Chapter 11: It’s Ye Fengwan

Watching Little Calico eat, Ruan Ming opened her wristband to log into the forum.

That person wasn’t online.

Ruan Ming wanted to leave a message, but she felt it would be more formal to speak when they were both online at the same time. So, she waited until eight in the evening.

A little after eight, sure enough, the person’s icon lit up.

Ruan Ming opened the chat dialog and typed: “The kitten arrived safely. Thank you.”

“But didn’t you say it was an old cat? You sent a one-year-old kitten?”

After a few seconds, a notification ding sounded as the reply came in: “Glad it arrived. That old cat happened to be taken by someone else, so only this one was left. Are you not satisfied? If not, you can return it.”

Ruan Ming quickly replied: “Of course I’m satisfied. I was just worried you sent the wrong one. But now that the kitten is with me, even if it’s the wrong cat, I’m not giving it back.”

Reading this, Ye Fengwan couldn’t help but smile. She replied: “Rest easy. Once it’s sent, it’s not coming back.”

Ruan Ming touched her chest, truly relieved. Curious, she asked: “Are you close with Institute Director Ye? Her signature is on the release form as the applicant.”

“A research institute, how could we not know each other? I happened to be out this morning, so I asked her to send it for me.” Ye Fengwan lied without batting an eye.

This made the person on the other end of the connection even more curious.

Who was this person, to dare ask Institute Director Ye to mail something for her!

But before she could ask, another message came in: “Is the kitten behaving at your place?”

Ruan Ming was quickly distracted. She replied: “It’s okay. Maybe the car ride was too long; it was pretty irritable at first. But after I fed it, it calmed down a lot. I haven’t dared let it out yet though.”

“Yes, wait a couple of days until it recognizes the place.”

Ruan Ming thought for a moment and asked: “You’ve sent me such a precious gift, and I don’t even know how to repay you. And I still don’t know your name, or even your gender.”

“I’m a woman,” the reply came.

Ruan Ming bit her lip. She typed a few words, deleted them, typed again, hesitating for a long while before finally pressing send.

“Are you Ye Fengwan?”

Ye Fengwan’s typing fingers paused. After three or four seconds, she deleted what she had been typing and started over.

“So clever. How did you guess?”

Ruan Ming had only been speculating, but she hadn’t expected it to actually be Ye Fengwan. Her heart beat a little faster for no reason. She admired Ye Jianggui, and Ye Fengwan was her idol’s sister. Being able to talk to her idol’s sister was definitely something to be excited about.

And, whether it was Ye Fengwan’s intention or not, she had indirectly helped eliminate Cui Rong.

Not only that, she’d also sent her a cat.

Perhaps because of these two connections, even though she was just a stranger, Ruan Ming inexplicably felt a sense of closeness to her.

Calming herself, she replied: “Maybe because I’ve been hearing people talk about you a lot recently, you were the first person I thought of. Plus, you just said you asked Institute Director Ye to send the cat. How many people in the research institute dare ask her to do something like that, besides her own sister?”

“People are talking about me out there?” Ye Fengwan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t need to guess to know they say I’m unskilled, reckless with lives, a good-for-nothing riding on my big sister’s coattails.”

If not for these past few days of contact, Ruan Ming’s impression of Ye Fengwan might have indeed been just that. But the person on the other side of the network, who had patiently answered her professional questions all week, might not have the best attitude, but she was absolutely no good-for-nothing.

“Outsiders don’t understand you, that’s why they say those things,” she replied.

Ye Fengwan chuckled lightly. “So, you have a different opinion of me?”

Ruan Ming answered: “Of course.”

She was somewhat worried the other might press for how her opinion differed. She didn’t really know much about her at all.

Fortunately, Ye Fengwan was in a good mood and didn’t pry. She just asked: “You know my name now, but I still don’t know what you’re called?”

Seeing her question, Ruan Ming couldn’t very well keep it secret, so she sent her name over.

Ye Fengwan: “Your name is quite rare. I know the character ‘Ming’ means beautiful, but I can’t quite recall what word it pairs with.”

