Chapter 7: A Conspiracy?

“Why are you following me?”

“I’m afraid you’ll run off and leave me to go to the countryside alone.”

Fang Yinnian rubbed his temple in frustration. After finishing lunch, he had planned to return to the research institute, but as soon as he stepped out the door, this girl started trailing behind him.

Not only was she following him, but she seemed utterly convinced that it was only natural to go to the countryside together—a rebellious and stubborn streak shining through.

Did she even realize how hard life in the countryside would be?

Suddenly, Fang Yinnian felt a surge of annoyance, tangled with a complex mix of emotions he couldn’t quite put into words.

He gave Mu Wanwan a long, deep look, then turned away with a cold expression. “Suit yourself.”

The moment Fang Yinnian moved, Mu Wanwan immediately fell in step, ignoring his cold indifference.

When Fang Yinnian left the compound, she followed. When he took the bus to the outskirts, she did too.

During the stops, she didn’t forget to play around with the weeds by the roadside.

This time, she was smarter—knowing she had to keep her clothes clean during the day to maintain appearances.

But not smart enough. At a bus transfer stop, next to the shelter was a big tree surrounded by wild grass. She squatted in the weeds, praising them here and touching them there.

The other waiting passengers pointed and whispered about her behavior.

Fang Yinnian didn’t want to deal with her, but couldn’t just ignore her completely. When the bus arrived, he grabbed her by the arm with a cold face and pulled her aboard.

Once on the bus, he warned, “No more playing with grass.”

Mu Wanwan blinked, “I’m not playing… I’m trying to restore my powers.”

Her expression drooped in the next moment, feeling aggrieved.

She realized the wild grass and roadside trees had too little energy, utterly insufficient to help her powers recover.

It really was still a matter of not enough plants.

She needed to get to the countryside quickly.

“You!” Fang Yinnian was about to scold her, but then he recalled what his grandmother told him last night—

“Don’t always call Wanwan dirty. I think her pulling those weeds is because she was frustrated after being discouraged by the plantation.”

“She’s just a good girl who should have a stable job, but now because she lost that work at the plantation, she lives in constant fear.”

“If she wants to pull those weeds, just let her. She’ll calm down after a while…”

In the end, Fang Yinnian didn’t provoke her further and tossed a handkerchief her way.

“What’s this?” Mu Wanwan caught it instinctively.

“To wipe your hands.”

Mu Wanwan muttered, “...He’s so annoying.”

But she still wiped her hands, afraid he might really leave her behind.

Her powers were almost gone now, and she was a stranger in this world.

The only person she could rely on was the male protagonist from the book.

An hour later, they finally reached the outskirts near the Fifth Research Institute.

“Get off quickly, we’re closing soon,” the driver shouted as he stopped.

Fang Yinnian instinctively took Mu Wanwan’s hand to help her off.

Once off the bus, Fang Yinnian felt something was wrong.

Just as he was about to let go, a familiar yet strange fragrance drifted close, and Mu Wanwan suddenly hugged him tightly. “You—”

“Don’t speak. Quick, hide.” She suddenly whispered, nervously pulling Fang Yinnian to hide.

But beside the Fifth Research Institute bus stop, there was only a signpost and a patch of tall grass to hide in.

With no choice, Mu Wanwan dragged Fang Yinnian into the grass.

“What are you doing?”

“Shh, don’t speak. Look, someone’s coming out,” she said, gently parting the grass and pointing across the street.

From the opposite side—the entrance of the Fifth Research Institute—two people walked out.

One of them was Fang Wenbin, whom they had seen just last night.

Fang Yinnian instinctively looked towards the sound, but unlike Mu Wanwan’s focus, his eyes immediately spotted the person beside Fang Wenbin—the institute’s deputy director.

“Deputy Director, you don’t need to see me off. I can take the bus back myself,” Fang Wenbin said wearily at the institute’s gate.

“It’s only a few steps. I have something to discuss with you anyway.”

Fang Wenbin glanced at the guard standing by the door, his eyes flickering. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

The two crossed the street and reached the bus stop.

Fang Yinnian, afraid of being seen, quickly pulled Mu Wanwan’s hand back from the grass.

At this moment, Fang Wenbin faced away from them, unaware of their presence.

“Deputy Director, is there anything else you want to instruct?”

Deputy Director Chen Jianzhong had the scholarly look of a researcher and wore rimless glasses.

He didn’t answer immediately but looked toward the institute. “Tomorrow, I’ll have someone escort Fang Yinnian to the countryside directly.”

Fang Wenbin turned sharply. “That soon?”

“Soon? Weren’t you the one in a rush?”

Since Fang Wenbin’s release, he had rushed straight to the institute and immediately requested to see him.

Chen Jianzhong knew the troubles of the Fang family well, but urgency was never his.

Fang Wenbin twitched his mouth, forcing himself to look away and then stared straight ahead with Chen Jianzhong. “Yes, I’m in a hurry. So, after he goes to the countryside, the plantation will belong to Mu Wanwan’s work…”

Chen Jianzhong’s eyes flashed with derision as he pushed up his glasses. “You’re young and stubborn. The plantation is in the outskirts. If you want to truly have that Wanwan of the Mu family, you’d better find her a decent job in the city.”

“But I—”

“I’ll figure something out. You go tell her you’ve found her a teaching job at the Fifth Primary School in the East City District. She’ll come running into your arms.”

Fang Wenbin’s eyes shone with excitement. “Thank you, Deputy Director! No, soon I should be calling you Director Chen. Wenbin wishes you fulfillment.”

“Hahaha, good good. The bus is here, go back quickly. Remember what I said—the little girl needs to be coaxed…”

The bus pulled up and the doors opened. Fang Wenbin boarded and left.

After the bus left, Chen Jianzhong departed from the bus stop.

The grass patch remained silent. Hidden inside, Mu Wanwan and Fang Yinnian stared at each other, neither moving.

When Chen Jianzhong left, Mu Wanwan wanted to get up but was held back by Fang Yinnian.

Now that Chen Jianzhong was inside the institute, Fang Yinnian still held her.

Mu Wanwan’s legs were numb. Since losing her powers after crossing over, her body had weakened.

Before, she was weak compared to combat-type superhumans, but she could still kill an ordinary person with a punch.

Now… just squatting in the grass for a moment made her legs go numb.

Mu Wanwan felt helpless and tried moving her foot slightly, then glanced quietly at Fang Yinnian.

Finally, she looked at him still holding her hand and asked, “How much longer do we have to stay like this?”

“Fang Yinnian, my legs are numb.”

“Oh, my hand’s a bit numb too.”

Fang Yinnian: “...”

He looked down at the hand he was gripping and suddenly let go.

Mu Wanwan lost her balance and fell to the ground with a soft “Ah!”

Silence.

“I—I didn’t mean to…”

“You totally did!” Mu Wanwan jumped up, pointing at Fang Yinnian and scolding, “I just wanted you to take me to the countryside with you, and you refused. Then you actually hit me!”

“Fang Yinnian, we’re sworn enemies now, severed forever—strangers from now on!”

Fang Yinnian: “...”

The familiar headache struck again, mixed with a hint of amusement.

Especially watching this little girl put on a performance like a stage play, he couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Suppressing his laughter, Fang Yinnian asked, “...Where did you learn that?”

Of course, it was from secretly reading comic books before bed last night.

And, to be honest, the comics from this era were quite entertaining.