“Knock, knock, knock……”
A series of light but somewhat hurried footsteps sounded.
Immediately after, the tightly shut door opened a crack in response, and Xia Ji poked her head out with a hint of curiosity.
“Good evening!” Standing at the doorway, Chu You raised a bright smile, waving a gift box tied with an exquisite bow in her hand, tilting her head playfully.
“I came to mooch a meal~”.
“You’re here, You-jie!” Xia Ji’s face instantly lit up with delight as she quickly pulled the door wide open and stepped aside to let her in.
“Come on in, come on in!”
While speaking, she bent down to retrieve a pair of pink plush slippers from the shoe cabinet and enthusiastically placed them by Chu You’s feet.
After changing into the slippers, the two of them walked one after the other into the warm and tidy living room.
Xia Ji walked ahead, her tone tinged with a bit of grievance mixed with relief: “I thought… You-jie, you weren’t coming.”
Chu You’s gaze swept over the living room layout with a calm demeanor — the cool-toned decor was very neat, with several family photos hanging on the wall.
In the photos, Xia Ji was still a young child, smiling happily.
“I saw your message. I was going to reply, but my phone suddenly died…” Hearing Xia Ji’s words, Chu You withdrew her gaze and patted Xia Ji’s shoulder with a smile.
“Don’t worry~ Since we made an appointment, how could I possibly stand you up?”
At that moment, Xia Ji, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked up at Chu You, her hands nervously clasped in front of her. She asked cautiously, “Really?”
“Hm?” Chu You looked at Xia Ji in confusion.
She paused, then spoke softly but persistently, “I mean… You-jie, do you really care… about our promise?”
“A promise is a kind of expectation,” Chu You smiled, her clear eyes full of sincerity. “Friends don’t easily let each other’s expectations go unmet.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Xia Ji nodded solemnly upon hearing this.
Then, she glanced at the clock and said, “I’ll go heat up the food first. It’ll be ready soon… You-jie, please make yourself comfortable.”
Chu You nodded but did not follow Xia Ji into the kitchen.
Instead, she cast her eyes back to those dated family photos on the living room wall.
She stepped closer and examined them carefully.
The first photo’s background was a sunny park.
A man wearing a brown combat uniform smiled as he lifted young Xia Ji high up.
His eyes were resolute but filled with unspoken affection as he looked at his daughter — this was Xia Ji’s father, Xia Nanchen.
According to records, he once served in the Pioneer Corps with the rank of colonel.
However, eleven years ago, during an expedition mission, the 17th Special Operations Squad of the Pioneer Corps’ Second Legion, led by Xia Nanchen, suddenly went dark and disappeared in the Wilderness, never to be heard from again.
He was a soldier worthy of respect.
Without heroes like Xia Nanchen of the Pioneer Corps bravely venturing deep into the Wilderness, humanity’s industrial recovery plan might still be nothing more than an empty joke on paper.
Thinking of this, Chu You took a deep breath, gave a formal salute to the man in the photo, and then slowly averted her gaze.
On the other side of the photo — standing beside a slide, wearing a floral dress — was Xia Ji’s mother, Hu Jing.
Hu Jing was also a soldier, but unlike her husband, she belonged to the Resistors Corps, stationed on the southwestern border for defense duties, with the rank of major.
Eight years ago, Binhai suffered a large-scale invasion by aberrant creatures.
To cover the evacuation of residents, Hu Jing, who was on leave at home, was trapped and ultimately died from exhaustion and wounds.
All of these were recorded in the archives.
Chu You’s eyes involuntarily fixed on Hu Jing’s right arm.
Though the photo was of limited resolution and somewhat blurry, she could vaguely make out a complex red talismanic tattoo on the arm.
An A-grade rules-type, special-branch conceptual Divine Oracle [Repairing Heaven Talisman].
Hu Jing’s Divine Oracle was a world-reversing, rule-defying power.
Although its influence was limited in range, duration was short, and it consumed massive energy, its sheer effect made it comparable to an S-rank.
At this thought, Chu You’s brows furrowed slightly.
On her way home from the branch office, the detailed, unofficial information Lin Mo had handed her came vividly to mind —
After Hu Jing’s death, the initial report by the law enforcement officers responsible for the body recovery claimed everything was normal.
But certain data remnants, which had been destroyed but still left traces in the cloud, restored in Lin Mo’s file, showed that before Hu Jing’s body was sent for cremation, part of her right arm was missing.
