Chapter 66: Waiting

Chapter 66: Waiting

"Didn't succeed?" Xu Li was somewhat surprised.

Lin Qiao knew more; her first reaction was that the person had escaped. Had the information leaked ahead of time?

Otherwise, knowing Ji Duo, if he said everything was going smoothly and the scope had been locked down, there absolutely shouldn't have been any mistakes.

The couple exchanged a glance, neither of them speaking further.

It was Xu Li who felt a bit regretful. "Old Master Gu is going to be let down again. Did Old Master Gu know about your trip this time?"

Ji Duo had told the family he was going to look for someone. Only he, Lin Qiao, Old Master Gu, and Su Zheng knew that Shao Zhen had been found.

The only other person was Guo Yan's mother, but she only knew that Ji Duo was helping a childhood friend's grandfather look for someone. She didn't even know who Old Master Gu was, let alone Ji Duo.

Ji Duo didn't answer directly, his tone softening a bit. "Old Master Gu is fine on his side."

"Glad to hear it's nothing." Xu Li, seeing her son's expression was still a bit heavy, then glanced at her daughter-in-law. Thinking about how the young couple hadn't seen each other for days, she smiled and got into the car she had prepared earlier. "Since Ji Duo is back, Qiao Qiao, why don't you two ride together?" She waved and left first.

Now it was just the young couple left at the door. Lin Qiao took a step forward and asked Ji Duo in a low voice, "Did the person receive the information in advance?"

"Not sure." Ji Duo's voice was equally low, almost a whisper. "But they did leave suddenly, having paid for three days at the guesthouse but only staying for one."

Just as they were about to apprehend the person, they left unexpectedly and so suddenly, which was indeed suspicious.

Lin Qiao lowered her eyes in thought. "This matter shouldn't have been known to anyone. Even if I had called you, you're so cautious that you wouldn't have let anyone overhear."

She really understood him well and trusted him enough. Ji Duo's eyes fell on the face that was so close. "He left before I even called you."

That made it even stranger. Lin Qiao looked up, and just as the man was about to lower his head to continue speaking, her brow gently brushed against something soft.

She froze on the spot. Ji Duo also hadn't expected her sudden movement, pausing for a moment.

At that very moment, Aunt Zhang, holding a bag of trash, opened the door. Seeing the scene, her expression clearly showed her confusion, and she instinctively closed the door again.

The old master, who was passing by the courtyard, saw this and asked, "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing," Aunt Zhang couldn't exactly say what she had seen. "I just remembered there was still some trash left to pack." She turned and went back to the kitchen.

Only once she was in the kitchen did she quietly mutter, "Xiao Duo is usually so serious. Really didn't see that coming."

However, no matter how quick her reaction was, the sound of the door opening and closing, followed by her conversation with the old master, had already been heard by the two outside.

Not just her, the driver Xiao Fang, who was sitting in the car nearby, might have seen the entire scene clearly as well.

It was only because the couple remained composed. If it had been someone else, even if they didn't immediately jump away, they'd at least turn beet red.

But neither of them could continue the conversation here. Ji Duo picked up the thermos. "We'll talk when I'm back."

At the same time, Lin Qiao took a step and changed the subject. "Let's go to the hospital first; we shouldn't keep Mom waiting any longer."

At this moment, the couple was quite in sync, both adopting the attitude that if we're not embarrassed, then it's no big deal.

Sure enough, Xu Li was waiting for them downstairs. Lin Qiao went up and linked arms with her. "Didn't make you wait too long, right?"

"Not long, I just got here myself."

The daughter-in-law and mother-in-law walked affectionately ahead, while Ji Duo carried the thermos and followed behind. Anyone would think the two ahead were mother and daughter.

Watching them, Ji Duo suddenly remembered Xu Li saying that a daughter is her mother’s little comforter, but having a son only brings trouble when he grows up.

If Lin Qiao had a daughter, would they be as close as she and her mother when they grew up? Maybe even closer…

Lost in thought, they soon arrived at Ye Minshu’s ward. Ji Duo looked up and immediately sensed the tense atmosphere inside and spotted the eldest nephew sitting by the bedside.

