Your phone balance is overdue...

It was unclear how much time had passed before Liu Yuan fell asleep leaning against Su Qi's shoulder.

She slept deeply, her cheek pressed against the fabric of his clothes, a faint trace of a smile lingering at the corner of her lips—as if she were dreaming of something pleasant.

Her breathing was soft, carrying the warmth of her body and the steady rhythm of her exhales.

Su Qi didn’t disturb her.

Yun Huang, meanwhile, remained as quiet as ever.

But her gaze shifted restlessly between different objects—

A passing bird, perhaps, or insects crawling in the grass.

To ordinary people, such things might seem boring, but for her, they were rare moments of peace she treasured.

……

And so, the three of them sat there in silence, none uttering a word.

Yet time seemed particularly unwilling to indulge in today’s languor.

The warm sun quietly faded away.

A brilliant sunset spread across the sky without warning.

Daylight was ending.

Parting drew nearer.

"It’s getting late."

No matter how beautiful the scenery, it must eventually fade.

Su Qi spoke softly, "I should take my sister home."

Yun Huang gave a slight nod. "Alright."

No attempts to keep him, no unnecessary pleasantries.

From the start, she had treated today’s meeting with casual ease.

She hadn’t tried to flatter or accommodate Su Qi just because of his "special circumstances."

And now, at their farewell, it was the same.

She showed no reluctance at their impending separation.

As if this was simply how things were meant to be.

"I’ll go somewhere else, then."

Clearly, Yun Huang had no intention of returning home in these seven days.

Nor would Su Qi suggest something like, "My place is pretty big."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

After their brief farewell, she turned and walked away, her steps light as she melted into the deepening night.

Disappearing around the street corner.

……

Su Qi gently patted his sister’s head.

"Liu Yuan, time to go home."

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly.

"Mmm…?"

She let out a soft whimper, squirming reluctantly before curling further into his embrace like a kitten seeking warmth.

"Brother…"

Her murmur was thick with sleep.

Su Qi called again, this time with a firmer tone. "We need to go home."

Only then did Liu Yuan unwillingly open her eyes.

The haze of sleep left her gaze unfocused at first. She blinked several times before her vision cleared.

"Go home?" She rubbed her eyes, her voice still groggy. "It’s… dark already?"

She turned to look at the sky, momentarily mesmerized by the dazzling sunset.

"Okay… let’s go home."

……

The way home wasn’t particularly long.

Half an hour later, the familiar sight of their small house came into view.

Then it suddenly occurred to him—had he forgotten to help drive the car back?

Whatever. Parking fees were cheap, and it wasn’t his money anyway.

Su Qi pulled out his keys, slid one into the lock, and turned it gently.

Click.

A crisp sound, and the door swung open.

Contrary to his expectation of a dark entryway, the living room inside was lit by a single lamp.

Su Qi: …?

What the hell?

Had a burglar broken in?

Seriously, what kind of thief would be bored enough to rob a place in the slums?

It was obviously a poor person’s home!

Wouldn’t the apartment complex across the street be a better target?

Unless… the security there was too tight to even get past the front gate?

But what truly caught him off guard was the figure sitting on the couch.

A girl, roughly 1.7 meters tall—fairly tall for a girl.

"You’re back?"

The girl on the sofa waved at him.

Like a wife waiting for her husba—

Like hell!

Su Qi immediately stepped back, shutting the door behind him, and checked the house number.

203.

Yeah… that was his place.

Had his house grown sentient and started attracting lolis on its own?

Pfft—1.7 meters was hardly a loli.

Even if she threw herself at him, he wouldn’t want her.

Then… maybe he’d opened the door wrong?

Let’s try again.

When Su Qi pushed the door open a second time, Su Muxue was still sitting there in the same position.

His expression remained blank.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

Fingerprint unlocked. His fingers flew across the screen as he dialed a number.

"Hey, Old Jiang."

"There’s an intruder in my house—probably an Ascendant trying to assassinate me."

"Send hel—"

Before he could finish, whoosh!

Su Muxue, who had been sitting calmly just moments ago, suddenly lost her composure.

Cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

In a flash, she lunged for his phone.

But Su Qi had one rule: unless he was dead, no one was taking his phone from him.

And if someone did?

Well, he’d admit to the murder.

So Su Muxue was baffled. Even weakened from her earlier "overexertion," she was still at the eighth-tier in physical ability.

Yet he dodged her?

Forced to improvise, she grabbed his arm and yanked it down, pulling the phone closer.

Though it was still in his grip, she could at least speak into the receiver.

"Guardian Jiang, it’s—"

Then…

An awkward automated voice cut in.

"Your phone balance is insufficient…"

As if to make sure they understood, it repeated in English.

"Sorry, your phone…"

[Joy +999]

Su Qi: …

This was the downside of only paying his phone bill when it got cut off.

Su Muxue’s tone stiffened. "Me?"

"Brother…" Liu Yuan clutched Su Qi’s sleeve, peeking out with just half her face as she studied the unexpected guest.

Wasn’t this the "spoiler girl" from earlier today?

Why was she in their house?

Su Qi, of course, had the same question.

He cut straight to the point. "Why are you in my house?"

Su Muxue hesitated. "It’s… a long story. Just… well…"

She paused, as if searching for the right words. "I came… to find you."

That answer was too vague.

Su Qi wasn’t buying it. "For what?"

"Yes, for something." She nodded. "I thought it was necessary to talk to you in person about what happened at noon."

Su Qi countered, "So, as an official of Great Xia, you can just break into someone’s home when you need to talk?"

Su Muxue faltered, then admitted, "You’re right. I acted thoughtlessly. I apologize—"

Su Qi’s tone was unyielding. "If you know it was wrong, then get the hell out of my house."

He was playing dumb.

What else could it be about?

He knew exactly why she was here—either testing him or recruiting him as some kind of "expendable asset" for a mission.