December 21st, Lunar Calendar (January 21st).
It was the second day after Yan and Zhu Jue visited the Xie family's courtyard by Shichahai.
Waking up in the morning, Yan drowsily checked the multiple ssages on her WeChat.
In the "Dorm 320" group chat, there were ssages from late last night—she had gone to bed early and missed them.
[Yi Zhi]: The fruits have been shipped~ Keep an eye out for delivery. Report any damages to . @everyone
Then there was a private ssage from Ding Ling.
[Ding Ling]: The matter is resolved. I’ll need to borrow the two bells for a few more days—the Ascension Assembly has another use for them.
Relieved, Yan replied with a cute "OK" sticker.
[Yan]: Got it. You can keep them there—we wouldn’t know how to use them anyway.
She had initially planned to type, "They’re yours to begin with," but knowing Ding Ling’s stubbornness, she figured it’d lead to unnecessary back-and-forth. So she simply said they could stay with Ding Ling, emphasizing that neither she nor Zhu Jue had any idea how the bells worked or any intention of using them.
Next was a ssage from Chu Bingbing.
[Chu Bingbing]: @-@ Yan, I’m coming to Ning City to play, hehe!
Yan’s eyebrows shot up.
Chu Bingbing was coming too?
Was it just for fun, or was it related to the cultural relic donation from before?
Yan wasn’t sure, but she had a feeling Bingbing’s shopping sprees were about to sweep from Bin City to Ning City.
Not that she needed to worry about Bingbing’s lodging—the girl had visited Ning City during last year’s National Day holiday and might very well be planning to buy property this ti.
Yan ntally reviewed Bingbing’s track record: aside from that secret auction and her cash-splashing at comic conventions, there really hadn’t been any drama.
A wave of reassurance washed over her. Safe! Stable! Reliable gold-star certification!
Besides, Chu Bingbing’s routine was simple: shop, distribute, shop again, distribute again.
As soone who happily benefited from the leftovers, Yan had zero reason not to welco her lavish, generous friend.
She replied enthusiastically, asking when Bingbing would arrive.
Switching back to her main chat list, she saw a ssage from Lan Ruo, who had finally reclaid her own account.
[Lan Ruo]: Miss Yan, would you and Mr. Zhu have ti to et today? We’re returning to Bin City tonight and would like to thank you both in person.
This ti, Lan Ruo was using her real WeChat—the one they’d exchanged yesterday at the Xie family courtyard.
Yan hesitated. Instead of replying imdiately, she tapped Zhu Jue’s chat with a "nudge."
Zhu Jue, already awake, responded instantly.
Not wanting to discuss it over text, Yan threw on her pajamas, washed her face, and padded across the hallway in her slippers, phone in hand.
For the first three days after their return, the two had been showered with their parents’ doting.
By the fourth day, the lavish breakfasts vanished, and the four younger mbers of the household were back to fending for themselves.
With their parents out and Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao yet to arrive, Yan flopped onto the small sofa in Zhu Jue’s room.
"What’s there to thank us for? Didn’t they already hire Ding Ling?"
"But if we don’t go, they might just show up at the compound to thank us in person."
Yan sighed.
Given their history of helpfulness, this wasn’t an empty concern. Back in their school days, word spread fast—through the compound, their schools, even Ning University.
Now, with social dia, the last thing they wanted was to beco the talk of the neighborhood.
Total social suicide.
"Or they might contact our parents through other channels. Like donating a lab or sothing," Zhu Jue mused.
"Absolutely not!" Yan bolted upright.
She reached out, and Zhu Jue pulled her into his arms, settling her beside him against the headboard, their knees drawn up.
"Fine, one more eting. Better to clear the air," Yan said, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Mm," Zhu Jue agreed.
"One eting today, and they’ll be gone by evening. Won’t take much ti," Yan added, idly playing with his fingers.
"Once they’re back in Bin City, they’ll have their hands full adjusting. They won’t return to Ning City anyti soon, and we’ve got over a month before school starts."
Yan’s logic was airtight. Quick and decisive—nip it in the bud before it beca a ticking ti bomb.
