The holidays were short-lived, it was almost a week before Christmas.
The students in the key class fell back into the endless sea of learning.
When the last class ended on Friday afternoon, Ai Liang put the books inside the desk as usual, and then covered it with a tablecloth, preparing for the weekend holiday.
Even though this was not the first time Ai Liang had done this, Chen Zili next to him still let out a cry of envy.
"That's great. I also want to take a break every weekend."
Ai Liang smoothed the wrinkles of the tablecloth, and then used magnets to fix the corners of the tablecloth on both sides of the desk: "Then you should work hard to improve your grades and meet the leave standards. Yu Xin will naturally approve your leave."
"Stop joking, the score line drawn by Lao Ban can be touched by anyone except you?"
Chen Zili looked burned out, like a salted fish, staring blankly at the sky outside the window: "If Fang Xinlei is still here, she can give it a try, I'll forget it..."
"Old Chen, I'm leaving first. Remember to help me put away my clothes tonight!"
Peng Yuan stood at the back door and waved to Chen Zili. After Chen Zili raised his hand to reply, he jumped out of the back door.
"What about him?" Ai Liang turned around and asked.
"Peng Yuan must have special circumstances. After all, he came back from abroad to go to school. It's normal for the teacher to give him some preferential treatment."
Chen Zili waved his hand feebly: "Students like us who have passed the entrance examination with average academic level are the ones who have the hardest time."
Ai Liang ignored Chen Zili's self-deprecation and turned to look at Ye Qing behind him.
The learning level described by Chen Zili is average, compared to the key classes of Qianhua Experimental Middle School.
Every student in the key class would be a top student in any school except this one.
Even Yi Wenna can maintain her position in the top five in her age group by going to other schools.
So, what is classmate Yi Wenna doing at this time?
"Xiaoqing, let me share the apartment with you, okay~"
Yiwenna hugged Ye Qing's arm tightly and refused to let her leave.
"Let go."
Ye Qing swung his arm, but failed to throw her away: "If you live outside and go to and from school, you still have to catch the bus. When it's time for self-study in the evening, if you miss the last bus, you have to walk back.
Isn't it good to live in a dormitory? Why do you have to run out and live? "
"It's okay! I can call a taxi!"
Yiwenna said pitifully: "I live alone in the dormitory, and I don't even have anyone to talk to. If this continues, I will go crazy."
Ai Liang turned around and faced the two of them and said, "I didn't think you were crazy when Xinlei ignored you in the past."
Yiwenna showed her white teeth and bared her teeth at Ai Liang: "I want you to take care of it!"
"I don't want to worry about it, but if I delay it any longer, I won't be able to catch the bus."
Ai Liang didn't take Yi Wenna's words to heart. He only cared about what to eat tonight.
Yiwenna's expression froze.
Every time Ai Liang attacked her, he used objective facts and couldn't find any excuse to refute.
For example, after you have made it clear that the bus is about to arrive, if you continue to struggle with it, it will be your own problem.
Yiwenna let go of her hand angrily, and then glared at Ai Liang fiercely.
This is called the loser-no-loser formation.
"Okay, okay, when you get the approval from the class teacher, come and talk to me about accommodation."
Ye Qing quickly pulled her arm out of Yiwenna's arms: "There are not taxis around the school every night. How can the teacher safely let you, a girl, go home in the middle of the night?"
"I don't have to go to morning and evening self-study." Yiwenna muttered softly.
Hearing this, Ye Qing raised her hand to hold Yiwenna's head: "You'd better forget it. Your grades are already in the middle and lower reaches. If you don't go to night self-study and miss a lot of courses, you will become the last one."
Ye Qing's heartbreaking words made Yi Wenna narrow her eyes in pain.
Ye Qing took this opportunity and quickly grabbed Ai Liang's hand to avoid him.
After Christmas, Ye Qing's attitude towards Ai Liang became more and more casual, and she would lean in from time to time.
Fortunately, the action usually doesn't last long, and it doesn't take long for her to pull away on her own.
So Ai Liang acquiesced to these small actions.
After the two left, Chen Zili looked at the lonely Yi Wenna and couldn't help but shake his head.
As a result, he was immediately stared at by the latter.
