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Join the ServerLin Zhiyan hurried downstairs. The hallway lights were dim, and the smell of dust hung heavily in the air. But the moment she pushed open the building’s entrance door, fresh, cool night air washed over her in waves.
She walked outside, terminal in hand, looking around.
A few steps away, a car was parked by the curb.
The vehicle reflected a cold metallic sheen. Silver-toned highlights traced its contours, and even standing still, it radiated luxury and expense.
Lin Zhiyan frowned.
Who would park a luxury car here?
I’m reporting this illegal parking immediately.
With a cold sneer, she raised her terminal to take a photo for a complaint. But as she lifted it, the darkened windows brightened. The tint dissolved into countless particles, revealing a familiar face.
Jiang Yi sat in the driver’s seat.
His handsome features were half-hidden in shadow, making the sharp lines of his face appear even more striking. His brows were slightly furrowed. Dark eyes fixed on her, and his thin lips were pressed into a straight line.
Lin Zhiyan met his gaze from afar.
The last half of the carrot stick hanging from her mouth disappeared with a crunch.
Her mind went completely blank.
Wait.
Why is he here?
Did he get lost?
But how do you get lost here?
Then a realization struck.
Wasn’t he serving disciplinary punishment through community service?
Could it be…
Was he her delivery driver?
The moment she figured it out, her brain nearly short-circuited.
And somehow, she became even angrier.
Earlier she’d restrained her irritation because she thought the rider belonged to a disability welfare program. But now that she knew it was Jiang Yi, all that remained was hunger and rage.
Her expression turned icy.
Pretending not to know, she asked,
“What a coincidence. Why are you here?”
Then she glanced at her terminal and frowned.
“Damn it. Why hasn’t my delivery arrived yet?”
Jiang Yi was silent for several seconds.
His face remained cold, but he visibly pressed his lips together again, looking oddly awkward and speechless.
“Disciplinary punishment,” he said. “I have to do community service.”
“So… it was you?”
Lin Zhiyan looked shocked before forcing out a strained smile.
“I didn’t mean it like that. Never mind. Just give me my food.”
Jiang Yi tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“Sorry. I didn’t expect there’d be an emergency meeting. Then I got stuck in traffic.”
As if trying to ease the awkwardness, he added,
“It’s strange. Traffic in the Central District is usually smooth, but it’s been congested these past few days.”
That only made her angrier.
She let out a cold laugh.
“That’s because people like you from the military close roads and reroute traffic whenever you’re active. My route to school gets changed all the time.”
She paused.
“If you don’t want traffic next time, drive one of those military vehicles.”
Jiang Yi: “…”
He looked away.
“Oh.”
Lin Zhiyan stuck her hand through the open window and leaned in.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of friendliness on her face.
“My food.”
Her fingers were slender and pale, faintly bluish beneath the skin. As she reached in, a subtle scent of mint and nicotine drifted over.
Jiang Yi hesitated.
“Sorry.”
A bad feeling instantly rose inside her.
“What?”
“It spilled.”
Jiang Yi felt his nerves tightening.
For some reason, his heart was tense as well.
He picked up the delivery bag, now soaked with cola, and placed it into her waiting hand.
“I’m sorry.”
He almost didn’t dare look at her face.
Instead, he stared at the car emblem on the steering wheel.
“I can compensate you.”
Rip—
Lin Zhiyan snatched the bag away.
One glance at the ruined food was enough to make her want to smash it directly into Jiang Yi’s face.
But she quickly realized that if she did that, her future would probably end up smashed on the ground right alongside it.
Despair deepened.
She glanced at Jiang Yi.
His back was straight. His eyes were lowered. His profile remained cold and severe.
Sigh.
At this point, maybe she could at least milk a few hundred credits in compensation.
So she gripped the bag and said nothing.
Several minutes passed.
Jiang Yi heard a deep breath from outside the car.
Then another sigh.
Finally, her tired voice sounded.
Cold.
Annoyed.
Yet ultimately resigned.
“You—I—”
She paused.
“Forget it. I’ll just eat it like this.”
“I’m so tired.”
The sharp tongue and relentless attacks she usually wielded so effortlessly were gone.
Only helplessness remained.
Logically, Jiang Yi should have felt relieved.
Instead, guilt and frustration made him feel even worse.
“I—”
Before he could finish, he looked up.
Lin Zhiyan was already turning away, inspecting the soggy delivery bag as she headed back toward the building.
