Chapter 73: Could It Be Because…
Ming Fei was more than just shy at this moment; she was also confused.
Yes.
Confused.
She asked herself inwardly, she hadn’t done anything wrong, so why did she hide the camera? Why did she subconsciously want to avoid Zhu Yiqiao when she saw her? Why was her face flushed and her heart racing?
Was it because of her shy personality?
Was it because she and Zhu Yiqiao were good friends?
Was it because she didn’t want to face the awkwardness?
…
What was the reason?
—She didn’t know.
Outside the window, the snow fell silently, but Ming Zaozao’s footsteps echoed in the corridor. She seemed to be very happy, even humming a tune in her childish voice. Because the door wasn’t closed, Ming Fei could clearly hear her footsteps, her singing, and the applause she gave herself.
The strange, ambiguous, and tense atmosphere was broken.
Ming Fei opened the storybook on the table: “I made a new bookmark for Zaozao.”
The footsteps grew closer, but Zhu Yiqiao seemed to have lost her perceptiveness at this moment, asking slowly,
“Is that so?”
“I remember Zaozao’s camera was here, where is it?”
Thinking of the five hundred photos that had been sent, the blush on Ming Fei’s cheeks deepened. She wasn’t good at lying, and any lie she told would be easily seen through, so she gave up struggling.
“It’s on the windowsill.”
She pretended to be calm, her voice slightly faster as she asked, “Why did Jiejie transfer the photos?”
Hearing this, a smile flickered in Zhu Yiqiao’s eyes, as pleased as a carefully laid trap finally catching its prey. She didn’t ignore the question, lowering her voice so that only the two of them could hear.
“It’s a gift.”
“Ah Fei, the new year is coming soon, and I want to give you a New Year’s gift.”
In the Independent State of Yi Meng, January 9th of each year was New Year’s Eve, and the citizens had a spring festival holiday from January 9th to 28th, with various celebrations during this period. With almost a month left until New Year’s Eve, Ming Fei hadn’t expected this answer.
Because of her surprise, she even overlooked Zhu Yiqiao’s address for her.
Not the initial “Ms. Ming” or “Miss Ming,” not the later familiar “Ming Fei,” not “Xiao Fei” or “Teacher Xiao Fei” like other friends, but the more intimate “Ah Fei,” as if it were exclusively for her.
“Mommy~”
But she didn’t have time to think more, because Ming Zaozao was already standing at the door, her round, grape-like eyes filled with a smile. Ming Fei quickly whispered something in Zhu Yiqiao’s ear, then bypassed Zhu Yiqiao, who was wearing her Trial Court uniform, and strode towards Ming Zaozao.
“Zaozao, you’re back.”
“Mm-hmm!” Ming Zaozao poked her head out and greeted Zhu Yiqiao, “Pretty Auntie!”
Zhu Yiqiao responded, “Mm.”
Having not seen each other for a whole night, Ming Zaozao had a lot to share with Ming Fei. Holding Ming Fei’s hand, she chattered non-stop as they slowly went downstairs.
When she finished talking, Ming Fei stopped at the last step.
“Zaozao, Mommy will tell you something later.”
“What is it?”
“Do you like Auntie Xu Zhou?”
Ming Zaozao nodded emphatically: “Yes!”
“Mm, you’ll know later, Zaozao.”
Ming Zaozao obediently replied with an “okay.” When she was led by Ming Fei into the living room, she saw Xu Zhou and crisply called her “Auntie.” Since September, several aunties who were very, very good to her had appeared in her life, and she liked them all very much.
Xu Zhou, sitting on the sofa, was still dressed in black—black coat, scarf, trousers, and boots—simple, versatile, yet elegant, like the quiet night, the red tattoo inadvertently revealed the only splash of color against the black.
Ming Fei’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she greeted her: “Jiejie.”
Xu Zhou’s lips curved slightly: “Mm.”
Ming Fei continued, “Zaozao, come here.”
Ming Zaozao, who had been captivated by the cartoon after greeting them, ran to Ming Fei like a little spinning top. Ming Fei looked into her eyes, her voice exceptionally gentle.
“What I’m about to tell you is very important.”
Ming Zaozao looked at her mommy, then at her auntie, and finally sat down on the sofa, her face serious.
