Reunited After a Broken Mirror

Seeing Banner clearly missing Betty, yet not daring to acknowledge her.

Riley, who had brushed past his uncles several times during his undercover career but remained estranged from them, could naturally understand Banner's thoughts.

So Riley reached out and, together with Jade, patted Banner on the shoulder and back respectively to comfort him. Then Riley turned to look around the apartment building, trying to find a hidden route that would allow him to climb over the wall and enter through the window without alerting anyone else.

…Wait, that’s not right!

Who did I just take a picture with in the Banner photoshoot?!

"Xiaoyu! What's wrong with you...?!"

At that very moment, Riley, whose attention was completely focused and whose mind was solely on how to meet Mr. Lan, belatedly realized that something was amiss because of the familiar gaze that was clearly watching him from the side.

The next second, Riley, who had suddenly turned around, stared wide-eyed as if he had seen a ghost at Jade, who had her hands behind her back and was blinking innocently at him. He exclaimed in disbelief.

No, really? Even the Supreme Master couldn't keep an eye on Xiaoyu?

Xiaoyu, you're definitely faking it, aren't you?! And you're not even pretending!!!

Thinking about it this way, Valmont, the only one who successfully kept an eye on Jade, became the main villain in the early stages, which is no exaggeration!

"Is that strange? It's because you treated me like a child and wouldn't take me with you, so I had no choice but to take the stairs~"

Seeing that even the usually composed Riley was genuinely startled by her own actions, Xiaoyu, who had been somewhat sulking, immediately revealed a satisfied smile of having successfully pulled off a prank.

With her hands on her hips, she responded confidently, not forgetting to turn her head slightly to look curiously at Betty not far away.

"By the way, do you know that pretty lady over there? I think you should keep your voice down, because..."

"Don't think what you think, Xiaoyu. This time it's really dangerous, you can't get involved."

But before Xiaoyu could finish speaking...

At this moment, Riley, who fully understood Uncle Long's hardships and difficulties, became unusually firm. While seriously explaining why he hadn't taken Xiaoyu with him, he grabbed Xiaoyu's collar and lifted her up to prevent her from disappearing again. With his other hand, he took out his phone and searched for Uncle Long's number.

"I'll call Uncle Long right now and have him come pick you up and take you back to Thirteen... Oh no, this is terrible."

But soon, Riley's complaints came to an abrupt end as his face suddenly fell.

From Riley's perspective, Banner, who had been cowering and hiding, suddenly became like a mouse seeing a cat, disregarding his image and curling up to hide behind the trash can against the wall.

The next second, Riley was met with Xiaoyu's teasing gaze, "I warned you a long time ago, but you wouldn't let me finish what I was saying~", when he heard from behind him that unfamiliar female voice, filled with anticipation, surprise, nervousness... a complex mix of emotions, yet still gentle as water.

"Banner? Is that you, Banner?"

Clearly, it was Riley's instinctive exclamation that had drawn Betty's attention. Thus, by a twist of fate, the star-crossed lovers, who had been so close, finally reunited after five years apart.

Although it sounds like she's seeking a positive response from the other party.

But before Banner, with his complicated feelings, could figure out how to respond to Betty, he was left to fend for himself.

Based on her keen intuition, Betty was convinced that the completely transformed "stranger" before her was the person she had been longing for. Without a second thought, Betty quickly stepped past Riley and threw herself into Banner's arms.

"You're finally back, Banner. You have no idea how long I've waited for this day! Promise me you won't leave me alone again, okay?"

Although Banner was unwilling to acknowledge Betty now, he instinctively wanted to push her away and try to act as if he was very frightened, so that Betty would think that he had mistaken her for someone else.

But the moment she raised her hand, the little bit of determination she had managed to muster was utterly shattered by Betty's tearful words.

So much so that when Banner came to his senses, instead of pushing Betty's hands away, he skillfully embraced her and gently stroked her hair, silently soothing her emotions.

Then, seeing this familiar action, Betty, who was finally able to stop crying, was afraid that Banner would suddenly run away again, so she turned into a koala and clung to Banner.

With a helpless yet doting look in his eyes, Banner, his mind in turmoil and completely at a loss, could only adjust his position to steady the beauty in his arms, greedily savoring the long-lost warm and soft touch. He turned his head a few times, guiltily avoiding Betty's gaze, while casting a pleading look at Riley not far away.

What Banner didn't know was...

If other problems arise, Riley likely has plenty of ways to solve them.

Unfortunately, this kind of emotional problem is really difficult for Riley, who has lived two lives and is still single since birth.

Who would have thought that Riley, the "top dog" of Midtown High School, could handle so many love letters with such composure? Even when faced with a beautiful girl who, with a hint of spring in her eyes, mustered the courage to confess her feelings, Riley remained unfazed and spouted nonsense...

In reality, he hadn't even experienced what a kiss felt like; he was like a blank sheet of paper, completely innocent.

Because of this, when Riley was undercover in his previous life, the drug dealers mistakenly thought he had homosexual tendencies. They preferred that Riley use a knife to stab them, not anything else. One by one, at night, they would cover their private parts and consciously keep their distance from Riley.

Well, of course, when the day comes that Riley actually smiles but doesn't hesitate to betray them, they will still be unhappy.

"Cough cough cough... Oh dear, I suddenly remembered that I haven't eaten anything since I woke up? Come on, Xiaoyu, you must be hungry too. I'll take you to buy something to eat."

"Huh? Now? But I don't feel hungry at all! And I want to look around some more... Ugh! Ugh!"

No, you don't want to, and you're very hungry right now.

For this reason, after a brief mental breakdown, Riley, believing that even an upright official cannot settle family disputes and that the one who tied the knot must untie it, shrugged and hardened his heart, adopting an attitude of being unable to help and wishing for his own good, and refused Banner's request for help.

Then, without giving Banner any chance to struggle, he decisively changed his posture, changing the way he was holding Xiaoyu in his hand to hug her with one arm and covering her mouth with the other.

And so, amidst Xiaoyu's grumbling and complaints, the two third wheels, one big and one small, made up a flimsy excuse and swiftly disappeared, giving the young couple, who were suffering from separation, some alone time.

When Riley and Jade returned, their bellies full and faces shiny with oil.

As she gradually calmed down, Betty realized how out of line she had been in front of the two children. Her face turned red, and she obediently got off Banner.

Even so, Betty still held hands with Banner, refusing to let go.

So much so that when Riley looked him up and down, he revealed a playful and mocking look in his eyes.

Banner felt a sudden pang of guilt, his face flushed, and his lips became suspiciously swollen. He coughed lightly and tried to remain calm by changing the subject.

"Ahem, you're back... Have you all finished eating?"