September 16th, Monday.
The three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday had passed, just covering the most sensitive days before Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao's nstrual periods.
After over two months, Jiang Yan felt her body had completely adapted to this lifestyle rhythm, so she didn't apply for the special leave available to Hyacinth won.
These days of constantly taking big and little golden pills made Jiang Yan feel like a white-feathered broiler chicken in a poultry farm, having a sense of being "plump and robust" ready to leave the cage for the table in a short ti.
On the first day back to work, Zhao Peng intercepted Jiang Yan with a surprised expression just as she walked out of the female employees' changing room.
Today, Jiang Yan had chosen for the second ti the elegant black long dress outfit that Wan Yue had once specifically selected.
"Xiao Yan, how do you feel physically? Are there any other abnormalities?"
Zhao Peng looked at the sowhat confused Jiang Yan with a squinting smile, lowering his voice. Zhou Ping, who had just finished changing clothes and erged from the changing room, also took the opportunity to lean over with a curious expression.
"Still... still okay I guess... so body temperature elevation."
Abnormalities? Does having my period today and swollen breasts count?
Jiang Yan blushed, thinking the other party was concerned about that aspect of things, feeling it didn't quite match Zhao Peng's usual personality.
Zhao Peng probably also felt his expression might be sowhat misleading, quickly clearing his throat as his expression returned to seriousness. "Your pheromone control is sowhat abnormal. If I'm not mistaken, you're about to advance as well."
"Ah! Xiao Yan is close too! That's so amazing! No wonder I felt Xiao Yan was different today! Sigh, I don't know how many more years my current Mid-tier Attendant rank will be stuck..."
Zhou Ping intimately pressed against Jiang Yan's side, almost squeezing Jiang Yan's arm into her chest, making Jiang Yan blush and feel flustered again.
"You two are quite strange, both showing advancent signs these past few days..."
Zhao Peng also blushed slightly, though his mood was obviously very good. "Fortunately, these are just precursor signs. Unlike Jiang Yao's last ti, it's estimated to take about two more days. After work today, go ho and pack so things. Don't go ho after work tomorrow and stay here at the club. I'll have Xiao Dong and the others prepare in advance."
"Must one advance when the ti cos?"
Jiang Yan felt that so colleagues at the club had been fewer these days, not knowing if they had gone out with Wan Yue on business. If she went into advancent hibernation, it would occupy considerable manpower to guard her, very likely affecting the club's daily operations.
"Theoretically, you can temporarily suppress it, but you're not Sister Wan and haven't reached that level of self-control. Prolonged suppression would actually harm your body and might affect future continued growth."
Zhao Peng walked toward the room where Jiang Yao had previously hibernated, while turning back to point at his own body. "Suppressing or delaying advancent, I might be able to manage with effort, but you and Jiang Yao are growing too fast, with other aspects of training severely lagging behind, so it's best not to think about such things."
"Sister Wan is currently suppressing her own advancent!? She's... Viscount? Earl?"
Jiang Yan beca even more curious, completely unexpected that Wan Yue had been at the critical point of advancent hibernation all along.
"Sister Wan is currently at Upper-tier Baron peak, or rather, a half-step Viscount sowhat stronger than that. If it weren't for Hyacinth still being too weak, Sister Wan should have entered advancent hibernation years ago, but hibernation would occupy at least two to three years of her ti...
"So, Xiao Yan, Hyacinth's hope rests on you all. Sister Wan is too tired. As for , I'll protect you as much as I can!"
Zhao Peng's eyes began to slightly redden as he sighed and pushed open the door, calling Zhou Ping and others to begin arranging things.
Jiang Yan's whole body trembled as Wan Yue's unfathomably chaotic-like aura appeared in her mind. She even felt that Wan Yue's true strength was probably not as simple as the literal aning of half-step Viscount.
The employee rest room before them had returned to its original state. In at most two days, it would again beco the setup from when Jiang Yao hibernated, except the person lying on the bed would be Jiang Yan.
"What? My sister is also going into advancent hibernation?"
In the female employees' changing room, Xiao Ling was braiding several beautiful plaits for Jiang Yao to match her current traditional Chinese outfit. Including the hairstyling work, the entire process was extrely ti-consuming.
In the slow-paced, leisurely Golden River Club, passing ti really wasn't an easy matter. So when it didn't interfere with work, fussing with each other's styling in the changing room had beco a nice special leisure entertainnt activity for the Hyacinth won.
Before them, the hairstyle made from Jiang Yao's light golden long hair looked so brilliant and eye-catching no matter how you looked at it, making Xiao Ling quite envious.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't get up! The hair isn't finished yet!"
