She didn't see that, right…? She probably didn't see it…?
Facing Swire's stunned expression, Li Lin felt a little uneasy.
He'd been standing there too long.
He'd been posing like he didn't care—just to keep watching the gorgeous women walking past in sheer lingerie-style outfits—until his leg went numb. The moment he forced himself upright to greet her, his vision briefly went black.
On top of that, his gaze just now had probably been far too unconcealed. If an officer noticed, that could get him into trouble. So, on instinct, he slipped into a narrow side path in the alley to break her line of sight, forced himself to calm down, then looped around and greeted her from behind.
Thank the tangled maze that was Lungmen's layout. Streets that looked like one-way lanes were often just visual bait—everything was a labyrinth in disguise.
A little embarrassing, but nothing serious.
Besides, it wasn't exactly his fault. Look at this city—animal-eared beauties everywhere, dressed like it's midsummer year-round. How was that his problem?
Take Swire right in front of him.
He recognized her instantly: that long tiger tail, the matching striped hair color. She'd tinted it a bit, but the delicate face shape and that tiny, cute tiger fang when she smiled had already sold her out.
And while he was stumbling up and closing in from behind, Li Lin—out of the purest "courtesy," of course—gave her silhouette a quick look from head to toe.
Under the sheer layer she wore a backless, bikini-like inner piece. The line of her spine and shoulder blades formed a smooth, pale curve—paired with the astonishing fairness of skin that only a pampered heiress could maintain, and the exposed nape revealed by her pinned-up hair.
It was, in one word, lethal.
Then she turned around.
With the sway of that translucent fabric, what it revealed was even more startling. The clean curve under her chest, the way collarbones and a slender throat met, and her slightly parted lips in surprise—it all came together into something almost unfairly beautiful.
From behind, he'd already thought Swire's figure looked exceptional. From the front, she was so pale it made Li Lin's eyes narrow without thinking.
A well-kept, well-trained young lady. Built different.
Of course, Li Lin didn't dare "appraise" her openly.
He limited himself to a quick, strictly polite sweep—her exposed waistline, abdomen, wrists, the side line of her chest, neckline, collarbones, throat, nape—then immediately let his eyes drift unfocused, pretending he was looking past her into the distance.
Though, honestly… was that even right? He hadn't done anything wrong. Why was he acting guilty?
The problem was that when you don't deliberately defocus your eyes, they automatically lock onto places with stronger "gravity."
You know. Gravity. Universal gravitation. That sort of thing.
With teammates he could endure it—because teammates didn't stroll down the street in sheer outfits with half their side profile on display—but Officer Swire, clearly in her "natural habitat," was very calmly showing off every curve she had.
This wasn't on him. Right?
Still… one more glance and he really might get slapped with a harassment charge.
He still didn't understand how Officer Ch'en had even labeled him as a "harasser" in the first place—what her standards were, where she'd gotten the idea—but Li Lin had no interest in giving anyone more ammunition.
So, for the sake of his reputation, he forced himself into the posture of "looking at Swire but not actually looking," pupils unfocused, voice calm.
"Good afternoon, Officer Swire."
"…."
She didn't answer.
Her pupils widened slightly. Her breathing quickened—pure shock.
Which made sense. An officer disguising herself like this was obviously here to sniff out information, and being recognized immediately would be… jarring.
Putting himself in her shoes, Li Lin realized he might've been too direct.
"Are you on surveillance duty? Sorry—then I'll be on my way. I wish you a smooth shift."
"…No, it's nothing." Swire steadied herself. "What are you doing here?"
"As you can see," Li Lin said softly, lids lowered, "I'm watching the car."
Because he stood a head taller than Swire, lowering his gaze meant he could see—very clearly—the delicate lines suggested beneath that sheer fabric.
For the record, Swire wasn't one of Lungmen's common street punks or exhausted office drones.
She was a genuine heiress. And she actively took part in combat operations and field work.
In other words, her body carried an almost shocking kind of healthy beauty—fair, glossy, resilient, and shaped by discipline into clean, precise lines.
Li Lin was even confident that Ch'en Hui-chieh herself didn't have anything this close to "perfect."
What the hell is wrong with Terra's sense of "normal clothing"?
He couldn't look anymore.
If he looked anymore, he'd get caught.
…Just one last glance.
After one final look at the smooth curves under the sheer layer—and that startling strip of pale skin between two black panels—Li Lin raised his head, stared at the sky, and let out a long breath.
"To be honest, Officer Swire… we might get a little… noisy here soon. And there may be some leftovers to clean up afterward. So, sorry in advance for causing you trouble again."
"It's fine. That's our job." Swire's tone was controlled, but her eyes stayed sharp. "What I want to know is—how did you recognize me? And how did you get behind me?"
"That's a private secret."
Was he supposed to admit he'd fallen into a ditch, hauled himself out, and identified her by build and face?
Li Lin forced down the urge to look again and took a deep breath.
He regretted it immediately.
Standing this close, he could smell the high-end perfume clinging to Swire—fine, layered, and dangerously enticing.
End this now. Seriously. I can't take this.
He shut his eyes, held his breath, then exhaled slowly, expression steady as he delivered his message.
"One more thing, Officer Swire. Could you pass a message to Officer Ch'en for me?"
"I can. Say it."
"Tell her this: the road is open. You can move now. In a few months, your plan can be executed perfectly."
Li Lin's voice remained calm, almost formal.
"And Lungmen needs a better future. A future where people aren't discriminated against. This city should be able to hold every identity—people should live here because they belong here, not be denied because of where they come from."
After he finished, he didn't look at Swire again.
Not even once.
He turned and walked straight back to the car, raising a hand in a brief wave to the figure behind him.
"Thank you—kind-hearted Officer Swire."
He paused only long enough to add, sincerely:
"And if you're going to tail someone… make your disguise a little more natural next time. At the very least, don't give yourself away with your build."
Then he quickened his pace and left, never once glancing back at Swire again.
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