FRGL chapter 37

It was a middle-aged woman wearing a brown suit and carrying a woven handbag. She had on a wide-brimmed hat and was moving quickly through the crowd, so inconspicuous that she seemed like she could vanish at any moment.

But Luo Hai wouldn’t mistake her for someone else. He had read Colin’s report too many times—so many that even from a single glance in his peripheral vision, he could be sure.

This woman was one of the two Omegas he was looking for. The one named Alin.

Luo Hai calmly placed the rose into the shopping bag, letting it rest against the stuffed toys. At the same time, as he lowered his head, he took the opportunity to note the direction the woman was heading.

Southeast of the square—the clothing section.

“Are you done playing yet?” Luo Hai looked up at Eugene with an indifferent expression. “We’ve been here for over an hour now. If I’m not buying you food, I’m helping you win toys. When are you going to come with me to buy clothes?”

Eugene actually paused for a moment before crossing his arms. “Oh yeah, you did come here to buy clothes.”

“……”

The way he had so naturally forgotten made Luo Hai want to shove the alpaca plushie into his face.

Luo Hai turned and walked off. Only when the distance between them was about to exceed three meters did Eugene hurriedly catch up, clinging to his arm in an attempt to appease him. “Okay, okay, don’t be mad! What kind of clothes do you want? A trench coat, an overcoat, a windbreaker, casual wear? I know a few stores around here with good reviews on men’s fashion. Back when I worked at Manta Network, one of the managers really liked the casualwear from a shop here—”

“A suit,” Luo Hai said coldly, quickening his pace. He kept Alin just within his peripheral vision, ensuring she didn’t disappear while avoiding drawing Eugene’s attention to her.

“A suit again?” Eugene sighed dramatically. “Your closet is full of suits and barely anything else! Why do you need another one?”

“I told you, prosecutors have a dress code. There aren’t many occasions where I can wear anything else.” Luo Hai answered concisely.

“You can wear something else when you’re out with me!” Eugene said matter-of-factly. “Like today—just shopping, walking around…”

“So that in a few weeks, they can drape that very outfit over your corpse as we get buried together?” Luo Hai glanced at him.

…That was a bit too much. Eugene’s smile froze awkwardly on his face.

“Fine, fine, a suit it is. Don’t get anything too expensive though. Who knows if you’ll even live long enough to wear it until the next one.”

Luo Hai let out a soft laugh, the corners of his delicate eyes curving slightly. His whole face seemed much softer and more attractive.

Eugene really couldn’t understand Luo Hai’s sense of humor.

Sometimes, the smallest joke would make him pull a grumpy cat face. Other times, he could take the darkest humor in stride.

…..

The clothing section was large, spanning two whole floors of the mall. Fortunately, it also had a wide field of view, leaving little space for anyone to hide.

Luo Hai’s gaze casually roamed over the clothing racks, playing the part of a customer browsing for clothes, but his attention remained fixed on the Omega in the distance.

Alin had stopped in front of a women’s clothing store. But rather than looking at the clothes or speaking with the sales assistants, she went straight inside and sat down—as if she were waiting for someone rather than shopping.

Not long after, a young man walked past. Alin stood up from her seat and began chatting with him with a smile.

However, the distance was too far to hear anything. Luo Hai couldn’t determine his gender, let alone his identity.

Was this person a Beta or an Omega? A store employee or a member of the Lightwing Society meeting Alin?

Unless he risked getting closer, he wouldn’t be able to obtain any information.

But just as he took a step forward, Eugene called out to him from behind.

“Where are you going?” Eugene asked leisurely, eyeing him with amusement. “The suits you’re looking for are all here. Ahead is the women’s clothing section. Or do you have a taste I don’t know about?”

“…” Luo Hai turned around calmly. “Is that so? I’m not familiar with the layout of this mall. You say you rarely come here, yet you seem to know exactly which section sells what.”

Eugene shrugged, still smiling. “I used to have a boss who loved shopping here. He always took pictures of the clothes and sent them to our group chat for advice. I have a great memory—after seeing so many photos, I naturally remember where everything is.”

Luo Hai looked at him, and Eugene met his gaze without hesitation.

A single second stretched endlessly. The surroundings fell into an abrupt silence. Dust drifted in the sunlight, and the marble floor reflected a blinding brightness.

Then time resumed its flow. Luo Hai withdrew his gaze, shifting his attention to the clothing rack beside him. Lowering his eyes, he picked out a gray suit in his size, intending to take it to the cashier. “I’ll take this one.”

