Once the affection level is maxed out, the rivalry begins!

"It's getting late, how about we call it a day?"

Bai Ze spoke to the girl in front of him.

It took Xia Xingzhi quite a while to recover from her distraught state, probably because her sister's statement, which was tantamount to pointing out that she had no friends, was too damaging.

So much so that by the time she came to her senses, it was almost dusk.

Bai Ze found a tea bar on the street, and the two of them are now sitting facing each other inside.

Although no clues related to the Phantom Thief were found today, we discovered some traces of the Order's movements and subdued a powerful anomaly, which can be considered a gain.

"Okay, okay..."

She looked dejected. "I'm sorry, I wasn't of any use."

"No, wasn't it you who revealed this guy's true form that allowed me to win?"

Bai Ze patted the bulging pocket of his shirt, and something inside kicked it.

Mingming, temporarily subdued by force, is now in his pocket—unlike Lu Xingyao, who can carry a doll on his shoulder in public without any shame.

"Ah...hehe."

The girl who received the praise raised her hand to touch the brim of her hunting hat, shyly covering her eyes.

But the way she tiptoed and then put her toes down betrayed her joyful mood—Bai Ze felt that he had almost learned how to interpret Xia Xingzhi's emotions.

Perhaps by the time they catch the phantom thief, he'll have already passed the Level 3 Biology Identification Certificate exam.

"Alright, then let's disband."

Bai Ze got up and left the store, heading out onto the street to go home.

I heard rustling footsteps behind me, and I could feel gazes coming from the shadows from time to time.

He quickly turned around and saw a petite figure hiding behind a telephone pole as if startled.

"Why are you following me? Did a gossip magazine hire you to investigate my love life, Miss Detective?"

Bai Ze complained.

Although the group disbanded, Xia Xingzhi continued to follow him closely!

"Emotional status...?"

"I was just kidding, don't actually look curious!"

Bai Ze walked over and pulled her out from behind the utility pole that was being used as cover. "So what's wrong?"

"No, there's nowhere I can go back to..."

The girl carefully tilted her head back—a posture exactly like her sister's.

"The client instructed me to stay with Aze until the phantom thief is caught..."

"So it meant 24 hours?!"

Bai Ze was shocked.

He thought the other party at least had a base in Fuyuna City, and that the phrase "staying together" specifically referred to the period of working together.

Given Xia Xingzhi's unique abilities, she didn't even dare to seek refuge with her own younger sister.

Bai Ze didn't dare to find a hotel and dump her there—what's the difference between that and randomly dumping weapons of mass destruction?

Then, only the safest and most secure option remains.

"...Come to my house."

Bai Ze extended this invitation to a woman he had only known for less than a day.

"Oh, is that alright? Won't someone like me stepping into the house trigger the alarm?"

"Even vampires get invited and are allowed in. Just how low do you think you are?"

If only she could have a third of the self-affirmation that those witches possessed.

"I... I'm still quite confident in my abilities as a detective;"

The girl muttered to herself, feeling wronged, "Everyone used to say I was the Sleeping Death Elementary School Detective..."

It's really hard to say whether that's praise or not.

Bai Ze brought Xia Xingzhi to his front door and took out a key to insert into the lock.

The moment the door was pushed open, an unbelievable, terrifying stench, stronger than that of a can of herring that had been stored for three years, suddenly wafted out!

His pupils shrank instantly, and his concentration became even greater than when he faced the Lord of the Underworld!

"So there were still some who slipped through the net!"

"Huh? What is it? Are there enemies?" Xia Xingzhi asked, pinching her nose, completely bewildered.

"That's right, it's that guy. He must be here to avenge our fallen comrades—"

Bai Ze coldly summoned the Golden Bow. "Code name: Value-Added G. Very well, I can no longer allow you to exist in this world where there is still hope. I will now send you to reunite with your brothers!"

A slime made from kitchen waste has appeared!

Bai Ze used a normal attack.

The slime collapsed and burst into countless fragments.

Does anyone expect an anomaly so weak to bring any surprises? Even an ordinary person with a weapon could easily beat it up.

But the truly nasty aspect of the added value of G lies not in its combat power at all.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh—"

Bai Ze opened all the windows to ventilate the house.

I thought I had eliminated all the anomalies created by Lu Xingyao in her reclusive, shut-in mode, but I didn't expect that some remnants of the species would escape!

The thought that they might be breeding in the city's sewer system sent chills down Bai Ze's spine, making him want to blast Dongming to pieces with a Judgment Blade meteor arrow.

The smell inside the room can at least dissipate over time, but the smell that clung to your clothes during the fight is hard to remove naturally.

"It stinks!"

Xia Xingzhi, who had suffered an undeserved misfortune, looked miserable and didn't dare to sit on the sofa.

"May I use the bathroom?"

Normally, she would never have had the courage to make a request, which shows how much psychological trauma the current situation has caused her.

"please……"

Bai Ze felt somewhat guilty towards her.

The girl ran at full speed as if granted a pardon, and almost crashed into the wall.

Soon, the sound of dripping water echoed in the room.

Bai Ze himself couldn't stand the smell, so he took off his upper body clothes and threw them aside.

But as he lifted the hem of his coat, an important question suddenly occurred to him.

Miss Detective...did she bring a change of clothes?

Unless it's hidden in some kind of storage ring or other spatial artifact, she doesn't seem to have any luggage.

However, since Lin Tingwan got the spare key to his house, she would occasionally stay overnight there. Thanks to this, there were some women's underwear in the house.

As for shirts, I'll just have to make do with his.

Bai Ze, shirtless, prepared the guest's clothes and carried them in his arms, intending to deliver them to the bathroom door.

After all, if someone sees something filthy that shouldn't exist in the world as soon as they enter, as the host, you should at least provide thoughtful service as a way of treating your guests.

But as soon as he returned to the living room, the door lock started clicking again.

"I'm back! I'm back! I'm back!"

Lin Tingwan twirled her keychain and pushed open the door. "Wow, what's that smell—did you cook poop at home?"

Strictly speaking, this is his home, so why did she come back so naturally?

The girl's gaze met Bai Ze's as he held the clothes. She stood there blankly, her face flushed as she turned her head to the side.

"You were just about to take a shower... Would I call this a lucky pervert incident?"

She tried to remain calm and made a joke.

"actually--"

Just as Bai Ze was about to explain, he suddenly realized something.

The sound of water that had been flowing until just now has stopped.

"Um...can I borrow your clothes...?"

Xia Xingzhi peeked out, holding a bath towel to cover her body. Glistening water droplets rolled down her gray hair, sliding past her collarbone and falling into the gap between the towel and her body.

The man, who had already taken off his upper body clothing;

A beautiful young woman with a stunning figure is taking a shower in the bathroom.

Lin Tingwan's smile froze on her face.