From the moment she'd woken up, Texas had felt dazed.
He's really just letting me go… that easily?
What she'd done to Chen Mo last night wasn't something that could be brushed off. To be blunt, if someone dragged her into a cell and locked her up for a year or two, it still wouldn't feel excessive.
And yet Chen Mo was acting as if it were nothing—like her crossing the line was some trivial incident not even worth mentioning.
Most women would've been relieved. Overjoyed, even.
But Texas only felt tangled, her brow drawn tight.
Chen Mo… what are you really thinking?
She was just about to press him for an answer when the knocking suddenly started.
Both of them snapped their heads toward the door.
"Who the hell comes looking for me this early?" Chen Mo scratched the back of his head as he pushed himself up from the sofa and yawned. "Ch'en?"
Muttering, he stepped past Texas and went for the door.
Smack.
That familiar, electrifying numbness shot from his tail straight through his body. Chen Mo shivered, then turned back with an irritated glare.
"You seriously think I'm some man you can just hop on whenever you feel like it?"
His tail was still sore from last night—he hadn't even settled the score yet, and she was grabbing it again without warning.
That's it. This wolf is never touching my precious tail again.
Heat rose in him, but Texas didn't flinch. Calmly, she lifted a finger and pointed at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm still here," she said evenly. "And your lips still have my mark on them."
Her eyes held steady on his.
"Rumors don't matter to me. But what about you, Chen Mo? What do you want to do?"
As she spoke, her hand slid once—lightly—along the smooth scales, then released.
"…Right."
Chen Mo actually looked convinced.
He didn't want his current easygoing life getting wrecked over something he considered minor. And more importantly—
Ch'en absolutely could not find out.
"Fine. Go hide in my bedroom," he said quickly. "Even my 'cheap little sister' won't go in there."
"Alright."
Texas didn't put on any fake modesty or pretend to refuse, the way some women might. She nodded once and slipped straight into his room.
Only when everything went quiet did Chen Mo adjust his clothes, lick at the small cut on his lip, and head to the entryway.
Please let me bluff my way through this.
Click—
"Morning, Chen Mo! Surprised? Delighted?"
"…Swire?"
Staring at the golden-haired figure holding a bouquet of flowers, Chen Mo took them on instinct and asked, genuinely puzzled,
"What brings you here? Don't tell me you want to drag me out shopping again."
Swire's bright smile stiffened a fraction. She nearly asked what happened to his lip, but swallowed the question.
"N-No. It's something else… Can I come in and talk?"
Chen Mo glanced back at the unnaturally quiet living room, then nodded, cradling the bouquet as he stepped aside.
"Come in."
Swire entered politely, not looking around like she owned the place. She sat on the sofa, took the drink Chen Mo handed her, and gave a small laugh.
"Didn't get to try it last time. Guess I'm making up for it now." She eyed the bottle. "Though it's still cheap juice. Kind of disappointing."
"I'm not some pampered houseboy," Chen Mo said lazily. "Drink it or don't—stop being picky."
That voice—close to her ear—made her skin prickle. The warmth of his body beside her didn't help. Swire's breath caught before she could stop it.
This little demon really hasn't changed…
Her gaze flicked, almost involuntarily, to the pale line of his neck.
Then she forced it away—and froze.
"Sniff… sniff…"
Her delicate nose twitched. A scent she didn't recognize lingered in the air, and suspicion flared instantly.
"Chen Mo… did someone else come by your place?"
"Yeah," Chen Mo said without blinking. "You."
His expression stayed perfectly calm—except his tail was swishing a little too energetically. "Probably my new body wash from yesterday."
"New body wash…? That doesn't feel right…"
It didn't smell like soap.
It smelled more like the thick, heady presence of a woman in heat—something lupine, feline, or similar—an unmistakable hormonal edge clinging to the room.
Swire's confusion sharpened. She actually closed her eyes and breathed in carefully, trying to pin it down.
"There is something—"
"Don't go sniffing around in a man's house, Swire," Chen Mo cut in, deadpan. "It's not a good look. Why are you here, exactly?"
Her train of thought snapped. Swire stopped her investigation, embarrassed, and scratched her cheek.
"Well… you know I told you Commissioner Wei wanted to talk to me?" She hesitated, then continued. "He finally did. And… it involves you."
Chen Mo's eyes widened. He pointed at himself, incredulous.
"Me? Don't tell me Uncle Wei decided, all by himself, that you and I should end up together?"
Swire choked, then nodded—only to shake her head half a beat later.
"Sort of. But he didn't force you to become my man."
Why is this guy always so direct? My heart can't take this.
Swire pressed a hand to her chest, forcing her breathing to steady.
"He said we should spend some time together first—see if we're compatible before making any decisions." Her gaze drifted to him again. "What do you think, Chen Mo?"
Chen Mo quietly glanced down the hallway.
From the depths of the bedroom, something toppled with a muffled clatter.
He spread his hands as if to say see?
"Sure. Up to you," he said easily. "But I doubt the way we get along is going to change much."
…Fair. It wasn't like she could confidently make a Draco man blush and squeal in front of her.
But she was Swire. If she'd accepted the challenge, she wasn't backing down.
She put on her signature upright smile again.
"Then it's settled. Want to go out on a date now? My treat."
"Not today." Chen Mo didn't hesitate. "I just want to stay home. Tomorrow."
The words hit Swire like a brick.
Her ears practically drooped. She forced a smile, stood up slowly, and tried to keep her tone steady.
"Alright… I won't bother you, then. See you tomorrow, Chen Mo."
"Yeah. Tomorrow."
Only after Swire left and the door clicked shut did Texas step out of Chen Mo's bedroom, expression flat.
It was obvious she wasn't in a great mood.
Under Chen Mo's curious gaze, Texas turned her head away and spoke softly.
"…Do you need me to stay with you?"
"No, no." Chen Mo waved her off. "If Ch'en really shows up later, it won't be so easy to bluff. And you don't want Penguin Logistics getting targeted again by her and Uncle Wei, do you?"
Texas paused, then nodded once and headed for the entryway.
But before she left, her eyes slid—briefly—toward the bouquet Swire had brought. Bright, showy flowers.
She remembered Exusiai borrowing money from her to buy flowers for Chen Mo, too.
Same type.
So he likes this kind?
Texas's ears flicked. One last glance at Chen Mo—slouched on the sofa, idly watching TV like nothing mattered—then she pulled the door shut behind her.
Apologies… could wait until she'd earned enough money.
Yes. Just an apology.
Nothing else.
Her fingers brushed the cool scale tucked in her pocket, and Texas—who had stolen Chen Mo's first kiss just last night—told herself that was all it was.
Just an apology.
....
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