Chapter 28: The Witch’s Call

A jarring ringtone pierced the air.

“Don’t bother with it,” Xie Xu said, pressing down on Guan Qing’s hand.

Guan Qing’s heart fluttered, and a rush of blood surged to his head. For a moment, he almost wished he could just ignore everything.

He reached out for his phone, but Xie Xu blocked him.

Xie Xu took the phone, his gaze turning instantly cold. He scoffed, then tossed the phone aside. “The witch is calling.”

The phone spun in an arc through the air before plummeting into the trash can.

Guan Qing was speechless.

“What if it’s something important?” Guan Qing managed to clear his head slightly. Ye Zi wouldn’t call out of the blue. He threw on his clothes and got out of bed, but his second step faltered.

He looked down to see Xie Xu still holding him, his arms wrapped around Guan Qing’s waist, preventing him from moving. Xie Xu even stated, with righteous indignation:

“You said yourself you wouldn’t see him or have anything to do with him anymore.”

“…I said I wouldn’t see him *alone*,” Guan Qing clarified, exasperated. “It might be something related to the thesis. What if it’s truly important?”

Xie Xu released his grip.

Before Guan Qing could even offer a word of praise, Xie Xu pulled out a remote control. From the corner, the robotic vacuum cleaner emerged, waving its tiny shovel.

It lifted the trash bag containing the phone and began to walk out.

“Xie Xu!”

Guan Qing instantly felt the same exasperation as owners of mischievous huskies—both angry and helpless, constantly wishing they could sell their troublesome companion on the local classifieds.

The little robot scurried away, quickly disappearing around the corner. Guan Qing glared at Xie Xu. “Xie Xu, be reasonable. Stop it!”

“Don’t be so fierce,” Xie Xu said, swinging his crossed leg, a devil-may-care attitude radiating from him. He seemed to be asking, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ “Who’s more important, Ye Zi or your husband?”

“That’s not the same thing at all!” Guan Qing was so annoyed he laughed instead.

“How is it not the same thing? Another single Alpha is harassing my boyfriend. Am I not allowed to do anything about it?” Xie Xu declared with an air of righteous indignation.

“He’s not harassing me,” Guan Qing didn’t even know what to say. “I’ll put it on speaker. Wouldn’t that be okay? What if it’s really urgent?”

Xie Xu still smiled nonchalantly, just as he had countless times before, pointing to his own cheek.

‘…’ A profound sense of helplessness washed over Guan Qing. “Can’t you be a little more mature, Xie Xu?”

Professor Wang had previously told him that he was very busy, and if there were any issues with the thesis, he would have Ye Zi relay the message. The competition deadline was approaching, and winning this award would make his future path much smoother.

These were things Xie Xu couldn’t understand or care about. He only cared if Guan Qing was flirting with Ye Zi, constantly engaging in ambiguous exchanges.

Xie Xu always had this flaw.

When everyone else was serious and focused, he would insist on joking and messing around. To put it nicely, he was humorous and witty; to put it less nicely, he lacked situational awareness and was inappropriate.

“Alright,” Xie Xu said, realizing Guan Qing was genuinely upset. He awkwardly rubbed his nose, then whispered, “Just kidding, baby. Don’t be angry.”

He pressed the remote control, and the robot scurried back, its pincers clutching a phone. The device was noticeably cleaner than before. Guan Qing looked at Xie Xu, who explained, “New feature.”

‘What kind of strange feature is that?’

Guan Qing didn’t have time to ponder it. He grabbed the phone and redialed, and the call was quickly answered. He handed the phone to Xie Xu, raising his chin.

Xie Xu put it on speaker, said a ‘hello,’ and then tossed the phone back to Guan Qing.

Ye Zi paused, then said with a laugh, “Hello, Xie Xu is there too?”

“Yes,” Guan Qing replied. “Ye Zi, what’s wrong?”

“There’s not much time, so I’ll be direct. There’s a major problem with your thesis. You’d best come over now.”

Guan Qing panicked for a moment but quickly regained his composure. He began buttoning his shirt and searching for his belongings. “Okay, I’m on my way.”

Xie Xu picked up his car keys. “I’ll drive—”

“Xie Xu,” Ye Zi unexpectedly interrupted from the other end. “Are you sure you don’t want to go home and check?”

Xie Xu scoffed. “I’m already home. Where else would I go?”

“Is that so? Your mother just recently—”

“Shut up.” Xie Xu’s expression darkened.

“Before tonight,” Ye Zi said with a smile.

Guan Qing found the USB drive he had left in the room. He was now walking out, wrapping a scarf around his neck, utterly confused. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Xie Xu said, hanging up the phone, his lips tightly pressed together. “Let’s go.”

****

Xie Xu dropped Guan Qing off at S University and then left. Guan Qing hurried upstairs and found Ye Zi in the office.

Ye Zi, wearing glasses, was intently scrutinizing something with his head bowed.

