Back in the room, Han Yunru grabbed her pajamas, ready to shower.
Jiang Da quickly followed her with a nervous look, trying to please her. “Honey, you’ve worked hard. I wanted to help too, but Chun Ni’s a woman, and it didn’t seem right for me to go into her room, so…”
“I know.” With that, she closed the bathroom door with a bang.
Jiang Da stood there, stunned.
He knew something was wrong, but he had no idea what, leaving him completely clueless.
Soon, Han Yunru finished her shower and came out.
Just as Jiang Da was about to speak to her, there was a knock at the door, and he had to go answer it.
“Dad.”
“Yueyue?”
“Where’s Mom?” Jiang Fuyue leaned in to peek inside.
“She’s in here; come on in.”
Jiang Da stepped aside to let her in and then quietly closed the door.
Han Yunru looked curiously at the paper bag in front of her. “What’s this?”
Jiang Fuyue said, “I visited my teacher today and brought them a gift. This ‘Fairy Water’ is from my teacher’s wife, who asked me to give it to you.”
“For me?” Han Yunru was a little surprised.
“Yeah, it’s not suitable for my age…”
Han Yunru understood. Her daughter had visited her teacher, and the teacher’s wife had reciprocated with a skincare product, which, considering her daughter’s age, was then passed along to her.
“So, I’m scoring a big deal here, right? This bottle is worth thousands.”
Jiang Fuyue corrected her, “You’re benefiting.”
Han Yunru laughed. “Yeah, I’m benefiting from my daughter…”
“Alright, I’ll head out. You guys should get to bed early.”
“Okay.”
After sending her daughter off, Han Yunru closed the door and turned around, only to find Jiang Da’s face right up close.
She took a step back, frowning. “What are you doing?”
“Wife, let’s talk.”
“I’m tired.” She moved to the bed, lifted the covers, and laid down.
Jiang Da bit his lip, his tall figure unmoving, and after a moment—
“Wife, be honest, are you upset with me?”
“…”
“I’m slow to react and not too bright, so if you are, just tell me, and I’ll work on it.”
“…”
“Honey, please don’t be mad. You barely talked to me today.”
Jiang Da sat by the bed, hoping for some response, but he soon noticed Han Yunru’s steady breathing; she was already asleep.
He felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Where did things go wrong?
It seemed that ever since his mother arrived, the atmosphere at home had become strange.
Jiang Da vaguely sensed the issue but…
What could he do?
At that moment, Han Yunru, though asleep, slightly trembled her eyelashes.
She recalled Jiang Da’s words, “If you have a problem, just say it”…
Her heart ached bitterly.
If she could’ve said it, she would have long ago, but certain things weren’t hers to speak about.
Jiang Da had to figure it out for himself.
….
The next day, Jiang Da and Han Yunru continued their regular work at the shop.
Jiang Fuyue also headed out early.
Chun Ni was pushing the elderly woman around the community, enjoying a free buffet as she ate and packed food, drawing stares from others.
The old woman’s face burned with embarrassment. “Chun Ni! Let’s go!”
“Aunt Fen, don’t be so hasty! Look at all this delicious food; it’s amazing! I’ve never had cake this good before! Just a sec, I’ll pack up a few more…”
Already, she was piling up her bags.
“Oh my goodness, where did this country bumpkin come from?”
“Someone’s nanny, maybe? But to hire a nanny like this is too cheap…”
“I saw them come out of the A3 villa this morning.”
“Wow… people living in A3 hiring someone like her? Maybe they snuck in or something?”
….
The people around murmured, but Chun Ni ignored them, completely absorbed in the food, wanting to pack everything.
The elderly woman’s face flushed red with anger. Her voice hoarse, she kept calling Chun Ni, who just kept ignoring her.
A servant who dared to ignore her?
The elderly woman was livid, but Chun Ni wasn’t like her other daughters-in-law, who’d be ashamed and embarrassed with a few words; Chun Ni was stubborn.
