The Demon She is Guarding

The slap inside the room echoed. Zhang Jin promptly touched his hand to the reddening mark on his cheek.

"How dare you calling me that!" Lian Qiang called out. She is trying her best to make him feel that he is thinking wrong.

"You were the one who started this, and yet here you are, having the audacity to get mad at me?" he scoffed in disbelief. "You had no right to slap me," he growled, his gaze meeting hers with equal intensity.

"I don't care if I started this or not but stop this baseless accusations of yours!," she shot back, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt.

"You know what? I should be the one who get mad." His voice was full of sarcasm.

"No, you are doubting me. I told you it was a part of my mission!"

"I don't think so! Tell me the truth. Who the hell who were part of the special arm forces wore a dress with a high heels on and said it was a part of a mission!"

Lian Qiang sarcastically laughed, "You don't know anything!"

"I just told you what I observed!" Zhang Jin snapped back, his frustration evident.

Lian Qiang's eyes blazed with anger, "You have no right to judge me based on what you 'observe' or think you know. You're making assumptions without understanding the entire situation!"

Zhang Jin clenched his fists, trying to control his rising temper. "All I see is you coming home late, wearing a dress that's not part of any uniform I've ever seen, and now you're defensive about it!"

Lian Qiang's voice quivered, a mix of anger and hurt. "You think it's easy? Going undercover, trying to fit into environments where a uniform would get me killed? Do you have any idea the risks I take!"

There, she said it. Even though she wasn't allowed to share that information, she did it to defend her reputation. The atmosphere went silent for a second.

"Are you guys fighting?" A sophisticated woman was behind them who just arrived, it was Huan Zhao. She was looking back and forth between the two.

They both shifted their gazes to her and fixed their selves.

"Huan Zhao," Zhang Jin whispered upon seeing the woman already inside the room. Zhang Jin cleared his throat, "Of course not... I just wanted her to drive us!" He laughed, hoping the woman would think everything was okay.

---

They were already outside the mansion as they made their way to the car.

Lian Qiang quickly got into the driver's seat of the car, while the two took their places in the back. All of them inside the car were quietly taking on their seats as she started the engine and revved it up.

When they got to the restaurant, she parked it on the garage, near the entrance of the restaurant making sure they're not far away.

As she stepped outside to follow them, Zhang Jin's brows furrowed, "This is our privacy. You are not allowed to go inside with us."

'Well, he wasn't wrong', she thought. She luckily found a spot on the garage where she can clearly saw them obviously inside with the glass wall.

The two couple inside seemed so serious about what they were talking about.

Lian Qiang observed the people inside and outside, ensuring that there were no signs of danger. Fortunately, no strange activity in the area was found. When she was done observing the surroundings, a sudden sound of hunger inside her stomach was audible that made her laughed a bit.

"Oh right, I haven't had breakfast yet." She whispered when she realized she haven't eaten because of her haste earlier.

She shifted her gaze again at the couple who were now smiling with each other. Seems like the two of them made an ammends already. She also thought on going somewhere to find something to drink.

She got to the vending machine near the restaurant, not too near but not too far as well. She picked a bottled water and dropped the coin in the vending machine, waited the bottled water to dropped. She got it and went back to the car, leaning on the hood, started drinking her bottled water.

She was chilling outside when she noticed an elderly man struggling to lift a heavy bag to the quite far bench.

Without hesitation, Lian Qiang approached the elderly man and offered her help. She ran to him so that she could help him immediately.

"Let me assist you with that," she said gently, lifting the bag with ease and placing it on the bench.

The elderly man smiled gratefully, his wrinkles deepening with his smile. "Thank you. I was trying to carry these groceries home, but they're heavier than I thought." he struggled saying.

Lian Qiang looked around, noting the absence of anyone who might help the elderly man. "If you'd like, I can help you carry these to your home."

"No it's okay. I'm okay, Miss. Thank you for helping me up." The elderly man tapped her shoulder appreciating her kindness for helping him. She smiled and even the old man smiled back to her.

This made her heart melt whenever she encountered someone who was struggling just like him.

After a minute, she went back to the garage of the restaurant. She leaned back to the car's hood still watching them making sure they never left to her eyes.

Later on, someone called her name which made her confused.

"Officer Lian Qiang!" Huan Zhao shouted from the entrance of the restaurant, beckoning her.

Lian Qiang pointed to herself in surprise, "Me?" She asked, seeking confirmation if she was indeed the one Huan Zhao was calling.

"Yes, you," Huan Zhao affirmed.

"Why?"

"Come eat with us."

"No, Huan Zhao. I'm fine, really." She gave a reassuring smile.

"You should join us," Huan Zhao insisted.

"But why? Isn't this supposed to be your date?" Lian Qiang approached her, puzzled. She knew Zhang Jin typically preferred her to stay in the background. Every interaction between them lately had been tense, filled with misunderstandings and barely concealed frustration.

"It's just strange, don't you think? Us eating while you're standing there watching," Huan Zhao replied with a light chuckle.

At that moment, it dawned on Lian Qiang that Huan Zhao was genuinely kind-hearted, very different in character from the demon she is guarding.