Li Taiming pushed himself up from the floor, dusting off his clothes with a hint of wry humor. "A fine Plan B. You came back here specifically waiting for me, didn't you?"

"Sometimes things aren't complicated," Xiao Shu murmured, tucking the vial into her pocket. "Finding you is easier than finding him. When you’re facing a task like finding a needle in a haystack, all you need is to carry a giant magnet for yourself."

"Be careful!" Li Taiming suddenly raised both index fingers, pointing them playfully toward Xiao Shu’s pocket. "There's an idiom about turning the tables and holding someone accountable—fan gong dao suan. Be careful those little things don't consume you instead. That would be a poor trade-off."

"Relax," Xiao Shu replied, "Before they manage to eat me, I promise to hold you tightly. We won't be separated, not for a single moment, forever and ever." As she spoke, Xiao Shu drew a pair of handcuffs from her belt—a little something she'd smoothly pilfered from Old He at the shelter. They were proving perfectly timely. Before Li Taiming could react, Xiao Shu swiftly clicked one end of the cuffs onto his right wrist and the other onto her left.

Li Taiming lifted his hand, examining the gleaming, pristine white cuffs as if appraising a piece of fine jewelry. He turned back to Bing Yu with a smile. "Now you see what it means when the young tide pushes the old tide, right?" He then turned to Xiao Shu. "I’m not left-handed. How am I supposed to do anything with my right hand restrained?"

"I’m not left-handed either," Xiao Shu deliberately feigned helplessness, throwing her hands open toward Li Taiming. "You can ask this pretty girl for assistance. I think she’s quite capable, and certainly loyal to you." At these words, Bing Yu’s face, already a soft rose color, flushed violently, turning scarlet from the roots of her ears to her hairline.

Seeing that Xiao Shu was determined to find Xiao Yu, Li Taiming sighed in resignation. He handed his sickle over to Bing Yu and sat down cross-legged on the ground. The moment he settled, he pulled Xiao Shu down with him until she was also seated on the floor.

"What performance is this now?" Xiao Shu sat beside him, glancing sideways at Li Taiming.

"I'm thinking about a question. If I really can't find him, what will you do?"

Xiao Shu turned back and offered Bing Yu a slight smile. "She will stick with you. When the Ming Chong come crawling out, it's not easy to escape without a capable helper at your side. But I don’t know how much time she has left to complete the task stipulated by the Life-and-Death Pact. Not many people like them are favored by the Spring of Immortality, are there? It would be a pity to lose her."

"You even know about the Spring of Immortality?" Li Taiming frowned, resting one hand against his chin as if pondering some profound mystery. "It seems we need to strike a deal."

"Mm," Xiao Shu gave him a sharp look. "I don't make deals easily, but you can start by telling me what you have in mind."

"I’ll help you find the person you're looking for, and then you and your bugs and your friend disappear from this city." Li Taiming’s eyes darted around, a movement that earned him a flicker of distaste from Xiao Shu.

"You help me find the person I’m looking for, and then I’ll unlock these cuffs. As for what happens after, we each face our own fate. I dislike being led around by the nose," Xiao Shu shrugged.

"What do you think?" Li Taiming asked, turning to Bing Yu with a deliberately provocative glance. Bing Yu had been standing behind the two men. Xiao Shu’s teasing moments earlier had already mortified her, and now Li Taiming was intentionally adopting this flirtatious posture; she wished desperately she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.