Not listening to her or anyone else.
The old lady was on the verge of exploding with anger when Chun Ni finally picked up the takeout bags with a satisfied expression. “Aunt Fen, I’ve packed everything. Let’s go.”
“You—you—” The old lady’s hand was trembling.
Chun Ni looked concerned. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“…Push me home! You fool!”
Chun Ni didn’t understand much, but “fool” was clear enough. “Wait—Aunt Fen, how could you call me a fool? What did I do that was so dumb?”
“Push me home! Don’t you understand?!” The old lady’s face was already turning purple.
Chun Ni pouted but didn’t dare argue. She carried the bags in one hand and struggled to push the wheelchair with the other, bumping along the way.
By the time they got home, the old lady was too angry to speak.
Chun Ni, oblivious, didn’t even think to pour her a glass of water. Instead, she carried the bags into the kitchen, plated the food, and started eating.
For lunch, Chun Ni didn’t cook. She ate the leftover pastries they’d packed up that morning.
The old lady protested, “I want proper food!”
“Aunt Fen, why are you being so silly? This cake is delicious! Why bother with regular food? Here, have a piece—it’s really good.”
The old lady was speechless. “……” ?!
By the afternoon, hunger gnawed at her. She called out to Chun Ni, but there was no response. She decided to call her youngest son, Jiang Teng, to come over and deal with this clueless fool.
But after searching everywhere, she couldn’t find her phone. “Chun Ni! Where’s my phone?”
“Oh, I’m using it! I’m on a video call with my aunt. I’ll give it back later!” Chun Ni shouted back.
The old lady choked on her anger.
Time passed, but her phone didn’t reappear. Chun Ni had wandered upstairs.
Unbeknownst to anyone, she quietly opened the door to Jiang Da and Han Yunru’s bedroom…
The old lady, starving, spotted Little Brother Jiang coming down the stairs. “You—come here!”
“Grandma?” Little Brother Jiang was startled but obediently approached.
“I’m hungry. Go make me something to eat.”
…
By evening, when Jiang Fuyue returned home, she was greeted by the sound of cooking from the kitchen.
In the living room, the old lady sat listlessly in her wheelchair, while Chun Ni lounged on the couch, watching TV and snacking on fruit.
Jiang Fuyue’s face darkened. She strode into the kitchen and saw Little Brother Jiang struggling to lift a frying pan and dump the rinsed water into the sink.
The countertops in the villa’s kitchen were much higher than those in their old apartment. Little Brother Jiang wasn’t tall enough and had to crane his neck awkwardly.
The anger Jiang Fuyue had been holding in exploded instantly.
“Put it down.”
Little Brother Jiang turned in surprise, his face lighting up. “Sister, you’re back!”
“Put the pan down and take off the apron.”
“Huh? Oh.” The young boy noticed his sister’s gaze had become dark and heavy, like a storm-laden sky that made his chest tighten with unease.
“Sister…” he called softly, uneasy.
Jiang Fuyue patted his head to comfort him. “Come on, let’s go.”
“But the food…” It wasn’t finished yet.
Under his sister’s cold stare, he shut his mouth and quietly followed her out.
In the living room, Chun Ni was still engrossed in the TV, reaching for a piece of fruit when the plate was suddenly flipped and crashed onto the floor, shattering with a loud clatter.
Startled, she looked up to see Jiang Fuyue towering over her, her gaze sharp and menacing. It was as if the girl were ready to devour her.
“You…”
“Is aunt here to take care of others, or to be taken care of?”
“Of course, I’m here to take care of Aunt Fen…”
The old lady, startled awake by the commotion, didn’t utter a word in Chun Ni’s defense. Instead, she watched the scene unfold, her lips curling into a faintly mocking smile—serves her right!
“This is how you take care of people? Having my little brother cook for you guys?”
Jiang Fuyue’s choice of words was pointed—she said “you guys” instead of just “you.”
The old lady felt a pang of guilt.
