Su Qianxue looked back at the screen, studying the photo. It was a profile shot of Lin Jin captured by a surveillance camera, his features sharply defined and his gaze indifferent.
He seemed not to care about anything.
When it came to money, he accepted whatever he was given, neither demanding an exorbitant amount nor showing any emotional reaction.
As for his abilities, she had never seen him show off or deliberately conceal his strength.
When it came to relationships, he kept to himself, with Zhou Yan as his only friend.
Then what did he care about?
Su Qianxue suddenly found herself very curious.
She remembered that she still owed him a favor, and that he had indirectly helped the Paranormal Bureau three times.
The first was the C-Rank Shadow Wraith in the alley.
The second was freeing the team members from their hallucinations at the clinic.
The third was instantly killing the B-Rank Skin-Shedding Ghost.
Each had been a situation the Paranormal Bureau could not handle, and each time, he had resolved it effortlessly.
She hesitated, then picked up her phone and found Lin Jin's number.
Should I ask him out for a talk?
Not about work.
She found herself a reason: he had helped the Paranormal Bureau three times, so thanking him in person was only right.
As for finding out more about his background... that would just be incidental.
Yes, incidental.
She pressed the call button.
The phone rang three times before he answered.
"Hello?"
Lin Jin's flat voice came from the other end. In the background, she could faintly hear Zhou Yan hollering, "Little Lin, who is it? Calling this late? Is it a woman?"
"I'm telling you, Little Lin, watch out for honey traps this late at night... mmph, mmph, mmph!"
Then came a rustling sound, as though Lin Jin had covered Zhou Yan's mouth.
Su Qianxue couldn't help laughing a little.
"It's me, Su Qianxue."
"Mm."
"Sorry to bother you so late."
"It's fine."
A brief reply, with no further questions or small talk. He simply waited quietly for her to continue.
Su Qianxue took a deep breath. "I heard about what happened yesterday. You saved Zhou Yan and the others from that B-Rank entity. Including the two earlier incidents, you've helped our Paranormal Bureau three times now."
"I'd like to thank you in person. Are you free tomorrow?"
There were two seconds of silence on the other end.
Then Lin Jin's voice came through. "A meal?"
Su Qianxue paused, then smiled. "Yes, a meal. My treat."
"Sure."
"Then tomorrow at noon. I'll send you the address."
"Okay."
The call ended.
Su Qianxue looked at her phone screen, inexplicably feeling her heart skip a beat.
She shook her head, suppressed that odd flicker of emotion, and began thinking about what to say tomorrow.
I can't be too direct. With someone like him, overly direct questions will only put him on guard.
But I can't be too roundabout either, or I won't get anything out of him.
Where should I start?
She thought about it for a long time before finally giving up.
Forget it. I'll let things take their course.
At least... she really did want to thank him.
At noon the next day, at an unassuming private kitchen restaurant in Jiangcheng's old district.
When Lin Jin followed the address there, Su Qianxue was already waiting at the entrance.
Instead of her Paranormal Bureau combat uniform, she wore a light gray trench coat with jeans today. Her long hair hung loose, making her look considerably softer.
Image attached.
"You're here." Seeing Lin Jin, she greeted him with a smile. "I found this place after coming to Jiangcheng. The owner is a great cook, and it's quiet here."
Lin Jin nodded and followed her inside.
The restaurant was small, with only five or six tables, and there were few customers at lunchtime.
Su Qianxue was clearly a regular. The owner greeted her with a smile, then led them to a table by the window.
"The usual?" the owner asked Su Qianxue.
"Yes, plus two of your specialties." Su Qianxue looked at Lin Jin. "Anything you don't eat?"
Lin Jin shook his head.
"That'll be all, then. Sorry for the trouble."
After the owner left, they sat facing each other.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled light and shadows across the table.
Wisps of steam rose from the tea in the pot, and the atmosphere was unexpectedly peaceful.
Su Qianxue poured Lin Jin a cup of tea, then poured one for herself.
"Have some tea first."
Lin Jin picked up his cup and took a sip.
"The tea here is good too," Su Qianxue said. "The first time I came, the owner told me he grew it himself back in his hometown. You can't get it anywhere else."
Lin Jin set down his cup. "Mm."
Another brief response.
Su Qianxue sighed inwardly.
He really is a man of few words.
But she wasn't discouraged. Instead, she found this way of spending time together comfortable. There was no need to force a topic or worry about awkward silences. Sitting quietly was far more relaxing than all that insincere socializing.
