Mist (Web Novel CN)
Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Who Am I

Chapter 40

Hearing Ji Yushi ask this, although Song Qinglan didn’t know the reason for his question, he subconsciously softened his tone, “What Chief Wang?”

Chief Wang of Tiangqiong’s Jiang City Branch.

Female, fifty-three years old, gentle temperament, decisive and resolute when making decisions, and often breaks cups when angry.

Ji Yushi clearly remembered her face and her smile, including the perfume she used.

But why was Song Qinglan saying that the Chief of the Jiang City branch was someone surnamed Qi? And there was only one chief?

Ji Yushi had a bad feeling. All kinds of thoughts swirled in his mind. What went wrong? Where they still in a state of being hijacked and hadn’t truly returned? Did Tianqiong once again put an illusion into their minds, forcing them to enter a new mission? Or was there something wrong with his memory and everything was overlapping and a mess?

Ji Yushi’s expression tensed up. He turned a little paler and the look in his eyes alternated between tension and hesitation. It was Song Qinglan’s first time seeing him like this.

Song Qinglan’s heart fell slightly. He remembered Ji Yushi’s psychological assessment report.

Even people with a strong mind and strong personality would suffer from different degrees of psychological trauma after experiencing something like that. Everyone in the seventh squad more or less had some sequelae. Some they were aware of while others lurked in their subconscious minds. Fortunately, it all could be controlled and that was why they were granted a three-month vacation.

But it was different for Ji Yushi. The expert’s assessment result for him was: Perfect.

Song Qinglan was the captain so he was present during the meeting. The expert wasn’t very optimistic about the result because Ji Yushi was like a student who could recite the correct answer without much trouble. He scored high in every answer, but it wasn’t because it really was the case for him.

The two had interacted long enough to have established tacit understanding. Song Qinglan stepped forward and held Ji Yushi’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but lower his voice, “Advisor Ji, what did you think of?”

Ji Yushi’s lips were tightly pursed. He spoke with difficulty, “I want…..to clear my mind first.”

With that, he took out his medicine box from his pocket.

Taking too much medicine wasn’t good but Ji Yushi’s expression didn’t look great.

Song Qinglan immediately turned around and returned to the ward with a glass of water. Before arriving, he had already tested the temperature using the back of his hand, “It’s warm.”

Ji Yushi placed a tablet in his mouth and the received the water from Song Qinglan.

He took a sip, raised his head and the jut on his throat moved as he swallowed it in one go.

His figure was thin and slender, and his complexion was fair. At this moment, he wore a white shirt and black trousers, making him look clean and refreshing. This was also what he wore when he first arrived at Jiang City. When they first met, Song Qinglan felt that Ji Yushi was like a pine tree beside a snowy lake but now, he felt that there was a sense of undetectable fragility to him as well.

Did Ji Yushi often use drugs to keep his mind clear?

Or was it only occasionally?

There weren’t many people on this floor and very few people used this corridor.

After taking the medicine, Ji Yushi quietly closed his eyes for a few seconds. The medicine obviously wouldn’t take effect so quickly, but it was enough to make him feel better psychologically.

When he opened his eyes again, some clarity was restored in his eyes. Seeing that Song Qinglan was still standing beside him with concern, he said, “Cap Song, do you still remember the person who arranged our mission and the person who transferred me to Jiang City?”

At this moment, someone suddenly shouted, “Cap Song! Advisor Ji!”

The teammates walked over cheerily having finished packing up.

Zhou Mingxuan asked, “What are you two doing here? Waiting for us?”

Tang Qi hooked his arm around his brother’s neck and smiled, “Cap Song, weren’t you going to go there together with Chief Qi? You specially came to get us?”

Song Qinglan answered naturally, “Specially coming to get you? In your dreams. I’m here to wait for Advisor Ji.”

Everyone: “Tsk! Differential treatment!”

As soon as they were no longer performing their mission and placed in a serious and tense environment, this group of tall and strong young men were like ruffians. If they were outside, passers-by would take a detour around them.