Lan Ruo, even when posing as Xie Zhen, had always been polite and asured.
But Xie Zhen? Unpredictable.
Yan suspected that if they declined, he might reach out to their families or even the university.
With that in mind, she quickly replied to Lan Ruo, locking in the eting.
The location: an exclusive, mbers-only private kitchen in Ning City—a place off-limits to the public.
Coincidentally, this secret club was also located within a traditional siheyuan courtyard.
It was so distance from the Xie family courtyard they had visited the day before, though not too far—in fact, it was closer to the nearby tourist district.
"Who knew there’d be a secret club tucked away in the hutong tourist area?" Yan muttered as she checked the address.
"Guess they’re going for the whole ‘hiding in plain sight’ thing," she remarked.
"Or maybe it’s just to flaunt a sense of superiority over the tourists," Zhu Jue said.
"Either way, today’s just about mooching a al and broadening our horizons," Yan replied breezily.
Secret clubs, siheyuan courtyards—none of it had anything to do with her life, and she and Zhu Jue had always kept a level-headed attitude about such things.
If the two of them hadn’t grown up with resilient, adaptable minds, they would’ve long been crushed by the pressure of being surrounded by high-achievers.
And now, with their university roommates constantly comparing themselves to others—endless competition, endless dissatisfaction—they’d learned to just live their own quiet lives.
Since childhood, Yan had taken to heart a classic line from a cody sketch, one that her mom often repeated:
"Why ask for the moon when you’ve got the stars?"
After settling on a ti and place for lunch, Yan checked her phone and saw that both Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao had sent "just woke up" stickers.
"Let’s eat. I’ll just fry so dough sticks and we’re good," Zhu Jue said, pulling her out of bed.
Yan got up to wipe the table while Zhu Jue fried fennel-flavored dough sticks in the kitchen.
Dabao and Xiaobao shuffled over in their pajamas, one setting out plates while the other ladled congee.
Winter mornings were too cold to wait for delivery or bother getting dressed to go out, so they made do with what they had at ho.
The rice cooker held plain congee made earlier, and the hard-boiled eggs, cooled in cold water, peeled easily. Dabao fetched four salted duck eggs from the fridge and brought out so pickles, while Zhu Jue carried over the freshly fried dough sticks and stead milk buns.
Their generation of young people had never acquired a taste for old-school breakfasts like fernted bean juice and fried dough rings—disliked since childhood, let alone suddenly developing a fondness for them now.
Yan crunched happily on her dough stick. She’d fallen in love with the flavor after trying them at a hot pot chain once.
Though ordering them in restaurants was pricier, buying pre-made ones from the supermarket and frying them at ho was both convenient and delicious.
"Hey, you two free today?" Tan Xiaobao asked, pinching a piece of stead bun.
"Actually, we’ve got plans," Yan said.
"Eh?" Xiaobao’s chin lifted, her disappointnt fleeting.
"I was gonna ask you to co clothes shopping with ," she said.
"Mom gave us money last night to buy New Year’s outfits."
Even though their own bank accounts held plenty, there was sothing irreplaceable about the tradition of parents taking them shopping for holiday clothes.
"Hmm, maybe tomorrow or the day after?" Yan thought aloud.
"One of my roommates is coming to Ning City soon, but the mall she’s going to might not be the one we’d pick."
Yan wasn’t sure why Chu Bingbing was visiting—if it was for tourism, she’d probably have to accompany her.
"Another roommate?" Xiaobao’s voice dropped.
"Big bro and sis have so many friends. Not like us—even in college, we barely know anyone," Dabao interjected coolly.
Yan and Zhu Jue: "…"
Wow. Dabao’s passive-aggressive guilt-tripping was strong today.
"Guests are guests," Yan soothed.
"But tomorrow’s probably fine. I can go shopping with Xiaobao."
Due to their "prodigy" status, Dabao and Xiaobao had rarely interacted with peers growing up.
Unlike Yan and Zhu Jue, who’d always been surrounded by classmates their own age—bright, like-minded, and easy to get along with—the twins had grown up in a single-parent household. To them, Yan and Zhu Jue were both older siblings and their only real friends.
