Misunderstanding

"Stop over there on the side of the road ahead. There's a place selling meat dumplings over there. They're really good. You can buy a couple to take home for breakfast," Xiang Kun suddenly said to Lao Xia, who was driving.

Xia Libing nodded, pulled over as instructed, and got out of the car to buy meat-filled rice dumplings.

She wasn't surprised that Xiang Kun knew she was hungry, whether by hearing her stomach rumbling or by other means. With Xiang Kun's current sensory abilities, it wasn't difficult for him to make that judgment.

Back in the apartment complex where Lao Xia rented a place, Xiang Kun, carrying clothes, shoes, and a backpack, followed Lao Xia home shirtless and barefoot.

Relying on his exceptional sensory abilities, Xiang Kun was able to anticipate the movements of the surrounding residents and successfully evade other households with Lao Xia. They didn't encounter anyone from the parking lot to Lao Xia's doorstep.

However, just as Lao Xia was opening the door with his key, a middle-aged woman from next door happened to be leaving with her son. She was taken aback when she saw Xiang Kun standing behind Lao Xia.

"Good morning, Dr. Xia." The middle-aged woman nodded and greeted Xia Libing as she opened the door.

Xia Libing nodded to her as well. "Good morning."

Then the middle-aged woman looked curiously at Xiang Kun behind her. "This is...?"

Xia Libing simply said, "My friend fell into the lake."

"Huh?" The middle-aged woman was taken aback, and wanted to ask how she ended up in the lake.

However, Lao Xia had no intention of explaining further. After opening the door, he went straight inside.

Xiang Kun, who had been "fallen into the lake," could only smile and nod at his neighbor as a greeting before following him inside.

Just as Xiang Kun was taking a shower and Xia Libing was having breakfast, there was another knock on the door.

After Xia Libing opened the door, her third aunt walked in and asked with concern, "Xiao Bing, I just arrived at the hospital. I heard from Director Wang that you took leave. Are you not feeling well?"

As she was talking, she suddenly noticed a pair of hiking boots by the door.

There's nothing wrong with the style of the shoes themselves; it's perfectly normal for Xia Libing to wear these kinds of shoes. But the problem is that these shoes look noticeably larger than Xia Libing's own shoes, which are placed next to them. These shoes must be men's shoes.

Then she noticed a jacket casually placed on a chair in the living room, which appeared to be a man's jacket as well.

I could hear the sound of running water from the bathroom. Looking at the closed bathroom door, it was clear that someone was taking a shower inside.

Third Aunt's mouth slowly opened wide as she looked at Xia Libing with a surprised expression.

"I'm not feeling unwell, I just have some personal matters to attend to," Xia Libing explained. Then she noticed where her third aunt's gaze fell and the change in her expression, and roughly analyzed the reason for her third aunt's surprise, but did not explain it further.

Auntie blinked, paused for a few seconds, and then said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. You can take care of your personal matters. Uh... Mr. Xiang should still be in Shanghai, right?"

"He came back last night," Xia Libing said.

"Could it be... that they're taking a shower now...?" Auntie San asked, glancing towards the bathroom.

"Yes." Xia Libing deduced from her aunt's expression and reaction that her aunt must have misunderstood something. However, if she were to explain, she would definitely have to make up an excuse. If her aunt continued to press her, she would have to keep lying, which would be too troublesome and might also expose some of Xiang Kun's secret information. So she simply didn't say anything more.

Auntie nodded, then, remembering something, added, "Oh, right, I have a document in that Camry. Give me the car keys, I'll go get it. You can use the SUV I drove over."

Xia Libing said, "No need, I can drive the Camry. There are some things in the car that I need to give to Third Aunt. I'll go down with you."

So, filled with curiosity, Third Aunt followed Xia Libing downstairs to the parking lot.

Upon seeing a box of roses and two bouquets of carnations on the back seat of the Camry, Auntie was initially surprised, but then realized with a sudden realization, "Just as I thought." She also remembered what day it was and felt a mix of emotions, including a touch of envy.

Being young is great.

When they went upstairs earlier, Xiang Kun needed to get his shoes, clothes, and luggage, and Xia Libing needed to get beef soup and rice dumplings, so Hua was naturally left in the car.

Xia Libing took out a bouquet of carnations and handed it to her third aunt. "This is for you."

"Oh dear, stop with all this. Valentine's Day is a holiday for you young people, you should celebrate it." Although she said this, Auntie San happily accepted the bouquet of carnations, then looked at another bouquet of carnations in the back seat and asked, "Who's this one for?"

She knew that Xia Libing's parents were still abroad, and in Citong City, she was the only female elder. She had some guesses in her mind.

"It's for Xiang Kun's mother," Xia Libing said.

Auntie San thought to herself, "Just as I thought," then took the documents and said with a smile, "Tonight... well, never mind tonight. Come over for dinner with Xiang Kun tomorrow."

Xia Libing shook her head. "I've been busy lately."

"It's alright, just come over when you're all free," Auntie said.

