Leaving the dim alleyways and going back to the busy streets, our favorite pair went inside a quaint bakery café to warm themselves from the autumn's chilly air.

The pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread and brewed coffee wafted throughout the place.

​​

It created a wonderful harmony. Neither overwhelming the other. Which was perfect for Lillie's growing sensitivity to the smell of coffee.

Taking the table beside the window, Lillie leaned back into the soft armchair and made herself comfortable while she waited for Ethan to get their orders.

She looked over the window to half-heartedly observe the pedestrians walking past the shop she's in. After a while, she got tired of it so she unlocked her phone to look for something to distract her.

There were no games on her phone, just a few social media apps for her to access the latest news or rumors that concern the Business World and the Elite Society, a music app, and e-books.

Nothing interesting was in the news. The headlines are mostly about the main event in the Fenhua and the upcoming 71st Blue Starlight Film Awards.

Although there were also some crime reports. Lillie knows it was She Gu who was behind for most of it. He's gotten recklessly relentless after she spooked him with the Commanders' wild stunts.

Speaking of She Gu, she heard he's the one who organized and sponsored the fighting tournament occurring this very night at someplace here in Fenhua.

It's an underground event, something he's been organizing frequently for the past weeks all over the country as a means to gather money and influence to recover from the losses he suffered from the Commanders.

However, there's a slight problem with his goal.

Fenhua City was White Bird's territory.

And she didn't hear anything about She Gu asking permission to book a venue for his event and paying the obligatory fee.

Who gave him the guts to shamelessly do whatever he wants on someone else's property? Does he think she's dead?

He must think he's so slick as to hide something this big from her. Despite the countless properties White Bird owns, she doesn't take her eyes off of them, no matter how small they are.

But Lillie doesn't think that was the case because Fenhua City was anything but small. She Gu should know White Bird would hear about it sooner.

Yet he still went on with it.

Lillie suspects there's a third party involved that had She Gu confident that White Bird couldn't do anything about it.

But the only one who has the power to do so was the Head Reaper. Yet neither Sis Yaoyao nor her Senior Brother told her anything about She Gu's activity.

Either it means whoever She Gu's backer had lied to him, or they were someone in the Reapers Association that made the authorization behind Head Reaper.

She'll have to discuss this with Senior Brother later when she and Ethan return to the villa.

"You've been staring rather evilly at that particular page for quite a while. Had it wronged you somehow?" Ethan jokingly asked as he set down the tray holding their orders.

"You already know what has me preoccupied." Lillie accepted the large cup of hot chocolate from his extended arm.

"Your eyes tell me that you're plotting someone's funeral. So it's not me you're thinking about."

"Oh? How certain are you?" Lillie smiled mischievously at him before raising the cup over her lips.

"Lillie," Ethan whined, playing along—or was she being serious? "Have you grown tired of me already? But we haven't gotten married yet."

"Ah, I see your point. Very well, let's put that on hold."

Ethan lightly gasped in feigned mortification. "On hold? How can I negotiate this to never?"

"It depends entirely on your performance, Mr. Li."

"Then I suggest you prepare for it because my performance will exceed your expectations, Mrs. Li." Ethan grinned and kissed the back of her hand.

Lillie laughed softly. She pinched his cheek after he let go of her hand. "You're so cute." She said.

"Me? Cute?"

"En, like Storm."

"My wife, how could you compare me to him! Aren't I cuter than him though?"

"Hmm...it's hard to tell."

"Lillie, stop teasing me." He whined again.

A smug look crept into her features as she then wordlessly sipped her sweet, hot chocolate.

Hah~ revenge is truly delicious.

***

"Gab, look! It's my brother and sister-in-law over there!" Li Yifei roughly pulled Gabriel and pointed at where Lillie and Ethan sat by the window of the bakery café.

They appear to be chatting animatedly, looking like any sweet and loving couple.

"Apparently, they had the same idea as us." Gabriel, used to his girlfriend's aggressively energetic nature, didn't complain how she practically dragged him. "Do you want to go over them? Now that they know our relationship, I'm sure you're eager to have a double date—mostly with my sister."

"I want to," Li Yifei squealed at the thought but then sighed despondently. "But we shouldn't impose on their evening. I know my brother, and I'm sure he would hate to be interrupted with his alone time with sister-in-law."

"Hm, that made me want to impose even more." He and his father share the same penchant for amusing themselves at Ethan's expense.

Although sometimes, the repercussion at the hands of his elder sister wasn't worth it.

On the other hand, the punishment on him was lighter since his elder sister dotes him.

"Come on, let's have your double date." Gabriel grabbed her hand and pulled her with him.

"Wait, wait! Do you think it's really okay?" Li Yifei followed him.

"Sure," Gabriel affirmed confidently. "Besides, we have a good reason, don't we?"

Li Yifei looked at him, puzzled for a moment before exclaiming, "Ah! 'That'!"

"Yes, 'that'. It's been the talk of the town." And by town, Gabriel meant the dark side of it. "Aren't you curious about it? What better way to answer our question than to ask the big boss herself? It's her turf after all."

"Good thinking!"

"Psh, would you expect anything less?"

"Less of your ego? Afraid not."

"I'm glad you know me so well."