The door of the correctional home closed behind them with a dull, final sound.
Inside the car, silence settled immediately.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Almost suffocating.
Ji Yanluo sat in the back seat, his gaze fixed out the window, though he wasn't really looking at anything.
The city moved outside—alive, unaware.
But inside the car, everything felt paused.
Han Su sat in the front passenger seat.
He didn't speak at first.
Neither did the driver.
Even the engine seemed quieter than usual.
After a long moment, Ji Yanluo finally spoke.
Cold.
Controlled.
"Double the security."
Han Su turned slightly.
"…Around Miss Bai?"
Ji Yanluo's eyes didn't shift.
"Both of them."
A brief pause.
Then—
"Bai Lanyue cannot be allowed any form of contact or leverage from outside."
Han Su nodded once.
"Yes, sir."
Ji Yanluo continued, voice tightening just slightly.
"And Bai Zhiqi…"
He paused.
Just for a fraction of a second.
"…increase protection around her residence. Everywhere she goes."
Han Su hesitated.
Then asked carefully,
"Is there a specific threat level we should be expecting?"
Ji Yanluo finally looked forward.
His expression was unreadable.
But his voice carried weight.
"She didn't break," he said quietly.
"She doesn't accept defeat."
The words lingered in the car.
Han Su understood immediately.
He turned back to face forward.
"I'll arrange it right away."
Ji Yanluo leaned back into his seat.
The leather shifted softly beneath him.
Outside, the roadlights blurred as the car moved.
But inside—
nothing felt like it was moving forward.
Only deeper.
After a few minutes, Ji Yanluo spoke again.
Lower this time.
More measured.
"Xiao Li stays close to Bai Zhiqi at all times."
Han Su glanced slightly toward the mirror.
"Understood."
A pause.
Then Ji Yanluo added,
"No unnecessary risks."
That was all.
But it carried everything.
The car fell silent again.
Han Su broke it carefully.
"…And Bai Lanyue?"
Ji Yanluo's gaze darkened slightly.
Just for a moment.
"Watch her carefully," he said.
"Not just what she does… but what she plans not to do."
Han Su frowned slightly but nodded.
"Yes, sir."
The car turned at an intersection.
Lights flickered across the tinted glass.
Ji Yanluo finally closed his eyes briefly.
Not rest.
Just control.
Because he understood something clearly now.
Bai Lanyue was not someone reacting to defeat.
She was someone waiting for the next opening.
And Bai Zhiqi—
was the center of everything she still wanted to touch.
Inside the car, the silence returned.
But this time—
it was no longer empty.
It was guarded.