He paused, his gaze briefly meeting the eldest nephew’s, who subtly gave him a meaningful look when no one was watching.

The look was quite complex, shifting between Ye Minshu, Lin Qiao, and the door, his eyes nearly bulging out from the effort.

This wasn’t going to end well. The atmosphere in the room and Ye Minshu’s sudden illness told Ji Duo everything he needed to know.

Having a son just causes trouble when he grows up. He had only been gone for a few days, and his nephew had already slipped up.

Ji Duo paused again, unsure if Lin Qiao knew about this yet. From their interaction on the way, she didn’t seem to know, but this girl was always good at keeping her composure…

This made him involuntarily glance at Lin Qiao, who happened to be looking back at him. She raised an eyebrow as she caught him looking at Ji Ze.

So did she know or not?

Ji Duo felt a little troubled.

Once things were settled, they’d be easier to handle. It was all this guessing that was driving him crazy.

He walked over and placed the thermos on the bedside table, only to find Ye Minshu looked even more uncomfortable than he felt.

Did Lin Qiao know that Xiao Ze was using her formula? Ye Minshu really couldn’t be sure.

If she knew, she would definitely confront Lin Qiao about her intentions. But if she didn’t know, asking would reveal everything.

It would be like handing Lin Qiao a joke on a silver platter. If Lin Qiao found out, who knows how much she’d enjoy it.

Her internal struggle showed on her face, twisting her already sickly appearance. With her pale face and slung arm, she looked far from her usual graceful self.

Lin Qiao and Xu Li weren’t blind, and after all, they were just there for formality. Soon, Xu Li stood up, “Then you rest well. We won’t stay long. Remember to drink the soup.”

“Let me see you off,” Ji Ze immediately stood up eagerly.

But before he could take two steps, Ye Minshu suddenly hissed, “Why does it hurt so much? Xiao Ze, can you check if my arm isn’t slung properly?”

Ji Ze had no choice but to go and check, while Xu Li, Lin Qiao, and Ji Duo all stopped in their tracks.

Ye Minshu smiled apologetically at them, “I’m fine. You should go back if you’re in a hurry. Xiao Ze is here.”

If Lin Qiao were here alone, she might have offered to stay longer or even spend the night.

But Xu Li was good-natured. Hearing this, she didn’t say anything, knowing full well that Ye Minshu was deliberately keeping her son behind, afraid he might let something slip. With that, they left.

This way, Ji Duo wasn’t able to exchange information with his nephew, and he really couldn’t be sure if Lin Qiao knew about that matter or not.

On the way back, he discreetly observed Lin Qiao several times. After returning home, greeting the Old Master, and putting away the things he brought back, Lin Qiao followed him inside, “Don’t you have something to tell me?”

Ji Duo had to think about which matter she was referring to. Pretending not to hear, he kept organizing his things and muttered, “Hmm?”

“Earlier at the door, you said you’d talk about it when we got back.” Lin Qiao didn’t beat around the bush.

This gave Ji Duo his answer, “Do you remember what I told you before? That time, the other party kept it well hidden and never revealed anything?”

Lin Qiao nodded, "So when Elder Gu’s nephew came to visit, you said it didn’t seem like his style." She paused, "Are you suspecting something?"

"I suspect someone helped him cover it up back then, and the same might be happening now."

At that time, Ji Duo was only fourteen, and Gu Shaoping was just fifteen. Many of those who went with the adults were teenagers like them. The able-bodied adults had been sent to other places, and it was really hard for a teenager to commit a murder without leaving any traces.

Looking at the moves the other party had made this time, they weren’t airtight. It was quite possible someone had helped him smooth things over back then.

"Can this still be investigated further?" Lin Qiao furrowed her brows, also feeling the difficulty of the situation.

"That depends on whether they know we have a sketch in our hands," Ji Duo said, "If they do, this lead is as good as dead. If not, we can still try to find a way to investigate slowly."

If they knew, the person could flee far enough, out of the province, out of the country, or go completely off the grid, making it impossible to track them.

But if they didn’t know, it would be possible to trace their hometown through their accent, and they couldn’t stay away from home forever.