Her head hung low.
Her hair was pinned up.
Under the streetlights, her shadow stretched long behind her.
“Lin Zhiyan!”
For reasons he couldn’t explain, the discomfort in his chest only grew stronger.
He unfastened his seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and stepped out.
“Wait!”
Lin Zhiyan turned around.
Confusion flickered across her face.
Her brows were slightly knitted together, and her eyes held traces of exhaustion and boredom.
Only then did Jiang Yi notice that she was wearing rimless glasses.
No uniform.
Just a thin jacket over a T-shirt and a pair of jeans.
Without the school uniform, she seemed lighter and more casual than usual. Yet she also carried a clean, transparent clarity.
Her features appeared softer.
Her hair had been casually pinned up with nothing more than a ballpoint pen. Loose strands hung beside her ears, and she absentmindedly tucked them back.
Standing before the dilapidated apartment building, she somehow looked both completely out of place and perfectly woven into its surroundings.
Jiang Yi’s words reached his lips.
Then suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
The words escaped before he could stop them.
“I can take you somewhere to eat.”
Lin Zhiyan froze.
Wait.
What?
Jiang Yi thought for a moment before speaking seriously.
“The food is cold.”
“It’s soaked in cola.”
“It’s neither nutritious nor tasty.”
“You’re my last delivery order tonight. I can take you somewhere.”
He paused.
Then added:
“I happen to be hungry too.”
Lin Zhiyan considered it.
“It’s really late. I don’t want trouble getting back—”
“I’ll drive you home.”
Jiang Yi interrupted immediately.
Well…
That sounded acceptable.
With visible reluctance, Lin Zhiyan agreed.
“Fine.”
Jiang Yi quietly released a breath.
He turned to get back into the car.
But before he could, he walked around and opened the passenger-side door for her.
Lin Zhiyan blinked in surprise.
Since when does he know gentlemanly manners?
Was she really that pitiful?
Suppressing her confusion, she got in.
Jiang Yi entered the driver’s seat and closed the door.
“You can put it in the storage compartment.”
“There’s an automatic waste processor.”
Half regretful and half resigned, Lin Zhiyan placed the ruined delivery meal inside.
The dashboard cast a dim blue glow throughout the cabin.
The flickering light illuminated their faces intermittently, making the silence between them seem even colder.
Suddenly, Jiang Yi spoke.
“At this hour, most good restaurants are already closed.”
“Then why did you offer to treat me?” Lin Zhiyan asked. “Just buy me a couple of convenience-store sandwiches instead.”
“You seem to eat bread all the time.”
“Sometimes I eat burgers and fries too.”
Blue light reflected in her lenses.
“But not tonight.”
Jiang Yi: “…”
For some reason, he wanted to laugh.
He wasn’t sure why.
Maybe it was the faint resentment in her voice.
It was… unexpected.
Every time they met, she overturned another piece of his existing impression of her.
“This isn’t funny.”
Lin Zhiyan turned toward him seriously.
“I spent all day reading and writing papers until my head was about to explode.”
“The only thing I was looking forward to was a decent meal tonight.”
“And then you ruined it.”
Jiang Yi immediately apologized.
“Mm. My fault.”
The apology came so quickly that Lin Zhiyan found herself unable to continue attacking him.
He had become cunning.
Several times now, he’d apologized before she could explode, leaving her frustration hanging awkwardly in midair.
Jiang Yi seemed to realize it too.
For some reason, apologizing to her always felt surprisingly natural.
He wasn’t sure whether to resent the blow to his pride or appreciate his growing ability to manage conversations with her.
Still.
Maintaining this kind of atmosphere offered him no real benefit.
Even if it did, he rarely bothered showing people kindness.
He didn’t think further about it.
Some things could not withstand too much scrutiny.
“Not nutritious.”
After thinking briefly, Jiang Yi said:
“I rarely return to campus now.”
“If you need it, I can give you my access permissions.”
He added:
“Any purchases you make on campus would be charged directly to my account.”
Lin Zhiyan smiled.
“Oh.”
“Only on campus.”
Jiang Yi turned toward her.
Blue dashboard light illuminated his sharp, handsome face.
His eyes locked onto hers.
“If you want…”
“…outside campus too.”
Lin Zhiyan’s brows twitched.
Then she laughed.
Her eyes curved into crescents.
“No.”
Jiang Yi quickly looked away and fixed his gaze on the road ahead.
His fingers tapped the steering wheel.
