The Lungmen night grows late, and the bustle of the food stall district feels far away. In a corner of a small izakaya, two cups of sake sit side by side. Having changed out of her mission attire, Chen murmurs as if gazing up at the sky, her cheeks faintly flushed.

She tilts her cup lightly and lets out a deep breath. Unlike her usual self, she seems to search for words like a lost child—a rare sight.