Lien looked at the idiot Niu Xi ahead, his face full of impatience.
But since the truth was already exposed, there was nothing left to say. He got out of the car with Shen Ying.
Without missing a beat, he turned the tables: "You must’ve had a grudge against me all along, huh? Jumping straight to scheming and plotting the second something happens?"
"I was perfectly fine in the square earlier when my car got blown up. What do you think our situation is now?"
"Should I just wait around for that bastard to keep hunting us down instead of hiding with her?"
"You blocked the middle of the road without a care—if I hadn’t reacted fast enough, she’d have been thrown from the car and killed on the spot."
"Tell me, what’s your game here? Did that guy buy you off or something?"
Niu Xi was almost impressed by Lien’s shamelessness, daring to twist the truth like this.
He grabbed Lien by the collar and snapped, "Don’t forget, I’m the one who called you here. Otherwise, would you even be part of this mess?"
"And the first thing you do is sneak off with her, trying to slip away without a word."
"In our line of work, that’s a serious betrayal. The lightest punishment is losing a hand."
Lien scoffed and shoved his hand away. "You’d need the skill to pull that off."
Just then, a sports car pulled up behind Lien’s wrecked vehicle, slowing to a stop.
Shen Ying saw Shop Owner Lu step out, smiling at Lien with a tone that betrayed no anger. "You drove so fast, I couldn’t catch up."
"Had to send Niu Xi ahead to signal you to stop."
With both of them here, Lien knew his smooth escape plan was ruined, and his mood soured completely.
One opponent was manageable, but he had no chance of slipping past two.
So he sneered, "You came too? I thought you’d be busy with deliveries."
"After all, when I ran into you on patrol this morning, you mentioned having a lot of orders today."
Lu Yu replied, "I was delivering, but halfway through, I remembered this isn’t really my job. So I drove here instead."
Shen Ying suddenly chimed in, "So the goods are still in your car?"
Lu Yu stiffened, shooting her a dark look. "They won’t be free for you."
As their gazes locked, Lien quickly cut in.
"Enough. You can leave. This never concerned you in the first place. The best-case scenario is you staying outside, coordinating and keeping an eye on that guy’s movements. Having you here makes no difference."
"Why bother tagging along?"
Lu Yu’s expression darkened before settling into calm. "Both of you are too reckless. I’m worried you’ll make irreversible mistakes inside."
"Compared to staying outside, I think ensuring Miss Shen’s safety is more important."
Shen Ying laughed lightly. "Wow, I must be some VIP then?"
"To have skilled people like you so worried about my safety."
Lien’s face tightened as Lu Yu smiled at her. "Miss Shen may not be a VIP, but your status is… unique."
"Especially to us. You’re practically our second chance. So we’ll do everything to keep you safe."
Shen Ying feigned confusion. "But Officer Lien told me we’re star-crossed lovers, torn apart by my husband’s schemes."
"He never mentioned any of this."
Lu Yu and Niu Xi both shot Lien disdainful looks.
Lu Yu sighed. "Lien, really? That’s the pathetic lie you went with? How sad."
His brown eyes seemed to speak volumes, mocking Lien with a single glance.
You, the one who got played like a fool, calling yourself a star-crossed lover?
Lien was seething, and Niu Xi, unlike Lu Yu, had no filter.
He exploded, "What the hell are you smoking? With your ‘one-night-800’ reputation, you dare call yourself her lover?"
"I’m the one who’s actually in love with Madam—I mean, Miss Shen!"
Now even Lu Yu gave Niu Xi a strange look.
You, this dumb ox, lying right to our faces?
Lien smirked. "You? You’re just a cheap hired thug."
"Throw you some scraps, pat you on the head like a dog, and you think you’re somebody?"
Niu Xi shot back, "Who here hasn’t been treated like a dog?"
Lu Yu and Lien: "…"
Niu Xi pressed on. "You’re just jealous because I’m the most observant and trusted. Miss Shen’s never even scowled at me."
"But you two? Beaten, scolded, caught red-handed every other day—faces slapped swollen."
"And you still brag about being close to her? Real relationships are equal. Are you equal?"
When it came to infuriating people, Lu Yu, Lien, and even the Emperor combined were no match for Niu Xi.
