Seeing Jane's utterly fixated gaze, Zane raised an eyebrow.
Had she really recognized him?
Was that mask he'd worn back then not enough to hide him?
If so, then that spur-of-the-moment decision to snatch those boots was starting to feel a little awkward...
"Hello, nice to meet you. Zane."
With Qingyi and Seth off helping Zhu Yuan prepare the banquet, Zane sat on the sofa and greeted Jane softly.
No matter what, a greeting was only polite.
Even if Jane had recognized him, her personality meant she wouldn't make a scene—at least not right now.
But to Zane's surprise, Jane didn't react at all. She simply kept staring at him in a daze.
Now it was his turn to be confused.
This was unfolding in a way he hadn't expected.
"You... what's wrong?"
Zane raised a hand and waved it in front of Jane's eyes, trying to snap her out of it.
Jane merely shifted her gaze, then looked away, as if restraining something inside her.
Her breathing quickened, uneven and sharp. Zane frowned slightly in surprise, and just then, Zhu Yuan finished her task and came over.
"How's the conversation going?"
Zhu Yuan smiled lightly. In her view, both Jane and Zane were the type with decent social skills—by all logic, they should've been getting along.
Zane didn't answer, only spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness.
"What's wrong?"
Zhu Yuan tilted her head, puzzled, her eyes falling on Jane. But Jane didn't look at her. Instead, she raised her head again, pointing to herself, and once more locked eyes with Zane.
"You... really don't remember me?"
Her voice was soft, but the words left Zane stunned.
His eyes widened slightly as he met Jane's shimmering gaze. For several quiet seconds, neither spoke.
Emotions stirred in his chest, and Zane's brows knit together.
"We shouldn't have met before..."
This reaction didn't fit with the black market encounter. But beyond that...
He was certain he had never crossed paths with Jane.
"Huh? You two knew each other?"
Zhu Yuan blinked curiously, glancing back and forth between them. In her impression, Jane and Zane had never met.
Before this, Jane hadn't formally joined the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team, and her work had no overlap with Zane's.
"I'm not sure."
This time, Zane hesitated. He couldn't say anything definite, and instead frowned as he looked at Jane.
"No, it's nothing."
Jane studied his reaction, then after a slight pause, a faint smile rose on her lips. She waved her hand lightly.
"I must've mistaken you for someone else. With the kind of work I'm doing, there are just too many people to meet and things to learn..."
She tapped her forehead gently, adding with a wry tone,
"These busy weeks have my head all muddled—I'm even starting to mistake people..."
At that, Zhu Yuan gave a small nod of understanding.
"Jane, you really should take a break. The Special Response Team's been quiet lately anyway..."
Just then, Qingyi came out of the kitchen, hands still damp. She looked at the three of them curiously.
"What's going on?"
It was only a token question. Seeing nothing unusual, Qingyi quickly dropped it and turned to Zhu Yuan.
"Zhu Yuan, your aunt and I are nearly finished. Go bring out the cake."
"Alright."
Zhu Yuan nodded and headed to the refrigerator, clearly taking Jane's explanation at face value.
In the spacious living room, Jane sat beside Zane. She watched Zhu Yuan's retreating figure, but her focus wasn't truly there—her eyes flickered with a hint of thought.
Pulling her gaze back, she stole a glance at Zane. Seeing his expression calm as he chatted with Zhu Yuan, she knew her words had worked.
The rush of shock and joy had ebbed, leaving her calmer now. What she needed now was clarity.
First, confirm his identity. Second, investigate the reason.
At the very least... Zane really didn't seem to recognize her.
Confusion weighed heavily on her mind. To others, she looked perfectly quiet, but inside, her thoughts churned.
Soon, Zhu Yuan returned with the birthday cake and set it on a small side table. Zane, Qingyi, and Seth joined in to help, and before long, the preparations were complete.
Outside, rain hammered the windows, the storm clouds pressing low and heavy. But within the glow of the lights, the inside felt like another world entirely.
The dining table was covered in steaming dishes. Once everything was ready, Zane smiled and said,
"Auntie's cooking looks mouthwatering. For someone like me, hopeless in the kitchen, it's hard not to envy."
"Not at all—we had help,"
Zhu Yuan's mother replied with a modest laugh. Zhu Yuan, beside her, also smiled.
"With someone as talented as Auntie, Zhu Yuan's cooking must be just as good. Come to think of it, I've never had the chance to try..."
Zane said lightly, intending only to keep the conversation flowing.
But Zhu Yuan froze for a moment.
Cooking?
The only dish she could properly manage was scrambled eggs with tomatoes...
"Haha, in that case, next time we'll have Zhu Yuan cook for us. That way we won't be the ones fussing around..."
Her father chuckled warmly. But before he could finish, Zhu Yuan hurriedly cut in.
"Oh, it doesn't matter who cooks. We can talk about that later..."
As she spoke, she shot Zane a sharp glare.
If he kept talking like that, then next time he visited her place, she'd make sure to test him with her cooking...
This was her parents' home, but she naturally had her own little place as well.
Caught by her glare, Zane looked blank for a moment, but the cheerful atmosphere soon swept it aside.
The birthday dinner began. Naturally, Zhu Yuan was the focus, but her shy temperament made it difficult for her to handle the energy of Zane and Jane, who kept working together to liven the mood.
Before long, Zhu Yuan's face was smeared with cream, her cheeks flushed bright red under Zane's playful teasing.
If not for Qingyi's presence and Seth's quiet, unintentional calmness, she might well have run away in embarrassment.
Her aunt and uncle, however, didn't mind in the slightest. They simply watched with warm smiles, amused at their daughter's playful banter with her friends.
The room filled with laughter and chatter as time slipped by.
When the dinner finally ended, no mess was left behind—the group quickly cleaned everything up together.
Once Zhu Yuan's aunt and uncle retired for the night, she insisted Qingyi and the others stay over, since the storm outside showed no sign of stopping.
Though there were many guests, the house was large enough. Spare bedrooms provided space for them to share, two by two.
Night grew deep.
...
"Ah... I'm so stuffed..."
Seth flopped onto the bed, murmuring softly, looking as if he never wanted to move again.