Chapter Text
***
Zhu Yuan prided herself on being a model of PubSec efficiency. She was the captain of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team, a position she'd earned through rigorous discipline and an eye for detail.
Lately, however, her observational skills were being put to a different kind of test.
Ever since she started dating Wise, her perspective on "office dynamics" had shifted. It was hard not to learn a thing or two about romance when you were part of a social circle that included Miyabi, Caesar, Burnice, Lucy, and Nicole—all of whom seemed to be caught in the same gravitational pull of Wise's inexplicable charm. She'd become more attuned to the way people looked at each other when they thought no one was watching.
But Jane Doe was a different story altogether.
Jane was a consultant, a wildcard, and a master of reading others while remaining a closed book herself. Whenever she dropped by PubSec, she didn't bother the Captain or consult with Qingyi first. She went straight for Seth.
"Afternoon, rookie," Jane purred, leaning so far over Seth's desk that her hair brushed his shoulder. "Working hard? Or just waiting for me to show up and distract you?"
Seth's face went the color of a flare signal. "I—I'm filing the logistical reports for the last Hollow raid, Jane! It's important work!"
"Mm. You're adorable when you're being 'important,'" she teased, her voice low and playful.
From across the bullpen, Officer Chen elbowed his partner. "Ten minutes," he whispered. "I give him ten minutes before he completely malfunctions."
"Five," Officer Zhao shot back under her breath, pretending to look at her monitor.
Zhu Yuan watched from her own desk. She noted the way Seth's ears flattened slightly in embarrassment, the way he stammered and huffed—but she also noted the lack of heat. Seth was a straight-arrow officer; if he were truly bothered, he would have stood his ground or asked for space. Instead, he just sat there, blushing and frustrated, but clearly anchored to his seat by her presence.
*Are they...?* Zhu Yuan wondered.
She wasn't a "love detective." She'd been blindsided enough by her own relationship with Wise to know that she wasn't the best at reading these signs. She didn't want to go over there and ask, *"Hey, are you two dating?"* That would be incredibly awkward if they weren't. Jane would never let her live it down, and Seth might actually pass out from the sheer embarrassment.
Then came the icing on the cake.
Today, Jane hadn't just come to tease him. She had arrived looking a little more tired than usual, though no less mischievous. Seth, without being asked, reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a neatly packed lunch box. It was wrapped in a simple, clean cloth—hand-packed with care.
"Here," Seth mumbled, looking away to hide his face. "You said you were going to be busy all day with that undercover lead. I figured you'd forget to eat."
The ambient office chatter slowed. Officer Chen's typing stopped mid-sentence.
Zhu Yuan froze, her pen hovering over a report. *A packed lunch?* That was a massive red flag in the world of romance. People didn't just make balanced, home-cooked meals for "annoying consultants" out of the goodness of their hearts.
Jane paused. For a split second, her smirk flickered, replaced by something much softer, something real. She took the lunch box, her fingers brushing against Seth's.
"You remembered the fish," Jane said quietly.
"You said you liked the fish."
"I say a lot of things, Seth."
Then, she leaned in.
Zhu Yuan expected the usual—a whisper in his ear or a playful flick to his forehead. Instead, Jane didn't pull back. She cupped Seth's face with both hands and kissed him. Not on the cheek, not as a joke, but a firm, lingering kiss straight on the lips.
The office went *silent.*
Officer Zhao's jaw dropped. Officer Chen's coffee mug stopped halfway to his mouth. Someone in the back corner let out a strangled "*What—*" before getting elbowed into silence.
Beside Zhu Yuan’s desk, Qingyi simply paused. She unscrewed the lid of her metal thermos, blew gently on the rising steam, and took a slow, deliberate sip of hot water.
"Ah," Qingyi noted, her tone perfectly mild. "The unrestrained vigor of youth. Like a spring bamboo shoot breaking through the earth. Most refreshing to witness."
Seth looked like he had been struck by lightning, his eyes wide, his hands hovering in the air as he processed the fact that he was being kissed in front of the entire CISRT unit.
Jane pulled back just an inch, a satisfied glint in her eyes. "Thanks, Seth. You're a keeper."
She turned, slinging the lunch box under her arm, and noticed the entire office staring at them in stunned silence. She didn't look flustered. She didn't even look surprised.
"What?" Jane asked, her voice returning to that casual, dangerous lilt. "You all look like you've never seen a girl thank her boyfriend before."
"*BOYFRIEND?!*" Officer Chen and Officer Zhao said in unison, their voices cracking in perfect harmony.
"Since *when?!*" someone from the back shouted.
Qingyi screwed the cap back onto her thermos with a metallic squeak. "A bold public declaration. Truly, modern romantic customs are much faster than the ancient texts suggest. Though I must advise you, Seth... with your heart rate elevated to such dangerous levels, you ought to drink some hot water. We wouldn't want your humors to fall out of balance."
"I—We—She—" Seth tried to form words, failed spectacularly, and gave up, burying his face in his hands on top of his reports. His tail twitched erratically under his desk.
"Save your breath, rookie," Jane laughed, slinging the lunch box under her arm. "You’ve got reports to file. And I’ve got a lunch to enjoy." She gave a two-fingered salute to Zhu Yuan. "See you later, Captain. Try to keep the office from exploding."
The door swung shut behind her.
The office *erupted.*
"I *knew* it!"
"You did *not* know it, you said they were just friends last week!"
"Did you *see* that? She just—right in front of everyone—"
"Officer Lowell, you absolute *legend—*"
Zhu Yuan set down her pen, a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips. She thought about Wise—about how complicated and messy love could be, and how it often started in the most unexpected ways.
Zhu Yuan cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "Alright, everyone! Back to work. Seth, I expect those reports by end of day... and a formal relationship disclosure for the HR files."
"Y-Yes, Captain!" Seth squeaked from behind his hands.
Officer Chen leaned back in his chair, grinning. "Man, I lost that bet *so hard.*"
Officer Zhao shook her head, smirking. "You bet against them getting together. That's on you."
Qingyi walked over to Zhu Yuan’s desk, still holding her cup. "You shouldn't look so surprised, Captain. As the old saying goes: 'The rat and the kitten may play, but eventually they find the same nest.' It was written in the stars—or at least, in the way his tail twitched whenever she walked in."
Zhu Yuan shook her head, still smiling. Maybe she was becoming a better love detective after all. She'd have to tell Wise about this later—though knowing him, he'd probably somehow already known.
***