The screenshot on the phone was clearly from an adult film. The two leads were of the same gender, locked in a rapturous embrace. Such a scene was nothing new to a seasoned veteran like Wang Ling, but seeing it on Lu Linjiang’s phone made the hair on his arms stand up involuntarily.
He grabbed a napkin to wipe away the spilled wine, asking Lu Linjiang in disbelief, "Are you for real?"
It seemed that every time Lu Linjiang met Wang Ling, he ended up getting sprayed with something. "I’m for real. I’m not joking."
Wang Ling tossed the napkin aside and circled his hand in the air. "No, didn't you always say you weren't into men? This is a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn. Aren't you afraid of losing control and flying off the tracks?"
Normally, Lu Linjiang would have snapped back, but he simply thought seriously for a moment. "If the person is Jiang Cheng, it seems I can actually accept it."
Wang Ling’s features contorted. "Then why the hell did you get divorced four years ago? I still remember the look of relief on your face the day you asked someone to finalize the paperwork and came to find me." Seeing Lu Linjiang about to speak, he immediately warned, "Let me finish. Childhood doesn't count. I’ve seen Little Orange harbor feelings for you since puberty—that’s at least ten years. You never even thought about giving it a try, and only now you say you can accept it? Do you honestly believe it’s not because you were provoked by Jiang Langmin?"
"I did try."
Lu Linjiang cut in while Wang Ling was catching his breath. Wang Ling was about to scold him for interrupting, but the words died in his throat as he realized what had been said. "What did you just say?"
"I said I tried, and I failed."
"Tried? When?" Wang Ling’s face contorted in shock once again.
"About a year into the marriage." Lu Linjiang signaled the bartender to bring him another glass of water, leisurely enjoying Wang Ling’s expression. "I’m not made of stone, nor am I naturally contrary. I tried to convince myself back then—Jiang Cheng was doing well enough, so why not try? After all, we were already married."
He nodded in thanks to the bartender who delivered the water. Only after the man had walked away did he continue, "After I tried, I felt it wouldn't work. Even setting gender aside, the Jiang Cheng of that time wasn't the type of person I liked. Besides, back then, I was just an immature brat obsessed with chests and backsides."
It was rare for Wang Ling to hear Lu Linjiang speak like a human being, but the first half of the sentence still sounded like his usual arrogant, self-important self. He squeezed six words through his teeth with disdain: "The type of person you like?"
Fearing Wang Ling might spit into his water again, Lu Linjiang moved his glass aside and tapped the rim with his finger. "I know what you mean. Jiang Cheng was indeed good in every way, yet also not good in any way."
"Speak plainly!"
Lu Linjiang looked at him. "Back then, I felt that if he were a woman, there would obviously be no problem with him doing those things. But he was a younger brother I watched grow up—why was he always doing such effeminate things?"
Wang Ling: "..."
"So why wouldn't I just marry a woman?" Lu Linjiang asked. "Why wouldn't I be more direct? Why take such a long detour?"
"..." Wang Ling felt a headache coming on. He took a pained sip of his wine. "Being good to you is 'feminine'? Where do you get your logic?"
"How was I supposed to think that much back then? I just felt he was no different from those little girls who asked people to bring me snacks. He was probably even more of a hassle than a girl, since a girl wouldn't have my old man backing her up. You know exactly how I ended up signing those papers."
Wang Ling was momentarily speechless. Years ago, Lu Linjiang had been working peacefully when he was suddenly summoned back by the Lu family patriarch. Under various forms of coercion and inducement, he had resisted for three days. Finally, after the elder Lu fainted and was rushed to the hospital, Lu Linjiang had no choice but to sign—only to find out later that even the fainting spell had been pre-arranged.
In truth, Jiang Cheng’s grandfather also knew he was forcing someone’s hand. But once he passed away, the only one left in the family would be Jiang Cheng, who seemed as soft as dough; there was no way the old man could feel at peace. Left with no choice, Jiang Cheng’s grandfather had thickened his skin and asked the elder Lu for four years of time.
It was impossible for Lu Linjiang not to feel resentful under those circumstances. However, back then, Jiang Cheng knew he was in the wrong and truly loved Lu Linjiang, so he did everything to the absolute extreme. In the eyes of an insider like Wang Ling, that effort really should have balanced the scales.
It had been a mess of an account back then, but in the end, it was all in the past. It was rare that the three of them could still sit down for a meal and a drink, yet this idiot Lu Linjiang had lost his mind and was trying to stir things up again.
The more Wang Ling thought about it, the angrier he got. *Where the hell were you earlier?* Looking at Lu Linjiang drinking mineral water beside him, he cursed from the bottom of his heart, "Lu Linjiang, you’re such a masochist!"
Lu Linjiang accepted the insult without hesitation. "Tell me, since I’m such a masochist, what are the odds of me succeeding in my pursuit?"
Wang Ling turned away in agony. "Just let the man live his life."
"From the sound of it, it seems my chances of success are quite high."
Though the two were bickering, Lu Linjiang had a thoughtful look on his face. Wang Ling’s heart screamed that things were going south, yet he still desperately tried to make Lu Linjiang see reason. "Jiang Cheng wasn't your 'type' back then. Is he now?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a smile appeared on Lu Linjiang’s face that made Wang Ling’s skin crawl. "Yes. He’s perfect in every way." He hooked an arm around Wang Ling. "Don't you think he’s shining right now?"
