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Cheng Heguang had a lot of predictions of what this mysterious 'Liang Yue' girl would be like before he had met her.

He had almost instantly recognised the surname when Black Ibis first told him of her. Everyone - or at least everyone back in his era knew of the Xiandao beasts and the guardians. When he asked her if his suspicions were right, Black Ibis confirmed them.

That not only was she a member of the famous Liang family, but also was the current guardian of Qiangliang.

Black Ibis told him a lot about her. How she was a capable, intelligent and smart young woman trained in martial arts who's helped solve numerous cases and arrest many criminals. He could already form a rough picture of what she looked like in his head. A strong, no-nonsense lady, perhaps with some muscles and scars on her - a price did come with taking care of a beast of lightning, after all.

What he didn't expect though, was a teenage girl.

Liang Yue stood in front of him now, Black Ibis by her side. She was... shorter than he expected, only reaching up to his chest. She didn't have the muscles or the too-serious face he imagined. Well, she did try to put a serious face on, but her brows were furrowed and the line of her mouth was too tight, like she was expecting him to give him an order. She stood with her hands to her side, shoulders tense.

It reminded him a bit too much of how he looked when he was still in military training.

Black Ibis smiled to them, "Heguang, meet Yue. Yue, meet Heguang". She turned to the teenage girl by her side, giving her a small pat on the shoulder, "You can introduce yourself to him now".

Liang Yue's eyes widened slightly as she turned her head up to her superior, "But Ma'am, you already told him my name...".

"Well, tell him more about yourself! I'm sure he'd like to get to know more about you!" Black Ibis told her, "And relax your posture, Yue. There's no need to be so stiff around colleagues".

Yue looked up at her for a few seconds, before turning back towards Heguang. Her shoulders relaxed, just slightly though. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr Cheng" she told him, giving him a bow, "I am Officer Liang Yue of the Vigiles Bureau, daughter of the Liang family and current guardian of Qiangliang. I look foreard to working with you, Sir!".

Black Ibis let out a small chuckle, "I didn't tell you to bow, Yue...".

Cheng Heguang looked at her for a couple more seconds, letting his thoughts run course through his head, before he finally spoke up, "How... old are you?".

Liang Yue blinked at him in surprise, before she stood up straight again. "I'm... sixteen, sir. I'll be seventeen in a few months, however!".

Heguang's brows furrowed slightly, enough for a look of worry to appear in Yue's eyes, before he turned to look at Black Ibis, "You didn't tell me she would be a teenager".

"Well, I didn't want you to make any unfair assumptions on her just because of her age! She's young, sure, but she is very skilled and talented!" Black Ibis replied, giving Liang Yue another pat on the back, "Besides, you two will be working together from now on, so it's best to let go of any ageist assumptions, right?".

Cheng Heguang looked back at Liang Yue, who seemed to be looking at anywhere but him, her mouth a tight, nervous line. Even though she may be a child, she trusted Black Ibis' judgement that she was a hardworking individual. Besides, she was still a guardian of Qiangliang and deserved respect.

To everyone's surprise, Cheng Heguang knelt down on one knee, head down in a bow. "It is an honour to be in your presence, Miss Liang" he said, "I am Cheng Heguang, former Chief Constable of the Zhu County Patrol Bureau and now Vigiles Bureau officer. I hope we can work well together".

Black Ibis let out another sigh, "I didn't tell you to bow either, Heguang.....".

Cheng Heguang blinked surprised at her before he stood back up, "I-I just thought it would be a respectful gesture. Given her family and bloodline-".

"Bloodline, shmoodline. You two are equals now, neither of you need to hold eachother on this high of a pedestal," she replied, "Sure, she's part of a famous family and in charge of a powerful beast. And sure, you're older and have more experience. But in the Vigiles Bureau, you two are simply Yue and Heguang. No need for the formality,".

She urged Liang Yue to take a step closer to him, the two now looking eachother in the eye, "Now, you two shake hands like colleagues and properly introduce yourselves as such. No need to try and impress the other, okay?".

Liang Yue looked nervously back at Black Ibis, before turning back towards Cheng Heguang. She took a breath in, then extended a hand out to him, "Liang Yue, Vigiles Bureau Officer. I look forward to working with you, Sir".

Cheng Heguang looked down at the hand she extended out to him, gloved and covering her entire arm. He took it and shook her hand, just as he would any other colleague, "As do I, Miss Liang".

==========

"What... is this?".

Liang Yue looked up from her meal back at Cheng Heguang, who was currently inspecting his burger like it had come straight out of space. The two were on patrol today, but on the reccomendation of Black Ibis who said that Cheng Heguang should get an opportunity to try out modern food, they decided to go to a local fast food restaurant on their break.

"It's a burger, Mr Cheng" Liang Yue replied to him, "It's similar to a sandwich, though I suppose you didn't have sandwiches back in your day...".

Cheng Heguang curiously lifted up the top bun of the burger to look at the toppings inside. Thinking of it now, maybe Yue should've given Heguang a menu and let him order instead of ordering for him. At least the menus including a list of the ingredients in the burger, but this would be a learning experience for the both of them.

He shook his head at Liang Yue's reply, "No, we didn't. I recognise the lettuce at least, but I don't think I've seen anything like it before".

"Oh. I can tell you what's in it if that would help!" she told him, "It's rather simply, really. The bread buns are made of flour and other ingredients. The red circles are tomatoes, also vegetables, and the yellow square is cheese made of milk. The patty then- or I guess the meat, is made of beef".

Cheng Heguang raised an eyebrow at her, "As in... cattle?".

"Umm, yes?" Liang Yue said, surprise crossing her face, "Is... that a problem, Mr Cheng?".

"Well, back in my hometown, it was generally frowned upon to kill and eat cattle as they were working animals," Cheng Heguang replied, clearing his throat as he talked.

"Oh! I-I wasn't aware, Sir!" Liang Yue quickly apologised to him, "We don't really have that same mindset anymore, but I can order something else if that's what you'd be comfortable with-".

"It's fine, Miss Liang, really" he interrupted her nervous ramble, giving her a soft smile, "I have to learn to adjust to your era now, I understand".

Liang Yue stayed still for a moment, before she let out a small sigh. When Black Ibis told her she'd be working with an older, more experienced person she wasn't expecting to have to give him lessons on modern day cuisine. But these things were unavoidable, she guessed.

