Blood Queen - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Experimental Plan

 

***

 

August 11, Sunday, it was once again Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao’s scheduled day off.

 

Since returning home from work early in the morning two days ago, Jiang Yan’s mood had been a bit strange, like a powder keg that could explode at any moment.

 

This visible change finally made Jiang Yao rein herself in a bit, not even daring to play games much during work hours.

 

However, faced with a rare day off, Jiang Yao fell back into old habits, sticking to her computer until past 3 AM before going to bed, then sleeping in until past noon. The military lifestyle and schedule from before had vanished without a trace at an alarming speed.

 

In a wrinkled nightgown, Jiang Yao floated into the bathroom to wash up without even putting on slippers, still not looking fully awake.

 

“Your internal affairs are getting worse and worse now,” Jiang Yan sighed deeply as she walked to the bathroom door.

 

“We’re just ordinary civilians now, not in the military anymore. Brother, can you not make your life so rigid?” Jiang Yao said dismissively, her mouth full of toothpaste foam.

 

“Rigid? Having a regular, tidy life has no downsides.” Jiang Yan couldn’t help but laugh and cry, pointing to a corner of the bathroom. “Look at that basin, do you see it? Your underwear from the past few days is piled there. You could just wash them after showering. Can’t you even do that?”

 

Jiang Yao glanced over, her face turning slightly red, but she still stubbornly replied, “We get off work so late every day, what can I do? At most, you can remind me more often…”

 

This made Jiang Yan even angrier. She pointed at Jiang Yao’s wrinkled nightgown: “Hmm, it’s because I didn’t remind you. But can’t you feel what you’re wearing? How many days has it been since you washed it? It’s summer! Don’t you have even the most basic self-management?”

 

Perhaps certain emotions had been building up for a long time, and the atmosphere had reached a point where both sides had to clash. Jiang Yao finally impatiently slammed down her toothbrush cup, frowning: “You’re from a proper regular army background, I was just conscripted. How can I compare to you!?”

 

As she spoke, she turned her back and angrily started tying her ponytail: “Don’t always try to force your standards on me, okay… I’ve turned into a female vampire, neither human nor ghost, who am I managing myself for!?”

 

“No matter how much piles up in my basin, I never asked you to wash it for me!”

 

As soon as these harsh words came out, Jiang Yao regretted them. She turned her head away with a red face, not saying anything more.

 

Jiang Yan was stunned, standing still for over 10 seconds before slowly backing out of the bathroom.

 

Lunch was very awkward, with neither of them speaking.

 

Jiang Yan’s culinary skills had improved dramatically over these few months, but the delicious meal on the table didn’t bring about the expected atmosphere.

 

After the meal, perhaps feeling that her attitude earlier had indeed been a bit too harsh, Jiang Yao took on the task of washing dishes for once, while Jiang Yan returned to the living room to maintain her firearms.

 

On the coffee table, the parts of the VSSM suppressed sniper rifle and handgun were neatly arranged by category, each part meticulously wiped clean.

 

Her hands moved swiftly, the parts on the table gradually decreasing as complete weapons took shape under the focused expression of the black-haired girl.

 

Jiang Yao stood in the doorway, staring blankly at Jiang Yan and the weapons on the table, as if they were back in the Black Armor Squad’s armory.

 

“Finished washing? Come sit here, I have something to ask you.”

 

With the final parts in place, she pulled the bolt and squeezed the trigger. The handgun made a crisp sound as Jiang Yan put down the weapon and gestured with her eyes to the seat beside her.

 

Jiang Yao shuffled over slowly and sat down carelessly, picking up the VSSM suppressed sniper rifle from the coffee table to fiddle with.

 

“You and Zhong Jing have been very close lately, even sending him photos.”

 

Jiang Yan bit her lip lightly, finally voicing the frustration she had been holding in for days.

 

“Uh… did you snoop through my chat records?” Jiang Yao’s hands froze on the weapon as she suddenly turned her head, looking shocked.