“Mm! Baby will remember it firmly!”
Ming Fei chuckled: “Okay, Mommy will tell you now.”
Her voice didn’t change much, but upon closer listening, one could detect the slight fluctuation: “Auntie Xu Zhou is Mommy’s older sister. From now on, Zaozao should call her ‘Yima’ (aunt – mother’s side).”
This term had rarely appeared in Ming Zaozao’s life since she learned to speak. Seeing her little round face scrunch up without speaking, Ming Fei thought that her explanation was too abstract and difficult to understand and was about to elaborate when Ming Zaozao suddenly looked at Xu Zhou and asked seriously,
“Then… does that mean… there’s one more person who is good to Mommy?”
Ming Fei’s heart warmed, and a dimple appeared on her cheek as she smiled.
Xu Zhou also answered seriously: “Mm, yes. There’s one more person in this world who will unconditionally love you and your mommy.”
Ming Zaozao’s face bloomed into a smile: “Yay, that’s great!”
She changed her address smoothly, throwing herself into Xu Zhou’s arms and calling out, “Yima!”
After calling out once, she called out twice more, each time louder than the last. Finally, she nestled in Xu Zhou’s arms and watched cartoons, completely unaware that this change in address had earned her shares in the Luci Group and a property as a meeting gift.
Snow once again covered the mountains and plains.
During lunch, Ming Fei noticed that Zhu Yiqiao had dealt with work matters five times in just twenty minutes.
She suddenly remembered the drunken incident and started to wonder if Zhu Yiqiao remembered. She couldn’t figure out Zhu Yiqiao’s thoughts, but based on some clues, she vaguely felt that Zhu Yiqiao did remember.
But—
So what if she remembered?
She couldn’t help but ask herself again.
Why did it matter so much?
Drunk people mostly didn’t know what they were doing, and even a kiss on the dimple didn’t seem like a big deal. After all, cheek kisses were a common social etiquette in the international community.
And they were good friends, having engaged in more intimate acts before as part of their charade.
But… but…
Ming Fei didn’t know why she had so many “buts,” but she just felt that it was strange and not quite right. This feeling didn’t completely dissipate until she put Ming Zaozao to bed and went with Xu Zhou to ask Zhu Yiqiao something.
The fragrance of tea lingered in the main hall on the third floor. Zhu Yiqiao, having changed out of her Trial Court uniform, seemed less aloof and unapproachable.
After listening to Xu Zhou’s account, she put down her delicate teacup and brought up the investigation team established by the Independent State for transmigrators.
“Actually, there’s no conclusion on this matter yet.”
She said, “The boundary between chance and necessity, in the vast universe, no one has been able to fully understand it yet. As for the second matter, the Ole Empire did have the technology for artificial incubation chambers.”
Ming Fei’s heart lifted, and Xu Zhou’s expression also changed slightly.
Zhu Yiqiao looked at Ming Fei intently, her eyes filled with complex emotions: “If you ask the Mehertaer faction who the most conscientious alpha in the history of the Ole Empire was, those who know about the purge would mostly say it was the researcher who invented the artificial incubation chamber technology.”
Xu Zhou frowned and asked, “What was her name?”
“She didn’t have a name, and neither did her partner. Everything about them was erased during the purge.” Zhu Yiqiao said, “However, those who knew about it said she was an alpha, and her partner was a beta.”
Ming Fei’s pupils constricted, her heart pounding.
If her sister’s memory wasn’t wrong, could their mothers be those two researchers? And their differentiation attributes also matched. It was precisely because the other mother was a beta that her sister showed no signs of differentiation, a beta like the citizens of the Independent State, without glands or pheromones.
Zhu Yiqiao continued, “The detailed information about this technology was secretly sealed in the royal palace. I only know that this technology was secretly developed by them, because the Empire wouldn’t allow it. They were both top talents of the Empire, fell in love in their early twenties, and had a very good relationship after years of marriage.”
“That’s all I know.”
“As for whether they…,” her voice softened slightly, “Whether they perished in the purge, opinions vary. Some believe that the Empire completed the purge, while others believe that they were incredibly intelligent and had anticipated the Empire’s actions, fleeing the capital before the purge officially began, their whereabouts unknown since then.”
