"Nanoha, look at you. I told you long ago that while working hard is commendable, you must also take care of yourself. A stiff neck is no small matter. If it's light, you'll get cervical spondylosis; if it's serious, you might even end up like the headless senior legend. Do you understand?" Lin Luo moved his hands from Nanoha's chest up to her collar, pretending to adjust it before patting her shoulder and speaking with the earnestness of an old grandmother.

After uttering those words, he seemed to suddenly notice Fate standing at the doorway. A flash of surprise crossed his face, and he instantly set Nanoha down, quickly rushing over. He took the briefcase from Fate’s hand as he spoke, "Oh my, Fate, you got off work so early? Nanoha and I were just discussing going to pick you up. Are you tired from work? Have you eaten? You look like you've been sweating a lot. Why don't you go take a bath first? I can run the water for you."

At this moment, Lin Luo transformed into a veritable housewife, showering Fate with unrestrained enthusiasm, only stopping short of asking, "Would you like to eat first or bathe first? Or perhaps… eat me first?" The sheer display left both Fate and Nanoha speechless, mouths agape.

Lin Luo certainly knew that unwarranted enthusiasm usually hid ulterior motives. Fate had caught him and Nanoha in a moment of intimate contact—a solid interception. Even an LV6 verbal barrage couldn't spin that closeness as mere sibling affection. Furthermore, Fate wasn't some big-chested, empty-headed woman; she must have understood the situation perfectly. Thus, Lin Luo held no hope, nor did he even contemplate denying anything... It had taken him so long to shift the relationship with Nanoha from pure sibling love to actual romantic affection; he certainly wasn't going to slap his own face by retracting it now.

However, this current situation... let's put it this way: imagine you and your girlfriend are intimately engaged in a room, when suddenly a girl barges in—a girl whom you can’t clearly categorize as either your girlfriend or your girlfriend’s girlfriend... Ugh, why does this dynamic feel so ridiculously complicated?

In short, that was the gist of it. In moments like these, explanations were unnecessary; the goal was simply to change the subject and break the awkward tension. As for the true underlying situation... nobody even knew who was NTR-ing whom. Best to just let it slide.

For some unknown reason, as Lin Luo thought this and acted accordingly, he felt that the small reserve of personal integrity he had painstakingly accumulated instantly vanished into thin air... Was it a hallucination?

Whether it was a hallucination or not, integrity definitely mattered less than the girls. Wasn't there that saying? "Life is precious, integrity is more valuable; for the sake of the ladies, both can be cast aside."

On the other hand, Fate believed her eyes weren't deceiving her and her mind was sound. She could easily piece together the scenario that had just transpired in the room with just a little thought... Although she wasn't entirely without her own thoughts—there was a tiny sliver of internal conflict—what shocked her more profoundly was Lin Luo himself.

She never imagined that the person they had been searching for for years, the very person they had worked to gain greater authority within the Time-Space Administration Bureau over the last decade just to find, would suddenly appear before her without any warning!

This was the true reason for her utter astonishment. More than shock, it was... sheer elation!

So, when she saw Lin Luo smiling warmly and greeting her so enthusiastically, that slight bit of internal conflict instantly evaporated, swept away by the overwhelming tide of surprised joy. She immediately lunged forward and threw herself into Lin Luo’s arms.

Feeling the warm, fragrant embrace of the girl in his arms, Lin Luo was first slightly stunned, then broke into a relieved smile. He stopped wasting words and simply held the girl close.

No one spoke at that moment. Lin Luo stayed silent because further words were unnecessary; Fate remained silent because she had too many words she wanted to say; and Nanoha stayed quiet because she knew it no longer needed saying. The words Fate wished to speak were all conveyed through the tears streaming from her eyes. Unlike Nanoha’s tears—which represented the shedding of a rigid armor and the release of freedom—Fate’s tears symbolized all her profound gratitude and happiness... Everything was understood without a single utterance.