 

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have done that, but don’t you feel that Zhong Jing is being so blatant?” Jiang Yan’s face reddened slightly, her expression and tone becoming increasingly uncomfortable. “I can’t comment on his character, but I’ve heard some things about his reputation. I’m afraid…”

 

“You mean this?” Jiang Yao took out her phone, tapped a few times, and turned the screen towards Jiang Yan.

 

There were several photos taken at the club, mostly of outfits, especially a JK uniform from one day. In the shots, the pure and beautiful JK uniform perfectly complemented the girl’s charming, soft figure and smooth light golden hair.

 

The timing and angles of the phone captures were excellent. In the photos, the girl was focused on tying her golden ponytail at the back of her head, a hair tie held in her mouth, her expression natural, with a hint of mischief in her serious look.

 

“This was a candid shot by Sister Ping. She sent it to me, saying it was a natural cosplay effect of a certain anime’s female protagonist. Oh right, you haven’t watched that show, have you? I recommend it…”

 

Jiang Yao seemed to really like this photo, even showing a proud expression.

 

“Then why did you send it to Zhong Jing?” Jiang Yan still felt strange about it.

 

“We’re both into anime sites. We were chatting about that show, and he said maybe in the whole world, only I could recreate the female lead’s image. So I casually blinded his titanium alloy dog eyes. Hehe, no need for cosplay, from head to toe, direct original effect!”

 

Saying this, Jiang Yao’s enthusiasm was fully ignited. She simply opened a certain website and pulled up a bunch of cosplay photos imitating the female protagonist of that show: “This is 2D culture. Hey, Brother, no, sister, look at these people. Doesn’t their hair look fake? Don’t I totally outclass them?”

 

Maybe Xiao Yao was really into 2D, and their chats didn’t have any special content, all focused on anime, games, and such. Was I overthinking it?

 

Staring blankly at the girl in front of her, who was earnestly proud, Jiang Yan suddenly felt a bit confused.

 

Perhaps her childhood cleft lip deformity and webbed fingers had given her an obsessive desire for self-perfection that others couldn’t understand…

 

Looking into Jiang Yao’s clear, beautiful big eyes, that radiating happiness seemed to have almost no impurities. Jiang Yan’s emotions gradually calmed.

 

“Zhong Jing, this person, has an unusual relationship with Sister Wan. It’s very deep water, he’s not the same type as us. Be careful yourself.”

 

The topic had reached this point, and although it wasn’t something Jiang Yan could understand all at once, there was nothing more to say.

 

“You say you want to live a normal life, but your normal might be different from mine. Brother, at first, you kept emphasizing being natural, returning to ordinary. I always felt that you were the abnormal one, that you were the unnatural one.”

 

Jiang Yao said softly while pulling at a loose thread on the edge of her jeans.

 

Putting away the handgun on the table, Jiang Yan quietly looked at Jiang Yao, feeling a bit uncomfortable inside, but responded neutrally: “How am I abnormal? How am I unnatural?”

 

Jiang Yao stood up, slowly moving her body towards the bedroom, saying casually: “You force me to call you sister in public. I’ve gotten somewhat used to it, but I slowly feel that you haven’t become my sister. You’re starting to be more like my mom.”

 

A sofa cushion flew over, followed by a plastic fruit bowl, then a half-empty mineral water bottle… The light golden-haired girl tightly closed the bedroom door, listening to the series of knocks on the door, a mischievous smile of success spreading across her face.

 

…

 

…

 

Their real existence in this world had been legally erased with the determination of their martyr status. But after a brief period of melancholy and sadness, Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao felt rather relieved.

 

Volunteering at the W District Orphanage whenever time allowed was a consensus reached by the two women. This was not only an adherence to their past life memories but also an opportunity to frequently see the old director who was like family to them.

 

The online volunteer registration application went smoothly. Today was the first time the two came to volunteer.

 

To prepare for possible physical labor, the two changed into light and comfortable outfits: T-shirts paired with denim shorts and sneakers.

