Translator: CinderTL
Upon hearing this, Jiang Cheng's expression underwent a subtle transformation. He shifted from initial awkwardness to anxiety about being called out, and finally hardened his resolve, adopting a "what's done is done" attitude.
"You skipped class?" Senior Sister's experience was evident as she immediately saw through Jiang Cheng's facade, and she seemed displeased.
Jiang Cheng lowered his head, remaining silent.
"Why did you skip class?" Senior Sister pressed, her brow furrowed.
"I... I just wanted to see what Senior Sister was doing," Jiang Cheng stammered, carefully placing two cups of milk tea on the table. His movements were cautious, as if afraid any sudden gesture might anger her.
Seeing the milk tea, Senior Sister's eyes widened slightly. "You... you skipped class just to bring this?"
Jiang Cheng glanced up at Senior Sister, but the moment their eyes met, he quickly lowered his head again, his cheeks flushing faintly.
A moment later, he stammered, "Senior Sister, I... I was wrong. I shouldn't have made you relive such a terrifying experience."
"I felt uneasy after leaving. I couldn't focus in class, and I kept thinking about you being alone here on duty. I was worried... worried you might be scared, so... so I..."
"I won't do it again," Jiang Cheng said, his head bowed as he stared at his shoes, his voice barely audible to Senior Sister.
After a moment, Jiang Cheng, calculating he'd waited long enough, finally looked up. His feigned innocence crumbled instantly. "Senior Sister, if you... if you don't like it, then I'll just..."
"You're already here," Senior Sister said, her lips pressed together, her voice and gaze softening, a hint of awkwardness coloring her expression. "Then stay for a while. It's too late to go back now."
"Thank you, Senior Sister."
"But don't make any noise. This is the School Doctor's Office, and I need to work, understand?" Senior Sister adopted a stern tone.
"Mm-hmm," Jiang Cheng nodded, handing her the milk tea. "Senior Sister, here's your milk tea. Drink it while it's hot—it won't taste as good cold."
Senior Sister remained seated, writing in a blue binder.
Jiang Cheng sipped his milk tea as he walked over and stood beside her. He noticed she was writing something resembling a weekly report.
She seemed to be struggling, frequently flipping through another binder to copy sentences and vocabulary.
After watching for a while, Jiang Cheng realized she wasn't writing her own work but ghostwriting for a teacher.
"Senior Sister," Jiang Cheng asked, feigning curiosity, "Do you have to do all this yourself?"
"These are for several professors," she replied, her voice tinged with resentment. "They were away on business and didn't have time to finish them, so they asked me to help catch up." She sighed and added, "The Old Professor had an accident. His health isn't good, so several other professors have taken over his responsibilities."
Mentioning the Old Professor seemed to trigger something in her. She immediately changed the subject, but Jiang Cheng's sharp eyes didn't miss the shift.
He had come here precisely to extract information.
During their earlier conversation, the Senior Sister had casually mentioned the Old Professor, saying he had told her that the warehouse gate couldn't be locked and that as long as she stayed away from the warehouse at night, she would be safe.
Clearly, the Old Professor was an insider.
Jiang Cheng's primary goal on this trip was to uncover the man's identity.
But now... Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the Senior Sister. It wasn't the right time yet.
He then complained in a disgruntled tone, "This is such a thick volume! Senior Sister, you must be exhausted. When will you ever finish writing all this?"
Without waiting for Senior Sister's reply, Jiang Cheng reached out and, with a firm gesture, took the blue notebook she was writing in. "Senior Sister, let me try. You sit down and rest."
Senior Sister assumed he was just showing off and reached out to take it back. "Stop fooling around. You're an engineering student—you can't do this. Give it back."
She wasn't joking. The professors who had come to replace the Old Professor specialized in psychology, making much of the research direction related to that field.
Since psychology wasn't her major, she was struggling to write the report, constantly referencing materials and copying from her previous notes.
If she was finding it difficult, how could Jiang Cheng, an engineering outsider, possibly manage?
Jiang Cheng didn't argue further. After observing for a while, he understood that the report didn't need to be particularly detailed; it was just for show, to pass inspection.
At a glance, it just needed to look presentable.
Jiang Cheng laid the blue notebook flat on the table. Instead of continuing on the half-finished page, he turned to a fresh one.
This way, even if he failed, Senior Sister wouldn't have to rewrite anything. They could simply tear out the page, and there wouldn't be any inconsistencies in the handwriting.
Following the example of the other notebook, Jiang Cheng began to write. Senior Sister, unable to stop him, stood beside him, stretching her wrists as she watched.
But it wasn't long before her expression changed.
Jiang Cheng's handwriting was remarkably elegant. The moment he held the pen, his entire demeanor transformed.
Each stroke was sharp and precise, as if he were crafting a work of art.
What surprised Senior Sister even more was that he wrote the notes without consulting any references. Psychological terms flowed effortlessly from his pen, one after another, closely resembling the model essays provided by their professors.
Senior Sister's mouth fell slightly open as she involuntarily glanced at his face, as if wanting to ask him something. But Jiang Cheng didn't give her the chance, leaving her only with a focused profile.
The moment he picked up the pen, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only him and the task at hand.
And so, Jiang Cheng wrote while Senior Sister watched. Soon, one page was filled.
Jiang Cheng capped the pen with a crisp click, a gesture full of ritualistic flair, like a swordsman sheathing his blade.
"Senior Sister," Jiang Cheng said, handing her the notebook with his usual warm smile. "Take a look. Is this okay?"
"You..." Senior Sister momentarily lost her composure, blurting out, "How are you so good at this?"
Jiang Cheng pressed his lips together, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "My grandparents and parents were all doctors. So, growing up around that, I... I picked up a thing or two."
"A family of doctors?" Senior Sister asked, surprised.
At that moment, Jiang Cheng's arm accidentally knocked a pen off the table. Senior Sister instinctively bent down to pick it up. Her milk tea remained on the table, very close to Jiang Cheng's.
While Senior Sister was bent over, Jiang Cheng swiftly switched the positions of the two milk teas, then waited casually for her to straighten up, acting as if nothing had happened.
Because the two milk teas looked nearly identical, the switch would go unnoticed unless someone examined them closely.
The conversation flowed naturally from there. Senior Sister picked up the milk tea that had originally belonged to Jiang Cheng and began drinking it, assuming it was hers.
But after just one sip, she realized something was wrong. She stared down at the milk tea, her expression turning awkward.
(End of the Chapter)
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