I’m afraid you’ll dislike me, boss.

Ming Shuzhen waved at Qian Duoduo, who looked over in disbelief.

Opening the back door, Qian Duoduo climbed in. “Holy cow, Full Pockets, did you splurge on a luxury cab?”

Her tone was dramatic, her freshly applied mauve lipstick striking against her pixie cut and full cheeks, giving her a unique flair.

Seeing the driver, she dropped her exaggerated expression, swallowing her next words.

“Boss?” Qian Duoduo said hesitantly, shooting a shocked glance at Ming Shuzhen.

Ming Shuzhen blinked, turning from the front seat to explain. “I was waiting for a cab, and the boss offered to drive us.”

“Oh, I see,” Qian Duoduo said, her voice stiff. It was her first direct encounter with Ming Shuyan.

“Hello, Boss. I’m Qian Duoduo, also from Team Two,” she introduced herself quickly.

“Mm,” Ming Shuyan gave her a reassuring look through the rearview mirror, then focused on driving.

Qian Duoduo had planned to cover Ming Shuzhen’s cab fare, but with the boss driving, she was stumped on how to handle it.

She messaged Ming Shuzhen on WeChat: “OMG, scared me to death. Why didn’t you warn me? I could’ve prepped.”

“How do I pay for this? This car’s gotta be pricey. Luxury cars guzzle gas, right? Never seen the boss drive this one—is it new?”

“Meilin’s gonna flip when she sees this. Will the boss drive us back? Probably, right? I’m so embarrassed!”

“Full Pockets, check your phone! Is it on silent?”

Ming Shuzhen sat calmly in the front, her phone silenced in her coat pocket.

At the prosecutor’s office, Qian Duoduo exhaled in relief and hopped out.

Meilin, escorted by an officer, waited in the lobby.

Seeing Qian Duoduo and Ming Shuzhen, her tense expression softened.

“You can leave after signing,” the officer said.

Meilin grabbed the tethered pen and scrawled a messy signature.

“Meilin, you hungry? I brought roasted corn,” Qian Duoduo said, opening her bag to show her.

“Thanks,” Meilin said, looking drained, likely from exhaustion and stress.

She sipped from the thermos Qian Duoduo offered, then nibbled the corn.

Charred from the fire, the corn’s sweetness mixed with a smoky flavor. Kept warm in the bag, it was still toasty.

Qian Duoduo and Ming Shuzhen flanked Meilin, walking her down the steps.

Ming Shuyan’s car was parked curbside, her hand on her forehead, eyes closed, resting.

To avoid startling Meilin, Qian Duoduo warned her. “Meilin, the boss drove us here. That silver car’s hers.”

“The boss?” Meilin followed her gaze. “She knows about my situation?”

“No, she just drove Full Pockets here.”

“Oh,” Meilin said, too tired to probe.

She figured it made sense—Ming Shuzhen and the boss were “sisters,” so a personal ride was normal.

They piled into the car, still a bit awkward.

Meilin nodded toward the driver. “Thanks, Boss.”

“I’ll drop you two home first. Set the navigation,” Ming Shuyan said, glancing at them in the mirror.

Meilin’s phone was dead, so Qian Duoduo used hers to input Meilin’s address.

Her mind buzzed with questions: Why was Meilin taken? What was investigated? Was she cleared?

But it was personal. Asking might make Meilin uncomfortable.

Meilin, ever considerate, sensed her hesitation. “It’s fine, ask away.”

Qian Duoduo checked Meilin’s expression for reluctance before speaking. “Meilin, why’d they call you in? If you need help, just say so.”

“Mm,” Meilin smiled. “It’s fine, just a mix-up.”

“When I walk my Cappuccino, I often see a little golden retriever. Got to know its owner over time.”

“Yesterday, the owner called, saying she was busy and asked me to walk her dog.”

Qian Duoduo’s imagination ran wild. She gasped. “No way—the owner’s a corrupt official, got arrested, and since you were her last contact, they called you in?”

“No way,” Meilin said, half-laughing, half-exasperated. “Would a corrupt official walk dogs with me? Would they even walk their own dog?”

“Good point,” Qian Duoduo nodded, serious. “So what happened?”

“It’s about a juvenile crime case, I think,” Meilin said, recalling.

“Oh, those go to the prosecutor’s office. But how’s that related to you?”

Ming Shuzhen, eager, turned from the front seat for Meilin’s answer.

“Because of that call,” Meilin said, exasperated. “The owner’s kid called me for some reason, then went missing. They thought I was hiding him.”

“What?” Qian Duoduo’s head spun. “Is the misunderstanding cleared? Did they find the kid?”

“It’s cleared. The kid dialed me by mistake, and we barely spoke—call logs prove it. I only know his mom from dog walks. No way I’d help him flee.”