As the two went downstairs from the main hall on the third floor to the second floor, Xu Zhou suddenly said that she was going to Xue Xun’s place.
Ming Fei nodded: “Jiejie, be careful driving.”
“Mm.”
Before leaving, Xu Zhou patted Ming Fei’s head, like a proud wolf approaching a harmless canine.
She said, “Xiao Fei, remember to tell me if anything happens.”
Ming Fei smiled: “I will.”
“Mm.” Xu Zhou released her hand. “Then I’ll be going. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
She had agreed to stay at Xu Zhou’s place for three days starting tomorrow. After watching Xu Zhou leave, she turned and went back to the study, pondering the matter of the artificial incubation chambers in the Ole Empire. But this matter had been buried for too long. Except for the few words she had overheard at the theater and the clues Zhu Yiqiao provided today, she had no leads.
That was already a matter of another dimension.
And, more than twenty years had passed.
Whether those two researchers, whose everything had been erased, were their mothers or not couldn’t be verified.
As Ming Fei’s thoughts wandered, sleepiness crept in, and she fell asleep at her desk. Perhaps because she fell asleep with so many questions in her mind, she didn’t sleep well, her dreams constantly changing.
When she woke up again, an hour and a half had passed. 008 and 0619 came in and told her that Zhu Yiqiao was in an online meeting, the end time unknown.
She stretched, her clothes riding up slightly, revealing her well-defined abs, the skin around her waist as white as snow.
0619, after a few seconds of silence, said, “Teacher Xiao Fei, I’ll go on patrol now.”
“Mm.”
008 didn’t leave, staying in the study to accompany Ming Fei. Perhaps because Ming Fei seemed preoccupied, the considerate 008 couldn’t help but ask,
“Teacher Xiao Fei, what’s wrong?”
“Is there a problem with your friendship with Chief Judge Zhu?”
Ming Fei didn’t shake or nod her head.
Seeing this, 008 made a judgment: “Okay, Teacher Xiao Fei~ 008 is here to serve you. Here are all the effective methods 008 found for you. What should you do when there’s a problem with the friendship between good friends? The first respondent has the exact same question as you, and her answer is as follows—”
“I’ve known my friend for ten years. Last time, after getting drunk, I accidentally kissed her. Since then, I’ve become strange. I blush and my heart races when I see her, my reactions are slow, and when she’s close to me, I even get dizzy. This is really too strange…”
008, in care mode, also detected a problem. It was searching for friendship problems, so how did it become a problem of friendship turning into love? This didn’t fit its owner’s solid friendship with Chief Judge Zhu at all. It was about to switch to the next answer when it noticed that its owner, sitting at the desk, was blushing. ????? !!!!!! ?????
Although a robot’s understanding of many things was limited to the theoretical level, 008, at this moment, amidst the screen full of question marks and exclamation points, finally arrived at the correct answer through program verification.
—It wasn’t “Good Friends Walk Together Forever,” it was “This Sweet Love.”
It didn’t switch to another answer, continuing to read in a sweet voice,
“…To confirm my guess, one dark and windy night, I asked my good friend if I could kiss her. Don’t misunderstand, not on the face or lips, just a kiss on the hand. She agreed, and then my problem was solved. I like her, undoubtedly.”
Ming Fei, who had been silent, suddenly said, “…That’s enough, stop reading.”
The robotic voice stopped abruptly. 008, receiving the stop command, not only stopped reading, but also changed the screen full of question marks and exclamation points to hearts. It quietly left, leaving the study to its owner, who was experiencing an information overload.
After the door closed, Ming Fei buried her face in her hands, only the tips of her ears visible, burning red.
Her vision darkened because of her hands covering her eyes, but her eyes were filled with sparkling stars, and fireworks were constantly going off in her mind.
She seemed to understand the reason for the strangeness.
All those “whys,” could it be because… because she…
As another pink mushroom cloud exploded, the phone on the table vibrated. Ming Fei, in the center of the pink storm, didn’t notice the vibration at first. It wasn’t until the phone vibrated a second time that she noticed.
She didn’t lift her face, just reached out with her right hand to pick it up. After the message on the display screen came into view, the phone slipped from her hand and clattered onto the carpet.
[Jiejie: Ah Fei, come upstairs.]
[Jiejie: We need a marking.]
