Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

"Liu Yan?" Yang Ce was startled, then suddenly remembered that he seemed to have heard his godfather mention that Liu Yan was his son. He fell silent for a moment. "By the way, Sister Xiao Qing, tell me—what actually happened with Liu Yan? I've noticed that godfather and godmother both avoid the topic, so I've never dared to ask."

"I knew Brother Liu Yan too. He graduated from our own Songjiang Engineering University, but unlike godfather, Liu Yan's passion was bioengineering, and at a young age he had already made a name for himself in the field of biology. One of his papers on bacteria even won a major international award; he was a dazzling new star in our country's biological sciences," Xiao Qing said. "And his fiancée was his assistant, a woman who had also achieved a great deal in biology. The two of them, young as they were, were already on the verge of eclipsing godfather's name in academic circles. But sadly, on the eve of their wedding, both of them vanished mysteriously at the same time."

"Vanished mysteriously?" Yang Ce was baffled. It was like something out of a movie—how could a person simply vanish? "Didn't they call the police? Was there never any word of them afterward?"

"They did call the police. When a scientist of such renown disappears, the pressure on the police is enormous," Xiao Qing said, shaking her head. "But even with a great many officers deployed, they found no trace of Liu Yan. The man seemed to have evaporated from the face of the earth; no news ever came again. At first everyone assumed it was a kidnapping, but no kidnapper ever called or sent any message. Later they realized something was very wrong—even certain special state departments joined the investigation, and there was speculation that foreign hostile forces had taken Liu Yan. But none of it produced the slightest result."

"So that's how it was." This was the first time Yang Ce had heard the whole story. He had never imagined his godfather had such an accomplished son, and that he should vanish so bizarrely. However strong the old man might be, there were still times when grief got the better of him.

"Yes. That's why all these years we've never brought it up in front of godfather—we hoped he might forget those unhappy, painful memories. But how can such a thing be forgotten just because one wills it?" Xiao Qing said. "Every year when Brother Liu Yan's birthday comes around, godfather always goes to the police station again to see whether there's any new lead. He knows perfectly well there's basically no hope—if there were any news, the police would surely notify him at once—but still godfather goes..."

Yang Ce nodded. This feeling of losing a loved one was something ordinary people could not understand. "I hope Brother Liu can come back."

"All right, enough of this. From now on, try not to bring it up in front of godfather either, so as not to grieve him," Xiao Qing advised.

"I know," Yang Ce said. "I'm not that much of a fool."

"When you have time, go back and keep godfather company more often. Now that he's grown old and has taken you as his godson, at least he has some comfort," Xiao Qing said. "All right, it's about time. I have a meeting today to welcome the new graduate students, so I have to go. Weren't you waiting for your classmate? You can stay here in my office; just lock the door when you leave."

"Fine, off you go then." Yang Ce nodded. If Zhao Ying had received his message, she would surely have called or texted back; that there was still no word meant she was not yet out of class.

Xiao Qing tidied the things on her desk, then took a coat from the wardrobe, changed into it, and went out. She did not bother to be particularly discreet about changing in front of Yang Ce—after all, the relationship between them could be called utterly intimate.

Xiao Qing did not say a single word about that day she and Sun Jie had fooled around with Yang Ce. Since she did not wish to speak of it, Yang Ce naturally would not either. Yang Ce felt that her silence meant she had tacitly accepted it, and that bringing it into the open would only spoil things.

After Xiao Qing left the office, Yang Ce sat down in her chair and began playing on the computer. He opened QQ on a whim, and saw that an account was on the screen—with its password saved.

Yang Ce's curiosity was at once aroused. Could this be Xiao Qing's QQ account? The thought made him want to log in and see who was on Xiao Qing's contact list. Not that he doubted Xiao Qing—it was simply his curiosity getting the better of him.

Yang Ce clicked to log in, and QQ came up in no time. A glance at the status showed it was set to online, so Yang Ce hurriedly switched himself to invisible—if anyone tried to talk to him, he would have no way to reply.

But Yang Ce was a moment too late. "Di-di-di-di"—the computer sounded the alert of a newly received message.

There was nothing for it; Yang Ce could only open the chat window. The person speaking was a woman whose screen name was "Xiao Jie."

"You little wretch, aren't you at work? How come you're on QQ?" said Xiao Jie.

Xiaojie—Yang Puqi was taken aback. Then, hearing the tone in which she spoke to Xiao Qing, he thought: could this be that vixen Sun Jie? Recalling Sun Jie's breasts, Yang Ce gave a lewd grin and clicked open her profile to read it.

The profile was utterly ordinary, a few brief lines with nothing special about it—yet Yang Ce still spotted a flaw. This Xiaojie's e-mail address was, astonishingly, the pinyin for "sunjie."

Haha, so it really is Sun Jie. Having confirmed her identity, Yang Ce decided to tease her. So, imitating Xiao Qing's tone, he sent her a message: "Just finished dealing with work—worn out. Dropped in for a casual look. You, though, a general manager, still find time to chat online? I was only on for a second and went invisible at once, and you still caught me."

After sending that, Yang Ce stared tensely at the screen, waiting for Sun Jie's reply. To confirm the other party's identity once more, Yang Ce tested her again.

To be continued.

1000. Found Out

Before long, Xiaojie replied: "What's so special about being a general manager? There are others above me—a general manager just gives the orders. Oh, it's so leisurely. I'm sipping coffee and reading along."

Yang Ce broke into a cold sweat. So this was how women talked among themselves. After thinking it over, he sent a message: "You've got it easy. I'm worked to death."

"I told you long ago not to take that job. Quit and come help me—wouldn't that be nice?" Xiaojie said.

"Oh, that's right—Yang Ce came to see me just now." Yang Ce began easing into the real subject, wanting to hear how Sun Jie and Xiao Qing talked about him between themselves.

"He came? He went to find you? Don't tell me he's looking for you to do it—haha." Xiaojie sent a grinning, teeth-baring emoji.

"Go die. If anyone's doing it, it'd be you he's looking for." Yang Ce fired back a message quickly, though he regretted it the moment he sent it—Xiao Qing surely didn't talk like that in daily life.

Just as he was growing nervous, Xiaojie replied: "Well, I wish he'd come looking for me—only I'd be afraid you'd get jealous. Hee hee."

"What would I be jealous of? How about we do it together sometime—wasn't that time great? I could tell from how loud you were moaning." Yang Ce cackled and sent it back, thinking to himself: so this is how wanton Xiao Qing and Sun Jie are in private. Conversations between women really can't be judged by ordinary standards.

"Fine, who's afraid of who? I see you've acquired a taste for it—you're the one thinking about it, and yet you blame me," Xiaojie said.

Yang Lanxu was overjoyed. Damn—so Sun Jie wasn't averse to it after all. Ha, that was just perfect. This vixen really had potential. Ordinarily she was utterly proper with outsiders, yet with him she was endlessly flirtatious—prime wife material.