After the morning passed, they finally finished reading the diary and came out of the bedroom.
As agreed, Xie Yuzhi prepared a sumptuous lunch for her two friends. I heard that the chef in the manor started preparing ingredients last night.
There was Western food in the morning, and standard Chinese food at noon, with big fish, meat, and delicacies. The sumptuousness was even greater than the New Year's Eve dinner in Yan Jingxing's memory.
However, because Ji Chunzao had eaten so much in the morning, he put down his chopsticks after taking two bites of rice and could only stare at the plates and bowls on the table in a daze.
The little girl's disappointed expression was so sincere that every time Yan Jingxing's eyes drifted across her face, he couldn't help but want to laugh out loud.
After eating, Miss Xie took them for a walk in her temporary home.
In the morning they admired the garden and the unfinished courtyard, and during their lunch break they visited the entire building.
It was really no problem to accommodate him and Chun Zao. Yan Jingxing thought to himself that the number of rooms could be used as a hotel...
By the way, Yuzhi seemed to have mentioned that this place was originally planned and built by her father as a high-end hotel. She only temporarily settled here because it was close to the school in the town.
Before Yan Jingxing and Ji Chunzao came, Xie Yuzhi had always lived alone.
Speaking of which, it seems that he has not met the eldest lady's family yet. Apart from Xie Yuzhi herself, the only other people living in this house are the housekeeper, driver and servants.
He couldn't help but secretly glance at the face of the girl next to him. Xie Yuzhi's expression was calm and serious. She always behaved calmly and fearlessly, with a maturity beyond her years.
Would she feel as scared as an ordinary child if she sleeps alone in a huge and empty bedroom at night?
"After reading the diary, we now know the fact that the body has been transferred to the earth."
Xie Yuzhi's voice brought his consciousness back to the topic.
"Of course this is a good thing. If the body is still on the alien planet, it will be very difficult for us to find it. According to the description in the diary, there may be a one-week interval between the activation of the UFO device, and even if there is no such restriction, It is also very dangerous to explore that planet without preparation right now."
"But the problem is that the whereabouts of the body are still unknown."
Yan Jingxing sighed.
"That was the last thing recorded, and we didn't find a second diary."
"There are indeed no new clues, but we can make guesses in a reasonable direction. Let's start with a question."
Miss Xie raised a finger.
"That is, why was the explorer's diary left in the secret base?"
Young people talked as they walked through the bright corridor. Xie Yuzhi opened the window at hand to welcome the fresh air and sunshine.
She held her hands on the railing and turned to look at her friends.
The curtains floated in the wind, like a white gauze skirt wrapped around a girl's body; the bright golden sunlight illuminated Xie Yuzhi's delicate face, and even the fine fluff on it was clearly visible, as delicious and moving as the fruits hanging from the branches.
"In the last part of the diary, it is written that although the explorer seemed to be the final winner, he was left with serious sequelae of insomnia and forgetfulness, so he needed the habit of recording to help him remember things. Moreover, in this diary, It also recorded a lot of secrets in detail, which should be very important to him. In this case, why was it abandoned in the cave?"
"It's because this person is forgetful." Ji Chunzao replied, "Perhaps his condition has worsened and he has forgotten all about writing a diary, right?"
Xie Yuzhi shook her head and denied her guess.
"The problem is that it's not just the diary that has been abandoned now, but the entire cave. Even if you forget to take the diary away, can you still forget this UFO?"
"That leaves only one possibility."
Yan Jingxing pondered.
"It's because this explorer had an accident and couldn't come back..."
"——And, it's still an unexpected surprise," Xie Yuzhi took up his words, "He probably didn't have time to communicate with anyone or leave a message that would be noticed, otherwise someone would definitely be able to The cave was discovered. But the fact is that we junior high school students became the first people to discover it after the expedition team disappeared."
"So, I have an idea."
She looked confident.
"Since it may be an accident, let's start the investigation from the most serious 'accidents', such as the deaths and disappearances that occurred in the past ten years... Baiyue Town is a small place, so it is relatively easy to find."
"In addition, I guess that after the explorer finally returns to Earth alive, he will use this cave as a secret base like us, and may even live in this place for a long time."
"But no matter how hard he tries to hide himself, as long as he communicates with people, he will definitely leave traces. For example, if he stays in a cave for a long time, there will probably be rumors about 'people who live in caves.'" , spread among people in nearby villages and towns.”
"So, do you need us to inquire?"
Yan Jingxing couldn't help but think of the plot in criminal investigation dramas where the protagonists went door to door in the village to investigate and inquire.
Possessing secret skills, looking like a downtrodden detective or a stubborn policeman - the thought of having the opportunity to play a role similar to them made the boy's heart instantly excited.
“Okay, so where do we start and when do we start?”
Ji Chunzao's tone was brisk and her bright eyes flickered slightly, as if she had thought of the same thing as him.
But after seeing someone's eagerness to try, Yan Jingxing calmed down.
This kind of work sounds cool, but as long as you carefully consider the trouble involved, you don't know how long it will take, and you don't know when you will be rewarded. A similar life is destined to be boring.
Reality is never as easy as the TV screen, not to mention that they are middle school students and have to go to school.
"No need."
Xie Yuzhi shook his head.
"I'll hire someone to investigate."
"Who to hire?"
"A detective or something like that, there will always be a way. Since it can be solved with money, there is no need for us to do it ourselves."
"……makes sense."
