Watching Ye Jiumu take out a small pump-like device from the Na Ring, then slowly insert a long tube into the crevice, and press a button on the pump, the small pump started to shake slowly with a buzzing sound.
Having participated in quite a few missions, Pei Yan knew this little thing was a miniature internal energy extractor, designed specifically to collect excess or already leaking energy from crevices for research and storage purposes.
"Give a hand! Your chanical arm won’t get tired from holding it," Ye Jiumu said, handing the tube to Pei Yan.
Pei Yan didn’t mind and switched his chanical arm to take the tube and hold it high, watching the scattered gas in the crevice being absorbed bit by bit into the tube, transforming into a semi-liquid state and flowing into the internal energy extractor. Pei Yan instinctively raised his hand to check his watch: "How long will this take? Can we finish it before they co back?"
"Why panic? We’ve already checked; this family has five mbers, the man and woman have jobs, and the kids go to school. During the day, only the two elderly are at ho, and they’ve been attracted by the senior discount activities organized by the community; they won’t be back for a while. Besides, isn’t Xia Yu and Zhao Yuanhu down there keeping watch for us? Nothing will happen." Ye Jiumu said, taking out a cigarette but then, rembering they were in soone else’s house, not wanting to leave traces, reluctantly putting the cigarette box back.
"You say, what if, I’m saying what if, the hoowner returns unexpectedly and they block us in here, what do we do?" Pei Yan leaned against the wall, no longer nervous, smiling as he teased.
Ye Jiumu leaned on the doorfra, smiling, and replied: "What else can we do, admit to being thieves and get caught, take a beating without fighting back, then wait for the police to co, take us away, make a turn and co out again—anyway, we’re not using our real faces, what are you afraid of?"
Thus, the two chatted idly to pass the ti, from the bureau’s recent situation to international affairs. After so banter, the discussion naturally turned to girls.
"How’s the progress with Zhao Yuanhu over the past month?" Ye Jiumu shifted the topic, looking at Pei Yan holding the tube with a lively expression.
On hearing the question, Pei Yan pursed his lips and replied with little enthusiasm: "What progress? What progress could there be? Most of the ti, aren’t we acting together? You’ve seen it."
"Oh, then it’s our fault, tsk, miscalculation. This task should’ve been you two, this small space with a man and woman cohabiting will surely spark so chemistry. Don’t worry, Pei Yan, next ti we encounter such a task, I’ll definitely give way." Ye Jiumu said as he mimicked a regretful expression and laughed teasingly.
"Enough, being alone with her is even more awkward."
Ye Jiumu froze upon hearing this and asked puzzledly: "Why? Are you shy? Don’t tell you have no interest in her. I saw you staring at her that day, eyes wide—apart from being a bit reserved usually, I think she’s quite nice. You don’t have issues with her love for ethnic attire, do you?"
"Of course not. Do you really not know why?" Pei Yan finished speaking, rolled his eyes at Ye Jiumu, and straightened his body leaning against the wall, deciding to be straightforward: "I admit that when I first t her, I indeed developed a fondness for her. She is indeed my type, but she’s here to monitor ; I can’t just walk into soone’s surveillance."
"Oh, you knew? Xia Yu’s judgnt is spot on; she said it wouldn’t escape you. When did you find out?" Ye Jiumu nodded and asked.
"Found out that very night." Pei Yan replied, his mood sowhat bleak. As he ntioned, Zhao Yuanhu was indeed his type—a bright spark amongst the three girls he knew in the bureau. Xia Yu was passionate and straightforward, matching Pei Yan’s temperant but not soone he’d want to date. Liang Qian’s character fit his standards, but her figure... And Zhao Yuanhu’s appearance truly made his eyes light up, giving him a heart-throbbing feeling.
Especially that night, Zhao Yuanhu selflessly jumped into the lake to save him—an absolutely stunning mont when his heart felt tightly grasped. If things ended like that, perhaps after the mission that night, Pei Yan would have truly pursued her, aiming for a double-sweet success in career and love.
But when he was struck by the Black-robed Man’s ice needle, entering a state of pseudo-death, he saw her relieved expression and understood everything. At the ti, he didn’t overthink due to the battle, but during subsequent interactions, Zhao Yuanhu always maintained a distance, telling him she was fulfilling a task—not genuinely caring; the supposed affection was rely his self-indulgence.
Faced with this result, Pei Yan felt annoyed but helpless, as she never claid to like him and repeatedly risked herself to protect him. He couldn’t bla her—that would be unmanly.
However, asking Pei Yan to abandon his identity to pursue her wasn’t sothing he could muster; he understood being monitored and protected during missions, but he didn’t want his privacy continually exposed for assessnt.
Consequently, the atmosphere between Pei Yan and Zhao Yuanhu was extrely awkward, even though they were partners. They almost had no private exchanges, maintaining an understood distance and preserving the secret they both knew, neither breaking this facade.
"Still young, liking soone ans you should boldly pursue! Or you’ll regret it later!" Ye Jiumu said, closing the internal energy extractor, taking the tube from Pei Yan and packing the items away. The accumulated internal energy had mostly drained, and it was ti to start repair work.
Pei Yan sidestepped out of the bathroom to let Ye Jiumu repair the crevice, turning to retort his teasing: "You’re always talking about , what about you and Xia Yu?"
Ye Jiumu bent down to take out an ointnt bottle from a tool bag. Hearing this, he paused before straightening up with a chuckle: "You know, Wang Wenze’s big mouth must’ve told you."
Pei Yan shrugged: "No need for him to say, everyone in the bureau can see.".
Ye Jiumu took out a sar of ointnt from the bottle, applied it to his hand, raised it to the edge of the crevice, then stimulated the internal energy at the palm. The ointnt on his hand slowly vaporized and floated above the crevice. Watching the crevice gradually heal under the gas, he spoke: "Our situation is different from yours. It’s complicated and can’t be explained to outsiders, but I feel that we’re in a good place now. If she truly... one day.’
He paused, licked his lips: "Then I’ll accept and wish them well."
Pei Yan saw his expression, sighed deeply with his hand on his forehead, and said: "You two are truly living up to the nas your parents gave you!"
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