"Heh. Now that is more like it—that's my good big sister."
Not like Ch'en and her stubborn streak. If Chen Mo ever dared tell her to take a break, she would absolutely pull a stony face, flip it back on him, and lecture him into the ground.
Chen Mo stood up in high spirits, hands on his hips, his tail swaying left and right. Talulah couldn't help but laugh.
Seriously adorable. Talulah couldn't help wondering whether any girls were chasing after her little brother.
"Other than a few restricted areas, you may freely tour Rhodes Island."
A cool, detached voice cut in.
Facing the two Draco, Kal'tsit spoke evenly, hands in her pockets. "It's a bit late to say this, but allow me to thank you, Mr. Chen Mo."
"Without you, Amiya and the others would not have recovered the Doctor so smoothly. Without you, this rescue team would have suffered unavoidable losses."
"As a gesture of sincerity, after your tour you may dine in the cafeteria. If you have any needs, you may also raise them with me now."
Chen Mo immediately leaned in close, studying Kal'tsit's severe face as if someone owed her several million Lungmen dollars.
"So the old lynx suddenly grew a conscience? Then why did I hear you wouldn't let Amiya bring people to rescue me?"
His curious face drifted even closer. Kal'tsit could only step back several paces on her own initiative, keeping distance.
"At that time, circumstances did not allow me to let Amiya take such a risk," she replied. "She is Rhodes Island's leader. There can be no mishap."
"If you are dissatisfied, you may direct your complaints at me."
Chen Mo waved it off and sat back down beside Talulah. "Forget it. It's fine. If it were Ch'en, she'd do the same—she'd never let me take a risk."
Kal'tsit nodded. Seeing that Chen Mo had no intention of venting on her, she turned and headed for the door.
That, too, was one of the reasons she had come in person.
At the doorway, Kal'tsit stopped and turned slightly, showing her calm profile.
"Mr. Chen Mo, please watch your language. As a man, you should understand the importance of etiquette better than I do."
"And if this is simply one of your ways of releasing emotion… then I will also attempt, within a short time, to accustom myself to that form of address."
With that, she closed the door, leaving the siblings staring at each other.
A moment later—
Talulah and Chen Mo burst into laughter at the same time, bright and unrestrained, filling the cramped room.
"That old lynx is pretty fun to tease," Chen Mo said. "Sis, do you want to chat with her sometime?"
Talulah smiled and shook her head, then reached over and ruffled his hair.
"You still have to respect people, Xiao Mo. Mocking women so brazenly will bring you trouble someday."
"Hah! I'd love to see who dares come looking for trouble with me."
Chen Mo tipped his head up and instinctively rubbed against Talulah's palm—then he caught himself, slapped her hand away, and grinned again.
"Right. You know where we'll be arriving soon?"
"Where?" Talulah asked, indulgent, as she began straightening his clothes.
A man, and yet this unkempt. How had Hui-chieh even been taking care of him?
Chen Mo didn't care what his sister was thinking. He smiled broadly. "Lungmen. I told you I'd treat you to a meal!"
"Just wait and see. After suffering on the frozen wastes for so long, you deserve to enjoy yourself."
The hand fixing his collar stiffened instantly.
Before Talulah could hesitate and refuse, Chen Mo stood up decisively and dashed for the door.
"It's settled, then. I'm calling to book a table right now!"
…Honestly.
Talulah lowered the hand she'd meant to use to stop him, half amused and half exasperated. There was a pile of Reunion business waiting for her, and she had no desire to see that man.
But she didn't want to refuse Chen Mo's kindness either.
All she could do was watch him leave the room and disappear from view.
"…I should at least inform Mr. Patriot and the others."
Terra Calendar 1096, March 2
10:48 a.m.
Lungmen Guard Department
"…Finally finished."
After sorting the documents and setting them aside, Ch'en Hui-chieh rubbed her aching forehead and sank back into her office chair.
This was her third straight day of continuous work. Ever since receiving Wei Yenwu's assurance, she'd thrown herself into her duties without sleep, without pause—only so that when Chen Mo returned, she could properly spend time with her brother.