 

As expected, the image of the naturally beautiful sisters in the bloom of youth became a sight to behold on the subway, attracting many gazes.

 

They didn’t know if anyone was secretly taking photos on the subway, but Jiang Yao did encounter a very real groping hand in the crowded carriage.

 

That hand touching her buttocks and thighs directly made Jiang Yao explode. With one turn, she executed a grappling move and an over-the-shoulder throw, instantly causing chaos in the carriage.

 

All around, various phones were aimed at a certain imposing light golden-haired girl.

 

Staging such a scene in such a densely populated area was almost certain to top the local trending topics.

 

Perhaps in 10 or 15 minutes, videos titled “Fairy Suspects Strange Man of Ill Intent, Decides to Strike First” or “The Attack of the Beautiful Girl, One-Hit KO for Subway Pervert” and other such opposing viewpoints would appear.

 

All the way to the W District Orphanage, the expression of disgust and indignation never left Jiang Yao’s face.

 

Registering at the public service reception room, through the window, Jiang Yan immediately saw many young orphans from the orphanage playing in the shade of an old tree by the small playground.

 

That old tree of unknown age was still as sturdy and lush as ever. It had also been Jiang Yan’s favorite place to play as a child, countless times climbing to the fork in the middle to play and sleep under Jiang Yao’s envious gaze.

 

Their volunteer work today was to play with these children indoors, as in the eyes of the orphanage’s public service manager, two delicate girls probably couldn’t handle any heavy physical labor under the scorching sun.

 

Unfortunately, it was the weekend, and they didn’t see the kind old director Grandmother Jiang Chunhua.

 

In the hot summer day, in an air-conditioned activity room, Jiang Yan was surrounded by more than a dozen lively little rascals. Meanwhile, Jiang Yao was in another building, playing with another group of disabled children.

 

I don’t remember being this noisy when I was little. Why do I feel so tired and achy now facing these few-year-old kids?

 

Jiang Yan felt like a mother hen, constantly having to protect these energetic little monsters who seemed capable of conquering heaven and earth in seconds. She couldn’t relax at any moment; with the slightest inattention, a terrible move from one of the little monsters might scare someone half to death.

 

“…Thank the military leaders for supporting our orphanage’s work! Ah, it’s really timely rain. The current hardware conditions are still the old foundation from 50 years ago. It’s indeed difficult to truly separate the nurturing environments for normal children and disabled children…”

 

“I remember several times, the orphanage wanted to find a new location to rebuild, but the reports sent up disappeared without a response…”

 

From the corridor outside came the sound of conversation, followed by a young man and woman entering the children’s activity room, accompanied by a mid-level leader from the orphanage.

 

Jiang Yan was comforting a little girl of only 3 or 4 years old when she looked up and saw a person so familiar she couldn’t be more familiar. She was stunned and instinctively stood up straight while holding the little girl.

 

Today, Meng Huai was in a casual suit, tall and steady, while Han Xiao beside him was in a pretty floral dress, graceful and poised. The two appeared before Jiang Yan like a couple out for a date.

 

“You are…”

 

Meng Huai felt the girl before him looked familiar, but couldn’t quite place her for the moment.

 

“Are you that police officer?” Jiang Yan instantly became clear-headed, her mind racing rapidly, finding what seemed to be the most appropriate incorrect title. After all, on that night of Sister Tan’s demise, the fully armed Black Armor Squad looked more like a police special forces unit.

 

“Ah, I remember now, at that shop in J District.”

 

Meng Huai finally made the connection in his mind, revealing a polite smile while avoiding the little rascals running around.

 

It’s rare to see Captain Meng with such an image. I remember back then, except for being a bit lazy in front of me, an old soldier, in most people’s eyes, Captain Meng was a serious and rigid person to the point of being boring… Seeing him crouch down to pat a child, Jiang Yan couldn’t help but smile.

