Adler stopped in his tracks when he heard thest name Min.


    "Min? Could they be from the Shepherd family of Riverdale?" he wondered, knowing how umon the name was.


    Adler quickly pushed his curiosity aside and extended his hand. "Mr. Min, nice to meet you."


    James gave a soft hum in response, barely touching Adler''s hand before pulling away, the intensity in his eyes easing slightly.


    Adler didn''t find James'' demeanor rude; in fact, it seemed oddly fitting. He quickly moved inside, even pulling out a chair for James to sit down.


    Mirabe, watching this unfold, wordlessly took a seat next to James.


    Adler stepped out to let the chef know they were ready for their meal, then returned to sit across from the pair. He couldn''t help but let his gaze drift between them.


    Together, they seemed to capture all the beauty in the world, truly a sight for sore eyes.


    Mirabe pulled a data analysis she had worked on that afternoon from her bag and handed it to Adler. "Take this home and review it."


    Adler shot her a nce before lowering his eyes to skim through the papers, surprise flickering in his gaze. "Is this a detailed analysis of radiation sources?"


    Mirabe nodded, took a sip of her coffee, and spoke without hesitation despite James'' presence. "Combine this with yourst blood analysis and do another nucleic acid test following my procedure. I need the final urate values."


    Since Mirabe had given him a blood sample for research, Adler had developed a keen interest in radiation sources. Naturally, he didn''t hesitate to agree. "But it might take some time to get those results."


    urate results required several rounds of testing to select the most stable data, which would undoubtedly take some time.


    "OK, if you have any questions, just ask me," Mirabe replied calmly, not in a rush.


    After all, the medicine she had given Owen''s teacher wouldst for a couple of weeks.


    "Got it." Adler carefully set the materials aside, treating them like treasure. James, who had been listening, raised an eyebrow and nced at Mirabe. She sure knew a lot.


    Soon, the waiter brought their food, and the conversation about radiation data came to a halt.


    When the meal was nearly over, James stepped out to take a call.


    With the imposing presence gone, Adler finally felt the air lighten. He put down his fork and looked at Mirabe, deciding to gossip for once. "He''s your boyfriend, right?"


    He sounded confident.


    Mirabe had just taken a sip of her coffee and nearly choked on Adler''s words. "Cough, cough..." She looked up, "Don''t talk nonsense."


    Adler just winked at her and chuckled, "I get it!"


    Mirabe: "??"


    What do you get?


    Soon, James returned, casting a nce at Mirabe.


    Adler, eager to dive into Mirabe''s data and not wanting to be a third wheel, quickly paid the bill and left.


    After a quick trip to the restroom, Mirabe found out Adler had already left and pursed her lips.


    Leaving the restaurant, she followed James to the parking lot. By then, it had grown dark, and the dimly lit streetmps barely illuminated the open-air parking.


    Walking one after the other, their elongated shadows blurred together. Lost in thought, Mirabe nearly bumped into James when he suddenly stopped.