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nTranslator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

nMore than 10 minutes later.

nYoung Master Quan, who was infuriated, still sent them to the airport safe and well.

nUpon completion of the task, he got abandoned by Bai Muchuan.

n“Just park the car back and you can go.”

nWhile saying that, Bai Muchuan led Xiang Wan toward the departure lounge. He pulled along their luggage and strolled to the VIP waiting area.

n“Bai Muchuan.”

nXiang Wan followed behind awkwardly. She wanted to pull her own suitcase, but he held on it tightly.

nIt was only then she noticed that men did have a tremendous amount of strength…

nShe gave up, helpless. “I-I… bought the economy class ticket…”

nBai Muchuan remained emotionless. “So?”

nXiang Wan pursed her lips awkwardly. “I’m not going with you. We’ll meet each other later.”

nBai Muchuan gave a snort, pulled a long face and continued to walk, pulling her suitcase along. “I’ll upgrade your class.”

n“…”

nHe really knows how to decide for others?

nXiang Wan didn’t want to receive a favor from him without cause. She scurried to him, feeling pressured by his attitude.

n“Hey, why are you deciding for me? I don’t want to upgradethis word has the same sound as ‘give birth’ in Chinese.”

nBai Muchuan stopped in his tracks, the corners of his lips curved upward. “Of course, when I say you’ll ‘upgrade’, and you’re going to ‘upgrade’, like it or not…”

nXiang Wan felt that there was a smug satisfaction in his smile, but before she could reply, a couple walked past them and gave her a meaningful gaze… at her tummy.

nOh my! What kind of misunderstanding is this?

nXiang Wan instantly froze on the spot, dying from embarrassment. But it would be too strange for her to stop the couple just to explain the misunderstanding.

n“Bai, Mu, Chuan,” she gnashed her teeth, looking as if a life-and-death struggle was about to take place. “Can’t you stop joking around?”

nSeeing her agitated state and that her ears were flushed red, Bai Muchuan had a much milder expression.

n“When we get back to Jin City, do you want to accompany me to the crime scene?”

nEh? What did he say?

nThe crime scene, is he talking about the crime scene at “The Palace”?

nXiang Wan was dying to know what actually happened that night since ages.

nTherefore, she found an answer within 10 seconds, her expression instantly transforming into a likeable and lovely smile. “Yes!”

nBai Muchuan raised an eyebrow. “So are you going to upgrade?”

nXiang Wan: “… I’ll upgrade.”

n…

nShe really had to admit—Bai Muchuan sure had his ways of dealing with things.

nNot only did he upgrade Xiang Wan’s class, he also managed to make her sit together with him.

n“You can sit inside.” He stood in the aisle and offered her the window seat.

n“Thank you!” From the moment he told her he would be bringing her to the crime scene, Xiang Wan was full of excitement. Now, Bai Muchuan’s domineering ways, unreasonable and uncooperative attitude had been automatically filtered out by her.

nShe was a magnanimous person, so she would not fuss about the trifles with him.

nHowever, Bai Muchuan was in low spirits throughout.

nFrom boarding till the plane took off, he hardly spoke to her.

nShe detected his unusual behavior, but she did not know the reason why he behaved that way.

nOf course, with regards to the phone call last night, due to the fact that she also drank alcohol, she had totally forgotten what they had conversed last night…

n“Young Master Bai,” she asked with a smile, “you don’t seem very happy today?”

n“Hm.” Bai Muchuan did not lift his head but was gently flipping the pages of the book “Journey Under the Midnight Sun” which he was holding. “Your eyes are good now?” He asked languidly.

nWhat is he talking about?

nXiang Wan was confused. “I don’t get what you’re saying?”

nBai Muchuan said in a flat tone, “You finally realize that I’m unhappy?”

nUh, why is this guy such a faultfinder?

nXiang Wan could not contain her laughter. “So the reason why you’re unhappy is actually because I did not notice that you’re unhappy?”

nBai Muchuan did not respond. He just lay in his seat lazily, obviously not in the mood to chat with her.

