"...Sis Jing, is this the ‘good stuff’ you promised?"

Jiang Fan stared at the cramped monitoring room tucked inside the internet café. Monitors lined the front wall—was she seriously expecting him to live like some security guard?

"Aha, it’s Miss Mu’s orders!" Chen Jing grinned shamelessly after tricking him here. "You’re her boyfriend. Helping your girlfriend out is only natural, right?"

Jiang Fan just sighed. So she’d spotted him and decided to draft him for grunt work while she slacked off.

"Checking footage isn’t exactly rocket science. Anyone could do it. I thought you needed me to find something tricky..."

"Exactly! It’s *too* simple to waste elite manpower on. My team’s top-tier—you know what ‘elite’ means? Assigning them to this would be overkill. Like using a cannon to swat a mosquito!"

Jiang Fan snorted, eyeing her sideways. "So this ‘simple’ job landed on *you*? Guess you’ve got free time to spare. Maybe I should mention your workload to Mu Yuli. Pressure builds motivation, after all."

"Don’t! Jokes are jokes, but don’t joke about overtime!" Chen Jing paled instantly at the threat. "I’m busy most days! Today’s just... everyone else had assignments. Had to be me."

"Now that you’ve got me, you’re free for the ‘important’ stuff. Don’t worry—I’ll get my cut. You always pay well."

Jiang Fan wasn’t truly annoyed. He’d just grumble by habit. Money talked, and Chen Jing wasn’t stingy.

"Fine, I’m in. So we’re tracking someone? Where’s the photo?"

"Here, here!" Chen Jing shoved a picture into his hand like he might bolt.

Jiang Fan glanced at it—and froze.

Chen Jing frowned. "That look... do you know her?"

It was Anna’s formal portrait, taken a year or two ago. She wore an elegant white gown, smiling faintly at the camera. Every inch a noble lady from another era. No wonder Mu Yuli wanted her found.

"Know her? I ran into her last night after leaving your bar. Even treated her to BBQ skewers. *I’m* the one asking—how didn’t *you* know?"

Jiang Fan knew Mu Yuli had people watching him, but he’d assumed Chen Jing ran them. Apparently not.

"Different divisions. Some report to me; others answer only to Miss Mu. Last night was Six’s shift. She and I don’t get along—probably told Yelan directly."

*Yelan?* He’d barely seen them interact. Guess they were closer than he thought.

"Won’t you get in trouble for spilling secrets? That cozy bar job’s hard to replace."

"Pfft. Not a secret. Just code names. Ask Miss Mu yourself if you’re curious. You already know the gist anyway." Chen Jing shrugged, unfazed he knew Anna. "Anyway—just sit here and tell me where she moves. Where she shows up. She’s gorgeous, sure, but sharp as a tack. Our tails struggle to follow her without being spotted. Hence this clunky method."

Jiang Fan recalled last night’s encounter. His real question was simpler: "Why track her? Did she steal something?"

He was joking. Chen Jing held no hostility toward Anna.

Connecting last night’s chat, he guessed it was about her background.

"What else? Bodyguard duty. Her old man’s paranoid. Even after she’s crushed every creep who targeted her, he still thinks she’s some fragile damsel." Chen Jing groaned. "He hired Mu Yuli to ‘protect’ her."

"More like escort her home safely. But Miss Mu’s making him sweat first. We just monitor her—ensure no trouble."

*Typical Mu Yuli.* Jiang Fan nodded.

Chen Jing checked her watch. "Questions? None? Good. I’m off to tail her. Others’d mess this up."

Jiang Fan shook his head. All clear.

Alone, he settled into the chair. Twenty-plus monitors flickered—a needle-in-haystack task. Only Anna’s striking looks gave him hope.

His phone buzzed instantly. Chen Jing’s text: an address. *Her current location.* He wasn’t the only monitor jockey on duty.

He didn’t know how they accessed traffic cams, but the familiar streets of Chenghua Road eased his nerves. He only knew three areas well: his apartment, campus, and the bar. These cams covered every move outside.

He locked onto the nearest feed. Anna was shopping in a mall. He’d wait for her exit.

Boring work—but he’d make Chen Jing pay extra. No free rides.

Ten minutes later, a silver figure flashed on-screen!

*Where’s Guxuetong?* He didn’t dwell. Rubbing his hands, he felt a thrill—like a spy thriller. Kinda fun.

Then Anna paused under the cam, waiting for the light. She looked up. Smiled knowingly at the lens. Her lips moved.

She waved, still grinning.

Her mouth formed two words:

*Long time no see?*

Jiang Fan’s scalp prickled.

*Damn it! Since when did my spy flick turn into a horror movie?*