Hui Tian Ch34

Chapter 34

Even a hungry lion will continue to pretend to whimper in order to be loved.

Video recording time, three days ago.

Evolutionists Specialist Hospital in the central district, 8:36 p.m.

Several figures seemed to appear out of nowhere, suddenly standing in front of the hospital gate. Immediately afterward, the tall figure in black at the front turned around, smiled, and waved at the surveillance camera above.

With a click, Shen Zhuo paused the video and zoomed in.

Rong Qi’s face on the computer screen was very clear, with dark eyebrows and eyes; his chest, once critically wounded by Shen Zhuo’s hand, had completely healed, and his eyes seemed to gaze through the monitor, smiling at the person behind the screen.

Shen Zhuo closed the computer without saying a word.

There were still two hours of flying time left to fly to B City, and the cabin floor trembled slightly under his feet. Shen Zhuo stood up and went to the bar to pour himself a glass of black square liquor, the amber liquid tinkling as the ice cubes collided.

He took a sip and put one hand in the pocket of his black trousers, his eyes cold and deep, his pupils reflecting the clouds outside the special plane window. Once again, Yue Yang’s voice from the office last night resounded in his ears:

“—The surveillance footage is incomplete for unknown reasons, and the on-duty guards that night also lost part of their memory, presumably due to Rong Qi’s abilities. Now, if we want to know what Rong Qi did in Su Jiqiao’s hospital room, we can only ask you to come to the central district and use the power of Witch Italdo to perform a scene regression.”

“Also… there’s another thing.”

Yue Yang took a breath, his tone somewhat dry:

“Previously, you mentioned that three years ago, Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao might have taken separate leaves and then traveled together privately. At that time, I thought it was impossible, but later I checked with Su Jiqiao’s subordinates…”

“I found out that it was true because Su Jiqiao said he wanted to ask Fu Chen for help.”

“—Help?” At that time, Bai Sheng, with his legs crossed on the desk, blocked Yue Yang’s view of Shen Zhuo when he heard this: “Help with what?”

“Su Jiqiao said there was a relative critically ill in his hometown, so he took a leave to visit. A day later, he called back and said he was an orphan, young and inexperienced, and asked Senior Fu to take leave to help him handle things.”

Yue Yang himself seemed to feel something was off. He paused, then continued: “He said… because in his heart, Senior Fu was particularly powerful and reliable, like… an older brother.”

“Pfft—” Bai Sheng almost burst into laughter, but fortunately he held it in.

Shen Zhuo had tolerance for Bai Sheng’s abnormal behavior to an extremely high degree; in other words, he acted as if he hadn’t seen anything. Furrowing his brows, he asked Yue Yang, “How many people knew about this back then?”

“Very few, almost none.” Yue Yang furrowed his brows in confusion. “Because at that time, Su Jiqiao said he felt that Director Shen didn’t really like him, afraid that if Director Shen knew about it, it would cause misunderstandings and put Senior Fu in a difficult position. So, he asked not to mention the matter of Senior Fu’s help, and there were only a few people who knew about their separate leave requests.”

Shen Zhuo remained noncommittal, “Where is Su Jiqiao’s hometown?”

“It’s near Quanshan County.”

“Is Rong Qi really his relative?”

“Not at all; we’ve already checked,” Yue Yang said. “Su Jiqiao’s parents died when he was young, and we couldn’t find any relatives surnamed Rong on either side. Rong Qi’s identity, background, illness, and household registration are completely untraceable. It can be said that there is absolutely no connection between them.”

“… “

Shen Zhuo nodded silently, his gaze somewhat intriguing, “Absolutely no connection between them… yet Su Jiqiao managed to bring Fu Chen along, lied about taking leave, traveled to his hometown, and went to Quanshan County Hospital together to visit him.”