“Why?”
“No.”
She simply repeated herself.
Then, inexplicably, Jiang Yi blurted out:
“Because of Li Siheng?”
The moment the words left his mouth, his entire back stiffened.
A chill crawled up the back of his neck.
His knuckles turned pale.
Before she could respond, he hurriedly added:
“I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Lin Zhiyan didn’t answer.
At this point, she was breaking into a cold sweat herself.
What exactly did he mean?
Wait.
Wasn’t her entire persona supposed to be upright, competent, morally admirable, and ideal subordinate material?
Why did that sound so ambiguous?
No.
Maybe he was just trying to throw money at her.
Lin Zhiyan felt slightly panicked.
Her greatest wish right now was simple:
Get rid of Li Siheng and Le Mans.
Secure an internship.
Graduate peacefully with the money she’d already earned.
When she first entered school, she’d entertained fantasies of marrying into wealth and becoming a phoenix rising through marriage.
Now?
She had no such ambitions.
These Celestial Dragons were all frighteningly shrewd.
Everything she’d gained so far had come from risking her future.
People needed to know when to stop.
When you have nothing, adventure is easy.
Once you’ve gained something, stability becomes more appealing.
Her thoughts bounced everywhere.
But after a long day of studying on an empty stomach, only one thought remained:
Hungry.
Fortunately, the car finally stopped.
She looked up.
In the distance stood a vast complex of imposing buildings.
Even at night, the rare materials covering their exteriors gleamed with a cold brilliance.
Patrolling guards appeared regularly along the streets.
Military vehicles passed by from time to time.
Confused, Lin Zhiyan watched as Jiang Yi drove through checkpoint after checkpoint before entering an underground parking facility.
She couldn’t help asking:
“This doesn’t look like a restaurant.”
Jiang Yi replied calmly:
“This is Delan District.”
“We’re going to the Military Council Hall.”
Delan District housed the Cabinet, both legislative chambers, and countless political institutions.
Lin Zhiyan froze.
Her mind went blank.
Her voice trembled.
“…Are you treating me to bullets?”
Jiang Yi: “…”
Part of him wanted to explain seriously.
Part of him wanted to joke.
What emerged was an extremely serious joke.
“If you want some, I can arrange that right now.”
Lin Zhiyan: “…”
Her eyes slowly widened.
That was definitely not the face of someone who found it funny.
Jiang Yi immediately felt embarrassed.
His expression became even colder.
“It was a joke.”
“The Council Hall has a restaurant.”
“Most internal restaurants in Delan District are very high-end.”
“Many of the chefs even come from noble or royal backgrounds.”
“Sounds extravagant.”
Lin Zhiyan paused.
“But your joke wasn’t funny.”
She had been interrogated before.
This wasn’t the kind of thing she joked about.
Jiang Yi got out of the car.
Lin Zhiyan followed close behind, afraid someone might mistake her for a spy and tackle her to the ground.
As usual, Jiang Yi said little.
People saluted him along the way.
He barely acknowledged them.
The night breeze drifted gently through the grounds.
The Council Hall was quiet.
The scent of flowers occasionally lingered in the air.
Several times, Jiang Yi wanted to speak.
Then he remembered his failed joke and fell silent again.
He didn’t understand why everything he said always sounded so rigid.
It seemed he still hadn’t mastered any form of communication beyond commands, interrogations, and negotiations.
After passing through layer upon layer of security clearance, they finally arrived at a restaurant that could only be described as magnificent.
Crystal chandeliers blazed overhead.
Thick red carpets stretched across the floor.
Beautifully decorated columns lined the hall.
Nearby, a ghost orchestra performed automatically—every instrument enhanced through technology and data processing, playing without a single musician present.
Holy crap.
This is just a restaurant.
Jiang Yi asked:
“What’s wrong?”
“Is the lighting too bright?”
“I was startled.”
Lin Zhiyan answered honestly.
Jiang Yi looked puzzled.
They sat down in a quiet corner on the second floor.
A menu projected from the data terminal embedded in the table.
“I thought military buildings would be scarier.”
Lin Zhiyan considered the question.
“Buildings are merely manifestations of authority.”
“But restaurants are manifestations of desire.”
Her dark eyes looked through her glasses toward the menu.
“Authority only makes people submit.”
“Desire is different.”
Jiang Yi watched her.
The blue light of the menu mixed with the chandelier’s glow, reflecting across her lenses and face.
