Chapter 187

Page Forty-Three Meeting

[November 21st, Thursday, 17:45]

Líng Shàojié canceled all her activities for the day and appeared in Class 2B right after school, but unlike before, she couldn’t help but feel a bit down.

“Senior student, there’s no need to be so tense. Today is the heartwarming reunion of siblings.”

“Hey, at least we should call them brother and sister!”

She actually rapped me on the head and asked, “So he agreed to meet?”

“Mm-hm, Chérry Sauce handled Lín Zǐyè in the afternoon. To prove their father’s innocence, he’s willing to cooperate with us in the investigation.”

I nodded affirmatively, but she asked, “Don’t you fear he might pretend to cooperate but stab us in the back?”

“If you keep being this suspicious, nothing will get done. He is your younger brother after all. Senior student, try to trust him a little.”

“I’ve never met him, how can I trust him?”

As Zǐ Jie prepared to leave from the back door, she also had something to say about Líng Shàojié.

“The rewards of trust far outweigh the risks. Even from a rational standpoint, you should try to believe in the other person… But I have to go to the research institute today, so I won’t participate in your matters.”

“Alright, take care, Zǐ Jie.”

Zǐ Jie responded, “Wish you good luck too.”

Right after she left, Sister Qiūluó slipped into the classroom.

“Oh my, even though it’s after school, it’s still bustling here?”

Xiǎo Lěi saw her and felt a headache, hiding behind me and questioning, “Why are you here?”

Sister Qiūluó replied nonchalantly, “Isn’t it obvious? I’m here to take you to the store!”

“That’s not right. I’m off duty today, and I have an appointment with Chairman…”

Chairman! Help me!

Sister Qiūluó pulled out the idiot from behind me like carrying a chicken and hugged her waist with one hand.

I asked, “Is it some urgent overtime?”

“Sort of? Xiànà had the day off today, the shop was busy, so the shopkeeper asked me to grab you to cover for her temporarily.”

So that’s it. Xiàlù skipped work to accompany Lín Zǐyè to the family recognition meeting, leaving the work for Xiǎo Lěi. However, it’s a bit pitiful that Lín Zǐyè has no one by his side during negotiations.

“Help Xiàlù out, she does have something important today.”

The idiot looked hurt as if betrayed.

Lǐn Huā chimed in, “Anyway, you can’t do anything today. Whether it works out depends on how well the senior student and Lín Zǐyè talk. Having Xiàlù present can help analyze the situation, so covering for her is helping.”

Xiǎo Lěi protested, “How can you do that!”

“That’s just how it is, so Sister Qiūluó, take her away.”

“Got it!”

Sister Qiūluó carried the struggling idiot out of the classroom.

“So we’ll go as three today. Senior student, have you thought about what to say?”

“In any case, first understand his character and morals. I won’t tell him the plan until I’m sure he won’t betray me… Besides, I’m not completely convinced that he’s my twin brother.”

Lín Zǐyè’s status rising from a bastard child to a twin brother was something Líng Shàojié found hard to accept.

“Don’t worry about that. Once you see him in person, you’ll know.”

“But I’ve seen him before, and we’re not alike at all.”

I smiled, “You’re saying that because you haven’t seen the current version of him. Trust me once, Senior student.”

—

The meeting location was arranged by Xiàlù, somewhere in the underground street.

When we arrived at the entrance of the pedestrian street, Chérry Sauce was already waiting. As soon as she saw us, she dragged me into a small alley by the roadside and gestured for Lǐn Huā and the others to wait.

After turning two corners in the alley and entering a deserted dead-end, she stopped and complained, “Finally you’re here. Even if I’m a clone, I can’t stand the cold wind!”

Her face was flushed from the cold wind of the pedestrian street, and her lips were chapped. She indeed didn’t look comfortable.

I touched my own face and asked, “Why are you alone? Where are Mother and the others?”

“Mother and the others were sent back by Miss Fànnī. Xiàlù and Lín Zǐyè are waiting for you at the base. I came alone to pick you up since we can’t appear together. Let’s combine here first, and I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Chérry Sauce planned to hide her existence from Lín Zǐyè and the others. She changed my school uniform into casual wear, then collided into my abdomen and wriggled inside… Oh, her shoes fell off.

I picked up Chérry Sauce’s dropped shoes and stuffed them back into my body. Her half-soul as a spirit flowed back into her body, and the feeling of completeness returned. We were back in our imperfect fusion state.

The completeness of the soul should be natural, yet we became separate individuals. This incompleteness truly feels regrettable…

Returning to the pedestrian street, Lǐn Huā and Líng Shàojié were still waiting at the alley entrance.

“Chérry Sauce? No, it’s Kǎi-Chan!”

Lǐn Huā quickly recognized me. I explained, “Chérry Sauce said she was freezing, so I took over everything.”

“Do you know where the meeting place is?”

“Of course, she’ll guide me through mental communication.”

Líng Shàojié took out some miscellaneous items from her bag—listening devices, a voice recorder, and a palm-sized drone. These things definitely shouldn’t be in a JK’s bag.

Hiding these gadgets in various pockets, Líng Shàojié pushed her glasses up.

“Alright, since everything is ready, let’s go!”

—”Is she going for a secret interview?”—

I think she’s usually in full combat mode when interacting with us.

The base was located in a secluded corner of the underground shopping street, where an unusually bright music store stood. The entrance displayed a poster for Thunder Meow-Meow’s new album, and the store played songs by Sister Miāomiāo.

“Typical of Xiàlù, but can such a remote place sell well?”

Lǐn Huā took out her phone and snapped a few pictures of the store, then chose a filter for少女风格 (teenage girl style).

“Send it to Sister Miāomiāo, she would be happy knowing Xiàlù did so much for her.”

“Let’s go in. Lín Zǐyè and Xiàlù are already waiting.”

There were no other customers in the store. We walked straight in, but the staff acted as if they didn’t notice us, playing with their phones.

Soundstore Warehouse

—”The wall to the left of the potted plant is a hidden door. Should you have seen this setup before?”—

I knocked on the wall panel, and a clear hollow sound echoed inside.

“Oh, you’re here!” Xiàlù’s greeting.

She didn’t let us in directly, only opening a narrow gap.

She said through the door, “Let me see Zǐyè’s sister first!”

“Who is the sister?”