Going Home

That night, Lan Junxian was clearly hammered by the end of it.

After Jiang Qian helped Ye Xiaojing tuck him into bed, he learned from her that the "Ji Ming" he had heard about was the newly appointed head of the Operations Department at the Jinping Special Affairs Center—a permanent position.

He hailed from a prominent family in the capital and was currently a high-ranking official within the Predator Family. At only 27 years old, his rank was already higher than Lan Junxian's.

However, when Ji Ming first started out a few years ago, he had also been a student of Lan Junxian.

"The boss is angry because Ji Ming poached a talent he valued highly—you—without even a word of greeting. Of course, it could also be a misunderstanding."

Ye Xiaojing's expression remained unchanged as she spoke, as if she were discussing a stranger.

"Ji Ming is quite arrogant. He doesn't easily acknowledge others, and he certainly won't coddle you like the boss does. If you're working under him, you'd best mind your manners."

"Thank you, I understand." Jiang Qian silently noted Ye Xiaojing's warning.

He didn't know when it had started, but he had developed a strange sense of "belonging" with these two official License Holders from the East Sea. They seemed to have already begun treating him as one of their own.

"Also, the boss asked me to give you this." Ye Xiaojing took out a file folder and handed it to Jiang Qian. "You can't take the documents with you, so try to memorize the contents."

Jiang Qian took it and saw that it was the case file for the Peacock Spider.

He immediately understood that Lan Junxian was using his authority to make things easier for him.

"Many thanks!"

That night, Jiang Qian read the entire file from cover to cover. From the traces at the scene to the characteristics of the victims, including the official definitions and deductions regarding the Peacock Spider's abilities, every detail was deeply etched into his mind.

The next day, Jiang Qian's quarantine period ended.

Lan Junxian did not appear again.

He had simply asked Ye Xiaojing to bring a travel bag for Jiang Qian, which contained some local mountain specialties to serve as a cover story for Jiang Qian's trip. It was quite thoughtful.

Yet, Ye Xiaojing only dropped him off at a subway station near the Safe House.

The young girl, wearing a beret, long boots, and a brown trench coat, suggested that Jiang Qian make his own way back. She would protect him from the shadows in her own way, but she wouldn't take on the role of a nanny.

Then, with a stomp on the gas, she vanished without a trace.

That was reasonable.

Jiang Qian didn't want a girl constantly hovering by his side either.

Otherwise, the "Old Buddha" at home, who had been failing to pressure his sister into marriage, would never let him off the hook.

However, Jiang Qian didn't choose to take the subway.

He walked through the familiar streets in a brand-new shirt and sweatpants, savoring the peace of "surviving a disaster." His original clothes had long since been violently destroyed by a peculiar woman like Ye Xiaojing.

Gazing at the sky and the cityscape he hadn't seen in seven days, breathing in the mildly polluted air of Jinping City, he felt a sense of serene satisfaction in his heart.

Going home!

Because someone was waiting.

The person waiting for him might even give him a piece of her mind regarding "the child's affairs"...

But what was there to fear for a man who had already had his chest opened and his entire body shattered twice?

It was morning, and the temperature was cool and pleasant.

Jiang Qian jogged along the street, feeling the vitality of the city like a normal human being.

The ups and downs of the past few days played in his mind, flickering past like the shadows of trees along the street, and his vision grew clearer.

His path lay right before him.

Business districts, parks, alleys, bridges...

Just as he was about to reach the other side of the bridge, a heart-wrenching cry for help suddenly reached Jiang Qian's ears.

He looked toward the sound and saw a white Mercedes parked on the bridge. A well-dressed woman rushed toward the railing, screaming her daughter's name toward the river below like a madwoman!

Jiang Qian stopped instinctively and turned toward the direction of the woman's cries...

Inside the office of the head of the Operations Department at the Jinping Special Affairs Center.

Ji Ming sat cross-legged in front of a large desk.

He held a case file in his hands. Spread out on the desk were several life records waiting to be scrutinized: medical history, academic transcripts, teacher evaluations, school disciplinary records—all of it concerning Jiang Qian.

Naturally, this also included the diagnoses and recommendations from high-end medical institutions.

"No guilt, no sorrow, no fear..."

Ji Ming's expression was calm, though his brows furrowed imperceptibly.

He picked up the behavioral and interrogation records from after Jiang Qian entered the official radar.

Comparing the two, there was a significant change between the past and the present.

"What is the reason for this?"

He put down the documents and muttered to himself.

What had happened in the interim to cause a teenager with clear antisocial tendencies to move from the fringes of morality and law back into the safety zone?

Not only that, but from his proactive reporting of the case to his behavior during quarantine, one could say he didn't just act like a normal person.

One could even say he acted like a man of justice.

With a "splash," the onlookers gasped.

A young man in sportswear had already moved faster than anyone else, leaping into the water!

Amidst the mother's wails, he quickly grabbed the girl who was flailing and struggling on the surface, supporting her body as he swam toward the nearest riverbank.

Seeing her daughter rescued, the mother scrambled along the bank, arriving early to wait for their approach.

Fortunately, the river was relatively calm, and the young man who had jumped in to save her successfully brought the girl to the shore.

The panicked girl was helped up by the crowd.

The young man was also pulled onto the bank, where he sat down to recover his strength.

That young man was Jiang Qian.

The girl who had fallen into the river had jumped in voluntarily; after her mother discovered her puppy love, she had developed suicidal thoughts on the bridge. It was a spur-of-the-moment impulse, and she had regretted it the moment she hit the water.

Jiang Qian was draped in a jacket handed to him by a kind passerby to prevent him from catching a cold.

He watched the girl, who was now being held in her mother's arms and scolded through tears. The girl looked at him, her face deathly pale and filled with confusion.

The mother and daughter didn't seem to have thought to thank their savior yet.

But Jiang Qian knew it wasn't out of rudeness; they were simply too terrified.

They were still in shock.

Jiang Qian smiled slightly at the girl, raised his wrist, and checked the time on his waterproof watch.

He stood up and walked toward the edge of the crowd...

As he passed the people, he received the expected gaze of every onlooker.

Someone handed him the travel bag he had left on the bridge, their eyes filled with respect as they looked at him.

Society encouraged good deeds and righteous acts.

This reminded him of an afternoon many years ago, when someone had looked at him with the same devout, respectful gaze, praising his "heroism."

From that moment on, the direction of his life had been set.

Jiang Qian returned home soaking wet, prepared to face his sister's torment.

He entered the password into the digital lock.

He pressed the handle down and pulled...

The savory aroma of a feast hit him!

The range hood in the kitchen was humming; clearly, his aunt was showing off her skills.

The sound of a health program drifted from the television—it was obviously something Teacher Tang liked to watch.

Just then, Yu Xuan, wearing slim-fit jeans and a vintage wine-red T-shirt, poked her head toward the door.

The moment she saw her brother, her face blossomed into a smile:

"Oh, you're back!"

Thanks to: Wei Jun Bu Qi, Yu Chong Shi, Bai Yi Sheng Xue Yi Piao Piao, and all the eternal book friends for their monthly tickets! Also, thanks to all the book friends who voted and followed along~ Hugs!