Xu Sichen handed the organized deposition to Lu Linjiang. As soon as he turned the corner, he started making squeaking noises at Tang Hua like a mouse. "Squeak, squeak!"
Tang Hua kicked his chair over. "What is it?"
"Don't you think the Boss looks a bit... off today?"
Yang Bo joined the gossip squad. "You mean he’s radiating that 'Horse-Cross-Bug' energy?" Seeing their two pairs of confused eyes, he explained, "Horse-Cross-Bug—it spells *sultry*!"
Xu Sichen and Tang Hua slowly sat up straight. "What do you mean, sultry?"
"The Boss! He’s completely different from usual. I used to think he was all stern and serious, but today, he’s practically sashaying when he walks." Yang Bo looked at them earnestly. "You guys didn't feel it?"
Xu Sichen and Tang Hua looked at Yang Bo and shook their heads in unison.
Yang Bo found it unbelievable. "Then what do you think is off about him? Oh, and he was late today!"
"Yeah, he was late. So what?"
Yang Bo jumped up as if his backside had hit a firecracker. He spun around and snapped to attention. "Nothing! Nothing at all! I was just worried his breakfast would get cold and wouldn't taste good."
Lu Linjiang swept his gaze over the three of them before turning to walk out.
Xu Sichen and Tang Hua waited until they estimated he was far enough away before bursting into laughter. "Nice, nice, nice!"
Yang Bo looked like he wanted to strangle the two idiots. "How much did he hear?!"
"Not much," Tang Hua patted him comfortingly. "Just from the 'Horse-Cross-Bug' part onward."
Yang Bo collapsed onto his desk with a wail. "You guys are animals! You’re the ones who started this!"
The two seniors laughed without restraint, showing not a shred of the sympathy or guilt they owed their junior.
***
Lu Linjiang waited until Chu Juxian finished reading the letter. "Starting from Tao Minxing, then Guzman, and finally Martina—the deaths of these three all have Jiang Langmin’s shadow over them. I am convinced Cheng Hao is just a scapegoat they pushed forward. Cheng Hao is the COO of Weiguanda, but his initial hiring was very strange. Given his qualifications, he didn't fit Weiguanda’s usual standards. Several former employees said he had 'connections.'"
Chu Juxian looked at the letter in his hand. "Connections to Jiang Langmin?"
"It’s hard to say. Jiang Langmin is, after all, a talent that everyone in the virus research community wants to snatch up. He and Cheng Hao were elementary school classmates. I suspect there’s some kind of relationship there."
Chu Juxian nodded. "Judging by this letter, Jiang Langmin acts very cautiously. It seems you’ll have to put in some serious work."
"I understand. The biggest problem right now is that Cheng Hao has taken all the blame. If Jiang Langmin tries to leave the country, we’ll be in a very passive position." Lu Linjiang raised the most pressing issue. "Without sufficient evidence, we have no way to restrict his movements."
This was indeed a major problem. As the Bureau Chief, Chu Juxian understood this better than anyone. Given Jiang Langmin’s status, if they tried to force the issue without concrete evidence, Jiang Langmin would only need to use a bit of his influence to cause a massive uproar, putting the entire Municipal Bureau in an extremely embarrassing situation.
Chu Juxian slowly and methodically folded the letter. In a meaningful tone, he said to Lu Linjiang, "Circumstances won't always be in our favor. In situations like this, you need to exercise your subjective initiative and see how you can create favorable conditions for yourselves."
This was exactly the sentence Lu Linjiang had come here to hear. He took the letter back from Chu Juxian and said with a knowing look, "Understood!"
Lu Linjiang unceremoniously requested backup from other squads. Soon, an inconspicuous small car appeared downstairs from Jiang Langmin’s residence, parked in a discreet corner with black curtains covering all the windows.
Lu Linjiang pulled a full day of surveillance. Under the suspicious glares of Yang Bo and Tang Hua, he left at the shift change with a swagger in his step. When he pushed open his front door, however, he found the living room empty. His heart sank, and he immediately went into the bedroom. The bedding was neatly folded, but the figure he wanted to see was nowhere to be found.
For the first time, Lu Linjiang felt a surge of panic. He frowned and called out, "Jiang Cheng!"
Unfortunately, there was no response. He grabbed the keys he had just tossed on the table, intending to head out, but just as he was about to change his shoes, a sudden intuition made him change his mind. He went straight to the study.
Upon opening the door, he saw the new computer desk he had bought. No one was sitting in the chair, but on the tatami tea area beside it, two legs were stretched out. He walked a few steps further in and finally saw Jiang Cheng holding a book, leaning against the bookshelf, fast asleep.