Chun Ni, on the other hand, was shaking under Jiang Fuyue’s icy demeanor. How could a young girl possess such an overwhelming presence, one even more intimidating than the village chief’s?
“I…I didn’t…it was Aunt Fen who told your brother to…”
“Shut up!” the old lady snapped, her tone harsh. “Chun Ni, you’ve really disappointed me!”
Chun Ni: “?”
Jiang Fuyue glanced at the old lady, her gaze deep and unreadable, before breaking into a cold smile. “Grandma, I don’t think aunt is fit to stay here anymore. Don’t you agree?”
The old lady felt as if an invisible hand were tightening around her throat. The suffocating pressure rendered her speechless.
Her mind went blank—forget face, authority, or being the head of the household. All she could see were those dark, icy eyes of the girl before her.
“I…. I think so too…”
“Good. Then I’ll take the lead in seeing her out.”
Chun Ni didn’t understand why things had turned this way. “No, I’m not leaving! I just got here! I’m here to care for Aunt Fen…”
She clung to the elderly woman’s legs. “Aunt Fen, you’re the one who asked Little Brother Jiang to cook. What does this have to do with me? You can’t kick me out!”
She hadn’t had her fill of the good life; she wasn’t ready to leave.
The elderly woman’s face burned as she met Jiang Fuyue’s mocking gaze, as if she had known all along…
Her face flushed, and in her shame and anger, she threw Chun Ni aside, showing surprising strength as she did so.
“Get out! With your lazy attitude, who needs your care? I’m lucky I’m not dead yet with you around!”
“Aunt Fen, you invited me! Now you’re trying to kick me out after only a day? I won’t stand for it!”
The old lady trembled with rage, her whole body shaking. “You—you won’t stand for it?!”
“I refuse, so what!”
Jiang Fuyue sneered coldly. Now you know what they mean by “inviting trouble is easy, but getting rid of it is hard,” don’t you?
It wasn’t until the old lady rolled her eyes back, nearly fainting from anger, that Jiang Fuyue finally spoke leisurely. “If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.”
“Call the police? What for?!” Chun Ni looked utterly confused.
“You stole a bottle of my mom’s face lotion. That bottle was brand new and worth over five thousand yuan. That amount is enough to file a case.”
“You’re talking nonsense! I didn’t steal anything!” Chun Ni screeched, like a cat with its tail stepped on.
Jiang Fuyue remained calm. “I have video evidence.”
Chun Ni collapsed to the floor.
“I… I didn’t know it was that expensive… I thought it was just some cheap lotion…”
In the end, Chun Ni left the same way she came, dragging her stinky bags with her.
The farce came to an end. The old lady, watching Jiang Fuyue calmly sitting on the couch eating fruit, while Little Brother Jiang happily watched cartoons beside her, felt a sudden chill in her spine….
Later that evening, when Jiang Da and Han Yunru returned, Jiang Fuyue informed them that their cousin had left.
Jiang Da was shocked.
Han Yunru, however, wasn’t surprised at all.
Her daughter was her spitting image, but without all the hesitations and scruples. Jiang Fuyue was decisive and straightforward in her actions…
With Chun Ni out of the way, only one issue remained…
Jiang Fuyue glanced at the old lady sitting stiffly in her wheelchair. Her lips curved into a faint smile.
She decided to leave this final move for Han Yunru to handle. She wouldn’t spoil her mom’s carefully laid plans.
…
Before bed, Jiang Fuyue received a goodnight kiss from Little Brother Jiang.
“Big Sis, you’re amazing.”
Jiang Fuyue asked, “Did you learn from it?”
The boy’s eyes sparkled. “Yes! I learned!”
“Good. Now go to sleep.”
“Goodnight, Big Sis.”
“Goodnight.”
Jiang Fuyue had spent the entire day training at Camp A, stretching her muscles and practicing at the shooting range. Exhausted, she fell into a deep sleep.
