Is Your Husband Amazing?

Ji Qinglin cultivated with the Qi Sea Cloud Disk until noon the next day, yet he did not feel particularly tired. Not only did it seem as though an extra force filled his body, but his senses had also grown sharper—likely due to the data he had absorbed and made his own.

Caw caw—

Coal Boss, who had slept soundly beside him, turned over and flew onto Ji Qinglin's shoulder.

Ji Qinglin stood and stretched, only then realizing that after cleaning all day yesterday, his clothes had become filthy beyond recognition. He tugged at his shirt and said to Coal Boss:

"Fly out and take a look. Find somewhere nearby that sells things."

Caw caw—

Understanding him, Coal Boss flew straight out, while Ji Qinglin went to the bookcase to continue searching.

Now that he had found a method, he could continue this kind of cultivation after returning. What mattered were the materials here. A single old book found among pornographic magazines had brought him such tremendous help; he absolutely could not overlook any suspicious clue.

Unfortunately, this search yielded nothing more. Even after Ji Qinglin separately picked out every pornographic publication in the place, he still found nothing of value.

In the blink of an eye, dusk was approaching when Coal Boss flew back from outside.

Ji Qinglin locked the door and followed Coal Boss to a small shop several kilometers away. He ate something, bought a few new clothes, and asked the shop owner about the recent situation in the Old District of Xin Dong Street.

Strictly speaking, this was also within Xin Dong Street's sphere of influence. But because there was no profit to be squeezed from it and management costs were too high, there were no large Chamber of Commerce shops nearby.

It was not until nightfall, after changing clothes, that Ji Qinglin and Coal Boss returned to the little courtyard.

Without the cumbersome attire worn in the General Store in the city, his khaki short-sleeved shirt and work shorts looked somewhat plain, but they suited the Old District's atmosphere perfectly—together with the junk in the courtyard and the crow on his shoulder.

If he claimed to be a little Garbage Collector who had grown up here, relying on each other with a crow since childhood, then apart from being far too handsome to fit the part, there would be no suspicious points at all.

"Can't you fly a little more? You stand on my shoulder every day. The food in the city has fattened you up these past few days—aren't you afraid someone will mistake you for a chicken and stew you one day?"

"Caw caw."

Ji Qinglin carried the clothes and food inside and set them on the sofa, not yet having time to turn on the lights.

Click—

A faint sound came from the bedroom, as if something had fallen to the floor.

Man and bird both went still, turning to look toward the bedroom shrouded in darkness just a few steps away.

The bedroom had only been cleaned out yesterday. Since the main house contained only the bedroom and the living room, the bedroom was fairly spacious. Other than the bed, there was almost nothing inside; Ji Qinglin knew that clearly.

Sensing that something was wrong, that someone seemed to have entered his home, Ji Qinglin suppressed his doubts and quietly backed toward the door.

But before he could retreat even two steps, just as he passed the bedroom doorway—

Click—

Someone turned on the small bedroom lamp.

Under that somewhat yellowed light, Ji Qinglin discovered that someone was reclining diagonally on the bed.

More precisely, she was a young woman in her early twenties. Her black curls were somewhat messy; she had sword eyebrows, crimson eyes, and an extraordinary bearing. Yet those bright eyes were fixed tightly on him. Even with several steps between them, Ji Qinglin could clearly feel the intimidating force in her gaze. Her pearly teeth lightly bit her lip, her breathing was slightly rushed, sweat beaded her forehead, and her fair, pretty face was tense.

The young woman's outfit was even more unusual. She wore a military-green short-sleeved shirt on top, while below she had only a pair of very short safety pants left. Her two long, fair legs lay across the bed, while her shoes and ripped trousers had been tossed to one side.

Had Bangkok's service industry become so advanced that they now entered homes and waited? But there was one slight difference: the young woman's raised right hand held a pistol, and its muzzle was aimed directly at him.

Ji Qinglin's first thought was that someone had discovered he was searching this place for clues about the Old Era. Could that medical pod and the materials here all be bait, and was this person here to seize me, a remnant of the Old Era?

But on second thought, that did not seem right. To take him away, all she needed was a gun. Why had she taken off her pants and lain on the bed like this? Could it be that before taking away a man from the Old Era, she wanted him to leave behind some descendants?

Realizing his thoughts might have veered off course, Ji Qinglin still asked quietly:

"Miss... I haven't gone to the wrong house, have I? What is this?"

Seeing that Ji Qinglin truly had no weapon, only a crow on his shoulder, and that his attire indeed made him look like a Garbage Collector, the young woman relaxed slightly.

"I got a minor injury. I'm borrowing your house to deal with it. I'll leave you money when I go."

Not only was her wording forceful, even her crisp voice carried a domineering edge, though it sounded a little weak under these circumstances.

Injured and borrowing a place to stay? Ji Qinglin inwardly sighed in relief. You really know how to pick one—out of so many houses, you chose mine. But after another thought, his was indeed the only house nearby with no neighbors and its lights off.

"Borrowing a place for the night is no problem, of course. But could you put the gun down first?"

At those words, the young woman frowned slightly but did not lower her pistol. Her lips parted as if she wanted to add something.

Just then, movement sounded outside the small courtyard.

"Check over there."

Hearing the sounds outside, the young woman visibly tensed. She gripped her pistol tightly and whispered:

"They can't catch me. You have to help me get away."

Ji Qinglin gave a bitter smile. "I'm just a little Garbage Collector. This has nothing to do with me. Besides, I don't have a secret passage here, and there aren't even any windows to get out through. Even if I wanted to help—"

The young woman raised her gun and coldly pointed it at him. "So you want to die here first?"

Ji Qinglin hurriedly shook his head, though he was already considering how to escape.

He did not know whether the young woman had any cybernetic components installed. His phone's defensive mechanisms likely could not handle her, much less the gun in her hand.

The safest method at present was probably to use the Big Dipper Map to weave and dart his way out. But with his current build and footwork, forget dodging bullets—he would probably have trouble dodging a slingshot.

As Ji Qinglin considered his options, he saw the young woman lift her military-green shirt, revealing her alluring willow-snake waist—and an even more alluring portable bomb on her belt.

He had taken apart so many things with Old Hu, and Old Hu had taught him about every dangerous gadget. He could not possibly mistake it.

Though that portable bomb was not large, it was definitely no cheap product. Leveling his little courtyard would not be a problem.

Fuck, was this girl planning to perish together with her enemy? More importantly, what the hell did that have to do with a passing fish like me?

If he took the risk of dodging the gun and ran out now, he might be lucky enough to only be seriously injured by the explosion. But the materials in the house would not run away. He had only just found those materials and clues; he absolutely could not lose them.

Thud thud—

Two heavy bootfalls landed on the ground. Clearly, patrolmen had climbed over the locked iron gate and jumped inside.

Left with no choice, Ji Qinglin gritted his teeth, gently closed the bedroom door while leaving only a narrow crack, and raised his hand as he replied in an extremely low voice, "I'll help you get away. Don't do anything stupid."

The young woman's brows visibly loosened at his words, but the moment she heard the boots in the courtyard again, panic seized her once more. She seemed to think that, under these circumstances, there was no longer any chance of turning things around.

Just as she wondered what method Ji Qinglin would use to get her out, she saw him swiftly strip off his short-sleeved shirt and work shorts, toss them aside, turn and climb onto the bed, and press himself over her. Then, while shaking his body to make the bed creak, he called out through the bedroom door:

"Is your husband amazing?"

Sorry, I had to revise it a bit for approval, so it got delayed. Don't blame me, don't blame me.