As the dinner party buzzed with warmth and laughter, plates clinking and spoons scraping against dessert bowls, Shadow 8 waddled over to Han Yue with chocolate smudged all over his cheeks and nose—looking more like a raccoon than a covert agent.
He handed her a microphone with a sugary grin.Han Yue raised a brow, mid-bite on a slice of pizza. "Hm? You want me to sing a song?"
Shadow 8 blinked. "No—well, maybe next time. But for now… please tell us some gossip from the past!"
The entire room froze.
Someone paused mid-bite on a custard tart. Another had whipped cream stuck on their upper lip, unmoving. A pastry fell off someone's fork in slow motion. The atmosphere transformed in an instant—half the room looked terrified, a few looked intrigued, and others braced for impact like soldiers before a bomb drop.
Han Yue sighed, lifted the mic lazily, and said in a calm voice, "Alright, alright. Relax. Keep eating. I'll start with some light-hearted gossip."
Everyone cautiously resumed chewing—but all ears were tuned in.
Long Yi, expression unreadable, handed her a chilled glass of apple juice. She accepted it with a small nod and took a sip, lips curling into a small smile.
"Let's start with… Shadow 6."
All eyes turned to Shadow 6, who froze mid-chew. The room shifted instantly—gleeful anticipation rising like a wave.
Han Yue tapped the mic. "In my past life, according to our beloved Shadow 8, Shadow 6 had a secret stash of packed ramen hidden in Dorm Room 3's vent. He even wrote his name on each seasoning packet in case of betrayal."
Laughter exploded.
Shadow 6's eyes bulged. "WAIT. WHAT?!"Shadow 8 clapped with delight. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT WAS REAL! SO IT IS IN THE OLD HQ!"He rubbed his chin dramatically. "I'm truly a genius to even sniff it out from a past life."
Shadow 6 jumped to his feet and pointed. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING MY RAMEN!"
Chaos erupted. People whistled and laughed. Several shouted, "THE OLD HQ RAMEN HEIST!" and "SEASONING PACKET OWNERSHIP CONFIRMED!" Someone even mock-called for a search warrant.
Han Yue sat back with a grin, quietly scooping up some sweet and sour pork with fried rice—her favorite. She chewed happily while the table descended into a gleeful storm of hooting and teasing.
But across the table, Shadow 8 gave her a dramatic stare, nodding with meaning.
Han Yue rolled her eyes and picked up the mic again. "Fine, fine. Next round… Shadow 3."
Shadow 3 immediately waved both hands. "NO! No, absolutely not. I have nothing—ZERO gossip—"
Han Yue didn't even blink. "According to Shadow 8, about a year ago, after a long mission, a pigeon fell into your rice bowl. You screamed and tossed the whole thing like it was a live grenade."
Laughter hit again like a tsunami.
Shadow 3's jaw dropped. "HOW?! HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS?! I WAS ALONE!!"
Shadow 8 scratched his head sheepishly. "Uh… I was on top of the tree. I kinda scared the pigeon. It flew down. Saw your food got ruined, so I panicked and just stayed up there."
Shadow 3 groaned. "It was HUGE! It made eye contact!"
Han Yue nodded with all seriousness. "He also said you believed pigeons could sense guilt."
Shadow 3 buried his face. "I was TIRED and HUNGRY, okay?! I was having a moment!"
Someone across the room clapped like a seal. Han Yue almost dropped her bowl from laughing.
Then she turned smoothly. "Shadow 5."
Shadow 5 crossed his arms, suspicious. "Go on."
"You used to listen to self-affirmations while jogging. Your favorite line was: 'I am the storm. I am the blade. I am enough.'"
Shadow 5 gave a proud nod. "Still works. Gets me hyped."
Han Yue smiled wider. "You also took dramatic rooftop selfies for your future autobiography, under a folder called 'Training Montage - Phase One.'"
Shadow 5 blinked. "Wait—how do you know about the rooftop—"
"Shadow 8," Han Yue said sweetly.
"…Right."
Then she tilted her head thoughtfully. "Also, Shadow 3's elite gunner—always wears long sleeves. Not for fashion."
Everyone leaned in.
"It's because he has a giant tattoo of a cartoon bunny."
A collective: "…A bunny?"
Han Yue nodded. "Shadow 8 said he saw it once during an extreme heatwave. The sleeves rolled up and there it was. Big pink ears."
Laughter rippled across the table again. Some people held up their cups in mock salute to the mysterious bunny warrior.
Han Yue, now full and clearly enjoying herself, happily munched on chocolate-covered marshmallows and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
She wasn't finished.
"Anyway," she said. "Shadow 4."
Shadow 4 shook his head preemptively. "I swear I didn't do anything."
Han Yue grinned. "You used to journal your meals."
"That's not a crime."
"You gave them nicknames. Like 'Ricey the Third' and 'Noodlonious Maximus.'"
Shadow 4 looked like he'd just been personally betrayed by time itself. "I was preserving history!"
"Oh, and you also wrote a song for a can of peach syrup and performed it for Shadow 8."
More laughter burst out. Even Long Yi cracked a smile.
Shadow 8 jumped up proudly. "AND I STILL REMEMBER THE CHORUS!"
Shadow 4 hissed, "No, you don't."
"Yes, I do!"
Shadow 8 pulled out another mic from under the table—no one knew how—and sang, off-key:
🎵 "O' sweet nectar, from the gods above—peachy gold in syrup love…" 🎵
Han Yue burst into giggles, nearly choking on a marshmallow.
She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and leaned back in her seat. "I have more," she said ominously. "So many more. Shadow 8 never shut up."
Shadow 8 stood tall, arms wide, grinning like a child who'd just won a talent show. "YOU'RE WELCOME."
Han Yue sat calmly in the storm of chaos, sipping her juice once more.
"That's all for now," she said lightly. "For now."
Shadow 8 leaned closer, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "There's more, right? You remember more, don't you? Just tell me. I'll reenact it."
Han Yue smirked but offered no further comment—for now.
As the dinner party carried on, the atmosphere only grew livelier. Some were already tipsy from the mix of beer and liquor Han Yue had generously provided. Her contribution to the party was clear—from the drinks to the food, even the chips now scattered across the coffee tables.
Unfortunately, her current body was still sixteen, and under Long Yi's ever-watchful eye, she wasn't allowed to touch alcohol. Instead, she sipped fruit juice and milk tea, cheerfully munching on chips while watching everyone have fun.
Beside her, Long Yi had clearly had a few glasses of wine himself. His gaze—already intense—was now openly locked on her.
Han Yue tilted her head, amused, and gently poked his cheek. "Are you drunk?"
He caught her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it softly. "No."
She blushed, caught off guard by the gesture, then smiled. "Hehe."
It really was a good night. Laughter filled the air, conversations overlapped, and for once, everyone seemed happy and relaxed.
By the time the party wrapped up around 2 a.m., most guests had found their way to the guest rooms, some already fast asleep.
Han Yue, however, walked back to her room hand-in-hand with Long Yi.
"Goodnight," she said with a playful smile.
But before she could escape, Long Yi held onto her hand and tilted his head, tapping his cheek. "Kiss."
Han Yue's eyes widened. He really is drunk…! she thought, but couldn't help grinning.
With a quick peck on his cheek, she turned and darted into her room with a giggle.
Behind her, Long Yi stood still for a moment, his fingers touching the spot she'd kissed, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. Then he turned and headed to his own room for the night.