Time passed as Gu Nianzhi had called for a whole two hours, but couldn’t connect to the other line. When it was time for lunch, Zhao Liangze had prepared all the food and called Gu Nianzhi out to eat. She bit on the chopsticks as she looked at the dishes–pan fried fish, garlic shrimp with vermicelli, spinach salad and corn and ribs soup. These were all her favourites, but she had no appetite.
“Brother Ze, did you call Uncle Huo just now?” Gu Nianzhi looked down as she moodily picked up some spinach for her bowl.
Zhao Liangze grunted, “Of course, I had to make a report to him.”
“Oh.” Gu Nianzhi lost all appetite.
Huo Shaoheng was obviously able to pick up the phone, yet he ignored her calls. He even said few people knew about the phone number, and that he would pick up if she called. Liars, liars, all liars…
Gu Nianzhi’s tears were about to fall, but she held them back as she put down her bowl and turned to leave. She hastily said, “I’m not hungry, I’ll skip lunch for today. I still have some homework to do, so I’m going to go to the library.”
She dashed to her room and slammed the door close before leaning against it and trying hard to muffle her uncontrollable sobs. Suddenly, her phone rang again and joy bloomed in her heart. Although it wasn’t the special ring tone she set for Huo Shaoheng, he might’ve changed his number?
Excitedly fishing out her phone, Gu Nianzhi answered it without even looking, “Hello?!”
“…Nianzhi?” Mei Xiawen’s voice sounded, “Is that you?”
Gu Nianzhi was speechless and crestfallen. Even though she was a little disappointed, Mei Xiawen’s gentle voice was miraculously soothing. At that moment, she didn’t want to put down the phone.
“Xiawen? Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Gu Nianzhi looked at her watched, it should be nearly one in the morning for him right now.
Mei Xiawen stood under C City’s night sky and looked up at the stars above as he quietly said, “I miss you, so I couldn’t sleep…”
The most vulnerable spot in Gu Nianzhi’s heart was touched. Her nose sniffled and eyes turned red as she quickly looked up to stop the tears from falling.
“What is it? Why are you suddenly so poetic?” Gu Nianzhi wiped her face, her voice unbelievably tender.
Her voice echoed in Mei Xiawen’s ear and his heart felt fuzzy, finally dispelling the strong feelings from Jiang Hongcha in the afternoon. He knew that Gu Nianzhi was the only one to prevent him from being affected by Jiang Hongcha. Gripping the phone as he stood on the blacony, Mei Xiawen looked up at the moon and thoguht anout hpw she had brought a cake to his office that afternoon. They had been talking amiably about their old classmates and friends. Some time after, Jiang Hongcha sat next to him, so close that he could look up and see her lush eyelashes and delicate and fair skin. She suddenly stopped speaking and made him stay quiet as well.
“…Kiss me,” She closed her eyes and pouted her irresistible red lips.
Like he was possessed by a demon, he mindlessly lowered his head to kiss her on the lips. He only wanted to briefly taste her, but her arms snaked around him, cradling his neck to deepen the kiss. If it wasn’t for someone knocking on the door to deliver somme material, he had no idea how far they would’ve gone…
“We can’t do this.” Mei Xiawen pushed away Jiang Hongcha, “I already have a girlfriend. Go now, and don’t come looking for me again.”
Jiang Hongcha rose up gracefully and flicked her long hair back before suggestively saying, “I won’t look for you again, but you can come find me.” She turned to leave, and the room was scented by the jasmine of her favourite Chanel perfume. Her words made Mei Xiawem toss and turn all night, preventing sleep. He then had no choice but to call Gu Nianzhi and thankfully, his heart calmed as soon as he heard her voice. Jiang Hongcha’s spell dissolved with Gu Nianzhi’s soft and sweet voice.
“I miss you. When will you be back? I can’t wait anymore, how about I come to the States too? That way we won’t have to wait six months.” Mei Xiawen stretched out his hand to feel the night’s breeze on the balcony, the sensation soft and numbing. He recalled how it felt to hold Gu Nianzhi in the States the last time, it was like hugging an incredibly soft cloud.
Gu Nianzhi giggled quietly, gripping the phone and saying gratefully, “Can you really come?”
An emotional voice felt completely different from a polite and indifferent voice. Mei Xiawen could sense it and he froze before continuing excitedly and turning around on the balcony, “You really want me to come?!”
At that moment, Gu Nianzhi really wanted someone to be with her. It was the first time she felt this need, and it was different than being with people like Brother Ze or Brother Xiong.
“…If you can come, we can be together right now. We don’t need to wait six months.” Gu Nianzhi rashly said. Like a child playing on the beach, she wanted to keep as many memories she could before the ocean washed it all away.
Mei Xiawen immediately promised, “I’ll book the tickets tomorrow!” After speaking, he grew sleepy and yawned, “Then I’ll go to bed now, you continue your work.”
Gu Nianzhi nodded, “Go now, and don’t stay up late anymore.”
…
At the same time, Huo Shaoheng led the B Team of 6th Military Region Special Ops on a helicopter and had already arrived at the landing pad of the Imperial Secret Service. Under the dark starry sky of the Empire, a giant Mi-26 helicopter thunderously rotating its blades as it steadily landed on the tarmac. With Huo Shaoheng in the lead, his forty men had already parachuted and stormed towards the individual office on the 27th floor of the Secret Service building. They kicked down the door and bellowed, “Hands up! This is the Special Operations!”
The people in the room immediately raised their hands and glared. One person shouted, “What are you doing?! This is the office of the Deputy Minister of the Secret Service! Who dares to intrude?!”
Raising his M16 assault rifle, the barrel locked with a click as Huo Shaoheng evenly strode over from behind his team members, “…Where’s Bai Yusheng? Have him come out!”
Bai Yusheng was one of the deputy ministers of the Imperial Secret Service and was in charge of the US intelligence system. He was also Bai Shuang’s father and Bai Yueran’s uncle.
“Deputy Minister Bai?” The people in the room glanced at each other, “He’s not here.”
“Not here?!” Huo Shaoheng was unable to suppress his rage, but he didn’t raise his voice and lowered it instead, “Every member of the Secret Service has a tracking chip embedded in their bodies, and is monitored by the 6th Military Region. Unless they resign from the Secret Service or die, this chip cannot be removed.”
“…Major General Huo, what do you mean?” The members of the Secret Service recognized Huo Shaoheng and couldn’t help asking.
“I mean that Bai Yusheng’s location is indicated to be in this office, but you’re telling me he’s not here?!” Huo Shaoheng waved at this men, “Conduct a search.”
The Special Ops members immediately looked through all the rooms and drawers in the office to finally find a tracking chip in a plant by the window. It belonged to Bai Yusheng.
Huo Shaoheng put on white gloves to pick up the chip and pressed his lips together, “Detain everyone in this room and notify the Military Police to take over. Report to the Senate and head of government that the Secret Service in North America has been annihilated, order them to immediately abort all activities in North America and to return now!”
Thanks to Gu Nianzhi’s clue, he was able to use an insignificant person like Xin Xinggao to root out Zeng Quan, the deputy director of the Nandou system’s research and development center, which lead to them finding the connection to Deputy Minister of the Secret Service, Mr. Bai Yusheng. The reason why the Americans still valued Xin Xinggao was not because of herself, but the important people behind her–Zeng Quan and Bai Yusheng!