“Exactly,” Qian Duoduo and Ming Shuzhen chimed in, agreeing it was a bizarre mix-up.

“Ugh, so surreal. Never thought I’d visit a prosecutor’s office. I don’t even know any officials—how’d I get tangled in this?” Meilin said, frustrated.

It cost her a day’s work and troubled her colleagues to pick her up. Plus, she hadn’t fed or walked Cappuccino.

“What did the kid do? Serious crime?” Ming Shuzhen asked.

“Pretty serious, I think. The prosecutors didn’t seem fond of those kids, but they didn’t share details. Juvenile cases are confidential,” Meilin said, recalling their expressions.

“Those kids?” Ming Shuzhen caught the plural. “A group incident?”

“Yeah,” Meilin nodded.

“Gotta be school bullying,” Qian Duoduo declared.

They all agreed—multiple minors together likely meant bullying.

No one spoke after. Meilin was rattled, and Qian Duoduo and Ming Shuzhen wanted her to rest. Only the navigation’s voice filled the car.

Ming Shuyan drove smoothly, stopping at a red light and turning to Ming Shuzhen.

“Settling in at the company?”

“?” Ming Shuzhen, surprised by the question, nodded. “Everyone’s friendly and helpful. But my major’s a bit off, and I lack experience, so I’m still figuring things out.”

She thought of Li Feiyuan’s wall issue, still unsolved.

“Got another inspection tomorrow? I can join you,” Ming Shuyan offered.

“!” Ming Shuzhen’s instinct was to decline, but then she thought—her inexperience might miss something the boss could spot instantly.

Plus, the boss would drive. No freezing on her scooter.

“Great,” she grinned. “But Mr. Li set it for the morning after next, 5 to 7 a.m. We’d need to get up early.”

“Five a.m.?” Ming Shuyan questioned the odd timing.

“Yeah,” Ming Shuzhen confirmed. Winter mornings were brutal—dark and frigid.

“Alright, I’ll pick you up early,” Ming Shuyan said, unfazed.

“Mm,” Ming Shuzhen nodded enthusiastically, thinking this company was amazing from top to bottom.

She assumed the boss often worked with staff, so it didn’t feel special.

Qian Duoduo and Meilin in the back, however, gaped like they’d seen aliens.

Whatever—Ming Shuzhen was the “sister,” so extra care made sense.

After dropping off Qian Duoduo and Meilin, only Ming Shuzhen and Ming Shuyan remained.

“Want music?” Ming Shuyan asked.

“Sure,” Ming Shuzhen said, thinking it’d break the silence.

“What do you listen to?” Ming Shuyan asked.

“Uh, anything,” Ming Shuzhen said, unsure.

Ming Shuyan hit play, and an English song filled the car.

Ming Shuzhen recognized it—Lady Gaga’s *The Cure*, often played on her school’s radio in middle school.

Her school shared a radio station for middle and high schoolers.

Back then, with little to do, the afternoon broadcasts were their biggest joy.

She remembered leaning on railings after lunch, listening. Sometimes the station played “Happy Birthday” with dedications, sparking cheers from the honored class’s floor.

Her birthday always fell on a school day, so she’d get song dedications from classmates—sometimes different songs from different people in one day.

With her gentle, easygoing nature and cute looks, she was well-liked.

“Like it?” Ming Shuyan asked, seeing her focus, smiling softly.

“Yeah,” Ming Shuzhen tilted her head playfully.

“Our high school radio played this a lot. Hearing it now feels nostalgic,” she said, smiling down.

“Mm,” Ming Shuyan replied, as if relating but also detached.

At her place, Ming Shuzhen thanked her.

“Not inviting me up?” Ming Shuyan asked, her expression earnest, like she meant it.

“Uh,” Ming Shuzhen froze, unsure of her intent.

Ming Shuyan saw her puffy-cheeked confusion, like a squirrel begging to be pinched.

She laughed. “Guess not.”

“Yeah,” Ming Shuzhen said bluntly, too honest. “My place is a mess. I don’t want you to judge.”

“I won’t judge.”

“Still no,” Ming Shuzhen shot back.

Realizing she sounded too quick, she worried it seemed unwelcoming.

She backpedaled. “Boss, how about I treat you to coffee another day? Or if there’s food you like, I can treat you to dinner.”

“Then treat me to coffee *and* dinner,” Ming Shuyan said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

She knew it was polite talk, but she wanted to push, be bold—shamelessly direct.

“Uh,” Ming Shuzhen blinked rapidly, thinking the boss was *not* shy about taking offers.

“Fine, I’ll treat,” she said reluctantly.

Ming Shuyan, the sly fox, grinned in satisfaction, her eyes glinting mischievously.

She opened the door for Ming Shuzhen. “Goodnight. I’ll pick you up the day after tomorrow.”