But her wake-up call the next morning was far from peaceful.
Someone yanked her out of bed.
Yes, yanked.
“Jiang Fuyue! Wake up!”
She frowned, then abruptly opened her eyes, a wave of confusion washing over her.
Never in her life had Jiang Fuyue imagined that the first person she’d see upon waking up one morning would be—
Xie Dingyuan.
The balcony door was wide open, and a fresh breeze swept into the room. Clearly, he’d climbed in.
“You’d better have an explanation for this!” she hissed through gritted teeth.
“Fine. Get dressed in five minutes and come with me. I’ll explain on the way,” he said, his expression serious and his gaze intense.
Jiang Fuyue stared at him for a full five seconds.
Xie Dingyuan met her eyes without flinching.
“Alright.”
She agreed and got dressed at lightning speed.
Instead of using the front door, the two of them climbed down the balcony and made their way swiftly to the back gate of Yutian Huafu. A black Buick was waiting by the roadside.
They got into the car, sitting side by side in the backseat.
The driver started the engine and floored the gas pedal.
“Buckle up,” Xie Dingyuan reminded her.
Jiang Fuyue complied. “What’s going on?”
It had to be something serious for the esteemed Professor Xie to break into her bedroom without warning.
Xie Dingyuan’s lips pressed into a tight line, his brow furrowed deeply. Clearly, the situation wasn’t a minor one.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t press further and fell silent after her question.
Suddenly, “Do you know the basics of LAN connection principles?”
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow. This was elementary for computer networks—any computer science student should know it, right?
“Why ask that all of a sudden?”
“Customs seized a batch of contraband, but there was an issue during inspection.”
Jiang Fuyue didn’t follow. “What does that have to do with LAN principles?”
Last night, Customs’ Intelligence Department intercepted a hacker command. After decrypting it, they found a string of seemingly random Arabic numerals, forty-nine digits long. It was suspected to be connected to contraband smuggling.
But as of this morning, they still hadn’t deciphered the true meaning of that string of numbers.
“…It’s suspected that the items have already entered, but they couldn’t locate them. The specific time of entry and current location of the goods should be hidden within this number sequence.”
Jiang Fuyue: “Sounds tricky?”
Xie Dingyuan: “A major case.”
“You want me to decrypt the numbers?”
“Yes.”
Jiang Fuyue couldn’t help but chuckle, “And what makes you think I can do it?”
“I’ve seen your coding methodology. You’re a hacker,” he stated firmly.
Jiang Fuyue’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Don’t worry, I won’t reveal your identity.”
Xie Dingyuan himself was also a computer expert, with impressive achievements. But he hadn’t been a hacker and didn’t know the rules of this hidden world. This was a serious matter; he couldn’t afford to risk it.
In this critical moment, the only person he could think of was Jiang Fuyue.
“Where are we going?”
Xie Dingyuan exhaled softly, understanding her silent agreement. “Customs Intelligence.”
“I owe you a favor from before. After this, we’re even.”
The man smiled wryly. “…Alright.”
Soon, the Buick stopped in front of a large building.
The guard, seeing them, waved them through without much inspection.
A short, plump man was waiting at the Information Center entrance, sweating profusely as he rushed over when the car arrived.
“Finally!”
Xie Dingyuan nodded slightly at him, then walked to the passenger side and opened the door for Jiang Fuyue himself.
This gesture stunned the short, plump man. There were few people for whom Xie Dingyuan would personally open a car door…
Could she be some kind of bigwig?
The man hurriedly straightened his attire, checking his appearance.
But in the next moment, his eyes widened in shock—
A young girl appeared before him, her hair a bit messy, coat open and unbuttoned, but her beauty remained undiminished.
Her skin was pale, her legs long and straight, and her almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she looked at the building ahead.
“Old Zheng, lead us inside.”
“And who might this be?” he quickly hid his surprise and adjusted to a serious demeanor.
Xie Dingyuan replied, “My external support,” pausing before adding, “a top student.”
