Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Jiang Lulu continued cursing from the hospital bed.
Xie Qingling walked over, patted her back, and comforted her. “All right. The fact that you’re unharmed is already a blessing amid misfortune. We can deal with everything else later.”
“Mm.” Jiang Lulu nodded and rubbed her eyes. Only then did she look at Dai Xingyu and ask, “Qingling, is this adorable little brother a friend of yours?”
Dai Xingyu, the “adorable little brother,” instantly scowled. Paired with his baby face, however, the expression was not intimidating in the slightest.
Xie Qingling said, “He’s my colleague. He may look young, but he’s very capable. He’s quite impressive.”
“Wow – hello, hello.” Jiang Lulu exclaimed in surprise and greeted Dai Xingyu.
After a while, Jiang Lulu asked again, “Was that couple arrested? I genuinely suspect they were involved with some illegal organization. It would be terrible if other naive university students like me were tricked.”
Dai Xingyu and Xie Qingling both fell silent for a moment.
“I’m afraid that’s impossible,” Xie Qingling said. “They’re already dead.”
“Dead?!”
“Mm. At three this morning.”
Jiang Lulu fell silent as well.
After a moment, she sighed. “When a person dies, everything ends. I can’t sue them even if I want to.”
“Get some rest. I’ll visit you again in a couple of days,” Xie Qingling instructed. “And keep an eye on your phone. Contact me if anything happens.”
“Okay.”
Only after visiting Jiang Lulu did Xie Qingling and Dai Xingyu leave the ward.
Once they went downstairs, Xie Qingling said, “There’s another unusual circumstance involving my friend. I forgot to mention it before.”
“What unusual circumstance?”
“Before I joined the Department, I encountered a Shanxiao. During that struggle, I only escaped because my roommate helped me.” Xie Qingling looked at Dai Xingyu. “In other words, she knows that strange beings exist in this world.”
Dai Xingyu was silent for a moment. “We may have to ask the Director about that.”
Xie Qingling caught his hand before he could tap his earpiece. “First, tell me how the Department usually handles situations like this.”
She stared straight into Dai Xingyu’s eyes, looking as though she would not release him until he explained everything clearly.
Seeing Xie Qingling’s serious expression, Dai Xingyu froze at first. Then realization struck him.
He cried out, “You… You didn’t forget at all! You never intended to say anything from the start, did you? What, were you afraid we’d hurt your friends?”
Xie Qingling averted her gaze. “Uh… that’s not what I meant. Just tell me how the Department handles situations like this.”
Dai Xingyu glared at her, thinking that this newcomer was truly bold, reckless, and utterly lawless.
He really wanted to see the Director pound some sense into her!
Then again, from the moment she joined the Department, she had rushed nonstop from one violation of the Director’s orders to another and had even been punished with a written self-criticism. Not even Shen Huaizhou had received this kind of treatment back then.
Dai Xingyu sighed. “Generally speaking, the Department has two options for handling a situation like this.”
“If the person is cooperative and willing to communicate, they only need to sign a confidentiality agreement. The informed party promises not to tell anyone, or they’ll be held accountable.”
“If they’re an uncooperative troublemaker, we can use a more forceful method and have Sister Anran erase their memories. That settles the problem once and for all.”
Xie Qingling had seen Ye Anran’s hypnosis once before.
That had been at the university student activity center, when Ye Anran hypnotized Dong Jia.
Afterward, Xie Qingling had worried that the hypnosis might affect Dong Jia’s health. Based on her later observations, however, there did not seem to be any serious adverse effects.
With that, half the worry in Xie Qingling’s heart eased.
She smiled. “Little Brother Xingyu, you’re such a good person. You can explain it to the Director. Oh, right. Apart from Jiang Lulu, another one of my roommates helped me fight the Shanxiao.”
Dai Xingyu: “…”
Shameless Xie Qingling!
He did not want to face the Director’s foul expression either!
“I’ll leave the Director to you. I need to discuss it with my roommates first. They aren’t uncooperative people. They’re very well-behaved and obedient. I think signing a confidentiality agreement should be enough. Nothing else will be necessary. Don’t you agree?” Xie Qingling hinted. “Be a good little brother and put in a good word for your big sister. You met Jiang Lulu yourself. What a pure and kind girl she is.”
“Look, we’ve fought monsters together. That makes us comrades from the same trench, right? You wouldn’t disappoint a comrade, would you?”
“…” Dai Xingyu’s face turned livid. After a moment, he gave an angry “Mm,” agreeing despite himself.
Xie Qingling smiled, took out her phone, and sent a message to the dorm group chat.
[Xie Qingling: Jiajia, Lulu, here’s what happened…]
Xie Qingling gave them a general account of events, explained the current situation, and told them they needed to sign a confidentiality agreement.
Only after she sent a long string of messages did Dong Jia reply.
[Dong Jia: Got it.]
[Dong Jia: Something this serious happened? That’s terrifying. I was at the university and didn’t know anything.]
[Dong Jia: We can talk about the confidentiality agreement later. I’ll make time to visit the hospital today and see how Lulu is doing.]
Jiang Lulu’s reaction was considerably less calm.
[Jiang Lulu: Aaaaaaaaaah!]
[Jiang Lulu: So that handsome baby-faced guy just now is your colleague? Does he know the kind of martial arts where you fly around in the air??]
