Translator: Vanilla Muse

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Not too long after, Qiu Jin saw the news on the Internet that the deputy major of Dewen City, Wang Ruida, was under ¹. His family members were also involved in the case to a certain extent and were now under investigation.

Of course, this was all ².

The temperature on Lanhou Island has risen sharply these days, and the originally cool mornings have also become hotter. Thus, Qiu Jin's morning run time has also become earlier and earlier.

He had just finished running five kilometers that day and was about to head back, but unexpectedly, a clump of dark clouds billowed up from the horizon. A short while later, heavy rain began to pour.

His body was originally piping hot from his morning run, but in an instant the heavy rain soaked through and turned his body cold. Qiu Jin picked up his pace.

However, the return journey was longer than he thought. Under the heavy rain, the morning jogs that he had enjoyed gradually became suffering.

Just then, a car drove came over from the far road and slowly came to a stop in front of him. After the car window was rolled down, a fairly familiar face was revealed.

"Qiu‐ge, get in the car quickly," Xiao Bing beckoned to him.

Xiao Bing was part of their logistics staff. He was a beta with a baby face. It was also him who had gone to pick Qiu Jin up from the airport the first day he had arrived at Lanhou Island.

"Thank you so much."

Qiu Jin opened the car door. He wiped his face with the towel that Xiao Bing handed him and finally heaved a sigh of relief.

"I thought I would have to run back by myself."

Xiao Bing turned around and said, "Right? You really ran too far."

"But how did you know that I am here?" Qiu Jin said.

"It was Mr. Ji who saw, and it's also him who asked me to come."

At this point, Xiao Bing seemed to think of something interesting and could not help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Qiu Jin casually asked.

Xiao Bing was still considered a tactful person.

While still laughing, he said, "I don't think you want to hear."

Qiu Jin was in a rather good mood.

"It's okay, you can talk about it."

"Then don't be angry. It's just a metaphor."

Xiao Bing could not help laughing again.

"He said that you were like a husky with a loose rope this morning, and he predicted that you would run for a long time."

Qiu Jin: "......"

"See, I said you wouldn't want to hear it."

Qiu Jin gave him a polite but awkward smile.

"It's okay, I don't blame you."

Even if he wanted to blame someone, it would be that Ji Shenxiao.

Ji Shenxiao, that ³, just what kind of animosity or complaint did he have about Qiu Jin? Even if they were not face‐to‐face, he would still say bad things about Qiu Jin.

Qiu Jin kept harping on this the entire way, but after returning, he did not see Ji Shenxiao at all. Instead, he ran into Xiang Xi at the door. The other party stood in front of him uncomfortably, his ears glowing with a faint red color.

Qiu Jin wiped the water off his face.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's... that..." Xiang Xi hesitated.

"What's the matter?"

Qiu Jin wanted to hurry back to his room to change clothes, so his tone was a bit anxious.

Xiang Xi stepped back and let him in.

"No, nothing."

Qiu Jin was confused. Why did this person suddenly change his personality?

But in the end, he did not think much of it. He turned and went upstairs to his room to prepare for a bath.

Unexpectedly, just as he opened the door to the room, the bathroom door opened up and hot water vapor rushed out. Amidst the slightly humid air, Ji Shenxiao walked out with a bath towel around him.

There were still water droplets on his body. A small stream of water flowed down his chest and followed the lines of his abdominal muscles to his lower belly.

Qiu Jin was shocked, and his brows knitted together subconsciously.

"W‐why did you come out so suddenly?!"

Although his manner of speaking was interrogative, the soaking wet Qiu Jin did not seem overbearing at all. The ends of his hair were dripping wet, and his eyes were somewhat rimmed red. He looked really pitiful.

Ji Shenxiao's eyes roved over Qiu Jin, and he felt that the situation was a bit funny.

"What? Do I have to type up a report for you (to say that I am coming out of the bathroom)?"

"That's not what I meant..."

Qiu Jin also felt that he was making trouble without reason. After a pause, he finally remembered his grievance with Ji Shenxiao and immediately said, "Why did you call me a husky today?!"

"Nothing much. It was just an image metaphor."

Ji Shenxiao looked him up and down. His expression was neither salty nor indifferent.

"Are you done talking? Please move over."

"Why do I have to move just because you say so?"

Ji Shenxiao: "......"

As soon as he said this, Qiu Jin also got annoyed.

Too unstable. It was like a kindergarten child hurling insults.

He did not know what was wrong with him. The other party did not really say much, but he just felt irritated. It was as if his very bones were itching. Seeing Ji Shenxiao's nonchalant face, he subconsciously attacked him verbally.

Could this be the so‐called repulsion between alphas?

After a while, Ji Shenxiao raised his eyebrows.

"Then how about I yield to you?"

Qiu Jin did not expect the other party to be so easygoing.

He was taken aback, and said stiffly, "Then, then you let me in."

The bathroom in the bedroom only allowed one person to pass through. Ji Shenxiao was so big and tall. If he made way for Qiu Jin, then he could only step backwards until he hit the shower door.

Qiu Jin frowned.

"Move over."

"Are you sure?"

Ji Shenxiao's expression was faint, but there was a certain bantering tone to his voice.

"If I go in again, I can take a bath with you."

Qiu Jin: "......"

Of course, Ji Shenxiao did not stay until the end. He was such an indifferent and aristocratic person. Just verbal taunts were already the limit. How could he actually go into the shower in person just to embarrass Qiu Jin?

Qiu Jin acted as if he had won that round of banter. He turned on the shower while humming a small song.

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[1] 雙規 – an extralegal system within the CCP for detaining and interrogating cadres who fall from grace.

[2] 后話 – something to be taken up later in speech or writing.

[3] 狗男人 gou nan ren – literal translation is '.' To my knowledge, it doesn't have an English equivalent, but it's basically just a way to insult someone.