 

“What, an acquaintance?” Han Xiao stepped forward, looking Jiang Yan up and down, a flash of admiration in her eyes, but quickly returning to a calm and gentle smile. “Meng Huai, you chat first, I’ll go with Director Qiu to look at the other floors.”

 

Without responding, just looking back as Han Xiao left, Meng Huai’s expression became more relaxed.

 

“My surname is Meng, the Meng from Inner Mongolia. Actually, I’m not a police officer… I hope it didn’t affect you last time. I remember you had someone with you then…”

 

“Mm, that was my sister. She’s in the disabled children’s activity room on the other side.”

 

Jiang Yan sat down on a stool holding the little girl, her eyes fixed on the other’s casual suit attire, still feeling a bit unaccustomed.

 

“After the street office launched its anti-drug work, business on that street hasn’t been good. Now my sister and I work at a hotel. We saw news about this place on TV and wanted to come volunteer.”

 

“Mm, this is indeed one of the few pure places.”

 

Looking at the children gathering more and more around him, plus Jiang Yan’s gaze, Meng Huai’s expression became a bit uncomfortable, seemingly not used to chatting with a strange girl in such an environment full of childlike innocence.

 

Of course, more likely, even in other places, Meng Huai didn’t know how to chat with girls.

 

“Is Mr. Meng here to volunteer today too?”

 

Jiang Yan always felt it was a bit incongruous for a Dark Arrow Unit captain to suddenly appear here in civilian clothes.

 

“There are some military-civilian joint public welfare matters. The W District Orphanage is now the city’s model unit for supporting the army, and they’ve encountered some small economic difficulties. The superiors sent me to make contact.”

 

As he interacted more with the children, Meng Huai’s expression and movements gradually relaxed, seeming to return to the casual laziness when he used to chat alone with Xia Yan, explaining the reason for coming to the orphanage with Han Xiao today.

 

“Difficulties? Lack of money? Didn’t the news praise the old director for donating 6 million yuan at once?”

 

Jiang Yan was stunned, feeling something was odd.

 

“Perhaps just renovating the dormitory buildings and paying back staff wages would take away most of it… If the Women’s Federation, Disabled Persons’ Federation, and other superior units then transfer some away under various pretexts, it would be gone… The city’s finance department owing funds to the orphanage has been going on for more than a year or two.”

 

“As long as it’s all used for the right purposes, it’s fine.”

 

Jiang Yan seemed to think more openly about it. Looking down, the little girl in her arms had already fallen asleep in the comfortable embrace, just like a certain disabled little sister from the orphanage she used to hold in junior high.

 

Looking at the pure and elegant girl before him, Meng Huai felt he had never experienced such real tranquility. That subtle fragrance, slightly cool amidst the softness, was comforting.

 

Especially the other’s tone when chatting, it always involuntarily made him think of another person. The rhythm, tone, word choice, and expressions of the two were so similar. The only two differences were appearance and gender.

 

“I’m sorry, it’s about time, I should go.”

 

Seeing a caregiver auntie walk in, Jiang Yan gently placed the little girl in her arms back into the caregiver’s hands and stood up to politely say goodbye.

 

The girl left, and Meng Huai stared at her back, not moving for quite a while.

 

Oh right, I didn’t even ask her name… Meng Huai finally came to his senses.

 

…

 

…

 

Several hours later, in a logistics compound, inside an office building.

 

Meng Huai had reverted to his austere and rigid military image, sitting in a conference room, writing and sketching on several document files.

 

“Meng Huai, do you like to sleep in your military uniform too?” Han Xiao, who hadn’t changed clothes, walked into the conference room as lightly as the wind, her small hand tapping on the table in front of Meng Huai, her tone carrying dissatisfaction.

 

“The casual clothes earlier were for executing a mission. Now we’re formulating follow-up plans, which is also a mission. Different occasions call for different attire. Besides, it’s not like I’m on a date with a woman today, so there’s no problem with me changing back into my military uniform, right?” Meng Huai frowned slightly, raising his head to look at the beautiful woman before him who was so different from usual, his tone somewhat cool.

