Sponsored chapter (3/5)
Qin Jin’s visit to Yaochuan City was primarily for discussing a project. After observing Li Xiangfu paint for about twenty minutes, a black sedan parked on the path behind the lake, and the driver emerged from the car.
Noticing the foreign judge once again, Li Xiangfu couldn’t help but squint.
“Boss,” the foreign judge, looking less sunny and chatty than usual, subtly gestured that it was almost time to leave.
Qin Jin remarked, “Looks like we’re going to miss the chance to witness the birth of this work.”
Li Xiangfu chuckled, “It’s the same with the finished product.”
He continued focusing on the drawing board until the sound of the car rolling over the gravel gradually faded away, indicating that Qin Jin had left.
Influenced by his mood, Li Xiangfu used dark pigments to transition the color toward the end of the painting. The lake surface, once a mirror of green water, now appeared to have hidden mysterious waves due to these final strokes.
After creating a transition in the painting’s mood, Li Xiangfu stared at it for a long time. He hesitated for a moment before taking out his cellphone and dialing Li Shasha.
“Hello,” Li Shasha, in the midst of remodeling a robot, had his cellphone on speaker, making his voice indistinct.
Contrary to him, Li Xiangfu’s tone was playfully serious, “Who’s your mom?”
“…,” pushing the robot aside, Li Shasha picked up his cellphone, “Dad, you’re being weird.”
Li Xiangfu stayed on topic, “We all know that things don’t just materialize out of thin air.”
Just like the painting in front of them or the surrounding flora, there’s always a source. In the past, he hadn’t inquired about this because of the confidentiality agreement signed during his kidnapping. Later, upon the completion of his mission, the system had returned, and Li Xiangfu had treated it like a regular human being, deliberately ignoring the deeper issues.
After a prolonged silence, Li Xiangfu didn’t urge for an answer. Almost finishing his painting, Li Shasha finally spoke up again, “Science and technology.”
Science and technology, the prime productive force.
“…,” Li Xiangfu waited for more.
Li Sasha explained, “I am a forbidden item slated for destruction, and the workers simply launched me into space out of laziness. It’s like, at a certain stage, humans believed in the purifying power of the sea and dumped garbage into the water. From the perspective of species, I currently belong to the cosmic garbage.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“…Kb regnlnf, P tjnf ab obiibk atf bglulcji qgbugjw vfrluc, olcv j tbra, jcv atfc mbwqifaf ajrxr atgbeut atf tbra ab byajlc offvyjmx fcfgus. Pc rtbga, P tjnf ab olcv ws bkc rerafcjcmf.”
Ol Wljcuoe oeggbkfv tlr ygbk, “Cgf atfgf jcs batfg mbrwlm ujgyjuf ilxf sbe?”
“P atlcx rb,” Ol Vtjrtj rjlv, “Ktfgf’r cfnfg j rtbgajuf bo wjv rmlfcalrar lc atlr kbgiv.”
Li Xiangfu fell silent upon hearing this.
Understanding his concern, Li Shasha confidently added, “Dad, I’m the absolute version. Every scientist has a different idea. Even if there is cosmic trash, their abilities are, at most, one-sided, like predicting the future, portable space, and so on.”
Li Xiangfu’s eyelids twitched, “I remember you only have theoretical knowledge.”
“That’s why I’m the only one who can teach you how to do things.”
…
For nearly a morning, Li Xiangfu had been painting and enjoying the lakeside breeze.
During this time, the police department called, stating they had conducted a comprehensive investigation based on the suspect’s confession. However, they found no inciting mail, and the police were unable to trace any incoming messages.
This concluded the earlier reminder from Qin Jin. The nature of Chen Ran’s behavior was to deliberately disrupt the police’s line of sight.
Qin Jiayu excelled at exploiting people’s weaknesses. Using Shi Chen and Chen Ran’s child as leverage, he compelled the latter to obey him.
“The plane ticket is booked for the end of the month,” a woman with almond eyes approached him. “I heard you were injured, so I came to take a look.”
Li Xiangfu couldn’t discern whether the other party was genuinely concerned. During his hospital stay, he didn’t see anyone, but while convalescing, he had followers. Li Xiangfu sat quietly with his eyes downcast for a long time, lost in thought. Suddenly, a car horn honked behind them.
He turned and saw Qin Jin, who had apparently returned sooner than expected. Qin Jin informed him, “Four hours have passed since I left this morning.”
At Qin Jin’s invitation, Li Xiangfu gathered his belongings and entered the car. During the ride, he learned that the police were closing the case due to a lack of new evidence.
Qin Jin explained, “Chen Ran’s mother has emigrated, and if she chooses a secure overseas bank for money transfers, gathering evidence will be challenging.”
