She's a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist's Halo-Chapter 120

Seizing the perfect angle, Yan and Jue Jue clicked away on their phones. Behind the family of four, fish swirled like a living vortex, the live photos vibrant and full of life.

Lin Fan stood on the far left, holding An'an with one arm and clasping Lin Lu’s hand with the other, while Lin Lu linked arms with Lin Anran.

A complete family, perfectly framed.

Returning the favor, Lin Lu took a few shots of the young couple but frowned at the results. She tugged her elder daughter closer. "Ning Ning."

"Go take some more photos for them. My... my photography skills aren’t great," she admitted.

Lin Anran reluctantly stepped up, awkwardly holding her phone to snap pictures of her "uncle and aunt."

The pace through the 150-meter tunnel depended entirely on the visitors ahead. During the slow crawl, Yan and Lin Anran exchanged WeChat contacts to share the photos.

Truthfully, Yan wasn’t entirely sure how to interact with her.

Age-wise, the girl seemed only a few years younger.

But this was her friend’s daughter!

The sudden shift to "aunt" status left Yan conflicted—meeting her friend’s grown-up child two decades later was something she hadn’t mentally prepared for.

"These are amazing—no editing needed," Yan praised Lin Anran.

The girl’s shots were genuinely stunning, and Yan meant every word.

"Not really... I can touch them up. The colors will pop more after adjustments," Lin Anran replied shyly.

Relieved by her response, Yan relaxed. She was just a normal young woman after all.

As they exited the tunnel, the crowd dispersed toward different exhibits. An'an suddenly fussed, demanding to be held by her mother.

"Just for a little while, okay, An'an?"

"Mommy’s tired. Daddy’s stronger—I’ll carry you again soon," Lin Fan coaxed, moving closer to his wife.

The transfer from Lin Fan to Lin Lu happened smoothly, with Lin Anran hovering nearby, ready to assist. The family’s teamwork left little need for outside help.

They wandered into the jellyfish exhibit next, where tanks of varying sizes showcased different species, bathed in shifting colored lights that deepened the illusion of the deep sea.

Yan noticed Lin Fan and Jue Jue huddled by a small, isolated tank, shoulders slung together.

"Fan, what’s on your mind?" Zhu Jue finally asked.

Lin Fan scratched his head, hesitating. "Well, uh..."

"Don’t you think it’s weird for two grown men to stand arm-in-arm in front of an empty jellyfish tank?" Zhu Jue pointed at the pink-and-purple-lit tank, raising an eyebrow.

This wasn’t like Lin Fan—he usually spoke his mind.

"I was thinking..." Lin Fan glanced back at his wife and daughters, who were marveling at a crowded main exhibit.

"Could you and Yan... spend some time with Lin Anran? She’s new here, no friends her age. You guys could hang out, maybe show her around."

He fumbled, hands restless.

Zhu Jue smirked. "So you’re using us as a distraction to keep the little sister out of your hair?"

Lin Fan’s voice jumped defensively. "What? No! She’s... she’s family."

"You know how my job is. Your sister-in-law has to go to the office, and the kid can’t just stay cooped up at home all day. Going to the office isn’t an option either—she’d have nothing to do there, and being stuck inside would just make her overthink and get sick. So, I figured she needs someone to look after her. A teenage girl’s mind, especially during puberty, is something I just can’t wrap my head around."

Lin Fan lowered his voice as he spoke.

"Buddy, I’m begging you and your wife—talk to her and see if she can help out."

"Got it, man." Zhu Jue patted his shoulder.

In the jellyfish exhibit, Lin Lu and the nanny took turns holding the baby for a while before little An'an was scooped back into Lin Fan’s arms.

"Sir really can’t bear to let An'an out of his sight. Every weekend, it’s like they’re glued together," the nanny remarked, while Lin Anran, standing nearby, let out an audible scoff.

"That’s just what fathers do. Other dads spend every day with their kids."

"I’ll try to be around more too, okay, An'an?" Lin Fan wiped a bead of sweat from his little daughter’s forehead.

"Sir is switching to commuting?"

Lin Anran was staring at him in disbelief, but the nanny beat her to the question.

