Chapter 16: I Must Keep An Eye On You, Ji Xingjue

Ji Xingjue raised his eyebrows, his expression was as natural as ever. “Leaving the Imperial Capital half a year ago?”

Qi Qing was looking up at him, and he was also looking down at Qi Qing.

A very wonderful angle.

Qi Qing paused at his fingertips. After he smoothed the last wrinkle, he stood up and locked his eyes on the other person. “At the same time Yser Lestervin left the Imperial Capital, you also disappeared right in front of everyone’s eyes for thirteen days without asking for leave. Where did you go during this period?”

“Although I don’t know where you got the news…” Ji Xingjue muttered, “The Empire is very hot at the end of May. As you know, I’ve always had a serious cold every summer. The medical cabin has no solution to this symptom, and it takes ten or half a month to get better.”

Qi Qing’s eyes moved slightly.

“As for not asking for leave, of course it is because the salary will be deducted from asking for leave. Working from home and working at school are almost the same. I always have data feedback with the laboratory. If you have any doubts, you can check the records.” Ji Xingjue blinked and joked, “Look, I am still working hard even though I have a serious illness, but Lord Marshal has wronged me. Should I raise my funds next time?”

Qi Qing did not say another word. With a strong observation, he analyzed every expression and movement.

This room was very familiar to Ji Xingjue, but at that time, Qi Qing would not look at himself suspiciously like this.

Who knows how long it took, Qi Qing put aside his gaze, walked across from him and took out a bathrobe from the closet, then faintly said, “I heard that the experimental results of C9 are not ideal enough. Wait until you have developed a spy bionic who is no different from a real person, but more loyal than a real person, then we’ll talk again.”

After speaking, he took his large steps into the bathroom.

Ji Xingjue let out a long sigh of relief.

It seemed that Qi Qing was just guessing.

He pulled his own collar, calmed himself down beside the closet for a while, before slipping to the bathroom door, and asked lazily through the door, “Has Lord Marshal read the project plan?”

There was the sound of rushing water from the bathroom, but Qi Qing still heard his voice. His deep voice came out through the door, a little vague, “En.”

“What do you think?”

“Not so good.”

“Oh?”

On the surface, this project was to develop and research a new type of intelligent bionics and sell them on the market, but it was actually developing a spy bionic.

Although the spies that could be sent out were thoroughly brainwashed by imperialism, humans were still humans. Human knowledge would increase, their experience and cognition would be enriched, and also change. Even the strongest minerals will be weathered, and believing in human nature is a matter of great risk.

Humans cannot be loyal forever like machines.

“No matter how much a bionic person is like a person, it is not a person.” Qi Qing’s voice was cold and indifferent, “They cannot understand human thinking, and they will never be able to replace humans.”

Ji Xingjue’s smile stagnated at the corner of his mouth.

“No matter how much they look like a person, there are still mechanical bones inside.” Qi Qing added.

What Qi Qing said was right, objective and realistic.

Even in science fiction movies, the possibility of machines evolving into intelligence was actually zero.

Ji Xingjue sighed. “Lord Marshal, how could you say this in front of the person in charge of this project…”

The rushing water suddenly stopped and after a while, the bathroom door was pushed open and a shadow was casted over his head.

What came to his face wasn’t the mist or steam of water, but Qi Qing and his particularly cold aura on his body. After being washed, his clear as well as grave and stern appearance appeared right in front of his eyes, tightly wrapped by the bathrobe. “What’s wrong with that?”

Ji Xingjue paused for a moment. “…it’s also pretty good, you should hear opinions from both sides.”

Qi Qing more or less smiled at him.

Ji Xingjue began to regret coming over.

If he had just lie down on the bed and pretend to sleep, he should be able to avoid this much awkwardness. 

He slipped over to sit on the bed, while watching Qi Qing stand in front of the automatic dryer to dry his hair.

Qi Qing was spoiled when he was young. After the shower, he would throw a towel at him and come to sit in the front leisurely, while brushing the game and enjoying manual service.