Xiao Ling quickly pressed down Jiang Yao who was about to stand up, grabbing another hairpin to secure Jiang Yao's braided hairstyle. "What are you rushing for? Brother Zhao Peng said it will be at least one or two more days!
"That's fantastic! Now we should have eight Knights, right!"
Looking at the gradually taking shape classical, dignified, and playfully cute little beauty in the mirror opposite, Jiang Yao felt inexplicably smug.
Hehe, first ti trying traditional Chinese styling. This should blind Zhong Jing's titanium alloy dog eyes again... Ptui, why am I thinking about him!
Jiang Yao inexplicably thought of those words Zhong Jing had nagged in her ear during hibernation. She suddenly suspected whether she had truly accepted his views subconsciously and was progressing along his aesthetic preferences.
Turning her head slightly, the mirror reflected the figures of several other Hyacinth won changing clothes.
Jiang Yao felt she probably wasn't as special as Zhong Jing claid. If all the won here spent considerable ti fussing in the changing room, which one wouldn't be devastatingly beautiful?
"By the way, Xiao Yao, you and Xiao Yan don't usually wear makeup? That's a bit of a pity..."
Xiao Ling completed the final step, stepped back a few paces with a satisfied smile, then thought of sothing and quickly pressed her head against Jiang Yao's shoulder, cheek to cheek, both staring at the mirror together.
"Sister Wan said when I wear makeup it's like I'm not wearing any, and I happen to lack patience. Leaving it as is quite convenient, saving ti in the morning and evening."
Jiang Yao felt even more pleased with herself. After all, this natural appearance, even placed among a bunch of beauties in the club, was still top-tier.
"True, you and Xiao Yan are quite pretty even without makeup, but still use so light lipstick. You know, it's autumn now, and it’s quite dry.
“Speaking of it…,” Xiao Ling pulled open the dressing table drawer and began searching for things.
l this mont, Zhou Ping walked in, showing a mysterious smile to the won present.
"Listen, there’s a really cool and handso guy accompanying Zhong Jing. They were stopped outside the club entrance by Brother Zhao Peng and they're standing there dumbfounded!"
My goodness, did ng Huai really co!?
Jiang Yao was startled and almost jumped up. Now it was perfect—the lipstick directly drew a long red mark beside her mouth corner.
The autumn afternoon sunlight still carried sumr heat. ng Huai and Zhong Jing both wore formal attire, standing in front of Golden River Club's entrance.
"Sorry, Mr. ng. This club operates on a mber invitation system. Without a formal invitation from another mber, I'm afraid entry for experience isn't possible. Please understand."
Zhao Peng wore a polite smile, skillfully blocking in front of ng Huai.
ng Huai nodded slightly without saying anything, turning to look at his younger brother.
Zhong Jing touched his nose, sowhat awkwardly avoiding his elder brother's gaze, then smiled at Zhao Peng. "Brother Zhao, I'm a mber. I'll use my invitation quota to apply for a mber experience."
Zhao Peng neither agreed nor refused, just smiled while looking at the calm and indifferent ng Huai, waiting for the other party's response.
In his view, this brother of Zhong Jing's seed to dislike having any involvent with his younger brother beside him, not to ntion ng Huai's true identity, which Wan Yue had already hinted at.
The atmosphere was sowhat at a standstill when the main door quietly opened a crack, revealing half of Jiang Yao's pretty face before the door quickly closed again. This scene was caught by both ng Huai and Zhong Jing.
"Um... may I ask if Jiang Yan is inside?"
ng Huai hesitated briefly before showing an inquiring look toward Zhao Peng.
"Miss Jiang Yan is currently checking the cleanliness of all private rooms. Since Mr. Zhong is acting as the new mber's inviter, shall Mr. ng co in and sit? Oh, by the way, Jiang Yan will go out of town tomorrow for professional training and probably won't return for a month."
Zhao Peng smiled again, stepped aside, and made an inviting gesture.
"No need, thank you."
After speaking, ng Huai turned and walked toward the zebra crossing on the main street, apparently planning to leave.
Zhong Jing felt sowhat strange and quickly caught up with a few steps.
"Zhong Jing, stop wasting your life. While you're young, do more serious work..."
Crossing the street to a small landscaped garden on the opposite side, ng Huai found a bench to sit on. Looking composed, his gaze still fixed on Golden River Club's entrance across the street, but his words were directed at Zhong Jing.
"Heh, you're no different from the old man... At least my firm's annual net inco is over a million, far exceeding the height most people in society strive for their entire lives. How can you say I'm wasting my life?
"I may not be able to do great things, but I'm not the prodigal son you all think I am."
Zhong Jing sat beside his elder brother, took out cigarettes, lit one, and puffed smoke.