[Jiang Lulu: I should’ve asked him for an autograph!!!!]
Xie Qingling: “…”
Had Jiang Lulu actually realized that she had just encountered ghosts?
After a while, just as Xie Qingling was about to say something, Jiang Lulu sent another message.
[Jiang Lulu: Forget it. There’ll be plenty of chances in the future.]
[Jiang Lulu: We’ll discuss the confidentiality agreement first and come see you tomorrow.]
[Xie Qingling: Okay.]
With that, the matter could be considered settled.
Xie Qingling breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Dai Xingyu was listening miserably as Ling Fang lectured him.
His baby face crumpled into a miserable frown. The lecture went on for about ten minutes before Ling Fang finally said, “Have Xie Qingling’s friends find time to come sign the confidentiality agreements. Also… have her write another ten-thousand-word self-criticism.”
Hearing that his own name had not been mentioned, Dai Xingyu immediately confirmed with delight, “Director, I don’t have to write a self-criticism, right?”
“Hmm…” Ling Fang fell silent for a moment and thought that Dai Xingyu had not written a self-criticism in quite some time. He said, “Since you’re so eager to write one, you can submit a ten-thousand-word self-criticism too.”
“…???”
What?!
What did he mean, “Since you’re so eager to write one”?!
When had Dai Xingyu ever said he wanted to write one?
What did any of this have to do with him?!
Was it because he had spoken up for Xie Qingling?
Because he had said, “The girl looked very well-behaved to me. Why not just have her sign a confidentiality agreement”?
Director, wake up! This had nothing to do with him!
Dai Xingyu had so much he wanted to say, but in reality, he did not dare utter a single word.
Only after Ling Fang ended the call did Dai Xingyu turn mournfully toward Xie Qingling. “You got me into so much trouble!”
Xie Qingling asked in confusion, “What happened? Did the Director scold you?”
“Not me. He just ripped you to shreds.” Dai Xingyu sounded somewhat gleeful at her misfortune.
“…” Xie Qingling asked, “Hmm? Then how exactly did I get you into trouble?”
“Why is the Director making me write a self-criticism?! I don’t want to write one!”
Xie Qingling quickly understood what had happened and kindly offered, “Why don’t I write it for you?”
“You have to write ten thousand words too.”
Xie Qingling: “…”
Fine.
Come to think of it, the last time she had been punished with a self-criticism was still vivid in her mind. It had not been that long, so why did she have to write another one already?
Xie Qingling sighed mournfully, then looked at Dai Xingyu’s miserable face and consoled him. “You don’t need to look as though you’re burdened by a lifetime of bitter hatred. You may have to write a ten-thousand-word self-criticism, but you’ve gained my friendship.”
“…Just shut up.”
“I’m sure writing self-criticisms together will make our bond even stronger. If you don’t believe me, ask Anran.”
“Hurry up and shut up!”
That day was spent patrolling outside.
Everything remained calm, and nothing happened.
Amid the peace, the city remained noisy and crowded, its daily life dull yet tranquil.
The next day, Xie Qingling and Dai Xingyu stayed behind on duty.
The main reason was that they had self-criticisms to write, so neither of them went out.
Dai Xingyu said resentfully, “I’m the best-behaved person in the Department and have written the fewest self-criticisms. You arrive, and suddenly I have to write one with you. Don’t involve me the next time you’re up to something bad. I won’t help you.”
Xie Qingling remained unmoved. “Then who has written the most self-criticisms in the Department? Don’t tell me it’s already me.”
“You’re overestimating yourself. Brother Shen used to hold the record, but even he’s well-behaved now.”
Xie Qingling nodded. Shen Huaizhou might have an extraordinarily beautiful face, but he truly was a rebellious troublemaker. Compared with him, she did not come close.
After she finished this self-criticism, she probably would not make another mistake.
When she counted it up, she had only written two, after all. Xie Qingling felt no psychological burden whatsoever.
As she was thinking, a knock suddenly sounded at the office door.
Xie Qingling and Dai Xingyu exchanged puzzled glances.
Members of the Department did not believe in knocking. They simply pushed the door open and came inside.
Whoever was knocking was strangely polite.
Perhaps someone had wandered in by mistake.
Xie Qingling put down her pen and went out to see what was happening.
The people outside were…
Dong Jia and Jiang Lulu.
When Xie Qingling came out, she saw Jiang Lulu, whose complexion had already returned to normal, and Dong Jia standing beside her.
“Why are you here?” Xie Qingling asked in surprise.
“Lulu, have you recovered? Don’t you need another couple of days of rest?”
Jiang Lulu shook her head. She looked resolute, as though she had made an important decision.
“Qingling, the two of us discussed it yesterday,” Jiang Lulu said. “We’ve decided to have our memories of this erased and pretend none of it ever happened.”
Xie Qingling was startled. “Why? You only need to sign a confidentiality agreement, and then – ”
“We’ve thought it through,” Dong Jia interrupted.
“Compared with the alternative, we still prefer the lives we have now. I prefer dancing in the studio without distractions, and Lulu prefers freely rewriting statutes in the examination hall. We only want to be ordinary people. We don’t want to know that this world contains so many… fucked-up things,” Dong Jia said, her face conflicted.
“Maybe life can only become better if we keep it a little simpler.”