The young master was already old enough to do things by himself, and he inevitably got scolded by the Duke and Madame every day.

From this point of view, compared with when he was a teenager, Qi Qing’s facial features had become more handsome and profound, with cold and hard outlines, like a sharp blade out of a sheath.

After seven years of absence, people who knew Qi Qing before all said that he “becomes very strange, like another person.”

But unexpectedly, Ji Xingjue didn’t find him strange at all.

The insignificant noise of the dryer stopped.

Seeing Qi Qing coming step by step, with a sense of oppression approaching, Ji Xingjue hurriedly hopped to the bed like a rabbit, shrank into the quilt, showing only a pair of eyes, and blinked. “Lord Marshal, can I make a request?”

Qi Qing lifted the quilt and gave him a glance.

“You come knock me out.” Ji Xingjue said sincerely, “Otherwise, I might not fall asleep all night, and I have to go back to the base for a meeting tomorrow.”

Qi Qing: “……”

The lights in the room dimmed, and because Yu Tong forgot to change the curtains, the view of the sky and the heavy snow outside the thin window screens was faintly shown.

Qi Qing lied down, too lazy to talk to him. “Sleep with your eyes closed and stop letting your own imagination run wild.”

All right.

Ji Xingjue felt a little regret. He even thought that Qi Qing would do it decisively.

The room was quiet, and his hearing was particularly acute in a dim environment, and even the slight breathing on the other side was clearly audible.

The moonlight walking through the window illuminates the familiar ceiling, and the same smell of bathing products floats in the air, evaporated by body temperature, filling the tip of his nose, warm and mellow. 

Ji Xingjue rubbed against the quilt, and changed to a more comfortable position. “Lord Marshal?”

After a long while, Qi Qing answered, “En.”

“Are you investigating me?” Ji Xingjue looked at the ceiling, silently counted the slightly swaying crystals on the chandelier, and asked with a smile, “Or, since the day you returned to Ankara Star, have you been keeping an eye on me?”

Qi Qing opened his eyes and turned his head without a sound.

The hazy moonlight fell on that side, outlining the beautiful side lines of the person behind him. This was a familiar angle and he was the same as before. After looking from his forehead down to his sharp chin, he spoke with his lukewarm tone. “So what?”

“Well, I just feel that this seems to conflict with your original intention of finding a trustworthy person to marry?”

Qi Qing remained silent for a few seconds before saying with difficulty. “I only said you are harmless.”

“Okay, harmless,” Ji Xingjue calmly changed his mouth, turning over to face Qi Qing, “but you suspect me, am I not count as harmless?”

“Why not count?” Qi Qing asked back.

“Throwing the question back is not a good answer.” Ji Xingjue breathed out a sigh emotionally, “You really have changed a lot.”

This sentence seemed to make Qi Qing a little unpleasant, and he didn’t get a reply even after a long time.

He thought that he would have insomnia, but unexpectedly after saying a few words, sleepiness actually hit in.

After struggling a few times, Ji Xingjue gave up, closed his eyelids, and let the sleepiness get entangled in the erratic consciousness, leading himself to fall asleep.

When half asleep and half awake, he heard Qi Qing’s cold and deep voice saying, “That’s why, I must keep an eye on you, Ji Xingjue.”

Keep for what? It’s not that he could run.

Ji Xingjue dumbly thought, his consciousness was completely disconnected, and his breathing became smooth and prolonged.

This sleep was surprisingly stable. There was neither continuous light rain nor continuous fire and large expanses of red flowers and plants in his dream. It was rare for Ji Xingjue to have a good rest. When he woke up, his bones were soft all over. The moment he opened his eyes with a yawn, he found that the window was temporarily sealed, blocking the sunlight coming through from the outside.

When did this happen?

This sleep was too sweet, and he was still a little confused. While thinking, without the command of the brain, he turned over and got out of bed first, stepping on his slippers and leaving the room as he did countless times, ready to push the opposite door.

What was next?

