The weather was beautiful that day. As soon as Luo Hai opened his eyes in the early morning, he noticed a beam of sunlight streaming into the bedroom through the gap in the curtains.
He squinted slightly and raised his arm to block the somewhat blinding morning light. As he did so, his elbow bumped into something that definitely shouldn’t have been in his bed.
Something big, heavy, and covered in blond curls was lying next to him, one leg sprawled out carelessly, knee swaying at the edge of the bed.
Sensing Luo Hai’s gaze, Eugene turned his head with wide, innocent eyes. “Good morning.”
Luo Hai stared at him calmly. “Your window is leaking again?”
“Exactly.” Eugene grinned cheekily and flipped onto his stomach, propping his chin on his hands. “The wind was howling into my room last night—I was freezing.”
Luo Hai had no interest in arguing with this oversized golden retriever of a man. He simply reached over and yanked the blanket out from under Eugene. The sudden tug sent Eugene toppling to the floor, landing with a thud and revealing a pair of long, pale legs clad in nothing but boxers.
Eugene let out a pained groan, rubbing the back of his head as he stared at the ceiling. This scene felt oddly familiar.
Meanwhile, the owner of the bedroom took his time neatly folding the blanket and tidying up the bed before slowly getting dressed.
Eugene’s gaze remained fixed on Luo Hai, unblinking.
Luo Hai had a lean, well-proportioned build, his skin pale. Beneath the fabric of his dress shirt, the faint contours of his muscles were visible. Those hands buttoned up his shirt from the bottom to the top, finally pausing just below his Adam’s apple.
Then, he lifted his chin slightly, revealing his entire neck, and fastened the very top button before smoothing out his crisp collar with his fingers.
Eugene swallowed involuntarily. He suddenly felt a strong urge to head straight to the bathroom.
By the time Luo Hai was fully dressed, Eugene was still staring at him. Without hesitation, Luo Hai grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at Eugene, hitting him squarely in the lower half.
“If only you had half as much energy in your brain as you do down there,” Luo Hai mocked. “Do you need some private time alone?”
“No need. I just need a slightly longer bathroom break,” Eugene replied shamelessly, still grinning. “But since you’re being so thoughtful, can I take a pair of your underwear with me?”
Luo Hai’s face turned from pale to livid. With a loud bang, he slammed the bedroom door shut.
Eugene burst into laughter and sprawled back onto the floor. If there were an international competition for shamelessness, he would win first place every single time. At this rate, Luo Hai didn’t stand a chance.
When Eugene finally emerged from his very long trip to the bathroom, Luo Hai was already sitting at the dining table, eating a plate of pasta.
“When did you make this?” Luo Hai asked, glancing up.
“A little after six in the morning,” Eugene shrugged.
“So what you’re telling me is… you got up at six, made pasta, and then snuck into my bed?” Luo Hai asked, trying to keep his patience.
“Yep.” Eugene grinned. “Blame yourself for looking too cute and tempting while you sleep.”
Luo Hai’s expression darkened. “Do you realize? If you hadn’t already been arrested, I could charge you with at least a dozen crimes—illegal trespassing, deceiving a prosecutor, attempting to fabricate evidence… oh, and molesting a public official.”
“But you’re still eating the pasta I made.” Eugene rested his chin on his hand, watching him.
“A public official must not waste food.” Luo Hai didn’t even blink as he responded. “That’s written in the prosecutor’s manual.”
Eugene burst into laughter again, only stopping when Luo Hai yanked his collar away from the pasta plate to keep him from falling face-first into his meal.
Before heading out, Luo Hai habitually switched Eugene’s ankle monitor from restricted mode to escort mode. With a soft beep, the light on the monitor changed from green to yellow.
“No weapons, no funny business, and don’t stray more than three meters from me. Otherwise, the monitor will electrocute you. I assume I don’t need to repeat myself?” Luo Hai said indifferently.
Eugene looked at him, his amber eyes unreadable. “Don’t worry, master. I’ll be a very obedient, very well-behaved dog.”
When Eugene spoke the word “master” in that deep, husky voice, an inexplicable shiver ran through Luo Hai’s chest.
He forcibly suppressed the sudden impulse, maintained a cold expression, and tossed his coat to Eugene.
…..
Nantes Square was a little farther from the prosecutor’s office—about a ten-minute drive. It was the most iconic landmark in Nantes City and the largest square in the entire southern region.
At the center of the square stood a massive fountain, and in its midst was a centuries-old statue of the Goddess of Wealth. Her golden form and embracing posture symbolized the gathering of the world’s riches in this very place.
Most of the surrounding buildings were historical, designed by renowned architects. Some had been destroyed in a great disaster more than fifty years ago, and even today, traces of their repairs were still visible.