nXiang Wan was not someone who liked to make herself unwelcomed. Seeing his reaction, she did not disturb him further but took out her sleep mask from her bag.

nShe was preparing to wear it when he suddenly spoke, “You don’t seem to have the habit of showing concern for others?”

nWhat? Xiang Wan was thoroughly defeated.

nShe was holding the sleep mask as she looked at him from the corner of her eye, full of questions.

n“You want to use it?”

nBai Muchuan responded flatly, “A friend of yours is unhappy, and you don’t even bother to ask a few more times?”

nWhat? Why in the world is there such a person?

nHe was the one who ignored her first.

nHe was the one who didn’t like her to keep asking.

nNow, he was still the one who reprimanded her for not asking a few more times.

nSo, he was only beating around the bush for care and concern?

nTo be frank, Xiang Wan really did not understand this man. Right from the moment they met that day, he was in full control of the situation. Her role was just to follow along with it. That actually resulted in him being dissatisfied with her, yet he refused to tell her the reason but chose to put on a cold expression, waiting for her to notice it herself…

nShe remarked, “You won’t have friends if you keep behaving like this.”

nBai Muchuan glared at her with a grunt.

nXiang Wan chuckled, leaned closer to him, and stared at him in the face.

n“Hey, Bai Muchuan, don’t you think that you’re a particularly contradictory person?”

nBai Muchuan flipped the pages of the book slowly. “Tell me about it.”

n“I’m not sure if I can find the right words.”

nXiang Wan furrowed her eyebrows, just like the usual when she was chatting with him, deliberating and analyzing over stuff.

n“You want to get something, but you’re afraid to lose it. As you have the fear of losing something, you’re used to giving it up. Maybe you’ve been let down before, so you’ll reflexively choose to let others down in order to protect yourself. Not only are you making life difficult for others, you’re also doing the same to yourself. You’re always fighting with your contradicted self—refusing to admit defeat yet often unable to overcome it.”

nBai Muchuan stopped reading his book.

nHe raised his head slowly and his gaze fell on Xiang Wan’s face.

n“So that’s your conclusion?”

n“It’s not a conclusion but a feeling.” Xiang Wan put on a smile.

nEveryone had a complicated inner world. That level of complexity would daunt oneself if one cut it apart to take a look. Xiang Wan was not someone who liked to “pull out” one’s character, lay it on a table, and troubleshoot one’s shortcomings. It was because they were on this topic earlier ,so she couldn’t hold her tongue.

nAs Bai Muchuan did not say a word, she gave it a thought and decided to preserve his dignity.

n“You’re actually not an indifferent person but liked to use impassiveness and loneliness as armor to protect yourself! You thought that once you had your armor, you won’t get hurt. But you’re completely unaware that your wounds are right inside the heart. If you refuse to remove your armor to treat your wounds, it would rot and fester…”

n“Hur!” Bai Muchuan gave a sneer, closed his book, and looked at her calmly. “Some people are lonely not because they like being alone, but because they failed to find their own kind, one who could resonate with them.”

nXiang Wan laughed. “I beg to differ. You disdain to find someone like you.”

nBai Muchuan curled his lips and looked deeply at her. “Don’t make presumptuous conclusions about people you don’t know well, especially toward me. Xiang Wan, you won’t understand, and better not to understand.”

nBetter not to understand? He made it sound so grave and serious.

nXiang Wan grunted a laugh. “It’s just some idle talk, don’t mind me. I take back my words.”

nBai Muchuan seemed to mull over something as his gaze landed leisurely on her. “No wonder everyone says that women are liars.”

nLiar? Xiang Wan stared at him sideways. “Don’t stereotype.”

nBai Muchuan grunted a laugh and opened his book again without looking at her. “Under the pretense of concern lies a cold and detached heart.”

nXiang Wan: “…”

nThis guy is too weird! she thought.

nWhy was he so bent on knowing if she cared or not about him?

nSomehow, she had a feeling that it might have something to do with last night’s phone call. She guessed there might be something bothering him, but she couldn’t recall anything…

n“Hey, did I offend you or something?”