“Professor Wang was just at the hospital and is on his way now. Guan Qing, take a look at this thesis.” Ye Zi handed him a well-known industry magazine.

This magazine held significant prestige, with every published paper having a considerable international impact and often generating substantial discussion.

Guan Qing read from the first line downwards, his palms growing colder and colder. In the end, he closed his eyes, feeling utterly dizzy.

“Guan Qing asked, his face pale and his voice strained.

“Bad luck… or someone is targeting you.” Ye Zi shook his head. “That’s not important. What’s important is what we do now.”

Guan Qing was completely flustered.

“It’s too late to rewrite or start a new topic; there isn’t enough time.” Ye Zi carefully examined the article, then extended a hand to Guan Qing. “The USB drive.”

Guan Qing handed the recently retrieved USB drive to Ye Zi. Ye Zi looked at the magazine, then at the initial draft Guan Qing had sent him previously.

—Over ninety percent of the core content, even the experimental approach and collected materials, bore subtle similarities.

Ye Zi tapped his index finger on the desk.

Guan Qing forced himself to calm down.

He struggled to find a thread of clarity amidst the chaos, managing a strained smile. “Then… I’ll withdraw from the competition.”

“No!”

A middle-aged man pushed open the door and entered. He wasn’t old, yet his hair was streaked with white, and his hawk-like eyes were incredibly sharp. More than a professor, he seemed like a shrewd businessman.

“Professor Wang.” Guan Qing and Xie Xu both stood up to greet him.

This was a top figure in domestic psychology, renowned internationally. Guan Qing’s ability to secure a spot in the competition was largely due to his recommendation.

“This recommendation slot wasn’t originally yours; I went against all objections to recommend you. If you withdraw before the competition, not to mention how outsiders will view you and me, it might be very difficult for you to apply for postgraduate studies at S University again.” Professor Wang’s expression was grim. He continued, “Moreover, the committee suddenly announced an earlier deadline recently, and yesterday… I already submitted your thesis.”

Guan Qing’s vision went black.

“Then now,” he opened his mouth to speak, “is there any evidence to prove that I started my research earlier than that paper—yes, I have it on my USB drive…”

“More than that.” Ye Zi’s expression was grave as he turned his laptop around to show them. “I just tried to open your research materials folder, and this is what happened.”

In the center of the computer screen, a small fox sat, wagging its tail rhythmically, like some kind of virus. All the files on the USB drive had vanished.

“Was your USB drive ever taken by anyone?” Ye Zi asked.

Guan Qing was trembling all over. He thought for a moment. “No.”

“That’s strange, then.”

“Alright,” Professor Wang stood up. “I’ll go find someone to think of a solution. You two think as well.”

Professor Wang was always decisive and quick to act. He had just returned from a hospital check-up and was about to leave after sitting for less than five minutes.

Guan Qing felt incredibly guilty. “Professor, I’m sorry.”

He waved his hand, while Ye Zi patted Guan Qing’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault.”

“I—” After Professor Wang left, Guan Qing collapsed onto the sofa, covering his face in despair.

He had thought everything was finally getting better.

“The timing of this virus is too coincidental.”

It was as if someone was trying to prevent Guan Qing from winning the award, trying to destroy the evidence.

“I’m just an ordinary person, a nobody. Who would I threaten by winning an award?” After the initial panic, Guan Qing gradually felt a surge of anger.

People often lose their reason when angry.

Ye Zi made a gesture, interrupting him. “The most urgent matter is how to deal with this situation.”

He walked over and sat beside Guan Qing, intending to put an arm around him to comfort him, but Guan Qing subtly shifted away. Ye Zi didn’t seem to mind much. “Actually, a teacher who once mentored me is one of the judges for this competition.”

‘…’ Guan Qing realized something. He looked up. “Ye Zi?”

Ye Zi smiled. “I wrote a thesis before, but it wasn’t published.”

His eyes were gentle and sincere, just as they had been countless times before, patiently and warmly guiding him. Ye Zi never directly told him what to do but instead paved the path beneath his feet, letting him walk it step by step. Ye Zi was extremely familiar with this approach—after all, he had studied psychology for so many years. He knew how to make people drop their guard and how to guide them to think.

Guan Qing’s brows furrowed deeply.

“Take your time to think.” Ye Zi moved aside, opening his phone to check it.

Guan Qing’s mind was a chaotic mix of shock and confusion. He opened his phone, intending to call Xie Xu, but accidentally tapped on Weibo.

A trending notification immediately caught his eye:

“Scott Electronics Co., Ltd. faces financial crisis, stock prices plummet.”

Scott Electronics Co., Ltd. …

‘Isn’t that the company Xie Qing started after going abroad?’

Guan Qing tried to call Xie Xu, but couldn’t get through.

A very, very ominous premonition settled in his heart. He could only try his best to reassure himself that he was overthinking things.

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