Qixi Festival—Lin most hated holiday.
Of course, many others hated it just as much: the sight of men and women emitting pheromones regardless of the time or place, the way suckers' bank cards were cleaned out, or the surge in hotel room bookings for those looking for excitement on this special day behind their unknowing boyfriends' backs.
But his reason for hating it was different from theirs.
"…Don't you have a flight to catch today?" Lin opened his slightly tired eyes. As he pulled back the covers, he saw a hardworking plumber kindly "clearing the pipes" for him.
"Mmph-mmph-mmph?"
"Spit it out before you speak."
Lin sat on the edge of the bed, feeling exhausted. Eden seemed completely unbothered by his state. Elegantly wiping her mouth, she said, "Qixi is meant to be spent with one's boyfriend, of course. Since that girlfriend of yours is busy and couldn't make it, how could I have the heart to leave you behind?"
"Since when did I get another girlfriend?"
"Ah? Then are you saying…" Eden was truly someone who performed on world stages; her expression management far exceeded that of ordinary people, looking so pitiful she seemed about to cry. "I'm just a friend with benefits?"
"…Isn't that what you were doing from the start?" Lin sighed. "Think what you want. You should head back. You've been missing for so long the whole world is waiting for you. Besides, failing to show up on a day like this makes it easy for people to start rumors. Otherwise, you wouldn't have booked a flight for today, would you?"
"But if you think about it, it wouldn't exactly be a rumor, would it?"
"…Cut the crap. I'll drive you."
How did things turn out like this? Lin couldn't help but sigh again.
Eden ran her hand through her waterfall of magnificent long hair. Taking in Lin expression, she gave a sweet smile. "Wait a moment. There are still two hours."
"It takes an hour just to drive there."
"Then there's still one hour."
Eden pressed Lin down onto the bed, her eyes like silk as she licked her rose-red lips.
…
Watching the plane take off into the clouds, Lin finally felt a weight off his shoulders. He stretched and looked unenthusiastically at the couples hugging nearby who had just gotten off planes. He muttered, "It's not like you're dying tomorrow."
Because he had to leave today and hadn't slept since the night before, having tossed and turned until dawn, Lin decided to catch up on sleep on an airport chair.
In his dream, he saw himself when he was still arrogant and pure—the naive version of himself who shouted about wanting to start a harem.
Lin really wanted to go back in time and give himself two slaps, telling him to stop thinking about a harem; he had already turned into a scumbag.
It probably wouldn't be much longer until he became a piece of human trash in the truest sense.
"Hmm… it's this late?"
When Lin opened his eyes again, he found the sun was about to set. He stood up from his seat with a yawn.
Today, many people were eager to spend the whole day soaking in hotels, yet he had slept for half a day in the airport—quite the oddball.
The crimson of the sunset flushed his face. Sleeping on a hard chair for half a day made his bones feel stiff. He did some simple stretches and then instinctively reached into his pockets to make sure nothing was missing.
Though, no one should be able to steal from him; his sensitivity to the outside world wasn't something an ordinary person could rival.
But…
"…Huh?"
Lin froze for a few seconds, then quickly turned his inner pockets inside out.
Gone.
Everything was gone!
Wallet, car keys, ID card, driver's license… not a single thing left. His pockets were cleaner than his face.
"I… was robbed?"
Lin stood there dazed, asking a question of his very soul.
…
Lin ended up walking home.
He checked the surveillance footage but didn't find the thief. It must have been a particularly shrewd and skilled individual; even Lin hadn't noticed who stole from him.
In the end, he had to go to the police station to file a report and get a temporary ID.
The officer helping him file the report said something that caught his attention: "That airport again…"
Did that mean many people were robbed at that airport? And the thief still hadn't been caught?
Of course, what Lin cared about most was…
"I actually… got robbed?" Lin sat on the sofa biting his finger, his legs shaking. He bared his teeth and stared with wide eyes, murmuring, "I could be stolen from?"
A certain dark emotion that had been accumulating since Prometheus began brewing in Lin heart. He was constantly betrayed by those around him, threatened, imprisoned, always meeting setbacks… and now, even a petty thief dared to bully him?
You've got to be kidding me!
Fine, if you don't go steal from those "dogs and cats" who can date normally! But you had to come and steal from me, a person who is already unlucky enough!
Is it because I wanted to do wrong? Is all of this my fault?
This feeling… what is it?
"..."
"..."
"Heh."
"Hehehehe…"
The youth grabbed his hair with both hands, revealing a non-human smile.
…
"A great harvest, a great harvest."
The girl tucked inside a cat mascot suit was organizing today's "gains" within her little world with satisfaction.
A pair of bright, heterochromatic eyes sparkled at the banknotes in her hand. Her brown hair, smooth as cat fur, stuck to her flushed cheeks.
As expected, holidays were great. The number of idiots with more money than brains increased. Hehe, lucky.
She picked out all the cash. Things she couldn't use, like car keys, IDs, bank cards, and driver's licenses, she would secretly place in the lost and found later. There is honor among thieves, after all; she couldn't cause someone to lose everything.
"Hum-hum-hum… time to head home in a bit… eh?"
Just as the girl was preparing to go home, her attention was suddenly drawn to someone.
It was a youth dressed very… trendily. He looked about the same age as her. Any single branded item on him was likely worth more than her entire month's haul. Moreover, he had the refined and delicate look of a pampered young master.
He didn't pay any mind to the girl's mascot suit and walked straight into the airport, making the girl hesitate.
She had a "Three No-Steals" rule.
One: Don't steal from the poor. She considered herself something of a heroic thief who robbed the rich to help the poor; she wouldn't do something that would make someone hang themselves.
Two: Don't steal from the old or the young. She couldn't bring herself to target those two groups.
Three: Don't steal from the smart. Those who looked not just wealthy but also very shrewd—if she stole from them, she might bring trouble upon herself.
And this youth… happened to meet none of her Three No-Steals criteria.
That "I want to look like a nouveau riche" outfit combined with his "not very bright" look made him a "fat sheep" everyone would love.
Forget it, I'll head home after this one job.
The girl took off the mascot suit, changed into her usual disguise, and quietly followed the youth.