This critical detail was never reported at the time.
Even more chilling was that not long after, the very officer responsible for the initial body recovery unexpectedly died during a seemingly routine operation to arrest a Divine Oracle criminal.
Coincidence?
Chu You’s fingers curled unconsciously.
In the photo on the wall, Xia Ji’s parents still smiled warmly, and her childhood face was innocent and bright.
But beneath this warm facade, a dark undercurrent seemed to quietly link the past and the present.
Hu Jing’s mysterious arm loss after death, and the sudden death of those in the know… Could it be connected to the aberrant experiments happening at the school now?
If so, what role was the professor playing in all this?
Just then, Xia Ji came out of the kitchen carrying steaming hot dishes, breaking Chu You’s tangled thoughts.
“You-jie, come eat!”
Her face radiated a warm smile as she carefully placed the plates on the dining table.
Chu You immediately composed herself, putting on a relaxed smile as she hurried over and dramatically inhaled the aroma, her face full of anticipation.
“Wow! It smells amazing~ It looks so delicious!”
Xia Ji smiled shyly, rubbing her hands awkwardly.
“After living alone for a while, I slowly learned how to cook… Although it’s just some simple home dishes, the taste should be okay.”
After speaking, she urged Chu You, “Go wash your hands and come eat, or it’ll get cold!”
“Mm-hmm.”
Chu You hurried to the kitchen.
Investigations were important, but so was filling one’s stomach.
Soon, after washing her hands, Chu You couldn’t wait and sat down at the table.
Under Xia Ji’s expectant gaze, Chu You picked up a bite of green pepper shredded pork and tasted it carefully.
Her eyes lit up, and with a satisfied “Mmm,” she swallowed eagerly and gave Xia Ji a thumbs-up.
“It’s really good! Your cooking is amazing! Come, sit down and eat with me!”
Hearing this, Xia Ji breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, nodding as she sat beside Chu You.
The two sat around the table, enjoying simple homemade dishes while chatting and laughing warmly.
Xia Ji’s cooking was indeed quite good.
Although slightly inferior to that bastard Lin Mo, it had a full combination of color, aroma, and taste.
It was obvious she cooked often at home.
Chu You ate heartily, finishing two full bowls of rice.
After they were full, Xia Ji habitually stood up to clear the dishes but was stopped by Chu You.
“You already worked hard cooking. Leave the dishes to me!”
Without further discussion, Chu You started tidying up.
“But, You-jie, you’re the guest…”
Xia Ji tried to protest but was half-pushed, half-led into the living room by Chu You.
After swiftly washing the dishes and drying her hands, Chu You returned to see Xia Ji lying over the coffee table, seriously reviewing her lessons for tomorrow.
Seeing this, she frowned slightly.
“Do you do this every day?”
Chu You came to her side, her tone disapproving.
“School, then part-time work, then coming home to study late like this? Going nonstop like that, your body will break down.”
Xia Ji looked up from her books and smiled. “It’s okay, I’m used to it… You just squeeze time. Sleeping less is fine.”
“That won’t do!” Chu You wasn’t happy. She grabbed Xia Ji’s arm and pulled her up from the chair.
“No way. People need to balance work and rest! At least not today.”
She deliberately put on a serious face and complained playfully, “I’m a guest, you know. How can the host just leave her guest hanging while burying herself in study?”
Her eyes glanced casually over the closed bedroom door, then she grabbed Xia Ji’s hand with a bright tone.
“By the way, can you show me your bedroom? Consider it helping me relax a bit. Let’s put study aside for today and rest, okay?”
Her request was reasonable and carried the intimacy of friendship, making it hard to refuse.
Xia Ji looked into Chu You’s sparkling, curious eyes, hesitated for a moment, then nodded and led her to her bedroom.
“It’s just some very ordinary stuff, nothing special…” Xia Ji said awkwardly as she pushed open the bedroom door.
Chu You followed in, quickly and carefully scanning the private space.
The room wasn’t large, neatly and simply arranged — a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.
That was all.
On the desk, besides textbooks, lay a metal badge embedded with a dull red crystal, seemingly some kind of souvenir.
“What’s this?”
Curious, Chu You approached the desk and lightly touched the badge with her fingertips, then looked back at Xia Ji.
At this, Xia Ji’s eyes suddenly dimmed.
She pressed her lips together, her tone dropping. “That…”
“Is something mom left me.”
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