Lien was now itching to beat this idiot senseless—Lu Yu looked ready to throw hands too.
Fortunately, Lu Yu kept his cool. He warned them, "If you want that guy to find us and wipe us all out, keep shouting in the middle of the road."
Niu Xi relented. "Fine. Let’s find a place to settle first, then argue."
"This doesn’t concern the boss. Dragging him into this mess isn’t right."
Lien added, "True. At least that dumb ox has some right to fight me for the ‘real lover’ title."
"But you? You’re irrelevant here."
Lu Yu was fuming now. He glared at Lien. "I don’t see how I’m any different from you."
Lien laughed. "Cut the crap. I hang out with her, play games—we’re tight in private."
"What do you have?"
His gaze said it all:
If the Warden has any soft spot for us, what’s your claim to fame besides forced punishments?
Niu Xi patted Lu Yu’s shoulder. "Told you not to meddle in our business."
If Lu Yu had any more pride, he’d have turned and left.
But he glanced at Shen Ying and swallowed his anger, tolerating these two morons.
The four got into Lu Yu’s car and continued their journey.
Lien asked, "Anything happen on your end?"
Niu Xi snorted. "Oh, plenty. Some psycho went on a shooting spree at the supermarket while I was shopping. Lots of people died."
"The guy was steps away from me—I didn’t even notice him while checking out. Got in just in time, or else—"
Lu Yu added, "I got into a crash while delivering. My original car’s totaled."
Shen Ying asked, "So what are we riding in now?"
Lu Yu smiled. "Just picked it off the street."
By now, Shen Ying fully understood the situation. Their casual remarks, certain coded terms, and outright disregard for law and order painted a clear picture.
It was as if their actions came with no consequences, nor did they need to worry about repercussions.
Compared to her "husband," these guys didn’t seem to have a much more normal relationship with her.
In fact, they and her "husband" likely shared some common ground—having once been in the same situation.
Now, though, things had fallen apart. Her "husband" was in a more dominant position now, but at some point, they had been closely connected, even part of the same interest group.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t know each other’s embarrassing secrets so well.
As for her, the good news was that her status probably carried significant privilege.
That privilege still existed now, to the extent that her "husband" had to erase her memories to achieve whatever goal he had in mind.
Shen Ying found it all quite amusing, so she wasn’t in a hurry to expose these guys, even though their stories were already full of holes.
The car drove for several more hours before stopping at a remote seaside location.
The scenery was beautiful—pristine, untouched waters—but since it was nearly dark by the time they arrived, there wasn’t much chance to enjoy it.
The reason they stopped here was a beachfront villa nearby, though there wasn’t a soul in sight outside.
The three of them simply broke down the front door and walked in, claiming some unlucky owner’s house.
Shen Ying was the last to enter and was surprised to find the villa spotless.
Though no one was inside, it looked freshly cleaned, and the fridge was fully stocked with food and drinks.
Without hesitation, Lien and the others took out the food and asked Shen Ying, "What do you want to eat?"
Shen Ying replied, "Don’t you think this place is suspicious?"
"It’s too clean, too well-supplied, yet there’s not a single person here."
Lien scoffed. "What’s there to fear? Even if an entire army surrounded us outside, we’d still eat and drink as usual."
The three of them had reunited, and in this world set in a mere Blue Star era, they could overpower any armed force with ease.
Shen Ying raised an eyebrow, glancing at the indifference on their faces.
This wasn’t naivety—these guys were deliberately keeping things from her, but they also didn’t particularly care if she saw through them.
They weren’t reckless fools who didn’t know their limits; they simply didn’t take this world seriously, confident in their own abilities.
Shen Ying mentally adjusted her assessment of the "outside" world another notch and answered, "Just make whatever’s in the fridge."
As it turned out, Niu Xi and Lien couldn’t cook, so it fell to Lu Yu.
He tied his chestnut-brown hair into a high ponytail, put on an apron, and looked surprisingly domestic holding a spatula.
A fleeting image crossed Shen Ying’s mind, and she suddenly asked, "Shop Owner Lu, are you good at woodworking?"
Lu Yu froze mid-stir.
