Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Gu Nianzhi’s eyes were a little sad, and although it wasn’t too obvious, He Zhichu had always been observant of her and noticed it right away. “What is? Are you so unhappy about just changing some IDs?” He Zhichu pointed to the kitchen. “Make me a coffee, and you have some coconut juice. It’s in the fridge.”

Gu Nianzhi stiffened. “I’m making coffee?” She was so shocked that she almost forgot about being upset about her new passport and identification.

“Yes, who else is going to do it if you don’t? It’s only right that the disciple serves their master in times of need. Isn’t that right?”

He Zhichu sat down fluidly, crossing his leg and watching Gu Nianzhi with his head cocked. A half-smile was on his lips, and his elbows rested on the armrests of the single-seater sofa to allow his palms to fold atop his crossed leg. He appeared very relaxed and casual. His words left no room for the stunned Gu Nianzhi to object, so she could only go to the kitchen to make coffee. Because she thought grinding beans would take too long, she took a packet of instant coffee and made a cup for He Zhichu. Then she grabbed a bottle of pure and natural coconut juice from the fridge to set it onto the platter with coffee to bring out. Placing the coffee on the table in front of He Zhichu, Gu Nianzhi sipped from the coconut juice daintily.

He Zhichu set the coffee down after one sip. “You didn’t use the beans?”

“No. My coffee tastes bad?” Gu Nianzhi feigned ignorance, unsure of where to avert her eyes.

“Yes, it’s not too great.” He Zhichu didn’t drink instant coffee but didn’t ask Gu Nianzhi to make her another one because his intention for asking her to make coffee was to divert her attention. He didn’t actually want to drink any.

“Oops, I’m sorry.” Gu Nianzhi giggled. “I bet Professor He’s coffee is even tastier.”

So, Professor He should keep making his own coffee!

Of course, Gu Nianzhi only though this to herself and would have never said it out loud.

He Zhichu already knew what she was thinking from her expression. He smiled. “…You don’t want to make coffee for me?”

“Oh, of course not.” Gu Nianzhi shrank back with guilt, quickly drinking from the coconut juice and not daring to meet He Zhichu’s eyes.

“Very well, then. You have to learn how to grind beans and make coffee,” He Zhichu stated seriously. When he saw that Gu Nianzhi wanted to object, he said, “It can be included as part of your daily score with a weight of 5 percent.”

Because she highly valued her grades, Gu Nianzhi instantly changed her demeanor and smiled sweetly at He Zhichu to reply in a sugar-coated tone, “Don’t worry, Professor He. Next time, I’ll be sure to make you a fragrant and delicious cup of freshly ground coffee!”

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.” He Zhichu cocked his head and changed the subject. “Did Gu Yanran object when you brought Gu Xiangwen here?”

“Of course she did. We almost didn’t make it out of Barbados.” Gu Nianzhi was exaggerating a bit. “Not only was it very scary, but Gu Yanran deflated as soon as Huo Shao got off the plane and said a few things to her. She agreed for us to take Gu Xiangwen… my father away.”

The truth was that Gu Nianzhi had gotten off the plane with Huo Shaoheng and had spoken a lot more to the older woman than Huo Shaoheng had. But she gave all the credit to Huo Shaoheng because without him for reassurance and support, even her glib silver tongue would have been completely useless. Gu Yanran was obviously not someone who was easily scared by mere words.

“That easily?” He Zhichu seemed to be in disbelief. He looked down in thought for a while before asking, “What about afterward? Did Gu Yanran say anything? She accepted the fact that you’re her sister right away?”

“She didn’t accept it right away.” At the reminder of this, Gu Nianzhi grew even more depressed. “She said she had to verify it for herself. Professor He, you know that I wanted to find out about my past so I didn’t have to hold an unknown identity…”

She paused but didn’t explain why she didn’t want to have an unknown identity because this involved her relationship with Huo Shaoheng. Zhao Liangze and Yin Shixoong had already hinted to her that she would never pass the background check if her identity was not clarified.

He Zhichu didn’t ask anymore and was only thinking about Gu Yanran’s reaction. He reminded her subtly, “The Gu Yanran I know is an intelligent and tenacious person who stops at no end to achieve her goals. She’s also flexible and works hard to turn the tables around in negative situations. From a certain perspective, you’re quite similar to her in that regard.”

“So what if we’re alike. I’m not her biological sister.” Gu Nianzhi spread her palms. “This is the only thing that makes me happy out of the whole situation.”

He Zhichu snickered before turning away. “She probably thinks the same thing. The two sisters have coinciding thoughts about this point.”

Gu Nianzhi pouted. Taking advantage of He Zhichu’s good mood, she wanted to get more information. “There are many things about the situation that I still don’t understand. Can Professor He explain them to me?”

“Really? I’ll only say it again—if you can’t believe my words completely, then what’s the point of me telling you?” He Zhichu shook his head with a gentle gaze. “This will actually make it more difficult for you to recover the memories.”

“But I just want to know why Gu Yanran claims I disappeared on the Caribbean Sea near Barbados when my earliest memory was on Huaxia Imperial soil? Or more specifically, in a car about to explode.”

Gu Nianzhi had never understood this point, so she although she knew Gu Yanran had a younger sister that also shared her name, she didn’t think much of it. There was too far of a distance between where she had disappeared and ended up. And it was likely that Gu Yanran had the same thought, so she didn’t investigate her, either.

He Zhichu was in a daze and didn’t answer her question. With a hand propped under his chin, he stared fixedly at a 100-cube shelf in the corner of the room. After a long moment, he finally said, “There must be something else we don’t know about yet.”

“…Then how did Professor He know that I was in the Huaxia Empire and came here to find me…?” Gu Nianzhi finally asked in a weak voice. This question had been lodged in her mind for a long time, but she had never asked it out loud.

He Zhichu composed himself, his shimmering, sultry eyes watching all of Gu Nianzhi’s actions and changes in expression closely. “Do you have some misconception about our He family’s influence? But Huo Shaoheng hid you well, so even with our power, it took me several years to find a single clue.”

Gu Nianzhi certainly didn’t know what power the Hes had, but she had heard Zhao Liangze say that they were the underground godfathers of South American politics. So He Zhichu must’ve had his own methods? If he started investigating from the upper class and gleaned news about Gu Nianzhi, that was because she was under the care of someone extraordinary—the powerful and esteemed Huo Shaoheng.

She could only laugh. “I understand, but why didn’t you tell Gu Yanran directly? If it wasn’t because we had to go escort my father here, then you probably wouldn’t have said anything about me being Gu Yanran’s sister?”