Chapter 368

Will something happen within a week?

After hearing the Red-haired Woman's judgment, Li Ang nodded unconsciously, but upon closer thought, he sensed something off.

"Wait! Your wallet? You're the one who lost it yesterday?"

"…"

Damn… I was so focused on figuring out the Water Bearer Director's motive, I forgot this whole thing…

"This… I can explain."

Seeing Li Ang's expression shift from surprise to suspicion, then to recollection, and finally to dawning realization, the Red-haired Woman cleared her throat awkwardly and hurriedly tried to recover:

"Actually…"

"Actually, you were drunk and lost your wallet, then felt too embarrassed to tell me directly, so you tricked me into helping you find it—but you didn't find anything at all, and this was just coincidence?"

"…"

No… how did you figure it out so fast? Did someone tell you something?

"It wasn't entirely coincidence."

Seeing Li Ang's hostile expression, the Red-haired Woman blushed for once, slightly guilty as she gestured weakly:

"I did sense… just a tiny bit of something off, uh… not much, but definitely a little."

"…"

So it really is just as the Black Goat guessed!!!

Watching the Red-haired Woman's "just a little" gesture, Li Ang's face darkened, but remembering her past kindness to him, he held back his anger and growled instead:

"Chief, you really ought to drink less from now on."

"I… I'll try…"

You'll try your ass!

Seeing her evasive gaze, Li Ang knew her promise would last at most a week. He sighed but said nothing more.

After all, the Red-haired Woman's condition was special—she needed alcohol occasionally to numb herself and temporarily escape the guilt brought by the 【Bloody Hair of Slaughter】. Forcing her to quit entirely would only torment her.

"Fine, drink if you want."

Shaking his head helplessly, Li Ang dropped the matter of her lying to get him to search for her wallet and instead gently warned:

"But don't get drunk again like this—don't even notice your wallet's gone. Keep some vigilance. If you're careless, someone might take advantage and you could get hurt."

"????"

Watching Li Ang, clearly annoyed but not pressing the issue, instead letting it go with a light touch, the Red-haired Woman's heart jolted. She hissed:

"Hss… Li Ang… are you okay?"???

What kind of question is that? What's wrong with me?

"I mean… aren't you angry?"

The Red-haired Woman blinked:

"If Emma found out I got drunk, messed up, and tricked her into running errands for me, she'd stay mad for ages and force me to pay back… Aren't you angry?"

"Of course I'm angry—but not that angry."

Looking at her lustrous red hair, Li Ang shook his head slightly:

"Emma is different from me. She might know about the 【Bloody Hair of Slaughter】, but she probably doesn't understand how much pain it inflicts on its user. I've touched your hair—I know exactly what using this anomaly means."

You have many flaws, Chief, but you've done more than enough on a daily basis. If I forced you to stay sober, endure the pain, and constantly shield me while protecting humanity, that would be selfish of me."

No one is born with the obligation to bear these burdens. So drink if you must—but when danger looms, know your limits. Don't give others a chance to hurt you. The entire Virgin District still depends on you. Stay safe."

"…"

After hearing Li Ang's words, the Red-haired Woman fell silent for a moment, then sniffed hard, clasped her hands to her chest, eyes brimming with emotion:

"Oh my, you're just… you've moved me so much!"

"No one's ever been this thoughtful toward me before—caring for me in every way, not even blaming me for lying to you, and even trying to find fault in yourself… Waaah, I'm so moved I almost want to give myself to you."

"By the way, little Li Ang, since you support me, I've been thinking it over—five Golden Wheels aren't enough. So… could you take out your wallet again and lend me five more Golden Wheels?"

"…"

"No."

Hearing the first half, Li Ang felt slightly embarrassed—but after hearing the second half, his face turned black:

"I've changed my mind. If you keep drinking, you'll eventually crash on this. And if you have no objections, I'm taking the 【Bag of Usury】. Leaving it with you is pure waste… I'm off duty!"

"Go on, go on! Stingy man!"

Watching Li Ang leave with a smile, the Red-haired Woman sat alone at her desk for a while, then rose, opened the office window, and leaned against the sill, gazing outside.

In her line of sight, that stingy man who refused to lend her money had just stepped beyond the Police Department's grounds and waved to a waiting carriage.

Watching Li Ang negotiate with the driver, settle on a price, and climb aboard the carriage heading toward Shipbridge Street, the Red-haired Woman's eyes gleamed. She sniffed, turned back, picked up the bottle, and took a large gulp.

"Kid's barely grown his fur yet, and he thinks he can show off in front of me? Hmph!"

…

"Alright! Get out here!"

Having calculated the distance from the Police Department to home, Li Ang tapped the carriage window just before the meter would tick over, shouting over the boiler's roar:

"Stop here! I'll walk the last half-street myself! If you drive any further, I won't pay for the extra!"

Tsk… Don't city employees usually haggle? How come you're so cheap?

Hearing Li Ang, the driver, who'd been trying to inch forward, grunted, then grimly brought the steam carriage to a halt by the roadside.

"Here, exact change."

Having successfully saved a Copper Wheel, Li Ang handed over the coins, smiled, stepped out of the carriage, and walked toward Happy Apartments under the moonlight.

"Old man, still awake?"

Greeting the burly old man in the garden, who was glaring at him with giant shears in hand, Li Ang chatted briefly with the manager lady after the curly-haired old woman tied him up with yarn, then chuckled his way upstairs.

Home really is the best.

Morning: processing mission reports. Afternoon: gathering rebels to destroy evidence of the boarding tower attack. Night: overtime searching for a wallet. After a full day's work, Li Ang stretched his tired body, face relaxed, heading toward the house he called home.

The moment he stepped onto the sixth floor, the door—just as always—opened promptly. Beneath its familiar warm light, a lovely face smiled at him.

"Anna, I'm back… why are you here?"

"What do you mean, why can't it be me?"

Pulling up the silk robe's collar to cover her overly prominent front, Princess Veronika smiled sweetly:

"Darling~ You're home! Do you want to bathe first? Or eat first? Or maybe…"