Lu Linjiang’s heart finally settled back into his chest. He lightened his footsteps, intending to pick the man up. Perhaps because he had already rested the previous night, Jiang Cheng wasn't sleeping deeply; the moment Lu Linjiang took him into his arms, he opened his eyes.
Jiang Cheng blinked several times before his vision cleared. Realizing he was being held mid-air, he struggled to get up. "Put me down!"
Lu Linjiang complied but didn't let go. He held the man firmly in his embrace and asked very seriously, "Why didn't you go to the bedroom to sleep?"
Since returning this time, Jiang Cheng had been blushing quite frequently. The things in that room had clearly been moved from Lu Linjiang’s own room; even the pajamas he was wearing belonged to Lu Linjiang. Once he realized this, he couldn't stay calm at all. After changing his clothes, he hadn't dared to step back into the bedroom.
Under the right circumstances, Jiang Cheng wouldn't deliberately hide his feelings. Moreover, after realizing Lu Linjiang might be in danger, he hadn't even stopped to think before dropping everything to return to the country. In such a situation, saying he no longer had feelings for Lu Linjiang would be pure self-deception.
But while he never intended to hide his feelings, admitting to the other man that he couldn't go back to the bedroom because he was embarrassed... was simply too difficult.
Now, completely surrounded by the other man’s scent, Jiang Cheng had nowhere to retreat. He had to find a way to distract Lu Linjiang. "Um, I didn't know when you’d be home, and I overslept, so I haven't made dinner yet..."
Lu Linjiang saw through his deflection and gave his lip a punishingly light nip. "Why are you apologizing? I chased you back here, but not so you could cook for me."
Jiang Cheng’s face had been flushed since he saw Lu Linjiang, and after the bite, he turned as red as a cooked shrimp. His usual cold demeanor was nowhere to be found; he just looked at the other man helplessly. "Then... then are you hungry? What are we eating tonight?"
Lu Linjiang thought to himself: *I’d rather just eat you.* But if he said that out loud, Jiang Cheng would probably spontaneously combust. While teasing him was fun, Jiang Cheng was already thin; Lu Linjiang only wanted him to eat more and couldn't bear to let him skip a meal.
"Let's order takeout. Tomorrow, I'll remember to give the new address to the housekeeper; she'll come to cook." He pulled Jiang Cheng down to sit on the tatami and picked up his phone. "You don't need to worry about these things anymore."
Jiang Cheng was about to say that he was used to doing these things and there was no need for a housekeeper, but Lu Linjiang’s hand unceremoniously squeezed his waist. His face, which had just started to cool down, flared up again.
"Look at you, you've made yourself so thin. From now on, I have to keep an eye on your three meals a day."
Jiang Cheng fell completely silent.
***
After finishing his run and taking a shower, Jiang Langmin walked to his liquor cabinet feeling refreshed. With great interest, he mixed himself a drink. A new email popped up in his inbox. He finished reading the contents while sipping his drink. Even though the alcohol content wasn't low, it didn't add any warmth to the smile on his face.
"Interesting," he murmured. He then pulled up a tracking software. The red dot on the map was still flashing in the same spot, and the coordinates displayed in the top left corner had never changed. Jiang Langmin’s breath hitched slightly as the phone on the desk suddenly rang.
Jiang Langmin looked at the caller ID; he didn't want to answer. But the other party was clearly certain he was there, persevering without any intention of hanging up. He counted the rings, and on the very last one, he finally picked up.
"Xiao Min, I heard the item is ready."
A voice that couldn't be called familiar came through. Jiang Langmin replied coolly, "Yes."
"And the accompanying vaccine?"
Jiang Langmin shifted his posture, his eyes half-lidded. "Naturally, that's ready too."
"Then the plan can be implemented."
Jiang Langmin let out a sneer. "Uncle, are you notifying me, or are you asking for my opinion?"
Jiang Shenghang’s voice finally softened a bit. "Xiao Min, you know we can't afford to wait any longer."
Jiang Langmin’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he finally suppressed the rising anger in his eyes. "You all... be careful." Without waiting for Jiang Shenghang’s reply, he hung up. The red dot on the screen was still flashing. Jiang Langmin watched it silently for a moment before he finally couldn't hold back and smashed the glass in his hand violently against the computer.
"Damn it!"
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
马叉虫 | Horse-Cross-Bug / Sultry | A breakdown of the character 骚 (sāo), which means sultry, flirtatious, or showy.
微观大 | Weiguanda | The name of the company where Cheng Hao works.
主观能动性 | Subjective initiative | A philosophical/bureaucratic term referring to taking proactive action within one's own capacity.
姜晟航 | Jiang Shenghang | A relative/associate of Jiang Langmin.
