Maybe Liu A'dou's disguise was just too good—he really looked like an innocent schoolgirl. That sweet, helpless face triggered Iselin's maternal instinct, and she couldn't help wanting to take care of her.
So Liu A'dou quickly made up a name, "Alice," to get by. Iselin was being way too friendly. If Liu A'dou hadn't had nerves of steel, he probably would've blown his cover already.
"Alice, you can't pick stuff like that! Sexy lingerie isn't right for you. You should go for something cute, like pink polka dots or white with little strawberries." She sounded just like a big sister helping her little sister shop for the first time, all warm and eager, which made Liu A'dou incredibly awkward.
He was only buying women's clothes for disguises, not because he wore them every day. And honestly, he'd never seen Iselin this enthusiastic before. Was she into girls?
"Let me tell you a secret, I'm wearing this set right now." Iselin held up a black lace set with delicate embroidery.
"…." Liu A'dou couldn't help imagining it. With Iselin's stunning face and killer body, it was seriously tempting.
"I highly recommend this one for you." She handed him a pink set with tiny white flowers. "Alice, try this on. I bet it'll fit perfectly."
Why was she, who clearly wore large sizes, handing him a small one? Was she underestimating his disguise? Liu A'dou was focusing on the wrong thing.
But if this went on, he'd definitely get exposed. The chest was fake, after all—no way he could strip down and actually try stuff on. Liu A'dou started to panic and figured it was best to make a run for it. He rushed to the counter with the clothes he'd already picked. "I'll take these." He handed over his credit card, eyes flicking over to Iselin. She was almost done too, and who knew what she'd want from him next. "Please hurry."
The cashier was already moving fast. Totaled up, Liu A'dou didn't even listen, just punched in his PIN, paid, and grabbed his bags, eager to leave.
"Sir, your receipt!" the cashier called, but Liu A'dou had already vanished.
"I'll take it, I'll give it to her," Iselin said.
"You know where she lives?"
Iselin shook her head and smiled, totally confident. She'd just caught a glimpse of a driver's license in Alice's wallet—it belonged to her coworker, Liu A'dou. She immediately assumed Alice was Liu A'dou's girlfriend.
Liu A'dou had no idea that in his panic, Iselin had caught a clue. He'd already slipped back into the alley, switched back to his regular clothes, and rushed home carrying all his shopping bags. He never expected to bump into Iselin, let alone that she'd be so warm to a complete stranger—definitely had a thing for girls. Women were impossible to figure out.
But now that he was home, things were fine. It was about time to head out for food—he had to be at the TV station by four. Gotham was a huge city, with traffic jams everywhere, so it was better to leave early.
Chinatown had lots of Chinese restaurants, but most weren't authentic. Liu A'dou's regular spot was called Chun Xiang Lou, which sounded like some old-school brothel, but it was a real Chinese restaurant. The owner, Hu Jiujin, had a nickname and changed it to "Martin Hu" when he went abroad. People who didn't know him well thought his last name was Ma.
Hu Jiujin had been abroad for forty years. He left when he was just eighteen, and now he was in his fifties, with a daughter already in college. His wife had passed away a few years ago, so now he just hung around the shop with a few employees.
Chun Xiang Lou had two floors, mostly serving Sichuan food. It was one of the few authentic Chinese places in Chinatown, and lots of expats came there to get a taste of home.
"Give me some twice-cooked pork and tomato egg soup. And two big bowls of rice."
"Got it, Your Majesty. Coming right up!" The young student A'yong already knew Liu A'dou well. Ever since he found out Liu A'dou shared a name with Liu Bei's son, he'd been cracking jokes like this.
Liu A'dou still didn't get why his dad named him after the famously useless "扶不起的阿斗(weak and inept person)" Did he want him to be hopeless too? "You wanna lose your tip or what?"
"Not at all, not at all. Coming right up—twice-cooked pork, tomato and egg soup, and two bowls of rice." A'yong's jokes usually ended with a tip. His family was middle class, and since he was studying and working abroad, tips were a decent source of income.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do—people who go abroad eventually get used to tipping culture.
Chun Xiang Lou had five waitstaff, two chefs, and two utility workers. Most of them were foreigners. It was one of the most well-known restaurants in Chinatown.
It was dinner time, and plenty of blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners were eating Chinese food with forks and knives. Liu A'dou had long stopped finding it strange.
The restaurant TV was playing the latest news about the museum theft. Channel 1 had really pulled out all the stops—they even got an interview with Captain Gordon. But Gordon only briefly mentioned that the thief called himself "Kaitou Kid," which Channel 3 had already covered. After being rebroadcast by the major networks, the story had spread all over the city.
"Captain Gordon, are you confident about catching Kaitou Kid? Could he become a criminal like the Joker? Will Batman help with the investigation?" came the voice of a Channel 1 reporter from the screen.
Liu A'dou perked up—he was just as curious about the answers.
"Every criminal eventually faces justice. If Kaitou Kid is watching this, I urge him to surrender now and try to earn a lighter sentence from the judge." Gordon clearly had experience with media interviews—he said only what was necessary, nothing more. And it was way too early for Kaitou Kid to be compared to the Joker. As for Batman—well, he wasn't exactly part of the police force. Who knew what he was doing right now?
No real info was shared. Liu A'dou wondered if sending the Apollo gem back would make them think he'd seen this news and decided to turn over a new leaf.
At Channel 3, everyone was already in place, just killing time. The fact that this station hadn't gone bankrupt yet was a miracle. Aside from last night's news, Liu A'dou had never seen anything big come through. Most days, he either napped or snuck out to steal things. For a thief, it was a very chill day job.
"Liu."
As soon as Liu A'dou walked in, he heard Iselin call his name. "Hey." His face stayed calm, but inside he was wondering if she'd recognized him in his disguise. Still, he trusted his disguise skills, so he stayed cool.
"You sure can keep a secret, huh?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. What do you mean?" No way… had he really been found out?
"Don't play dumb. I saw it with my own eyes today."
What?! Did she see him buying women's underwear? Did she think he was a pervert? Liu A'dou could swear he wasn't—but it'd be hard to explain. "Uh… saw what exactly?" He wouldn't admit anything unless there was no other choice.
"Your girlfriend, Alice. She's a student, right? I didn't expect a low-key cameraman like you to have such a cute girlfriend." Iselin said with exaggerated surprise.
Whew. Relief washed over him. So it was just a misunderstanding. But, "How do you know I know Alice?"
"I saw your driver's license in her wallet."
Right… Liu A'dou had been careless. In his rush to pay, he'd let his personal info show. Lesson learned.
"You've got it wrong. Alice isn't my girlfriend. She's my distant cousin. Half British. She came from the UK to visit, but she flew back this afternoon." A lie—but the best way out.
"No way. You let a girl visiting Gotham from overseas go shopping alone? That's so heartless. Not to mention how dangerous it is here."
"C'mon, I was off-duty during the day because of the night shift. Alice just took my wallet and snuck out while I was asleep. That's why I sent her back—this place is too dangerous. Where did you two run into each other?" Still playing dumb. Had to keep the story straight.
Of course, Iselin couldn't admit it had happened in a lingerie shop. She wasn't that open with her male coworkers. "Too bad she left. I actually got along really well with Alice."
More like you did all the talking, Liu A'dou grumbled silently. But at least he'd made it through another close call. He reminded himself—he'd have to be even more careful next time.