The red light on Imoto’s body grew even more intense, casting the dining table as if bathed in a mist of blood.

Yet, the more glaring this eerie red light, the warmer the atmosphere at the table became.

Feng Yuhuai sipped the soup delicately, occasionally lifting her watery eyes, responding to her father’s questions in a sickly sweet voice.

Even the son, who recently had grown rebellious, had his eyes behind the glasses returning to their usual obedient and harmless look.

Feng Ju’s furrowed brows gradually eased.

The daughter’s soft, tender voice melted into the air like honey, and the son’s re-domesticated posture was a relief to his heart.

The steamy warmth over the dining table blurred each other’s outlines and diluted the unease haunting Feng Ju’s heart.

Feng Ju picked a piece of synthetic meat with his chopsticks and placed it in his daughter’s bowl, full of gratification and pride:

"Yuhuai, you performed quite well at the Martial Arts competition this time."

Feng Yuhuai chewed the piece of meat gently, a sweet smile spreading across her lips: "It’s all because Dad taught me well."

As she spoke, Feng Yuhuai swallowed the meat, a faint regret and sorrow appearing on her face:

"It’s just a pity the competition couldn’t continue till the end..."

Feng Ju sighed, frowning: "Who would have thought that man-eating monsters would crawl out of the sewers, but your performance on stage, the special envoy took note of it..."

He suddenly lowered his voice, as if announcing a significant secret:

"If everything goes smoothly, you’ll soon be able to go to the Upper City."

Wang Xiuli’s chopsticks clattered onto the table as she hurriedly picked them up, her eyes shimmering with tears of joy and reluctance.

Feng Yuhuai suddenly lifted her head, her pupils slightly dilated, her face showing excitement and eagerness:

"Really? I...I can really go to the Upper City?"

Feng Ju raised his dark mechanical arm, gently stroking his daughter’s hair, undoubtedly saying:

"Eight or nine out of ten, it’s likely, as long as we can catch the Mask, it’ll happen."

Feng Yuhuai’s heart tightened, and with a worried look, she asked: "Such a monster... wouldn’t it be too dangerous?"

Feng Mu, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: "Yuhuai, you need to trust Dad."

He raised his water glass, his eyes behind the lenses shining with genuine light:

"Since Dad says so, he must be confident, and brother, I congratulate you in advance, you’re indeed the pride and hope of our entire family."

The clear water slightly swayed in the cup, reflecting Feng Mu’s sincere smiling face.

Feng Ju’s gaze swept over Feng Mu with a hint of surprise, pondering inwardly:

"Today this rebellious son looks a lot more pleasing to the eye, even his words sound much more agreeable.

Could it be that because his sister is about to go to the Upper City, he finally realized the gap between himself and Yuhuai?"

Then, Feng Ju slowly turned his head, meeting his daughter’s worried gaze.

In that instant, a warm current quietly spread in his heart.

He lifted his mouth in a comforting smile and softly said:

"Don’t worry too much, the envoy will thoroughly oversee the operation.

And the final capture work will be handed to more professional and powerful departments. The Patrol Office’s task is only to track down the Mask, there won’t be much danger."

Hearing this, Feng Yuhuai’s tightly knit brows slightly relaxed, yet there remained traces of tension in her expression, and she hurriedly asked:

"Then Dad, do you have any clues on the Mask?"

Feng Ju nodded slightly, his eyes squinting, exuding a calm confidence, and said slowly:

"Yes, the Patrol Office now has about seven or eight of the Mask’s circumstances figured out."

As he spoke, Feng Ju’s gaze swept across the Filial Daughter and Rebellious Son’s faces, seemingly casually asking:

"By the way, did you two ever know a student named Zheng Hang at school?"

Feng Mu, with an expression unchanged, picked some vegetables with his chopsticks, not even lifting his eyelids: "No, I don’t."

He slowly chewed, then as if realizing, put down his chopsticks, a hint of perfectly timed puzzlement flashing behind the lenses:

"This person... has something to do with the Mask?"

Feng Yuhuai slightly furrowed her delicate brows, falling into contemplation, moments later she looked up and answered:

"Dad, I don’t think I’ve ever heard this name, is he a student at our school? Do you have a photo of him?"

Even though Feng Ju, as the captain of the Patrol Office, had seen countless people and judged numerous criminals.

At this moment, staring at his son and daughter’s faces, he couldn’t capture even a hint of flaw or guilty conscience from their expressions.

Their reactions were exceedingly natural and authentic, leaving not a trace of acting.

Feng Ju didn’t take out a photo but said calmly:

"Zheng Hang isn’t merely associated with the Mask, in fact, he is the Mask himself. Moreover, he previously was a student at the 47 Academy."

These words made Feng Mu abruptly lift his head, his eyes widening in shock, looking directly at Feng Ju;

Feng Yuhuai’s mouth also opened wide, forming a standard "O" shape, unable to suppress an exclamation.

"I was previously at the same school as such a monster?"

"My brother was previously at the same school as such a monster?"

Feng Mu’s face darkened, and Feng Yuhuai’s face turned slightly pale, the siblings silently exchanged a glance.

At this moment, Wang Xiuli’s chopsticks clattered onto the table, her heart pounding violently as if it might break through her chest.

She was the last one at the dinner table who was afraid:

"How come the schools nowadays are full of such monsters, Yuhuai’s school is like this, Feng Mu’s school is also like this, how can one comfortably keep studying like this?"

Feng Yuhuai raised her hand, gently covering her chest, suppressing the panic in her heart, looked at her mother, and with effort squeezed out a smile, softly saying:

"Mom, don’t worry. I will soon go to the Upper City, the schools there surely won’t have monsters."

Feng Mu then took two deep breaths, slightly calming his emotions, and then looked at his mother, warmly comforting her:

"Mom, you forget, I’ve graduated, never having to go to such a dangerous place as school again."

Hearing her children’s reassurances, Wang Xiuli’s heart calmed a bit.

She frowned deeply, full of worry, looked at her husband, and said:

"The Patrol Office must catch all these monsters, they are too dangerous. How come there are always such monsters around our Feng Mu and Yuhuai, it’s scary just thinking about it."

She rambled on collecting the dishes, the sound of porcelain clinking especially clear in the quiet dining room.

Until holding the dishes, she walked into the kitchen, and even then, her slightly messy footsteps carried a trace of unease.

Once the kitchen door gently closed, Feng Ju slowly looked at Feng Mu, speaking meaningfully:

"Speaking of which, it’s quite a coincidence, Feng Mu, the day you withdrew from school, should have been March 18th, and that day, just happens to be the day Zheng Hang turned into the Mask."

.....