Bang!
Lü Heng flung open the door to the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations with such force that it immediately drew everyone's attention. Invincible Bro, who had been mopping the floor, Bai Yuanju, who was typing away at her computer, and Zhong Wanhong, who was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, all turned to look.
Well, almost everyone. Yu Lin, the Dragon Lady, remained fast asleep, sprawled face-down on her desk.
Tap, tap, tap...
Ignoring the stares, Lü Heng strode directly toward Invincible Bro. Perhaps due to his haste, or because the freshly mopped floor hadn't fully dried, he slipped slightly, but his quick reflexes saved him from falling.
Finally, he stopped before the bewildered Invincible Bro, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm sorry... I've thought about it carefully, and I still can't accept your confession. I'm still more drawn to girls like Miss Robin—intelligent, elegant, gentle, and lovely."
Invincible Bro: "...Huh?"
Bai Yuanju: "Who confessed to whom?!"
Zhong Wanhong's eyes snapped open. He stared incredulously between Lü Heng and Invincible Bro.
Even Yu Lin, who had been fast asleep, suddenly jolted awake as if she had heard some kind of trigger phrase. A fiery rage blazed in her eyes. "A confession... to Bird Sister?! Someone confessed to Bird Sister?! Who dares?! I can't accept this!"
Ignoring the others, Lü Heng continued addressing Invincible Bro. "But we can still be ordinary friends. While it was a bit of a shock to learn you're gay, I understand. After all, I'm so handsome—I might be partly responsible for attracting you. I..."
"Wait, hold on! What the hell are you talking about?" Invincible Bro interrupted urgently, sensing his reputation crumbling.
"What do you mean?" Lü Heng blinked in confusion. "Even though you said I didn't need to respond right away, I thought it was best to clear things up..."
"What kind of delusional nonsense is this?! When the hell did I ever confess to you?!"
"Wait a minute... oh! I get it!" Lü Heng glanced around the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, his gaze sweeping over his colleagues. Invincible Bro had clearly slipped away for a private confession, wanting to keep the matter quiet. Besides, homosexuality wasn't exactly a topic one could openly discuss.
Having been too stunned to remember this earlier, Lü Heng quickly shifted his tone, trying to help Invincible Bro cover up the confession. "Haha, just kidding! It was just a joke, you know? Actually..."
"Ling Huai (Invincible Bro) never left this room," Zhong Wanhong interrupted. "So, tell us exactly what happened."
Trying to pass it off as a joke? Zhong Wanhong wasn't stupid; he wouldn't fall for such a flimsy excuse.
Seeing his captain's stern expression, Lü Heng couldn't help but shrink back. He quietly recounted the entire incident: how he'd bumped into Invincible Bro on patrol, been hit with a lightning-fast confession, and then watched the other man bolt away.
After hearing the story, everyone's reaction could be summed up in a single word: "Huh?"
Yu Lin stared blankly. "So it wasn't someone confessing to Bird Sister... but you two... you're actually... like that?!"
The Dragon Lady's expression visibly brightened with excitement. She cupped her slightly flushed cheeks with both hands, her gaze darting back and forth between the two men as she let out a series of cryptic giggles: "Hehe~ hehehehe~"
"Get a grip! I've been scrubbing the floor this whole time, damn it! Who the hell is trying to ruin my reputation?!" Invincible Bro snarled through gritted teeth.
Zhong Wanhong frowned. "Are you absolutely certain the person you saw was Ling Huai (Invincible Bro)?"
"Absolutely!" Lü Heng insisted. "I couldn't possibly mistake my own teammate, someone I spend every day with!"
Zhong Wanhong tapped his index finger rhythmically on the table, the crisp clicks punctuating the silence. This was indeed peculiar.
Was it an unknown Evolver with shapeshifting or disguise abilities, impersonating Invincible Bro? Or had someone cast an illusion on Lü Heng?
But what could their motive be?
Surely no one would secretly harbor feelings for Lü Heng, too shy to confess directly, and then disguise themselves as someone else to do it instead?
"No, no, no, this is all too abstract." After much deliberation, Zhong Wanhong said gravely, "Although there haven't been any Dimensional Rifts lately, you might have been targeted by something... unclean. Go to the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations' warehouse and grab some protective gear. Be extra careful for the next few days."
"N-not... something unclean?!" Lü Heng shivered. "Oh no! Does that mean some ghostly gay Invincible Bro is going to sneak into my room at night?"
Invincible Bro froze. "You motherfucker—!"
No matter how hard Zhong Wanhong racked his brain, he couldn't possibly guess that this was just an ordinary prank.
While Lü Heng was consumed by anxiety, Sparkle had already arrived at the foot of a film production company building. Initially, she had considered approaching specialized schools, but then she thought, Wouldn't that make me seem too much of a newbie?
Sparkle needed someone to act as her proxy, handling tasks she couldn't do herself. She didn't want a complete novice who knew nothing. Besides, studying filmmaking didn't guarantee a directorial career after graduation. It was better to go straight to a production company.
Soon after joining the company, Sparkle was wandering through the hallways when she spotted a woman striding briskly past, clutching files, wearing glasses, and dressed in a business suit. Despite her high heels, her pace remained unhurried and purposeful. Intrigued, Sparkle followed as the woman marched straight into an office.
Bang! The woman flung open the office door and declared loudly, "Boss Wang! You must let me direct that new script, Echo!"
Whether startled by the sudden intrusion or the woman's booming voice, Sparkle clearly saw Boss Wang, a slightly balding middle-aged man seated at his desk, flinch visibly.
"Jiang Li!" Boss Wang snapped through gritted teeth. "Why didn't you knock before barging in?!"
"That's beside the point!" Jiang Li retorted, striding to the desk and slamming the files down with a resounding thud. "I've completely mastered this script! Trust me, my film will be a thousand times better than that incompetent Wang Ruodong's trash!"