Returning to the Cheng family's territory, the two handed over their equipment, bid farewell to their cousin, and left the Luo Hall.
"Where should we go now?" Cheng Jinyang asked. "Miss Wang's side..."
"It seems like she has already returned to the hometown," Xing Yuanzhi replied, looking at her phone.
"Oh."
"It refers to the house in Wujiang Town, not the Taiyuan Wang family's ancestral land," Xing Yuanzhi sighed.
"Yeah," Cheng Jinyang said, "If she really leaves, neither you nor I will be at ease."
Xing Yuanzhi: ....
I can't deny it.
Even though being around Miss Wang means enduring her arrogance, sharp tongue, and narcissism, if she were to leave one day, both she and Jinyang would surely become suspicious again.
After all, we are a team that keeps a secret together. What are you going to do when you leave the team alone? Do you want to betray us and cause trouble?
Previously, they stayed in the guest room of the Cheng family because of the instability and turmoil in Jiankang City. Now that things have calmed down, they decided to take a bus back to Wujiang Town.
Returning to the town after more than a month's absence, the surroundings seemed unchanged from their memories. Perhaps due to the nightmares recurring every night, neither of them felt any sense of reunion.
Upon arriving home and pushing open the door, Xing Yuanzhi saw Miss Wang lying on the sofa, still engrossed in holding a small mirror and admiring her own face.
"I'm going to take a shower," Xing Yuanzhi asked, "Do you need the bathroom?"
"No, go ahead," Cheng Jinyang replied.
So Xing Yuanzhi went to the bathroom to take a bath, Miss Wang continued to look in the mirror, while Cheng Jinyang went to the study and turned on the computer.
Hmm, let's search for news related to "Metal Hydrogen."
After searching for a few minutes, he indeed found a news article:
The intruders at the metal hydrogen plant were found in the underground pipes of Jubao Mountain Park. At the time of the sighting, both individuals had been killed in an explosion, suspected to have been caused during the illegal transportation of metal hydrogen. The Six Gates(Ministry of Investigation) is currently examining the wreckage.
It's probably the work of Princess Sister.
Then search for "Yangdi Chu family."
The seems the information provided by Tianluo is similar, mainly involves the metal smelting and processing industry. As for metal hydrogen... there wasn't much mention, indicating that the Chu family hasn't disclosed much about it externally.
Finally, search for "Chu Qingqing."
Well, indeed she is the daughter of the Palace Attendant. With a guaranteed fifth grade and the potential to reach the fourth grade, she's even more impressive than him and Ah Zhi. Since Yangdi Chu family has released her information, it's probably for a similar purpose as the praise from the head of the Xing family – they intend to groom her as a future pillar of the family, so they're building her reputation and cultivating her fame in advance.
From the conversation at the banquet, this girl's demeanor is indeed very refined, comparable to Wang Wanrou and Xing Yuanzhi. It's evident she's cut from the same cloth of aristocratic etiquette lessons.
The overall impression of Cheng Jinyang: Can't pinpoint any flaws, but there's a lingering feeling that something is off.
For example, Xing Yuanzhi appears aloof and otherworldly, but she's actually a straightforward and outspoken girl. Another example is Wang Wanrou, who seems gentle and graceful, but when she smiles and speaks softly, she might be thinking, 'Why is this idiot talking so much?'
So, with his rich experience in seeing through the masks of the aristocratic ladies and the mutual empathy among abnormal individuals, Cheng Jinyang subconsciously feels that this Chu Qingqing also has some psychological issues.
But... he doesn't care.
I can't handle two spoiled princesses here, let alone adding another one for a 'Three Kingdoms power struggle'!
What a joke!
After reading for a while, Cheng Jinyang realized it was dinner time and walked out of the study. Xing Yuanzhi was sitting on the sofa watching TV, while Wang Wanrou was lying on the sofa looking at herself in the mirror.