“Oh,” Old Zheng nodded, “follow me.”
He swiped a card to open the door, led them through the hallway, and finally brought them to a large control room.
The entire room was lined with high-end computers.
Xie Dingyuan walked to the main console and pulled up an encrypted file. “Here’s the original command. The decrypted numbers are here…”
Jiang Fuyue scanned the screen, her gaze flickering.
Xie Dingyuan then stepped aside, giving her the main seat. “You’re up.”
The girl paused, slightly surprised.
Old Zheng looked not only surprised but ready to jump. “What are you doing?!”
Xie Dingyuan answered calmly, “Letting her take control.”
“But…can she really handle it?”
When Xie Dingyuan introduced her as a “top student,” Old Zheng had assumed she was a college student.
If he knew she hadn’t even graduated high school yet, he’d probably lose his mind.
Xie Dingyuan’s response, however, was unwavering. “Yes.”
With such confidence, even Jiang Fuyue couldn’t help but be a little surprised.
Old Zheng looked at him intensely. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he assured him firmly.
“Hey—” Jiang Fuyue called him, “you’re putting pressure on me.”
Xie Dingyuan turned to her, and a slight smile appeared. “I’m glad the pressure comes from me and not the numbers.”
This implied he believed she could decode them.
And that she probably had an idea already.
“Old Zheng, make the call.”
“You—forcing me—”
Xie Dingyuan reminded him, “Time is short. If these items are dangerous, you know the consequences…”
Old Zheng clenched his jaw. “Fine! But at least stay beside her. I don’t feel safe otherwise…”
The girl was beautiful, but this job needed skill, top-notch skill!
But ultimately, he trusted Xie Dingyuan’s judgment; this person wouldn’t be chosen lightly.
Still…
D*mn! She was so young!
“This is how it’s done.” Xie Dingyuan patted his shoulder.
Old Zheng: “…” He nearly choked.
Meanwhile, Jiang Fuyue sat at the main console. “Xie Dingyuan, come here.”
“Found something?” he asked, his face suddenly serious.
Jiang Fuyue pointed to the numbers on the screen. “I need the original hacker command. Can you retrieve it?”
“You mean the unprocessed version?”
“Yes.”
Xie Dingyuan immediately looked at Old Zheng.
Old Zheng received the signal and turned to the operator beside him.
The operator reported, “Sir, the original command was set to self-destruct. It vanished after we decrypted the sequence.”
Jiang Fuyue frowned.
Xie Dingyuan asked, “Does that affect things?”
She nodded.
Old Zheng was confused, “But we already decrypted the numbers. Why do you need the original command?”
Jiang Fuyue gave him a look, her mouth quirking. “Because this number sequence is meaningless. The real information is hidden in the command’s transmission path. It’s a basic hacker tactic to mislead with a diversion. You all are just…”
Out of respect, she held back her words.
Xie Dingyuan mused briefly, “Can it be restored?”
Jiang Fuyue pursed her lips. “I can try, but there’s no guarantee.” It depended on whether there were any flaws in the self-destruct setting; if perfectly executed, there’d be no loophole.
“What do you need me to do?”
“You know computers?” Jiang Fuyue asked, slightly surprised.
Xie Dingyuan: “I’m decent, though not with hacking techniques.”
She understood; his “decent” likely meant an expert level by ordinary standards, just not in hacking. That’s why he sought her out.
Jiang Fuyue instructed, “Then you work on deciphering the number sequence. If it’s related to contraband, it’s likely indicating an arrival time.”
Then, the transmission path would reveal the delivery location!
“Got it.” Xie Dingyuan dragged over a chair, sitting next to her at the auxiliary console.
The two set to work, the only sound in the room the rapid clacking of keyboards.
Old Zheng, anxious but clueless, could only fret nearby.
Five minutes later.
Jiang Fuyue: “How’s it going?”
Xie Dingyuan: “Tried twenty-eight decryption methods.”