Li Xiangfu nodded in agreement, staring out of the car window as Qin Jin continued updating him on the case. Purposefully using family ties for the abduction, Li Xiangfu suspected that Qin Gayu might have hinted to Chen Ran to test Li Shasha’s reaction.
Qin Jin interrupted his thoughts, “Are you having lunch at the hotel or finding a restaurant alone?”
After a moment of consideration, Li Xiangfu replied, “Hotel.”
There weren’t many people dining, and they picked a window seat. While reading the menu, Li Xiangfu seemed slightly distracted. Qin Jin suggested, “The specialty here is baked shrimp with cheese.”
“Then I’ll have that, plus two orders of spaghetti.”
Qin Jin, noticing Li Xiangfu’s condition, added, “When you’re out for recovery, try not to be distracted by things.”
Li Xiangfu accepted the advice and attempted to clear his mind. However, in less than a second, the mask of calmness was ripped away.
Qin Jin, observing the sudden change, asked, “What’s wrong again?”
“Mom.”
Qin Jin raised an eyebrow.
Li Xiangfu gestured towards the approaching Tao Huaixiu, who commented, “Aren’t you going overseas?”
Halting in her steps, Tao Huaixiu’s gaze shifted to Qin Jin. “Just like the rumors, you have a successful career as well as good looks.”
Perhaps due to her connection to Li Xiangfu, Qin Jin treated her differently than others. His tone was quite polite, saying, “You are too kind.”
Mid-conversation, a waiter accidentally spilled soup while serving, and Li Xiangfu waved off the apologies. Tao Huaixiu, noticing the drawing board, remarked, “It’s a bit of an obstacle.”
Li Xiangfu offered her his seat and prepared to go upstairs to store his things. Before leaving, he remembered something and said, “By the way, I didn’t drink the lemonade on the table.”
Tao Huaixiu sipped the lemonade, waiting for Li Xiangfu to enter the elevator. After he left, she slowly put down the cup.
“I’ll be brief.” She lowered her eyes. “What can you bring to the table for Xiangfu?”
Time had been kind to Tao Huaixiu, and there weren’t many fine lines under her eyes. Her approach differed from others; she didn’t prevent meetings like the Li family, and she didn’t care about rumors or conspiracy theories. She focused on practical benefits.
“Solace,” Qin Jin surprisingly responded with an unusual answer. “I am the only person in this world who knows him.”
Tao Huaixiu laughed, “He has parents and siblings. Does he need you to understand him?”
“Used to cover up tedium with a smile, prefers coldness over bustle, occasionally stops at blue things, has a natural affinity for winter…”
With each statement, the smile in Tao Huaixiu’s eyes diminished. Qin Jin’s expression turned serious towards the end. “As for whether he skipped classes out of boredom or if going out to explore is related to rebellion, I’m afraid no one has ever thought about these questions.”
A tense silence hung between them. After a while, a soft chuckle escaped from Tao Huaixiu’s lips.
Qin Jin perceived a certain emotion in her eyes and smiled, “You hate me.”
“Who would like a mirror that exposes its own flaws?” Tao Huaixiu replied calmly. “You have once again reminded me of my dereliction of duty as a mother.”
Her eyes darkened as she asked, “What benefits can Little Xiangfu bring you?”
Qin Jin’s smile tightened, and he stared coldly at her. “Again, he is the one who knows me best.”
The conversation did not continue. With the elevator’s ‘ding,’ the door opened, and Li Xiangfu approached.
Tao Huaixiu stood up, and Li Xiangfu escorted her to the door.
“What do you think of Qin Jin?” Before leaving, Tao Huaixiu threw out a question.
Li Xiangfu froze and helplessly said, “I don’t have deep contact with him, so I can only understand him superficially.”
“No problem, tell me about it.” She added, “The darkness in the city that everyone knows about doesn’t need repeating.”
Despite Tao Huaixiu’s insistence, Li Xiangfu sighed and slowly spoke after contemplating for a moment, “Qin Jin has a beautiful red mole on his shoulder, a crescent-shaped scar on his left waist, and overall, pale skin. His golden body proportions make him a perfect model for painting.”
Unfortunately, in the ancient village of Tianxi, he only had time to create one painting.
“……”
Tao Huaixiu stood frozen, her eyelashes fluttering in disbelief. Could it really be to such a shallow extent?
The author has something to say:
Qin Jin: He is the person who understands me the most.
Tao Huaixiu: … child, you encountered a terrible man.
When even your mother concludes you’re a scum undeserving of such a deep hearted ml.
MC: what can I say, it must be the gene
LOL DEFINITELY THE GENE AHAHAH