He just broke up with his girlfriend and is already living with the devilish rich girl.

Half an hour later.

At the back entrance of the supermarket, two men sat side by side on the steps.

The rain stopped sometime ago, and the air was filled with the unique damp smell of the rain, mixed with a faint sour smell wafting from the garbage cans.

Zheng Xingguang already had an empty beer can next to him. He had just opened another can when foam overflowed from the mouth and soaked his hand.

Bai Ziheng sat to the side with a cigarette in his mouth; he himself didn't drink.

"...That old geezer! What exactly does he want?!"

Zheng Xingguang took a big gulp of liquor, which dripped down his chin onto his clean white hoodie.

The boy's originally fair face was now as red as a boiled shrimp, and his usually clear and sharp eyes were now narrowed to slits as he angrily waved a beer can.

It was as if they were declaring war on some unseen enemy.

"Other people's dads! Their son got first place in the class! They'd practically set off firecrackers and treat the whole village to a feast! I'm in the top ten in all subjects of swordsmanship! My talisman skills are excellent in practical combat! Has he even glanced at me?!"

Not even a single one!

".....What sword control technique?"

Bai Ziheng deliberately reminded him that he had let something slip.

But the boy didn't care at all.

"It's all about sword flight and aerodynamics!! Slaying demons and monsters!"

"..."

Bai Ziheng was too lazy to remind him; say whatever you want.

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and the beer can drew an arc in the air, with a few drops of beer splashing onto Bai Ziheng's pants.

"Eighteen years! A full eighteen years! How many times has he ever praised me? 'Hmm,' 'I know,' 'Go down.' Hahahaha, is that even considered a compliment?!"

Bai Ziheng remained silent, watching the boy who had been cold and ready to fight him during the day now acting like a child who had lost his toy and was drunk and disorderly, finding it somewhat absurd.

To be this drunk after just one can of beer, this kid's alcohol tolerance is terrible.

"Hey, brother-in-law."

Zheng Xingguang suddenly turned his head, his dazed eyes staring straight at him.

"...Who are you calling brother-in-law?"

"You."

Zheng Xingguang let out a burp and patted Bai Ziheng on the shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

How do you know my sister?

Bai Ziheng took a deep drag of his cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke from his nostrils as he watched it dissipate under the streetlights. Then he turned and looked intently into Zheng Xingguang's eyes.

"If I told you I didn't even know your sister's name, would you believe me?"

Zheng Xingguang was stunned for a moment.

Then he threw his head back and burst into laughter, laughing so hard that he bent over backwards, his laughter echoing in the empty back alley.

"Hahahaha, brother-in-law, you're so funny."

"My sister's reaction when she saw you yesterday, wasn't that love?"

Have you ever been in a relationship?

"No."

"Then you don't know anything."

Zheng Xingguang confidently placed the beer can on his knees and straightened his back.

"I haven't dated anyone, but I've read tons of comics!"

"That's how it's depicted in comics! Even after the female protagonist loses her memory, her heart still races when she sees the male protagonist's back!"

"Then, after regaining their memories, the two of them hugged and cried! The way my sister looked at you yesterday was exactly the same as in the comics!"

Bai Ziheng silently exhaled a puff of white breath towards the sky.

Forget it, why bother arguing with a simpleton?

Although he loved reading comics when he was a child.

I vaguely remember watching this with someone, but who was it...?

Under a bridge? By the river? I can't quite remember.

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

"Watch less of that stuff."

"Why! There are so many things to learn from comics!" Zheng Xingguang said indignantly, slamming the wine jar heavily onto the steps.

"My family was very strict when I was a child, so my dad sent me to a special management office—uh."

He burped, swallowing the last two words, and then continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

"Yes, um, a closed boarding school."

"I can't usually come out at all. After training, other kids have their parents pick them up, but I'm the only one sitting at the school gate waiting for the driver."

"Later, the driver stopped coming, and only my sister came to pick me up on her bicycle."

Bai Ziheng looked at him expressionlessly. "With your tone of voice, you lose your bearings after just a couple of drinks. It's understandable that your father doesn't trust you."

However, he didn't say it aloud, after all, he was still a young man at heart.

"Back then, my sister was the one who often came to visit me. She would climb over the wall to get in. Pretty impressive, huh?"

Zheng Xingguang's tone suddenly softened, and a smile appeared on his lips that he himself did not realize.

"She always brings me comics, but she doesn't know anything about them. She just picks the ones with pretty covers, so they're all shoujo manga."

"What about 100% Peach, First Love Equation, Flower and Dream Kiss...?"

He rattled off a string of book titles that made Bai Ziheng's brows furrow even more, then laughed out loud, his voice trailing off as he laughed.

"But I'm still very happy."

"Every time she comes, I don't feel bad about how tough the training is."

Bai Ziheng flicked his cigarette ash at his expression.

Sister...

My own sister is the same way, always saving the best for me...

When will I be able to put my sister's mind at ease?

