"Chen Mo!"
Ch'en Hui-chieh stormed straight up to him, fury written all over her face. The next second, an overwhelming torrent of scolding crashed down like a wave.
"I thought you'd learned your lesson after coming back to Lungmen. But I didn't expect that in just one day—one day—you'd be tangled up with Reunion again!"
"If nobody had reported it, I'd still be kept in the dark, not knowing my own brother had once again stepped into danger!"
"Why can't you let me worry a little less? Do you have any idea how much I've been worried about you?!"
She berated him at full volume without caring who was watching. Exusiai quietly shuffled sideways, trying hard not to draw Ch'en Hui-chieh's attention.
Sir Ch'en really was as terrifying as ever… thank goodness I wasn't here earlier.
"Alright, alright—stop yelling, Ch'en. Keep yelling and you'll scare the kid stupid."
Seeing she still wasn't letting up, Chen Mo flicked his wrist and—swift as lightning—placed Ch'en Hui-chieh's palm on top of his own head.
Her voice cut off instantly.
Noticing how effective it was, Chen Mo shamelessly leaned into it, rubbing his head against her hand like a cat.
"And also—who was the jerk who reported this? I was having a perfectly harmonious sparring match with Reunion. How did that turn into 'I started a conflict with Reunion'?"
"Uh… sorry about that. I didn't realize you and those infected were actually on pretty good terms."
Chen Mo turned his head.
Standing there was a tattoo-armed "big shot," scratching his cheek with an awkward grin.
"…If you saw everything, why didn't you come out and help me?"
"Aiya, you know who I am. If I came out to help you, Lungmen wouldn't get a peaceful day ever again."
Nian chuckled sheepishly, then pulled an elegant silver-black longsword—still in its sheath—from behind her back and tossed it over.
"Catch."
Chen Mo's attention instantly snapped away from Ch'en Hui-chieh's hand. He caught the sword and started stroking it up and down with delighted surprise.
But the more he touched it, the more confused he looked. He lifted his head.
"Feels… the same as before?"
"Haha. You'll understand when you actually need it. For now, don't worry about that."
Nian winked and tipped her chin toward Ch'en Hui-chieh.
Chen Mo immediately turned back, flashing a radiant smile at his silent, visibly restrained little sister.
"My dear little sister—since the misunderstanding's cleared up, can we go see Talulah off now?"
"…Talulah is leaving Lungmen today?"
Chen Mo nodded like his life depended on it, putting on an obedient, well-behaved expression.
"Yep, yep. So don't worry about me right now—go see Talulah one last time, okay?"
He made it sound like she was about to die.
Ch'en Hui-chieh knew exactly what her brother was doing. She shot him a glare and decided she'd deal with him properly later—after all, she had plenty of time.
But then—
"What's with Exusiai? Why is she here?"
Exusiai stiffened, her whole body trembling. With a dirty, soot-smeared face, she forced a shaky smile.
"G-good afternoon, Sir Ch'en… I was just… out for a walk. Just walking around."
Absolutely cannot let Sir Ch'en find out what happened earlier. If she does, I'll never survive in Lungmen again.
Unlike Talulah—the obsessive brothercon lunatic—Ch'en Hui-chieh was strict, public-spirited, and famously hardline. In front of her, Exusiai didn't dare act even a little arrogant. She behaved like the most law-abiding citizen in the city.
"Out for a walk?" Ch'en Hui-chieh gave a cold snort, sweeping her gaze across the scorched ground and obvious burn marks. "Interesting taste, Exusiai—taking a stroll in a place like this."
"Now talk. Or I'll—"
"Enough, Hui-chieh. I'm the one who asked her here."
Ch'en Hui-chieh looked over.
Talulah was approaching—along with another Penguin Logistics employee.
Ch'en Hui-chieh's brows knitted tightly.
Since when did Talulah get along with Penguin Logistics people so well?
Then something clicked.
Her eyes snapped to the burn marks on Exusiai's body—then to the unmistakable bullet impact marks on Talulah's waist and clothing.
…No way.
Her gaze slid to Texas, whose face was as calm and indifferent as ever.
Ch'en Hui-chieh didn't bother giving her sister any face at all. She demanded immediately:
"Talulah—what stunt are you pulling this time?"
Talulah lifted a finger and pointed at Exusiai.
"Instead of asking me, why didn't you tell me from the beginning that this Sankta has designs on Xiao Mo?"
Exusiai, now being stared at by two of Chen Mo's family members at once, waved weakly with a nervous smile.
Ch'en Hui-chieh glanced at her, then didn't bother denying anything. She stepped in close to Talulah, eyes locked with her sister's.
"This is a minor issue I can handle myself. I don't need you involving yourself."
"You should be focusing on preparing what you need for departure—not wasting effort on this kind of nonsense!"
You're the one insisting on leaving Lungmen with Reunion in the first place—so why are you still meddling in petty problems? This is exactly the sort of thing I—
"But she said it to my face," Talulah interrupted, sounding almost wronged. "She said… she'd make Xiao Mo marry her. So I tested her."
"…So it really was that."
Ch'en Hui-chieh's face darkened.
Talulah had lived too long inside violence—her thinking was starting to rot. Using force as a "test"… it was insanity.
And "lifelong partner," "marriage," all that talk—
Exusiai couldn't possibly—
…Wait.
Ch'en Hui-chieh's eyes sharpened.
"Talulah. What did you just say?"
"That useless, jobless delinquent actually wants to marry Chen Mo?"
Talulah, for the moment, didn't answer.
Her attention was on something else—on Texas, who had calmly walked to Exusiai's side and, notably, had not handed back the scale Talulah had given her.
Talulah's worry finally loosened.
Good.
That ice-cold Lupo wouldn't be as impulsive and lust-driven as Exusiai. With Texas in the picture, Talulah could finally stop looking over her shoulder.
Now she just had to soothe the suddenly furious Ch'en Hui-chieh.
Talulah grabbed Ch'en Hui-chieh's wrist, preventing her from doing anything violent. Then she shot Exusiai—still frozen in place—a sharp look.
"What are you standing there for? Leave."
"If you don't let go of me, Talulah—! That woman dares to harbor thoughts like that. If I don't crush that idea out of her today, I won't call myself Ch'en!"
Exusiai, deeply moved by Talulah "protecting" her, nodded hard.
"Thanks, Sister Talulah!"
Certain she'd passed the test and earned Talulah's approval, Exusiai promptly grabbed Texas—who clearly seemed distracted—and bolted.
As she ran, she still didn't forget to shout back at Chen Mo, who was watching like it was a show:
"I'll come find you again later, Chen Mo! Watch your phone!"
"God, you're so cringe…" Chen Mo laughed, waving at her. "And stop sending me those pervy, disgusting messages, you horny angel!"
Ch'en Hui-chieh trembled with rage.
"Brother—how are you this familiar with a law-breaking delinquent like that?!"
Does Chen Mo… actually like this type?
The thought surfaced in her mind—and she violently shook her head, as if trying to fling it out of her skull.
Under Talulah and Chen Mo's puzzled stares, Ch'en Hui-chieh made a decision.
She didn't like it.
But for her brother's future happiness—
She needed to speak with that man about Chen Mo's relationship situation.
....
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