Terra Calendar 1096, March 4
4:38 p.m., Clear
Lungmen — Upper District, beside the commercial street
"I really shouldn't have stormed out in a fit of pride…"
With her gun slung behind her back, Exusiai was regretting everything. If she'd been just a little thicker-skinned, she could've dragged Texas and the others out with her to bolster her courage.
But there was no backing out now. She was out of time—and she didn't want to leave a bad impression on her "future sister-in-law."
Even though, realistically, she'd already stamped desperate and horny into Talulah's mind yesterday.
Tap—
Crisp footsteps sounded behind her, followed by that familiar, oppressive heat.
Exusiai whirled around. The same calm, unreadable face met her eyes. She swallowed, forcing a stiff smile.
"Good afternoon, Talulah. So… why did you call me out here, exactly—"
"Aren't you already guessing?" Talulah replied.
Her eyes flicked once to the gun on Exusiai's back. Without another word, she turned and began walking away.
"Follow me."
Exusiai nodded on reflex and hurried after her, trying—very carefully—to make conversation.
"Um… where's Chen Mo?"
"Before we've even started, you're already that impatient to taste my brother's body?" Talulah said flatly.
Exusiai shook her head so hard her halo almost looked unstable, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
"No, no—That's not what I meant! I just haven't seen him in a while. I only wanted to know where he is."
"You know his address," Talulah said, not even looking back. "If you want to see him, you can go anytime."
Fine. After today, even if I have to force my way— I'll—
Exusiai cut the thought off at the root. She wasn't actually that kind of scum.
It was just… a couple of shameless fantasies in her head, purely to keep her nerves from exploding.
Talulah clearly didn't think Exusiai had the guts to do anything, because after brushing her off, she continued leading the way—steadily taking Exusiai farther from the city center.
As foot traffic thinned and the surroundings grew quieter, Exusiai's expression tightened. She drew her gun into her hands, grip firm.
Is she taking me somewhere secluded to erase me?
Suddenly—
"I'm not like my younger sister, Hui-chieh," Talulah said, her voice breaking the tense silence. "I don't have material requirements for you."
Exusiai blinked, momentarily stunned.
Before she could respond, Talulah continued.
"Because I'm the same kind of person—rootless, constantly in danger. An irresponsible older sister."
"So I won't be as harsh on you as she is."
Exusiai's face lit up. "I knew it! Talulah, you're definitely—"
"But I still have a requirement," Talulah cut in.
She stopped.
By now, she'd led Exusiai near Lungmen's outskirts. Talulah turned, raised three fingers, and spoke with absolute seriousness.
"Three minutes."
"As long as you last three minutes against me, I'll give you preliminary recognition—permit you to spend time with Chen Mo, within a level of physical contact I can accept."
Exusiai's eyelid twitched. "Can I ask what you mean by 'a level of physical contact you can accept'?"
Talulah considered, then answered earnestly:
"Holding hands. Nothing else is allowed."
Exusiai nearly choked.
You possessive lunatic. You deranged little-brother-obsessed control freak.
So she was supposed to risk her life fighting a red dragon… for a reward she already had?
Exusiai wanted to point at Talulah's face and ask what the point of all this was if she couldn't even get him into bed—but she wasn't suicidal. If she said that out loud, Talulah would incinerate her on the spot, and Chen Mo would look down at her with pure contempt.
…Though, to be fair, the idea of Chen Mo looking at her with disgust was also doing strange things to her brain.
"If you've accepted my proposal," Talulah said, "then let's begin."
Sching—
Talulah slowly drew her black sword.
Just as she was about to speak again—likely to tell Exusiai to prepare herself—a razor-cold sheet of frost suddenly sealed the sword's edge in ice, cutting her off mid-thought.
"Talulah. You're attacking Lungmen citizens within Lungmen jurisdiction."
"What exactly do you think you're doing?"
"…Weird. Where did Talulah go? Didn't she say she'd meet Exusiai here?"
Chen Mo lounged in a café booth, tail swaying as he scanned the surroundings. Still no sign of either of them.
But he did spot Texas—lurking like she was trying to blend into the wallpaper.
Chen Mo didn't overthink it. He walked up and patted the gray wolf on the shoulder.
"Afternoon, Texas. What are you doing here?"
Texas didn't answer. She merely glanced back at him once, then turned away and started to leave.
Chen Mo immediately grabbed her hand.
"Hey, hey—what's that supposed to mean? I'm a pretty popular guy, you know. Why do you react to me like I'm Kroos from Rhodes Island—see me and run?"
Texas's brow tightened.
This man was as troublesome as ever.
But she didn't dare shake him off.
People nearby were already sneaking looks, whispering like she was some heartless woman about to abandon him.
With Chen Mo's personality, if she made a scene and threw him off, he would absolutely put on a performance right there—tearfully accusing her of being a scumbag who "dumped him and ran."
And she was wearing Penguin Logistics' uniform.
The company had already been dragged into enough drama because of this man. She wasn't adding more trouble for the boss.
The only reason Texas wasn't giving Chen Mo a cold glare and snapping at him was because, inconveniently, he counted as a friend—and as someone who had saved her life.
Otherwise, Texas the Lone Wolf was not known for patience.
She looked away, voice icy and flat.
"Do you seriously not know what your sister is meeting Exusiai for?"
"I mean… I know it's to talk about me," Chen Mo said, still refusing to let go of her hand. "But I don't see them anywhere."
He thought for a moment, then muttered to himself.
"Don't tell me my sister's going to do something that old-fashioned—like testing whether Exusiai's sincere with brute force?"
"…If you already know," Texas said, "then let go. Or do you want to watch your sister burn Exusiai to ash?"
Chen Mo opened his mouth, about to say Talulah wouldn't go that far.
Then he remembered something else.
His sister had read Exusiai's messages.
Those long, shameless, borderline criminal love-letters that belonged in a moderator's evidence folder.
Chen Mo's expression hardened. He nodded sharply.
"Texas, I'm begging you. Exusiai is horny, timid, broke, and she doesn't even have a tail—but she's still my friend. Take me to them. I'll stop this."
For the briefest moment, Texas's face almost cracked.
But she did as he asked—pulling his hand and sprinting in the direction Exusiai had gone.
If Exusiai ever found out how her "male idol" actually described her, no one could predict what kind of meltdown she'd have.
....
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