Eugene took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “If you dare walk out with that suit, I swear I’ll blow up this entire mall and take you down with me.”

“If you were going to do that, you’d have done it already. No need to wait for me to finish shopping.” Luo Hai frowned, lifting the suit for another look. “What’s wrong with it?”

“What’s wrong? Dumping the entire Sahara Desert on you wouldn’t make you look half as dull as that suit!” Eugene stared at him in disbelief and snatched the suit from his hands, putting it back. “I get that you have no fashion sense, but are you blind?”

“…” Luo Hai felt his nonexistent fashion sense had just been thoroughly insulted. “It’s just a regular suit. What’s the difference? Don’t all suits look the same?”

“The difference is huge, my dear ancestor.” Eugene sighed. “Look at your colleagues. They all dress sharp and stylish. But you? Wearing that outdated, stiff suit, you’ll look like an insurance salesman. I’d be embarrassed for you.”

Luo Hai had no intention of caring, but the words “insurance salesman” stung a little.

“That’s just your assumption,” he said, suppressing his irritation. “I don’t think there’s such a big difference between suits.”

Eugene sighed again. “You don’t believe me? Just wait.”

With that, Eugene wandered around the store, circling the racks and carefully inspecting the glass displays. Finally, he made a choice and snapped his fingers at a salesperson to retrieve a suit.

Luo Hai seized the opportunity to glance in Alin’s direction. She was still talking to the unidentified man, looking relaxed and smiling.

“Try this one.” Eugene’s voice pulled Luo Hai’s attention back. He glanced at the price tag and remained silent for a moment.

“You’re not the one paying, are you?” Luo Hai eyed him.

Eugene clicked his tongue. “You get what you pay for. Quality comes at a price. You should listen to professionals in their field. Trust me, you won’t regret it.”

Luo Hai glanced at Alin again. So far, she showed no signs of leaving. If he finished shopping and left the mall now, he’d still have a chance to approach her.

“Fine, I’ll take your advice.” Luo Hai took the suit from Eugene and started toward the cashier. “I’ll buy this one.”

Eugene grabbed his arm, grinning. “Wait, you’re buying such an expensive suit without trying it on?”

“My body proportions are standard. If the size fits, it’ll work,” Luo Hai replied indifferently.

“This is a suit, not sportswear,” Eugene sighed. “You’re being unusually reckless, Luo Hai. Aren’t you always careful when making decisions? Especially expensive ones.”

Luo Hai: “…”

Eugene was the smartest person Luo Hai had ever known.

No matter how foolish or careless he usually acted, at crucial moments, he was sharper than even the most meticulous detective, effortlessly picking up on every tiny inconsistency.

Luo Hai wanted results from today’s operation, but avoiding Eugene’s suspicion took priority over obtaining information about the Lightwing Society.

As the saying goes, “As long as the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn.”

He could abandon this lead to maintain Eugene’s trust, but he couldn’t allow Eugene to seize this opportunity for any underhanded moves.

“I usually don’t fuss over clothes, but you’re right—a suit should be tried on.”

Luo Hai took the suit from Eugene’s hands. Just as Eugene smirked in satisfaction, Luo Hai grabbed his arm with his other hand and pulled him toward the fitting room. “But you’re coming with me.”

Eugene’s smirk froze, his expression turning to shock. “What? No… That’s not appropriate, in public!”

“You care about that?” Luo Hai sneered and gave him a shove forward. “If you had a sense of shame, you wouldn’t have become a criminal in the first place.”

Two grown men carrying a suit and walking toward the fitting rooms together naturally drew attention. Several nearby shoppers took notice. Eugene forced a stiff smile, trying to signal that nothing inappropriate was happening, but it backfired—he received even more shocked and judgmental stares.

Luo Hai, however, remained indifferent. He pushed Eugene into the fitting room with a blank expression and locked the door behind them with a sharp click.

Now things were fair.

Luo Hai couldn’t investigate the Lightwing Society any further, and Eugene couldn’t use this chance to contact his accomplices. They were both trapped in this cramped fitting room, with barely enough space to turn around.

Perhaps it was a little too cramped.

There was no light inside. Once the door closed, darkness filled the room, with only faint slivers of light seeping through the cracks. The mall’s noise was shut out, leaving only the sound of their breathing and the rustling of fabric unnervingly clear, as if right next to their ears.

In the dim glow, Luo Hai saw Eugene slowly raise an eyebrow, his tone both playful and provocative. “Not taking your clothes off, Luo Hai?”