Wolves, Bears, Tigers, Leopards, and One Rat
Always appearing when needed, always at just the right moment.
Always wearing that deliberately irritating smile, speaking softly and gently, warm and tender—somewhere between hypocrisy and sincerity, always separated by a thin layer of paper, intimate yet distant.
With age, the old fox-like air had faded, and she had become even more practiced at this routine.
Unpleasant.
"Always right on time, as ever."
Ye Xian did not bother concealing her mockery. "You always show up after things have become easy. Very much your style."
Lü Yingyue did not care in the slightest. With a flick of her wrist, she shook the lingering blood, broken bones, and scraps of flesh from the two broken blades, her smile unchanged. "Making decisions to arrive early or delay based on different circumstances is the most important survival philosophy of a salary thief."
"Are you really Celestial Origin?"
"The real deal." Lü Yingyue nodded.
Ye Xian sneered in contempt.
A lie.
Lü Yingyue smiled. "My fixed salary is only this much. Even Civil Servants need Part-time Jobs to support their families. As bureau chief, I have to be flexible, don't I?"
"Flexibility is White Deer and Embers' way. It has nothing to do with the Security Bureau." Ye Xian gave her a long, meaningful look. "If you harbor divided loyalties, be careful that Celestial Origin may not tolerate you."
"Mm, though it's difficult, it has tolerated me for now. How should I put it? Sometimes Celestial Origin is quite generous..."
Lü Yingyue answered absentmindedly as she surveyed the scorched earth, growing more curious. "You, on the other hand—after just a few months apart, you're already a transcendent?"
"No, I'm still far from it," Ye Xian replied.
Lü Yingyue Sighed and Shook head.
A lie.
But it Didn't matter.