The Magic Academy affiliated with the Sacred King Church—this was the school Vivio attended. And a magic academy, as the name implied, was a place specifically dedicated to cultivating magical girls and boys... While others were still running around desperately promoting the profession of being a magical girl, this institution had already begun mass-producing them, along with magically enhanced soldiers, mastering the art of starting young. The difference wasn't slight; it was vast. It should be mentioned that this school also had some connection to Vivio, but that's a story for another time.

When Lin Luo, Fate, and Nanoha arrived at the academy, they caught them right at dismissal time. Without any dramatic twists or turns, the trio quickly spotted Vivio amidst a throng of rambunctious children pouring out of the school gate.

"Mama Nanoha! Mama Fate!" Across the way, Vivio saw them almost simultaneously. She waved goodbye to the few children beside her and immediately ran towards them, shouting loudly.

Lin Luo noticed that this Vivio was much more energetic than he remembered her being. Of course, this wasn't strange; his impression of Vivio was solely based on her during the Sacred King incident, where she was still deeply troubled. Naturally, she couldn't have been very lively then. But now that the Sacred King incident was resolved and her inner shadows were gone... A five-year-old child being energetic was only natural. Just look at the two little terrors at his own home... Ah, perhaps it’s best not to compare.

After exchanging affectionate greetings with Nanoha and Fate for a while, Vivio finally noticed Lin Luo, who had been standing silently beside them, and seemed out of place. She asked curiously, "Mamas, who is this uncle?"

"Uh... this is your Uncle, Uncle Lin Luo," Nanoha replied. "Listen to Uncle, okay?" Fate added gently. Not listen to Dad? Lin Luo thought inwardly.

Vivio wasn't shy. Hearing what Nanoha and Fate said, she tilted her head, observed Lin Luo for a moment, and then affectionately called out, "Hello, Uncle."

"So well-behaved," Lin Luo ruffled her hair and chuckled. "Since you’ve even called me Uncle, a first-meeting gift is naturally... ah."

Lin Luo had intended to produce something from his storage space as a gift for Vivio, much like a magic trick. But the moment he reached out, he suddenly remembered that everything in his storage space had been fed to the Jewel Basin. He was no longer a rich playboy but a pauper; how could he offer a gift now?

The realization made Lin Luo somewhat awkward, but he quickly composed himself. The hand intended for magic simply moved to grab Vivio’s school bag instead, and he said sheepishly, "To maintain the element of mystery, I'll postpone the gift for now. I see everyone is getting off work and school, so maybe we should grab some food first. What do you think?"

Nanoha and Fate didn't notice Lin Luo’s slight embarrassment and happily agreed. Vivio was a little disappointed, but this minor letdown wasn't enough to make her throw a tantrum.

"Oh, right, before that, let's contact Hayate... Nanoha, lend me your phone." Lin Luo continued.

Nanoha pulled out her phone, asking confusedly, "Brother, didn't you say you wanted to give Hayate a surprise?"

"Exactly. You calling her isn't a surprise, but me calling her? That’s definitely a surprise." As he spoke, Lin Luo dialed Hayate's number.

"Nanoha, is something wrong?" Hayate's voice, carrying a distinct Kansai accent, answered quickly.

"Are you Marshal Yagami Hayate?" Lin Luo cleared his throat, pitched his voice artificially low, and spoke, "Heh heh, although this isn't the first time I've spoken to you like this, I sincerely apologize. Your good friends Nanoha and Fate have now fallen into my hands. If you wish for me to release them, you must come alone..."

At this point, Lin Luo quickly covered the phone mouthpiece to stop the sound from transmitting and turned to the now stunned Nanoha and Fate, asking, "By the way, where should we eat later?"

"Um..." The two exchanged glances, completely bewildered by Lin Luo's scheme, but Nanoha finally replied, "Usually, we eat in the General Bureau cafeteria. We only go to the restaurant next door for slightly more formal occasions. You..."