“None worked?” She frowned.
“No.”
“Try the second encoding method of the Beale cipher.” If she recalled correctly, it also used a forty-nine-digit code.
“The second encoding method?!” Before Xie Dingyuan could answer, the operator exclaimed, “Wasn’t that discredited as a prank?!”
In 1885, James B. Ward published a pamphlet titled The Beale Papers, containing three encrypted messages, claiming they pointed to a hidden treasure in Bedford County, Virginia.
One message described the treasure’s vast quantity of gold and jewels, and the other two were supposed to reveal its location.
In 1980, someone used a computer to attempt decryption. Finding some anomalies, they declared it a “hoax,” and that’s how most people see it.
But few knew that the second message could actually be solved; only the third one was a hoax.
Apparently, Jiang Fuyue was among those in the know.
Without time to explain, Jiang Fuyue had Xie Dingyuan proceed.
Whether he was one of those “in the know” too, he followed her instructions, typing at an even faster pace.
Jiang Fuyue continued her recovery efforts.
Five minutes passed…
Xie Dingyuan stopped, and the sound of typing ceased abruptly. “I’ve got it.”
Jiang Fuyue and Old Zheng leaned in simultaneously.
“What does it say?”
Xie Dingyuan replied, “August 27th, 9:10 AM.”
Old Zheng murmured, “It really is a timestamp…”
Xie Dingyuan glanced at his watch. “It’s 10:20 now. The item has already passed through customs.”
All their previous speculations were confirmed.
Everyone’s expressions shifted slightly, with Old Zheng’s being the most severe. Cold sweat streamed down his face.
“Intercept it! We have to intercept it, or we’re done for…”
The operator interjected, “Unless we know where the item will be sent after passing customs, we won’t be able to stop it. Otherwise…”
After a few transfers, even if the item was still circulating within the city, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack—impossible to trace.
The destination address was embedded within the transmission path of the command itself. The only hope now was for Jiang Fuyue to recover it.
Xie Dingyuan frowned. Aside from waiting for Jiang Fuyue’s results, no one else could afford to sit idly by.
“Old Zheng, what’s your take on this?”
Old Zheng took a deep breath, quickly regaining his composure as his mind began to function normally again.
“…I think the hacker, since they sent a message to customs, likely harbors no malicious intent.”
Xie Dingyuan nodded. “Choosing last night’s timestamp to send the data was clearly meant to give us time to decode it. There’s still hope.”
Xie Dingyuan ordered a map of the area surrounding the Linhuai customs office, covering everything from entire districts to individual streets. He began calculating distances methodically, ruling out improbable locations one by one.
From the corner of her eye, Jiang Fuyue noticed how fast the man was working. She clicked her tongue in mild surprise—his speed was almost on par with hers.
Ten minutes later, Xie Dingyuan circled several suspicious locations on the map, meticulously annotating each with the probability that they were the contraband’s destination.
Based on the probabilities, they began allocating police resources.
Old Zheng immediately gave the order: “Initiate a yellow alert. All departments, stand by for action! Additionally, strengthen security checks at the city’s train stations and airports. Notify all relevant parties to assist. If anything suspicious is found, report and handle it immediately.”
“Understood!”
All departments sprang into action.
The previously quiet room instantly became a hub of activity.
Only Jiang Fuyue remained seated at the computer, her hands flying over the keyboard with unwavering focus.
Xie Dingyuan glanced at her but refrained from urging her.
From the moment he approached her for help until now, the man had shown complete trust in her.
Jiang Fuyue couldn’t understand why. She wanted to ask, but when she opened her mouth, what came out was: “Almost done. Give me two more minutes.”
His eyes brightened with approval. “Okay.”
Xie Dingyuan stepped back to give her a clear and independent workspace.
“Action is underway now—” Old Zheng reminded them both.
At that moment—
“The location has been decrypted.”
Jiang Fuyue’s calm yet firm voice rang out like celestial music!