Everyone chattered on, but they were all joking around. It was evident that everyone was in a good mood.

“Advisor Ji isn’t from here, so he doesn’t have a car. I’m in charge of picking him up and dropping him off.” Song Qinglan said as a matter of factly, “Furthermore, tonight is not only a meal with Chief Qi, it’s also a farewell party for Advisor Ji.”

After eating, Ji Yushi would return to Ning City. He had booked tickets for the afternoon.

Everyone now remembered the matter of Ji Yushi leaving the seventh squad.

The seven of them entered the elevator noisily.

Ji Yushi stood in the corner. Li Chun sneakily leaned forward and asked, “Advisor Ji, will you miss us when you return?”

“Haa.” Duan Wen said, “Advisor Ji’s skin is too thin. Can’t you see how depressed he is now? He’s clearly already sad about leaving.”

Ji Yushi: “……..”

Except for Li Chun, the rest of the seventh squad had their own cars. Li Chun had always taken Duan Wen’s car so when they got out of the elevator on the first floor, they all went to pick up their car from the command centre.

Song Qinglan had already gone out a few times before this so his car was parked in the underground parking lot.

After everyone left, Ji Yushi followed Song Qinglan all the way to the underground floor.

The underground parking lot wasn’t too cramped. When they reached a certain place, the light above them suddenly flickered. One of it was broken.

Ji Yushi was left stunned for a few seconds.

In the underground passage of Runjin Building, hanging lights, pale hands reaching towards them, and the endless sound of gunshots, all rushed to his mind in an instant.

But it only lasted a second or two, and everything was gone.

Song Qinglan interrupted him.

“Here.” Song Qinglan opened the car door, “Get in.”

It was a light silver sports car with smooth lines and paint that reflected light brightly. It sat quietly in the middle of the parking lot.

Song Qinglan who wore casual clothes stood next to the car with a hint of a smile in his eyes looking like a car model.

Ji Yushi got on and fastened his seatbelt, “Did you embezzle or are you a rich second generation?”

Song Qinglan wasn’t a low-key person in private either. His family background and abilities together formed his domineering personality. He started the car and drove out, “Then it must be embezzlement. See how well we are treated here? Have your thoughts wavered, Advisor Ji? I can give you half of the money I’ve embezzled.”

After removing the captain shell, he was no different from other ordinary young men. That is, with the exception that his conditions were better.

Song Qinglan wore a watch with a simple face design on his wrist. Someone in Ji Yushi’s family just happened to also have one like that and the price wasn’t simple at all. The big hands that easily welded all sorts of weapons were at this moment holding the steering wheel loosely. Ji Yushi couldn’t help but recall the feeling of his hands when they were being held by them.

His impression of it was that it was warm, and very powerful.

He answered Song Qinglan’s teasing, “No thanks, I don’t want to go to jail.”

Song Qinglan had expected this response. He stopped joking and instead replied, “The captain’s annual salary is pretty good, and I also made some investments.”

The car drove out of the parking lot, leaving Tianqiong.

Passing by a barrier on the road, Song Qinglan glanced at Ji Yushi who was squinting his eyes in the sun, looking a little lazy.

The morning sun wasn’t too harsh. Ji Yushi allowed it to fall onto him as he watched the busy Jiang City streets pass by.

He was very quiet. Probably because the medicine had taken effect, he looked much better than before and clearer minded. That group of people who always got in the way wasn’t around so Song Qinglan wanted to use this chance to ask Ji Yushi about the matter earlier, but he was once again interrupted by a phone call.

It was Ji Yushi’s.

Ji Yushi had only just received his phone and hadn’t had the chance to call home. The people at home had probably just been notified.

He glanced at the caller ID and his brows furrowed slightly before loosening, “Hello?”

Who was it?

Song Qinglan looked ahead.

Ji Minyue took in a deep breath as soon as he heard his voice, “You’re finally back. I thought you really went missing and almost killed myself in apology in front of the old man. Actually, he would be the one killing me.”

Ji Yushi’s tone was also relaxed, “Too bloody.”

