FRGL chapter 34

“You? Personally?” Colin was shocked. “Why not send someone else from the office?”

“I don’t trust them.” Luo Hai lowered his voice. “All they care about is promotions and bonuses. They’d prioritize quick results over playing the long game. If I let them handle this, they’d only end up scaring off our targets. This lead is too important—I won’t risk losing it.”

“But… boss, Eugene Oddis is living in your home,” Colin hesitated. “If you start investigating the Lightwing Society now, won’t he notice something is off?”

Luo Hai didn’t answer immediately.

Colin had pointed out a crucial problem.

Eugene knew his daily routine inside out—when he woke up, when he ate, when he worked, when he got off… even better than Colin did.

He could lie and say he was working late, but Eugene was also familiar with his current workload and knew that his busiest period had passed.

Of course, Eugene didn’t know exactly what he did at the prosecution office. A small lie about overtime might not arouse suspicion, but Luo Hai didn’t want to take that risk.

This was the first real lead they had found in ages. It was too valuable to jeopardize.

After about two minutes of silence, Luo Hai finally spoke. “I’ll take him with me.”

“What?!” Colin almost choked on his own spit.

“Nantes square is a commercial area—full of restaurants and entertainment spots. I’ll take him out shopping on a weekend and use the chance to follow up on the investigation,” Luo Hai said calmly. “If he’s with me, he won’t suspect a thing. And two people strolling together is a lot less suspicious than someone lurking alone.”

“But—but—he’s the leader of the very organization you’re investigating!” Colin stammered. “What if those Omegas recognize him? What if he secretly passes them information?”

“He won’t,” Luo Hai said coolly. “Eugene Oddis is extremely smart and cautious. If I hide things from him, he’ll be suspicious. But if I openly take him to Nantes square, he’ll assume I know nothing about its connection to the Lightwing Society and be careful not to give himself away.”

Colin took a deep breath. “This… is insanely risky…”

Luo Hai chuckled softly. “Trust my judgment. I know him too well.”

Colin paused for two seconds. “Boss, you and he were really close in the past, weren’t you?”

Luo Hai tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before answering. “Yes. He was once my best friend—my only friend.”

“…It must be hard, sending someone who was once your best friend to his doom,” Colin murmured.

“It is.” Luo Hai was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. “It’s agonizing. Every second I see him, it’s like flames are burning my heart. And it won’t stop until my heart is reduced to ashes.”

Just then, a knock suddenly came from outside the bedroom. Luo Hai reacted quickly, hanging up the phone in an instant. The next second, Eugene poked his head in from the doorway, making it hard not to suspect he had done it on purpose.

“I cut up some watermelon. Want some?” Eugene blinked.

“…” Luo Hai looked at him. “When I said, ‘Knock before entering my room,’ I didn’t mean you could just barge in right after knocking.”

“I didn’t barge in,” Eugene said matter-of-factly. “I just stuck my head in. If you weren’t wearing clothes, I promise I would’ve pulled back immediately.”

Luo Hai felt a headache coming on and had the sudden urge to grab the bedside lamp and throw it straight at that annoyingly cheeky face.

“So, do you want some watermelon or not?” Eugene asked again. “Auntie Wang from across the hall gave it to me. She said she grew it on her balcony. I tried it—pretty good.”

“…No,” Luo Hai replied.

“What about an orange?” Like a magician, Eugene pulled an orange out of his robe pocket. “A little sour, but it tastes pretty good—”

“No,” Luo Hai said.

“Then an app—”

“No,” Luo Hai cut him off before he could finish the word.

Eugene clicked his tongue in disappointment and reluctantly stuffed the orange and apple back into his robe. “Fine, suit yourself. But don’t blame me if you want some tomorrow and I’ve already eaten it all.”

…A whole watermelon, an apple, and an orange in one night? What kind of pig is he?

Eugene withdrew his head like a dejected puppy. Just as the bedroom door was about to close, Luo Hai called out to him.

