Chapter 176 - 175: How Did You Know?

Wen Shuting was taken away along with Yan Qin.

Theft could be a major or minor crime. Wen Shuting was just unlucky. The one thing she happened to steal was the most important core data.

With no one to pull strings for her, she was sentenced to seven years.

Jian Yu arrived late, so she didn’t hear the specific outcome. She only knew that both of them had been expelled.

When she saw that the men taking Wen Shuting away were dressed in Star Police uniforms, she realized that Yan Qin wasn’t the one who had it worst.

Their university life had only just begun.

Jian Yu pursed her lips, staring blankly at the Space Ring on her finger.

She couldn’t understand how things had escalated to this point.

"Yan Qin will go to jail too," Xu Jianjuan said abruptly.

She didn’t move, keeping her chin held high.

It was as if she could only see Jian Yu, not bothering to even shift her gaze to glance at anyone else.

Jian Yu looked up at her and was silent for a moment. "Weren’t they going to arrange for her to go to the Border Area Apartment?"

Xu Jianjuan didn’t answer.

Ling Yanzhi raised an eyebrow. "That’s probably the arrangement for after she gets out of prison."

Duan Feiye slowly sat back down in his seat.

His eyes were downcast, his expression unreadable.

The seats in the conference room weren’t fixed, but he sat down so lightly that his chair didn’t move an inch.

Xu Jianjuan glanced over, a sneer on her face.

She knew Yan Qin’s tears were useless.

Yan Qin wasn’t begging; she was just hoping those in power would take pity on her and show some benevolence.

The dealings between these people had never been on equal footing.

One party lost sight of her original intentions and insisted on forcing her way into a circle where she didn’t belong.

The other party gave her whatever she wanted, inadvertently feeding her greed and ambition while letting her run wild.

But they were both adults. Neither had any obligation or responsibility to guide the other.

Xu Jianjuan concealed her emotions, her gaze darkening.

"Why is everyone acting so weird?" Pei Yin asked, leaning on the long conference table with both hands.

His tall frame bent slightly forward, his shoulders tensing.

His cyan eyes scanned everyone’s face. "The problem’s solved. Isn’t that a good thing?"

Jian Yu’s gaze involuntarily drifted to his waist and hips.

’So slender. And so round and perky.’

’This is not the time for that!’

Jian Yu lowered her head, scolding herself internally.

When no one spoke, Pei Yin straightened up and faced Duan Feiye.

"She was possessed twice. Make sure to smooth things over with the prison so she doesn’t cause any more trouble."

Yan Qin had been sentenced to two years.

It was a two-year fixed-term sentence, but its execution was suspended.

Instead of serving actual prison time, she would be placed on probation for one year. If she didn’t break any laws during that period, the two-year sentence would be waived.

Considering her age and her status as a student at the Noble Academy, the suspended sentence meant she wouldn’t have to serve any actual jail time.

However, Pei Yin picked up the badge from the table and pinned it back onto his clothes.

"The observation period for a Soul Ghost Body is six months. If she’s fine after that, you can have someone get her released and send her to the Border Area Apartment for continued observation."

Pei Yin had a playful streak. As he spoke, he began to swing the chain at his waist.

"Are Soul Ghost Bodies not picky anymore? This is the first time I’ve ever seen one possess a normal person twice in a row."

"What’s the benefit of wasting so much spiritual energy to possess an ordinary person? Yan Qin has so little spiritual power she can’t even become Awakened. A Soul Ghost wouldn’t get a decent meal from her."

"It’s expending a massive amount of spiritual energy to corrupt Yan Qin. Even if it successfully takes over her body, it won’t live long in an ordinary human’s form."

"Don’t tell me Soul Ghost Bodies have evolved to the point where they can... abandon a new body on short notice and just pick someone else?"

"That said,"

Pei Yin, despite being the youngest, started lecturing.

"Duan Feifei, you were really immature about this. Every time she threw a tantrum to get something from you, you just gave in. I know you hate the hassle, but look what happened. You left her alone for one day and she caused this huge mess."

Duan Feiye listened intently without interrupting.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t intervened; it was just that some people weren’t worth his time.

He was the one who brought her here. Now that there was trouble, arranging for Yan Qin’s future was the biggest compromise he was willing to make.

It was merely a transaction. There was no reason for him to neglect his family’s business and other responsibilities to cater to a stranger like Yan Qin.

Duan Feiye nodded placidly. "Mm."

Pei Yin was taken aback. "You’re not acting like yourself today."

Duan Feiye shot him a cool glance.

"And you’re glaring at me," Pei Yin said as he walked over to Jian Yu.

He lowered his hands and scooped her up, setting her on the table. "See? You’ve scared my girl so much her face has gone pale."

After a moment of bewilderment, Jian Yu deadpanned.

She struggled to get down.

Pei Yin held her by the shoulders. "I haven’t seen you in days. Let me get a good look at you."

He frowned. "It’s my fault for being too tall. When I look down, all I can see is the top of your head."

Jian Yu stared at him, her face a blank mask.

"Don’t be mad." Pei Yin squeezed in, prying Jian Yu’s hand from Ling Yanzhi’s grasp, and began to coax her in a soft, gentle voice.

Duan Feiye felt a pang of discomfort. He desperately needed someone to talk to.

He remembered encouraging Pei Yin to make a move on Jian Yu, which made him feel even worse.

Given Pei Yin’s personality, he never would have made a move without a push.

The ridiculous part was, he was the one who’d personally given him that push.

Now his bro was effortlessly winning her over, and there wasn’t even an opening for him to step in.

Duan Feiye rolled up his sleeves. "I have to go. I’ll be leaving first."

As he stood, the chair behind him scraped back ten centimeters.

Jian Yu turned her head and saw Xu Jianjuan get up and hurry after him.

She placed a hand on Pei Yin’s arm and hopped off the table. "Where is the Border Area Apartment?"

Pei Yin retorted, "Why do you ask? You want to live there, too?"

"No." Jian Yu straightened her rumpled skirt, smoothing out the fabric with her fingers.

Ling Yanzhi’s eyelids were drooping as if he weren’t fully awake.

He raised his head slightly and answered, "It’s near the Alliance’s research base."

The Alliance had assigned them numerous properties to make commuting for work more convenient.

Security around the Alliance Base was excellent.

It wasn’t just Duan Feiye; several of them had villas and apartments there.

Jian Yu listened intently.

Seeing her genuine curiosity, Pei Yin added, "Some high-IQ Awakeners who’ve committed crimes, or people who are useful to the Alliance but have made grave errors, are also confined there."

Jian Yu frowned. ’Confined?’

Ling Yanzhi shot Pei Yin a sidelong glance.

He opened his mouth and immediately threw both of them under the bus. "Last time, the Alliance even had him and Si Xu go brainwash people."

Ling Yanzhi looked down and squeezed Jian Yu’s hand.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I should say wipe their memories. Some of them forget everything, including why they were confined in the first place. They end up thinking they were recruited by the Alliance for some top-secret work."

His tone was strange and his meaning ambiguous, enough to make an uninformed listener think Pei Yin was planning to wipe Jian Yu’s memory.

Pei Yin found this odd. He opened his mouth to speak, but...

...Ling Yanzhi cut in with a complete non-sequitur. "How did you know Yu gave me gloves?"

He raised his hand, stretching his fingers in a showy display. "I think they look great, too."

Jian Yu: "..."