It was one of those mornings where the sun decided to be bright, but the air didn't get the memo. Cold. Chilly. Perfect for staying in bed. Unfortunately, Zhu Yuan didn't have that luxury.
The alarm beeped once before her hand, graceful yet precise, shot out from under the weighted blanket and shut it off. One beep was all it took—Captain Zhu Yuan, Officer 148, didn't need more than that. Yeah, she was that good.
Reports. The thought hit her as she lay there, savoring the last moments of warmth. "I've got so many reports today." Ugh. But first, she had to get out of bed. She stretched, her oversized shirt sliding off her shoulder just enough to remind her that hey, she could still look hot even in bed-wear. Maybe she'd strut a little extra today. You know, for morale.
Sliding out of bed, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand, swiping through it. Any emergencies? Crises? Chaos that would make her day just a little more interesting? Nope. All quiet. Fine. She was okay with that—sort of.
She brewed her coffee, the scent filling the small apartment. She leaned against the counter, sipping it, feeling like the protagonist of a movie about to take on the world. Or at least, a ridiculous amount of paperwork. "I wanna go home with my family this weekend," she mused aloud, taking another sip. "But my workload has other ideas."
The station wasn't far, so Zhu Yuan decided to walk. Coffee in hand, she braced herself for the day. Her shoes clicked confidently against the pavement. She could handle this. She was sexy. She was competent. And no paperwork was going to beat her.
Inside, Qingyi was already seated at her desk, sipping her hot water. Zhu had no idea how she did that every day. Coffee was practically an IV drip for her, but Qingyi? She just…existed on water. Maybe it was a secret superpower. There was probably a whole book on it somewhere.
"Good morning, Captain, just delivered your paper works." Qingyi greeted, looking far too calm for someone surrounded by towering piles of reports.
"Good morning," Zhu Yuan replied, though the words felt heavy with the sight of all that paperwork. "I hate quarterly paperwork."
Qingyi looked up. "But we're on patrol today?"
Zhu blinked. "What? Patrol?" Her eyes flicked to the whiteboard, and—of course—her own handwriting betrayed her. She had scheduled patrol for today. Past Zhu had really done Present Zhu dirty.
"I hate me," she groaned, slumping into her chair as if she could will herself invisible beneath the mountain of documents.
Minutes later, the three of them—Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and Seth—were packed into the PUBSEC mobile. Seth, always the upbeat one, piped up from the back seat, "Captain, how about donuts at the café plaza before patrol?"
Zhu looked at him in the rearview mirror, too defeated to argue. Donuts sounded like a temporary fix for the soul, and honestly, she deserved it. "Sure. Why not," she muttered, nodding. Maybe sugar and carbs would solve everything.
It was nearing late afternoon, and Zhu Yuan was hangry. You know the feeling—when hunger and rage combine in a perfect storm that makes the slightest inconvenience feel like a personal attack. After a morning of patrol and skipped meals, she was ready to tear into anything edible, so lunch with Qingyi at the Lumina Square cafeteria was supposed to be her salvation.
As they stood in line, she could practically hear her stomach screaming at her, louder than the chatter of fellow officers around her. She didn't care about the conversations anymore—her thoughts were focused on one thing: food. The relief of finally reaching the counter was like stepping into paradise. Tray in hand, the aroma of warm, delicious food hit her senses like a blessing from above. She could already imagine that first bite, savoring—
Crash!
Her tray tumbled out of her hands, food scattering across the floor like a cruel joke from the universe. Someone had collided with her, shattering her tranquility in an instant.
For a moment, everything went silent. Zhu Yuan stared at the floor, at the mess that was once her salvation, feeling the edges of her temper fray beyond repair. Her empty stomach growled in pure outrage, a primal sound that seemed to fuel the fire in her chest.
And then, she snapped.
Reaching for her taser, she whirled around to face the culprit, voice sharp as a knife. "PUBSEC officer! Hands where I can see them, and stop resisting!"