“Um, Shen Zhuo,” Yue Yang hesitated a bit but still explained, “I don’t know why Su Jiqiao lied about Rong Qi being his relative or why he went to visit Rong Qi, but I know Fu Chen very well. Fu Chen used to take care of his friends very well; he was always willing to help, especially Su Jiqiao, who was young and had a weak personality. It wasn’t just Fu Chen back then; actually, everyone took good care of him…”

Shen Zhuo’s lips curled slightly in a barely concealed mocking arc, “—’Weak personality’.”

Yue Yang choked slightly.

Su Jiqiao did indeed have an almost perfect image back then: kind-hearted, gentle, shy, extremely popular, and a talented young man. In his early twenties, he obtained a master’s degree with outstanding grades and then joined the supervision office, like a cheerful, strong, and optimistic little white flower.

It was not an exaggeration to say that during the years Su Jiqiao worked at the supervision office, everyone loved and praised him. Compared to Shen Zhuo, who was feared by everyone, faced enemies on all sides, and was protested against by global evolutionists several times, Su Jiqiao was completely the opposite extreme.

“I sometimes feel quite despairing about the IQ of you evolutionists…” Shen Zhuo’s eyes flashed with a hint of pity: “But never mind; Su Jiqiao has always been your IQ test result in my eyes.”

He stood up from behind his desk, slender but straight-backed, his tone and demeanor completely back to business-like: “I understand; I will handle it.”

Yue Yang habitually interjected, “If you need any help—”

His voice abruptly trailed off, as if realizing that saying this now was unnecessary, then he sighed.

“I’m not trying to speak up for Su Jiqiao, just trying to explain that there really was nothing between Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao back then. He really only had…” Yue Yang’s Adam’s apple rolled up and down, probably mindful of Bai Sheng. He choked back the rest of his words, “It’s enough that you know.”

Without even lifting his head, Shen Zhuo waved his hand dismissively.

It was a signal that the conversation was over and that he could leave.

Yue Yang could only helplessly accept Shen Zhuo’s unassailable, keep-everyone-at-arm’s-length attitude. He pressed the exit button and disappeared into the supervision office’s office space.

***

The private jet broke through the clouds and flew steadily in the direction of City B.

Shen Zhuo set down his whisky glass, but as he turned around, he almost collided with a sturdy chest. The next moment, he found himself held in place by the newcomer at the bar.

“Gege,” Bai Sheng teased with a smile, “why are you drowning your sorrows alone?”

Shen Zhuo asked, “Did you get possessed by some filthy creature?”

He pushed Bai Sheng away, but Bai Sheng swiftly pulled him back. The action was both quick and forceful, quite unlike his usual demeanor.

“I’ve had a question since last night.” Bai Sheng lowered his head with a smile, looking into Shen Zhuo’s eyes, “Why would Su Jiqiao worry about you misunderstanding if he asked his senior Fu for help in private?”

“…”

“How much more about the past do I not know, Director Shen?”

Bai Sheng’s usual style was casual and youthful, giving the impression of a cheerful and sunny college student. However, the physical qualities of an S-class male were far from those of a college student. His towering height of 1.9 meters exerted a strong presence in the cabin space. With ease, his arms pinned Shen Zhuo in the narrow space between his embrace and the bar counter.

“…I thought your unreasonable interest in me would have led you to scour the internal forums of that supervision officer by now.” Shen Zhuo maintained his arched-back posture, mocking as he looked up, “Why? Do you have a strange fetish for hearing gossip firsthand?”

“Naturally. You know, things like gossip are much more thrilling when heard straight from the parties involved.” Bai Sheng raised an eyebrow, “Don’t you know I have many thrilling fetishes?”

“…”

Shen Zhuo remained silent.

“You better find out in advance then,” Bai Sheng murmured softly.

Their bodies pressed together, and their breaths entwined and mingled. Shen Zhuo’s waist and hips were almost pinned against the marble, and even the slightest movement could feel the hot muscle strength of the S-class evolutionist.

There was no one in the rear cabin of the private jet, with only a thin door separating them from the crew, allowing them to hear the deliberately softened footsteps and conversations of the crew members.