She watched carefully as Cheng Heguang bit into his burger. He seemed to take a moment to actually savour the taste of it, before taking another bite. Yue let out a small chuckle, "So I can guess that you like it, right?".

Cheng Heguang quickly swallowed before he answered her, "It... tastes good, I'll admit".

Liang Yue smiled. She pulled a napkin out of the box on the table next to them before handing it to him. He took it and wiped his mouth with it as Yue continued to dig into her food. She had bought them both the simplest meals on the menu, burgers and a shared bucket of fries with a side of cola. She thought it'd be an easy introduction to modern fast food.

Well, it was certainly harder than she had expected.

It took a while for her to notice that Heguang had been staring at her for a while, and it took her longer to realise he was specifically looking at the fries she was holding. "These are french fries, Mr Cheng. They're deep-fried potato slices, but they're different from the sweet potatoes you might be familiar with," she explained to him, holding her fry out to show him, "They're sometimes called chips depending on the country though, in case that ever confuses you".

"No, I understand". Cheng Heguang shook his head, "But... why are they called french fries? Wouldn't the term change depending on the country we're eating them in?" 

"Ah, no, it's.....". Liang Yue's voice trailed off a bit, before her brows furrowed, "I... actually don't know why they're called that. I'll make sure to do research on it later".

She dipped her fry into the small ketchup container before eating it, looking up at Cheng Heguang to see if he'd copy her as well. He stared down at his own fry for a while, then dipped it into the ketchup too before eating it, "Hmm...".

"Do you like it, Mr Cheng?".

"It tastes fine. But it could do with more flavour, in my opinion".

Liang Yue wordlessly picked up the salt shaker on the table before sprinkling some of it onto their fries, "That should help, I think. I know this place has a vinegar option, but people tend to put salt on their fries more often".

"Thank you, Miss Liang" Cheng Heguang nodded to her, before taking another fry.

The two ate in silence for a bit longer, simply enjoying both of their meals. At least until Cheng Heguang made the mistake of drinking the cola Yue had bought him, and immediately started coughing.

"Ah- Mr Cheng!? Are you okay!?" Yue gasped, immediately getting up from her seat. The two were a bit blissfully unaware that they had attracted the attention of some of the other customers in the restaurant, looking over their shoulders at the pair with concern, "I-If you're choking, I know CPR- Wait, you don’t know what that is-".

"No- it's- It's fine, Miss Liang. I'm fine..." Heguang weakly replied, letting out a couple more coughs befor he looked back at her, "I just... didn't expect the water to taste like that".

Liang Yue stared at him for a few seconds, the silence dragging on for what seemed like an eternity, "It's... not water, Mr Cheng".

"It's not?".

"It's cola, it's a type of fizzy drink," she replied, sitting back down in her seat, "It's supposed to taste umm... bubbly, is the best way to describe it, I guess".

Cheng Heguang finally took the plastic lid from off his drink and looked inside, "Why is the colour of it so dark? Is it dangerous?".

"Umm, no? It's supposed to be like that," Liang Yue said, "It's naturally like that, I think. I don't think they use any artificial colours or anything like that". God, she should've just gotten them normal water instead. Though Black Ibis would probably have a field day if she was here with them.

The two continued to eat, Yue helping Heguang with anything he was ever confused about, until their cups and plates were empty and their stomachs full. A waitress walked over to them, notepad out as she smiled at them, "Will you two be paying with card or cash?".

"Cash, please," Liang Yue replied to her, about to take her wallet out when Cheng Heguang suddenly stopped her.

"Let me pay, Miss Liang. It's the least I can do to thank you," he told her.

Liang Yue raised a brow at him. "I got the food for us, I should be paying," she said, "Do you even have money to pay with?".

"Yes, actually" Cheng Heguang replied, before pulling out his own wallet from his sleeve, an almost smug smile on his face, "Miss Ibis gave me some money and said I could spend it however I wanted".

Yue's brows furrowed at him, "Still, I should be the one paying since-".

The two's back and forth was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash nearby followed by frantic footsteps and the restaurant doors slamming open. They turned their heads to see somebody running out of the restaurant, a couple dollars and coins fluttering and tumbling onto the ground. "That thief stole our cash register!!!" another waiter cried out, chasing after him.

Liang Yue and Cheng Heguang both exchanged a look, before Liang Yue spoke up, "First one to capture them pays".

"Deal" Cheng Heguang replied.

The pair then immediately got out of their seats, leaving the waitress and everyone else at the restaurant quite confused and baffled. The two ran as quickly as they could, and they already passed by the previous waiter who had stopped his chase to report the incident to the police instead.

The thief was in sight now, turning a corner into an alleyway in an attempt to deter them. Liang Yue managed to speed ahead of Heguang, disappearing down the alleyway after them. "How did....." he muttered under his breath, before he shook his head and continued running down the alleyway.

"You'll never catch me alive, police scum!!" the thief jeered, cackling as he ran down the alleyway before a shape suddenly jumped down and appeared in his path.

"Halt!! You've been surrounded!!" Liang Yue shouted at him as she stood up from where she had landed. The thief stopped in his tracks and attempted to turn around, before Cheng Heguang finally caught up to them, the blade of his sword shining in the light.

The thief nervously looked around them, surrounded on both sides, before in a turn of events neither Vigiles Officer predicted, he threw the cash register into the air. "The money!!" Cheng Heguang shouted, before he was suddenly shoved to the ground by the thief.

The cash register hit the ground with a dull clank!, coins and dollar bills scattering everywhere, but Liang Yue paid them little attention as she ran over to help her colleague.

She wrapped her arm around the criminal's neck, pulling him off Cheng Heguang. The two struggled for a moment, giving Heguang time to compose himself and summon out a few of his silver leaf blades. Liang Yue saw their sheen from out the corner of her eye, and immediately understanding his plan, let go of the man and pushed him towards the wall.

And before the criminal even realised it, he was suddenly pinned to the wall by his clothes being pierced by dozens of silver blades. "Hey, what the hell!?!?" the criminal shouted as he struggled against the iron leaves.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, otherwise I might actually aim properly next time," Cheng Heguang told him, letting the blade of his sword glint in the sun for just a moment, enough for the man to see and enough for him to understand his message.