And—while she was at it—scold that reckless idiot until he regretted being born.
But even a dragon couldn't withstand three consecutive all-nighters. Ch'en felt her head swimming, her eyelids unbearably heavy. She wanted nothing more than to sleep right there.
…Still, a short break should be fine.
With that thought, her eyelids began to droop in an uncontrollable war. Her breathing evened out.
Then—
Bang!
"Cheung-fun Dragon! Cheung-fun Dragon, I've got something to tell—what the hell, why are you sleeping on the job?!"
Startled awake, veins bulging at her temple, Ch'en shot to her feet and seized the collar of the intruder—Swire, who hadn't knocked, as usual.
"If you don't have a damned good reason, I'll make sure you get a nice long nap right here."
"Hey, hey—why are you so violent, you bastard? Let go! Let go!"
Swire finally wriggled free, adjusted her collar, then shot Ch'en an irritated glare.
"Good intentions treated like donkey liver and lungs. Don't tell me you haven't heard that the Ursus Chernobog incident is already over?"
"…What did you just say?"
"You seriously didn't know? Tsk. And you call yourself Chen Mo's little sister."
Swire curled her lip, then stopped playing coy and continued, "You should be thanking me, you damn dragon. I pulled intel through my own channels—there's a company with a mobile landship that just left Chernobog, and it's about to approach Lungmen."
"So tell me—if Chen Mo lost his transportation in that mess… what do you think he'd hitch a ride on to get back?"
Thud—
Ch'en, who had looked exhausted just moments ago, snapped upright. In one motion, she swept all the neatly stacked files off her desk, and before Swire could even react, Ch'en was already sprinting out of the office.
She was so fast Swire barely saw her move—just a blur, and then Ch'en was gone.
Swire stared at the empty room and the documents scattered all over the floor. She forced down her anger and drew a long breath.
"Fine. When she comes back, I'll give her a proper tongue-lashing."
Outside the LGD building, Ch'en had barely stepped through the doors when a figure in black—waiting as if on cue—blocked her path.
"Officer Ch'en. Lord Wei requests your presence at his residence."
Ch'en's expression tightened. "…Lead the way."
Resisting the Blackcoats was pointless—she had tested that truth more times than she cared to count.
She only hoped the man would bring her some good news this time.
With unease churning in her chest, Ch'en followed the Blackcoat into Wei Yenwu's lavish reception hall.
Wei stood before the wide floor-to-ceiling windows, pipe in hand, smoke curling upward. With his back to her, he looked out over the city's bright, noisy sprawl.
Before Ch'en could speak, Wei spoke first.
"Xiao Mo has returned. But his situation is… somewhat special. For now, you must not approach him so openly."
Ch'en's brows drew together at once. "Give me a reason."
"Because there is… a certain special individual at his side," Wei said quietly. "Even though I have already arranged extensive concealment and cover, your sudden approach would only complicate matters."
"Wait a while. Once I settle the remaining loose ends, you will be able to meet them."
A heavy silence fell.
Ch'en was about to demand why he was speaking in half-answers—until she caught the reflection of Wei's face in the glass.
Nostalgia. Self-reproach. Sorrow. A tangle of emotions so naked it felt unlike him.
For some reason, Ch'en's heart lurched, pounding hard.
Chen Mo generally didn't like spending long periods around women. Even when Exusiai openly pursued him, he'd shown little interest.
To have someone accompany her brother back to Lungmen—someone who could make even Wei Yenwu, a man of deep schemes and deeper composure, show such rare instability…
Ch'en swallowed, her voice trembling despite herself. "She… who is she?"
Surely it wasn't—surely it couldn't be—
"The leader of Reunion," Wei said. "The Draco Chen Mo defied you to confront when he insisted on leaving Lungmen."
Wei exhaled, forcing down the complexity in his heart, then turned to face Ch'en, whose emotions were now barely restrained.
"It's Talulah."
"…She came home."
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