Ji Minyue, “Classmate Xiao Ji, don’t be like that. Old Ji would really do something like that for you. After so many years, except for the time when he beat me, he never mentioned anything about me helping you join Tianqiong but I was almost scolded to death by him during the past month. If you didn’t return, I would really die in Ning City. When the old lady tried to help me, he gets even more angry.”

Ji Yushi said, “You should let him win sometimes. Don’t always compete for favour with him.”

Let him win? Compete for favour?

Song Qinglan: “……….”

Song Qinglan was someone who didn’t like to butt into other people’s private matters. He just wanted to focus on driving.

It was fine when the car was moving, but they happened to be at a large intersection with a red light lasting 120 seconds.

Song Qinglan pressed against his temple with one hand and his finger on the steering wheel tapped one after the other as he counted down the seconds.

Ji Minyue briefly talked about a bunch of things happening at home before he asked the question he had been holding back the entire time, “What time is your ticket?”

Ji Yushi said, “Two.”

Ji Minyue calculated it, “Then it should be past four when you get home. You’re resting at home today and coming back tomorrow? I’m afraid that if you come back today, they would nag at you.”

Ji Yushi: “Okay.”

“Alright.” Ji Minyue said, “It’s settled then. I’m going to school tonight, there’s a party. I will send your cat back along the way.”

Ji Yushi missed his cats.

When he left, he didn’t actually bring his cats to the Ning City branch to be fed by his colleagues and instead sent them to Ji Minyue. After leaving for a month, he didn’t know if those little masters missed him. He guessed that they probably did.

There was nothing more relaxing in the world than petting a cat. Just the thought of it made the corners of Ji Yushi’s lips rise a little.

He asked his older brother, “Then what time will you come?”

The light turned green.

Song Qinglan drove out again and turned left to merge into the new traffic.

Ji Minyue said, “Before seven probably.”

Ji Yushi asked, “Bathed?”

“Knowing that you came back today, your sister-in-law brought them to be washed yesterday.” How could Ji Minyue not know him? “Clean freak.”

Ji Yushi was satisfied, “Okay, then I’ll wait for you.”

He then hung up.

Somehow, Ji Yushi felt that the car was strangely silent.

Thinking that he had probably talked too long on the phone with his family, he felt a little apologetic, “Sorry Cap Song for talking on the phone in the car.”

Song Qinglan’s handsome side profile was a little stiff.

Ji Yushi was far beyond what he could imagine. Was only Ji Yushi like this, or was it the same for all of them?

“It’s okay.” He couldn’t hold back and asked, “Advisor Ji, you…..that, how many?”

Cats?

Ji Yushi answered, “Three.”

Song Qinglan, “……..”

He already knew what Ji Yushi’s orientation was. When they were inside the kiosk, Ji Yushi even said that he would go to gay bars. A person’s ability and their private life were two separate matters. Song Qinglan knew that while he appreciated Ji Yushi’s abilities, it didn’t mean that he could comment on his private life.

But what was going on with this irritation inside him?

He didn’t want Ji Yushi to have this kind of view on relationships. He didn’t want Ji Yushi…..to date so early on.

Humans should be a little ambitious and focus on their careers first.

When they reached their destination, Song Qinglan stopped the car and continued the previous topic: “Advisor Ji.”

But unexpectedly, when he turned his head over, Ji Yushi just happened to be looking at him.

Those moist almond shaped eyes with slightly raised corners seemed to be very focused. The moment Song Qinglan turned to look over, Ji Yushi moved his line of sight elsewhere, as if nothing had happened.

Song Qinglan’s heart leapt.

That warm and strange feeling came again.

It couldn’t be that because he was about to leave and separation was imminent, Advisor Ji suddenly changed his mind and was interested in their proposal of joining the seventh squad but was too embarrassed to say it?

Song Qinglan’s palms were sticky. It had sweated a little.

Putting those personal life matters aside, he recovered his usual tone and started talking, “Earlier, you asked if I remembered who transferred you over. What did that mean?”