"Oh, that’s fine then." Lin Luo nodded, then raised the phone back to his mouth, continuing in a grave tone to Hayate on the other end, "Did you hear me clearly? You must come alone to the restaurant next door before six o'clock. If you don't show up or if you bring a large armed force, I will execute them immediately... What! Where is the restaurant next door? How can a Marshal of the Time-Space Administration Bureau not know that? How did you become Marshal? Maybe you've been slacking off all these years... If you don't know, I don't know either! Just follow instructions, or I'll demote you to the Second Unit!"

With that, Lin Luo decisively hung up the phone and handed it back to Nanoha, chuckling, "See? This way, when Hayate arrives at the restaurant later, she'll feel a massive surprise. Isn't that great?"

"But won't that make Hayate worry?" Fate asked uneasily.

"That's nothing to worry about. Building tension and then resolving it into relief is always the most surprising thing," Lin Luo shrugged nonchalantly.

"But..." Nanoha opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something more.

"No buts," Lin Luo forcefully cut her off. "In any case, we need to hurry to the restaurant next door now and make some preparations—like putting a dust cloth on the door, or setting up a few scary traps—and wait for Hayate to arrive. Let's give her a proper surprise."

"But..."

"What is it, Nanoha? Do you still have something to say?" Lin Luo asked, noticing her hesitant expression.

"We don't need to wait for that time. I'm already feeling a huge surprise right now." Just then, Hayate's voice suddenly echoed.

Lin Luo froze, instinctively looking down at his hands. "That's strange, I hung up the phone long ago. Why can I still hear Hayate's voice?"

"I've wanted to tell you for a long time," Nanoha said, pointing behind Lin Luo with a look of mock sorrow. "Hayate is right behind you."

Lin Luo immediately turned around. Sure enough, there was a girl with short, brown, ear-length hair, wearing a grey uniform top and white stockings, standing elegantly approaching from the opposite direction... Who else but Yagami Hayate!

However, with his keen vision, he also noticed a beautiful blonde girl beside Hayate, dressed in a peculiar nun-like outfit. Judging by their gait, they seemed to be quite close.

"Well, isn't that Hayate!" It must be said, history always repeated itself. After being caught in an intimate moment by Fate earlier, which caused Lin Luo considerable embarrassment, this time his prank was exposed by Hayate before it could even fully unfold, leaving him equally flustered. Out of desperation, he resorted to the instinct of changing the topic. He rushed forward, excitedly grasped Hayate's hand, and exclaimed, "Ten years, Hayate! You’ve become even more beautiful and alluring. If Nanoha hadn't told me, I'd have thought a cosmic superstar had arrived!"

Hayate shot him an aggrieved look. "I've been slacking off, I'm truly sorry."

"Uh..." Lin Luo was momentarily speechless. He couldn't really blame himself for this; the fault lay entirely with Season Three.

Seeing Lin Luo at a loss for words, Hayate suddenly broke into a laugh, turning her resentment into joy. "It's wonderful that Brother is back. Now, Fate, Nanoha, and I can finally put our worries to rest."

As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Nanoha and Fate standing opposite them. The two exchanged a smile and walked over.

"Why aren't you surprised at all?" Lin Luo asked, slightly astonished by her composed demeanor. After all, Fate and Nanoha had been utterly shocked to see him. Why did Hayate show no delighted reaction?

Hayate blinked and smiled. "Because I already knew Brother was back before this."

"Don't tell me Vita told you?" Lin Luo understood immediately.

Hayate nodded. "Yes. Although you asked Vita to keep it a secret from us, I noticed her expression was different than usual. You know Vita—she’s the type who can't keep anything on her mind hidden for long. So, I used a little trick, and she told me you had returned, even claiming you were bullying her as soon as you got back... I was planning to come see you immediately, but I had some urgent work piled up, so I only managed to get here now..."