Even her casual observations sounded like deeper analysis hiding beneath the surface.
Lin Zhiyan studied the menu carefully.
She seemed genuinely conflicted.
Nibbling her lip.
Jiang Yi rested his chin on one hand and continued watching her.
Even knowing she might soon say something that wounded him, he still wanted to hear more.
“For example?”
Lin Zhiyan immediately answered:
“For example, right now I want the No. 4590 steak, the No. 998 champagne ice cream, and a serving of No. 1700 lemon oysters.”
She looked up.
A mischievous smile curved her lips.
“I know it’s a little excessive.”
“But desire is telling me to order everything I want.”
Caught off guard by her sparkling gaze, Jiang Yi straightened immediately.
Lowering his eyes to the menu, he felt a faint warmth at the tip of his nose.
After several seconds, he said:
“It’s fine.”
“Just tonight.”
Inwardly, he repeated the words again.
Just tonight.
Then he added:
“You can just check the items and confirm the order.”
“Oh.”
Lin Zhiyan swallowed discreetly.
“I saw all the numbers and thought I had to read them out loud.”
As she spoke, she rapidly selected items.
Jiang Yi paused.
“Those aren’t item numbers.”
Lin Zhiyan looked up.
Confused.
Several seconds later, realization struck.
Her pupils expanded.
Her mouth slowly opened.
Wait.
Those weren’t catalog numbers…
They were prices?!
A wave of dizziness hit her.
It wasn’t that she felt sorry for Jiang Yi’s wallet.
She simply couldn’t understand why all that money couldn’t be converted directly into cash and handed to her.
Oblivious to her inner suffering, Jiang Yi said earnestly:
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not much.”
Of course it’s not much.
Because it’s MY money.
That should have been MY money!
Lin Zhiyan screamed internally.
In the end, however, all she could do was twist the napkin in front of her over and over.
Watching her, Jiang Yi hesitated.
Then unconsciously began rubbing his own napkin.
It’s fine.
Just tonight.
This meeting had been an accident.
After tonight, they would probably have little contact.
He’d be busy with military affairs.
She’d be busy with classes.
Somewhere in his ear, temptation seemed to whisper.
Finally, he folded his napkin neatly and handed it to her.
Lin Zhiyan blinked.
Then accepted it.
“Thank you.”
Jiang Yi said nothing.
She tucked the napkin into place and gripped her knife and fork, waiting for the food.
After a few seconds, she realized that looked far too inexperienced.
Immediately, she set them down and casually picked up her terminal instead.
Scrolling aimlessly through her feed, she opened Tweibo.
Several notification dots appeared.
Clicking them, she quickly found a private message sent half an hour earlier.
[Crushes Crisps Bare-Handed]:
I’m also from the United Military-Political Academy. Recently someone impersonated a friend and contacted me too. How did you track them down? Please tell me. I’m willing to pay.
Lin Zhiyan nearly dropped her terminal.
Holy crap.
He actually took the bait?!
That easily?!
Shocked, she immediately opened his profile and carefully inspected everything to make sure she wasn’t the one being tricked.
The first thing she saw was several new posts.
[When I find out who you are, you’re dead.]
[So annoying. So annoying. So annoying. I want to kill someone. Good thing I looked in a mirror. Still handsome though. Sigh.]
[Seriously, why does someone keep insulting people online? Wait, turns out it’s me. Okay then. No, wait—that still doesn’t mean they can insult me! What do you mean I lack common sense? The school literally told me to stand there. How was I supposed to know all that stuff?!]
…
Buddy.
Your face and physique did all the work.
What’s there to be proud of?
And the part about being handsome?
That was bait she’d written while pinching her nose shut.
How did he actually believe it?
The thought made her laugh.
She genuinely laughed out loud.
Jiang Yi noticed.
His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
“What are you laughing about?”
Lin Zhiyan immediately put away her terminal.
“Nothing.”
After several seconds of silence, Jiang Yi asked:
“Li Siheng?”
“Huh?”
She froze.
Then nodded vaguely.
“Mm.”
Jiang Yi said:
“Even if you don’t want to accept his kindness…”
“…I don’t think he should let you eat bread every day.”
He spoke casually, as if it were nothing more than an offhand remark.
Lin Zhiyan: “…”
Why does that sound so weird?
The excitement doesn't stop here! If you enjoyed this, you’ll adore Crow's Golden Fragment. Start reading now!
Read : Crow's Golden Fragment
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