Chapter 272: Right, Heaven?

The bomb had been completely disarmed.

Xiao Yu plopped onto the floor with a heavy sigh, ripping off the heart monitor from his chest. Beside him, Wang Dong dropped the severed hand he’d been holding.

“Ugh, that was disgusting,” Wang Dong grumbled.

“I swear, I’m going to start keeping my distance from you guys,” Xiao Yu muttered, taking a cigarette Wang Dong offered and lighting it. “Look at this, terrorists, mercenaries crossing the border, how is this the kind of pressure a cop is supposed to deal with?”

The three men—Wang Dong, Zhou Lie, and Zhao Long—burst into muffled laughter.

It really was strange.

What was a police officer doing in the middle of these kinds of operations? Why was he even here?

Suddenly, the expressions of the three men turned a little peculiar.

Was Xiao Yu tagging along with them? Or were they tagging along with Xiao Yu? When did this case even begin?

S City. A bank robbery. Terrorists. Then mercenaries crossing the border.

And who had been at the center of it all?

Them? Or Xiao Yu?

“Little brother,” Wang Dong said, fixing Xiao Yu with a serious look as he puffed out smoke. “Are you sure you’re not cursed? Wherever you go, something explodes.”

Cough, cough! Xiao Yu choked on his cigarette.

Why did that make him feel a little guilty? No, this definitely wasn’t his fault.

A wise man avoids unnecessary danger. Self-preservation is key.

【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on solving the terror case. Reward: Skill—Bat Echo.】

Finally, the case was closed.

A grin spread across Xiao Yu’s face. But then he noticed three pairs of suspicious eyes glaring at him.

‘Some unruly people want to harm me? Not a chance.’ Xiao Yu stood up, dusting himself off. “Well, if there’s nothing else, I’m heading home. My sister must be missing me like crazy!”

With that, he turned and walked off without looking back.

Wang Dong, “…”

Zhou Lie, “…”

Zhao Long, “…”

They were utterly speechless. It felt like they’d just seen the last surviving dinosaur in the world, only to watch it get gunned down seconds later in a devastating twist.

What? Was he really just leaving like that?

***

At a villa balcony, Mu Qingwu sat on a recliner, gently stroking her belly. Her delicate face radiated a maternal glow, though tinged with a trace of longing.

“Baby, isn’t tonight’s moon so bright? It must be shining on your daddy, too. If it is, do you think the moon will tell him that we miss him?”

Her soft murmur was full of warmth as she smiled, happiness evident in her expression. Suddenly, the light before her eyes dimmed. It felt as though someone had stolen her moon away.

A pair of hands gently covered Mu Qingwu’s eyes, and a deep voice murmured in her ear, “Who are you thinking about?”

Her body trembled slightly. “You little rascal!”

“How did you know it was me?” Xiao Yu teased, his hands still covering her eyes.

“Your voice,” Mu Qingwu replied, smiling. “I could never forget.”

The warm hands left her face, only to gently hold her, lifting her into an even warmer embrace.

“Time for a multiple-choice question,” Xiao Yu said as he cradled her in his arms, sitting on the recliner and gazing at the bright moon.

“A: Silly treasure, B: Sister, C: Dummy, D: My little sweetheart. Which one will you pick?”

“Why isn’t there an option E?” Nestled in her brother’s embrace, Mu Qingwu looked at the round moon with a soft smile. “Isn’t someone’s favorite role being a daddy?”

‘Sister, the way you’re smiling right now makes you look like such a flirt.’ Xiao Yu’s face turned red. “Ahem, I’m a respectable person, thank you. Besides, isn’t the baby right here?”

As he spoke, his hand gently rested on her small belly. A little over two months along, he could faintly sense something there.

Was it an illusion? No. There was a tiny life growing slowly inside.

“Then I’ll pick B,” Mu Qingwu said with a gentle smile, her soft lips curving beautifully.

“Ha!” Xiao Yu grinned proudly. “Just as I thought. You’ll always be my big sister.”

“But,” Mu Qingwu teased, “right now, I only have a little brother. My husband, though, is nowhere to be found.” She laughed lightly and added, “Officer, do you think I can file a missing person report?”

“Of course you can,” Xiao Yu said, holding her tighter with a wide grin.

“Then listen carefully, Officer.” Mu Qingwu’s eyes sparkled, her gaze as soft as silk. “Xiao Yu, male, 22 years old, 183 centimeters tall, fair-skinned and handsome, with six-pack abs. He hasn’t been home in a long time, and I miss him so much.”

“I hear you loud and clear.” Lowering his head, Xiao Yu kissed her lips gently. “Mrs. Xiao.”

“Mr. Xiao,” Mu Qingwu murmured, gazing at him with pure affection. “So, are you back now? You’re not planning to leave anytime soon, are you?”

“Mm.” Xiao Yu nodded and promised, “I’m staying for now. I won’t leave anytime soon.”

“That’s wonderful.” Closing her eyes, Mu Qingwu leaned into his embrace. “But I don’t like how Mrs. Xiao sounds. Just call me Sister.”

“Huh?” Xiao Yu chuckled softly.

“Call me Sister already,” Mu Qingwu teased, her laughter light. “I even picked option B.”

“And you’ve already brought Mr. Xiao back,” Xiao Yu quipped, continuing to tease her. “That means little brother is gone now.”

“If you don’t call me Sister…” Mu Qingwu’s eyes shimmered with a playful, irresistible allure. “I’ll get angry.”

“Alright, alright,” Xiao Yu shook his head with a smile, then called out softly, “Sister.”

“Now say you were wrong.” Mu Qingwu… pouted?

“Sister,” Xiao Yu murmured, lowering his voice. “I was wrong.”

“Good boy,” Mu Qingwu beamed with joy. “My little brother is back.”

The two, like a young couple, held each other close. Together, they gazed at the moonlight and the starry sky above.

Time passed.

“Sis, don’t you think people are just so greedy?” Xiao Yu squinted slightly at the moon and stars, a smile playing on his lips. “Back when I first met you, I thought, ‘Man, wouldn’t it be amazing to have such a beautiful and rich girlfriend someday?’”

“And then?” Mu Qingwu, playful as a cat, nuzzled her cheek against his.

“Then,” Xiao Yu continued with a soft laugh, “Sister married me.”

He chuckled again. “And I thought to myself, ‘Wow, if this is real, how thrilling would that be?’”

“Ha!” Mu Qingwu laughed aloud, her joy spilling over.

“But now,” Xiao Yu said, looking down at her in his arms, “now that Sister really is my wife, I find I’m still not satisfied.”

Lowering his head, he gazed deeply at her. “I’ve suddenly realized that one lifetime feels too short. Sister, give me your next life too, won’t you?”

Mu Qingwu stared at him, her misty eyes welling with tears. “Okay,” she whispered.

Tilting his head back, Xiao Yu looked up at the night sky and smiled silently.

‘Humans, huh? So much for being pure and unselfish. From the moment I first saw her I’ve been up to no good. Isn’t that right, Heaven?’