"I see." Although Lin Luo said this aloud, looking at Hayate's coy, clever smile, he truly wanted to ask: Hayate, is it really okay for you to openly admit your cunning nature like this?

"So this must be the elder brother Hayate has always spoken of. Truly a remarkable-looking person," at this point, the blonde beauty who had arrived with Hayate suddenly interjected with a smile.

"And this is..." Lin Luo was momentarily taken aback. He had a vague sense of recognition towards the blonde woman but couldn't recall her name.

"This is Callithera Glaiscia, a Knight of the Church's Order and a Director of the Administration Bureau, holding the rank of Major General. She's a very good friend of mine and has always looked out for me like an older sister," Hayate introduced the blonde woman to Lin Luo, then turned and introduced Lin Luo to her.

"I’ve heard Hayate mention you many times, always saying she had a very outstanding elder brother... It's a pleasure to meet you," the blonde beauty extended her hand in a gracious greeting.

Lin Luo naturally could not afford to be impolite. He gently shook her hand and smiled, "The pleasure is mine. I must also thank you for always looking after Hayate and the others. Since Hayate considers you like a sister, then you are naturally my... little sister as well."

Lin Luo possessed a remarkable ability to establish relationships without batting an eye.

"Heh heh," the blonde beauty merely smiled without comment.

"Sister Elim is not only beautiful but her smile is also very endearing. You must be a gentle, good girl. If I may be so bold as to ask, are you married yet?" Lin Luo continued shamelessly while holding the blonde beauty's hand.

Hearing this, not just Callithera, but even Nanoha and the others could barely stand it, quickly crying out, "Brother, that's terribly rude!"

"Not at all, I'm just concerned about my little sister's life," Lin Luo explained.

"Heh heh," the blonde beauty Callithera, perhaps startled, laughed a little strainedly. "Then I thank Big Brother Lin for his concern, but since your family is finally reunited, I, as an outsider, shouldn't impose... Hayate, we can discuss the previous matter another time. Everyone, farewell."

Saying this, Callithera turned to leave.

"Eh, leaving so soon? We're heading to the restaurant next door for dinner in a bit. We’re all family, won't Sister Callithera join us?" Lin Luo called out to the back of the blonde beauty.

But she seemed not to hear him... in fact, she walked away even faster.

"Brother, you're going to scare people off like that!" A moment later, Hayate admonished him.

"Did I? I was merely showing my enthusiasm."

"Brother, did you take a liking to Sister Callithera?" Hayate's mind suddenly sparked, as if she understood something, and she said, "Although Sister Callithera is beautiful and has a great personality, very popular with guys, it's understandable that Brother might fall for her at first sight. Moreover, Brother and Sister Callithera look quite compatible, like a married couple. If Brother truly has such intentions, I will support you, but Sister Callithera isn't the type of girl who would be casual; Brother needs to take things slowly even if you like her... Wait, Brother, Nanoha, Fate, what's wrong with you all?"

Hayate spoke as if no one else were present, but as she continued, she suddenly noticed that the faces of the people before her held very strange expressions, prompting her to ask.

"N-Nothing..." Nanoha and Fate immediately turned their heads away as if nothing was wrong, but the conflicted expressions on their faces betrayed them.

As for Lin Luo, he genuinely didn't know what to say. Heaven knows, he harbored absolutely no improper desires for Callithera; he merely intended to be friendly and close. Yet, Hayate was openly playing matchmaker for him... Should he be happy or saddened by this turn of events?

If there was a fault, it was only because he had habitually abandoned his scruples over the years; conversations with beautiful women, even when starting seriously, inevitably devolved into teasing... But was that truly a fault?

"Ah, forget it. Let's go eat first. We've talked long enough, and I still don't know where this restaurant next door is." Finally, Lin Luo ended this awkward exchange with that statement.

This month only has 28 days, and two-thirds have already slipped by. Every single day is incredibly important, so please actively cast your monthly votes so we can fiercely compete on the monthly ranking chart! RQ