In order to avoid unnecessary disputes, Chen Zili quickly picked up his homework and headed to the office.
As he walked, he muttered: "I'd better persuade Xu Tao to give up later. I don't like men at all..."
……………………
The bus stop outside the school.
Ye Qing sat on the bench next to Ai Liang, waiting for the bus to arrive.
Ai Liang had just decided what to make for dinner tonight.
As a result, Ye Qing spoke first and said, "You don't have to do my share tonight. I will go directly to the supermarket to work later."
Ai Liang glanced at her in surprise, but didn't say much.
He just said "oh" calmly.
This made Ye Qing couldn't help but bump Ai Liang's shoulder: "Don't you know why?"
Ai Liang said sternly: "I'll tell you what you want to say. It's not appropriate for me to pry into things you don't want to say."
Hearing such tough words, Ye Qing pouted and stretched out her head to flick Ai Liang's head: "Elm head."
"Sometimes asking appropriate questions can better reflect how much you care about someone." Ye Qing said pretending to be absent-minded.
"I know, but I figured since you're still in the mood to joke, it won't be a big deal."
Ai Liang calmly looked at the bus approaching in the distance, and stood up slowly: "Besides, I already know enough about your character, and it is impossible to deepen my understanding through questioning."
Ye Qing also stood up and walked to Ai Liang to stand next to her: "Really? Are you sure you really understand me?"
"learn."
Ai Liang said in a decisive tone.
Ye Qing raised her hand and shook her index finger slightly: "Well... Ah Liang, being too arrogant is not a good habit."
Ai Liang didn't respond.
"But since you know me so well, I will forgive you this time."
Ye Qing shook her head and said with a smile.
"I didn't make any mistakes in the first place. You don't need to forgive me." Ai Liang replied.
"Wow, I've turned into a straight man again..."
Ye Qing boarded the bus while quarreling with Ai Liang.
Since she had to go directly to the supermarket next, Ye Qing did not go home with Ai Liang today.
After about ten minutes, Ye Qing got off the car near the supermarket.
As soon as she entered the door, the staff at the door greeted her: "Xiao Qing? You came much earlier than usual today... By the way, after the boss asked you to come, go to her office."
Ye Qing smiled and nodded: "I know, so I came over as soon as school is over today."
The staff member also smiled at her and waved: "Well, then go ahead."
Ye Qing did not go to the lounge to change into work clothes, but went directly to the door of Zhu Lan's office.
After making sure that no one was around, Ye Qing pushed the door open without knocking.
The office was empty at this time, and Zhu Lan could not be seen at all.
But Ye Qing didn't have much surprise. She locked the door directly after entering, then walked to the filing cabinet and pushed it hard.
A door blocked by a filing cabinet appeared on the wall.
Ye Qing opened the door, and there was a long and narrow storage room inside, which was less than half the size of the office outside.
For example, the desks in the classroom can only be placed a little more than three side by side.
Zhu Lan, on the other hand, was sitting on the innermost chair, reading a report.
After seeing Ye Qing, she pointed to the door.
Ye Qing didn't say anything, but directly grabbed the groove at the back of the filing cabinet, restored the filing cabinet from the inside, and then slammed the door shut.
Ye Qing pulled a bench from under the table, sat in front of Zhu Lan and asked, "So, what is the content of this report?"
"Big things have happened in Qianhua City recently, but they have little to do with us."
Zhu Lan looked at the report in his hand with a complicated expression, and kept poking his sun with the cap of the pen: "According to the intelligence collected, it seems that the Countermeasures Bureau and the Apostles Association had a fight in Qianhua City."
Ye Qing was stunned for a moment and said suspiciously: "Eh? Really or not? I don't feel it at all!"
Zhu Lan handed the A4 paper in his hand to Ye Qing: "Of course the information is true, but that was a month ago."
Ye Qing took the report and glanced at it briefly: "A month ago...could it be related to the great purge in Jiuhua Outer City?"
"Not only that, Shengjia Group seems to be related to these things. If it weren't for the management of Shengjia Group, which was taken over by Countermeasures Section 3, and I happened to be aware of it, we might not even know what happened in Qianhua City recently. "
Zhu Lan sighed: "After all, we are a group of exiles. We cannot collect first-hand intelligence at all. We can only conduct post-facto analysis and deduce what happened in the past."
