Pre-Hunt Banter: Waiting for the Tracker

The courtyard hummed with a restless energy as Shi Min paced near the sleek, armored SUV, his arms crossed tightly against his chest and his eyes darting across the horizon like a hawk searching for prey. Sunlight spilled into the space, casting long shadows that danced around him.

"Wait," he muttered, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Where's Paps?"

Fatty, sprawled lazily on the hood of the vehicle, his fingers cradling a half-eaten steam bun, barely glanced up. "Oh, he went up with your mom," he replied, a hint of mischief in his tone.

Shi Min blinked, the gears in his mind turning. "Up where?"

Fatty wagged his eyebrows playfully, a smirk creeping across his face. "Upstairs. To their room."

Chatty, theatrically adjusting his scarf as if it were a dramatic cape, chimed in with a smug grin that could rival the Cheshire Cat. "He's probably venting his righteous anger and demanding a reward. You singletons wouldn't understand. Separation anxiety is real when you're married."

Shun lifted an eyebrow skeptically. "You're not married?" He asked, looking at El Padre and El Capital.

El Capitan waved a dismissive hand. "Details. I'm emotionally married to the idea of love." He said with a snort.

El Padre nodded solemnly, as if imparting wisdom. "He's been in a committed relationship with heartbreak since 2009."

"Shut up," El Capitan muttered, pulling his face mask to shield his face, as if hiding from the truth.

Shi Min groaned, rubbing his temples as if trying to relieve the pressure building up inside his head. "We're supposed to be preparing for a mission to hunt down a cursed lunatic, and you two are discussing emotional trauma and conjugal visits!"

Jack shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, if I had a wife like Madam Ling Li, I'd be in seclusion too. Just not for alchemy."

Shun coughed discreetly into his fist, stifling a laugh. "Let's not imagine our parents like that."

"Too late," Chatty replied, eyes wide with horror. "The image is burned into my brain. I need therapy. And bleach."

Mushu, who had been quietly adjusting his gear, finally spoke up in a low voice. "You all realize you can't even start without Master Chu Yan, right? He's the only one with the skills to track Solaris."

"Exactly," Shi Min said, frustration bubbling to the surface. "We're wasting precious time."

Fatty leaned back, hands tucked behind his head, exuding an air of casual indifference. "Or we're giving true love the space it needs to flourish."

Chatty nodded earnestly. "Let's be real. If we interrupt them now, we might get hit with a flying teacup. Or worse — Madam's glare."

At this, everyone shuddered in unison, as if recalling a collective nightmare.

Even First Shah, who had just appeared with his blade sheathed on his back, halted in his tracks.

Pharsa, who was on the side, "I'm not going up there. I value my life," she declared, a teasing edge to her voice.

"Then we wait," Shi Min sighed, finally plopping down on the steps, the weight of impending doom settling around him. "But the moment he comes down, we move."

"Should we stretch or something?" Fatty asked, already lying flat on the grass as if it were a sun-drenched beach. "I don't want to pull a hamstring chasing cursed energy."

Chatty, ever the strategist, pulled out a deck of cards, the glossy surface glinting in the sunlight. "Stretch your luck. Let's play a round while we wait."

And so, beneath the rising sun, which cast warm golden rays upon them amidst the vast blue sky, the group settled into a strange mix of patience and camaraderie. They were half warriors, half clowns, laughing, teasing, and passing the time. Because even when faced with the creeping shadows of darkness, they remained united as family — the family that waited together.

The Return: Steam, Smirks, and a Mission Delayed

It was nearly four hours before Four Eyes finally emerged from the depths of their private wing, looking thoroughly satisfied, his steps light, his eyes gleaming with a smug, post-victory glow. Ling Li trailed behind him, her hair still damp, her cheeks flushed a delicate rose that had nothing to do with the morning chill.

She looked mildly aggrieved, her lips pursed in a pout as she tugged at the collar of her freshly changed robe. "You're impossible," she muttered under her breath.

Four Eyes only chuckled, scooping her up once more with infuriating ease. "You didn't seem to mind when you were calling me—"

"Shut up," Ling Li hissed, swatting his shoulder, though her fingers lingered there a moment too long.

Downstairs, the courtyard had transformed into a scene of mild chaos and mounting boredom.

Fatty was sprawled across a bench, a half-eaten steam bun in one hand and a deck of cards in the other. Chatty was dramatically fanning himself with a snack menu. At the same time, Shun sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating — or pretending to, judging by the twitch in his brow.

They had played at least six rounds of cards, eaten lunch and snacks, and were now dangerously close to staging a mutiny.

When the couple finally descended the marble steps, the entire group turned in unison.

Time froze.

Ling Li and Four Eyes looked freshly showered, suspiciously glowing, and entirely too serene for a pair who had just made everyone wait four hours on the cusp of a mission.

"What's with the look?" Ling Li asked, blinking innocently.

Four Eyes raised an eyebrow, as if genuinely confused by the stares.

Chatty opened his mouth. "Ah, did you two—"

Before he could finish, Fatty lunged, clapping a hand over his mouth and dragging him backward like a bodyguard intercepting a security breach.

"Nope. Nooope. Abort mission. Don't do it."

Chatty's muffled protests were ignored.

"Ehem," Shi Min cleared his throat, standing stiffly, his ears tinged pink. "We were planning to make a move on Solaris. We were only waiting for Paps."

Ling Li's face turned a deeper shade of crimson. She shot a glare at Four Eyes, who only smirked wider, clearly unrepentant.

Then came El Padre, arms crossed, his tailored suit immaculate despite the wait, his expression a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

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