This Treatment is Awesome

Xie Yi listed a bunch of benefits to joining the Ninth Bureau, but the biggest one in my eyes was that when I needed their support and help, they'd spare no effort to provide it. Of course, the most important thing was that they could help unravel the secrets surrounding me, as well as those of Little Ancestral Hall Entrance and my parents.

I'd been running away from it all along. I thought I could forget what happened ten years ago—it was a nightmare to me.

And I really had almost forgotten. But then, damn it, I kept dreaming about that street and those people again.

"By the way, have you figured out how to settle her?" Xie Yi asked me.

I shook my head.

"Two options. First, I send her to the Capital City, let her stay at the Ninth Bureau for a period of observation and training. She'll slowly adapt to a new life. Second, she stays in Lin City. I'll provide you both a place to live, and you help her recover. If she wants to enter Qianzhou University, I can arrange that too. Anyway, you don't have any friends at school, so having company isn't bad."

"You said training—training in what? Do I have to undergo training too?"

Xie Yi smiled. "Whether you train or not is up to you. Didn't you say that guy named Chu Ge could fight? Those friends of yours are already pretty impressive. Training probably wouldn't mean much to you, but I still hope she can have some ability to protect herself. Then again, maybe she's like you and has a few capable friends around."

So even to Xie Yi, Xu Qiuyan was an enigma.

"Also, you mentioned we'd have a monthly income. Even without missions, we still get paid?" I asked.

He nodded. "That's right. Joining our Special Section means you have a formal job. Monthly salary, travel allowances, mission compensation. The main point is, normally you do whatever you do, whatever you want. Without a mission, you're free. What do you think? Pretty sincere offer, right?"

Hearing that, I really did think it sounded like a great job.

But I still asked the most critical question: "So what exactly is the work of the Ninth Bureau Special Section?"

"Our full name is the Special Incident Investigation Department. 'Special incidents' means things that natural science can't explain—like everything that happened on Little Ancestral Hall Entrance Street. We currently don't have dedicated investigators in Qianzhou. From now on, you'll be our Special Section's investigators in Qianzhou Province. No light burden!"

He finished speaking and patted my shoulder like an old cadre welcoming a new comrade.

Finally, he asked if I'd decided—whether Xu Qiuyan should stay or go to the Capital City.

I said that kind of thing should be left to her to decide. I don't like making decisions for others, and I don't like others making decisions for me. Only you can truly decide your own fate. That way, no matter the outcome, you can't blame anyone else.

Xu Qiuyan listened and decided without a second thought to stay in Lin City. She said she wanted to be with me.

That was what I wanted too, but the thought of living alone with a woman made me nervous. We weren't kids anymore. In another year or two, we'd be at the age for marriage. Living together like this—did it mean we were each other's 'him' or 'her'? I was willing, but was she? Was she willing?

I looked at Xu Qiuyan. She was looking at me too.

Her face was slightly red. Her lips moved faintly, as if she were speaking. I thought I could make out what she seemed to say: I am willing.

I was startled and quickly blinked. I must have seen wrong. How could she know what I was thinking?

"Tomorrow I'll head back to the Capital City. In a bit, I'll have someone take you to your assigned residence. I think you'll be satisfied. As for daily necessities, buy them yourselves—whatever you like. Here's a card with some money. Use it for now. You won't get a salary until your onboarding is officially processed. Oh, right—can you drive?"

I nodded, then shook my head.

"What does that mean? Can you or can't you?" Xie Yi asked.

I gave a wry smile. "Chu Ge can, but he doesn't seem to have a license."

Xie Yi rolled his eyes at me. But Xu Qiuyan said, "I can."

That surprised me. "You can drive?"

"Mm, I learned. But I don't have a license either." Her last sentence made me roll my eyes too.

But Xie Yi said, "No license is fine. I can get you one. I'll leave this car with you." He handed the keys to Xu Qiuyan.

Only then did I realize Xie Yi had never really treated Chu Ge like a person. I figured if Chu Ge knew, he'd be pretty pissed.

Sure enough, that guy showed up.

"What the hell? No license, and Big Brother can still make a car feel like a high-speed rail!"

I laughed.

Xie Yi didn't see Chu Ge. So my friends were invisible to others. That contradicted what I'd thought before.

"Also, wait for me to come back before doing anything about Little Ancestral Hall Entrance. No matter what you find, you must wait for me. Got it?" Xie Yi said seriously.

I nodded. Xu Qiuyan nodded too.

Xie Yi finally relaxed. "Alright, you can go now."

He waved, and a man in a black suit walked over. Xie Yi gave him a few quiet instructions. The man nodded and said politely to us, "Please follow me."

We went downstairs. He took the car keys from Xu Qiuyan and drove us to "Lingshan Academy," a high-end residential complex next to Qianzhou University. They weren't really giving us a place here, were they?

The car stopped at the entrance of a low-rise building. The man in black returned the keys to Xu Qiuyan. "Someone will deliver your license in a couple of days."

Xu Qiuyan smiled and nodded.

I'd been watching her the whole time. I was sure there was nothing wrong with her. She didn't seem like someone with a mental issue at all.

Six-story low-rise, with an elevator.

Sixth floor. Luxury renovation, complete with a rooftop garden.

That stunned me. This treatment was incredible! Furniture and appliances were all there—basically move-in ready.

"See if there's anything else you need?"

I waved my hand. Compared to where I'd lived before, this was a qualitative leap.

Seeing I had no needs, the man in black took his leave.

"Such a big house," Xu Qiuyan said with a sigh. I nodded. It really was big. I wondered if I should bring Grandpa to live here. He'd worked hard for me most of his life—time he enjoyed some comfort. I'd have an income soon. I didn't know how much, but working in such a high-end, mysterious department, it couldn't be low.

"One of these days I'll go bring Grandpa over," I said.

Xu Qiuyan looked at me. "Mm."

Something occurred to me. "Do you remember my grandpa?"

Xu Qiuyan shook her head. "You don't have a grandpa."

I froze. How was that possible? That old man who ran the scrap yard was my grandpa. He was also named Bai.

Seeing my expression, she continued, "You really don't have a grandpa. Back at the Little Ancestral Hall entrance, you told me your parents were both orphans. They grew up close in the orphanage and got together when they were older. So you don't have a grandpa. If you have one now, I think he must have taken you in after what happened at the Little Ancestral Hall and raised you. Either way, you should bring him over. He did you a kindness, and people need to know gratitude."

I didn't speak. I tried hard to remember my grandpa, racking my brain until it ached faintly, but I couldn't make sense of anything.

Maybe it really was like Xu Qiuyan said—this grandpa and I had no blood relation. Ten years ago, he'd taken me in.

"My name is Jiang Xiaobai," I said quietly.

Xu Qiuyan looked at me in confusion, but she still answered, "Your name is Jiang Xiaobai."

I said, "Everyone calls him Old Bai Tou, which means his surname is Bai. I really am not his grandson." My expression dimmed a little. Xu Qiuyan gently took my arm. "Don't overthink it. Even if he's not blood-related, the kindness of raising you is real. Nurture outweighs birth. So you should be filial to him."

Hearing her say that, I came around. She was right. Why was I agonizing over whether he was my biological grandpa? At least in my heart, besides my parents, he was my only family.

I sat down on the living room sofa, while Xu Qiuyan rummaged around the house. She said she wanted to get familiar with the place quickly, and that she'd cook for me herself. Her cooking was really good.