Yan Jingxing nodded unconsciously. He felt that these words were particularly convincing when they came from Miss Xie's mouth.
"……I see."
The little girl's shoulders slumped, as if she felt disappointed because of the lack of adventure.
"Then what are we going to do next? Just wait until you find the detective?"
Xie Yuzhi replied helplessly:
"Of course there are other problems that need to be solved. You two will not forget what you promised me, right?"
"W-what do you mean..."
"Really forgot? I didn't just invite you to my house casually, but... you know how to eat just by looking at you!"
Her hands began to move, and she wanted to pinch Ji Chunzao's smooth face; but the little girl reacted quickly, dodged nimbly and covered her cheeks with her hands. It seemed that she didn't intend for anyone to pinch her face easily.
"I won't treat you in vain, Chun Zao." Xie Yuzhi said, "If you eat my food, sooner or later you have to work hard to pay it back."
After Ji Chunzao was silent for a moment, she slowly lowered her hands, with an expression of "seeing death at home".
"Just go ahead and pinch me, I don't have the money to pay you back!"
"... Yuzhi is probably talking about his own abilities."
Yan Jingxing replied while holding back a smile.
"That's right, you'd better be more reliable. You both have super powers, and I haven't counted them yet." The eldest lady sighed softly, "This is not possible, I don't want to be left behind."
"But the question is still there, Yuzhi, where do you plan to start? Do you already have an idea?"
"Combining the awakened abilities of both of you, it is obviously closely related to the identity you have obtained. Considering that I am the 'King', the essence of the ability is an extension of this identity... I have several ideas that need to be tested."
Xie Yuzhi took out a note pad from somewhere. Yan Jingxing glanced at it and saw dense writing on it.
"So you also have the habit of writing a diary?"
"No, this is not a diary, but my daily schedule..." Xie Yuzhi quickly flipped through a few pages and stopped her fingers, "I found it. This is what I wrote yesterday."
The eldest lady held the note pad up to him.
"...So, you are going to look for the Hairless Man?" Yan Jingxing carefully studied the above content for a while, with a hesitant expression on his face, "Doesn't that mean we can only go back to the palace?"
"Not necessarily, because we can be sure that this kind of monster has invaded our world."
Xie Yuzhi has obviously considered this issue for a long time.
"Although I can't find them right now, I know where the right person is. Do you know that Teacher Gao suddenly went crazy and injured several students in the cram school that day. After she was controlled by the police, where is she now?"
Yan Jingxing and Jichun Zao looked at each other.
"...I once heard the teachers chatting when I passed by the office. I heard that she seemed to be imprisoned in a mental hospital, right?"
"Yes, it's a mental hospital. Unlike ordinary hospitals, not every city will have a psychiatric hospital because the number of practicing doctors in this field is scarce. But in Baiyue Town, there happens to be a mental hospital."
Xie Yuzhi clapped her hands. She always made decisions resolutely.
"Let's make an appointment to visit her together."
…
At this time, the three of them had walked along the stairs to the entrance of the hall.
What needs to be said has been said, and everything that needs to be done has been planned. It’s time to say goodbye, and there are still classes tomorrow.
However, just when Yan Jingxing thought that the matter had come to an end, he noticed that Ji Chunzao suddenly stopped. Judging from her expression, it seemed that she was reluctant to leave and didn't want to leave like this.
Are you planning to stay for dinner? He couldn't help complaining in his mind.
Although Miss Xie would definitely not care; although... he could actually completely understand Chun Zao's mood, because he didn't want it to end either.
It's not that I have any nostalgia for the place itself, but I simply don't want the current atmosphere - the three people discussing enthusiastically how to face the unknown future, and dreaming about what kind of novel adventures they will encounter in the future - like this I hope the exchange can continue forever. They still have countless topics to talk about.
But he knows that there is no such thing as a feast that lasts forever.
Uncle is still at home waiting for him to return.
"...Then, is there anything else?"
Yan Jingxing scratched his head and saw that neither of the two girls had the intention to speak first, so he could only take the lead in saying goodbye.
"If not, Chun Zao and I will first—"
The little girl puffed up her face.
"——Of course."
Xie Yuzhi replied.
"Then...ah, is it really true?"
Yan Jingxing was stunned for a moment, then looked at Miss Xie and found that the look in her pupils was quite serious.
"But we have to go to class tomorrow..."
"It's okay, I will take you back."
"If it's too late to go back...
"Then let's call the parents first and make arrangements in advance."
Xie Yuzhi insisted.
Yan Jingxing hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
I can only lie to my uncle. He used to be an honest and good boy, but recently he has become accustomed to lying...
Well, it’s not my fault, but the world is changing so fast!
After calling their respective homes, the boys and girls gathered in front of the hall again, and he asked:
"Okay, you can tell me, is there anything important?"
"Actually, I haven't thought about it yet."
Xie Yuzhi shook her head, her attitude was very candid.
"I just think you two don't want to say goodbye to me so soon, right? I feel the same way, so I hope you can stay with me tonight."
What a willful girl, Yan Jingxing couldn't help but think so, but deep down in his heart he had no intention of blaming her at all.
However, since we have to stay tonight, we have to do something, right?
What would be better to do together... What can two girls and one boy, three junior high school students do between them...
We can't just do homework together, right?
The young people looked at each other, but no one spoke. At this moment, Ji Chunzao suddenly clapped his hands, his eyes lit up, and he said excitedly:
"——Ah! I suddenly thought of it!"