Things were going smoothly until this complication threw a wrench in everything. "I thought that after everything was cleared up, Elder Gu would be able to recognize his family after the New Year."

During the Spring Festival, other families were reunited and lively, while Elder Gu had spent the last decade alone, which was truly heartbreaking.

Ji Duo understood what she meant and her soft heart. Looking at her furrowed brows, he suddenly recalled the brief touch at the door earlier.

Without thinking much, he lowered his lips and gently kissed her forehead. "Being able to find Shao Zhen and the clues from back then is already a good outcome."

The tone was comforting, and the words were meant to console, but Ji Duo himself was startled by his action.

But since he had already done it and they weren’t outside, Ji Duo quickly returned to his usual self, even patting Lin Qiao gently on the head.

If Lin Qiao couldn’t sense something by now, she would be a fool.

But wasn’t the male lead in a cooperative relationship with her? He had maintained it well before, so why did it suddenly feel off?

Lin Qiao subconsciously raised her eyes and found the man looking down at her intently, as if it were an unintentional glance during a snowfall at her hometown middle school.

There were also many other clues she hadn’t thought much about before, like when she mentioned that Yue Hua had studied there, but he asked if she had studied there too.

Or when he suddenly asked her when she would give another public lecture.

Or the time at Guo Yan’s aunt’s house when she comforted him, and he immediately held her hand in return, and the jade tiger on his chest, and the hug before they parted…

There were few girls in STEM fields, and even fewer who were pretty. In the past, there had been boys who wanted to pursue Lin Qiao, and she had handled them with ease.

But none of them had been married to her and been intimate…

This made their relationship quite delicate. It was more than a partnership, but not quite a marital relationship.

Lin Qiao had never seen a truly intimate couple. Compared to what she had witnessed growing up, a cooperative relationship was her comfort zone.

But now this man was crossing that boundary, seeking a more intimate relationship with her, and Lin Qiao was feeling lost and a bit helpless for the first time.

Moreover, this completely contradicted her understanding. She had always known that she was in a book, married to the male lead, and that the male lead would eventually divorce her…

Thinking of this, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but recall the original protagonist from the story. Since she had little interaction with the original protagonist, her friends had mentioned the female lead even less than the male lead. She only knew that the two had known each other for a long time but had never sparked anything. Later, after the male lead’s divorce and disappointment, he ended up with the female lead, who was also unlucky in love.

Maybe because she’d gotten used to having things her way, Lin Qiao suddenly felt a sense of dissatisfaction, as if someone was about to snatch her prize.

She glanced at the man who was trying to throw her off balance, "What do you think about divorce?"

No matter how strange it seemed, the man’s actions had been quite clear. Otherwise, how could a veteran official like him do something like kiss her forehead?

But whether she's willing to step out of her comfort zone is up to her. If he still doesn't plan to stay with her long-term, just like before, then he might as well leave.

Lin Qiao wanted to confirm something, but all Ji Duo heard was talk of divorce, and this was right after he had comforted her.

In fact, even before that, she should have noticed the change in his attitude.

Ji Duo's brows furrowed sharply. "There are some things I haven't told you, but marriage is serious. We can't just throw around talk of divorce."

Does this mean he didn't want to divorce now?

However, there were things he hadn't told her yet...

Lin Qiao stepped back, putting some distance between herself and the man, her brows raising as well. "You know there are things you haven't told me."

She was just testing him, but to her surprise, the man pressed his lips into a straight line and, after a long pause, only said, "As long as it doesn't involve others, and I've promised to keep someone else's secret, I can tell you everything about myself."

So it involved others. Lin Qiao looked up at the man but said nothing.

To Ji Duo, this appearance was her being angry, and he couldn't help but grab her hand. "From the moment we got married, I never thought about divorce."

"But you still have things hidden from me." If it were just a partnership, Lin Qiao would have let it go, but since this man wanted something more, she couldn't help but ask more.

Ji Duo was at a loss for words and finally just held her shoulders. "Lin Qiao." He immediately felt the distance in the name and lowered his voice further. "Qiao Qiao."

