"Talulah…?"
No way. They hadn't seen each other for over ten years—how could she possibly show up here without the slightest hint or warning?
But the doubt was swept away almost immediately, replaced by a surge of overwhelming emotion.
Under the shocked stares of the other two, the blonde woman lunged at Chen Mo, throwing her arms around him. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes as she kept smacking his back with her right hand.
"You… you idiot! Where the hell have you been for over ten years? You didn't come back even once to see us!"
"How have you been lately? Do you want me to—"
Bang—!
Before she could finish, the blonde woman—still chattering like family—was suddenly kicked hard by a long leg from the side. She folded like a shrimp and went flying.
"Pwah—!"
Her pained cry rang out from behind the sofa she'd been launched over.
Chen Mo scratched at one of his horns, looking at Ch'en, who stood in front of him with a blank expression.
"Was that really necessary, Ch'en?"
"No. This brain-short-circuiting char siu cat—can't you tell the difference between you and her? She did it on purpose."
Hearing that, Swire immediately exploded. With a cushion perched on her head, she popped up from behind the sofa, her cute face blazing with anger.
"Rice-roll dragon, I've put up with you for a long time! If it weren't for the fact Talulah finally came back—"
She froze mid-rant.
"…Huh? You're not Talulah?"
Only now—after getting too excited and only looking at his face—did Swire finally take a proper look at Chen Mo, who was smiling and greeting her.
"I'm Ch'en's older brother. Just call me Chen Mo."
Chen Mo?
A completely unfamiliar name.
And still… how was it possible? This person looked so much like Talulah.
Was he Talulah's brother? Swire had never heard Ch'en mention Talulah having a biological brother.
…Wait. A brother?!
The moment Swire realized she'd just thrown herself at a man, her expression went rigid. She stood up slowly, then bowed deeply toward Chen Mo in a full-on apology.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I mistook you for someone else—please, please forgive me!"
She was such an idiot. Those horns and that tail—so obviously different from Talulah's—and she hadn't noticed at all.
And now that she looked carefully… the sharper, more alluring lines of his face, and that completely flat chest—everything screamed that the person she'd just hugged was male.
As a senior officer, she'd just molested a man right inside the Lungmen Guard Department headquarters. She could already imagine coworkers whispering behind her back that she was some kind of sex-crazed woman.
Swire's face turned deathly pale. Head lowered, she let out a small, miserable whimper.
…Was this going to be a full-on social death?
"It's fine, it's fine. I forgive you," Chen Mo said easily, tail swaying behind him in good spirits. "And Ch'en, stop glaring at her. It's kind of pitiful."
He hadn't lost anything. At worst, other people would think Swire got the better deal, and he took the 'silent loss.'
Besides, watching this pampered heiress apologizing so desperately just because she hugged him once—Chen Mo honestly found it pretty funny.
But Chen Mo could afford not to care.
Ch'en could not.
That icy stare made Swire—who'd been about to come over and chat—instinctively shrink her neck back.
"Write a self-reflection. Turn it in before tomorrow."
"I-I know! Even if you didn't remind me, I'd do it!"
Swire huffed, turned her head away, and immediately stopped acknowledging Ch'en's cold face. Instead, her eyes lit up as she started chatting up Chen Mo enthusiastically.
"So where are you staying right now? Do you have a girlfriend? Oh—right, do you know where Talulah is now?"
When Swire was a kid, she'd always thought Talulah would absolutely wreck the world if she ever wore men's clothes—women would fall over themselves.
Now she'd met a real "male Talulah," and sure enough, the charm was ridiculous.
Tch. Even she was feeling a little moved.
Chen Mo had no idea what this little tiger was thinking. He just shrugged.
"Sorry, but I really don't know where Talulah is."
"…I see."
Disappointed, Swire tossed the emotion aside almost instantly.
If Talulah's "relative" had appeared, then Talulah coming back to see them wasn't impossible either.
But just as Swire was excitedly about to keep talking, Hoshiguma interrupted with a light cough.
"Ahem. How about we eat out for lunch today?"
As she spoke, Hoshiguma quietly pointed behind Swire.
Swire paused—then immediately understood.
"Uh… I'll go book a table first."
Under Ch'en's expressionless gaze, Swire forced herself to look calm and hurried out of the office.
Only after that golden figure completely vanished from Ch'en's sight did Ch'en speak again, voice low and cold.
"I don't want you treating my words like background noise, Chen Mo."
"Swire isn't a bad person. But if a woman with ulterior motives really comes near you—are you still going to let her get close like you did today—"
"I'll burn her to ash."
Chen Mo cut her off, irritated, thumbing at himself.
"Ch'en, did you forget where I used to work—and what my codename was?"
Ch'en looked at his beautiful face and finally remembered: this man wasn't some decorative vase.
He was the "Fire Dragon" who made countless gangs tremble. Handling "bad women" was not something she needed to teach him.
She really had let worry scramble her brain.
But—
"No matter what, as a man you must learn to keep your distance from women. I want you to remember that, brother."
Chen Mo raised both hands in surrender and nodded obediently.
"No problem. I'll listen to you."
Truthfully, he liked getting close to and talking with people from the game world—but for now, he'd follow his "cheap little sister's" wishes.
Seeing him stop brushing her off, Ch'en finally softened and gave him a rare smile.
"Let's go."
Still as concise as ever.
After Ch'en walked ahead, Hoshiguma stepped up beside Chen Mo and spoke quietly.
"I've known Ch'en for a long time. I've never seen her care this much about anyone."
"And don't be fooled by her usual poker face—like everyone owes her a few million Lungmen dollars. She's actually kind-hearted. She just doesn't know how to express it."
"So don't take her lecturing too seriously, Chen Mo. Once you spend more time together, you'll understand—Ch'en is a good woman. Responsible, and soft inside."
Chen Mo stroked his chin and stared at Hoshiguma for a long moment—so long that she started wondering if she'd said something wrong—before he suddenly spoke.
"I didn't expect you, Hoshiguma. You're built like a wall, but you're really good at comforting people."
Hoshiguma burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha. When the dragon and the tiger go at it, even ghosts get a headache. If I didn't know how to smooth things over, those two would've fought who-knows-how-many times by now."
With her massive triangular shield, Hoshiguma walked ahead—blocking countless curious looks aimed at Chen Mo.
"Come on. Don't keep those two waiting."
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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