nBai Muchuan: “You did.”

nThis serious and justified look!

nAs if she had done something extremely horrendous to him.

nXiang Wan did not know whether to laugh or to cry. “What did I do to offend you?”

nBai Muchuan replied firmly with curt, “Liar!”

nWhat?!

nShe found herself unable to communicate with him.

nXiang Wan turned back, sat properly on her seat, and wore her sleep mask.

nThe whole world was now dark.

nThe plane soon took off, making her ears hum.

n…

nAs the two of them sat together, they shared their little private space. Time seemed to move like a snail as they did not talk to each other.

nXiang Wan felt that this flight home was even more awkward then the flight with “Mr. Harry Potter”.

nBai Muchuan was just beside her, very close. She could smell his scent just by breathing.

nHe was obviously a tough guy, yet the smell of his shampoo was very clear and pleasant. There was a faint downy and gentle feeling where one might inadvertently feel their heart pounding.

nShe told herself to tolerate it.

nIf he did not talk, she would not take the initiative to talk.

nHence, under such “suffering”, Xiang Wan did not know when she had fallen asleep.

nWhen she was awake, she found a blanket over her body and heard the sound of the broadcast announcement.

n“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re reaching Jin City International Airport within 30 minutes. The current temperature of Jin City is…”

nSo fast? Xiang Wan yawned. “We’re reaching soon?”

nAfter a nap, she forgot about the earlier unhappy incident.

nBai Muchuan glanced sideways at her rather intently. “Enjoyed your sleep?”

nXiang Wan stretched herself with a laugh and the blanket slid down to her lap. “Not bad! This is my first time flying First Class.”

nBai Muchuan’s pair of sharp eyes narrowed as he sized her up and down.

n“Why are you looking at me like this?”

n“Your button’s loose.”

nAs he said it in such a casual manner, Xiang Wan took three seconds to react as she had just woken up from her nap and was still slightly groggy. She gasped heavily, grabbed the blanket high to her chest, retracted her limbs and shrink herself like a cat. Then she lowered her head to check herself.

nTsk!

nThe button’s alright after all!

nIt was just that the shirt neckline was slightly lowered due to the nap.

nXiang Wan felt her face slightly burning and used the blanket to cover herself calmly.

n“Rogue!”

n…

nAirport.

nTang Yuanchu peered anxiously at the exit.

nWhen he saw Bai Muchuan coming out of the exit pulling his luggage, he waved at him vigorously.

n“Captain Bai, here! Over here”

nTen seconds later, when he saw Xiang Wan, he was taken aback for a moment before breaking into a smile and came up to both of them, helping them with their luggage.

n“Teacher Xiang, Captain Bai, why are both of you together?”

nBai Muchuan stayed reticent, while Xiang Wan appeared slightly abashed. “It’s a coincidence.”

nTang Yuanchu gave a laugh but did not press on further.

nHe turned to Bai Muchuan. “Captain Bai, where are we going now?”

nBai Muchuan stopped for a while and asked Xiang Wan. “Do you want to go home first?”

n“It’s alright, there’s no need to.” Xiang Wan wanted to follow him to the crime scene at “The Palace”, how could she leave now?

nShe smiled pleasantly. “Captain Bai, I want to follow you.”

nBai Muchuan gave her a complicated gaze which made Xiang Wan ill at ease.

n“Didn’t you agree earlier on?” she added.

n“Hm.”

nThat settles it.

nXiang Wan was overjoyed. “Thank you.”

n…

nIt was raining continuously in Jin City.

nBoth pedestrians and cars were scarce in the streets during midnight.

nThat made the streets seemingly more spacious.

nXiang Wan thought about the case throughout the journey. Time passed by in a flash, and they reached their destination.

n“The Palace” was still closed to the public. All the shiny lights on the walls of the building were turned off, making the entire building stand in the dark. It was a huge contrast against the time where Xiang Wan had came for dinner for the first time.

nNow, the whole city was bright except “The Palace”.

nThis independent building that had a single entrance and courtyard exuded a strange sense of eeriness in the dark.

n…

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