Not only did his voice soften, but his entire posture became more humble, as if he were seeking reconciliation.

Lin Qiao just lifted her gaze. "Really not going to tell?"

Ji Duo fell silent, and after a while, he said, "It should be soon."

Since he had promised to keep it a secret, this matter could be told by anyone else, and Lin Qiao could discover it herself, but it couldn't come from his mouth.

To be honest, even real couples rarely kept nothing from each other. Everyone needs some personal space and privacy as a form of self-protection.

But since he brought it up so seriously and said it would be soon, Lin Qiao became genuinely curious and removed the large hand from her shoulder. "I'll wait then."

Just then, Xu Li called Ji Duo. "There's a phone call for you."

Ji Duo had to go out, feeling more exhausted from this conversation with Lin Qiao than from executing a mission.

He didn't expect the call to only deliver one sentence: "Our boss asked me to tell you that his mother knows, but Aunt Xiao hasn't found out yet. He can't leave right now." Then the call hung up.

"This Xiao Ze."

Ji Duo couldn't help but rub his temples, a rare feeling of regret welling up.

If he had known this would happen, he might as well not have agreed to keep Xiao Ze's secret...

Thinking of this, he paused. If Xiao Ze came to him now and asked him to keep it secret, would he still agree?

The next day was New Year's Eve, but because Ye Minshu was hospitalized, only Ji Jun and Ji Ling returned to the old house, and they left soon after finishing the New Year's Eve dinner.

The table was already not full, and with two more gone, Xu Li helped pack some dishes into lunch boxes. Old Master Ji was silent for a while. "A good family."

Without finishing the sentence, Xu Li understood and deliberately joked, "Now you're worried there aren't enough people, but in a few years, you might wish for some peace and quiet."

She smiled and glanced at Ji Duo and Lin Qiao. Old Master Ji also looked over and saw his son putting shrimp on Lin Qiao's plate.

This made him pause for a moment, and doubting his eyes, he confirmed again. He really was picking up shrimp. Seeing that Lin Qiao wasn’t paying attention, he even took the shrimp out with his chopsticks, peeled it with his hands, and put it back into her bowl.

He remembered that his son didn’t eat shrimp, right?

Not only did he not eat shrimp, but he also avoided all seafood.

Now he was not only picking up shrimp with chopsticks but also peeling it with his hands. Didn’t he mind the smell?

Ji Duo did mind. After peeling a few for Lin Qiao, as soon as she said it was enough, he immediately went to wash his hands.

He washed them more than once, and after washing, he sniffed his hands and finally relaxed his brows.

Lin Qiao noticed this too. She couldn’t tell if he felt guilty or something else, but ever since he said those things yesterday, he had been taking even better care of her.

She pretended not to notice the looks from the elderly couple, but Xu Li laughed and pulled out a red envelope, “You two still have to deliver dumplings to Elder Gu, right? Here’s a red envelope from Mom first.”

“Am I still getting a red envelope at my age?” Lin Qiao felt a little embarrassed.

“You’re not that old. You’re only nineteen after the new year. As long as you don’t have kids, you’re still a kid,” Xu Li said, stuffing the red envelope into her hand.

Lin Qiao actually didn’t need the money. After receiving her final year-end payout, her savings would exceed ten thousand again.

Her income this past month was nearly four thousand, which was a huge sum in the early 80s.

But since it was a gesture from her elder, she accepted it with a smile. After dinner, when she went to deliver dumplings to Elder Gu, she was given another red envelope.

“This is really something, giving one out and getting two back,” Lin Qiao laughed on the way back.

The one red envelope was meant for Ji Ling. Since Ji Ze was older and already working, Ji Jun didn’t take one.

Unexpectedly, when she returned to her room that night, Ji Duo also gave her a red envelope. Not only that, but he also gave her a memorable night amid the sound of firecrackers.

Since he had taken leave before, Ji Duo returned to the military just a few days after the new year, and Lin Qiao left with him. She had to go back to school early for the second year of high school and had chemistry competitions to coach.

Before they left, Ye Minshu was still in the hospital. Each time Ji Jun came back, Old Master Ji’s expression darkened a bit more.

