As someone in sequence 001, I also want to give up today.

When Li Xian returned home carrying osmanthus cake, "Science Fiction World" magazine, and orange-flavored effervescent tablets, it was already 4:30 pm.

The setting sun bathed the living room in a warm orange hue, and through the window, you could see the bed sheets drying on the rooftop across the street swaying gently in the breeze.

He kicked off his shoes, put his things on the dining table, slumped into the sofa, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"I'm home..." He closed his eyes, feeling the familiar texture of the sofa fabric.

"Indeed, there's no place like your own lazy home."

After lying there for about three minutes, he suddenly remembered something and reached into his hoodie pocket. His fingertips touched the remaining bills—after buying everything, he still had twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents left.

Delivery fee.

Li Xian stared at the crumpled banknotes, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

On the one hand, this was his earnings, compensation for being forced to go out;

On the other hand, the money came from his sister, who was currently dating his best friend and had been keeping it a secret from him for three whole months.

"Never mind." He stuffed the money back into his pocket and decided to use this windfall to buy a jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) for tomorrow morning—with two eggs, a sausage, and a bag of soy milk.

A deluxe meal to soothe his wounded spirit after a day of shock.

The sound of pots and pans clattering came from the kitchen.

Li Xian perked up his ears—sweet and sour pork ribs? They're back so soon? He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was only 4:30. The date ended a bit early.

"Xiaoyu?" he called out.

"Brother, you're back?"

Li Yu peeked out from the kitchen, her face still flushed, and she had her apron tied around her neck.

"Perfect timing, peel a few cloves of garlic for me!"

Li Xian slowly got up from the sofa and moved into the kitchen.

Li Yu was preparing the ribs, her movements were skilled, and the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board was crisp and clean.

Sugar, vinegar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and a small bowl of sliced ​​ginger were already laid out on the stove.

"Is the date over?" Li Xian leaned against the door frame and picked up a clove of garlic to peel.

Li Yu paused for a moment, then resumed her actions, her voice tinged with amusement: "Yeah, I came back after watching a movie. Anyway... I achieved my main goal."

"Main purpose?" Li Xian raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't this a girls' gathering?"

"..."

Li Yu turned around and turned on the tap; the sound of rushing water masked her silence.

After a while, she turned off the water and whispered, "Brother, I'm sorry for keeping it from you."

Li Xian put the peeled garlic into a small bowl and said calmly, "It's alright. Ah Zhe is a good person, I don't mind."

These words made Li Yu turn around abruptly, her eyes sparkling: "Really? You're not angry?"

"What are you angry about?"

Li Xian picked up the second clove of garlic.

"My sister has good taste; she picked a reliable guy. My brother is lucky; he won my sister's heart. It's a win-win situation, so why am I angry?"

Li Yu smiled, a smile so bright it seemed to illuminate the entire kitchen.

She leaned closer and patted Li Xian's shoulder with her wet hands: "Brother, you're so kind!"

"My hands! They're all wet!"

Li Xian dodged away in disgust, "Hurry up and cook, I'm hungry."

"Right away!"

Li Yu turned back to the stove, clearly in a very good mood, and even started humming a song.

As Li Xian watched her busy figure, he suddenly remembered the shy blush on her face seen through the floor-to-ceiling window of the coffee shop.

Three months...that's not a short time.

He didn't even notice. Should I say he's too slow-witted, or that these two are just too good actors?

"By the way," he asked casually, "how did you and Ah Zhe start? There must have been a trigger, right?"

Li Yu was blanching the pork ribs, and amidst the rising steam, her movements paused almost imperceptibly.

It was so brief, so brief, that Li Xian thought it was just his imagination.

"It's...just ordinary." Her voice came through the steam as her back was to Li Xian.

"He came to see you during our school's anniversary celebration, but you weren't there, so I showed him around the campus. Later... we gradually became friends."

"School anniversary?" Li Xian recalled.

"Wasn't that about six months ago?"

"Yes, but we really... got together three months ago." Li Yu turned off the stove and took out the blanched pork ribs.

"Once... um... I encountered a bit of an accident, and he helped me a lot. And then... and then it just happened naturally."

Accident?

Li Xian was about to ask another question when the doorbell rang.

