Zane tugged at his arm, finding it hard to move. He glanced helplessly at Jane beside him.
Wait—hadn't she said she was going to rest? When did she sneak back here and curl up beside him… And sleep so soundly on top of that?
If she had any ill intent, the Hollow within him would have torn her apart already...
Though Jane was sitting beside Zane, she had curled herself into a tight ball, clinging to his side.
"Hey, wake up."
Zane raised his hand and gently tapped Jane's cheek, but it had little effect.
Seeing this, he tried to stand up and pull his arm free from her grip. But since she was holding on so tightly, he ended up lifting her along with him.
The moment her feet touched the floor, she startled awake like a frightened little animal. Her sleepy eyes blinked open, dragged unwillingly from her sweet dream.
She had been sleeping deeply thanks to feeling secure, but in this situation, there was no way she could keep sleeping.
"Just a little longer..."
Still half-asleep, Jane loosened her grip on Zane's arm but only squinted up at him a couple of times before closing her eyes again, leaning toward him.
"If you're awake, then stay awake."
Zane steadied her head with one hand to keep her from slumping against him, then released her once she was uprigh.
Jane stood in place, rubbing her eyes. Once fully awake, she puffed out her cheeks at him and sat down on the sofa with faint displeasure.
"Really, it's rare I get such a good sleep, and you won't even let me rest a little longer..."
Her tone carried a note of complaint. If not for the fact that they'd only officially met last night, Zane might have thought they'd been close friends for years.
"You use me as a pillow and don't even let me resist?"
Zane gave her a sharp, exasperated look.
Hearing his words, she lowered her head slightly, mumbling indistinctly,
"But... you always did before..."
Zane didn't pay attention—he couldn't make out what she said anyway. His thoughts drifted back to the matters in the realm of consciousness.
What else still needed to be felt there...
As he pondered, the sound of a door opening reached him. Zhu Yuan stepped out of her room in pajamas.
"Hmm... you two are up early..."
They'd stayed up playing until late last night, yet these two were already in the living room at dawn. Did they not sleep at all...?
Zhu Yuan stretched, her loose pajamas concealing her figure. She glanced at them before pouring herself a glass of water.
"Up early, huh..."
Zane glanced at Jane. If he hadn't been forced awake, who knew how late she would've slept...
Jane caught his glance and responded with a deliberately innocent look, her tail swishing lazily against the back of the sofa.
Moments later, Qingyi emerged from her room. She scanned the three in the living room, her eyes finally lingering on Jane with suspicion.
They were supposed to have slept together, but judging from the signs, Jane hadn't been in bed at all. After returning briefly last night, she had gone back out at some unknown time.
Could it be she didn't like staying with her?
Unlikely. More likely, there was something in the living room that had caught her attention...
"Senior, you're awake."
"When are we leaving?"
Zane smiled as he asked.
Qingyi didn't actually need to sleep, but since Zhu Yuan's place had no charging station, she had entered hibernation to conserve power.
Hearing him, Qingyi nodded and answered softly,
"We'll leave shortly."
Zhu Yuan glanced at them. She'd originally planned on going back to bed after finishing her drink, but seeing the situation, she gave up on that idea.
Better to say goodbye first.
They chatted idly for a bit. The noise also woke Seth, but unlike Zhu Yuan, he was full of energy.
"Zane, you're really such a good guy, giving me the whole bed while you slept in the living room..."
As soon as he came out, Seth's eyes went straight to Zane. He scratched his head, speaking with embarrassment.
"Not at all. I just wasn't very sleepy."
Zane shook his head calmly. The others didn't think much of it, but Qingyi, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow as her gaze lingered on him.
Once everyone was up and they had said their goodbyes to Zhu Yuan, Zane was ready to leave. After all, he was still concerned about the situation at Hollow Zero.
"Go wait for me downstairs. I still have something to take care of."
Outside Zhu Yuan's home, Qingyi said this to Zane.
He looked at her curiously but didn't press, turning to leave.
Moments after Zane left, a figure appeared beside Qingyi.
It was Jane, who had just slipped out as well.
"What do you want with me?"
Qingyi turned to Jane, curiosity in her voice. Before leaving earlier, Jane had signaled her to wait, saying she had something to discuss.
"I want to ask you something."
"About Zane."
Jane crossed her arms, her gaze lingering in the direction Zane had gone before turning back to Qingyi.
"You're his master. From what I know, you could be considered the person closest to him."
She deliberately chose to call her "Senior." With her standing in the Public Security Bureau, there was no need for such formality—but she used it anyway.
Noticing the change in address, Qingyi raised an eyebrow, her suspicion deepening. Had Zane and Jane talked about something last night?
His affairs... didn't seem like something that required a criminal investigator's help.
So what exactly did Jane want?
"Does Zane... have some kind of special status?"
"Senior Qingyi should know, right?"
Jane stroked her chin with a small smile.
Qingyi's eyes flickered slightly before she asked,
"Why do you say that?"
"Senior, I ran into Zane at the underground black market before. You know what happened that time. Last night, I recognized him."
"So we talked a bit. Things are more or less cordial now. Honestly, I didn't sleep a wink all night..."
Jane raised a hand, stifling a yawn. She noticed Qingyi's subtle change in attitude, though even without that, she'd never admit she had spent the night cuddling with Zane.
"Special status? He's had plenty. A lieutenant with the Falkenhayn Mercenaries, connections with a few politicians... and in the underground, he started out running with raiders."
"If you want to investigate, you should be able to dig up all that information..."
Qingyi spread one hand as she listed Zane's background, carefully glossing over the sensitive parts.
Jane, however, didn't notice. Her eyes lit up slightly before settling into a thoughtful look.