He thought in a daze, by the way, he had to go back to the room first, wash and change his clothes, and then wake Qi Qing up out of his bed. 

By the way, where is Qi Qing?

He looked back, and the room behind him was empty. There was only a messy quilt on the big bed, with no sight of Qi Qing at all.

Ji Xingjue suddenly woke up.

Unexpectedly, after so many years, he still maintained this habit.

How scary.

“What are you doing?”

There were steady footsteps in the corridor, Ji Xingjue turned his head, and Qi Qing, who had already finished his morning training, walked over and glanced at the door of the room he almost opened. His expression was as profound as deep spring. “Want to go in and see?”

Ji Xingjue’s fingertips shrank back, and shook his head with a smile. “I seem to be sleepwalking.”

It was still early, after Ji Xingjue packed himself up, he went downstairs, rolled up his sleeves, and proactively said, “I’ll make breakfast.”

Qi Qing’s face suddenly changed. He grabbed him, pushed him out of the kitchen, slammed the door shut and locked it.

Ji Xingjue stood outside the door, his mouth opened in astonishment. In this silent action, he felt a strong humiliation.

It was rare for him to feel this dissatisfaction with Qi Qing. He walked to the table angrily and sat down. After a while, Yu Tong also came down from upstairs and observed him. “What happened to Xiao Ji? Did Xiao Bao upset you?”

Although the Madame was forgetful, her ability to capture emotions was truly terrifying.

Ji Xingjue adjusted his expression and smiled. “No.”

The kitchen door reopened, and a scent of fragrance spilled out. Seeing Qi Qing walking out carrying the plate, Yu Tong’s attention was distracted and smiled. “Xiao Bao can cook now?”

Qi Qing, who hadn’t given up on correcting her to call him the right name, said, “Mom, how old I am, don’t call me Xiao Bao.”

“Okay, Xiao Bao.”

“……”

Ji Xingjue didn’t react until he took a mouthful of scrambled milk eggs to his mouth.

This tender taste and its golden appearance were so familiar that it made his scalp numb.

…the breakfast he ate every day was not delivered by Damel, but made by Qi Qing!

This was simply a ghost story occuring between the stars.

Obviously, Madame Yu Tong was also extremely shocked. “I was ready to use motherly love to tolerate this breakfast. Never expect it to be so good. Xiao Bao has grown up.”

Qi Xiao Bao’s face became stiff. He took a sip of milk, not wanting to speak anymore.

After eating breakfast together, Qi Qing intended to send the two to work before returning to the military headquarters.

Yu Tong waved her hand. “The institute is very close. I already asked my assistant to pick me up.”

It was indeed very close. In less than five minutes, the assistant arrived in the car. Seeing Qi Qing, she hurriedly bowed and saluted, “Dr. Yu, Marshal…” Seeing Ji Xingjue, she was stunned for a while, and then hesitated for half a second before adding weakly, “A-also, there is also Mrs. Marshal, good morning!”

Ji Xingjue revealed a fake smile.

Miss, you can actually ignore me.

“No need to be so reserved,” Yu Tong smiled and waved her hand, “I’m leaving now, go send Xiao Ji off.”

Ji Xingjue, who wanted to slip off and immediately drive back to the base by himself, was suddenly named. Under Yu Tong’s smiling gaze, he had to restore his handsome appearance and politely said, “Then I will trouble Marshal.”

Qi Qing curled up his lips indifferently. “You’re welcome, Professor Ji.”

When the suspension car started, Ji Xingjue hesitated slightly. “It’s a long way to the base, won’t it delay your return to the military?”

“It won’t.”

Ji Xingjue, while resting his chin in his hand, he looked toward him and asked with a smile, “Is this also a part of ‘keeping an eye on me’?”

Qi Qing turned his head to look at him, his light-colored eyes were like inorganic glass with no emotions. His Adam’s apple rolled, leaving the word of, “That’s right.”

The author has something to say:

Xiao Qi: Yesterday all the people named Xiao Bao became the member the Imperial assassination list.