"It must be A-Zhe!" Li Yu's eyes lit up, and she wiped her hands before running outside.

"He said he wanted to come over and help with the cooking!"

Sure enough, Chen Zhe was standing outside the door.

He had changed his clothes; he was wearing a simple gray sweatshirt and jeans, and carrying a supermarket shopping bag filled with fruits and vegetables.

Upon seeing Li Xian, a hint of awkwardness flashed across his face, but he quickly adjusted it into a smile: "Brother Xian! I'm here! Tonight, you'll all get to try my cooking!"

"You can cook?" Li Xian looked at him suspiciously. "I remember you burned a hole in the pot when you cooked instant noodles last time."

"That was an accident!" Chen Zhe squeezed through the door, expertly taking slippers from the shoe cabinet. "I've improved, really! Xiaoyu can vouch for that!"

Li Yu nodded vigorously beside him: "Yes! Ah Zhe's cooking is amazing now! Especially the braised pork!"

Chen Zhe carried the shopping bags into the kitchen, and Li Yu followed him in.

Soon, the sounds of their laughter, the clinking of spatulas, and... a strange sense of understanding could be heard coming from the kitchen.

Li Xian stood at the kitchen doorway, watching the two figures inside working in perfect harmony—

Chen Zhe was chopping vegetables, and Li Yu was handing him the plate;

Li Yu prepared the sauce, and Chen Zhe tasted it.

If one raises their hand, the other knows to hand over the salt;

One person turns around, and the other side steps aside to make way.

That kind of tacit understanding cannot be cultivated in three months.

What caught Li Xian's attention even more were certain details: when Chen Zhe was cutting potatoes, the knife was so fast that the movement was almost invisible, and the potato slices were so thin and even that they looked like they were cut by a machine.

Li Yu tossed the wok with one hand, and the heavy iron pot felt as light as a plastic toy in her hand.

On another occasion, Chen Zhe almost knocked over a soy sauce bottle. Li Yu reached out almost instantly and caught the bottle steadily when it tilted to a 30-degree angle. Her reaction speed was abnormally fast.

"You two..." Li Xian narrowed his eyes, "did you secretly go to New Oriental for further studies?"

Chen Zhe and Li Yu turned their heads at the same time, looking bewildered: "Huh?"

"It's nothing." Li Xian waved his hand and retreated to the living room.

He's probably overthinking it. People in love tend to perform a little better, right?

Dinner started promptly at six o'clock. The sweet and sour pork ribs were a beautiful reddish-brown color and had a perfect balance of sweet and sour.

Chen Zhe's braised pork was tender, flavorful, and not greasy at all;

In addition, stir-fried seasonal vegetables and tomato egg soup filled the small dining table.

"I'm starting!" Li Yu clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.

Chen Zhe served Li Xian a full bowl of rice: "Brother Xian, have a taste! Give me some feedback!"

Li Xian picked up a piece of spare rib and put it in his mouth.

The meat was tender and juicy, the sauce was rich and flavorful, and the sweet and sour flavors were perfectly balanced. It was definitely his sister's cooking—but it seemed even better than usual.

"Not bad." He nodded.

"Not bad?" Li Yu pouted. "I prepared this with great care!"

"It's delicious." Li Xian readily changed his tune, "Especially the sweet and sour sauce, it's even better than last time."

Li Yu smiled with satisfaction.

The atmosphere at the dinner table gradually relaxed. Chen Zhe told some interesting stories about the company, Li Yu talked about her experiences at school, and Li Xian occasionally chimed in with a few sarcastic remarks.

It looks like an ordinary family dinner, if you ignore certain details—

For example, when Chen Zhe speaks, his fingers will unconsciously tap the table, the rhythm as steady as a metronome;

For example, when Li Yu smiles, her eyes squint slightly, and her eyelashes cast fine shadows under the light;

For example, they would occasionally exchange a glance, so brief that Li Xian could barely catch it, but that glance seemed to contain some kind of information that only they understood.

"By the way, Zhe," Li Xian said casually, taking a bite of rice, "Weren't you meeting a client today? Did you finish so quickly?"

Chen Zhe's hand, which was picking up food, froze in mid-air.

It was very brief, only a fraction of a second, and then she naturally continued her actions: "Ah, the client had something come up and had to reschedule. Xiaoyu just messaged me saying she wanted to see a movie, so we went together."