They’d assud university—especially a prestigious science-focused one—would finally let them et kindred spirits.
But according to the twins, their classmates ranged from the socially inept to the hyper-competitive, the insecure to the outright abrasive. Making friends, it seed, still required luck.
"Then it’s settled for tomorrow!" Xiaobao imdiately raised her hand.
"Big bro and Dabao can be our pack mules. We’ve got New Year clothes, shoes, jackets—the whole haul."
"We’ll head out tomorrow morning if nothing cos up," Yan declared.
With Xiaobao’s pleading eyes and Dabao’s not-so-subtle emotional manipulation, refusing wasn’t an option. The two would just keep waiting around the house otherwise, silently broadcasting "whenever you’re free" with those puppy-dog stares.
And Yan and Zhu Jue were hopeless against that tactic.
Raising younger siblings was no joke. Absolutely no joke.
They’d been away for half a year and had only been ho a week, yet their schedule kept filling up. Still, they couldn’t prioritize friends over family, could they?
After receiving their sister's promise, Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao's moods visibly improved, and they eagerly devoured their breakfast porridge that morning.
"How's the progress with Extre Path's R&D?" Yan casually brought up a topic to divert their attention.
"Steady progress. The holidays are coming up soon, and this year's annual party and bonuses have already been distributed," Tan Dabao replied.
"Big sis, do you want to visit the R&D center before the break?"
Yan ntally recalled the location of the center. "The one in Back Factory Village? We don’t have much else going on, so maybe later."
"The biggest challenge right now is the energy consumption issue with pure electric vehicles in low temperatures. Breaking into the northern market is tough," Tan Xiaobao added.
"But with limited production capacity, focusing on the southern market alone keeps us busy enough. Keep studying hard, push through the technical hurdles, and keep an eye out for talent at school too," Yan encouraged.
The Tan siblings had countless companies registered under Aunt Tan's na—so many that Yan couldn’t even keep track of all their ventures.
"Bro, sis," Tan Dabao suddenly called out.
"Hmm?" Yan had just taken a bite of a rich, oily salted duck egg yolk.
"That guy ca looking for us again."
"That guy?"
Yan and Zhu Jue imdiately realized he was referring to the twins' biological father.
"What does he want this ti? Handing over the family business?" Yan remained completely unfazed.
"Yeah, sothing about 'returning to our roots' and transferring all his shares to us. Campus security just chased him off."
"The confidentiality departnt even ca to talk to us—it was hilarious."
Tan Xiaobao couldn’t help but laugh at the mory.
Yan chuckled too. "He can’t even get into the residential compound without being mobbed and kicked out. Now he’s bold enough to show up at the science institute? What does his family’s business even amount to compared to a single research grant?"
"Not even close to one," Zhu Jue added pointedly.
The story between Aunt Tan and the twins’ biological father was nothing short of a ssy, dramatic saga.
Aunt Tan grew up in an orphanage and worked her way up to Ning University, where she t her then-boyfriend, Lu Duo.
But their campus romance didn’t end well. Just before Aunt Tan left to pursue her Ph.D. abroad, she discovered she was unexpectedly pregnant. When she told her boyfriend, he urged her to cancel her plans, et his parents, get married, and have the baby first.
However, when she visited his family, the Lu family looked down on her for being an orphan and for getting pregnant out of wedlock. They accused her of scheming to marry into wealth and insisted she give birth to a son before they’d even consider letting her marry into the family—forget about studying abroad.
At the ti, Aunt Tan still held so faith in her boyfriend, who promised to resolve things with his parents. But in the end, all she got as her pregnancy advanced was: "I tried my best. Maybe just have the baby first—my parents will co around."
Aunt Tan imdiately made him sign a declaration relinquishing parental rights. Then, heavily pregnant, she left for Germany to pursue her Ph.D. at Heidelberg. Five years later, she graduated and returned with her twins as part of a program recruiting overseas talent, becoming neighbors with the Yan and Zhu families.
In front of them, Aunt Tan never once complained about the hardships of raising two children alone abroad.
But as they grew older, they could easily imagine how difficult it must have been.
