"Say that again? You've got the nerve to price this thing at fifty thousand LMD?"
"That's the market price, buddy. Business isn't easy, you know."
In a large Dagu department store in Lungmen's Upper City, the shop owner was practically in tears, hunched over and rubbing her hands as she begged for mercy. The handsome silver-haired Vouivre man in front of her had been haggling for nearly half an hour.
In all her years of doing business, she'd never met a pretty man who could nag this much—his every word and gesture completely at odds with the cool, aloof image his looks projected.
One mouthful from him and a thousand people's fantasies shattered on the spot.
"Fine, I'm done arguing. Thirty thousand. If you take it, I buy. If not, I walk."
With customers gathering around just to watch the spectacle, the owner gritted her teeth and nodded. "Thirty-five thousand! If that still doesn't work, I—"
"Deal."
The silver-haired man swiped his card, picked up the goods, and left without hesitation. The moment he walked away, the crowd dispersed as well. The owner wiped the cold sweat off her forehead.
"Whose man is that, anyway…"
Meanwhile, that man—Chen Mo, currently "belonging" to Ch'en Hui-chieh's household—was strolling through the bustling mall, gifts in hand, taking in the lively scene with obvious interest.
"Feels no different from malls back home."
He glanced at the grand piano in the center—priced at a staggering 1.8 million LMD—then lost interest and turned to head home, intending to surprise Ch'en Hui-chieh.
After all, she'd been looking after him for a while now. Chen Mo wasn't about to lean on the "older brother" title and accept her care without giving anything back.
Even a small gesture mattered.
Besides, he also planned to tell her about Exusiai. He had no intention of hiding it—he'd explain everything clearly the next time he ate with her.
"Hey, isn't that Chen Mo?"
The delighted voice from behind made him turn. Seeing a familiar face, he immediately smiled and lifted a hand in greeting.
"Morning, Swire. Why aren't you at work today?"
Swire had just walked up to him grinning, but at his question her expression instantly soured. Her little fangs showed as she ground her teeth.
"Don't even start. Some [Lungmen curse] came in here stealing—repeat offender. I caught her."
"I handed her off to my subordinates to take back, and then I turned around and saw you."
Thinking of that incorrigible purple-haired Cautus, Swire rubbed her forehead, helpless—then, in the next breath, put on her cute smile again.
"Enough about me. How about you? Met any women you like lately?"
"Oh, right—who was that from Penguin Logistics you went on a date with a few days ago?"
Chen Mo stopped dead, frowning. "How do you know about that?"
Was this little tiger stalking him?
"Don't overthink it. That night Ch'en Hui-chieh stormed out of the LGD in a rage, and I knew it had to be about you."
"And you used to ignore that damned dragon whenever she called you to hang out—then suddenly you go drinking in Penguin Logistics' bar instead. It's not hard to connect the dots."
"Besides, you're the only thing that can make her lose composure like that."
Swire smiled, about to pat his shoulder to calm him down—but after a brief pause, mindful of the line between men and women, she let her hand drop.
She swept her eyes over the passersby, then leaned in and lowered her voice with a grin.
"She still doesn't know about this, does she?"
Chen Mo gave her a strange look, sizing up Swire in her LGD uniform, smiling like she owned the place.
"…Don't tell me you're about to say something like, 'If you don't want her to find out, you'd better behave,' or some nonsense like that."
Swire froze, then waved both hands frantically. "What are you talking about? I'm not that kind of lowlife."
"I just want to remind you—if you really do like someone in Penguin Logistics, you'd better not bring her up in front of Ch'en Hui-chieh."
"Hm? Why?"
At Chen Mo's curious look, Swire put on a wicked little smile and began—without shame—stabbing Ch'en Hui-chieh in the back.
"Don't be fooled by how rigid and impartial she looks. She cares about you. A lot."
"You're the brother she finally found again after so many years. She's proud and stubborn—deep down, she wants to protect you properly. Ideally, she'd keep you away from anyone who might threaten you."
"Think about it: if you had an older brother who was handsome, careless about boundaries, and constantly 'giving benefits' to other women… would you feel safe letting the troublemakers from Penguin Logistics hang around him?"
…Yeah. That mental picture was vivid.
If some unserious punk rode up on a noisy motorbike to flirt with his beautiful older sister—legs crossed, grinning, talking about "getting with her"—Chen Mo knew he'd clench his fist and plant it straight in that guy's face.
Wait.
So does that make me the beautiful older sister?
Chen Mo unconsciously tightened his grip on the shopping bag, his face turning grim. He nodded solemnly at Swire.
"Thanks for the warning, Swire. If I hadn't run into you today, Exusiai would probably get beaten for no reason."
"No problem. But wait—you like Exusiai?"
"No. You're reading too much into it. We're just friends who get along."
"Hm-hm… 'friends who get along,' huh…"
Swire chuckled without pressing further. She checked her watch, then waved at Chen Mo with a polite smile.
"As long as you remember what I said. I'm heading back to the LGD. I'll keep this confidential for you too."
"See you."
Watching Swire walk away, Chen Mo rubbed his chin. After thinking it over, he decided he really shouldn't let Exusiai suffer collateral damage because of him.
For now, he'd go home and give Ch'en Hui-chieh the gift.
5:29 p.m.
Somewhere in an unnamed village in Ursus.
Hot…
That familiar scorching sensation yanked Talren out of sleep. She snapped awake and looked out the window—only to freeze at the sight of flames tall enough to swallow the sky.
"Did the Ursus inspectors catch up to me?"
"No… this fire… this feeling—don't tell me it's…?!"
A shocking possibility hit her like a thunderclap. Talren jumped up, threw on her cold-weather clothes, and rushed outside.
"Ahhh!"
"My child—my child!"
"You infected animal! Die! Die!"
What greeted her was chaos: villagers screaming and fleeing, wooden houses creaking and collapsing as they burned.
Even the howling blizzard winds couldn't smother the inferno. The air was so stifling and hot that even Talren—a formidable Feline—felt her breathing grow difficult.
But she didn't care about any of that.
She was almost vibrating with excitement, scanning everywhere for that familiar figure.
Not here. Not there. Still not—
Thick black smoke clawed at her vision. With no other choice, Talren sprinted toward the warehouse where the flames burned fiercest.
That place was the symbol of this village's sins.
The closer she got, the thicker the suffocating smoke became—and the more terrifying the heat.
And then, at last, in the heart of the roaring fire, Talren saw the figure she'd dreamed of.
"Your Highness!"
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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