"What a coincidence." Li Xian took a sip of soup. "Which movie?"

"It's... that sci-fi movie that's been really popular lately," Li Yu chimed in. "The special effects are pretty good."

"What's the movie called?"

The dining table fell silent for a second.

"Star Trek," Chen Zhe said.

"The Wandering Earth," Li Yu said at the same time.

The two exchanged a glance, and Chen Zhe quickly corrected himself: "Right, right, *The Wandering Earth*! I got it mixed up!"

Li Xian glanced at Chen Zhe, then at Li Yu, said nothing, and continued eating.

Halfway through the meal, Chen Zhe's phone rang. He took it out, glanced at it, frowned almost imperceptibly, then silenced it and placed the screen face down on the table.

"A sales call," he explained.

But less than two minutes later, Li Yu's phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen, her expression changed, and she quickly hung up.

"Is this also a sales pitch?" Li Xian raised an eyebrow.

"Ah...right." Li Yu stuffed her phone back into her pocket. "I've been getting so many calls like this lately, it's so annoying."

Li Xian didn't press the matter further. However, he noticed that Chen Zhe and Li Yu ate noticeably faster after that.

Almost simultaneously, the two increased their chewing frequency. Although their movements remained elegant, the sense of urgency was undeniable.

Dinner ended at 7:00 PM.

Li Yu got up and cleared the dishes, her movements so fast they seemed to fly.

Chen Zhe also stood up to help, and the two of them carried the plates into the kitchen, where the sound of running water soon began.

Li Xian leaned back in his chair, listening to the overly efficient sound of washing dishes coming from the kitchen, and his doubts grew stronger.

They were so in sync, so fast, so... synchronized.

Like a well-trained partner.

He recalled Chen Zhe's knife skills when chopping vegetables, Li Yu's strength when tossing the wok, and their reactions when answering the phone—that wasn't the reaction speed of an ordinary person, nor the attitude an ordinary person should have towards a telemarketing call.

And then there was the "accident" three months ago. What kind of "accident" could cause such a rapid advancement in their relationship?

Li Xian shook his head, trying to clear his mind of these random thoughts.

Perhaps he's written too many novels, and now he sees conspiracy in everything he reads. Real life isn't nearly as dramatic.

The sound of running water stopped in the kitchen. Li Yu came out, wiping her hands. "Brother, Ah Zhe and I are going for a walk to digest our food. The dishes are washed, and the table is wiped."

"Taking a walk so late?" Li Xian glanced out the window—it was already completely dark.

"Just going for a walk around here!" Li Yu had already put on her coat. "I'll be right back!"

Chen Zhe also came out of the kitchen and smiled at Li Xian: "Brother Xian, we'll be back in half an hour. Is there anything you need to bring?"

"No need," Li Xian waved his hand. "Come back soon."

"Okay!"

The door opened and closed, and the sound of their footsteps disappeared into the corridor.

Li Xian sat at the dining table for a while, then got up and went to the balcony.

Looking down from the eighth floor, you can see the dim streetlights in the community and residents taking walks in twos and threes.

He quickly found Chen Zhe and Li Yu—they were walking side by side, not holding hands, but their shoulders were very close.

The two stopped when they reached the flower bed in the center of the residential area.

Chen Zhe took out his phone and looked at it, then said something to Li Yu.

Li Yu nodded, and the two quickly turned into the path behind the flower bed, disappearing from Li Xian's sight.

That direction... is the back gate of the residential area, leading to a rather secluded street.

Li Xian frowned.

Do we need to go to such a remote place for a walk?

He returned to the living room, turned on the TV, and randomly selected a variety show.

The host's exaggerated laughter echoed in the room, but he wasn't paying any attention.

Time ticked by, minute by minute. 7:30, 7:40, 7:50...

What happened to the agreed-upon half hour?

At exactly eight o'clock, Li Xian finally couldn't sit still any longer. He picked up his phone and sent Li Yu a WeChat message: "When are you coming back?"

No reply.

He then asked Chen Zhe, "Where did you two go?"

It all disappeared without a trace.

Li Xian stared at his phone screen, the feeling that something was wrong growing stronger.

