Jiang Cheng held a notebook in one hand while the other scribbled a series of molecular formulas across a whiteboard—formulas that Lu Linjiang couldn't begin to decipher. Standing beside him was a blonde, blue-eyed young man, watching him with rapt attention. Jiang Cheng’s head was turned slightly as he pointed at the formulas, explaining as he took notes, soon filling the entire board. The young man still seemed confused, so Jiang Cheng continued his explanation without pause. His expression held a level of confidence Lu Linjiang had never seen before.
As if possessed, Lu Linjiang had saved this video to his phone. It was only tonight that he seemed to remember it, tapping it open to watch once more.
Because Jiang Cheng had been a suspect, Lu Linjiang had been forced to investigate his background, despite their shared childhood. Jiang Cheng’s lackluster resume had only gained two brief entries in the three years since he had left. However, when Lu Linjiang searched Jiang Cheng’s name on the international web, the sheer volume of results nearly blinded him.
Though many shared the same name, the content related to this Jiang Cheng was easy to identify. Those who uploaded the materials had thoughtfully attached photos, most of which were taken while he was giving presentations. He was incredibly popular; men and women alike flocked to the comments to ask for his homepage. Some were there for his looks, but far more were drawn by his brilliance.
Lu Linjiang followed the trail of comments to search through academic journals. Jiang Cheng didn't have many papers as the first author—only five—but every single one had a remarkably high citation count. Not only that, the sheer amount of praise heaped upon him in the comments taught Lu Linjiang quite a few new vocabulary words for complimenting someone.
The video on his phone froze on the image of Jiang Cheng writing chemical formulas. Looking at this stranger, Lu Linjiang couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that Jiang Cheng had left him back then.
***
Jiang Cheng hadn't slept in a soft bed for days. He should have used this time to catch up on his rest, but the smell of stale alcohol on his skin forced him out of bed early the next morning. He looked around with bleary eyes, recalling the disastrous events of the previous night. He didn't know what had gotten into Lu Linjiang and Jiang Langmin, and Wang Ling, who had been trying to play peacemaker, looked like he was ready to explode at any moment. Having had a bit to drink, Jiang Cheng’s remaining logic hadn't been enough to figure out a solution, so he had simply flopped down and played dead.
Who would have thought he’d overplay it? He didn't know when he had actually fallen asleep, nor when the others had left. But their departure was a blessing. He had only just crawled out of a tangled mess; as a survivor of that ordeal, Jiang Cheng only wanted to indulge in a little celebration, not go looking for more trouble.
Jiang Cheng got up and took a shower, only then realizing his suitcase was missing. After a moment of hesitation, he begrudgingly threw on the hotel bathrobe. His luggage was obviously with Jiang Langmin. He sent a message, and less than a minute later, there was a knock at the door.
Jiang Cheng felt a bit embarrassed as he let Jiang Langmin in. "Sorry to trouble you, Senior Jiang."
Jiang Langmin pointedly looked him up and down. "I wouldn't mind if you troubled me a bit more."
Jiang Cheng took a massive step back, clutching his suitcase, his posture shifting into a defensive stance from his eyes to his limbs. "Senior Jiang..."
The reaction couldn't have been more direct. Jiang Langmin suppressed the urge to give a bitter smile. "Change your clothes first. I'll head out." He didn't miss the way Jiang Cheng let out a sigh of relief. He strolled slowly out the door; in all his years of playing the field, Jiang Cheng was the first person to be this guarded against him.
Immediately outside Jiang Cheng’s door, Jiang Langmin ran into a second person—Lu Linjiang.
Lu Linjiang hadn't slept all night. A shadow of stubble had emerged on his jaw, creating a stark contrast to Jiang Langmin, who looked as though he had just stepped out of a polished photograph. The night before, they had been at each other's throats without warning, inexplicably clashing and refusing to back down. Now that a night had passed and their heads were clearer, a modicum of reason had returned, and they finally remembered to mask their inexplicable hostility.
Lu Linjiang looked at Jiang Langmin’s hand, which hadn't yet let go of the doorknob, and tried to ask in a natural tone, "What is Mr. Jiang doing up so early?" Unfortunately, his professional habits died hard; the moment he spoke, it sounded like an interrogation.
Jiang Langmin stood his ground, a smile on his face. "Jiang Cheng asked me for his clothes."
"I see. Sorry for the trouble."
Jiang Langmin flashed a textbook smile. "As far as I'm concerned, this isn't a trouble at all." The two stared each other down for a moment before Jiang Langmin suddenly said, "Captain Lu, I heard you and Jiang Cheng grew up together?"
