he overestimate the extent of Adam’s authority when it came to keeping trouble away from them.

He needed to be cautious.

And if they wanted to stay ahead of whatever might come next, their first step was obvious.

They needed to relocate.

Fast.

If they somehow dug into Kai’s background and Jean’s recent past, they would naturally assume that this small family was still living in the same locality.

They certainly wouldn’t expect them to suddenly be living in an upscale community like Blue Mountain. And by the time they eventually figured it out, Kai would make sure he was prepared to face them.

He just needed one thing.

Time.

Looking ahead, he found Jean staring down at the mattress, her expression troubled as she remained silent.

Kai hesitated for a moment before reaching out and resting his hand over hers.

She flinched slightly and looked up at him, but she didn’t pull her hand away.

In a soft voice, he assured her, "Whatever happens, I’ll take care of it. Somehow, someway. But I promise you, no one will destroy this peaceful life we’ve built together."

Jean stared at him for a long moment before slowly taking his hand and bringing it against her cheek.

Kai was taken aback by the gesture, but he didn’t pull away. He simply let his hand rest against her soft, warm cheek.

She closed her eyes and remained silent.

Kai wasn’t sure whether she simply wanted the comfort or had another reason for the gesture. Either way, he didn’t mind.

It felt nice.