Liang Yue got her phone out of her pocket, beginning to dial a number. "I'll call the authorities and tell them we've captured the perp. You make sure he doesn't get away," she told him, before she then held a hand up to him, "Good job, Mr Cheng".

Heguang looked down at her hand for a couple of moments, as if unsure what to do at first before copying her motion. She hit their hands together in a high-five, the two sharing a small smile, "And that's what we call a high five, Mr Cheng. It something people do after success".

"Hm, how interesting...". Heguang let out a small hum, "You did a good job too, Miss Liang. You didn't even need to use any arcane skills, that's quite impressive".

"It's nothing, really. I've been doing martial arts training since I was a child, so it's to be expected," Yue replied, a shy smile on her face.

The criminal looked between the two, "So can I leave now or-".

Cheng Heguang wordlessly showed the blade of his sword again, and the criminal promptly shut up.

It took a couple minutes for the police to finally arrive to take the criminal away. They were at first a bit suspicious of Liang Yue and Cheng Heguang, what with Heguang still wearing his 17th Century garb and wielding a sword. Though they were quickly dismissed when they realised they were part of the Vigiles Bureau.

"And that's all the money we managed to recover," the officer told them as he handed the cash register back to Liang Yue, a little bit banged up but no major dents or injuries on it, "Now, you mind telling us how two Vigiles Bureau officers got caught up in a restaurant robbery of all things?".

Cheng Heguang scratched the back of his neck nervously, "We were actually eating in the same restaurant, and we were about to pay when-".

A cold realisation suddenly hit the two, as they both came to the same horrifying conclusion.

"We forgot to pay"

"I know"

Yue turned back to the police officer. "Uh- thank you for helping us take away the thief, but we really must go now," she told him, giving him a quick bow.

"Huh? Really?" the officer said, "But we still-".

But the pair had already left before he could finish his sentence, leaving just dust in their wake. The officer stared at where the two had been just a few moments ago, before shrugging and returning back to the cop car where the criminal was sitting.

Meanwhile, Liang Yue and Cheng Heguang were racing to reach the restaurant before they could potentially get into trouble for accidentally ghosting the waitress. They opened the doors with a loud slam, Yue almost tripping over herself from the weight of carrying the cash register before Heguang quickly caught her.

The restaurant was deathly silent now, everyone inside watching them with wide eyes. And the both of them couldn't help but feel awkward. So much for their first proper patrol out together.

"Oh, there you two are!" a voice called out to them, and they turned to see the waitress they had ghosted earlier stroll up to them, "And thank you so much for getting our cash register back!! Are you two athletes or something?".

"Umm- Vigiles Bureau officers, actually..." Liang Yue panted out as she handed her back the cash register, "Sorry for not paying earlier, I-I can pay now if that's possible".

"Oh, dear, it's fine!! The meal's on the house!!" the waitress smiled to them as she put the cash register back on the desk, "I mean- you did rescue our money from a thief, after all!!".

The pair both glanced at eachother in confusion before Cheng Heguang spoke up again, "Are you sure? You still deserve to be paid for your hard work".

Liang Yue quickly got her wallet out of her pocket again, "Please, Ma'am. We insist".

The waitress looked at them for a moment, before letting out a sigh of defeat. "Well, if you're so insistent on paying, I can at least give you a 50% discount," she said, typing up a few numbers on the cash register, "Sooo that'll be 26 yuan!! And which one of you will be paying?".

There was silence amongst the pair for a moment, as they both shared a look at eachother before coming to a silent, yet unanimous decision.

"I pay for half, you pay for the other half?" Yue asked him.

Heguang nodded, "Seems reasonable".

==========

Liang Yue watched from the sidelines as Heguang pulled back another arrow in his bow, before letting it fly through the air and hit the wooden target on the other side of the practice field. It hit almost dead on the target, just a couple centimetres away from the bullseye. Just like all the other arrows he had fired.

Cheng Heguang lowered his bow, letting out a small sigh before he made his way across the field to retrieve the arrows again. He'd been at this for a couple of minutes now, shooting arrows and retrieving them before shooting them again. His aim always almost perfect, but slightly off.

Liang Yue wordlessly approached him before picking up one of the arrows that had fallen onto the ground and handing it to him. "Oh, good morning, Miss Liang" Cheng Heguang greeted her, taking the arrow from her, "How long have you been watching me?".

"Not too long, I only arrived a few minutes ago " Liang Yue replied to him. She looked over the wooden targets, the chipped spaces in the wood where the arrows had lodged themselves into them, "I didn't know you knew archery, Sir".

"I was required to know how to use both a bow and a sword in order to join the Patrol Bureau" Cheng Heguang explained to her. He placed the arrows back into the quiver at his hip before he walked back to his position, "My skills are quite rusty though from being sealed away for so long. Not to mention it's a bit dangerous and a hassle to carry a bow with me everywhere".

"Ah, I understand..." Liang Yue nodded to him. She stood by as she watched him nock another arrow in the bow, pulling the drawstring back before letting the arrow fly through the air. Just like before, almost bullseye.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just use your arcane skill though?" Yue decided to ask him as he pulled another arrow from his quiver, "I mean, you already used it once during one of our patrols".

"Hmm. I guess I could," Cheng Heguang hummed out. She watched as the iron blades that decorated his shoulder shimmered and shook and suddenly flew out towards the target. Each one hit the bullseye perfectly, so much so the knockback caused the target to fall backwards. For some reason, the sight gave Liang Yue a strange sense of deja vu, but she didn't know why.

"My aim is much better with my arcane skill than with my bow. Which is why I'm practicing with it instead of using my arcane skill" he continued. The iron leaf blades flew back towards him, back to their rightful place on his shoulder decoration, "After all, I put so much effort to learn how to use a bow. It's good to maintain that skill, laziness can make you forget it".

Liang Yue silently nodded as she watched him fire three more arrows at the target. All was silent for a while, and she was content with simply watching him continue to practice. At least until he suddenly turned towards her, "Have you ever held a bow before?".

Her eyes widened with surprise at his question, "I took archery lessons for a short time when I was a child, but I don't remember much of those lessons now".

Cheng Heguang gestured for her to come closer, "Come here, I'll teach you how".

