Elias, ever casual, leaned back and asked, "Zhu Yuan's acting weird today. Did something happen?"
Without skipping a beat, Qingyi replied bluntly, "Well, Mr. Smith—or should I say Agent Elias—she's having a bit of a dilemma helping you with this case. That's what I know." She shrugged, while Seth's face twisted with concern.
"Not to barge in, but Mr. Elias... how complicated is your case?" Seth asked, his voice tinged with hesitation.
Elias gave a strained smile, his eyes hinting at the storm brewing behind his calm exterior. "Really complicated. My mind is barely holding it together, which is why I didn't want to drag your Captain into this." He repeated 'Really complicated' like the words were pounding at his temples, his exhaustion palpable.
Qingyi, cutting through the tension, leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Well, based on your info, it's linked to a cold case that she wants to solve. That's why she insists on helping. It's the Captain's decision. I mean, I don't have the power to dictate what she does,even though I am older than her."
Elias blinked in surprise. "Really?" His gaze flickered over Qingyi's petite form.
Qingyi nodded with a small smirk, catching his expression. "Yep, I'm an automaton, remember? Everything's artificial here," she added, tapping her cheek with mock pride.
Seth, oblivious as ever, frowned. "...so how old are you really?"
"Older than the Captain, let's just leave it at that," Qingyi quipped, winking. Then, under her breath, "I've seen things you wouldn't believe... and none of them involved salads."
Elias chuckled again, though there was a fleeting hint of worry in his eyes. How much does Zhu really know? he mused. And more importantly...what will she do with that knowledge?
Zhu Yuan arrived back in the room, noticing that the trio—Elias, Qingyi, and Seth—seemed to have been chatting but went abruptly silent the moment she entered. Great, I leave for one minute and they form a secret society.
Still flustered, she brushed it off, sat down in awkward silence, and busied herself with her takeaway dinner, shuffling her plates while Elias prepared his laptop, already contacting Phaethon. Nothing like a gourmet meal in the middle of this delightful tension. Yum.
"Everyone's ready?" Elias asked, glancing around as if nothing was wrong.
Zhu caught sight of Qingyi activating her anti-bug device, effectively jamming any radio transmissions. She couldn't help but smile to herself. "Qingyi is really handy to have around," she mused, "...when she's not dumping me into these awkward scenarios, of course." Yep, real team player.
"Yes... just go ahead, Agent," Zhu replied, her voice betraying a slight nervous edge. Please, Hollow gods, let Phaethon not spill my secret.
"Alright, Phaethon we've got the info." Elias called in, his voice way too casual for someone who's about to share top-secret intel.
Zhu swallowed hard, her heart racing like she'd just downed three espresso shots. They better not say anything stupid.
Phaethon's voice came through, sounding chipper. "Hello, officers and Agent! That's great! Just give me the Device ID and we'll trace it for you."
Zhu exhaled slowly in relief. Thank the Hollows, they're keeping it professional. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a thumb drive containing the device information, sliding it across the table to Elias with as much grace as she could muster. Real smooth, Zhu. Totally not sweating.
"Give me a minute to trace it," Phaethon said.
And then... silence. Deafening, uncomfortable silence.
Zhu's eyes darted around the room, trying to avoid Elias's gaze as if avoiding eye contact could somehow erase her worries. Her fingers began tapping an absentminded rhythm on the table.
With Qingyi and Seth sitting there like statues, the room felt like it was shrinking—walls closing in, the air thick with tension. Is it getting hotter in here, or is that just my panic manifesting physically?
No one said a word. No small talk, no banter. Nothing. Just waiting.
Zhu scratched her nose, regret flooding her mind. I regret everything. Every decision. Even agreeing to this dinner.
"Captain, let the kids talk, you seem really anxious," Elias's voice suddenly broke through Zhu's thoughts, making her jump slightly in her seat. Great, now even my daydreaming isn't safe.
She glanced over at Qingyi, who was staring at her with that ever-so-serious look that screamed, "See? I told you this would be more awkward if we stayed silent like statues."
Zhu's eyes twitched in irritation. "Fine... okay, talk," she muttered, waving a hand dismissively, though her annoyance was obvious. I'm not overthinking this at all.
Seth, who had been holding his breath like he was preparing for a marathon, finally exhaled loudly, looking relieved to speak. "Mr. Elias, should we dive into the Hollows if we find it there?" he asked, a little too excited for the idea of facing corruption.