Lin Fan shifted his daughter from one arm to the other and glanced at his wife and child.

"Yeah, I already submitted the application this week. The advisor knows my situation, and your mom signed off as the guardian. From now on, I can come home every day," Lin Fan said with a smile.

Hearing this, Yan and Zhu Jue were stunned.

What the—Brother Fan is switching to commuting? He really keeps things under wraps until the last minute.

Noticing the couple’s expressions, Lin Fan quickly added, "I’m not giving up the dorm. On days with lighter class schedules, I’ll come home. If exams get too hectic or I need a midday break, I’ll stay on campus."

Lin Anran’s face twisted in irritation. "What a waste of resources," she muttered under her breath.

Lin Fan just grinned and kissed An'an’s cheek. "Kids change every day. How can I miss out on that? Since your mom and I can’t be full-time parents, we’ll just have to make up for it after work and school. I don’t want to miss a single step of her growth."

"Bro, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍your place is… what, a forty-minute drive, right?" Zhu Jue tried recalling Lin Fan’s home address.

"Traffic’s a nightmare. The subway only takes an hour. Guess I’ll be joining the morning rush from now on," Lin Fan said.

"I’ll need you two to keep an eye on things at school," he added, looking at Yan and Zhu Jue.

He was sure they understood what he meant.

During the recent spy bust, the couple had acted even faster than him. Especially during the chaotic arrest, their covert confirmation of each other’s identities had put Lin Fan’s mind at ease.

He never planned to leave campus, but the recent family troubles had left him exhausted and unsure of what to do.

At first, he thought it was just his wife’s distant cousin coming to stay. An extra mouth to feed at home was no big deal.

But gradually, he realized something was off.

The way "Little Sister" recoiled from him, the disappointment and disgust in her eyes, the sharp contrast between how she spoke to him and how she treated his wife.

"Little Sister" clung to his wife, tirelessly caring for their daughter while eyeing the nanny’s work with suspicion, her wariness laced with sarcasm.

During a holiday break, the nanny let slip that "Little Sister" slept with their daughter and his wife every night.

And then there was the nanny’s offhand remark: "Ning Ning seems homesick already. The other night, I went to check if An'an was asleep and heard her calling Lu Lu ‘Mommy’ in her sleep."

"Lu Lu didn’t wake her—just answered and patted her back to sleep."

The nanny’s words hit Lin Fan like a lightning bolt. Suddenly, all the inconsistencies made sense.

He was never the sharpest tool in the shed—his wife handled all the thinking in their household.

This "Little Sister" who appeared out of nowhere, her personality completely different—Lin Fan wasn’t even sure if his wife really had a cousin. Even in their past life, they’d never been close with extended family. It was just his wife’s explanation to him.

But if this was their daughter—their grown-up daughter—everything fell into place.

Maybe his wife had lied so long she’d forgotten. When they’d named their daughter, they’d debated between "Anran" and "Ning Ning."

If his wife really had a cousin named Ning Ning, why would they give their daughter the same name as a relative?

Once he realized "Little Sister" was actually his daughter, Lin Fan saw it clearly—her face was a perfect blend of his wife’s features, with his nose and ears.

But he couldn’t understand why she treated him this way.

He’d been reborn six years into the past. In the timeline he came from, he’d just commissioned Zheng Yi to investigate.

All he knew was that his wife was already gone, and their seven-year-old daughter had vanished without a trace.

Now, at least, he had one piece of good news.

In the world where he hadn’t been reborn, their Anran had grown up like this.

No matter what kind of feelings she held toward him, Lin Fan only knew one thing—this was his and his wife’s daughter.

...

"What were you two talking about just now?" Yan whispered to Jue Jue.

"I think Fan Ge already knows. He wants you to help invite her out more often... to relax." Zhu Jue tilted his chin slightly, his gaze drifting toward Lin Anran’s direction.

Yan and Jue Jue exchanged a look, understanding passing wordlessly between them.

Seriously, you three are so in sync—can’t you just talk things out yourselves?!

Ugh!

Perhaps the stuffy, overheated air inside had gotten to her, but little An'an suddenly burst into tears.

