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"I'm sorry, I don't drink."

"That's alright," Shi Pingzhi said without fuss. "We're all family here, just be at ease."

With that, he pushed the wine toward Zhou Fengxu. "Brother Xu, you like drinking, right? There's more if you need it. After today, I won't be treating people so easily."

Shi Boren paused from wiping his camera and chuckled. "Am I crazy? Pouring oil on my own brother? Don't worry, big brother will save you money. Today, let's finish this last round and call it a day."

Their female colleague from the same police station wasn't pleased.

"Hey, are you mistaken, Skinflint Zhou? If you're not drinking, we haven't had enough yet."

Despite being called stingy, Shi Boren didn't get upset; instead, he joked, "If you love drinking so much, why don't we wait for Brother Xu's birthday? We can have a grand party at his mansion, and fill the swimming pool with alcohol if you wish!"

Suddenly,

Shi Boren recognized someone in front of him. He put down the camera, approached Zhou Fengxu, and quickly spoke before being pushed away.

"Look ahead, doesn't that girl resemble Sugar Water Sister?"

Zhou Fengxu followed his gaze.

The girl was seated with her profile toward a corner booth. Her short white T-shirt exposed a slender, fair waist, while her long hair was tied up with a red polka dot ribbon, forming a delicate bow. Soft wisps of hair framed her fair complexion as she knitted her delicate brows in displeasure, her gaze alternating between the space ahead and the glass of wine in front of her, seemingly dissatisfied with the taste of the drink.

Several men around them had already taken notice of her, their interest piqued.

Zhou Fengxu pulled out a cigarette from the pack, grabbed the lighter on the table, and flicked it open with a snap. He held the cigarette between his lips, observing the well-dressed, attention-seeking men with his legs casually resting on the table.

Following the girl's line of sight to the bar, he caught sight of Meng Zhou. Only then did he speak, "Go and get rid of all those distracting butterflies hovering around her."

Shi Boren wiped the camera, casting a glance in Chu Yuening's direction before withdrawing his gaze and resuming his task. "I'm chasing butterflies, why would I need to go?"

As he wiped, Shi Boren called out to Yizhu, who was engaged in a game of dice with a female colleague in the corner. "Yizhu, with your clueless look, you should go and learn from these butterflies how to exude the best of male pheromones."

Gan Yizu was in the midst of an animated game with his female colleague when he heard about the assignment. He froze, then reluctantly lifted his head to plead weakly, "We were just playing rock-paper-scissors."

Shi Boren was no fool. Noticing his female colleague's wandering glances toward Zhou Fengxu, with the camera resting aside, he playfully leaned back on the sofa and revealed her secret, "What's the point in guessing punches when you can't reach him anyway? It's better to take a stroll outside; you might attract some girls there."

The female colleague's intentions were veiled in her intoxication, and her blush betrayed her when her disguise was uncovered.

Shi Boren pointed to a girl next to a particular butterfly, "That sister has been sneaking glances at you, if not seven times, then certainly eight. You might as well go over."

Gan Yizu sighed, apologizing to his female colleague before heading over to intercept the group of men attempting to hit on her. After settling the situation, he gave a thumbs up in the direction of the booth, indicating that everything was under control.

Shi Boren's curiosity was ablaze, "Brother Xu, it's rare to see you so concerned about the fairer sex. Could it be that after Miss Chu saved the hero, you've fallen hopelessly in love with her? You're sleepless for her, your mind and soul are captivated, and you'd do anything for her...?"

As he spoke, Shi Boren swayed his hips playfully, mimicking a coquettish gesture.

"Ahh... the taste of love is truly delightful."

"Yue..." Shi Pingzhi rose, plucking a peanut from the fruit tray to toss at him. "Could you please not be so... flirtatious? It's really unbearable. I might just vomit out last night's dinner."

Zhou Fengxu toyed with a lighter.

Meng Zhou was someone he had encountered a few times before, and they seemed to be friends with Qiao Ziyuan. He wasn't exactly an upright person; Shi Pingzhi had once tried to give Qiao Ziyuan a piece of his mind, but it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Now that Chu Yuening was staring at him, it naturally reminded him of Qiao Ziyuan's coma.

Chu Yuening had chosen a spot that was just out of Meng Zhou's line of sight yet still close enough, indicating that she didn't want to be noticed by him.

When there were too many men vying for her attention, it was bound to expose her.

In response to Shi Boren's baseless speculation, he simply said, "If you've had too much to drink, find the toilet and sober up properly."

"Oh," Shi Boren paused, curious. "I wonder what she's looking at. Anyway, talking about it, Goddess Chu's talisman is quite powerful. Saving your life for a thousand yuan is really terrifying when you think about it."

The police officers, who had just stopped playing dice, became intrigued by the gossip and inquired about what had happened.

With renewed enthusiasm, Shi Boren turned around and recounted the events of that day in great detail, particularly focusing on the day he bought the talisman.

He mimicked taking out the talisman from his jacket, exaggerating his expression. "This torn piece of paper managed to stop a bullet without even a scratch."

"It's more effective than a bulletproof vest, I'd say. If you ask me, the police department should buy these talismans instead. Stick them all over your body, and you'll be invulnerable, everything will go smoothly."

Remembering the price, Shi Boren grew more earnest. "They're just a bit expensive, I wonder if there's any discount available?"

His colleagues were all captivated by this bizarre tale.

"Is it really true?"

"Right, did Zhou the Skinflint brag again?"

"How could I possibly brag?" Shi Boren was taken aback, promptly lifting one buttock to point at the spot where he was nailed previously. "Right there, I saw it with my own eyes—a nail piercing in, and she was the one who predicted it."

The colleagues were once again filled with awe.

Before long, Chu Yuening's abilities had been exaggerated to an almost divine level.

Zhou Fengxu listened quietly, occasionally glancing at Meng Zhou to ensure he hadn't left.

After a few rounds of drinks, finally, Meng Zhou put his arm around Doris's shoulder and, swaying slightly, called out to his buddies to head home. The girl also stood up, a hint of weariness on her fair face as she yawned and covered her mouth, then patted the back of her head before following them out.

Zhou Fengxu shifted his long legs from the table and rose to his feet. "Let's go take a look."

"But wasn't that girl not Candy Water's target? Why should we follow?" Shi Boren, whose bragging had been interrupted, was confused.