Liang Yue hesitated for a moment before she took a step forward. He handed the bow over to her, surprisingly heavy, but nothing she couldn't handle. "Now, you should hold the bow with your non-dominant hand, since you'll be aiming with your dominant one," Cheng Heguang lightly instructed her, "Don't grip it too hard though, it's important your hold on the bow is relaxed".

Yue nodded to him, though the bow in her hands felt strange and foreign, "Am I... holding it right, Mr Cheng?".

Cheng Heguang looked over her hold for a moment, before gently adjusting some of her fingers. "Almost, but remember to relax your grip and posture. There's no need at any point in the proceds to be so tense," he told her.

Liang Yue followed his instructions, trying her best to relax her muscles. She just had to pretend this was just another training session. She nocked an arrow into the bow, just like she had seen Heguang do it.

"Now, when you're shooting, make sure your wrist, arm and shoulder stay relaxed. Being too tense could cause the arrow to not fly properly," he told her.

"Understood, Mr Cheng," Liang Yue nodded to him, as he pulled the drawstring back.

Cheng Heguang watched her for a moment, before letting out a sigh, "Just Cheng is fine too".

She glanced over him surprised for a second, but quickly refocused her sights on the target in front of her. All was silent in the field for a moment, before Yue finally let go and let the arrow fly through the air. Just a few metres away from bullseye.

Cheng Heguang let out a small hum, "You're better than I was at your age. I'm impressed".

"I'm sure you don't mean that, Mr Cheng," she nervously smiled, though quickly stopped, "I-I mean- Cheng...".

A small laugh escaped Cheng Heguang then, before he picked up another bow close to them. "If you don't mind, we can have a little one on one competition," he told her, "See which one of us is able to hit the bullseye first".

Liang Yue let out a small chuckle, "I doubt I'll win. But I'd be down for some friendly competition".

"Don't doubt yourself, Miss Liang. You'll never know if luck decides to be on your side," he told her, nocking another arrow into his own bow.

She looked down at the bow in her hand, before deciding to nock another arrow into it, "On one condition though".

Cheng Heguang looked towards her, "And what would that condition be?".

Liang Yue pulled back the drawstring on her bow, preparing to shoot at the target again, "That if I can call you Cheng, then you can simply just call me Liang".

The older seemed to be a bit surprised by the sudden request, but he simply nodded to her, a small smile on his face, "If that's what suits you best, Liang".

Unbeknownst to the both of them, there was a third person watching them from the sidelines. Black Ibis sipped her mug of coffee as she watched their arrows fly through the air, a look of amusement on her face as she sighed, "They really are two peas in a pod, huh?".

==========

It was a quiet day in the Vigiles Bureau office today. Heguang hadn't been called to deal with any incidents as of yet, Black Ibis was away meeting some personnel from the St Pavlov Foundation and Liang Yue.....

Now that he thought about it, where had she gone?

Heguang paused writing his report, he remembered that Yue had said something about getting something from the local post office and that she'd be back soon. But it had been a few hours since she had left, and she had never told him what exactly she would be getting.

Cheng Heguang didn't know whether he should be concerned or not. He knew that Yue was a strong girl and capable on her own, he had witnessed her martial art skills firsthand. But he couldn't help but worry that something had happened to her while she was out and she was unable to call for help. Maybe he should've offered to go with her, or maybe he should've taken Black Ibis up on her offer to teach him how to use a phone. At least then she would've had a way to contact him if she actually -

Just as his mind was about to spiral further, the door to the offices opened and Liang Yue casually strolled in, a parcel tucked under her arm. "Ah, Liang!" Heguang gasped, catching the girl off guard.

"Oh, good morning, Cheng" she replied to him, placing the parcel on her desk across from him, "Did you need me for something?".

"No, it's just...". His voice trailed of a bit, before he sat back down and looked back at his report, "It's nothing. Don't mind me".

Liang Yue blinked at him in confusion, before shrugging the issue off. He turned back to the report he was writing while she began to search her desk, "Cheng? Have you seen any scissors or box cutters around?".

He looked back at her curiously, "Scissors?".

"They're like... two small blades stuck together. I need them to help open my parcel," she explained to him as she searched the drawers of her desk. Her attention was suddenly pulled away though when she heard the sharp sound of a sword being pulled out of it's sheath, and she looked back to see that Cheng Heguang had pulled out his sword, "Cheng, what are you doing?!".

"I'm going to help open the box, of course," he told her, sword positioned right above the box.

"Cheng, wait!!" Liang Yue yelled to him. He suddenly stopped, and all was quiet in the office for a while before she cleared her throat, "There's... something valuable inside it. If you're going to open it with your sword, please... be careful with it".

He looked back at her, Yue's expression looked both panicked and terrified at the same time. A pang of guilt hit his chest, before he sighed, "I'm... sorry, Miss Liang. I'll make sure to be careful".

"It's..... alright, Cheng. You're just helping" Yue replied with a shake of her head.

He slowly moved his blade to slice the tape on the top of the box, and Yue cautiously moved forward before she opened the box. Cheng Heguang curiously looked inside to see a bunch of plastic, "What is this...?".

"It's bubble wrap. It prevents objects inside from being damaged during transportation," Liang Yue explained to him. She pulled out one of the sheets of bubble wrap inside, handing it to him, "Here, people find popping the bubbles therapeutic. You should try it, Cheng".

Cheng Heguang looked down at the bubble wrap in his hands, the bubbles small and slightly transparent. He pressed down on one of them with his thumb, and was pleasantly surprised by the sound it produced.

And while he was temporarily entranced by the bubble wrap, Liang Yue continued to pull the bubble wrap from out of the box until she finally found what she was looking for. She let out a sigh of relief. "It doesn't look broken, thankfully," she said as she pulled out the VHS tape from the box.

Heguang looked over at her, a look of curiosity crossing his face, "What is that?".

"It's a VHS tape. People use it to record videos and movies" Liang Yue explained to him, brushing off any dust from it, "You... do know what a movie is, right?".

Cheng Heguang thought of her question for a moment, a hand up to his chin. "I recall Black Ibis talking to me about them once..." he said, "She described it similar to watching an opera or a play".

"Well, they are quite similar, I will say that," Liang Yue replied, "This is a VHS tape I got of one of my favourite movies. I happened to meet the director during a case I investigated, and she agreed to send me a tape of it".

That seemed to pique Cheng Heguang's interested, as his brows raised curiously, "What is this 'movie' about?".

