Chapter 136: The Sea of Wandering 29
The combination of mental strain from days in the “Rule Zone” and the physical exhaustion from their intense intimacy caused Zhuang Ningyu’s biological clock to fail for once. He slept groggily until noon. When he woke up and checked the time, seeing it was still early, he buried his head back into the pillow.
“Wifey, kiss kiss.” Yi Ke pressed up from behind, his arm naturally draping over Zhuang’s lower abdomen, pulling the man closer to him. His voice was a mix of sleepiness and drowsiness.
Having only thrown on a pair of loose shorts after his shower last night—which didn’t offer much in the way of a barrier—Yi Ke groggily and habitually crowded forward. Zhuang Ningyu’s spine instantly went numb. Without a word, he delivered a backhanded slap. Amidst the crisp sound, Yi Ke finally opened his eyes. He caught the wrist that hadn’t yet retracted, bent his knee to flip over and press down, skillfully trapping the man between himself and the bed.
Zhuang Ningyu struggled. “No, I still have a meeting!”
Yi Ke let out a hum, but his hands didn’t stop moving. He lazily leaned into Zhuang’s ear. “I won’t go inside.”
“Can’t you just go to the bathroom and handle it yourself?”
“No.”
“…”
“Be good.”
The meeting was at 2:00 PM. At 1:50 PM, Zhuang Ningyu, who could barely manage to get out of bed, was rubbing his sore lower back. Wearing oversized puppy-print pajamas, he stood by the dining table, frantically stuffing bread and milk into his mouth.
Yi Ke, with a dress shirt tucked under his arm, was undoing Zhuang’s pajama buttons while comforting him. “Eat slowly, eat slowly… careful not to choke… you have time… finish the milk… turn around so I can button this… three minutes left, have an apple slice… wait! Come back! Pants!”
When Team Leader Zhuang appeared in the video conference right on time, he was as authoritative as ever—calm, professional, and brooking no dissent. One couldn’t tell at all that he had just left a high-energy Rule Zone. Even though he was at home, his shirt was buttoned neatly all the way to his Adam’s apple.
The interns in the conference room looked on with admiration, lamenting that he really was extraordinary; true character is revealed in the details. They quickly and subtly smoothed out their own clothes and sat up exceptionally straight.
Such was the effect of the Ministry’s “mascot”; even when not physically present, he could revitalize the spiritual outlook of the entire unit. Just buttoning a shirt could inspire an essay on “Seeing the World in a Grain of Sand.”
On his first day back at work, aside from this routine meeting, Zhuang Ningyu had a pile of pending matters to handle. beyond his own duties, he even had to moonlight for the Investigation Team—Song Qiaowei had demanded to see him.
Yi Ke felt deeply regretful as he drove. If he had known today would be this busy, he would have let his wife sleep properly last night. While driving, the tires rolled over a pothole, causing the car to bump. Zhuang Ningyu frowned and drew in a sharp, quiet breath.
Yi Ke immediately had a meltdown. “Don’t go to work! No more work! Come home, Hubby will support you!”
Zhuang Ningyu slapped him. “Drive properly. Don’t be dramatic.”
The domineering CEO Xiao Yi, unable to keep his wife at home, could only obediently drive the car into the hospital.
Song Qiaowei hadn’t suffered severe physical injuries in the Rule Zone—psychological trauma aside. Perhaps due to the sedatives, she appeared relatively normal. Leaning against the headboard, she asked Zhuang Ningyu, “How much do you know about Sisi?”
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t lie to her and answered frankly, “Very little. Regarding this matter, we are currently in the preliminary stages of the investigation. You hid her very well. Is it because of an Evolved constitution? Is your daughter special?”
Song Qiaowei remained silent, which was taken as a tacit admission.
“Since you asked for me, it shows you know deep down that only the Order Maintenance Department and the police can protect your daughter,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “You can, of course, choose to keep hiding things. But the result of hiding is simply a race in efficiency between us and the ‘Invisible Giant’ to see who finds the child first. As for whether your daughter will be harmed or how her life will be impacted during this process, no one can give you an answer.”