"That's right."
"I'm envious." Jiang Langmin didn't give Lu Linjiang a chance to feel proud. "But why did you two separate later on?" This jab was precise and ruthless. Lu Linjiang’s temper vanished instantly; no matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn't answer that question.
Jiang Langmin looked at him meaningfully and smiled slightly. "In the future, I'm afraid I'll have to ask Captain Lu to look after him more."
Lu Linjiang spat inwardly, feeling that Jiang Langmin was truly asking for a beating. "I'm not very good at taking care of people. I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you."
Jiang Langmin replied, "It's fine, I enjoy taking care of people. If Captain Lu has the time, just tell me how you used to get along with Jiang Cheng. I'll use it as a reference so I don't make any mistakes."
His words were loaded with double meanings. Lu Linjiang had been stabbed twice in a row, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words, forced into a retreat. Jiang Langmin smiled elegantly, looking as though victory was already in his grasp.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Lu Linjiang forced a nod and quickly took his leave, returning to his room. Having left Lu Linjiang utterly defenseless, Jiang Langmin walked away with the air of a victor.
Once everything had settled into silence, Jiang Cheng, who had been pressed against the door, finally stopped holding his breath and let out a long sigh. This conference had truly been an eye-opener. Setting aside the schemes and plots, just this aggressive version of Jiang Langmin and whatever had possessed Lu Linjiang yesterday made him wonder if he had stepped into a parallel universe.
At least Jiang Langmin had been clear about his reasons, even if Jiang Cheng felt there was nothing particularly special about him to catch the man's eye; Jiang Langmin would surely see the light in a few days. Lu Linjiang, however, was far more baffling.
Ever since Lu Linjiang had realized Jiang Cheng’s feelings for him, he had done nothing but keep his distance. The better Jiang Cheng treated him, the further he retreated. Even living under the same roof, they could go three to five months without seeing each other. At one point, Jiang Cheng had even wondered if Lu Linjiang had planted a tracker on him—how else could he have avoided him so thoroughly?
But what did Lu Linjiang’s actions yesterday mean? Jiang Cheng wasn't so naive as to think the man had suddenly discovered his virtues after finally managing to crawl out of that hole. At most, Lu Linjiang felt guilty toward him; Jiang Cheng knew this better than anyone.
He sat on the edge of the bed for a long time. After careful consideration, he wondered if Lu Linjiang thought Jiang Langmin was suspicious. But that didn't seem to make sense either; Jiang Langmin had no reason to collude with Logia, especially regarding the falsification of data.
Jiang Cheng’s thoughts drifted off course, and the more he thought, the less sense it made. Fortunately, the best thing he had learned over the past few years was not to waste time on emotions. He pulled out his laptop and opened his papers, then called room service. He made up his mind: he was going into seclusion. Unless it was an emergency, he wouldn't take a single step out of his room.
In reality, there were quite a few important matters—for instance, Tao Minxing’s funeral. The old man had long ago made a will stating he wanted to return to his roots. Therefore, his body would not be sent back to Denmark; he was to be cremated in Jinghai and buried in his hometown.
The couple had no children. Although Mrs. Tao had forced herself to return to the country, she had been away for decades and was unfamiliar with everything. Tao Minxing’s final arrangements were entrusted to Jiang Langmin. With so much to handle on his own, Jiang Langmin naturally sought Jiang Cheng’s help.
Jiang Cheng had no objection to helping with the arrangements, but Jiang Langmin’s constant display of tender affection made him want to keep his distance. He couldn't keep reminding Jiang Langmin that he wasn't interested, so he simply avoided him whenever possible.
Tao Minxing’s funeral was finally held in Jinghai. Many who had attended the symposium returned to the city. Jiang Cheng went to the memorial hall early in the morning, specifically tasked with reception. As the disciple Tao Minxing had officially introduced at the conference before his death, many people remembered him vividly.
Wentworth was one of them. The old man was several years older than Tao Minxing. Originally, due to his health, he had sent word that a student representative would attend in his stead, but he had unexpectedly come in person.
Jiang Cheng was swamped when he received the news. Wentworth was a longtime friend of Tao Minxing, so he notified Jiang Langmin, who had been staying by Mrs. Tao’s side to manage the proceedings. Jiang Cheng put down his phone and saw Jiang Langmin waving to him as he walked toward the exit, which put his mind at ease.
