ushernet Chapter 28: First Time
Chapter 28: First Time
Chapter 28: First Time
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, Jiang He woke up early again, opened the door, and began practicing her sword techniques. This was something she had promised Xu Qing—to keep the door open so he could watch if he wanted.
Though Xu Qing hadn't gotten up yet, that wasn’t her concern.
In this unfamiliar era, the only thing she could truly rely on was her martial skills.
“Good morning.”
By the time Xu Qing got up and finished washing up, Jiang He was already neat and tidy. Her forehead was still slightly damp from washing her face, and she was pouring cat food into Winter Melon’s bowl.
Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
If she were stopped by street patrols now, as long as she didn’t suddenly lose her wits, she could probably avoid being suspected. After all, being a woman came with certain privileges, and her appearance added extra points. It was far better than if someone like the burly, bearded gang leader had come here instead.
Xu Qing figured if the gang leader had been the one to cross over—standing over eight feet tall, covered in muscles, and wielding a massive blade while hiding in the stairwell—Aunt Cheng or whoever saw him first would’ve called the police on the spot.
The mental image was just too much.
After brushing his teeth and rinsing with a loud gargling sound, Xu Qing wiped his face with a towel and casually asked, “What does your gang leader look like?”
“Taller than you.”
“Does he have a big beard?”
“Yes... why don’t you have a beard?”
“Because I’m a scholar, not a rough brigand.” Xu Qing shrugged, confirming that his imagination had been accurate. Grabbing his keys and phone, he turned to leave for breakfast.
“Scholars can have beards too. Could it be...”
“There’s no ‘could it be.’ I’m a normal man. I even have a razor specifically for shaving.”
“Oh.”
“What about your phone?” Xu Qing asked.
Jiang He pulled out the phone from her clothes. “Here.”
After a pause, she looked down and said, “It seems to be broken...”
“No, it’s just out of battery. Phones need to be charged.”
Xu Qing went back to his room, grabbed a power bank, and led Jiang He out the door. While charging the phone, he helped her turn it on.
“Hey, it’s already done. Why are you fussing? I also heard he’s got a girlfriend now, living with him.”
“That guy’s got the looks and the height. Getting a girlfriend is no big deal...”
Qin Hao chomped on his pancake but stopped chewing when he noticed his father’s sharp gaze.
“You admit he’s good-looking, huh? Good-looking people know to work hard for a girlfriend. What about you?”
“I... I’m not in a hurry. I just started working. What’s the rush?”
Qin Hao struggled to swallow the pancake, then sipped some porridge. “Besides, I’m always on call. I could get a work call at any moment. Finding someone too early would be pointless. If I’m going to find someone, it has to be for marriage. Otherwise, it’ll just end in a breakup. Look at Xu Qing’s last one...”
“He’s already had two!” Qin Maocai snapped. “You know it’s hard for you to find someone, so why aren’t you trying harder? Every day, you just ride that beat-up scooter around. What’s the point of that?”
“To catch thieves.”
“Have you caught any?”
“...No.”
After a moment of silence, Qin Hao perked up. “But I got a report the other day about something shady going on. I checked it out—it’s almost a sure thing. I’ll be raiding an illegal operation soon...”
“Why bother with that?” Qin Maocai glared at him.
“It’s illegal!”
“Does it affect you?”
“It’s against the law.”
“They’re just making a hard living. Why do you need to interfere? Got nothing better to do?”
“It’s illegal... Wait, Dad, are you—” Qin Hao suddenly paused, a horrifying thought crossing his mind.
“Don’t overthink it, you idiot!” Maocai barked, smacking down his newspaper and storming off.
“Wait, Dad, seriously. Don’t get involved in any of that stuff. What if one day, during a raid, you get caught? How am I supposed to face my colleagues?!”
“You little brat!”
“Wait, I’m serious! Think about it—do I uphold justice or protect you? Either way, I lose! Don’t put me in that spot, Dad! Ow, stop hitting me—I’m eating!”
Grabbing his pancake for protection, Qin Hao shouted, “Fine, fine! I’ll find a policewoman girlfriend and bring her home for you to see, okay?”
“You? A policewoman? Keep dreaming!”