On Wednesday, as usual, Ji Yueni arrived at the entrance of the alley, waiting for Jiang Chi to give her the big, warm hug he always gave her.
But unexpectedly, this time he only wanted to shake hands.
Letting go of his hand, the girl noticed the white gloves Jiang Chi was wearing and asked with concern, “Your cleanliness obsession still isn’t gone?”
“It’s been gone for a long time.”
Jiang Chi said as he took off the white gloves and then pulled out a sealed plastic bag from his shoulder bag.
He put the gloves inside the bag and then placed it back into his bag.
Seeing this whole sequence, Ji Yueni’s already not-so-bright little mind was even more confused.
After Jiang Chi finished, his eyes met the girl’s bewildered yet curious gaze.
He smiled and shook his head without a word, then took the initiative to hold her small hand. Science would prove everything.
If Baoyue was Ji Qingchan—hahaha, it turned out they had met so early on. They were practically destined to be a pair. Jiang Chi swore deep down that he would love her well!!
If not, Jiang Chi would tip Baoyue a few more gifts, since his previous behavior seemed to have scared her a bit.
On the way, the two chatted again about novels and comics, overseas wars, and minor protection laws.
When the topic shifted to the increasingly serious gender divide issue in Huayuan Federation, “Miss Ji Qingchan” sighed.
“Actually, I quite want to be a boy.”
“Climbing trees, chasing, rolling in the sand—those boy games sound really fun.”
Climbing trees, chasing, rolling in the sand…
Jiang Chi thought for a moment. He had never really played those games. His childhood was mostly spent reading books and watching documentaries to broaden his knowledge and experience.
“By the way, Jiang Chi.” A little head leaned in close, the girl’s cheeks tinged with a faint blush. “I’ve always had a question. Do boys really feel comfortable behaving like that?”
Jiang Chi was momentarily stunned.
Then, a smirk tugged at his lips. He paused, leaned forward, and whispered close to the girl’s rosy ear, “If you really want to know, you can come to my house. My bed is big and soft…”
The girl’s face instantly flushed as red as pig’s liver.
Damn! I wanted to tease, but I ended up being teased!
“Bastard! Jiang Chi! How can you tease your girlfriend like that!” The girl angrily tried to punch him, but the boy nimbly dodged, almost falling over due to her force.
Seeing this, Jiang Chi caught her in his arms and took the chance to plant a kiss on her cheek.
His large hand even mischievously pinched her small butt.
“Ji Qingchan” was frozen instantly. Her face turned bright crimson, even her earlobes burning like ripe tomatoes.
Then, instinctively, she swung her tender little fists and lunged at him.
“Bastard! I’m going to beat you to death!”
“Don’t run! Let me beat you to death!”
“If you don’t run now, there won’t be a chance later.” Jiang Chi laughed heartily and ran forward.
Like children, they chased and played without stopping for a very long time.
*****
Wanqing City, a suburban area outside the city.
“Junior Jiang, this way please, this way please.” Zhang Junfang smiled brightly, enthusiastically guiding Jiang Chi toward a square-shaped building.
The house was a neat rectangle, built of black bricks. From a bird’s eye view, it looked like a tiny, inconspicuous black dot on the vast land.
The rectangular room had no windows. The only visible feature was an old iron door, firmly shut, as if hiding countless secrets and emanating an aura of mystery.
Zhang Junfang pulled a key from his pocket and skillfully unlocked the door. Instantly, a musty smell surged out.
The lighting inside was dim. Various complex instruments and bottles were arranged in orderly fashion.
“This used to be the lab where a high school friend of mine and I did experiments. Our original idea was to extract biological hormones from a creature called Gu.”
“Coincidentally, a wealthy patron liked the idea and invested millions with a single wave of the hand.”
“We used the money to renovate and upgrade the lab with better experimental equipment. Later, we purchased ginseng, cordyceps, and deer antlers, planning to make health supplements.”
“Unfortunately, that friend went abroad a few years ago. I heard he’s busy with some big project and hasn’t returned. So the lab has been empty.”
“Since you need it, Junior Jiang, I’ll rent it to you for 300 yuan per hour.”
As he spoke, Zhang Junfang quickly found the power switch and pulled it sharply, instantly brightening the room to daylight levels.
Jiang Chi didn’t rush in but first changed into a dust-proof suit and gloves. Then he transferred 1,000 yuan to Zhang Junfang, indicating he would rent it for three hours.
Carrying a clean transparent plastic bag containing a sealed desk lamp and another pair of white gloves, he slowly stepped inside.
The door quietly closed behind him.
Jiang Chi unsealed the bag, placed the lamp on the lab bench, and turned it on. A gentle light illuminated a small area immediately.
Wearing the dust-proof gloves, he took a small bottle of special powder from his toolkit and gently sprinkled it on the lamp switch.
The powder evenly coated the surface, causing any faint fingerprint lines to gradually emerge.
Holding his breath, Jiang Chi took a piece of transparent tape and carefully pressed it over the powdered area, ensuring the fingerprints were fully lifted onto the tape.
He then carefully peeled off the tape and placed it into a special bag.
Next, he repeated the exact same procedure with the white gloves he had shaken hands with “Ji Qingchan.”
After completing all this, it took more than an hour in total. Jiang Chi picked up the two fingerprint samples labeled “Baoyue” and “Ji Qingchan” and took a deep breath.
Now came the moment to trust in science.
*****
Inside an apartment building, Chen Mengrou, who had just enjoyed a refreshing nap, came out of the bedroom and happened to see Jiang Yushu sitting alone on the living room sofa, frowning deeply in thought.
“Yushu, why the long face?” Chen Mengrou picked up an apple from the coffee table, wiped it with a wet tissue, and handed it to Jiang Yushu.
“Take it easy. Our work in the food industry is just about making a bit more or a bit less money. Smile more; don’t pressure yourself too much. Boys who smile always have good luck.”
“Just like when we competed in the international math Olympiad in college, the last problem was pure luck.”
She poked his cheek with a finger and then kissed the corner of his mouth.
“It’s not about that.” Jiang Yushu shook his head and looked at his wife. “Mengrou, do you remember the unusual behavior Xiao Chi showed a week or two ago?”
“I remember, his grades slipped. But that’s normal—boys in love always get distracted. Don’t get mad over grades; Chi knows his limits.”
“It’s not that. During those two weeks, Xiao Chi called me and asked me to help check Ji Qingchan’s school registration and home address.”
Jiang Yushu paused, his expression strange. “But I couldn’t find anyone named Ji Qingchan in the registration system.”
“What?!”