The poor man who'd run into her froze, his hands flying up in a panic. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—" he stammered, eyes wide. He was glancing around as if he had bigger things to worry about than an angry officer with a ruined lunch.
But Zhu Yuan? She had exactly one thing on her mind, and it wasn't whatever this guy was chasing. "Do you know what you just did?" she growled, still holding the taser. "You killed my lunch."
Qingyi, ever the calm one, looked like she was trying not to laugh. Her usual laid-back demeanor barely cracked as she surveyed the mess. "Captain," she said, placing a gentle hand on Zhu Yuan's arm. "It was an accident."
"An accident that ruined my food!" Zhu Yuan shot back, eyes still burning. It was the principle of the thing.
The man, still flustered, offered, "I'll pay for your lunch! I swear!" He hurried to the counter, grabbing a fresh tray to make amends. A few moments later, he returned, balancing it with a cautious, nervous energy. To her surprise, he even added a lava cupcake.
Zhu Yuan narrowed her eyes at him, suspicion flaring for a moment. Was this guy trying to bribe her with sugar? Admittedly, it was a smart move. Cupcakes did have magical calming powers.
"A lava cake..." Zhu Yuan muttered, glancing between him and the cupcake. "You're lucky this dessert's adorable." She snatched the tray from his hands and turned back to Qingyi. "Let's eat before anything else ruins my day."
Qingyi gave her a knowing look. "You should've used your hangry voice on him sooner."
"Don't start," Zhu Yuan grumbled, though a smirk tugged at her lips. The day might've been rough, but at least she had dessert—and maybe a little bit of dignity left.
The man, now thoroughly relieved, backed away into the crowd, leaving Zhu Yuan with her fresh lunch.
A few days later, Zhu Yuan arrived at the station, ready for a mountain of paperwork. But something caught her eye. A small box of dessert sat atop her files, a note attached:Apology cake for what happened. — J.D.
She frowned, the name "J.D." unfamiliar. Had the man at the cafeteria given his name? She couldn't recall. With a shrug, she set the box aside, her focus on work.
As the day wore on, hunger gnawed at her. Qingyi strolled in, glancing at the untouched box."Secret admirer?"she teased.
Zhu Yuan gave her a dry look, but curiosity won. She opened the box, revealing the same lava cupcake. Her stomach growled. "I suppose a snack wouldn't hurt," she admitted, taking a bite.
"Try not to get crumbs on the paperwork," Qingyi quipped, grinning.
Zhu Yuan shook her head, amused. "I'll manage. I've seen worse."
With a mouthful of cupcake, Zhu Yuan shifted gears. "Any progress on the Hollow Syndicate case?"
Qingyi's expression turned serious. "Nothing yet. It's the longest cold case I've worked on."
Zhu Yuan leaned back, thinking. "We need to hit the smaller players. They might have leads."
Qingyi nodded. "We'll have to be careful. The Syndicate doesn't tolerate snitches."
Determination flared in Zhu Yuan's eyes. "We'll figure it out. Let's start brainstorming after this."
Hours later, with the station quiet and darkness creeping in, Zhu Yuan dozed off at her desk. A slight movement stirred her from sleep. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw a shadowy figure standing near her desk.
"Qingyi?" she muttered, still groggy. But as the figure stepped into the light, her pulse quickened. Another dessert box, another note:J.D.
Her heart raced as she glanced at the clock. It was 5 AM. She blinked, disoriented. Who kept leaving these, and why?
Suddenly wide awake, Zhu Yuan shouted into the silence, "Who the hell are you, J.D.?!"
The shout echoed across the room, drawing the curious stares of her colleagues.
Feeling the weight of exhaustion, Zhu Yuan sighed. "I'm taking the day off," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. Packing her things, her eyes lingered on the box. The initials haunted her thoughts, but for now, she pushed them aside.
She needed rest—answers could wait.