Song Qiaowei’s fingers were tightly interlaced. She had killed her husband inside the Rule Zone. Even if she confessed everything, there was no chance of release. With the Fu family completely stripped of power and herself in prison, would the airtight protective shield she had set up for her daughter truly remain airtight?
She remained silent for a long time. Zhuang Ningyu checked the time. “Ms. Song, I understand your hesitation, but I am really very busy. If you haven’t thought it through yet, you can wait until you have. Rest well for now.”
After saying that, he pushed his chair back and stood up. The sound of metal chair legs scraping against the floor was harsh. Song Qiaowei’s heart trembled. Seeing Zhuang Ningyu walking toward the door, she finally made up her mind. “I’ll talk!”
Zhuang Ningyu sat back down and nodded slightly. “Please.”
“I have conditions.” Song Qiaowei made a new demand. “You must take care of my daughter. Let the Yi family adopt her.”
Zhuang Ningyu hadn’t expected such an outrageous request and was momentarily stunned. Yi Ke, who was leaning against the wall outside reading files while waiting for his wife, also looked bewildered. He turned to glance through the observation glass and saw Song Qiaowei’s eyes were bloodshot, her emotions seemingly becoming unstable, though her speech remained logical. “Only if the Yi family adopts my daughter will her safety be completely guaranteed. Promise me this, and I will confess.”
“Ms. Song, I am not Yi… Regardless of whether it’s me or the Order Maintenance Department, we have no right to represent President Yi or President Deng in adopting a child,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “Honestly, in the Investigation Team, it’s not uncommon for parents to use their child’s safety as a bargaining chip. Usually, our procedure is to immediately conduct a risk assessment for the child. If we find genuine safety issues, we take proactive measures; we don’t need threats from the parents. So, the sooner you confess, the sooner we can start the protection process. It’s for your daughter’s benefit.”
“Then there’s nothing to discuss.” Song Qiaowei’s voice turned cold. “That is the only exchange condition I can accept.”
Zhuang Ningyu wore the expression of someone who had run into a mental health crisis patient right out the door—vividly acting out the definition of “I didn’t want to come to work anyway.” He said, “The one in danger right now seems to be your daughter, right?”
Surprisingly, Song Qiaowei really stopped talking.
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t indulge her. He walked out briskly, grabbed Yi Ke’s hand the moment he exited the ward, and headed straight for the elevator. It wasn’t until they reached the garage that Yi Ke asked, “I thought you were just acting. We’re really leaving?”
“Really leaving,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “In this situation, she’s the anxious one. There’s no need to spoil her.”
Sure enough, Yi Ke had just started the car when a colleague called, sounding helpless. “Team Leader Zhuang, Song Qiaowei wants you to come back.”
“No time today.” Zhuang Ningyu leaned back against the seat. “If she really has a desire to talk, let Xiao Fei chat with her.”
“Understood,” the colleague replied briefly and hung up.
Zhuang Ningyu turned around and fished out an unfamiliar lumbar cushion from behind his back, slightly doubting his memory. “Was this here when we came?”
“No.” Yi Ke took it, adjusted it, and tucked it back behind him. “On the way over, I saw a new auto accessories shop open next to the hospital, so I called and had them deliver one. It’ll make sitting more comfortable for you.”
The cushion supported his sore waist perfectly and even had heating and massage functions—considerate, detailed, efficient, and gentle. Zhuang Ningyu held Yi Ke’s hand. “No wonder Song Qiaowei wants to send her and Fu Dong’s child to your family.”
Yi Ke slowly drove out of the parking spot, also thinking the idea was bizarre. Even if “the land yields as much as the people dare to imagine,” this was a bit too daring. He remarked, “The Fu family… well, she doesn’t count as part of the Fu family anymore, right? Anyway, people coming out of that house all seem to have faulty wiring in their brains.”
“Do you like children?” Zhuang Ningyu asked sideways after a while.
Yi Ke answered without thinking, “If you give birth to them, I’ll love them.”
