"Don't be so mad, Ch'en. Exusiai talks a big game, sure—always secretly fantasizing and running her mouth about me."
Chen Mo planted his hands on his hips and lifted his chin. Behind him, his dragon tail swayed cheerfully.
"But if I actually let her sleep with me, she wouldn't even dare touch me."
That delinquent angel was the textbook definition of "all lust, no courage." If it were some other woman with real follow-through, she would've taken full advantage of a man like Chen Mo—who practically handed out benefits for free—until she was satisfied.
Instead, Exusiai had known him for ages and still only dared to hold his hand. And even then, she always asked permission first.
At this rate, she was going to get played sooner or later.
"Chen Mo!"
Ch'en Hui-chieh's temple veins visibly jumped at his shameless, zero-embarrassment commentary.
She immediately jabbed a finger toward Talulah—who was also clearly displeased nearby—and snapped:
"Exusiai can't beat you, so you can tease her all you want without worrying about consequences. But what if one day you run into a woman like Talulah?!"
"Huh?"
Talulah blinked, caught off guard, but Ch'en Hui-chieh didn't even spare her a glance. She took a breath and continued, voice sharp with anger:
"Do you have to wait until a strong woman like Talulah pins you down on a bed, and you lose your virtue—and then you're hiding under the covers crying—before you finally learn?!"
"Wow, Ch'en. You sound like you've got experience."
You—
Ch'en Hui-chieh clenched her jaw, chanting in her head that the idiot in front of her was her brother and a man and she couldn't just beat him into paste.
With great effort, she swallowed the rage and turned away, refusing to acknowledge him further.
Then she noticed Talulah standing there, dazed—staring at her.
Ch'en Hui-chieh's brow furrowed instantly.
"What? Talulah—don't tell me you're actually imagining it."
"…No," Talulah said quickly, turning her gaze aside. "You're overthinking."
She flicked a glance past Ch'en Hui-chieh to Chen Mo, who was watching with a bright, amused smile, clearly enjoying the show. Talulah's expression tightened, and she forced the conversation elsewhere.
"It's getting late, Hui-chieh. I—"
"Wait. I'm not done talking."
As always, Ch'en Hui-chieh cut her off with ruthless efficiency. She pointed toward the distance, where a group of Infected stood packed and ready with bags and supplies.
"Since you're here, I had some people brought over—people you'll need."
"They all want to join your organization. One of my former superiors is even leading them."
"If you're willing to take them, take them. If not, I'll find another arrangement."
Talulah looked over.
The Infected were neatly dressed, alert, and in good spirits. Some carried the unmistakable look of people who trained regularly.
"You're sending people to monitor me, Hui-chieh?"
Before Talulah could fully process it, Chen Mo slid up beside her with a grin and hooked her arm like he was clinging to his favorite pillow.
"You're still worrying about that, sis?" he said lightly. "Reunion's basically unbeatable with you and Patriot around."
Ch'en Hui-chieh's eyebrow twitched at the sight.
"And besides, do you really think Ch'en has any 'ulterior motives' toward you?" Chen Mo added.
"…I was overthinking," Ch'en Hui-chieh said, voice flattening again. "Sorry."
"As long as you accept them, that's enough. If you take them in, they'll be happy—and I'll worry less about your safety."
"Go on," she said curtly. "Don't keep your people waiting."
Chen Mo nodded. For once, he reached out and patted Talulah's head—an uncharacteristically gentle gesture.
"Come back and visit when you can. Lungmen is still your home, sis."
"And if you run into trouble, contact us. No hesitation."
He paused, mildly surprised at himself.
Huh. Patting someone's head actually feels… kind of nice. No wonder Talulah likes ruffling my hair so much.
Talulah, however, looked distinctly unamused.
A woman's head wasn't something you just patted whenever you pleased—even if the offender was her most beloved little brother.
She reached up, caught the hand that was messing with her horns, and held it firmly.
Then, right in front of Ch'en Hui-chieh, she pulled Chen Mo into her arms.
Ch'en Hui-chieh's expression turned razor-sharp.