 

“You!” Han Xiao’s face began to redden. She turned her back, her mood a bit off: “Specially chose a Sunday, but you’re still like this…”

 

Hearing this, Meng Huai put down his pen, crossed his arms, his expression indifferent: “I know, Chief of Staff Zhen has always wanted to match us up… Your grandfather, your father, the entire Han family, still adhering to a tradition of hundreds of years, that the marriages of Han family children must be resolved internally.”

 

“Meng Huai, what do you mean!? The men chasing this young lady in the Dark Arrow Unit could line up from the Northern Monitoring Area all the way to the Southern Monitoring Area. Who do you think you are!?” Han Xiao was furious, her eyebrows standing on end as she turned and slapped the documents in front of Meng Huai.

 

“Mm, I don’t deserve it. I won’t delay Major Han’s lifelong happiness then. Let’s just discuss official business in the future.” Meng Huai lowered his head and picked up the documents again, completely disregarding the other’s current emotions.

 

Staring at his unresponsive attitude, like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, Han Xiao really wanted to find a semi-automatic shotgun and give him a round on the spot.

 

“Look, Meng Huai, although you’re a rich family’s brother, looking down on many people, what about the Han family… isn’t good enough? Besides, if it weren’t for my grandfather and father’s insistence, I wouldn’t bother…” Han Xiao sat down powerlessly, touching her forehead and heated cheeks, unable to release the anger in her heart.

 

Meng Huai paused, meeting Han Xiao’s angry face, his gaze increasingly sharp: “What, the Han family’s leaders have even reviewed my personal file, considering it passed the audit?”

 

“I, you…” Han Xiao sat down weakly, touching her forehead and heated cheeks, the anger in her heart unable to be released.

 

“I just looked at your follow-up plan. My question is, do you really intend to burn down the W District Orphanage once you confirm Xia Yan and Gu Yao are still in C City? If there are errors in the plan, isn’t this cost too high? Will the headquarters leaders agree?” No longer arguing with her, Meng Huai pulled out a document and waved it in front of Han Xiao.

 

Glancing at the file in his hand, Han Xiao immediately put away her emotions, her expression becoming serious: “Starting next week, there will be a series of interviews with disabled abandoned infants from the W District Orphanage broadcast during several prime time slots on the city TV station, spread over several episodes. The content will gradually intensify, and we’ll invite old Jiang Chunhua herself for an interview.”

 

“These contents will only appear on TV and in newspapers. Online platforms will only push notifications locally, and the backend big data ensures that only people who have stayed in C City for more than 7 days can see it!”

 

“As long as we detect another anonymous donation from Hong Kong after the interview, we can be certain that Xia Yan and Gu Yao are in C City!”

 

Han Xiao’s eyes flashed with a light, full of absolute confidence in her carefully designed experiment.

 

Meng Huai listened very attentively, and had to admit that this kind of wild imagination and meticulous, tricky thinking was impressive. His flat tone carried a hint of admiration: “This counts as top-level information control. Once the first step of the experiment succeeds, it can indeed prove that Xia Yan is in C City. Next, you plan to burn down the entire orphanage, injure old Jiang Chunhua, to draw them out… right?”

 

Han Xiao didn’t answer, just blinked her eyes a few times, looking quite pleased with herself.

 

“Heh, tell me, such an underhanded woman, do you, Han Xiao, dare to marry, and do I, Meng Huai, dare to wed?” Han Xiao was once again fuming, quickly standing up with an angry expression. She seemed truly angry this time.

 

At the moment of walking out the door, Han Xiao suddenly turned back, with a look of disdain: “Hmph… Don’t you very much want to personally deal with Xia Yan? Now, you feel that I’m the most poisonous woman’s heart? Oh, is it that pure student girl from today that gives you feelings? Huh, men always like the young ones…”

 

Meng Huai was directly stunned for several seconds, and could only helplessly turn his head away, quickly waving his hand in a “get out” gesture.