He recalled the two phone calls that came almost simultaneously during dinner, the expressions on their faces when they answered the phone, their sudden increase in the speed at which they ate, and their current state of being out of contact.

This is definitely not a walk.

He walked to the window and looked out at the neighborhood again. The streetlights were still dim, the flowerbeds were quiet, and the path was deserted.

Just then, my phone vibrated.

It was Li Yu's reply: "Almost home, bro! My phone was on silent, so I didn't see it~"

Almost simultaneously, Chen Zhe's message arrived: "Don't worry, Brother Xian, we're downstairs, we'll be up soon."

Li Xian stared at the two messages that arrived almost simultaneously, narrowing his eyes.

They're so synchronized.

It's like... we've rehearsed it.

Five minutes later, the door opened.

Li Yu and Chen Zhe entered one after the other, both with smiles on their faces. However, Li Xian noticed that Li Yu's hair was a little messy and Chen Zhe's cuffs were dusty.

"Brother, we're back!" Li Yu took off her coat. "It's so cold outside!"

"Where did you wander off to?" Li Xian asked calmly.

"I just wandered around the neighborhood and then went to the back street to buy a cup of milk tea."

Chen Zhe shook the plastic bag in his hand; there were indeed two cups of milk tea inside.

"Brother Xian, I brought you a cup of the original flavor."

Li Xian took the milk tea; it was icy cold to the touch—it was indeed the temperature of something just bought from outside.

"Why did it take so long?"

"There are a lot of people in line," Li Yu replied naturally.

"That newly opened bubble tea shop is really popular, isn't it, Zhe?"

"Yes, I waited in line for almost twenty minutes." Chen Zhe nodded.

The reasons were sufficient, the evidence was conclusive, and the expression was natural.

But Li Xian just felt something was wrong.

He looked at his sister's slightly flushed cheeks—not from the cold, because the redness from the cold wouldn't be this color; he looked at the dust on Chen Zhe's cuffs—the cement road in the back street was very clean, where did the dust come from?

And that... indescribable aura emanating from them.

It wasn't the smell of sweat or milk tea, but rather a very faint, refreshing scent, similar to the air after rain, with a subtle, almost imperceptible burnt smell.

It looked like she had just taken a shower, or like she had just come back from some kind of strenuous exercise.

"Brother?" Li Yu waved in front of him. "What are you daydreaming about? Milk tea should be drunk while it's iced!"

Li Xian snapped out of his daze and forced a smile: "It's nothing. Chen Zhe, you should go back and take a shower too, you're all hot."

Chen Zhe smiled at Li Xian: "Well then, Brother Xian, I'll head back now. I have to go to work tomorrow."

"Okay, be careful on the road."

"Brother, I'll go see Ah Zhe off!" Li Yu skipped and hopped after Ah Zhe as they went out the door.

After closing the door, Li Xian stood at the entrance, lost in thought.

Is he overthinking it?

Maybe.

After all, real life isn't a novel; there aren't that many hidden plots.

He shook his head, picked up the iced milk tea, and went back to the living room. The variety show on TV was still going on, and the host's laughter was still exaggerated.

Li Xian took a sip of milk tea; it was sweet and icy cold.

Forget it, I don't want to.

He slumped back into the sofa, pulled out his phone, and opened the blank document.

The cursor was still blinking, and the line "I don't want to work hard today" was still glaringly obvious.

"I'll think about it tomorrow," he muttered to himself, and closed the document.

Outside the window, the night was deep. The city lights were bright, and cars streamed by.

Business as usual.

At least that's how Li Xian sees it.

Meanwhile, in some corner of the city, an encrypted report has just been uploaded to an organization's internal server.

The report is titled "Record of the Elimination of the Class A Beast 'Shadow Lizard'".

Enforcer:

【012·Consciousness Severance】- Li Yu

【021·Flame Heart Control】- Chen Zhe

Task rating: S.

The report concludes with a photograph of the scene—the remains of a monster completely carbonized by some kind of high temperature, and two blurry shadows standing side by side on the ground.

However, Li Xian was unaware of all this.

All he knew was that the sweet and sour pork ribs were indeed delicious tonight, the milk tea was a bit too sweet, and—

The manuscript is due tomorrow, but he hasn't written a single word.

"Sigh." He sighed.

Life is just that simple and stressful.