"Your starting point is higher than others. You could do better."
ng Huai thought for a mont and placed his hand on Zhong Jing's shoulder. This was probably a rare heart-to-heart mont in the brothers' lifelong interactions.
"How much better do I need to be? When many people can't walk anymore, or when others can't catch up, they like to say such things. Regardless of which situation, it's using one's own thoughts to asure others' lives. Is that interesting?"
Zhong Jing exhaled smoke, stood up with a mocking expression, and walked away.
This was the true normal state between the two brothers—they could never find common ground in conversation.
During the afternoon business hours, Jiang Yao, due to a major upgrade in personal image novelty, was obviously much more dedicated, even playing poker with several custors, causing a pursuit among urban male elites and feeling elated for several hours.
Jiang Yan, anwhile, occasionally observed through the one-way transparent glass exterior wall a certain young man sitting listlessly on a bench across the street, her expression slightly cold.
So small whispers began spreading within Golden River Club. Several Hyacinth won, when bored, would secretly point at the distant sitting young man from behind the glass wall, frequently glancing toward Jiang Yan's direction with aningful looks.
Unknowingly, ti reached midnight. The last club custor had long since left, and Jiang Yan and others had reached closing ti.
The main door successively saw over ten won exit, but Jiang Yan's figure was never seen.
Looking at his watch, ng Huai stood up to pace back and forth a few steps, changed positions to sit down, then continued staring at Golden River Club's entrance, his body motionless like a clock.
Inside Golden River Club, the golden light curtains had long since dimd. Jiang Yan stood by a section of glass wall in the second-floor corridor, expressionlessly watching the young man under the distant streetlight, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
"Sister, ti to go ho. There's so much stuff to pack."
Jiang Yao, already changed into her clothes, called from the first-floor lobby.
"Brother Zhao Peng, I'll leave first. I'll co early tomorrow morning..."
After thinking, Jiang Yan still sighed, having no mood to change clothes in the dressing room. Instead, she directly put a white small jacket over her black long dress and turned toward the staircase.
Generally, Golden River Club didn't require everyone to change back into their own clothes before leaving work. If soone really liked a particular dress, they could directly pay to take it ho.
Having noticed ng Huai's strange vigil outside the club multiple tis during the day, watching Jiang Yan's departing figure, Zhao Peng could only smile bitterly and turn his head.
Under the streetlight, the black-haired girl in a black dress with white jacket slowly crossed the zebra crossing, finally standing not far from the young man by the green belt. Jiang Yao, anwhile, watched curiously from a distance, hiding behind a building corner on the other side of the street.
Rembering yesterday morning's scene in ng Huai's hospital room when they encountered Embroidered Uniform Squad leader Han Xiao, Han Xiao's resentful and suppressed expression made Jiang Yan almost imdiately understand what had happened.
ng Huai's deliberate coldness toward the other party while easily communicating with herself made Jiang Yan feel she had beco an unthinkable role in ng Huai's heart, rather than a simple shield.
Now, ng Huai had followed through on his words, maintaining vigil outside Golden River Club for an entire day. Jiang Yan could hardly find words to describe her current feelings.
"ng Huai, we just t by chance. Is there so misunderstanding between us?"
Quietly looking at that angular, heroic face in the dim light, Jiang Yan's tone was sowhat helpless.
"You're off work... Are you really going out of town for training?"
ng Huai didn't stand up, just turned his head to look at Jiang Yan. His face showed no particular emotion, and he didn't care at all about sitting from noon until late midnight.
"Mm, I need to go ho and pack luggage in a bit. I'll depart early tomorrow morning."
Jiang Yan hesitated briefly before slowly sitting on another bench not far from ng Huai.
The two people sat strangely on separate benches, occasionally exchanging glances.
"I also have to report to Army General Hospital tomorrow. It's a special task given by superior leaders to cooperate with clinical observation, probably lasting one or two months. I can't refuse."
ng Huai stood up, straightening his suit, his expression returning to his habitual coldness. "Today was just to let you know. I'm leaving."
"Wait, ng Huai, you haven't answered my earlier question!"
Jiang Yan also stood up, feeling a bit cold, a bit panicked, and a bit fearful.
"There's no misunderstanding. We just t very coincidentally, telling so normal stories, discussing so normal topics."
ng Huai had his back turned, not looking back.
"Then... let's not et anymore in the future, okay?"
"Okay!"
ng Huai strode away, quickly disappearing at the end of the moonlit street.
Jiang Yan lowered her head slightly. Although the other party's answer made her feel sowhat relieved, for so unknown reason, a trace of sadness appeared in her heart, along with a trace of regret.
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