“…I have no substantive relationship with Fu Chen. It’s just that the supervision office and the research institute needed to cooperate back then, and the higher-ups wanted to take advantage of the situation to match us.” Shen Zhuo tilted his head back for a moment, avoiding the intertwined breaths, and said coldly, “Many people thought Fu Chen and I should’ve had a relationship, including Yue Yang and Su Jiqiao. That’s all.”

“So Su Jiqiao dislikes you?”

Shen Zhuo remained noncommittal.

“Why do you dislike Su Jiqiao then, Director Shen?” Bai Sheng rubbed Shen Zhuo’s chin, the force a bit heavier than intended, “Is it really unrelated to Fu Chen?”

The universally recognized “best-tempered” S-class still wore a smile on his face, but his eyes were unusually heavy, as if the normally concealed nature was struggling to remain hidden.

In the beginning, it wasn’t like this.

For the young S-class who naturally craved exclusivity, the name Fu Chen, representing past events, evolved from outdated rumors that could be easily joked about to gradually forming provocation and stimulation. It eventually became a lingering irritation; the insatiable desire for control and possession was repeatedly triggered and tormented. After a night of fermentation, it finally revealed itself uncontrollably.

“Why does everyone know that you dislike Su Jiqiao so much?” Bai Sheng stared directly into Shen Zhuo’s pupils, his tone restless and deep, questioning each word: “What did Yue Yang mean by those words last night?”

Forced to meet his gaze, Shen Zhuo spoke with a hoarse voice, “…It has nothing to do with Fu Chen.”

His tone was calm, and his every word was extremely steady, possessing a subdued and gentle suppressive force, “It’s because Su Jiqiao has always been hostile towards me.”

“I don’t like people with excessive hostility.”

“…”

Bai Sheng fixed his gaze on Shen Zhuo, his pupils flickering slightly. His eyes were unpredictable, as if he were intensely weighing something in his mind.

Even a restless lion would repeatedly consider whether to follow its instincts, disregarding and directly pouncing, or to endure, bow down, and whine, in hopes of continuing to receive the desired love and appeasement.

The air in the cabin became stagnant, as if there was a bowstring stretched to its limit. After a while, Bai Sheng’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and his eyes seemed to flicker. As if nothing had happened, he smiled casually.

“—Oh, just kidding. What hostility are you talking about?”

He released Shen Zhuo’s cold chin, casually brushed off the non-existent dust on Shen Zhuo’s shoulder, then smiled playfully as he withdrew his hand: “Actually, I feel that guy named Su is a bit annoying too. No wonder you dislike him. It’s normal.”

At that moment, the door was swung open with a swift push, and the driver, Luo Zhen, entered holding a water glass: “Supervisor Shen—”

He froze in his tracks.

Bai Sheng naturally released Shen Zhuo, leaned forward to take the water glass from Luo Zhen’s hand, then hooked his arm around Shen Zhuo’s shoulder in a buddy-like gesture, wearing a friendly expression: “No worries, I was just messing around with Inspector Shen here.”

Shen Zhuo calmly stated, “Please leave.”

Without a word, Luo Zhen lowered his head and retreated out of the cabin, closing the door behind him properly with a soft click.

With the light click, only the two of them remained in the rear cabin.

Bai Sheng finally let go completely, and Shen Zhuo took a step back, creating some distance between them.

The tense air finally resumed its normal flow.

They both tacitly avoided mentioning the recent incident. Bai Sheng fully reverted to his usual playful and carefree demeanor, leaning against the bar and taking a sip of water, like a lion leisurely returning to its den to stretch and yawn. He casually asked, “So Su Jiqiao also studied at the research institute?”

Shen Zhuo responded with a grunt, “A teenage prodigy who completed both undergraduate and graduate studies at the institute.”

Bai Sheng thought to himself that most “teenage prodigies” in the world have some flaws when you look closely. That Su guy was probably no exception: “So, he started being hostile back then… Did he start targeting you with his tea back then?”