Although her gossipy nature was burning brightly, Auntie San knew her niece's personality, so she held back a whole bunch of questions and decided to find another opportunity to probe indirectly later.

After seeing her third aunt off, Xia Libing returned home. Xiang Kun had already taken a shower and changed his clothes. As for his pants, they were dirty and torn, and there was no need to wash them; they had already been stuffed into a garbage bag and packed up.

After Xia Libing finished eating the meat-filled rice dumpling and beef soup, the two went out together to buy meat rabbits from the farm they had contacted beforehand.

Xiang Kun was worried that he would be busy in Purple Huan Mountain until night and not have time to prepare, so he asked Lao Xia to help him prepare. But now that he has returned early, there is no reason for Lao Xia to go alone.

However, before going to the breeding farm, they went back to Xiang Kun's house first.

Xiang Lao Xia Xiang Kun to wait for him in the car, took the bouquet of carnations home and gave it to his mother, then made an excuse that he was back for company business and wouldn't be home for a few days before leaving.

Actually, he originally wanted to wait until the blood-drinking ceremony was over before going home, so that his mother wouldn't ask too many questions and he wouldn't have to make up lies.

But considering that the bouquet of carnations cost several hundred yuan, giving it to him after he has drunk his blood and fallen into a deep sleep would not be as meaningful and would be a bit of a waste.

When their son suddenly returned with flowers, Mom Xiang Dad Xiang surprised and astonished.

"If you're coming back to do business, then do business; if you're going on a business trip, then go on a business trip. Why did you buy these flowers? Can you even stir-fry or steam them? You can't eat them, you can't use them, what's the point of buying them? If you have that money, you might as well just give me a red envelope! Wouldn't it be better if I bought you a few pounds of pork? Buying flowers... You know you should buy flowers for your mother, but why don't you know how to give flowers to... Oh, right, what's the date today? Flowers are expensive today, aren't they? You brat..." After scolding him for a while, Mom Xiang suddenly stopped and stared at Xiang Kun suspiciously.

"You said you just got back? Just got off the bullet train?" Mom Xiang asked again.

Xiang Kun keenly noticed that his mother had just taken a sniff and knew something was wrong; she could smell the shower gel on his body after his shower.

"I took a shower at the hotel the company arranged before coming here. Oh, Mom, I have to go now, my colleagues are waiting for me downstairs. I'll be back when I'm done with my business," Xiang Kun said, and walked towards the door.

However Mom Xiang immediately changed her attitude and said with a smile, "Alright, alright, you go and do your own thing. These flowers are nice, I'm very satisfied. You focus on your work, don't worry."

Xiang Kun couldn't help but smile wryly. He knew what his mother had connected the dots, but there was no way to explain it now.

After Xiang Kun left, Mom Xiang quickly ran to the balcony and looked out of the community. However, from the angle of their balcony, they couldn't see where Xia Libing had parked, so after looking for a while, she could only reluctantly turn her gaze away and return to the living room.

In the living room, Dad Xiang was holding the bouquet of carnations and complaining, "This kid, I really don't know what he's thinking. Buying flowers for Mom on Valentine's Day, isn't that a waste of money? On this special day, such a big bouquet must have cost several hundred yuan, right? With that money, it would be much better to buy some food."

"Eat, eat, all you ever think about is eating. I think you're just jealous because your son only sends me flowers," Mom Xiang said, rolling her eyes at him.

Dad Xiang was taken aback. "Huh? Didn't you just scold him like that? Didn't you even make him give you a red envelope and buy you a few pounds of pork?" He was puzzled, realizing that he had clearly been going along with her words.

Mom Xiang squinted and said, "Tell me, given my son's personality, under what circumstances would he send flowers to his mother on Valentine's Day?"

Dad Xiang frowned, scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said thoughtfully, "So much money you don't know what to do with it? Did our son get a raise? Or did he win the lottery?"

Mom Xiang couldn't help but roll her eyes and sighed, "You know I won't be happy to receive flowers, and that I'll feel bad about the money. Do you think our son doesn't know that? Today isn't Mother's Day or my birthday. Would he specifically choose the day when flowers are most expensive to buy me? Think about it, Lao Xiang! It's Valentine's Day!"

"I know it's Valentine's Day, flowers are expensive..." Dad Xiang stared blankly, somewhat bewildered, but then seemed to remember something, and suddenly slapped his thigh. "Ah! I get it! He's going to buy flowers for his girl, and then buy a bouquet for Mom! Maybe there's a discount or something, and knowing this kid's personality, he'll definitely round it up to participate in the promotion, and also to show his respect to Mom! In other words... his trip back today might not be arranged by the company, maybe he came back specifically for Valentine's Day? Wait, who is that? Xia?"

Looking at the florist's sign on the flower wrapping, Mom Xiang said, "The name of this florist sounds familiar..."

Then she scanned the QR code on the flower shop sign with her phone, looked at it, and laughed, "This is a shop that my old friend's daughter-in-law and someone else opened together. I even shared it on my WeChat Moments."

