"Mr. Lin, I'll get going."
After saying everything he needed to say and informing him about the Reunion Movement, Lucian took his leave.
He'd already promised Crownslayer he would let them go. Reporting their smuggling only after midnight was already more than fair.
How Lin chose to handle the Reunion Movement wasn't Lucian's business.
Lucian also trusted that the man who had protected the Slums for decades wouldn't make things too hard for the Infected. He added politely, "Sorry for disturbing you this late at night, Mr. Lin. I'll bring snacks next time."
"Hahahaha, no need."
Lin smiled until his eyes practically vanished. "My whole family's nocturnal—there's no disturbing us. Honestly, nighttime's the best. The later it gets, the more awake we feel! And once you and Yuxia get married, your nights will be lively too!"
"Uh… oh."
Lucian forced a weak smile, the corner of his eye twitching.
Honestly, Lin was clearly the doting-idiot type of father, but the way he pushed his daughter at him was intense enough to make Lucian suspect a conspiracy.
People said mothers liked their sons-in-law the more they saw them.
But fathers-in-law were supposed to get more annoyed, right? Why was Lin's affection score so high?
If he wasn't careful and this old fox—no, old mouse—dug words out of him, he'd end up agreeing to something fatal. Exusiai would turn into the Angel of Death for sure.
So Lucian escaped as quickly as possible. Lin enthusiastically escorted him all the way to the stairwell.
Only after saying goodbye did Lucian finally relax. He headed down the six-story walk-up—no elevator, of course.
And then… that's when it happened.
This place didn't just lack an elevator—it didn't even have lights. The bulbs had been stolen ages ago.
Good thing Angels came with built-in flashlights.
With the glow of his Halo, Lucian could at least see his feet. Anything farther away sank into darkness. Dark under the light, indeed.
In the kind of dim stairwell perfect for shooting a horror movie, he reached the final floor—
—and a voice rose out of the darkness.
"So slow. Go die."
"Damn it!"
Saint Lucian nearly went to meet God on the spot.
He staggered back a few steps, squinting into the shadows. Two gem-bright pink eyes glowed back at him.
A bratty yet cute voice followed. "Why'd you talk with that old man for so long? Gross. My legs are sore, and it's dark and creepy in here. This is all your fault. Pay up."
"Yuxia, aren't you a mouse? What mouse is scared of the dark—ow ow ow ow please have mercy, my shoulder's coming off!"
The woman in the dark moved fast, grabbing his arm and clamping a hand down on his shoulder with perfect police combat technique form.
With her face now close enough, his Halo lit her up.
Light pink hair, pink eyes, delicate features that were clearly well taken care of. Slim, well-proportioned figure—excellent in every way.
This was Lin's pampered only daughter, the mafia princess who actually felt more like a real rich girl than even the official Swire herself—Lin Yuxia.
Her small lips curled into a displeased little triangle, eyes narrowed. "Confess and you get leniency. Resist and you get punishment. What did you talk to the old man about? Showing up at someone else's house in the middle of the night—are you here to propose?"
Lucian stared at her, exhausted. "Come on, Yuxia. Aren't we on the same side? No matter how hard Mr. Lin tries to push you at me, I swear I won't have the slightest interest."
"What?" Yuxia's brows crumpled into a vicious glare. "Why are you talking like I'm some cabbage getting dumped at a market? Want me to kill you?"
Her grip tightened—this mafia princess's police combat techniques were better than actual officer Swire's. Lucian begged for mercy immediately.
But really—she hated arranged marriage, yet she got mad when someone genuinely wasn't interested… so did she want people to like her or not?
Women were trouble. That was Lucian's sincere conclusion.
Still, she hadn't come just to worry about her future marriage.
Seeing he probably wasn't lying, she let go and beckoned him with a finger.
"Come with me. Tell me exactly why you suddenly came looking for the old man at this hour. Everything."
"You're more of a cop than a cop, Yuxia." Lucian rubbed his shoulder. "It's nothing secret. You could just ask Mr. Lin."
"Hmph. The old man never tells me the truth. Big things, small things—he always brushes me off like I'm still a little girl. Just because I'm his daughter, he thinks I'm useless and keeps trying to sell me to some guy… ugh, now I'm getting mad. Get down and be my horse."
". Allow me to decline."
Lucian was silent for a long moment before forcing out the answer. Truly irresistible temptation… but no.
And so, Yuxia dragged him into her room.
She lived in the same building as Lin—he on the sixth floor, she on the second.
That was the result of a long, drawn-out cold war between father and daughter, all for the precious right to live alone.
Lin adored her to death—a true overprotective father—but Yuxia was a classic rebellious teen, so naturally their conflicts grew worse.
And she wasn't just rebellious. She was genuinely extremely capable—which only made things worse.
Lucian stepped into a room drenched in pink and sighed. "What is this, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse… Yuxia, your taste hasn't changed since middle school?"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The refined mouse princess swayed her sleek, bare tail, slipped her black-stockinged feet into fluffy slippers, and the curve of her ankle made Lucian stare a moment too long.
Even at home, this princess dressed with care. She asked, "What do you want to drink? I don't have green tea. Just coffee. And a bunch of Victoria black tea Swire shoved on me."
"Oh, then black tea is—huh?"
Before he finished speaking, Yuxia had already poured two cups of thick white liquid from the fridge, never giving him a chance to choose.
And that smell, that texture… wait—!
"This is my Soy Milk!"
Yuxia huffed proudly. "I only asked what you wanted. I never said I'd give it to you."
The little princess sat primly, sipping the rich white drink. "This was from Swire too. Even when she's busy, she sends her people to buy stuff from your shop every day. Then she forces it on me. I can't finish it all."
"…This is the first I've heard of that."
She shot him a look. "Because Swire doesn't want you to know. It's like some ancient one-sided crush. If you weren't living with that logistics girl, that woman would've already bombarded you with love letters."