Tao Minxing was a leader in the industry with many students, and because of his gentle nature, a great number of people came to pay their respects. Jiang Cheng was run off his feet registering guests. When he saw Lu Linjiang, he even wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him from exhaustion.
To thank Chu Juxian and Lu Linjiang for solving the case, Mrs. Tao had specifically invited them to the memorial service. Jiang Cheng had been too busy to remember; he quickly flipped through the guest list and only realized it after finding their names.
Lu Linjiang had finally returned to his familiar self. After a businesslike greeting with Jiang Cheng, he entered the main hall with Chu Juxian. Jiang Cheng instinctively watched them go, only to see Wentworth seemingly waving to him from a distance.
Jiang Cheng didn't react immediately. He hadn't had much deep contact with Wentworth, only having accompanied Tao Minxing while they chatted. He nodded to the man in greeting, but Wentworth continued to stare at him as if he had something to say. Jiang Cheng looked around; most of the guests had arrived, and there was a brief lull, so he quickly wove through the crowd toward him.
"Mr. Wentworth, thank you for coming today. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Wentworth looked at him and nodded. "Tao thought very highly of you. It's a pity we didn't get to have a deeper conversation..." Wentworth let out a heavy sigh. "I suppose I'm getting old. Could I have a glass of water?"
Jiang Cheng nodded. Many of Tao Minxing’s friends were quite elderly, and Jiang Langmin had thoughtfully arranged seating at the venue. Jiang Cheng helped Wentworth sit down and turned to get him some water. Jiang Langmin was not far behind him; the moment he turned around, their eyes met.
Jiang Cheng couldn't help it; the corner of his mouth twitched. He had never felt anything for Jiang Langmin beyond professional respect, so he never could have imagined the man would be so clingy.
Jiang Langmin walked over quickly. "Are you tired?"
Jiang Cheng couldn't suppress a shiver. He instinctively took a step back. "I'm not made of glass. I'm not that fragile."
Jiang Langmin handed him the poured water. "Make sure to rest."
Jiang Cheng broke out in goosebumps. He hurried back to Wentworth’s side. The old man’s face looked quite pale, perhaps due to the blow of his friend’s passing. Jiang Cheng handed him the water and offered a few words of comfort before leaving, looking back several times.
Though many people attended, the funeral proceedings were kept simple. Jiang Langmin had to accompany Mrs. Tao to collect Tao Minxing’s ashes, so Jiang Cheng was responsible for seeing the guests off. Wentworth’s complexion worsened visibly. He looked from afar at Mrs. Tao, who was immersed in grief, and eventually left with his friends.
Jiang Langmin was to accompany Mrs. Tao to take the ashes back to their hometown. Since it wasn't far from Jinghai, they decided to make it a day trip. Some guests weren't going along, and Jiang Cheng had to stay behind to arrange their accommodations. Upon learning he wouldn't have to go with Jiang Langmin, he couldn't help but breathe a secret sigh of relief.
Lu Linjiang had also stayed behind. There were many people present who knew Chu Juxian, and Chu Juxian naturally had to socialize, so he couldn't easily let Lu go. Lu hadn't missed a single bit of the way Jiang Langmin had been hovering over Jiang Cheng; he had seen it all. Then, for some unknown reason, his gaze began to involuntarily drift toward Jiang Cheng. This abnormal behavior ended when Chu Juxian, unable to watch any longer, gave him a sharp, unceremonious kick.
"Pay attention!"
Lu Linjiang pulled his thoughts together. Lunch had been arranged by Jiang Langmin on behalf of Mrs. Tao; it was a simple meal. Although there was no need to drink, the constant flow of people was enough to irritate Lu Linjiang. "Director Chu, how about I head back to the bureau first?"
Chu Juxian felt like giving the brat another kick. Lu Linjiang had solved Tao Minxing’s case, and this was the perfect time to show his face, yet the grandson wanted to leave before even finishing a few bites of food.
Suppressing his anger and maintaining a smile, he threatened in a low voice, "Don't you dare!"
Lu Linjiang did dare. He pulled out his phone, tapped around, and then reported to Chu Juxian, "Director Chu, there's a case over by Airport Road. I'm going to check it out."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
分子式 | Molecular formula |
第一作者 | First author |
引用次数 | Citation count |
丹麦 | Denmark |
韦恩沃斯 / 韦恩 | Wentworth / Wayne | Tao Minxing's international colleague.
楚居闲 | Chu Juxian | Director of the Public Security Bureau; Lu Linjiang's superior.
机场路 | Airport Road |
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