“Eugene.”

“What?” Eugene immediately opened the door again, this time leaning half his body inside.

“I’m planning to go buy some clothes this weekend. Want to come with me?” Luo Hai asked.

Eugene was briefly stunned. “Since when do you suddenly feel like buying clothes?”

“It’s not sudden. Do you remember using my favorite coat to wrap a pigeon?” Luo Hai said coolly.

Eugene burst into laughter. “…Oh. Wait, don’t tell me that was your only coat?”

“I have others, but none as comfortable,” Luo Hai said. “That one was pure wool. I’ve been wearing it since I first joined the prosecutor’s office. I’d really appreciate it if next time, you’d ask my opinion before pulling something like that.”

For some reason, those simple words made Eugene laugh even harder. Holding onto the doorframe, he was practically in stitches. “Alright, alright, my bad… So, where are we going?”

“Nantes square,” Luo Hai said calmly.

Eugene’s smile didn’t change. “That far? You, of all people—someone who hates trouble—aren’t just going to buy one downstairs?”

“The stores at the square have better quality clothes that last longer. The coat you defiled with pigeon poop was from there,” Luo Hai glanced at him. “So, are you coming or not?”

Eugene raised a brow, crossing his arms. “This is the first time you’ve so actively invited me out. You’re not planning anything shady, are you?”

“If you don’t want to go, forget it,” Luo Hai said bluntly. “Just close the door on your way out.”

“I never said I didn’t want to go,” Eugene said, not only refusing to close the door but leaning on the handle, sticking even more of himself inside. “I just need to confirm—does this count as a date?”

Luo Hai’s expression slipped for a moment, revealing a hint of shock. “No!”

“Really?” Eugene’s eyes darted playfully. “You’re actively inviting me to shop, at a well-known couples’ hotspot, just the two of us… That’s checking all the boxes of a date, isn’t it?”

“It’s not!” Luo Hai snapped, exasperated. “I just feel bad for you since you don’t have many days left to live. Don’t push your luck.”

“Alright, alright, don’t be mad,” Eugene quickly soothed him. “So, what time? Saturday or Sunday, morning or afternoon?”

“Sunday morning. I’m sleeping in on Saturday,” Luo Hai said, rubbing his temples. “Parking near the square is a nightmare, so we need to leave early. If we get there around seven, we might still find a spot.”

Eugene snapped his fingers and saluted playfully. “No problem. Your humble servant is at your service.”

Luo Hai couldn’t be bothered with his antics anymore and waved a hand to signal the conversation was over.

Eugene, grinning like a troublemaker, slowly backed out of the room. But just as the door was almost shut, he suddenly popped his head back in and said, “Oh, and by the way, this is a date.”

Before Luo Hai could react, Eugene swiftly shut the door and ran off like a mischievous child.

Luo Hai shook his head, both amused and helpless. Leaning back against the headboard, he noticed his phone screen was still on, displaying the call duration from his conversation with Colin.

He swiped back to the previous screen, which showed some photos they had taken earlier.

One was a ridiculous selfie where they were both flashing peace signs. Eugene grinned like a complete idiot, while Luo Hai’s face was blank, identical to his expression on his prosecutor ID.

The other was a blurry, laughable sneak shot by Eugene. The focus was completely off—Eugene’s lips, mid-kiss, were a double image, and Luo Hai’s shocked expression blended so perfectly with a streetlamp in the background that it resembled a popular meme.

Luo Hai stared at the photo, exasperated. His finger hovered over the delete button for a long moment—but for some reason, he never pressed it.

The night was quiet, with only Mrs. Parsifal’s dog barking non stop downstairs. Luo Hai could hear Eugene outside, tidying up the dining area. The sound of plates and utensils clinking together rang out, neither too loud nor too soft, followed by the sound of running water, interspersed with faint humming.

Luo Hai closed his eyes and let out a quiet breath. He turned off his phone screen and set it on the bedside table, ultimately deciding not to delete the photos.