Later that day, Elias suggested they grab dinner near the Janus Quarters at Lumina Square and will hold the meeting there. Lumina Square—of all places. Bustling, lit up with neon signs, and always crawling with people. Zhu Yuan's shoulders tensed slightly. It wasn't exactly her idea of "low-profile," especially with Qingyi and Seth tagging along like they were forming some kind of awkward double date.
She caught herself feeling oddly self-conscious, trying not to glance in Elias's direction too often.Great, now I'm one of those people who pretends not to stare at someone's biceps. Fantastic.
The whispers around the precinct about the"mysterious consultant"who'd dropped by earlier weren't helping either. The rumors had spread like wildfire, and while Zhu Yuan liked to think she didn't care, she could already imagine the office gossip spilling into Lumina Square if they were spotted together.
Not Lumina Square, where the Station is right across the street. Could he be more obvious? She quickly shot Elias a message, her annoyance creeping into the text:
"Elias, we need somewhere more discreet."
Seconds later, his reply came, the casual tone practically rolling off the screen:
"Is this your way of angling for afancy dinner?"
Fancy dinner? She rolled her eyes, typing back,
"It's not about dinner,genius. I thought you didn't want me blabbing important intel in front of half the city?"
The reply was almost instantaneous,"Got it. No worries. My treat again, I guess."
She read the message, her lips twitching into an involuntary smirk. You're generous, huh? Or maybe it's all part of your double agent charm? One minute you're sending me flowers? the next, I'm supposed to trust you with my life. Yeah, not happening.But I'll play along—for now.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the precinct, the office buzzed with the usual energy of end-of-day gossip. Zhu Yuan could practically feel the rumors swirling around them as they walked out. Great. Nothing says "not suspicious" like a team leaving together with a consultant. Subtle, really subtle. Hopping into the PUBSEC mobile wasn't exactly low-key either—it was basically broadcasting to everyone that,"Hey, this is totally official business, not some weird dinner-date situation with a mysterious agent."
Seth, despite looking wiped out from his patrol down in the western city, suddenly perked up at the mention of a dinner treat. The guy might be dead tired, but apparently free food could bring him back to life. Priorities.
Zhu Yuan slid into the driver's seat, glancing back at her team through the rear view mirror. Qingyi looked her usual nonchalant self, and Seth... well, Seth was clearly just there for the food. She sighed internally but kept her tone authoritative.
"Alright, Qingyi, Seth, here's the plan. We're playing it cool with 'Mr. Smith,' or Elias—whatever he's going by these days. Don't give off any vibes that we're suspicious. Let's see how far he thinks he can lead us." Her eyes narrowed as her expression turned more serious. "And if he is hiding something, I swear, I'll slap the cuffs on him myself."
Seth, ever the straightforward one, raised a hand awkwardly like they were back in school. "Uh, Captain? Why don't we just arrest him now if you think he's a double agent?"
Zhu Yuan resisted the urge to facepalm. "It doesn't work like that, Seth. We can't arrest him without concrete evidence. Suspicion isn't enough. Trust me, I've double-checked everything—the Crimson Veil, our Cold Case—there are connections. Subtle ones, but they're there." She paused, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel as the weight of the investigation settled back in.
"I want to crack this cold case wide open before we make any drastic moves," she added, determination edging her voice. And trust me, Elias, if you're hiding something, I'll be the one dragging you in. Dinner or no dinner.
Engines hummed as they set off for their discreet downtown restaurant, Seth sinking silently into the backseat. He was clearly exhausted, probably from that punishing western city patrol. It was the kind of place that could drain your soul—or at least your patience.
"So, Seth, how was your patrol?" Qingyi broke the silence, her tone way too chipper for someone who wasn't coming back from a near-death experience.
Seth just sighed in response, slumping even further into the seat. It was the sigh of a man who had seen things—possibly terrifying things involving street food gone wrong.
"Come on, spill," Qingyi pressed, eyes twinkling. "Captain might give you a cushy Lumina Square patrol again if you impress her."
Zhu Yuan caught the hint in the rear-view mirror and chuckled. "Seth can handle it. We all learn the hard way, right? I remember my rookie days... Let's just say, I drank more warm water out of the bottle than I ever wanted to."
He finally spoke, letting out another deep sigh. "Honestly? The border on the outer ring is brutal. I had to bring, like, a trunk full of water."
"See?" Qingyi smirked. "Even the gangs are hydrating you now."
"Actually... yeah. Biker gangs gave me water on my first patrol. It was... weirdly nice. I didn't expect to be bonding over hydration with them."
Zhu shot him a sideways glance through the rear view mirror. "I think they are mostly harmless. Two more patrols and you're done—just try not to blow it with another 'bad-lunch' incident."
"Yeah, Captain wasn't buying that excuse, Seth," Qingyi added with a mischievous grin. "So, what's the real story?"
Seth's eyes widened. Do I tell them I saw Wise from Random Play sneakily ordering a lava cake for Captain? Will that get me in trouble... or promoted?
Before he could answer, Qingyi hit him with another bombshell. "By the way, Amy has a new theory about who's sending all those sweets to our Captain and saving you from Quarter's gossip."
Seth perked up. "Really?" but deep inside him, he obviously knew who is the one sending it.
"Qingyi, stop!" Zhu Yuan's voice cut in, clearly flustered. "I need a straight face for the meeting!"
Qingyi grinned wider, enjoying this way too much. "Come on, you and Elias had a whole rom-com moment earlier in the hallway. Seth missed it, but it was 'peak cinema' behind the glass!"
Zhu Yuan's hands tightened on the steering wheel, her face turning as red as the brake lights. "AAAAGHHH—Qingyi! NO!"
In her panic, Zhu slammed on the brakes, making the car lurch forward. Thankfully, no one flew out of their seats, but Zhu's dignity? That was long gone.
"I'll definitely move on to another quarters if this rumor doesn't fizzle out, so cut it out!" Zhu Yuan shot a serious look back at them, but her tomato-red cheeks gave her away. Seriously, why do they always have to tease her? It's like they have a secret club where the entry fee is her dignity.
"Fine, Captain! We won't be saying anything later at the table," Qingyi replied, a grin stretching across her face like a cat that just caught a canary. She nudged Seth's elbow, which was more like poking a stick into a beehive—no good would come of this.
Seth, who was still processing the emotional rollercoaster of his patrol and desserts from Wise, just nodded. His silence was a cautious agreement, as if saying a word might unleash a flood of embarrassment—or worse, make him the next target of their playful jabs.
Seth's sweat-drenched brow. "Welcome to my life," he thinks, mentally preparing himself for whatever shenanigans Zhu's team will conjure next. Ah, the joy of being a rookie! It's like being in a romantic comedy, but he's the hapless sidekick.
Zhu sighed internally, contemplating her life choices. "I should've just become a artist, just like what dad said." she muttered under her breath, while her cheeks still betrayed her, burning like two little stoplights signaling.