But now, these buildings—once rich with history and religious imprints—had become vessels of modern commerce. Under the ancient wooden beams, coffee and milk tea were sold. Moss-covered bricks now bore the weight of arcade machines and ice cream containers.
As Luo Hai and Eugene walked across the square, a few pigeons were startled into flight, only to settle back down moments later, cooing as they followed behind, hoping for a bit of food.
Eugene, amused, reached out to tease them, but Luo Hai, still cold-faced, yanked him back.
“What? It’s one thing if you’re scared, but now you won’t even let others touch them?” Eugene complained.
“Do you have any idea how many deadly diseases pigeons carry? Over twenty.” Luo Hai frowned.
“…” Eugene clicked his tongue and stood upright. “Only someone as unlovable as you could look at such cute creatures and think of something so terrifying.”
“Cuteness shouldn’t be the standard for keeping animals—safety should be.” Luo Hai said indifferently. “If you ask me, commercial areas with dense crowds shouldn’t have such dangerous and troublesome creatures at all.”
“But couples and kids love them.” Eugene poked Luo Hai’s shoulder with a finger. “Only a killjoy like you would hate them.”
The square was indeed full of couples—
Some feeding pigeons, some taking photos with them, some strolling hand in hand buying snacks, and others shopping with their kids… Looking around, it was almost exclusively young couples, with children’s laughter mixed in. It certainly lived up to its reputation as a “lover’s sanctuary.”
Eugene was dressed in a casual jacket and loose sweatpants, with the ankle monitor on his leg fully concealed beneath the fabric.
They blended in perfectly with the crowd. No one would have guessed that Eugene was a heavily monitored dangerous terrorist, a death row inmate with only a few days left to live. No one would have known that the man walking beside him was not his friend or partner, but the prosecutor responsible for sending him to his execution.
“So, have you decided which store to buy clothes from?” Eugene stuffed his hands into his pockets, lazily looking at Luo Hai.
“No rush. There are plenty of clothing stores here. We can take our time.” Luo Hai replied, casually sweeping his gaze across the square.
Choosing a base near Nantes Square was certainly a bold and clever decision.
There were many old buildings in the area—who knew which one might have a hidden escape route or a secret room? And since it was a commercial district with heavy foot traffic, meeting up there was less likely to attract attention and made it easier to shake off potential tails.
Luo Hai refused to believe that Lightwing’s current operations had nothing to do with Eugene. The choice of location alone was undeniably Eugene’s style.
But for the past several days, Eugene had been under 24/7 surveillance.
So how was he managing to contact the other members?
“Is there anywhere you want to go?” Luo Hai asked indifferently. “We can look around while we’re at it.”
“Of course!” Eugene perked up immediately. “I haven’t been to this square much before, but I heard there are lots of exclusive snacks here—like raw chocolate ice cream, juicy fruit candies…”
Luo Hai shot him a look of disdain. “You finally get a chance to come here, and all you care about is snacks?”
“What else am I supposed to care about?” Eugene said righteously. “I only have a few days left to live. Do you expect me to buy a good book, pair it with coffee, and contemplate the meaning of life?”
Luo Hai sighed.
“Come on, since you’re not in a hurry, let’s get food first. You should learn to enjoy life instead of walking around looking gloomier than a man with only a few days left to live.” Eugene laughed and grabbed Luo Hai’s hand, pulling him forward.
At that moment, a small jolt of electricity seemed to spread from Luo Hai’s palm.
The way Eugene took his hand was so natural—
As if this was exactly how it should be.
Luo Hai was caught off guard as he was tugged along. To keep from losing him in the crowd, Eugene intertwined their fingers tightly, leaving no room for resistance or escape.
“Boss, two raw chocolate ice creams!” Eugene pulled Luo Hai through the crowd, stopping in front of a dessert shop. Grinning, he held up two fingers to the vendor.
He looked even dumber than when he had his photo taken last time.
If he weren’t holding onto Luo Hai so stubbornly, Luo Hai would have liked nothing more than to distance himself and pretend not to know this person.
Sometimes, Luo Hai truly couldn’t understand what went on under those blond curls of Eugene’s.
Why could he still smile so foolishly despite everything?
If he could still smile like that, why did things have to end up this way?
How much longer until it all ended?
How many more times would he get to see that dumb, dog-like grin?
The ice cream was ready quickly. Eugene happily accepted both cones.
Luo Hai instinctively reached out to take one, but Eugene pulled his hand back, flashing a mischievous smile.
“Open your mouth.”
Maybe he was possessed for a moment, but Luo Hai subconsciously obeyed.
Eugene brought the ice cream to his lips. The cool sweetness and rich chocolate flavor melted on Luo Hai’s tongue.
“Is it good?” Eugene smiled.
“It’s alright,” Luo Hai muttered.
Just like that stupid dog-like grin of yours.