Once one child started crying, the others nearby were quick to follow, creating a chain reaction that disturbed the other visitors.

Lin Fan soothed his daughter while quickly scanning the area for an exit.

But the exhibition zone was designed with a fixed route marked on the floor, requiring visitors to follow it to the end.

He mentally retraced the layout of the aquarium’s exhibition halls, searching for emergency exits or evacuation routes.

Weaving through the crowd, they finally left the vibrant jellyfish exhibit and stepped into a bright, open space. Little An'an gradually stopped crying.

"Good girl, An'an, what’s wrong? Daddy’s here, no more tears," Lin Fan cooed, gently rocking her in circles.

They stood on a glass-enclosed platform next to escalators leading to different exhibit floors.

Lin Lu wiped the child’s tears as An'an sniffled, her nose now running. The whole family hovered around her, fussing.

The aquarium was somewhat dated. They were currently on the second-floor platform, with crowds filling the first floor, second floor, and basement. The third floor seemed to be mostly informational displays, nearly empty of visitors, so the escalators going up and down were deserted.

"Ahhhhh—!"

A sudden scream made everyone look up.

Lin Anran saw a glamorous woman—wearing a fur coat over a long dress and lace-up ankle boots—tumble down the escalator.

Her fur coat, dress, and boot laces had gotten caught in the escalator’s mechanism.

Lin Anran smirked inwardly. She knew it.

Just watch. Her "dear father" would rush to the rescue, and this beauty would fall head over heels for him, joining the ranks of potential stepmother candidates vying for his attention.

In the blink of an eye—

Two figures shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow.

Yan shouted, "Jue Jue!" and Zhu Jue immediately hit the emergency stop button. Yan dashed up the escalator like lightning. She helped the woman out of her fur coat, then pulled out a multi-tool and a folding nail clipper from her pocket, swiftly cutting away the tangled dress and shoelaces.

By the time staff arrived, the woman was already safe, clinging to Yan and thanking her repeatedly.

Lin Anran stared, dumbfounded.

How could anyone act faster than him?

Her... godparents—this speed, this efficiency—were seriously impressive!

She glanced at "him," expecting to find regret for missing the chance to play hero.

Instead, he wore a proud, almost smug expression as he cheered, "That’s my people for you!"

Their reflexes, their crisis management skills—Yan and Zhu Jue were truly the best. Absolutely top-tier!

Lin Fan, still holding An'an, pointed at Yan and Zhu Jue. "An'an, did you see how amazing your godparents are? They’re incredible."

The woman was now dealing with the staff, while Yan and Zhu Jue quietly rejoined the group, leaving without exchanging contact info, slipping away unnoticed.

Lin Anran couldn’t help but ask, "Uh... what was that thing you pulled out earlier?"

Yan fished out the compact tools from her pocket. "These?"

Lin Anran’s eyes widened. "How did security not confiscate those? Who carries that around?"

No one just walks around with pliers and convertible nail scissors, right?!

Yan shook her head. "They’re too small for security to care. These are everyday essentials. You never know when you’ll need them."

"Like stray threads on new clothes, forgotten tags, stubborn snack bags, hair caught in subway doors, shoelaces tangled in escalators, or even car accidents—they come in handy for everything."

After years of refining their go-bag, she and Jue Jue had pared it down to the absolute necessities. These tools were just mundane additions.

Lin Anran watched as Yan tucked the items back into a small pouch, catching only a fleeting glimpse of its contents.

She noticed "him" nodding in agreement. "Exactly. Always better to be prepared."

Lin Anran glanced back uneasily. Would that woman come looking for her godfather later?

"Um... could this cause trouble?"

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Misreading her concern, Yan assumed Lin Anran was worried about repercussions from the aquarium.

"Don't worry, this kind of unexpected incident actually helps the aquarium—they’ll be thanking us. There’s surveillance footage anyway," Yan said.

"We’re pretty experienced with these things," Zhu Jue chimed in.

Lin Anran stared at her "godparents." Why do they sound like seasoned pros at this?!

What kind of normal people run into so many accidents? Could it be because of them that everything in this world feels so different from the past?