The thought of that busy figure setting up his breakfast stall every morning made Bai Ziheng's nose tingle with emotion.

I haven't visited my sister in a long time; I'll go see her tomorrow.

Zheng Xingguang sighed, placed the empty can at his feet, looked up at the moths fluttering on the streetlight, and suddenly thought of something.

She turned her head and looked at Bai Ziheng with a serious expression.

"Hey, brother-in-law."

"My name is Bai Ziheng."

"Brother-in-law Bai, do you have a girlfriend? My sister is really great. She's beautiful, cooks well, has a gentle personality, and can even wield a knife."

"Although she's not very good at it, she's very hardworking! And she's currently on administrative leave, so she has plenty of time to date—"

"It would be better to put your theory about shoujo manga aside for now."

Bai Ziheng stubbed out his cigarette on the steps, stood up slowly, and looked down at the drunken teenager who was spouting nonsense.

"I suggest you first clarify your concept of love and be more practical."

Zheng Xingguang looked up at him, blinked, and suddenly chuckled.

"You don't look that much older than me, yet you speak so maturely."

"Brother-in-law, can you teach me how to be practical in a relationship?"

"First of all, I'm not your brother-in-law. Secondly—"

Bai Ziheng didn't finish his sentence.

The communicator on Zheng Xingguang's wrist rang.

The boy glanced down at the screen, his eyes, which had been hazy from being soaked in alcohol, instantly cleared up when he saw the line of red text on the screen.

He placed the beer can on the steps, wiped the beer foam from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and stood up. He was still a little unsteady, but his back was already straight.

"Excuse me, brother-in-law, I have to go now."

"Remember to visit my sister in the hospital when you have time. She's in room 506 on the fifth floor of building 3 at Ninghai Affiliated Hospital. Visiting hours are from 3 pm to 5 pm."

"Aren't you leaving yet?"

Bai Ziheng interrupted him.

Zheng Xingguang waved to him, then turned and ran out of the alley.

Swaying unsteadily, it nearly knocked over a roadside trash can, staggered a few steps before regaining its balance, and then sped away into the night at the alley entrance.

Bai Ziheng stood at the back door, a cigarette dangling from his lips, watching the direction the boy had disappeared in.

He had just caught a glimpse of the screen of the communicator on Zheng Xingguang's wrist.

There is a line of red text clearly visible above.

Animal activity has been detected in the Blue Mountain area; all standby operators are to proceed immediately.

Given his current condition, can he really still carry out the mission?

Bai Ziheng stood there expressionless for a few seconds.

Then he turned around, pushed open the back door, and went back into the supermarket.

He walked through the aisles between the shelves and headed straight for the warehouse.

Pushing open the iron gate marked "Employee Only," the warehouse was filled with cardboard boxes and loose goods, and in the corner was a dressing table for Luo Yao.

I don't know why she put a dressing table in the warehouse.

This woman has too many quirks, and Bai Ziheng is too lazy to figure them out one by one.

A row of sculptures is placed on the dressing table.

They come in all shapes and sizes and are made of various materials.

There are ceramic ones, resin ones, plush ones, and even one made of fluorescent plastic.

It emits a faint green glow in the dark after the lights are turned off.

"Let me think, last time she said if I had to leave the supermarket at night, what should I do... first find the lucky cat."

Bai Ziheng squatted down and quickly found himself in a dilemma.

"Which one of these things is the lucky cat? Never mind, you're the one."

He picked out the one he thought looked the best from the row of items, carried it out of the warehouse, and placed it in the center of the checkout counter.

Then he took a step back, put his hands together, and bowed three times.

The process Luo Yao explained played back in his mind like a movie.

"First, place the lucky cat on the counter, then put your hands together and bow three times, then recite the incantation and put in a one-dollar coin."

"Remember, it has to be one dollar. Game tokens and paper money won't work."

"Last time someone threw in a 100-dollar bill, and the next day my shop was taken over by a group of stray cats. It took me a whole week to deal with it."

Bai Ziheng straightened up, cleared his throat, and recited the words to the lucky cat, one word at a time.

"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, Lady Luo Yao is the wisest; if any shop assistant goes out on business, no one can come to restock."

What kind of bullshit incantation is this...?

After reading it aloud, he took out a one-yuan coin from his pocket, aimed it at the coin slot, and inserted it.

The coin clattered into the ceramic body, and the thing's raised paw suddenly clicked.

Bai Ziheng took a step back and waited for a moment.

Nothing happened.

But he felt that the smile on the thing's face was even more eerie than before, as if it were saying, "Okay, okay, hurry up and climb."

So Bai Ziheng changed his clothes, left the supermarket, and strode towards the alley entrance.

The moment he ran out of the alley, his figure suddenly swelled up in the shadows where the streetlights couldn't reach, and gray bristles emerged from under his skin.

A giant wolf, entirely silver-gray, emerged from the shadows, its golden vertical pupils flashing briefly in the darkness before leaping onto the rooftop.

Tonight looks like it will be another eventful night.