Unexpectedly, on the first day back to school, Vice Principal Qi called Lin Qiao to his office for a meeting, “Would you consider pursuing a master's degree at a teachers’ college?”

“A master's degree at a teachers’ college?” Lin Qiao was surprised.

Vice Principal Qi nodded, “Isn’t there a policy from the state? Employees who are particularly outstanding but haven’t attended university, yet possess the equivalent cultural level, can also apply for graduate studies? I asked on your behalf before, and the education bureau said you didn’t quite meet the requirements, so I didn’t mention it to you.”

This was something Lin Qiao truly didn’t know. But the fact that Vice Principal Qi hadn’t mentioned it before and was bringing it up now meant that there was progress.

Sure enough, Vice Principal Qi continued, “The country is in need of grassroots teachers, and teachers’ colleges have been enrolling undergraduates these past two years. However, due to your outstanding performance, Yandu Normal University reached out to the school and expressed their willingness to accept you into their master's program, with the possibility of staying on as faculty after graduation.”

This “outstanding performance” wasn’t just empty praise. A laboratory, a competition qualification—these were enough to attract the attention of these education institutions, who saw potential in training her to cultivate more talent.

Vice Principal Qi said gently, “Skipping four years of undergraduate studies would certainly be appealing, but it depends on whether you have the intention to pursue it.”

Saving four years would certainly be appealing. After all, Lin Qiao had already gone through an undergraduate education in her previous life, so doing it again would indeed be a waste.

However, her undergraduate and master's degrees were both in chemistry, not in education. Her place was in the lab, not on the podium.

Until today, she had never considered going to a teachers’ college, so whether or not to pursue this, she would need to think it over carefully before making a decision.

Vice Principal Qi understood that such a decision couldn’t be made immediately, “Take some time to think it over. Ultimately, it depends on your own wishes.”

Though she knew this was a rare opportunity, she didn’t push too hard, which made Lin Qiao feel very comfortable.

“Then I’ll go back and think about it.” She stood up to leave, and just as she opened the office door, she ran into Principal Zeng in the hallway.

“Perfect timing, you’re here.” As soon as Principal Zeng saw her, he walked straight in, “Is it true that the Muzi Liquid Soap factory belongs to you?”

Seeing that Vice Principal Qi closed the door before speaking, Principal Zeng indicated that the matter was important, and upon hearing the details, Vice Principal Qi immediately frowned. “What happened?”

Principal Zeng handed him the letter he was holding. “Someone reported to the school that Lin Qiao was engaged in private business while in service, and it’s quite serious. They are demanding serious punishment for her.”

There was indeed a clear national regulation that in-service teachers were not allowed to engage in private business, but generally, no one investigates unless someone files a complaint.

Vice Principal Qi looked at Lin Qiao. “That Muzi Liquid Soap…”

“I developed the formula,” Lin Qiao said calmly, “But I don’t participate in any business operations, nor do I have time to do so.”

This was indeed the truth. Everyone had seen how much time and effort she had devoted to the school and her students. She was already busy, and on top of that, she was reviewing and preparing for the college entrance exams. How could she have spare time?

Vice Principal Qi glanced at the letter, feeling speechless. “Who could be behind this?”

“We can address that later,” said Principal Zeng. “I just came to ask if this has anything to do with Lin Qiao.”

Putting down the letter, he asked Vice Principal Qi, “The last time you spoke with someone at the education bureau, didn’t they say that for her to be recommended, it would be best if she had an invention or an award?”

No one expected that what Principal Zeng wanted to discuss with Lin Qiao and Vice Principal Qi was also about this.

Vice Principal Qi pondered for a moment. “Are you suggesting we use this invention as the basis for recommending her for an exceptional admission to a master's program?”

“I’m worried that just one invention might not be enough,” said Principal Zeng.

It was clear that Principal Zeng had paid attention to this information before. He said to Lin Qiao, “If the formula is really yours, there’s a national invention exhibition happening in Yandu at the end of next month. They’ll be handing out gold, silver, and bronze awards. You can still sign up for it now.”