By the ti the twins’ reputations as prodigies spread throughout the compound, the Lu family ca crawling back multiple tis, only to be collectively shunned by the entire residential community.
Educated people didn’t resort to violence—just a barrage of sarcastic remarks was enough to make Lu Duo regret showing his face.
Over the past decade, the twin geniuses had grown up surrounded by the care of all the aunts, uncles, and grandparents in the compound.
Now that they were nearly adults, the Lu family was making another shaless attempt to claim credit for their success.
To put it bluntly, the twins’ assets alone—just their stake in Extre Path—were already worth more than the entire Lu family’s net worth.
"The sheer audacity. Their ego knows no bounds," Yan remarked.
The Lu family was the epito of nouveau riche who had ridden the wave of an earlier era, now clinging to fading wealth while still deluding themselves into thinking they were old money.
"They don’t just have no sha—they’ve abandoned it completely. I heard… that guy’s mother forced him to take fertility supplents so he could father children with younger won, but he wrecked his health instead. That’s why he’s suddenly crawling back to us now. Back then, they only wanted Dabao—the boy—not ," Tan Xiaobao gloated.
"Little kids shouldn’t be talking about things like that," Yan lightly tapped her bowl with chopsticks.
"Don’t let trashy people ruin the mood. They can’t get into the compound, and with the confidentiality departnt at school, you’re even safer," Zhu Jue reassured.
Both Dabao and Xiaobao nodded in agreent.
After breakfast, Xiaobao showed Yan so clothes she had picked out online, while Dabao and Zhu Jue started a two-player ga.
By ten o’clock, the two finally got ready to head out.
"How long will you be gone?" Xiaobao asked.
"Just grabbing a al. Probably won’t take too long," Yan replied.
Back in middle school, Yan and Zhu Jue had often been invited by classmates to hang out on weekends—trips to the park, movies, boating, amusent parks, or free tourist spots.
Especially among the budding young romantics of their class, trustworthy "good students" like Yan and Zhu Jue were often used as cover by peers sneaking around with early relationships. The two of them had beco the perfect alibi.
Back then, they were often dragged out as human shields, and they had to bring the twins along. At first, their classmates weren’t too keen on having the twins join, but they soon realized that ntioning they were going out with these two—the academic prodigy and the genius boy everyone admired—made parents imdiately approve the outing, no questions asked. Dabao and Xiaobao beca quite popular.
However, while the other couples enjoyed their dates, Yan and Zhu Jue were stuck "babysitting." Whenever they stumbled upon any sweet, intimate monts between the couples, they had to quickly close their own eyes and cover the twins’ eyes too.
But Dabao and Xiaobao were always thrilled to tag along, and the adults at ho were reassured knowing Yan and Zhu Jue were supervising—nothing bad could happen.
The only ones truly suffering were the young couple themselves—playing chaperone, watching others be lovey-dovey, all while serving as both human shields and unpaid labor.
Now, after one of them spent the morning helping pick out clothes and the other babysitting through a gaming session, they were finally free to head out.
Even though they were going to so fancy club, Yan and Zhu Jue’s outfits remained unchanged. Puffer jackets paired with boots, no bags since they weren’t carrying anything, and woolen hats and scarves bundled up for warmth.
"Jie, shouldn’t you switch to a cashre scarf? That wool one might let the cold in," Dabao comnted, eyeing Yan’s white knitted scarf.
At that, Zhu Jue’s gaze snapped over, and Xiaobao imdiately clapped a hand over Dabao’s mouth.
"That’s the one Ge knitted in high school! Did you forget?!"
Dabao instantly covered his own mouth, mumbling through his fingers, "No need to change it, no need—my brain short-circuited."
Zhu Jue thought for a mont. "If we go out tomorrow, we can look for cashre yarn. Regular wool really isn’t as warm."
Xiaobao quietly raised her hand. "Ge, I saw a crocheted colorful bag online. I think Jie would look great carrying it in the sumr."
Yan gave a resigned smile as Xiaobao slyly used her as a shield.
Zhu Jue turned to Tan Dabao. "Dabao, I think it’s ti you contributed sothing to this household."