Dad Xiang frowned. "You're not thinking of returning it, are you? That wouldn't be good..."

"What are you thinking?!" Mom Xiang couldn't help but raise her hand and punch her husband.

Mom Xiang contacted her old friends and got the phone number of her friend's daughter-in-law. It just so happened that her friend was helping out at the flower shop at that time, so she asked her if a tall, bald young man had bought carnations that morning.

Mom Xiang originally just wanted to confirm whether her son had bought any other flowers besides carnations, such as roses, in order to verify her inference.

Unexpectedly, the old friend's daughter-in-law said she didn't see any bald man come to buy flowers in the morning, but when she asked her partner, he said that a tall, bespectacled bald guy came to buy flowers with his girlfriend last night. They bought two bunches of carnations and a box of roses. Moreover, the bald guy's girlfriend was a very tall and beautiful woman with a ponytail and exceptionally long legs.

A ponytail, tall, long legs, a stunning beauty—who else could this be?

After hanging up the phone, Mom Xiang started chuckling non-stop, which made Dad Xiang curious and keep asking her questions.

In the branch office canteen, Xu Zhao watched as his young partner Zhao Feng, ate while engrossed in his phone, the meat on his chopsticks lingering near his mouth without being touched. Xu Zhao frowned and asked, "What are you looking at? You seem so absorbed."

Zhao Feng snapped out of his daze and shoved his phone in front of Xu Zhao: "Someone online said they saw a phoenix last night, near Purple Huan Mountain in Citong."

"Phoenix?" Xu Zhao scoffed before even looking at his phone. "These people nowadays will stop at nothing for a few clicks. They'll say anything, make up any lie."

"Someone filmed a video, and it doesn't look like special effects. I saw on the news today that there was indeed unusual weather at Purple Huan Mountain last night, with a short thunderstorm followed by a heavy rain. If this video was really filmed near Purple Huan Mountain last night, I estimate it might be some kind of small flying device like a drone, which still poses some safety risks." Zhao Feng naturally didn't believe the so-called "phoenix" theory.

Xu Zhao opened the video and could vaguely see a ball of what appeared to be on fire flying further and further away in the air, but he couldn't make out what it was at all. Moreover, the flames were clearly getting smaller and smaller until they went out.

After turning off the video, Zhao Feng showed him the original post again:

"I saw a phoenix today! It's absolutely real! No kidding! I'm from Purple Fir Village, right next to Purple Huan Mountain. You know there was a heavenly tribulation on Purple Huan Mountain last night, right? That lightning was definitely not ordinary lightning! This phoenix successfully survived the tribulation! I couldn't sleep this morning, so I went to the rooftop to play games and saw it with my own eyes! The video is definitely not fake!"

Below are magnified analyses of the video screenshots. Some say the fireball looks a bit like a bird flapping its wings, others say it's ridiculously fake, a cheap special effect, some curse the poster for fabricating the story, accusing them of reading too many fantasy novels, some say the thunderstorm at Purple Huan Mountain last night was indeed terrifying, some started offering physical explanations for the shattered void, some began popularizing meteorological knowledge, and many others started making wishes...

After watching it, Xu Zhao shook his head. "It really does look like a drone. Luckily, the fire was extinguished later, otherwise it would have been a real problem if it had fallen into the mountains and started a wildfire. I'll mention it to the police aviation team later; they need to investigate this thing."

After getting his phone back, Zhao Feng nodded in agreement, saying, "That's exactly what I meant."

"By the way, are you and your classmate still investigating that thing with lots of arms?" Xu Zhao asked, remembering something.

"Nothing recently, no leads." Zhao Feng had actually made some discoveries and wanted to discuss them with Old Xu, but he also knew Old Xu's opinion on the matter they were investigating. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to wait for more concrete information or evidence before discussing it further.

Thanks to the following readers Divine Writing 2019, 20200305112809583, Hope to Become a Lucky Emperor Today, Living Soul, Summoner Warlord, Shen Zihua's Big Boss, Ghost Lantern Blows on the Moon, No Hope, 20190721091034077, Aphids from Insect Home, Ashes with Fire, Ke Zhi Jin Jing Liu, Still Mu Shaoai, Two Thousand Three, WJ_Sun, 20200319202402732, Call Me Meow-Meow King, Hao Aiyi, and Icy Cold Water 2012 Kirin Tenacity, Guest Li, I'm Also an Idiot, Book Friend 20190930182738159, Zhuge Dadao, Fang Ting, Tachibana Kippei, Why Does Every Name I Want Already Exist?, Different Wo, Book Friend 160424074542928, Book Friend 202003131584099912, Is 42, Book Friend 20170910204630532, Extremely Perverted, Lai Yuwen, Qin Mufeng, Jue Banbanbobo, Momo Baobao Juaigaogao, Pat, Hug, Lift High Hamster Sword Saint, fs168, Wei Tingkai gave a reward.