A shy smile appeared on Liang Yue's face, "It's... a bit silly, really. It was a movie I watched as a child, about a vigilante detective who solves crimes".

Cheng Heguang let out a small hum, it seemed exactly like something a younger Yue would've liked. "It certainly sounds interesting," he remarked, putting the bubble wrap he was still holding down, "And umm... how do you watch this 'movie' on... that?".

"There's a VHS player in the common room, along with a TV. I can show you how it works and we can watch it together!" Liang Yue excitedly told him. Almost instantly then, she realised just how loud she was being, and quickly returned back to being bashful, "O-Only if you wouldn't mind, of course".

Cheng Heguang stared at her for moment, his eyes softened a bit as he smiled at her. "Of course I'll watch it with you," he gave her a nod, "I still have some reports to finish first though. But I'll make sure to finish them as soon as possible, alright?".

Liang Yue's widened and eyes twinkled in a way he had never seen them do before, as if she was trying to bite back a smile, before she nodded to him. "Right, it's important for you to finish your work, of course," she said, "I-I'll go get the common room and snacks ready".

She turned on her heel and left the office, the room feeling a bit more silent now that she wasn't here, and Heguang let out a fond sigh before he returned his focus to the reports on his table. He honestly didn't think he'd finish all of his reports today, but he promised her that he'd finish these soon, and he was going to mame sure he'd fulfill that promise.

A couple minutes later, the common room was finally ready, a bowl of popcorn waiting on the table in the middle of the room as Cheng Heguang walked in. Liang Yue was crouched down in front of the VHS player, the usual cap she wore noticeably missing.

"Ah, Cheng. You're..." she began to greet him, but her voice trailed off when she saw him. He wasn't wearing the deep blue coat he usually wore, folding it over his arm instead, "A-Are you not wearing your coat, Cheng?".

"Hm? Oh, I'm not," he replied, deciding to leave his coat folded up on the couch's arm instead, "I thought it might be too formal for the equivalent of watching a play together. Besides, the heating in this room works quite well, and I wouldn't want to suffer a heatstroke anytime soon".

"Ah, right. I guess that makes sense," Liang Yue said. Asking your co-worker to watch movies with you was more of a casual event than anything else, but it still felt weird seeing him without the iconic blue jacket, "But did Black Ibis not give you any modern clothing when you joined? I know it's a choice to wear the Vigiles uniform, but surely she must've given you some more casual clothing, right?".

"Hmm, she did. And it's not that I don’t like the uniform or modern clothing," Cheng Heguang replied to her, sitting down on the couch, "I simply wear this uniform because it's what I am used to".

"Is that so?" Liang Yue said, a look of surprise crossing her face, "So... is blue not your favourite colour?".

"Excuse me?".

"I-It's just something that came up in passing between me and Miss Ibis one time. We were umm... talking about what colour you'd like best and I assumed it'd be blue," she replied, fidgeting with her sleeve.

Cheng Heguang raised a brow at her, "Is it because my jacket is blue?".

"No, well- yes, but it's not the only reason," Liang Yue told him, "You also told me that you liked fishing and lakes. S-so I just assumed you must've liked blue because of it...".

He thought about it for a couple more moments. He had never really thought about his favourite colour before. Now that he thought about it, he never had one. He had never felt a specific pull towards any particular colour, and the fact he wore his blue jacket often had nothing to do with the colour. He hadn't really understood why anyone would have a favourite colour.

At least, not until now.

"I think blue is my favourite colour," Heguang smiled to her, watching as a look of both surprise and relief crossed her face, "What? Why do you look so relieved?".

"It's... nothing. Just something that's been on my mind for a while," Liang Yue sighed, quickly trying to shake her previous worries away, "Anyways, let's start the movie. I wouldn't want Miss Black Ibis to know I'm using work hours to indulge in watching movies".

She got off the couch to put the VHS tape in, and Heguang let out a small chuckle, "Since you're showing me how modern technology works, we can technically consider this a part of work, no?".

"If she's merciful, we might just get away using that excuse," Yue replied, a smile on her face as she sat back on the couch. She pulled the bowl of popcorn towards them, offering it to Heguang as the tape began.

"Liang?".

"Hm? What is it?" she looked over to him, "Is it the popcorn? It's just salted corn kernels if you're curious about that".

"No, it's not that," he replied, shaking his head, "It's just... do you have a favourite colour?".

Liang Yue seemed to seriously consider his question for a moment. She put her hand up to her chin in thought, looking away from him before she replied, "Green".

Heguang let out a small chuckle, "A good choice".

"But not just any green. Sage green specifically... like the green of a leaf," she quickly added, "I always had a fondness for it, even if my classmates thought it was the worst colour".

"There's no such thing as a worst colour, Liang. I think your classmates were just being mean".

Liang Yue let out a light laugh, before her eyes returned to the screen in front of them, the beginning credits finally finished and the action about to begin, "You can just call me Yue, if you'd prefer".

He looked back at her, a bit surprised. She was avoiding his gaze, though she did glance over at him once before returning her eyes to the screen. Heguang's eyes softened, a small smile on his own face before he replied, "If that's what you'd like, Yue. But I think it's only fair you're allowed to call me Heguang too".

Yue finally turned her head to look back at him, a smile on her own face, "It sounds like a fair trade".

The movie's plot was quite simple, really. A woman who, due to the failure of the police force in her city, investigated and captured criminals at night as a vigilante under the moniker of Detective CO7. Despite the simple premise, Heguang found himself transfixed by the movie, beginning to laser focus on it.

Detective CO7 was an interesting character too. Smart, determined, always one to fight for justice. She reminded him a lot of Liang Yue in a lot of ways. But there was something about the character that seemed to hit both Heguang and Yue with a strange wave of deja vu.

"I'll never go to jail!! The police have never caught me and they never will!!!" the criminal on the television screen jeered as he ran through the dark alleyway. Suddenly, a shadow appeared from around the corner, stopping him in his tracks.

"Maybe the police won't catch you, but I certainly will" Detective CO7 smiled, mischievous yet calculating as the iron blades she had summoned floated near her hand.

Heguang narrowed his eyes at the screen, "This feels a little familiar.....".

Yue's brows furrowed as she nodded, "Almost too familiar.....".

