They turned and saw Huojin, palms on his face but peeking through the slit between his fingers.

"Jia, this is a public place. This is your workplace! Have some decency, girl. Go, get a room. Not here though."

Her brow twitched.

"Where’s the nearest room we could find?" Mingshen took the question seriously.

"Mingshen!" Jia gasped, flabbergasted - and so did Huojin.

"Woooow, Yang Mingshen is not taking any chances huh~ I guess you have already shed the mask," for some reason, Huojin took it as his personal victory. "So, so! When will I get good news? Oohhh, and let me name your kid, pretty please?"

They chased around the office like a cat and mouse next, with Jia’s claws ready to tear into his throat.

"What? I am on your side, you know! Why are you chasing after me?"

"It’s called stress-busting. Let me make you my punching bag," her teeth gritted.

"Time please!" His palm blocked her way. "Actually, I came here to talk about important stuff."

She sneered. "Yeah, I can see that."

"No, no, seriously! Xie Mulan will be brought for interrogation tomorrow."

The merry atmosphere took a grim turn, even more so for Mingshen, who seemed to now completely submerge himself in an aura all too black.

"Yeah her...I want to talk to her," his voice took a sudden dive into the depths. "Yeah, it will be fun."

Jia cleared her throat, reading the menace in his eyes, crystal clear. "She is going to be interrogated here in the Bureau, not your lab."

Mingshen gave her a silent stare.

"Don’t think anything stupid."

A freezing smile etched on his lips. "Stupidity is what she did."

"And she would get duly punished for it."

"She targeted you personally," his eyes narrowed with a glint of danger.

"Law is not used to carry out my personal vendetta. Besides, she put many lives into danger, not just mine," her eyes glinted with a frost that rivaled his. "So trust me when I say it won’t go down so well for her."

Huojin walked behind them and looped his arms around their necks with a grave nod. "There’s truly no future for her. But you two have."

Jia - "..."

"A very bright future if I may so. Since everything is in control now, why don’t you chill in a bar or a pub or something? Dance the hell out of the stage. Drink until your bellies burst. Laugh your asses off till you fall."

With tears in his eyes, Huojin placed Jia’s hand in Mingshen’s. "I waited for this for so long. Jia’s boring, utterly dull single life will now finally be lit up with sexy colors. Take good care of her, Mingshen. I am counting on you."

"Mo Huojin..."

He sniffled. "Are you happy with me playing cupid, Jia? Of course you are. We are besties. It’s a bestie’s job to be supportive."

Mingshen’s brow raised. "Cool. And here I didn’t give you enough credit."

"Please do give me credit, Mingshen. And..." he coughed, leaning toward his ear, "Assure your mother that I never eyed her daughter-in-law. I don’t wanna cross an assassin’s path!"

He then squinted at Jia. "Jia. It’s time you turn over a new leaf. Tomorrow, I want to see your face having that particular morning glow."

"..."

Before her fingers reached out to grab a hold of his neck, he was quick to push them away.

"Go, Jia! Live your life with the devil! I will take care of anyone who dares to judge you!" his hand waved in a dramatic farewell.

"I swear I will make you tie upside down and-"

An arm crossed just before her chest, blocking her way. A gulp passed down her throat unconsciously.

"Your friend speaks merit. We should do what he suggests."

Jia was left flabbergasted.

Excuse me? Huojin was just an ok-ok boyfriend to you this entire time and now you are all suddenly buddy-buddy with him? Even a chameleon won’t change its colors faster than you!

"Do you have a problem?"

Strangely enough, her spine felt tingly all over. Was it his arm blocking her way or his deep voice whispering too close to her ear or his figure appearing too tall all of a sudden - Jia couldn’t quite put a finger upon it.

What she did know was that the Chapter of facing a serious Yang Mingshen was not included in her guidebook.

"Jia."

The one syllable name reverberated as if she already stood fumbled and intoxicated.

When will he start calling me Spicy again?

"Y-Yeah, a bar seems to be a g-good idea..." she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Ba byeeeee..." Huojin bid them goodbye watching them leave. "Good luck, Jia. There’s no escaping from the devil now," he muttered to himself. "I should take a day off tomorrow to protect myself against her wrath."

He nodded to himself, then looked up, surprised to find Beiye standing before him.

"Hey. You didn’t go home?"

He felt her stare oddly too silent and scrutinizing.

"Why didn’t you leave the building?"

"Leave?" He arched his brow. "What kind of an officer will I be if I leave my fellow officers behind in danger?"

Her arms were crossed against her chest while her fingers continually tapped upon her arm as if deeply contemplating something.

"...Did you stay behind because of Inspector Song?"

Huojin blinked. Then his gaze wandered off to her tapping fingertips that caught an ever-so-faint, almost an imperceptible tremble across them. It returned to her eyes, still silent and piercing.

Huojin pressed his lips hard but eventually couldn’t hold off his hearty laughter from escaping. His hand reached out to her head, ruffling her hair until it made a mess.

"Finally, you spoke like a twenty-year old."

"I will be twenty-one soon."

"Soon means you are still twenty."

"It’s just technical at this point."

"Just because some brat is only two months away from his eighteenth birthday, the law still doesn’t give him the right to drive."

Beiye made a face, unimpressed.

He smiled. "I know family circumstances forced you to become mature, so it felt nice to see you - how should I say this..? A little bratty?"

She frowned. "You didn’t answer my question."

"Jia? We are best buddies. Always. Do you watch too many love-triangle dramas?"

They exited the Bureau and walked out into the cool, evening air. Huojin stretched his arms and twisted his shoulders, refreshed and relaxed. Then he ruffled her already messy hair all over again.

"Wow, you didn’t make a fuss at all."

Beiye stared at him, unblinking.

"You know I like you, right?"