Chapter 190: Extra - : The Urge-Marriage United Front Alliance (4)

Chapter 190: Extra Chapter: The Urge-Marriage United Front Alliance (4)

On one side of the room was a long counter. Behind it hung a lightbox with the "Mist Detective Agency" logo. A few paper cups filled with tea sat on the counter. ’This looks more like a... lounge, or a waiting area?’

"You two are finally out?"

Yu Zhengze looked at the two of them, who were still visibly shaken. He handed over the two bags and two jackets he was carrying—the very things Yu Xian and Wen Xiao had stored in a locker earlier.

"Here, your jackets and phones."

His tone was calm and natural, as if he were talking about the most ordinary thing in the world.

Yu Xian and Wen Xiao exchanged a look, each seeing deep confusion and... fear in the other’s eyes.

’Finally... out?’

’What does that mean?’

"Bro, Sister Yu... How are you guys here?"

"We were waiting for you outside," Wen Yu said, straightening her hair and looking at them as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"After you two went in, I saw it was still early, so Captain Yu and I went to a nearby coffee shop for a bit. We figured it was about time, so we came over to wait for you to come out."

"Wait... waiting for us?" Wen Xiao’s voice trembled as she clutched her jacket tightly.

"But, Sis, didn’t you guys go in too? We all went in together!"

"Go in?" Wen Yu raised an eyebrow, looking at Wen Xiao as if she were an idiot.

"Xiaoxiao, were you scared silly? When did Captain Yu and I ever go in?"

She turned to Yu Zhengze with a helpless smile, as if she felt her little sister was embarrassing herself in front of others.

"This girl must be seeing things after that scare."

"Bro, Sister Yu, stop joking around," Yu Xian said, forcing a smile.

"The four of us got in the elevator together just now. And in the registration hall, you opened that combination lock, don’t you remember?"

"Xiaoxian, are you getting a little too into character?" Yu Zhengze frowned, his eyes full of confusion.

"Alright, stop overthinking it. You two hurry up and put on your jackets, it’s cold outside."

Yu Xian and Wen Xiao stiffly put on their jackets and unlocked their phones. The screens lit up, showing the time: 4:30 PM.

Two hours had indeed passed since they went in.

But...

Yu Xian suddenly thought of something. His fingers flew across the screen, tapping a few times before pulling up the ticket purchase history.

Four tickets.

"Bro, stop messing with us."

He shoved the screen in Yu Zhengze’s face, his voice cracking with agitation.

"What’s this? The order I placed just this afternoon! ’Bloody Ren’ai Hospital,’ four tickets! Four tickets!"

Yu Xian pointed at the clear purchase record and QR code on the screen.

"If you two didn’t go in, then why would I buy four tickets? Did you think Wen Xiao and I would just waste money on two extra tickets for fun?"

He stared intently into Yu Zhengze’s eyes, trying to find any crack in his facade—even a hint of guilt, panic, or playfulness.

However, he saw nothing.

Yu Zhengze didn’t look at the purchase history. Instead, he raised his head slightly, his gaze going past the phone screen to meet Yu Xian’s eyes.

The nonchalant, even slightly confused expression he had been wearing slowly faded.

In its place was a familiar sharpness and acuity befitting a police captain, along with a hint of... playful mockery that suggested he had seen through everything all along.

Beside him, Wen Yu gently set down her paper cup, her elegant, intelligent smile now also tinged with a hint of amusement.

The two of them exchanged a glance.

The silent exchange was so fast that Yu Xian almost missed it, but he keenly sensed that something was very wrong.

"Four tickets, you say?" Yu Zhengze’s lips curved into a smirk, laced with the mockery of a hunter watching their prey fall into a trap.

"Oh? So it was four tickets, was it?" Wen Yu repeated softly.

Yu Zhengze crossed his arms, leaned forward slightly, and looked down at the dumbstruck Yu Xian and Wen Xiao. He spoke slowly.

"But, Xiaoxian, if I recall correctly... when we ran into each other outside earlier, didn’t you two insist... that it was a ’chance’ encounter?"

BOOM—

Yu Xian’s mind went blank.

He froze on the spot, his hand holding the phone hovering awkwardly in mid-air.

Wen Xiao’s face instantly turned bright red, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

She had still been immersed in her fear of the "people in the mirror," but now she was completely overwhelmed by the utter mortification of the situation.

"Child’s play." Wen Yu and Yu Zhengze exchanged a look, breaking into a victorious smile.

Yu Xian’s mouth fell open. He stared at the two people before him, who were perfectly in sync.

’The Mirror World, altered memories, terrifying doppelgangers... it was all just an act! These two sly foxes had just been playing along!’

’They’d seen through everything from the start, yet they impassively played along with him and Wen Xiao until the very end.’

’They didn’t expose us directly. Instead, they waited until the final moment, used our fear against us, and made me eat my own words. It’s...’

’Too cunning.’

’You can’t beat experience.’

’And in this case, it’s spicy enough to make you choke.’

Yu Zhengze and Wen Yu walked out of the room side by side, laughing. From behind, they looked so harmonious and perfectly in sync.

Like... a real pair of partners.

Yu Xian stood frozen, watching their retreating figures. After a long moment, he finally let out a long, heavy breath.

’The whole process was bizarre and full of twists, the ending was a complete disaster, and Wen Xiao and I were played for fools...’

’But...’

He looked at the two people ahead of him, who were talking in low voices and occasionally exchanging smiles.

A relieved smile slowly formed on Yu Xian’s lips. 𝖋𝘳ℯ

’Who’s the real winner here, I wonder?’

On this gloomy, rainy afternoon, despite the heart-pounding and dramatic reversal, some things were indeed quietly changing.

For instance, two hearts that had once moved on parallel tracks had finally found a point of intersection in this escape room filled with lies and truth.

(End of Side Story: The Matchmaking Alliance.)