Ye Qing paused and said, "Shengjia Group...Cheng Lejia?"
Zhu Lan nodded and looked at Ye Qing: "Yes, but you don't seem surprised."
"It's not surprising, it's just that there was some vague speculation before this."
Ye Qing turned to the next page of the report and continued: "After the great purge in Jiuhua Outer City, Cheng Lejia, Jin Pingan and Fang Xinlei all disappeared. It is inevitable that people will connect these together."
Zhu Lan tapped the table with her index finger: "It should be more than that, right?"
"...Also, I didn't sense anyone's emotions from Cheng Lejia, so I was suspicious of him from the beginning."
Ye Qing said solemnly: "When he laughs, he doesn't feel happy, and when he is in trouble, he doesn't feel any annoyance. The whole person is like a set program."
After hearing Ye Qing's explanation, Zhu Lan immediately stopped tapping her finger on the table: "...Why haven't I heard you mention this to me?"
Ye Qing threw the report on the table casually, put his chin on his hands and said: "So what, besides just making you more troubled, is there any other use?
Judging from Cheng Lejia's behavior, he probably isn't coming for us. Do you dare to take the initiative to investigate him when you are sure that he has strange powers but are not sure who he is from? "
Zhu Lan was speechless for a moment: "...but I can at least help you change schools."
Ye Qing said weakly: "Goodbye, I finally got into a school that gives out scholarships every month.
If I were to go to another school, I would have to work an extra job in order to earn enough money for my expenses. "
Zhu Lan looked at Ye Qing, who looked helpless, and said in a strange way: "Then why don't you just become my sister, so that you don't have to cover up the issue of financial resources."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire secret room fell into a deathly silence.
In the end, Ye Qing smiled and declined: "No need...I am alone, which is actually quite good, at least I won't..."
Ye Qing stopped as she spoke and was speechless.
Zhu Lan didn't speak either, as if the suggestion just now didn't come from her mouth.
In order to divert attention, Zhu Lan chose to pick up the original topic: "In short, there are many more people from the Countermeasures Bureau in this city. We must be more careful when doing activities in the future."
"I know, I've always been very careful."
Ye Qing couldn't help but sigh: "It's so hard to live a stable life, how could I not cherish it?"
"I heard that there was someone in your class recently who came back from studying abroad?"
Zhu Lan didn't really want to talk about the issue of survival, and his method of changing the topic was a bit blunt.
"Well, the teacher read his name when school started, but he didn't report until now." Ye Qing continued following Zhu Lan's new topic.
"You applied for Qianhua Experimental Middle School, but you waited until now to report?"
Zhu Lan picked up the phone and tapped it a few times: "I didn't come earlier, I didn't come late, but I only showed up after everything was settled. This Peng Yuan is also a little suspicious."
"It's really suspicious."
Ye Qing agreed with Zhu Lan's statement: "If the other party knew in advance, Qianhua City was about to become a battlefield between the Countermeasures Bureau and the Apostles Association, and it would be reasonable to delay it until now.
But in this case, he will neither be a member of the Countermeasures Bureau nor a member of the Apostles Association, so..."
At the same time, Zhu Lan also thought of a certain possibility and involuntarily squeezed the pen tighter.
She bit her red lip unconsciously: "I will find someone to investigate his past. As long as I personally visit and investigate the place where he lived before, it should not be difficult to determine whether he is a labeled person."
"Well, I will also do a little observation in the class... It seems that he has not applied for morning and evening self-study and weekends. Sister Lan, can you check what he does on weekends? You may gain something unexpected."
Ye Qing informed Zhu Lan about the information he heard from Chen Zili before school.
Zhu Lan's face showed a touch of bitterness: "I know, if he is from Haixinhui, then we can only change the city and start over."
"The situation may not be as bad as imagined. It is not yet certain that he has a problem." Ye Qing comforted him.
"I hope so." Zhu Lan said.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go out first. I've stayed in your office for too long. If someone comes to find me, I'll be in trouble."
Ye Qing returned to her usual smiling appearance.
After pushing the chair under the table again, she opened the filing cabinet and walked out of the secret room.