Shen Zhuo glanced at him but didn’t respond.

“Oh, look at you, still holding a grudge.” Bai Sheng walked over from the bar with a smile, sitting unceremoniously beside Shen Zhuo on the armrest. His sunny and cheerful face was irresistible as he diligently straightened out Shen Zhuo’s collar, which had been messed up just now.

Shen Zhuo turned his head slightly, avoiding the gesture.

It was a clear and indifferent refusal, but Bai Sheng didn’t mind at all. He just squeezed next to Shen Zhuo, sitting close, and asked with a smile, “When was that?”

Shen Zhuo replied lightly, “Eight years ago.”

“Last time I heard him call you ‘Senior Shen,’ so he’s also your junior like Chen Miao?”

This question slipped out of Bai Sheng’s mouth, but as soon as the words were spoken, he realized it wasn’t right—there was no way Su Jiqiao, as talented as he might be, could be in the same academic year as Shen Zhuo, just like Chen Miao in the institute couldn’t be of the same seniority as Shen Zhuo.

Chen Miao calling him senior was clearly because the silly kid was favored, a favor Su Jiqiao could only dream of receiving.

Sure enough, Shen Zhuo raised an eyebrow, giving a half-smile that wasn’t really a smile, “Who said I’m his senior?”

“…”

“He calls me that just to annoy me,” Shen Zhuo said coldly, “Because I’m his teacher.”

Bai Sheng: “Ah?”

***

“—These are all new graduate students recruited by the institute this year. Of course, they can’t compare to you, Xiao Shen, but they are also promising talents, haha…”

That year, as the summer heat lingered, the young prodigies frolicked and ran across the playground. Shen Zhuo turned from the window and saw a young man in a white shirt standing in front of him, his delicate face slightly flushed: “Teacher Shen.”

“This is Su Jiqiao, whom I told you about, the famous young genius from undergrad.” The old dean smiled and patted the young man’s shoulder, then pointed to Shen Zhuo. “It’s a bit formal to call him ‘teacher,’ so let’s call him Senior Shen! Shen Zhuo, you should remember to take care of your juniors. You two should get closer and interact more often…”

“Senior Shen,” the young man’s eyes showed a hint of shy admiration, “I’ve heard of you for a long time.”

Eighteen-year-old Su Jiqiao was a bit shorter than Shen Zhuo, still growing. His delicate and slightly immature appearance was charming, and it seemed like he knew which angles made him more likable.

Shen Zhuo glanced at him briefly, then returned his gaze to the computer. “Which two characters?”

“The ‘Jiqiao’ from ‘Sending messages to magpies by the river, don’t build bridges next year.'” ¹

Shen Zhuo nodded, indicating he understood.

Su Jiqiao’s tone was sincere: “Senior Shen, I admired you a lot during my undergraduate years. I always hoped to graduate early so I could have the opportunity to learn more from you. I printed out all your works, and here are the notes I made…”

“No need to apply. I don’t take students, and it’s not suitable for your direction.”

Shen Zhuo interrupted the slightly hesitant young man, stood up, closed the computer, and handed the list he just made to the old dean. “These few doctoral students can try out in my project group; the rest don’t need to; just send them back.”

“Ah?” The old dean was quite surprised. “All of them are so outstanding; why are you sending them back?”

Shen Zhuo was straightforward: “Parallel imports.”

He glanced at the time, hurriedly grabbed his computer, and headed toward the laboratory without even looking back, disappearing at the end of the corridor under Su Jiqiao’s gaze.

The admiration, love, or hatred from the world were all things Shen Zhuo considered the most commonplace and worthless. Su Jiqiao quickly realized this.

If the young genius could accept himself as just an ordinary member of the masses earlier, perhaps he would have had time to change his approach, even his persona, to approach his goals more smoothly.

But he didn’t.

Su Jiqiao, who was loved by everyone during his student days, soon collided with Shen Zhuo’s icy barrier in the most brutal and unsightly manner.

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