Although they were sitting/lying on the same sofa, they didn't speak to each other, each minding their own business.
" What do you want for dinner?" Cheng Jinyang asked.
"I don't know," both of them replied.
"How about grilled fish?" Cheng Jinyang asked again.
"Whatever," said Wang Wanrou.
"If it's grilled fish, I know a few places that are quite clean and do delivery," Xing Yuanzhi's attention was indeed focused on 'hygiene.'
"I'll listen to Yuanzhi," Cheng Jinyang nodded, "You order."
So Xing Yuanzhi placed the order and paid. In less than half an hour, the synthesized server delivered the grilled fish — complete with pot and charcoal.
When it comes to synthetic humans, they are ubiquitous within the city of Jiankang, taking over almost all basic labor positions. For example, they handle jobs like bricklaying at construction sites, delivery for the logistics industry, and operating machinery in manufacturing plants. Consequently, following the migration of people from the south, the unemployment rate among the city's residents has reached 78%.
Relying on some welfare payments to prevent these refugees from becoming homeless or even starving to death is obviously not enough to keep them in line. Therefore, whenever there is bad news, such as incidents involving demons or the Longxian Army, the refugees in the city start rioting first.
The more the refugees rebel, the more the shopkeepers who were originally willing to hire refugees tend to replace them with synthetic humans, leading to a gradual increase in unemployment...
Of course, none of this has anything to do with Wujian Town, because it is located in the north of the Yangtze River in Jiankang City. Out of fear of demon chaos, few of the refugees who fled from the north were willing to stay in Jiangbei.
Cheng Jinyang was lost in thought when suddenly he heard a knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" He stood up.
"It's me, little brother from the Cheng family~"
A crisp voice of a girl sounded outside. It sounded familiar, but Cheng Jinyang couldn't remember who it was for a moment.
So he opened the door.
Oh, it's Cui Jinqi from the Qinghe Cui family.
"Has Wanrou returned?" Cui Jinqi asked with a smile, "I visited your house a few days ago but found that there was no one at home."
"We just got back recently," Cheng Jinyang explained.
"Oh, I see." Cui Jinqi sniffed and suddenly asked, "Qingjiang Grilled Fish? Can I join you for a meal? I'll pay for it."
"Come in first," Cheng Jinyang stepped aside to let her in.
So Cui Jinqi changed her shoes, smiled, and ran over to sit next to Miss Wang. She exclaimed at the grilled fish, showing a cute expression of desire.
"How come you're here?" Wang Wanrou said in surprise. "Didn't your dad take you away for training?"
"Oh, come on, even during training, I need to catch my breath," Cui Jinqi replied nonchalantly. "I'd die under long-term pressure."
Xing Yuanzhi looked at the two people opposite her without saying much. She wasn't originally from the Five Great Families circle, her relationship with Wang Wanrou was only okay, and she was completely unfamiliar with Cui Jinqi.
However, Cui Jinqi didn't intend to ignore her, after all, she was the fiancée of the house's owner. With her deliberate friendliness, the two of them exchanged smiles and conversation for a while, and the atmosphere improved somewhat.
Cheng Jinyang went to the kitchen and brought back another set of utensils, placing them in front of Cui Jinqi. The girl thanked him and then started chatting with Miss Wang, asking:
"By the way, Wanrou, I heard you've been staying here for a month? I've never seen you leave Taiyuan Wang family's ancestral land for so long. Is there some kind of magic about this place for you?"
"Or perhaps..." She glanced discreetly at Cheng Jinyang, then lowered her voice, seemed curious, "Are you aiming to compete with Yuanzhi for a position, or to serve alongside one husband?"
Although the girl deliberately lowered her voice, everyone was sitting by the stove. How could they not hear? Instantly, the atmosphere at the table turned icy and tense.
Cheng Jinyang inwardly cursed, thinking he shouldn't have let this little troublemaker in earlier. She caused trouble as soon as she arrived.