Dabao nodded in defeat. In this family, whether your hands were skilled with a scalpel, coding, experints, or data analysis, you still had to pick up knitting needles or cook when duty called.
Yan and Zhu Jue left the house, taking the subway and then walking, arriving at the club just before the agreed-upon ti of eleven.
The club was a restored courtyard mansion, nestled in a famous tourist-filled hutong.
As Yan and Zhu Jue walked over, the weather was clear, and the streets were bustling with tourists. Shops on either side blared their promotions through loudspeakers, creating a noisy but lively atmosphere.
When they reached the club’s vicinity, they noticed the area was distinctly sectioned off, with a large sign at the entrance:
[Private Residence. No Visitors. Do Not Knock.]
Despite the warning, the picturesque exterior still drew people taking photos nearby.
Unable to knock, Yan quietly sent Lan Ruo a ssage on her phone.
She and Zhu Jue stood at the gate when soone behind them called out, "Hey, can you move? We’re trying to take a picture."
Just then, the tightly locked gate swung open. A server in traditional loose robes appeared, and gasps of "Holy shit!" and "It actually opened!" erupted from the crowd behind them.
"Isn’t this a private residence? Do they live here?"
Yan instinctively glanced back, squeezing Zhu Jue’s hand.
[I Am Justice]—she had spotted that woman again, the one with "Justice" floating above her head!
Now, she was wearing a puffer jacket over her windbreaker, blending into the crowd of onlookers as if she were just another curious bystander.
Yan: !!!
What the hell? Why was this haloed individual here again?
Was sothing seriously about to go wrong?
She didn’t dare stare for too long, pretending to glance back casually before turning away. Hand in hand with Zhu Jue, they followed the server inside.
Yan mouthed "Justice" to Zhu Jue, who imdiately understood. Their fingers interlaced tightly, their bodies tense beneath their puffer jackets.
Distracted by the sudden appearance of the Justice woman, Yan and Zhu Jue barely registered the server’s explanations about the club, nodding along with absent-minded "mhms" while their thoughts raced elsewhere.
By the ti they were led to the private room reserved by Xie Zhen and Lan Ruo, the [Soul Swap] halos above the couple’s heads had already vanished.
This was the first ti Yan had seen a haloed person’s aura disappear. Did that an they’d reverted to being ordinary people?
She ntally filed the observation away, planning to discuss it with Zhu Jue after the al.
The private room was impeccably secluded. The interior glass offered a view of the scenery outside, but once the curtains were drawn, nothing inside could be seen from the outside.
The space was spacious, divided into a tea area, dining section, sofa seating, and even a private bathroom—all furnished with understated luxury.
Yan carefully hung her scarf on the coat rack, suddenly hyper-aware of the high-end surroundings.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable. What would you like to order?"
Yan looked at Xie Zhen's face, now adorned with an oily smile—ugh! His attractiveness instantly plumted. The peak of both looks and charm had been when Lan Ruo inhabited this body.
"Here, they specialize in ancient-style cuisine and modern fusion molecular gastronomy, served as individual portions," Lan Ruo explained proactively.
Molecular gastronomy—the mont those words were uttered, one thing beca clear: expensive! A scam! Yan silently thought to herself.
But today was obviously about mooching off the rich, and this small sum wouldn’t even count as pocket change for the tycoon before them.
With "justice" weighing on her mind, Yan and Zhu Jue absentmindedly ordered a mid-tier set nu.
The al would take ti, but the pre-al tea, snacks, and fruits had already been served.
Xie Zhen was exceedingly polite, even carrying a hint of deference as he spoke to them. His tone was far more courteous than when he’d spoken to Lan Ruo earlier, addressing them as "Miss Yan" and "Mr. Zhu" so frequently it made Yan’s skin crawl.
Lan Ruo was the sa. If her attitude before had been rely polite and equal, it was now one of respect, even reverence.
Yan and Zhu Jue: …
They couldn’t help but suspect Comrade Ding Ling had pulled so strings behind the scenes.
"We were complete strangers to you both, yet you introduced us to Master Ding Ling and even provided the artifact that restored us perfectly."