"I'm sorry, Xiao Mo," Talulah murmured. "We only had a few days together… and I'm leaving again."
Her dragon tail slid around his, the warmth of her breath brushing his ear.
"Forgive me—for being such an irresponsible sister."
"Fine, fine. You're forgiven," Chen Mo said, lightly wriggling free. "But seriously, sis—aren't you being a little melodramatic? This is cheesy."
He smiled at her face—so close and so similar to his own.
"Alright. Enough talking. This isn't how the 'fighter Talulah' is supposed to act. Go—don't keep Patriot and the others waiting."
"…Looks like my little brother isn't the careless, loudmouthed 'acts-like-a-woman' kind of man I imagined," Talulah said with a faint curve to her lips. "You're actually pretty considerate."
She leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.
The damp warmth made Chen Mo itch a little, but he didn't refuse. When the soft, pudding-like sensation withdrew, he grinned shamelessly.
"Exusiai wasn't wrong about you being a brother-obsessed freak. Hey, sis—want to kiss somewhere else too?"
"…Stop hanging around Exusiai, Xiao Mo," Talulah said, eyes shifting away with a rare flicker of embarrassment. "She'll corrupt you."
Then she stepped back, finally letting him go, and smiled at both Chen Mo and Ch'en Hui-chieh.
"Leave a room for me. Next time I come back to Lungmen, I don't want to end up sleeping on Xiao Mo's living-room couch again."
"Of course," Ch'en Hui-chieh replied.
Talulah moved forward and gave Ch'en Hui-chieh a brief, careful hug—her little sister's body stiff as a board the entire time—then turned and walked off with the new recruits, heading into the distance.
As Talulah's figure grew smaller and smaller, Ch'en Hui-chieh's voice returned—cold and dangerously calm.
"Now that she's gone… Brother, you can explain yourself properly. You—"
She stopped.
There was no sound beside her.
A chill ran down her spine. Ch'en Hui-chieh turned sharply—and saw only one thing:
A white-haired drake woman moving farther and farther away… at a full sprint.
You think you can run?
Ch'en Hui-chieh let out a soft snort.
Under the fearful-yet-reverent gazes of the nearby officers, she didn't rush. She simply started walking—unhurried, inevitable—after the direction Chen Mo had fled.
5:38 p.m.
End of the Earth Bar.
"Cheers!"
Exusiai slammed back expensive red wine like it was water. Her cheeks were flushed bright red, and her face practically radiated joy.
"Hehehe—just thinking that I can chase my idol openly now makes me ridiculously happy!"
Especially when she remembered what Chen Mo had said—as long as she worked hard, she might get to really go at it with him.
Just imagining the scene made her so excited she downed another full bottle. Even her halo shimmered with a rosy glow.
Croissant watched, baffled.
"Is it really that big a deal?"
"Hmph. Let me tell you what happened this afternoon…"
At the bar counter, Exusiai was already animatedly boasting to Croissant and Sora. On the couch, Texas sat apart—silent, out of place, saying nothing.
The gray wolf lowered her gaze to the scale in her hand and unconsciously rubbed it with her index finger.
Cold. Smooth. And with a Lupo's heightened sense of smell, she could clearly catch the lingering, strangely enticing scent that hadn't faded from the surface.
…Looks like that man takes very good care of his tail.
"A drake's tail scale? That's a good thing."
The sudden voice made Texas jerk. She immediately stuffed the scale into her pocket, then straightened and gave a respectful nod toward the small, round penguin that had appeared beside her without warning.
"Boss."
Emperor waved a wing, unconcerned.
"Keep it safe. There are only a few drakes still alive on this land. Who knows—maybe one day you can sell it to some pharmaceutical company and make a killing."
Texas didn't answer, but the words hit like a stabilizing shot, calming the indecision that had been turning quietly inside her since earlier.
Something this valuable…
For now, it should stay with her.
With that thought, Texas slid her hand into her waistband pocket and—almost without noticing—closed her fingers around the scale's excellent, addictive texture.
....
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