Despite how the criminal tried to run, Detective CO7's blades outmatched his speed, quickly pinning him to the brick wall behind him. Detective CO7 approached him with almost a swagger, picking up the bag containing the jewellery he had just stolen.

"I'll be taking this now," she smirked, iron blades glistening in the night one last time before she left, "Don't try and move now! Otherwise, I might actually aim properly next time".

Yue reached into the popcorn bowl to grab another kernel before she looked towards Heguang. Not at him though, but rather at his jacket folded on the arm of the couch. The iron blades he usually used in combat lay on top of the jacket as well, and they seemed to shimmer a lot brighter since the action in the movie began.

Heguang didn't even seem to notice her take the popcorn from the bowl, still focused on the screen. She hasn't seen anybody be so transfixed by Detective CO7 since, well - herself. It felt strangely cathartic, seeing someone like the movie just as much as she did.

An hour and thirty minutes seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye, and at last, the movie reached it's big finale, credits rolling on the screen as the ending music played, an energetic pop song in Cantonese. Yue let out a sigh, stretching her arms while she looked back at Heguang, "So, what did you think?".

Heguang thought about her question for a moment, a hand to his chin before he replied to her, "She reminds me a lot of you".

Yue's eyes widened at that, a light blush appearing on her cheeks, "Me and CO7? How so?".

"Well, you're both confident, strong and share a desire for justice," Heguang replied to her, a smile on his face, "Not to mention you're both extremely fast for being in heels".

"Well- that's true, but I'd say she's quite similar to you too," Yue nodded to him, "I mean, your arcane skills are quite similar, if not identical, I'm sure you could pull off some of her stunts well".

"I did notice that our arcane skills looked similar," he let out a chuckle, "But you're far more suited to the role of CO7 than I am".

"Don't sell yourself so short, Heguang! You are very skilled in your own right!".

The two were so busy with their little back and forth that they didn't even notice when the door opened and Black Ibis silently watched them. They only realised she was there when they heard a familiar cough behind them, and turned to see their superior leaning against the doorway, arms crossed as she smiled at them, "Sooo, mind telling me what two of my best officers are doing watching movies on company time?".

"Ah- Miss Black Ibis!" Liang Yue gasped, and immediately got up from the couch anf stood up to attention, Cheng Heguang following suit, "Apologies, I had received a tape I had been anticipating getting for some time, a-and I accidentally distracted us both.....".

She bowed to Black Ibis, avoiding her gaze, and Cheng Heguang glanced over at her before speaking up. "Actually, Miss Black Ibis, I was the one who asked Yue about the movie and got us both distracted," he told her, bowing to her as well and confusing Yue, "Don't punish her, I am the one at fault".

Yue looked over at him, "Heguang, I was the one who suggesting watching the movie".

"And I'm the older one and therefore, more responsible one".

Black Ibis looked at them both surprised, and she couldn't help but let out a laugh, confusing both of the officers as she grinned. "Easy, you two. I didn't tell you to bow and I wasn't planning on punishing either of you," she reassured them with a wave of her hand, "And besides, I guess I did tell her to teach you more about modern tech, so she is just doing her job".

The pair let out a sigh of relief, as Black Ibis let out a chuckle, "Anyways, I'm guessing you two were watching that detective movie Yue loves so much, hm?".

"Umm, yes, we were..." Yue admitted, a light blush on her face as she cleared her throat, "Me and Heguang were actually discussing which one of us was more like the protagonist,".

"Ohhh, no wonder you two sounded so passionate before I walked in," Black Ibis laughed, "You two are practically two fish from the same stream. Besides, there's no need to argue who's more likely to be the protagonist when buddy cop films exist".

Cheng Heguang and Liang Yue both exchanged looks as Black Ibis turned away. "Anyhow, I'll be off in my office in anyways needs me, still need to get some paperwork and calls done" she told them with a wave of her hand, "Hope you too enjoyed your movie!".

She closed the door behind her, and the two were left standing there in bewilderment that they had actually escaped that situation unscathed. The opening of the movie began to replay on the television once again, as Heguang turned around to look over at Yue, "What's a buddy cop films?".

"Oh, it's a subgenre of action and comedy films, revolving around two characters working together to fight crime and solve mysteries," Liang Yue explained to him, "Most of the time the two protagonists are either police officers, detectives or secret agents".

"Ah..." Heguang nodded to her, "And..... do you think we would make good protagonists for a story like that?".

Yue thought about his question for a moment, her foot tapping against the ground before she smiled and nodded to him, "Yes. I think we'd make a great team".

==========

Liang Yue didn't realise how long she had been working until she began to feel her wrist cramp up.

She stopped writing her report momentarily as she muttered to herself. One look at the clock nearby told her that she had been writing reports for almost... two hours now. Had there just been that many incidents that needed reporting? And how had she not noticed the time pass by so quickly until now?

She let out a sigh, before she returned back to writing. She needed to finish all of these reports as soon as possible, she couldn't afford to slack or waste time and-

She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts by the soft thunk of a mug being put on her desk, and she looked up to see Cheng Heguang standing next to her, "Thought you might need some refreshment".

"Ah. Thank you, Heguang" she nodded to him, though didn't pay much attention to the drink as she lifted the mug up to her lips, before being surprised by the fact she wasn't tasting coffee, "Is this...?".

"Orange juice! They had it on discount when I went to the market yesterday, about thirty percent off!" Heguang replied to her, a proud smile on his face as he sat down next to her, "I heard that it improves heart health, and it's much healthier to drink than coffee!".

Yue let out a small chuckle, "You could've just put the orange juice in one of the paper cups we have. The mugs are usually reserved for hot tea and coffee to prevent the hands from burning".

"Well, the mug handle provided extra stabilisation when I was carrying it to you. I'm sure people won't mind or notice a mug going missing," he told her.

"I guess that's true..." Liang Yue chuckled as she took another sip from the mug and soon returned back to writing. Cheng Heguang sat back at his own desk, beginning on his own reports as the two fell into a comfortable silence.

At least until Liang Yue felt her wrist cramp up again.

She must have audibly winced, as Cheng Heguang looked up from his work with concern lacing his face, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?".

"No, no, I'm fine. It just feels sore whenever I write for too long" she reassured him with a soft shake of her head, before picking the pen up again.

Heguang's brows furrowed, "If it's hurting, shouldn't you stop and let it rest?".