Zhuang Ningyu cursed him with a smile and leaned back to enjoy the massage. Halfway through the drive, the colleague called again. “Team Leader Zhuang, Song Qiaowei has started smashing things in the ward. Should we continue to tell her you’re not available?”
“Yes.” Zhuang Ningyu checked the time. “You guys go eat too. Don’t let her tie you all down.”
Yi Ke took Zhuang Ningyu back to his parents’ house. As they entered, a large table of food had just been laid out. The living room was lively; his brother and sister were there, and even U-Dun (the dog) was present—Yi Ke had specifically asked for him to be brought over. Because U-Dun was there, a scoundrel friend of Yi Ke’s had also successfully managed to snag a luxurious spot at the Yi family dinner.
Gnawing on the special honey-glazed spare ribs Auntie Deng had made specifically for him—surpassing even maternal love—the friend asked Yi Ke in shock, “Give her child to you?”
Deng Zongyun (Yi Ke’s mom), already feeling stifled by the noisy dog, felt even more stifled hearing this. What are people thinking nowadays? Song Qiaowei’s obsession in this regard was truly too deep.
Just as the final dessert was served at the Yi family banquet, Zhuang Ningyu’s phone rang again. His colleague sounded pained. “Song Qiaowei is demanding to speak personally with President Deng.”
Yi Yue (Yi Ke’s sister) beckoned to Zhuang Ningyu.
Zhuang Ningyu handed the phone over.
“Mrs. Fu, Ningyu is a member of our family. His opinion represents our family’s opinion. You don’t need to bother looking for anyone else,” Yi Yue said. “While I understand you want to provide the best life for your daughter, I hope you can face reality. Our family has only produced two civil servants, not opened an orphanage.”
Song Qiaowei raised her voice. “President Deng—”
“If your daughter is indeed a rare type of Evolved individual with irreplaceable observational value, then you should cooperate with the government even more.” Zhuang Ningyu took the phone back, cutting off her unreasonable outburst. “Because if you maintain the status quo, her future holds only two possibilities: hiding forever, or being found by an illegal experimental organization.”
“If I hand her over to you, will you protect her for a lifetime?” Song Qiaowei asked through gritted teeth.
“The government indeed cannot give a promise of lifelong protection, nor does it have the obligation to do so. Moreover, based on my guess, your child likely doesn’t even have Chinese citizenship,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “So, currently, if you are willing to cooperate and provide significant assistance to the case, the Investigation Team might try to apply for special protection for the child, give her a new identity, arrange for her entry into a welfare institute, and conduct regular follow-up visits. However, this kind of application is not easily approved. If you continue to make endless noise and try to harass uninvolved parties, even this path might be completely blocked.”
“…” Only heavy breathing came from the other end of the phone.
“If you’ve thought it through, tell my colleagues. They will promptly arrange for a bedside interrogation. Your daughter’s future depends on your cooperation, not your bargaining and threats. Also, I am not currently a member of the Investigation Team and cannot give you any promises beyond my authority. So, the subsequent interrogation will be completed by my colleagues. Please rest assured, they are much more professional than I am.”
After hanging up, everyone at the table began to applaud enthusiastically, including U-Dun under the table, who let out a “werwer” donkey-like bray.
Deng Zongyun ordered another bowl of bird’s nest soup for Zhuang Ningyu, her gaze benevolent. So impressive, good personality, strong ability, good-looking, well-raised, and not a picky eater. He’s simply perfect, without a single flaw. How did my son manage to catch him? Oh, my son really is…
She picked up her chopsticks and, filled with motherly love, placed a carefully selected beef rib onto Yi Ke’s plate. “Here, eat a little more.”
Yi Ke was alert. “…Mom, what is that expression?”
An expression of approval. Deng Zongyun gave her youngest son a “Baby, you’re doing great” look, then patted Zhuang Ningyu’s hand with satisfaction. Finally, she cast her gaze toward her other two children across the table.
Yi Shen (Brother) pushed back his chair. “Going to the restroom.”
Yi Yue (Sister) dropped her chopsticks. “Going to the study to handle some business.”
Truth be told, having a younger brother whose life is planned to perfection at every step puts a lot of pressure on the older siblings.