Wang Ling: "..."
"Actually, there’s no point in regretting the past. If we had stayed together back then, the current Jiang Cheng wouldn't exist. Given my behavior at the time, I probably wouldn't have been willing to let him go so far away from me. Jiang Cheng... isn't the kind of person who should be trapped in a kitchen." Wang Ling struggled, and Lu Linjiang was forced to let him go. "Anyway, it’s not too late. Also, no matter what you say, I’m not changing my mind."
Knowing Lu Linjiang’s temperament well, Wang Ling was forced to give up his attempt at persuasion. He only asked unwillingly, "Since my opinion doesn't matter, why did you come to me?"
Lu Linjiang sat up straight and asked very seriously, "How do I pursue him?"
Wang Ling: "..."
The two sat in silence for about ten minutes before Wang Ling finally gave in. "If I knew that, would I have been single for so long? Can't you just learn from that Jiang Langmin guy?"
Lu Linjiang frowned at the mention of the name. "That man..." Seeing Wang Ling looking at him with disdain, knowing Wang Ling thought he was just being prejudiced, he had no choice but to give a brief account of the Martina matter. "That woman’s words can't be fully trusted, but the fact that she came looking for Jiang Langmin is worth noting."
Lu Linjiang had Martina’s photo with him and showed it to Wang Ling. "This is her."
"Mute, beautiful, and vague about why she came looking..." Wang Ling couldn't help but nod. "It really does seem like there's something fishy."
He handed the photo back to Lu Linjiang. "So, what do you plan to do next?"
"Since nothing has actually happened yet, it’s not appropriate to launch a formal investigation. I’ll have someone try to find information on this woman to see if there are any other issues."
Wang Ling sighed and shook his head. "Little Orange really has bad luck. One unreliable guy after another."
Lu Linjiang didn't argue; after all, his own past record was right there. Seeing him remain silent, Wang Ling lost the heart to needle him further. He simply cautioned him once more, "I know you usually know what you're doing, but with these drastic swings of yours, you have to consider other people's feelings. Little Orange isn't some plant; you can't just do whatever you want according to your whims."
Lu Linjiang didn't say a word. After a long while, he drained the rest of the water in his glass. "I’m not acting on a whim."
***
Jiang Cheng opened the incubator with high hopes. He took a sample from the culture dish inside and placed it under the electron microscope. A moment later, he felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar—the third mutation group of Gaimoer was dead as a doornail, showing no signs of life.
In contrast, Jiang Langmin took it much better. "We still have plenty of backups from the second mutation group. We have time to do another set."
Jiang Cheng took a deep breath. He instinctively wanted to touch his face, only to realize it was behind a protective shield. "I know. Things were going too smoothly before." He calmed his emotions. "My expectations were too high; I got a bit carried away."
"It’s probably because of Guo Junyi, isn't it?" Jiang Langmin kept one failed sample as a specimen and took the rest to be destroyed. "When we were at Hughes, I never saw you this nervous."
Jiang Cheng didn't deny what Jiang Langmin said. "I feel that if we succeed a bit sooner, he can get better sooner. I used to spend all my time in the lab looking at data, but I’ve never felt the true meaning behind every data point as vividly as I do now."
Jiang Langmin finished processing the viruses before saying, "We aren't gods, and we can't shoulder the responsibility of being saviors." He suddenly asked, "Jiang Cheng, why did you enter this field in the first place?"
In recent years, Jiang Cheng rarely thought about the past; he was so busy he simply had no time for old memories. Being asked so abruptly, he dazed for a moment, remembering the airport from years ago.
"I..." Jiang Cheng didn't know how to put it for a moment. Back then, he didn't have many choices; it was just that applying for a master's degree in this field was what he was most confident in.
Jiang Langmin saw his awkwardness. "I entered this field to make money," he stated frankly. "I finished my undergraduate degree too early. When it came time to choose a major, I was overwhelmed by the long list of names. I agonized for a long time and didn't know which one to pick. It just so happened that an elder in my family pointed out a few paths, one of which was vaccine research. I thought about it, felt it was okay, and dived right in."
Jiang Cheng was slightly surprised. Jiang Langmin’s talent was well-known; he had always assumed Jiang Langmin chose virology because of a personal interest. He hadn't expected it to be such a strange accident.
Jiang Langmin wasn't surprised by his reaction at all. "I’ve been good at everything since I was a kid. Does that sound arrogant?" He gave a light laugh. "Studying was too easy for me. I’d get first place without even trying. Everyone took it for granted that I should be 'successful.'"
He gave a self-deprecating smile. "Actually, I originally just wanted to study finance and see how to make money. But at the time, everyone felt I shouldn't be so realistic, nor should I be so wasteful—that scientific research was the only way forward. It was as if my brain wasn't mine, but theirs. Sometimes when I get tired of being in the lab, I can't help but wonder what I’d be doing now if I hadn't listened to them."
"..." Jiang Cheng’s family was all gone. Before his grandfather passed away, in order to fulfill Jiang Cheng’s wish, the old man had thrown away his pride to present the Lu family with a difficult problem. Jiang Cheng didn't quite understand this kind of helplessness Jiang Langmin felt.
Jiang Langmin looked as if he had more to say but held back. "Anyway, don't carry other people's burdens on your own shoulders. On this journey of life, it’s better to travel light." He gave Jiang Cheng a relieved smile. "Don't think too much. Let's produce another mutation group."
***
