Chapter 278: Fireworks

Chapter 278: Chapter 278: Fireworks

Pei Xianjue wasn’t surprised to be rejected, but a part of her had been hoping against hope that Feng Ling would see her in a special light.

Sadly, she hadn’t.

"You’re the woman of the hour now. I’d probably have to get in line just to treat you to dinner." Pei Xianjue’s tone was playful. "I can’t really take time off, or I’d come visit you in Qingjiang and bring you the new fabric our company’s R&D department developed."

Feng Ling asked, "What kind of fabric?"

"Oh, it’s what I mentioned before. Our company has a research division that specializes in developing products tailored for Inspectors and Hunters. We’ve made some progress with a new type of fabric for clothing, and I just got a sample. I was hoping to get your opinion on it." Pei Xianjue smiled. "But mostly, I just want to see you. So... can we get a meal together?"

"Alright. I’ll come see you in a couple of days."

Feng Ling’s earlier refusal had been decisive, and her acceptance now was just as quick.

The knot in Pei Xianjue’s stomach instantly loosened, and the smile on her face relaxed. "Great! I’ll see you then!"

"Mhm, see you then~" Feng Ling chirped.

The call ended.

Pei Xianjue let out a long sigh of relief.

Seeing her relax, Baozi chuckled. "Is there any of that new fabric for Da Xiong and me? You’ve got to look out for us too, Miss."

Da Xiong immediately nodded. "Yeah! Otherwise, I’d keep ripping a new set of clothes every time I transform."

Pei Xianjue couldn’t help but laugh. She glanced at the two of them. "What new fabric? R&D doesn’t move that fast."

Baozi froze. "But... what you just said..."

"I was lying," Pei Xianjue said with a helpless smile. "If I didn’t come up with a reason, I wouldn’t have known how to ask her to meet up. I’ll just have to rush the R&D department and have them send over a prototype to make do."

......

...

Feng Ling was still on the road back to Qingjiang City.

After she hung up, Ye Zheng asked her, "Who was that?"

"Pei Xianjue, Deputy Pei from Yuquan City." Feng Ling grinned. "She wants to give me some high-tech clothing fabric. I’m pretty popular, don’t you think?~"

Ye Zheng frowned slightly. "Why not just ship it directly?"

"She wanted to ask me out to dinner. Besides, Yuquan and Qingjiang aren’t that far apart, so I don’t mind making the trip." Feng Ling glanced at Ye Zheng, a smirk playing on her lips. "Remember Baozi? He’s one of Pei Xianjue’s bodyguards. Back when I needed someone to keep you from going berserk, I asked to borrow him, and she sent him over to help without a second thought. Now she’s asking me to dinner; it wouldn’t be right for me to keep making excuses."

Ye Zheng thought for a moment, then nodded. "You’re right, you should go."

She then added, "Spiritual Control-type Cards are relatively rare. Inspectors who hold such Cards are either assigned to administrative positions or placed under protection at research institutes. For Pei Xianjue to have someone with a spiritual-type Card as a bodyguard... the Pei Group is really willing to pour resources into her."

"Well, Baozi was her bodyguard to begin with. He’d have to quit for that to change." Feng Ling recalled their experience on Sanqing Mountain. "...Oh, I remember now. I think it was to balance out the Card Ability of her other bodyguard."

Feng Ling told Ye Zheng about Liang Zhou.

She usually didn’t remember the names of unimportant people, but the nicknames Pei Xianjue had given her two bodyguards were just too memorable: one was Baozi, and the other was Hero. Apparently, being good at nicknames had its advantages.

After listening, Ye Zheng commented dryly, "An emotionally unstable Giant Wolf Fenrir paired with a peaceful and serene Lucky Heaven... It’s a suitable match. It seems she’s put some thought into securing her position."

Feng Ling tilted her head, studying Ye Zheng’s expression.

But Ye Zheng’s face was as cold as ever, and Feng Ling couldn’t come to any conclusion.

"Do you dislike Pei Xianjue?" Feng Ling asked, curious.

Ye Zheng furrowed her brow. "Why would I dislike her? She’s just a little girl. I pity her."

Feng Ling’s curiosity grew. "Pity her?"

Ye Zheng gave a cold smirk. "Isn’t it pitiful? A little girl with no professional training, thrust into the position of a Deputy Captain, forced to confront Alien Species head-on and bear pressure she was never meant to handle."

"You call that pitiful? She seems perfectly happy about it," Feng Ling retorted.

A mocking smile touched Ye Zheng’s lips. "She might be happy, but are her parents? The Pei Group must have pulled strings to get her into that position, which means her parents completely accept their daughter living in danger every day. You can go online and look up the current casualty numbers for Inspectors. Then think about it: if a war broke out, how many parents would willingly send their children to the front lines?"

Hearing her put it that way, Feng Ling had to admit that Pei Xianjue’s situation was a bit strange. "It can’t be that serious, can it? Pei Xianjue has two bodyguards with her. She can protect herself if there’s danger."

Ye Zheng’s eyes were filled with scorn. "With her abilities, I’d suggest she bring twenty of them."

"Tsk~" Feng Ling sighed. "Now that’s just savage."

But at the end of the day, it was all someone else’s family business. They chatted and gossiped for a while longer, and then the topic passed.

By the time the truck drove back into Qingjiang City, it was late at night.

They were still far from the city center when someone started setting off fireworks. The night sky bloomed with a dazzling, multicolored spectacle of light and fire, as grand as a New Year’s celebration.

Feng Ling climbed onto the roof of the truck to watch the fireworks and couldn’t help but laugh. "Su Yuqing is so extra~"

Inside the cabin, Ye Zheng was silent for a long moment before saying in a low voice, "He is. Very extra."

’He looked so refined and proper, yet he insisted on these flashy, impractical ceremonies. To this day, Ye Zheng still remembered that awful surprise proposal.’

’She hated surprises. She wanted every aspect of her life to proceed in an orderly fashion, just like a schedule. That was why she hadn’t been very nice to him that day.’

’Even thinking back on it now, she still disliked surprises. But she had to admit, the bouquet that day had been beautiful, and the ring had been a perfect fit...’

"Hey, hurry up and get up here! They’ll be over in a minute!" Feng Ling urged.

"Boring," Ye Zheng scoffed, but after a few more prods from Feng Ling, she reluctantly climbed onto the roof.

Enormous fireworks bloomed in the night sky, one after another, passionate and brilliant.

In the distance, a convoy from the Inspection Bureau appeared on the road.

One motorcycle in particular stood out.

"Wow, so many people~" Feng Ling said, peering into the distance. "I see Zhou Diao."

Without a word, Ye Zheng scrambled back inside the truck’s cabin.

’If Zhou Diao was here, then Su Yuqing couldn’t be far behind.’

The roar of a motorcycle engine drowned out the sound of the fireworks. The wind whipped Zhou Diao’s already messy hair into a frenzy as he waved excitedly at Feng Ling—

"FENG LING!!!"

Feng Ling chuckled. ’That guy’s got some lungs.’

Yet, the moment the sound of Zhou Diao’s voice faded, the same call echoed from further away:

"Feng Ling!—Feng Ling!—"

The dark streets surged with a tide of people, and her name passed from one to the next, traveling into the distance like an echo, like a musical note.

Standing on the roof of the truck, Feng Ling was momentarily stunned.

Down below, Ye Zheng tilted her head up, a slight smile on her lips as she asked, "What’s the feeling now?"

Feng Ling took a moment to savor the feeling before replying, "It’s kind of like... being a mom."