7:28 p.m.
"Hey, puk-gaai dragon—has Chen Mo still not shown up?"
Swire's impatient shout snapped Ch'en Hui-chieh out of staring at the glaringly obvious message on her phone.
Expressionless, Ch'en flicked a cool glance at the nosy, fidgety Swire, then slid the phone back into her pocket.
"What? From the look on your face, do you really want to have dinner with my brother?"
"Obviously!" Swire crossed her arms and shot back. "Having dinner with a handsome man like that is way better than sitting here eating in silence with you two grown women."
She clicked her tongue, annoyed. If she hadn't heard Chen Mo would be here, she wouldn't have bothered wasting time playing a staring contest with Ch'en's stone-cold face.
Hoshiguma laughed and smoothed things over. "Alright, alright, don't get worked up, missy. Old Ch'en—did something come up for him?"
Ch'en gave a small nod. "He said he's meeting up with friends. He won't be coming tonight."
"Huh?" Swire frowned. "Friends? He only just got out from under the gangs' thumb—where would he even get friends?"
Then, as if a thought struck her, she narrowed her eyes at Ch'en, who was about to start eating.
"Don't tell me you mean Penguin Logistics."
At the words Penguin Logistics, Ch'en's brow tightened instinctively. To be honest, she didn't want Chen Mo getting too involved with a bunch of women who treated rules like a joke.
"Other than them," she said flatly, "he doesn't really know anyone else."
So it really was Penguin Logistics who'd snatched him first.
Swire slumped onto the table, chin in hand, bored to death.
"Penguin Logistics… tsk. Can't believe they got there first."
"…What exactly are you implying?" Ch'en's tone chilled.
"What do you think?" Swire's lips curled into a knowing smile, tiger canines peeking as she spoke with relish. "A bunch of young women with hormones on overdrive invite a good-looking man out to dinner late at night—what do you think their goal is?"
Ch'en's brows drew even tighter.
Swire leaned in, smiling sweetly like she was innocently asking a question.
"Don't tell me you're the type who actually believes men and women can just be 'pure friends,' Cheung-fun dragon?"
"…"
An image rose uninvited in Ch'en's mind—
Exusiai, dressed in something absurdly flashy, grinning like an idiot, pulling up on an aggressively customized neon motorcycle, then clapping Ch'en on the shoulder with that insufferably overfamiliar energy and saying:
Hey, old-timer—my little ghost-rider bike's parked under your building. That okay?
Bang—!
"Wha—Ch'en Hui-chieh, what the hell is wrong with you?!"
Swire sprang up, furious, as Ch'en abruptly stood and knocked over dishes and bowls in one motion. Swire grabbed tissues, frantically wiping food stains off her clothes.
"If you don't give me a reason, then this dinner is—hey, hey! Where are you going?! Come back!"
Ch'en was already gone—running so fast she vanished from Swire and Hoshiguma's sight.
Swire's wiping slowed, confusion replacing anger.
"Did she swallow a bomb or something?"
"…Yeah," Hoshiguma said, looking after Ch'en with a grin. "And you hand-fed it to her, missy."
Remembering how stiff and rule-bound Ch'en used to be, Hoshiguma couldn't help laughing at how completely she'd lost her composure.
"Forget Old Ch'en. Let's eat."
…
The "End of the Earth" Bar
8:57 p.m.
Exusiai tugged nervously at a collar that felt like it was choking her. Her eyes kept darting toward the door behind her.
"Are you sure this plan works, Sora?" she whispered. "Isn't it… a little too casual?"
"Too casual?" Sora tilted her head. "Based on how you all describe Mr. Chen Mo, do you really think he's the type of man who enjoys 'romantic atmosphere' and elaborate ceremony?"
Exusiai pictured Chen Mo's rough-and-ready, anything-goes demeanor—and couldn't refute it. Still, unease lingered.
"Yeah, but I just feel like—"
Her sentence was cut off by an ear-splitting penguin squawk.
"Enough! Why are you so damn long-winded?" Emperor waddled over on his tiny legs, glaring up at her. "Who was it that swore—right in front of all of us—that you'd take that kid down?"
He looked her over from top to bottom. Today, Exusiai was actually dressed properly—clean, sharp, put together.
Emperor nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad. Looks decent. Now, per the plan: once the man arrives, we quietly withdraw, and you'll be left here alone to face the enemy."
Croissant walked over as well, dragging a stone-faced Texas along with her. She patted Exusiai's stiff shoulder, grinning.
"Come on, Exusiai—show us what a real woman looks like! Right, Texas?"
"Mm." Texas's expression didn't change. "I'm looking forward to your performance."
Even you, Texas?!
Exusiai stared at her coworkers and boss—everyone smiling brightly except Texas—and felt like she might cry.
God help her. She'd invited Chen Mo tonight to thank him, genuinely. It was just that earlier, after a bit too much drinking, she'd run her mouth and bragged to everyone that Chen Mo would definitely fall for her.
These shameless troublemakers had immediately started cheering and egging her on. And Exusiai—heated, flushed, and swept up in the noise—had agreed under the barrage of teasing and praise.
Now she was sober.
And now she couldn't back out.
She wasn't going to pretend she felt nothing. She did like Chen Mo. After he saved Texas yesterday, her affection for that man who could so easily tug at people's heartstrings had shot up even faster.
If you ignored her drunken boasting, maybe—maybe in the future, after spending more time with him, she really would make up her mind and pursue him seriously.
But right now…
Exusiai tugged at the collar again, struggling to breathe. As she realized Chen Mo was probably getting closer, she started retreating mentally, whispering:
"Um… maybe we just call it off tonight—"
"Chen Mo's here!" Emperor barked. "Go, Exusiai!"
W-Wait! This is the final boss already?! At least let me grind a few levels first!
Her heart was pounding so hard it was ridiculous. She couldn't calm down at all.
Click—
The door opened slowly.
Before the man appeared, his horns did.
A moment later, Chen Mo leaned his head in from behind the door, scanning the room with curiosity as everyone from Penguin Logistics turned to look at him.
"…What are you all trying to pull?"
Pink lighting. Dim ambience. Easy, soothing music.
And most conspicuously—
Exusiai, cleaned up and looking unusually crisp and cool.
Faced with the scene, Chen Mo didn't even dare step inside.
"You're Chen Mo?" Emperor, unlike Sora's wide-eyed awe, marched straight up without hesitation and yanked Chen Mo in.
"Thanks for yesterday. If it weren't for you, my two useless employees would've been—wait."
He pushed Chen Mo down into the seat beside Exusiai—who was sitting rigid, too terrified to even turn her head.
Then Emperor stopped, stared Chen Mo up and down, and spoke in a strangely wary tone.
"Exusiai… are you into high-difficulty challenges now? You do know what his background is, right?"
"…Hahaha. Boss, what are you even talking about?" Exusiai laughed stiffly, too fast, too fake.
Even Chen Mo could feel something was off.
Emperor didn't press her further. Instead, he waved to the others.
"Whatever. You two talk. Texas and the rest of us have something to discuss."
He led Croissant and the others to the sofa not far away, making a show of creating a relaxed, casual atmosphere.
Chen Mo, increasingly confused, flicked his tail once and turned toward Exusiai—who was still at the bar, eyes darting everywhere except at him.
"…Why does it feel like you all set this up like some kind of confession scene?"
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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