Elias shook his head with a soft sigh. "I can handle it on my own, actually. -I've told your Captain multiple times;this is my case.I don't want any more people getting involved in this mess...especially her."
Zhu's heart skipped a beat at the mention of "her."Wait, why do I feel like I'm about to be blamed for something?
Qingyi's mischievous grin spread like wildfire. She zeroed in on the opportunity. "Especially her?What do you mean by that?"
Elias gestured toward Zhu, who was now visibly blushing, looking anywhere but at him. "She looks stressed. See?Totally red, like a tomato."
Zhu's face was indeed burning, the heat rising up to her course, I look like a tomato.
Perfect. She shot a glare at Elias crossing her legs but couldn't find any words, her mind betraying her as she fumbled for a comeback. Instead, she just looked away, flustered and fidgety.
"This case is really complicated," Elias continued, as if he hadn't just embarrassed her in front of the whole team.
Qingyi raised an eyebrow, clearly not letting it go. "And what exactly is complicating things for you, Mr. Elias?" Her voice dripped with amusement, making Zhu want to sink into the floor.
The room's awkward silence was now replaced by the tension of unanswered questions, and even the faint sound of tapping fingers seemed louder in the uneasy space.I just wanted to share the info and a peaceful dinner. Is that too much to ask?
Zhu was still desperately trying to avoid their stares, but Qingyi, ever the instigator, wasn't about to let the moment pass. "So, Elias," Qingyi began, with a playful gleam in her eye, "Are you saying you're worried about her getting stressed over the case or just thatshe's stressed because of you?"
Elias raised an eyebrow, unbothered by the jab. "Well, stress seems to follow me around these days," he said with a shrug, then shot a glance at Zhu. "But I can't have your Captain losing her cool now, can I? NEPS-PUBSEC would have my head."
"Very funny," Zhu muttered, trying to steady herself as she fiddled with her takeaway box. "I've handled worse. A few sleepless nights won't kill me." I hope, she added mentally, knowing her nerves were fried.
Seth, oblivious to the undercurrent of tension, chimed in. "Yeah, but Mr. Elias, you didn't answer. What if we do find the device inside the Hollow?Shouldn't we go in?"
Elias sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like he was physically feeling the weight of the question. "I told you, Seth. I don't want anyone diving headfirst into a situation they can't handle, especially without knowing how dangerous this thing might be."
Qingyi, still leaning back in her chair, crossed her arms with a smirk. "So you're saying you can handle it, huh?All on your own?"
Elias shot her a level glance. "I can linger longer inside the Hollows. I'll handle it if I have to."
Zhu, trying to regain control of the conversation, cleared her throat and spoke up. "Look, Elias, we're all part of this now. Whether you want us to be or moment NEPS got involved, this stopped being a one-man operation." Her voice was firm, but there was a slight tremor, betraying her unease.
Elias raised his hands in surrender, clearly not looking for an argument. "Alright, alright. I get it. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Just then, the laptop pinged. Phaethon's familiar voice filtered through the speakers, cutting through the tension in the room. "Hello, Officers and Agent. I've got the trace running. Just give me a minute."
Everyone fell silent as they turned toward the screen, watching the progress bar slowly move. Zhu's heart was still pounding, and she tapped her fingers louder on the table, Please don't mention anything about me contacting them earlier...
Phaethon's voice came back, casual and calm as always. "Okay, the trace is complete. Looks like your device ID is at Zone C, Sending the coordinates to you... now."
Zhu exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding. For now, her secret was safe. It was indeed on Zone C just like what Phaethon said to her.
Elias, leaning over the laptop, gave a satisfied nod. "Got it. Thanks, Phaethon.""No problem. Oh, and Officers—"
Zhu's heart jumped to her throat, eyes no... are they referring me?
"—you might want to be careful, let agent handle the plans going inside the Zone. Hollows have been extra unstable lately. Wouldn't want you getting caught in another anomaly."
Zhu blinked, then nodded stiffly. "Right. Got it."Crisis averted... I think?
Qingyi, ever the one to break the tension, nudged Seth with her elbow. "See? Even Phaethon's looking out for her."
Seth grinned. "Guess it's just part of being Captain."
Zhu shot them both a look but didn't say anything, still processing everything. I'm never living this down, am I?