Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 43

Jiankang City, High Energy Physics Research Institute.

Princess Nankang finished sorting today’s data, then turned to make herself a cup of strong tea. When she turned back, she saw Xie Guyan standing at the lab table, gently stroking the toroidal coil with her left hand.

“Teacher!” Princess Nankang exclaimed in shock.

“Your teacher is already dead,” Xie Guyan said coldly.

Princess Nankang was silent for a moment before saying seriously, “You will always be my teacher, even if you’ve been reincarnated.”

“As you wish,” Xie Guyan replied. “You and Cheng Jinyang are very alike.”

“Jinyang…” The princess’s face flushed, about to say more when Xie Guyan said, “I am leaving.”

“Teacher, where are you going?”

“Overseas.”

A long silence followed.

“Teacher, are you going to advance to the next rank?”

“I should have long ago,” Xie Guyan murmured, a flash of melancholy crossing her face. “I was supposed to in my last life.”

“Teacher!” Seeing that Xie Guyan was about to leave, the princess called out hastily, “I have one more question!”

Xie Guyan, whose figure was gradually becoming transparent, looked up at her.

“What was the secret you and my father guarded back then?”

“Go find Jinyang,” Xie Guyan’s figure had vanished, leaving only her last words.

“Jinyang…?” The princess muttered, staring blankly.

After a moment, she sat down despondently, gazing out the window in silence.

…

In the afternoon, after a short nap following lunch, Cheng Jinyang finally finished all his work before 3 o’clock.

The war in the southern part of Jiankang City was still ongoing. The Liyang army was locked in fierce urban combat with the Shenwu and Yulin armies, both sides in a constant tug-of-war.

Moreover, the Beifu army displayed astonishing combat prowess. According to Liu Daojian, “These enemies are much weaker than demons.” It was said that Bian Wangzhi had even hosted a banquet for the Beifu officers to learn from them how to set ambushes, take potshots, and conduct flanking attacks in an urban environment.

The regular army is less effective than my private army. This Great Jin is really doomed, Cheng Jinyang mused, then instructed Liu Daojian and the others to “act as circumstances dictate.”

Stretching, he looked at Xing Yuanzhi and Cui Jinqi in the office, sighing inwardly.

Now, I too have to act as circumstances dictate.

“Are you done with your work?” Noticing Cheng Jinyang’s gaze, Cui Jinqi, who had been watching videos, perked up her bunny ears immediately. “Shall we go see a movie?”

“Let’s go,” Cheng Jinyang said. “What about you, Yuanzhi?”

“Yuanzhi probably can’t join us,” Cui Jinqi said with an innocent smile. “I checked just now, and the 3:40 PM showing of ‘Little White Dragon’ is already fully booked.”

“Really?” Xing Yuanzhi said coldly. “What a coincidence, a member of the Xing family bought a ticket and is willing to transfer it to me.”

“Is that so?” Cui Jinqi gritted her teeth inwardly but said calmly, “Then let’s go together. But Jinyang and I bought adjacent seats, so we might be separated at the theater.”

“No problem, I can find someone to switch seats,” Xing Yuanzhi smiled, not backing down.

“Switch seats?” Cui Jinqi’s face changed. “They might not agree. Why bother?”

“I’m not switching with you, Jinqi,” Xing Yuanzhi said with a smile.

Seeing Cui Jinqi retreating step by step, and Xing Yuanzhi about to triumph, Cheng Jinyang quickly intervened, hugging Cui Jinqi’s waist and wrapping an arm around Xing Yuanzhi’s shoulder, smiling, “It’s fine, it’s more fun if we all watch together.”

In the cinema lobby:

“Um, are you alright?” The ticket seller asked concernedly as Cheng Jinyang clutched his waist.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Cheng Jinyang said, sucking in a breath, “I’m here to collect the tickets.”

Earlier in the car, Xing Yuanzhi and Cui Jinqi had both targeted the soft flesh at his waist, pinching him almost the entire way… Ah Zhi even claimed it wasn’t to harm him but was actually a special massage technique she had learned, beneficial for kidney qi circulation, though it hurt a bit.

So Cui Jinqi was just pinching to vent her anger, huh? Picking up the tickets from Cui Jinqi, he saw they were indeed two adjacent seats. Cui Jinqi raised her head triumphantly; moments ago, she and Ah Zhi were united against a common enemy, but now they were back to infighting.

Tsk, noble family daughters, nothing special.

Xing Yuanzhi smiled faintly and asked the ticket seller, pointing at Cheng Jinyang, “Check who bought the seat next to him.”

“Okay,” the ticket seller said, operating the computer. “Got it. Would you like their contact information?”

“I’ll buy their ticket for three times the price,” Xing Yuanzhi said.

“Understood.” The ticket seller operated the computer again and then made a phone call: “Hello… Yes, I’m very sorry, there was a system error, and your seat overlaps with another customer’s… Yes, that’s right, the cinema is willing to compensate you three times the price and give you another ticket for ‘Little White Dragon’ for the evening showing… Yes, thank you very much, and sorry for the inconvenience.”

Cui Jinqi watched, dumbfounded, for a long moment. When the ticket seller finished the call and resumed her professional smile, Cui Jinqi pointed at her incredulously, “You! How can your cinema bully people like this?”

“Didn’t anyone tell you that this cinema is actually one of the Jinkou branches of the Xing Logistics Network(Ground Network)?” Xing Yuanzhi said meaningfully.

Cui Jinqi: ???

Cheng Jinyang: …

Right, the Xing Logistics Network appeared to be a logistics company but was actually an intelligence agency. Using a cinema as a front for a branch office was quite normal, wasn’t it?

Cui Jinqi’s face fell, looking as if she’d been cheated on; Xing Yuanzhi smiled disdainfully.

Then they heard Cheng Jinyang pointing at the popcorn under the counter, asking the attendant, “Since we’re all family here, can we get a free large popcorn? Extra caramel, please.”

Xing Yuanzhi: !!!

“You’re embarrassing us!” She kicked him in frustration.

But the ticket seller was sharp, grabbing a popcorn bucket before Xing Yuanzhi could refuse and quickly filling it to the brim in less than a second.

“Excellent, you’re very considerate,” Cheng Jinyang said, satisfied. Ignoring Ah Zhi’s kicks, he walked inside, hugging the popcorn.

As they took their seats, Cui Jinqi was still listless, unable to muster any enthusiasm.

The romantic date for two had an extra rival next to Jinyang. Seriously, she should have bought a seat in a corner or nook, then she could have occupied the only seat next to him.

“Want some popcorn?” Cheng Jinyang offered her the bucket.

Cui Jinqi grabbed a handful and began munching angrily, her cheeks puffed up. Imagining it was fried Xing Yuanzhi, she chewed with vigor.

Chew, chew, chew!

“Want some, Yuanzhi?” Cheng Jinyang turned to her.

The chewing next to him became louder, almost like teeth grinding.

“No thanks,” Ah Zhi, a fitness enthusiast, declined. “Too greasy.”

“If she doesn’t want it, I’ll take it,” Cui Jinqi snatched the bucket and devoured the popcorn greedily.

“It’s very high in calories, eat up,” Xing Yuanzhi said with a cold smile.

Cui Jinqi stiffened, finally realizing, and silently handed the popcorn back to Cheng Jinyang.

“Ahem, a few extra calories won’t matter; just run a bit to burn them off,” Cheng Jinyang stood up, placing the popcorn on the seat. “What do you want to drink? I’ll go buy it.”

“Juice, watermelon or strawberry,” Cui Jinqi said.

“Just water,” Ah Zhi replied.