Quynh sat upright with a harrowing scowl on his face. His narrowed eyes flitted between his companions, the glance especially brief when it landed on Vanna, then turned back to glaring at his empty plate.
"If we follow this lead, I am positive that we might be able to pull the rug out from under him, this time," the dragon explained. "He has overextended himself, and I think the tracks he's left behind might lead us directly to him – and I'll finally be able to put him in his place after all of these years."
"As soon as we return home later this afternoon, I will have the substance tested immediately," Shizuka sipped her tea and cast a sidelong glance at Liu Bai, "By professionals. In a lab."
Liu Bai's ears twitched, but he said nothing. Vanna had to bite back a snicker at the reaction; it was obvious that he was feeling embarrassed by the events, but he was trying so hard not to show it. Although he maintained his usual, emotionless expression – there was the slightest furrow in his brow that gave it away.
"I talked to a handful of the locals," Quynh shared, "and they said that on the streets the drug is referred to as 'monarch'. It has a somewhat orange tint in the light that gives it away, and it's incredibly deadly when misused. Zuma is hardly ever spotted here, either – so it's obvious that she was sent here to keep an eye on us."
"Monarch is a strange name," Vanna noted. "I wonder why it's called that?"
Quynh shrugged, and Shizuka seemed disinterested. The latter responded, "It doesn't really matter, so it's not relevant to us at the moment."
Vanna just nodded her head and stared into the bottom of her cup with a tired, bored frown. She felt like a child being left out of an adult conversation; at that point, she thought she may as well get her own table. Again, despite the fact her previous incarnations were evidently murdered by this Azure Dragon – she had no vendetta against him. She was scared, but she didn't know how necessary it was to seek him out and fight him the way Quynh wanted to.
"I'm going to sit outside," Vanna announced, preparing to stand from the table – when her wrist was grabbed roughly.
Quynh didn't bother looking up at her, "No. Sit."
A shiver ran from her head all the way down to her toes at the sound of his icy tone. Still, despite her fear, she asked, "Why?"
"It's dangerous."
Vanna pulled her wrist out of his grip and looked at him pleadingly, "I will just be sitting outside. There's a bench, and you can watch me through the window. Surely it isn't so dangerous that I can't get fresh air by myself for a moment? I'm not able to contribute to this conversation, anyway."
"You can't be alone!" Quynh answered with a tone of finality, his voice raising slightly – which garnered the attention of the few cultivators that remained in the restaurant. "Even for a moment, you can't be left al-"
"I'll go with her," Liu Bai stood from his seat and moved to stand in front of Vanna. "That will appease you, will it not?"
Quynh only seemed to get more irritated. "How am I supposed to trust you after-"
"All of the 'monarch' as you called it, is out of my system; and aside from you, I am the most capable protector." Liu Bai interrupted in a low, hushed voice, and stared down his nose at the dragon with sharp white eyes. "I understand your concern more than anyone, Quynh. However, it is unhealthy for both you and Vanna for you to behave this way.
"After all of this time, have you learned nothing? Birds in captivity live longer lives – but if they escape, or are freed, they do not know how to fly or exist on their own – and succumb to an end they didn't deserve. How much of your well-intended 'protection' is actually protection, master?"
Liu Bai didn't wait for Quynh to respond before turning his back on him and motioning to Vanna for her to follow him outside. She did as told, but couldn't help casting a curious glance back at the table where Shizuka and Quynh sat. The Crimson Dragon's expression was so grim and furious, you would have assumed someone had just stabbed him in the stomach.
The White Tiger waited for her to open the door and hold it for him before exiting, which Vanna thought was complete juxtaposition to his chivalrous act back inside – but she didn't say anything. She was just grateful that he had advocated for her. It was clear to Vanna, too, that Quynh was worried for her safety and didn't want anything to happen to her… but when he looked at her, it still felt as though he were looking through her and at someone else.
"Come, let us sit across the street," Liu Bai suggested, leading the way to another metal bench that sat adjacent to the restaurant. Vanna nodded and gingerly took a seat beside him.
The phoenix took in a deep breath of fresh air and looked up at the sky, that was spotted with the occasional gray cloud that had been blown in from the ocean. Liu Bai closed his eyes, the same way he always did, with his hands folded in his lap, hidden beneath the long sleeves of his robes.
"You called me by my name back there," Vanna said after a while, a faint smile tracing her lips.
Liu Bai opened his eyes to look at her with an indecipherable stare. "Did I?"
"Uh-huh," Vanna nodded.
"Mnh," he hummed. "I see."
"Thank you for your help," she added, despite his lack of conversational etiquette. "I'm so used to being independent that suddenly being forced to be under watch constantly is a bit… jarring."
"I would imagine so." Liu Bai exhaled through his mouth with a slight frown. "It was nothing, so there is no need to be grateful. In fact, I primarily did it for his sake and not yours."
Vanna shook her head. "It doesn't matter why, you still helped me out… but, if you don't mind my asking, how exactly was it in his interest more than mine?"
"It is not my story to tell," the tiger relented with a somber look overtaking his pointed, feline-like features, "but I will tell you that he is a very broken man. This brokenness, however tragic it may be, is very dangerous. He has lost a lot – and many times, the loss was caused by his own hand. I do not wish to see my friend, and the beloved friend of my previous incarnations, suffer so… but it is what the fates have decided, so I cannot intervene. I can only do my best to help him achieve his own enlightenment, on the path that he is paving for himself."
The phoenix sat and listened to each of his words with a dull ache in her chest. Once he was done, she sat for a moment as it sunk in, then spoke up again, "You are a lot kinder than you act, Liu Bai. I knew you were a good man beneath your sour personality, but I had no idea so much wisdom and love was in your heart."
"You know not what lies in my heart." Yet, despite his swift shut down of her observation, there was a very, very faint pink tint on his cheeks. "Go on, enjoy the outdoors – in silence. Otherwise, I brought you out here for naught."
Vanna obliged, but not without the shadow of a grin tugging at her lips. She had seen a side of the tiger that she didn't expect – and it was a very heart-warming surprise.