They didn't stay in the Rose Garden.
They couldn't afford to.
Lin Wan and Er'gou returned immediately to the main lawn, slipping back into the noise, cameras, and staged laughter as if nothing had happened.
The rest of the "afternoon tea" segment passed in a blur.
Lin Wan smiled when prompted.Nodded when spoken to.Answered questions automatically.
But the USB drive in her pocket felt like a live grenade.
Across the lawn, Su Xiao behaved flawlessly — laughing, chatting, feeding Pudding small pieces of premium cat treats.
She glanced at Lin Wan once or twice.
Briefly.
Calmly.
As if the Rose Garden encounter had meant nothing at all.
That made it worse.
Evening – Back at the Old Cinema
The moment filming ended, Lin Wan declined the after-party invitation and left with Er'gou at record speed.
Doors locked.
Curtains drawn.
Lights dimmed.
Only then did she take out the USB drive.
Her palms were damp.
Er'gou jumped onto the table, eyes fixed on the device like a predator staring at prey.
Lin Wan plugged it into the modified tablet Chen Lin had prepared.
No password.
Only one file.
Video.
She tapped it.
The screen flickered.
Dark. Grainy. Unstable.
Hidden camera footage.
A room lined with metal shelves — laboratory? Archive storage?
Two figures.
One in a white lab coat, back facing the camera.The other in a suit, face obscured by shadow.
Their voices were distorted.
Mechanical.
Unnatural.
Lab Coat:"…sample activity declining… unstable… canine form may only be transitional…"
Er'gou's body went rigid.
Suit:"'The Celebration' result must be retrieved. The Prince's olfactory gift is the key. It cannot fall into other hands."
The Prince.
The word hung in the air.
Lab Coat:"How effective is the tracking agent?"
Suit:"Deployed for testing. Strong reaction confirmed identity. However, interference present around the target."
Interference.
Lin Wan.
Lab Coat:"Complete the induction soon. Use the residual 'humanity.' Trigger a public 'loss of control.' Easier retrieval."
Silence.
Then—
Suit:"'Starlight' and 'Manor' preparations are in place. Next time—"
The video cut.
Static.
And in the final frame—
Half a blurred logo.
A distorted letter E, coiled in serpent-like patterns.
Entropy.
Lin Wan's breathing quickened.
So Chen Lin had been right.
This wasn't just pursuit.
This was experimentation.
"Celebration result.""Transitional canine form.""Induction.""Public loss of control."
They didn't just want Shen Mo back.
They wanted him unstable.
Exposed.
Humiliated.
Recovered like defective property.
Er'gou stared at the frozen logo.
A low growl vibrated from deep in his throat.
His blue eyes burned cold.
He understood.
Not every word.
But enough.
"Starlight" — the amusement park."Manor" — this place.
Their traps had been active all along.
Was the USB a warning?
Or bait?
Were they being watched right now?
A chill crawled down Lin Wan's spine.
They weren't dodging attacks.
They were inside a net.
The tablet screen flashed again.
Encrypted message.
Chen Lin.
"You saw it?""Psychological pressure. Testing you.""Tomorrow's final segment — the Masquerade Ball. High probability induction point.""I'll be outside perimeter.""No matter what happens: keep performing. Protect the identity.""Use the audio if needed.""Also — Su Xiao's background questionable. Possible indirect Entropy ties. Keep distance."
Masquerade Ball.
Of course.
Masks.
Crowds.
Chaos.
Perfect place to trigger "loss of control."
Lin Wan slowly looked at Er'gou.
He was already looking at her.
No fear.
No panic.
Just calculation.
Outside, night thickened.
Dust drifted in silver beams of moonlight inside the abandoned cinema.
Tomorrow, under chandeliers and music, masked guests would dance.
But not all masks were decorative.
Some concealed hunters.
Some concealed prey.
And they—
A top-tier actor trapped in a dog's body.
A pet blogger forced into crisis management.
Would have to keep performing.
Er'gou suddenly lifted a paw.
Tapped the tablet.
Opened the folder containing the stabilizing audio file.
Then he looked at Lin Wan.
Clear intent.
Preparation.
She understood.
If Entropy planned to induce instability—
He would prepare first.
Control before chaos.
Lin Wan pressed play.
Soft music filled the hollow cinema.
Low frequencies.
Measured rhythms.
Almost imperceptible modulation.
Er'gou closed his eyes.
His ears twitched gently in sync with the sound.
The tension in his shoulders slowly eased.
Breathing steadied.
The growl faded.
Lin Wan sat beside him.
Listening.
Watching his profile in the dim light.
Maybe in this insane story of humans and dogs, hunters and fugitives, performance and survival—
The only real thing…
Was this.
A girl and a not-quite-dog.
Fighting back-to-back.
She let out a quiet breath.
"Tomorrow," she murmured softly,
"We'd better wear our masks well."
Er'gou's tail tapped the table once.
Light.
Precise.
As if answering—
Understood.