"I need to finish these as soon as possible, Heguang" she told him, "I don't want to leave it for later and accidentally never finish it".

"I understand, Yue. But how long have you been working?".

Liang Yue paused, not even looking at him or at the clock before she bashfully replied, "I've been working since I got here so... a couple of hours?".

Heguang crossed his arms, "And you haven't taken a break or eaten since you've began?".

"I'm fine, Heguang. I promise," she said, "You don't have to be so concerned".

That seemed to shut Heguang up for a bit, and Yue soon returned back to writing her reports, doing her best to ignore the ache in her wrist. Though her attention was momentarily distracted by the soft sounds of clutter, hands rummaging through a bag, and finally the sight of something green in the corner of her vision.

She looked up to see Heguang offering her what looked like a lunchbox wrapped in a sage green cloth. "Heguang? What's this?" she asked him.

"It's lunch. I don't think you've ever tried my cooking, so I made us something," he told her. He had a lunchbox on his own desk, wrapped up in blue cloth instead.

Yue's eyes widened in surprise. She had never had a co-worker offer food to her before, and even though her work was still glaring at her from her desk, she just couldn't ignore the emptiness in her stomach.

She took the lunchbox from him, muttering out a quick "Thank you," before unwrapping the lunchbox and removing the lid. The lunchbox contained fish, a serving of rice and vegetables too, "Did you catch this fish by yourself, Heguang?".

"Yep! It had been a while since I had gone out fishing, but there's still plenty of good fishing spots in the area!" he smiled towards her. He handed her a pair of wooden chopsticks, which she gratefully took as she began to dig into her meal.

"Mm! This is so good!" Yue gasped, "I didn't know you knew how to cook so well!".

Heguang let out a small chuckle. "I'm glad you like it so much, Yue" he replied, "You're the first person I've cooked for that wasn't myself in a very long time, but this was a pretty simple meal. I'll cook up something better for you next time, I promise".

Liang Yue let out a soft sigh, "You really don't need to, Heguang. But thank you anyways...".

As the two continued to chat, familiar footsteps walked up to the offices until Black Ibis opened the door and peeped her head in. "Liang Yue! Are you busy right now?" she called out.

Liang Yue turned around to face her, quickly hiding the lunch she was eating under the table, "Umm- no, Ma'am! Do you need me for something?".

"I need to talk to you about something really quickly," Black Ibis replied to her, then a smirk appeared on her face, "And no need to hide, Yue. It's not a crime to feel hungry sometimes".

Black Ibis soon disappeared once again, and Liang Yue let out a sigh before she got up from her chair, placing her lunchbox on her desk. "I won't be gone for too long, these meetings usually only last a few minutes," she told him, brushing off any crumbs off of herself.

Heguang nodded to her, swallowing the fish he was chewing on before replying, "I'll make sure nobody tries to steal your food while you're gone".

Yue turned to look at him, a small yet soft smile on her face, "Thanks, gége. I appreciate that".

Heguang froze when she said that, eyes widening slightly in surprise. Yue seemed to realise too what she had just said, as she was glued to the spot, face beginning to turn red.

"I-I mean- I'm sorry, that was a slip of the tongue, I didn't mean to-" she began to apologise, the words beginning to clam up in her throat before she turned on her heel, "I-I'll be going now. I'm very sorry-".

"Yue, wait".

She paused then, the tips of her ears still red before she turned to look back at him. She had a nervous look on her face, more akin to a child who got caught trying to steal from the cookie jar rather than a skilled police officer.

Cheng Heguang smiled to her, his grey eyes turning soft as he spoke, "You can call me gége. I'm fine with it".

Yue stood silently for a moment, a twinkle in her eyes before she nodded to him. "Umm- thank you..." she quickly said, before walking away.

Now the office was empty, deathly silent aside from the sound of the fan in the corner and Yue's footsteps slowly fading away. And Heguang was now left alone with two lunchboxes and his own thoughts.

And suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. The friendly yet competive air whenever they challenged eachother, him being worried for Yue's wellbeing and their fondness for eachother. Was this what having a younger sibling felt like?

He never had any siblings, only barely having experience whenever he babysat for his neighbours. But this soft and warm feeling in his chest - surely this is what it must feel like to be a proud older brother.

A few minutes passed before Yue finally walked back into the room. "Sorry I was gone for so long," she apologised to him, sitting back down and returning to eating her lunch, "Miss Ibis was more talkative today than usual".

"It's alright, Yue. You were only gone for...". Heguang looked up at the clock on the wall, narrowing his eyes as he did his best to tell the time - he was still a bit unused to using the clock, "Twenty minutes, I think....?".

Yue let out a small chuckle as she continued to eat. They ate in silence for a while, both a bit too embarassed to talk about the earlier incident.

After another beat of silence, Heguang finally bit the bullet, swallowing his rice before he spoke up, "When you called me gége, what did you mean by that?".

Yue's eyes widened at that, "Excuse me?".

"I mean, there's many reasons to call someone gége that aren't just referring to a brother," he explained to her, "Is it because I'm older, or that you see me as someone worthy of respect?".

"W-Well, I do respect you a lot, Heguang. Don't get me wrong," Yue stammered, pulling on the edge of her sleeve, "But when I think about it... I've never had any siblings. And you might be the closest thing I have to an older brother...".

Heguang's eyes widened slightly, before he let out a small chuckle, "And you're the closest thing I have to a younger sister".

The two shared a smile, a light feeling passing over them before Yue cleared her throat, "Anyways, Black Ibis was talking to me earlier. She told me some... interesting news".

Cheng Heguang raised a brow, "And that is?".

"We might be transferred to work alongside the Timekeeper from the St. Pavlov Foundation," Yue told him, biting into her piece of fish, "The both of us, actually".

Heguang's eyes widened a little in surprise. He had heard of the Foundation in passing, but this was the first time he would be getting directly involved with them, "So... will we be leaving soon?".

"Maybe, Miss Ibis told me she's still working on the details. The Timekeeper travels a lot, but she has a place that we can stay in," Yue explained, "You will have to learn how to speak English though, but it's okay. She reassured me there'll be someone there to help teach you, a Chinese native just like us".

"Oh...". He had actually been meaning to learn how to properly speak English, since Yue herself was fluent in it. The thought of having to move somewhere where he wouldn't understand most people did intimidate him admittedly, but he did his best to hide his doubts, "And will you be going too?".

