The moment Ch'en Hui-chieh slid into the back seat of the black sedan, Lady Wen Yue asked impatiently, "So who's that boy?"
It was a question she already knew the answer to.
After Swire had let slip that "Little Ch'en" might be falling in love, Lady Wen Yue had quietly assigned Bai Xue to keep an eye on her.
And within days, a white-haired young man named Su Yi entered her field of view.
According to the investigation, he worked for Penguin Logistics. His background was unclear. He'd only obtained Lungmen residency a few months ago. In daily life he frequently acted like a chivalrous do-gooder, helping others.
Of course, he also racked up a fair number of traffic violations.
"A friend," Ch'en said curtly, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
"When did you meet?" Lady Wen Yue pressed.
"Early this month."
"More precisely—December 1st, right?" Lady Wen Yue smiled.
Ch'en's fur practically stood on end. She hissed, "How do you know that?"
"I did a little digging." Lady Wen Yue's smile deepened. "The earliest record I found was actually on the 2nd—when you signed off so Su Yi could go to the detention center and pick someone up.
"But why would you help him?
"I raised you myself. I know your temperament better than anyone. So I dug a little further back… and then I saw the surveillance footage of him carrying you into the emergency room."
Ch'en pressed a hand to her head as the bad memories resurfaced.
She'd thought that episode was long buried—only for Lady Wen Yue to excavate her black history with surgical precision.
Lady Wen Yue continued, unhurried. "I also asked the doctors and nurses on duty that day. They all said Su Yi's lips were split and bleeding… Little Ch'en, that was you, wasn't it?"
Ch'en had no strength left to argue. She nodded and gave a faint "Mm."
Still, she tried to defend herself: "I thought I could control myself…"
"But you couldn't, because he's too handsome, right?" Lady Wen Yue's smile sharpened, as if no secret could hide from her.
"Auntie, I'm begging you—can we please stop?" Ch'en clasped her hands together, pleading.
No wonder her once-arrogant uncle turned docile as a kitten in front of his wife.
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. She almost felt sorry for Wei Yenwu.
"All right, all right." Lady Wen Yue relented. "Bai Xue, drive. Take us to the Lungmen Guard Department."
"Yes, Princess."
From the driver's seat, Bai Xue started the engine, and the sedan merged smoothly into traffic.
Lady Wen Yue shifted, unable to conceal her excitement. "Talk to me about that boy."
Ever since marrying Wei Yenwu, she'd rarely had the chance to indulge in romance gossip.
After all, the women around her were either ice blocks like Bai Xue—or shallow socialites who only talked about clothes and handbags, the sort you couldn't truly connect with. She'd been suffocating for years.
Now she'd finally found a juicy "melon" on her niece. How could she not eat to her heart's content?
"You're misunderstanding." Ch'en sounded resigned. "Su Yi and I aren't like that. We're just friends. We meet occasionally—and it's only because I ask him to assist with investigations."
"You've already kissed, and you still think you can be 'just friends'?" Lady Wen Yue looked unconvinced. "Wei Yenwu used to feed me the same line—first it was all 'little sister,' and then 'purple really has a certain charm.'"
"After that day, nothing happened between me and Su Yi!" Ch'en bristled. "Or do you think I'm that… casual?"
"You're in your twenties—nearly thirty," Lady Wen Yue deadpanned. "And you still call yourself a 'girl.'"
Then she added, "That said, your taste in men isn't bad. Nobody under that fat penguin is simple. He's just… still a little worse than mine."
"That's not necessarily true."
Ch'en's face darkened immediately.
A little worse than you?
In looks. In righteousness. In character. How exactly was Su Yi inferior to her cold-blooded, unfeeling uncle?!
Seeing her niece take the bait, Lady Wen Yue curved her lips and deliberately provoked, "Little Ch'en, you're young—you never saw Yenwu's brilliance back then, the way he could command the room with a single call. That presence alone isn't something your little boyfriend can compare to."
Ch'en sneered. "Murdering his brother, forcing his sister, losing his own niece—there really aren't many in the world who can compete with him."
"Attacking Yenwu doesn't prove Su Yi is outstanding."
"…You're fishing for my words?" Ch'en narrowed her eyes.
"You figured it out that fast?" Lady Wen Yue nodded in approval. "Good. You've improved. But you've already cursed him out, so you owe me something about Su Yi.
"Otherwise, we can go right back to the December 1st topic."
"…Fine." Ch'en exhaled. "I lose."
Under overwhelming pressure, she began to describe Su Yi as she saw him.
Lady Wen Yue listened in silence, while Bai Xue—very tactfully—raised the window to keep outside noise from disturbing them.
"He does sound like a decent young man." Lady Wen Yue nodded. "So how do you see him?"
"It doesn't matter. And don't try to set me up with him." Ch'en's voice hardened. "I'm infected. It can't work."
Lady Wen Yue reached for her hand, trying to offer courage through touch.
"Once, plenty of people said Yenwu and I were impossible too."
Ch'en pulled her hand away. "It's not the same, Auntie. You loved each other."
She looked out the window and said, distinctly, "And I don't feel that way about Su Yi."
…
Elsewhere, the list for the Lungmen trip was finalized quickly.
First, without question: Kal'tsit and Amiya.
If they didn't go, it would be strange.
Next: Gavial. As the only Operator who had directly contacted the Doctor—and who had been stationed in Lungmen—she wasn't going anywhere, whether she liked it or not.
Finally, the protection detail: ACE, Blaze, Nearl, and Savage.
The first three were self-evident: a veteran Elite Operator from the Babel era; a fast-rising Rhodes Island powerhouse; and the Radiant Knight—champion of the Knight's Grand Tournament duels.
The fourth name was more unfamiliar—so out of place compared with the other three that many Operators aboard Rhodes Island didn't even know she existed.
But those who knew the truth all silently approved—and even helped her onto the roster.
To find the Doctor… how could Miss Savage not be included?
A careful observer might notice that the list included both infected and uninfected, and multiple races—yet not a single Sarkaz.
It wasn't discrimination. It was strategy.
Because this trip to Lungmen had a second objective beyond finding the Doctor:
To establish cooperation with Lungmen.
If they could persuade Governor Wei Yenwu and bring Lungmen into partnership with Rhodes Island, it would be a major win—not only for Rhodes Island, but also for infected people living in Lungmen.
And while there wasn't much discrimination against Sarkaz within Rhodes Island, everyone had to admit one practical truth:
If you brought Sarkaz into Lungmen, the cooperation talks would likely die before they even began.
So the Sarkaz Operators had no objections. They simply asked that those granted permission to disembark bring back a few items for them on the return trip.
That very day, the Rhodes Island landship set sail.
Destination: Lungmen.
"Doctor, wait for me! Amiya is coming to find you!"
On the bridge, Amiya leaned on the railing and gazed toward the horizon—her small face full of eager anticipation.
....
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