Once Swire left, Exusiai immediately leaned in, her voice full of concern. "She said there are Infected nearby? Someone you know?"
"I don't know." Lucian shook his head. "If it were someone connected to me, Mr. Lin would've sent someone long before Swire even showed up. It's probably just some outsider who just arrived in Lungmen and doesn't know the rules yet."
Of course, Lucian wasn't familiar with everyone in the Slums.
A place that messy drew all kinds of people. Plenty had come from places like Siracusa where the Mafia ran wild—wandering around at random was dangerous.
The people Lucian actually knew were mostly the kids from the Great Courtyard, and decent folks like Dong who sold fish balls. He never got involved with the rougher crowd.
So Lucian didn't plan on getting tangled in this.
Besides, even if the Lungmen Guard Department caught the Infected, nothing would really happen—just deportation. Lucian trusted Swire to handle it properly.
Compared to something that had nothing to do with him, Lucian cared far more about the issue right next to him.
He awkwardly lowered his head and said to Exusiai, "Hey, El… why are you clinging to me like this?"
"Because I want to."
Sulking, Exusiai huffed and hugged his arm even tighter.
She'd been like this ever since Swire left.
She must've seen Swire sneak a bite at him earlier. Even after leaving the dessert shop, she still refused to let go and kept up her fake–couple act.
Lucian sighed. Why did she hate Swire this much?
"I know you don't like her, but she's already gone, right? Holding onto me isn't going to get back at her. And it's hard to walk. You're heavy."
"Hah?" Exusiai shot him a threatening glare and pinched him in the waist.
Still stewing for no reason, she did not let go—instead, she pried his fingers open and intertwined their hands tightly.
She puffed her cheeks. "You philanderer. One cat walks off and who knows—maybe a Lung or an Oni or a rat or something will show up next. So this is insurance! I'm sacrificing myself to be your temporary girlfriend. You should feel honored!"
"Wow… you're such a pain." The steel-straight man looked utterly done.
Lucian knew exactly what she was thinking: she just wanted him to play with her, and she got jealous when other girls got close to him.
It was like when you're gaming with your bro, and then his girlfriend shows up asking him to go on a date to a hotel. Of course you're annoyed. Yeah.
Lucian understood. Completely understood.
Honestly speaking, Exusiai was objectively pretty.
Yeah, she dressed like a tomboy and didn't have much feminine charm, but clinging to him like this made it obvious—her figure was surprisingly good.
A bro you always joke around with, yet physically she's a beautiful woman—that was definitely enough to spark something.
But this was Exusiai.
EL.
Sometimes a man can say "I can," but there are situations where no matter what, he simply cannot.
Lucian spoke seriously. "Just cover your face, strike a sexy pose, and take a few pictures for me. But showing your face is a no-go. I can't get it u—mph!"
Brothers, a woman who shoots guns for fun also punches hard. Do not tease recklessly.
Exusiai, who had gone into permanent overheat mode, ignored all his protests and dragged him along to continue their spree.
No wonder a rich family like the one behind Swire could run a mall like this—food, games, clothes, gear, everything you could want was here. With enough money, you could buy anything. A small-bourgeois paradise.
In her rare good mood, Exusiai was having a blast.
But unlike other girly girls, she didn't even glance at the skirts or dresses. She headed straight for the sports gear.
She grabbed a thick, stiff work jacket that had to weigh at least five pounds and held it up excitedly. "Look, Lucian! It's the newest Life Frontier model! Real gear for exploring the Wilderness! Windproof, sandproof, warm, AND cut-resistant! How does fabric stop knives? What is this stuff made of?"
Lucian looked touched. "El… you're just so El."
This personality that had nothing to do with femininity—more manly than most men—was exactly what made her great.
Lucian decided he would be Exusiai's best bro for life. This woman probably wouldn't get married anyway, so he might as well keep her company.
No wonder he was her only friend. Realizing this, Lucian spoke boldly. "Since we're here, let's get the full set. The Raythean Industries pants I bought earlier got ripped by Croissant anyway. Perfect time to replace everything. Look, this one even has magazine slots. Military gear is awesome."
"Oooh. I want one too!"
Exusiai grinned as she leaned closer. "Buy all you want… but what happened between you and Croissant? Why did she rip your pants? That bread girl did something while I wasn't around, didn't she? You're explaining that to me later, okay? "
"Oh… uh…?"
Something in her smile suddenly felt dangerous, and Lucian got a little scared.
After buying clothes and strolling through the supermarket, Exusiai enjoyed the date with milk tea in one hand and takoyaki in the other.
Lucian just felt that everything she liked wasn't girly at all—more like stuff a kid would love.
That eternal-child vibe was kind of cute too… which suddenly made Lucian go soft.
While they rested in the mall corridor, Exusiai looked at the takoyaki in her hand, then looked at Lucian.
She speared a piece and held it out to him. "Open up, ah."
Lucian leaned back in disgust. "I'm good. You eat it. And you already used that toothpick…"
"Huh? Ah! AH!"
"Fine, fine! I'll eat it, why are you yelling!?"
Lucian had no choice but to open his mouth.
The takoyaki was a bit hot, the taste pretty average.
Satisfied, Exusiai nodded and stuck the toothpick back into her own mouth.
…So weird. When he shared Pocky with Texas, it didn't even count as an indirect kiss, yet he still got excited.
But with Exusiai—even though they literally used the same toothpick—Lucian felt nothing.
That was the difference in feminine charm… Lucian looked at Exusiai with even more pity.
Even though Texas was cold and didn't care about fashion, she had so much more charm in the same uniform than Exusiai ever could.
Where was the difference? Lucian couldn't figure it out.
"Oh right, Croissant dresses even more revealing." Lucian suddenly understood. "Feminine charm isn't about how much skin you show—it's all about vibes. A ditzy bread girl and a tomboy Angel can't compete with a cool, icy wolf lady."
"…Ignoring the easy girl and chasing after the troublemaker—I don't get you." Exusiai made a face. "Lucian, you're such a beep."