Blaze let out a loud, satisfied gasp. "Puhah! That ice-cold bite! I can't hold back at all!"
Even with one hand pinned by Texas—because otherwise she'd be knocking cans everywhere—Blaze yanked open the tab with the other, tipped her head back, and chugged the whole thing in one go, finishing with a burp.
And every line she said while drinking sounded exactly like some middle-aged uncle. Not even a trace of "stunning beauty" remained.
What a waste of that gorgeous face and body. Lucian mentally put her and Croissant into the same category.
He returned to the table with snacks. "The grilled squid's done. Hoshiguma, do you want anything else?"
"No."
Hoshiguma was also a heavy drinker, but unlike Blaze, she drank quietly, can after can vanishing without a word.
She leaned back on the sofa and crooking a finger at him. "Sit. Keep me company."
"Okay, okay."
Lucian had no choice but to obediently sit beside her.
Immediately she looped an arm around his neck and held out a cup of beer to him.
Just as Lucian accepted it with resignation—another thump beside him.
Exusiai slid right up to his other side, smiling like the happiest Sankta in Lungmen.
"Don't leave me out. If we're drinking, we're drinking together. Lucian's shrimp chips are really good today. Blaze, eat more!"
Lucian raised a brow. "Why're you squeezing over here? Go keep that big cat company."
Exusiai cupped her beer with both hands. "Croissant and Texas will take care of her."
Except for Angelina—poor thing (or lucky, depending on perspective), being underage and banned from drinking—the rest of Penguin Logistics had all joined the chaos.
Croissant and Texas sat on either side of Blaze. Who knew what kind of secret deal they'd made with Exusiai, but they were definitely covering for her.
Especially Croissant, who was already chatting away with Blaze like they were old friends. "Hehe! So Blaze, you're half Victoria, half Yan? No wonder your name's so unusual."
Blaze waved lazily. "It's not even my real name. Rhodes Island employees all use codenames. Some of us just use our real names, but I'm from Yan, so I picked this one."
"Employee? Rhodes Island is a company?" Hoshiguma asked casually.
Her tone sounded like idle table talk. She didn't even look at Blaze as she sipped her beer.
But Lucian, who had been caught by her like this countless times, knew better—this was Hoshiguma's specialty. She was probing Blaze.
Still, Lucian trusted Hoshiguma completely. Even if she learned Rhodes Island intel, it didn't matter.
Blaze also didn't intend to hide anything. "It's Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals. You can look it up on your phone—they treat Oripathy patients and advocate for Infected rights. I'm one of their operators."
She tugged her collar down casually. "And of course, I'm an Infected too."
Just below her collarbone, a jagged black Crystallization pushed out from her pale skin—a sight that made Lucian's chest tighten.
He'd noticed immediately when they shook hands—her infection was severe.
But more striking than that was her attitude.
Most people were terrified of Infected. But Blaze seemed almost proud of it, acknowledging her status without a hint of shame.
Confidence like that didn't come from nowhere. It probably came from being a Rhodes Island operator.
Suddenly, Exusiai panicked. "Wait, Blaze! Pull your clothes up! You're showing—!"
"Huh?" Blaze looked down. "I'm not showing anything. Look, everything important's covered."
Exusiai practically exploded. "Your underwear is showing! Black! Why do you act like it doesn't matter as long as the crucial parts stay covered!? There's a man here!"
Blaze blinked. "Ah. Fair point."
She quickly adjusted her clothes, covering her neckline and smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry. Everyone here's a girl, so I forgot Lucian's a guy. Actually, yeah, I'm basically drinking with my girlfriend's boyfriend right now. My bad! I'll drink three cups as punishment!"
Girlfriend's boyfriend. Lucian was speechless.
Blaze might be beautiful, but mentally she was on the same level as Croissant—spend enough time with her and you simply couldn't think of her as a woman anymore.
Exusiai leaned in with suspicion. "Lucian, you were staring just now, weren't you? What'd you see?"
Lucian shot her a look. "Besides black? I saw Originium."
Though to be honest, the other parts looked great too. And big. And round.
Exusiai still looked furious.
On the other side, Hoshiguma finally spoke.
"An organization that treats Infected and protects their rights… that's rare."
She kept drinking, voice casual. "But Blaze, you do know Lungmen doesn't allow Infected inside, right? If the Lungmen Guard Department catches you, you'll be Exiled."
Blaze scowled. "Ugh, annoying. Who cares about that stupid rule?"
She downed her three punishment beers like nothing and immediately cracked open a fourth. "I don't follow rules I don't like. If they wanna hit me or arrest me, whatever."
"Actually, what I wanna know is—Lucian, you guys are weirder."
She looked around at the Penguin Logistics crew, smiling. "I'm pretty good at reading people. None of you are Infected, right? So why help us? Why?"
"No particular reason." Lucian took a drink. "We just do. Whether someone's Infected or not doesn't change whether they're good or bad. Infected face discrimination, so they need extra help sometimes. If someone needs help—ordinary or Infected—wait, why are you all staring at me?"
As he spoke, he realized not only Blaze, but Texas, Croissant, Exusiai, and even Hoshiguma were quietly watching him.
Especially Blaze.
Her smile spread wide, satisfied. She leaned forward across the table and suddenly grabbed Lucian's head into a hug.
"Lucian, I like you! You're a good guy! That's a way better attitude than blind favoritism or pity! Exusiai, you've got great taste!"
Lucian groaned. "Thanks so much!"
With ridiculous effort, he grabbed her shoulders and forcibly pulled himself free from her chest.
Blaze looked genuinely impressed. "Oh! Didn't expect you to be this strong. You look pretty skinny."
"Don't underestimate men," Lucian huffed. "And stop pulling men into your chest. You're a grown woman—act like it."
Blaze snickered. "It's fine it's fine. I only do that because you're Exusiai's man. I wouldn't—ah, Exusiai don't glare at me like that, I'm kidding! I think of Lucian as a bro—okay okay I'll drink three cups!"
Facing Exusiai's full-powered jealousy glare, Blaze surrendered instantly.
As soon as Lucian sat back down, Hoshiguma murmured:
"Not bad. Seems like they're a trustworthy organization."
She leaned toward his ear. "If she's pretending, she's the best actress I've ever seen. And if they were a cautious organization, they wouldn't send someone like her alone to Lungmen. Their slogan might sound suspicious, but Rhodes Island seems fairly clean. You can look deeper."
"…Thanks, Hoshiguma, for screening her." Lucian's voice was complicated. "But can you not lean on me? Exusiai's pinching my leg. Really hard."
Lucian had no idea why, but today Exusiai was acting like she'd shattered two hundred jars of jealousy at once—every reaction was dangerously sharp.