"On behalf of the Paranormal Bureau, thank you for what happened the day before yesterday," she said sincerely. "The Skin-Shedding Ghost was a B-Rank entity, and all five of them, including Zhou Yan, were at the Awakening Stage. If they'd really kept fighting, I'm afraid..."
She didn't finish.
"If that's what this is about, you really didn't need to invite me to a meal." Lin Jin looked at her. "I was only helping Zhou Yan out of danger."
Su Qianxue paused.
She had expected him to say something about payment. After all, he had previously said he charged for intervening.
"Just because of Zhou Yan?" she asked tentatively.
Lin Jin nodded. "He's my friend."
Friend.
Su Qianxue mulled over the word, inexplicably feeling a little envious.
"Zhou Yan is lucky to have a friend like you," she said.
Lin Jin glanced at her without speaking.
The dishes arrived one after another.
Braised pork belly, steamed sea bass, greens with minced garlic, and two of the owner's specialties: sweet-and-sour ribs and oil-braised prawns.
"Try some." Su Qianxue used the serving chopsticks to place a rib on his plate. "The owner's sweet-and-sour ribs are superb."
Lin Jin picked it up and took a bite, then nodded slightly.
"Not bad."
Su Qianxue smiled.
If he gave it that verdict, it must really be good.
They ate quietly, occasionally chatting about inconsequential things: Jiangcheng's weather, the restaurant's history, and everyday matters at the Paranormal Bureau.
Su Qianxue discovered that although Lin Jin said little, every response was just right.
He neither deliberately catered to her nor came across as cold. It was a sense of distance that was... just right.
Halfway through the meal, Su Qianxue finally couldn't resist asking the question on her mind.
"Lin Jin, can I ask you something?"
Lin Jin looked up at her.
"Those abilities of yours..." Su Qianxue chose her words carefully. "Fire, wind, teleportation, and those special eyes. How did you awaken them?"
Lin Jin was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I had a very long dream."
"May I hear about it?"
Lin Jin looked at her, his black eyes as calm as a deep pool.
"Why do you want to know?"
The question stumped Su Qianxue.
Yes, why did I want to know?
Curiosity? Duty? Or was it because...
She thought for a long time before finally giving an honest answer.
"Because you've helped the Paranormal Bureau three times and saved a lot of people. Besides, I'm very curious about you. I think you're mysterious, hard to read."
Lin Jin looked at her, a trace of an unreadable emotion flickering through his gaze.
"Being too curious about a man isn't a good thing."
Su Qianxue smiled.
"At the very least, I don't think you're a bad person."
"You're that sure I'm a good person?"
"I'm not, but I trust my instincts."
She paused, then added, "Besides, a bad person wouldn't step in to save complete strangers."
Lin Jin said nothing.
Sunlight fell across his profile through the window, softening his angular face a little.
After a long while, he spoke.
"I do have a lot of abilities." His tone was flat, as though he were discussing something perfectly ordinary. "But I can't tell you where they came from for now. All I can say is..."
He looked at Su Qianxue.
"I shouldn't be the sort of person you think would run around doing whatever he pleases."
Meeting his eyes, Su Qianxue inexplicably felt reassured.
She didn't need to know his secrets. Knowing this much was enough.
"All right." She smiled and raised her teacup. "Then let me toast you with tea instead of wine. Thank you for saying that."
Lin Jin raised his own cup and gently clinked it against hers.
The atmosphere suddenly grew much more relaxed.
Setting down her cup, Su Qianxue asked, "Then if the Paranormal Bureau runs into something it can't handle in the future, can we still come to you?"
Lin Jin considered it. "Depends."
"Depends?"
"On what it is, and who's asking."
Something stirred in Su Qianxue's heart. "What if I'm the one asking?"
Lin Jin glanced at her, fell silent for two seconds, then said, "Sure."
Then he added, "Just pay extra."
Su Qianxue froze.
Then she laughed, her eyes curving into crescents.
"I'll remember that."
She raised her teacup and offered him another toast.
After finishing their meal, they walked out of the restaurant.
The afternoon sunshine was just right. People came and went along the street, and everything seemed so ordinary.
"Want a ride?" Su Qianxue asked.
Lin Jin shook his head. "No need."
"Then you..."
Before she could finish, Lin Jin had already vanished.
Teleportation again.
Fortunately, no one had been watching them just then. Although ability users were not particularly rare in this world, ordinary people still made up the majority.
While the Paranormal Bureau hadn't made a big public show of bringing ability users into the public eye, it hadn't deliberately suppressed the news either. After all... sooner or later, it would be impossible to hide.
Su Qianxue stood there, looking at the spot where he had just been, and couldn't help shaking her head.
He really does come and go like the wind.
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