"They say great kindness need not be spoken, but the three of you must be thanked," Lan Ruo said softly, her tone soothing to the ear.
The mont Yan heard Ding Ling referred to as "Master," she almost laughed aloud. A ghost king being called "Master"... Well, she had to hold it in!
"Exactly, exactly. Miss Yan, Mr. Zhu, we know you both—including Master Ding Ling—are top students at Bin University. We’re also from Bin City, and the Xie family holds so modest influence there."
"If you ever need help in the future, the Xie family will not hesitate to assist," Xie Zhen said, uncharacteristically eloquent.
In truth, Xie Zhen and Lan Ruo had already looked into the young couple’s family backgrounds and found that gift-giving was practically impossible.
Daring to offer anything substantial wouldn’t be gratitude—it’d be handing them unexplained assets, inviting investigation!
After learning about their highly educated backgrounds, Xie Zhen grew even more curious about how these two young people had beco "experts" so revered even Master Ding admired them. Could it really be true that the end of science is theology?
During this lunch, Xie Zhen noticed that whenever he spoke, the table would lapse into brief, awkward silence. Though displeased, he spoke less, leaving Lan Ruo to carry the conversation—to which the young couple would occasionally respond.
This al could hardly be called a harmonious gathering; rather, everyone had their own thoughts.
"Please keep our affairs confidential. The company has many matters to attend to, and we must return to Bin City tonight. There’s also sothing of a generation gap between us and you youngsters, so we hope you’ll forgive any shortcomings. Our next eting may not be for another month or two," Xie Zhen said, feigning humor as he escorted them out of the private room.
"If you need anything, just call or ssage anyti. I’ll be at your service," Lan Ruo added.
Yan and Zhu Jue responded half-heartedly, Yan’s mind already elsewhere.
Because right then, she noticed the woman marked with "Justice" had sohow entered the clubhouse, and the staff who should’ve been guarding the entrance were gone.
Her heart pounded—it’s happening, it’s really happening!
Yan didn’t think "Justice" was here for her and Zhu Jue. That left only the two from the Xie family!
"Xie Zhen of Mingxie Group? Xie the Second?"
It was the first ti Yan heard Justice’s voice—a bit hoarse—as the woman stepped forward.
Xie Zhen was visibly startled by the uninvited guest, but since this was a high-end clubhouse, and the woman’s plain attire matched the understated Ning City style, he assud she was just another social climber who’d caught wind of his presence.
"I’m Xie Zhen. And you are…?"
"If you’re Xie Zhen, then this is correct." Yan watched as "Justice" clapped her hands and instantly pulled out a police badge and detention warrant, flashing them before the group.
The next second, several burly n appeared—Yan had no idea where they’d been hiding—and pinned Xie Zhen to the ground.
Yan, Zhu Jue, and Lan Ruo stood frozen, stunned by the scene.
Then, Justice turned to Lan Ruo. "Miss Lan Ruo, Xie Zhen’s legal spouse, correct?"
Lan Ruo nodded slowly, only for the woman to coolly state, "A criminal detention notice will be delivered to you within the day."
Xie Zhen was still howling, "Who are you? Let go! On what charges are you arresting ? This is illegal!"
Justice’s expression remained icy as she watched the SWAT team force Xie Zhen to sign the detention warrant as the suspect.
At that mont, Zheng Yi exhaled slowly, watching the progress bar for [Old Case Reopened—Accidental Car Crash] climb once more.
Finally, she had him detained in Ning City.
Under the heavy suppression of Bin City's local underworld forces, a long-buried case—officially closed and only permitted to be investigated in secret—now faced the sa suffocating pressure in the capital, where even an outsider with formidable influence would be crushed.
In this world, no cri is perfectly concealed. Five years had passed since the death of Boss Xie in that car accident, a man long forgotten by the public.
But now, justice might be delayed—yet it would never be denied.
"Take him away."
Zheng Yi observed Xie Zhen, now stripped of all dignity, as her gaze swept over the good-evil radar scan within a 500-ter radius.
Her na was Zheng Yi, a specially appointed expert of the Ministry of Public Security, the new-generation "Tiger of Criminal Investigation," codenad Justice.
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