Ruan Ming’s name had been given by her mother. She didn’t know her mother’s state of mind at the time, but it must have been a wish for her well-being.

She felt a bit shy discussing her name with others and typed: “I know where your and Institute Director Ye’s names come from. ‘The Yangtze, saddened, has long since ceased its flow; for ten thousand miles, my thoughts turn towards home. More so in the high winds of evening; mountain after mountain, yellow leaves fly.’ Am I right?”

“Right, you’re very clever.”

Being called clever by Ye Fengwan for the second time made Ruan Ming’s face feel warm. She replied: “Not really, Institute Director Ye is very famous, someone analyzed your names before. I’m just repeating what others have said.”

Chatting, they unknowingly reached nine o’clock. Ruan Ming usually logged off at this time, but since the mysterious person had topped up her communication credits, she wasn’t short on credits anymore.

So, she wasn’t in a hurry to log off.

But Ye Fengwan was the one to mention it first.

“I’ve been assigned by Institute Director Ye to manage the forum these past few days as punishment. My penalty period ends in two days, and I might not be managing it anymore. I’ll give you my private contact info. If you have any questions in the future, you can message me directly. No need to post on the forum.”

Ruan Ming was surprised Ye Jianggui would punish her sister this way, and that Ye Fengwan would obediently comply.

From their interactions these past few days, she had been doing her job well.

What surprised her even more was that Ye Fengwan would so easily give out her private contact information.

Before she could voice her question, Ye Fengwan sent another message: “Little Calico is with you now, so you might need to consult about cat issues often.”

Hearing this, Ruan Ming immediately thought her very thoughtful.

Without further hesitation, she also sent her own contact number.

What she didn’t know, however, was that her number had been saved in Ye Fengwan’s wristband for a long time.

Ye Fengwan wanted to chat a bit longer but heard a noise at the door. She quickly typed: “It’s past nine. You usually log off by now; I made you stay up chatting. You should rest early.”

Ruan Ming wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Ye Fengwan seemed much more pleasant after they’d exchanged names.

She stared at the wristband screen, slowly typed back: “Okay, good night.”

Then she logged off.

Ye Fengwan turned her head to look at her sister, who had wheeled into the room.

“Usually, I’d have to beg you to manage the forum, and you’d make excuses. You’ve been quite dedicated these past few days,” the woman said, casting a sidelong glance.

Ye Fengwan laughed dryly. “I’d love to shirk it, but would you let me?”

“It’s best you have that awareness,” Ye Jianggui said.

Ye Fengwan stood up, shut down the equipment, and stretched her shoulders. She walked behind the wheelchair and started pushing. “Let’s go, time to head home.”

Once they were out of the elevator, Ye Jianggui suddenly asked softly, “Fengwan, do you want to go to Central City?”

Ye Fengwan paused, let go of the wheelchair handles, walked around, and crouched in front of her. She touched her sister’s knees and asked, “Is the pain here getting worse?”

Ye Jianggui’s legs weren’t congenitally disabled. Dark Uranium toxins had accumulated in her knees, affecting the bone marrow. Standing caused excruciating pain, which was why she used the wheelchair.

“Has it started affecting other places too?”

As expected, there was no answer. Ye Fengwan looked at her. “Sitting all the time must tire your back too. I’ll carry you home; it’ll stretch your back out.”

Ye Jianggui shook her head. “You’re not a Strength Esper. How much strength could you possibly have?”

“You think you’re heavy? I exercise regularly. Get on.”

Ye Fengwan reached around to support her waist.

Left with no choice, Ye Jianggui leaned forward and hugged her shoulders.

Ye Fengwan supported her thighs, using a bit of strength from her knees, and stood up, carrying her on her back towards the main gate.

Seeing the two emerge, the guard quickly rushed forward.

Ye Fengwan said, “No car today. Go put the wheelchair away in the director’s office.”

The guard dared not say much, seeing the two sisters out of the Research Institute’s main gate.