"I have friends staying with her, and her Suitcase offers protection against certain arcane phenomena. So yes, I will" Yue nodded to him, "But, you don't have to come if you don't want to. I understand if you wouldn't want to".

Heguang thought about the offer for a few moments. An opportunity for a peaceful life, surrounded by strange people in an unfamiliar place. While it did aound scary, at least there would be someone there to help him get used to the place.

"I'll go with you".

Yue's eyes widened, "Really? You are?".

"Of course I am," he replied, "After all, I can't let my little sister go alone, can I?".

Yue's cheeks and ears turned red, "Heguang, I called you that once!".

As Heguang lightly chuckled at her and Yue simmered in her embarrassment, Black Ibis stood off to the side hidden within the shadows of the corridors, letting out a small laugh before she disappeared down the hallway once more.

===========

"Let me see here.....".

Vertin opened the drawers of her desk while Yue and Heguang stood in front of her, rummaging through the files hidden within the wooden cabinets. It honestly didn't feel too dissimilar from the first time Heguang had met Yue, with the awkward feeling in his chest and the fact that he hadn't expected that Vertin would be a teenager as well. Just how many powerful people in position were actually teenagers and he just wasn't told?!?

"Ah, here they are," Vertin said, pulling a folder out from one of the drawers. She pulled out two papers from it, with Yue and Heguang's faces on them, "Liang Yue and Cheng Heguang from the Chinese Branch Vigiles Bureau... Feel free to tell me if I'm mispronouncing your names at all".

"No, you're pronouncing them perfectly," Liang Yue replied to her, softly shaking her head. Next to her, Cheng Heguang stood silently, fists at his side. He didn't understand most of what Vertin or Yue was saying, their conversation lost in translation. He really needed to take those English lessons soon.

"Right. And I know you two appear to be quite close," Vertin said to them, taking a pen from out of her pen holder, "If you'd like, I can arrange for your rooms to be next to eachother's. I don't think Miss Black Ibis said it was necessary though".

Yue looked over at Heguang, who seemed to be staring off into space as she gently nudged him, "Gége".

That snapped Heguang out of his temporary trance as he looked back at her, "Hm?".

"She's asking us if you'd like our rooms to be next to eachother," she explained to him, momentarily switching to Mandarin to speak to him.

He nodded in understanding, before looking back at Vertin. "I would- umm- we would like that!" he replied to her, though he was quickly regretting trying to talk with the little English he knew.

Vertin's brows raised, but she simply hummed as she wrote down another note, "Right... And how good is Cheng's English?".

"He's beginner level, Miss," Liang Yue told her, giving him a small reassuring pat on the back which just seemed to confuse him even more, "I tried to teach him some words and phrases in preparation for moving here. But his English still needs improving".

"Right, right..." Vertin said, scribbling down more notes, "I'm sure Getian wouldn't mind being his tutor for a few months".

She spent a few more moments writing, both of the officers a bit unsure about what she was writing about. She finally put her pen down before standing up from her chair, putting her hat and coat on, "Follow me, I'll show you two to your rooms".

Vertin walked over to the doorway, and Yue had to gently pull on Heguang's sleeve to signal him to come with them, pulling their suitcases behind them. As they exited the Timekeeper's office and entered the hallways, Heguang couldn't help but feel like an alien to this seemingly opulent place, decorated with fancy wallpaper and paintings and potted plants.

They passed by windows showing the Wilderness outside, and Heguang caught scenes of some of the othe residents below them. Some looked like young children playing with eachother, some were picnicking while others were relaxing out in the sun. Each one of them looked strange and unique to him.

Finally, they stopped in a hallway with many doors in front of them. Some of them had names encrusted onto them, either carved straight into the wood or onto nameplates in alphabets Heguang had a loose grasp on. Some of the doors were decorated with paint, or visible scratch marks and burns, he could only wonder about the story behind those ones.

And two doors in front of them were bare, ready to welcome new inhabitants into their abode.

"You two can arrange who gets which room," Vertin smiled to them, before tipping her hat to them, "Well, I'll be going now. If you need my help, you'll know where to find me".

Liang Yue turned back towards her, "Thank you so much for helping us, Miss Vertin".

Cheng Heguang looked back at Yue, he didn't understand a lot of English words yet but he could at least understand that one, "Thank you, Miss Vertin".

Vertin nodded to the two before she left, leaving the two standing in the hallway. Heguang turned to look back at Yue, switching back to his native language, "Was my English good?".

"Of course it was, gége" Yue reassured him, though he honestly didn't believe her.

She turned the knob on the door and pushed it open before walking in, revealing an admittedly bare looking room. Sizeable, with blank walls, a bed and wardrobe in the corners of the room and a window showing the Wilderness outside. He guessed both of their rooms looked like this, at least until they properly settled in and decorated their abodes their own ways.

Yue left her own suitcase at the door before walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it, letting the sun warm her skin. Heguang soon followed suit, sitting beside her as they absorbed the sun's rays.

"How are you feeling Heguang?" Yue decided to ask him, looking over at him, "I know it's quite an unfamiliar place, but I hope you like it nontheless".

Heguang let out a small hum as he thought, looking down at his hands before he replied. "It's... quite nice, I'll be honest. Strange, but I look forward to becoming familiar with the place," he told her, "The outside looks amazing too. Do you think Vertin will allow it if I asked to have a garden of my own?".

Yue's smile softened as she let out a chuckle, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all, gége".

The two shared a small laugh as they sat, the small room silent besides their voices. Heguang let out a small sigh, "So... what now, Yue?".

Yue was silent for a moment, picking at the fabric of her sleeve before she spoke upm "Let's just... rest for now," she replied to him, "We'll work on properly setting up our rooms later".

Heguang looked surprised over at her, and he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, "Really? I thought you would've wanted to get everything done as soon as possible, or at least meet up with those friends you mentioned first".

Yue almost replied to him, but instead she let out a yawn as she rested her head on Heguang's shoulder. "That can wait for later..." she muttered, "Rest is important too.....".

He looked down at her for a couple moments, as if expecting her to have fallen asleep almost immediately after their long trip. He waited for a couple of moments, before he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer as he rested his own head atop hers.

"Rest well, Yue. You deserve it".