Chapter 2: Identification?

Creak—

The door opened, and with the thudding sound of leather shoes on the floor, Zhao Xuan stepped into the living room.

At this hour, Ding Moqun and Dao Yan were still not home from work. The house was occupied only by Aunt Liu, who handled the cleaning, and Madam Li, who was responsible for cooking.

“Son-in-law, you’ve taken quite a long break today. Are you feeling unwell?” Aunt Liu, busy with the chores, paused and smiled warmly at Zhao Xuan as she asked.

Zhao Xuan shook his head expressionlessly and walked straight toward the door.

Aunt Liu was accustomed to this by now. Since the day he married into the family, her son-in-law had always been so stern, even taciturn.

“Son-in-law, the car is ready. After you pick up the young lady, don’t forget to stop by the flower shop to collect the flowers you ordered yesterday. For the eldest miss, you should coax her a bit; it will surely help,” Aunt Liu added.

In Zhao Xuan’s memories, Aunt Liu cared a great deal for him.

Seeing that Zhao Xuan and Dao Yan had been married for two months without sharing a room, Aunt Liu was anxious and often gave him advice.

This time, by some twist of fate, she had helped Zhao Xuan order flowers — and the flower shop just happened to be run by Hu Niu.

Hearing this, Zhao Xuan kept his expression unchanged and kept walking forward, as he usually did.

But today, a storm of turmoil arose within his heart.

(Dialysis mode activated. Default psychological activity analysis.)

(Aunt Liu: Son-in-law, whether you pass this final test depends on today. That flower shop is likely already under surveillance by the agents from Unit 76.)

Stepping out the door and into the black sedan, Zhao Xuan exhaled deeply.

“What the hell! Psychological dialysis? How is this different from eavesdropping on someone’s inner voice?”

“And the flower shop exposed? How could that be!?”

“Wait, Hu Niu is my handler; she knows my true identity. No, Hu Niu absolutely cannot be captured!”

The car started and drove onto Jisfeir Road as Zhao Xuan planned his next move while driving.

Originally, he was supposed to go to the flower shop first, then pick up his sister-in-law.

But now, that plan was no longer viable. Zhao Xuan decided it would be safer to pick up his sister-in-law first, then go to the flower shop.

When Ding Moqun defected, his entire family was punished by the Military Intelligence Bureau. Only Ding Moqun escaped.

In this world, Ding Moqun’s only relatives were the sisters Dao Yan and Dao Ya.

Though he wasn’t sure where these two sisters ranked in Ding Moqun’s heart, it was better to bring a hostage along than to rush in alone.

With his decision made, Zhao Xuan headed the car toward Shenjiang University.

—

On the road, Zhao Xuan noticed he was being followed, which even prevented him from calling Hu Niu to warn her…

Damn Ding Moqun! What kind of test is this? He’s driving me into a dead end!

About half an hour later, Zhao Xuan pulled over to the roadside. He saw Dao Ya approaching with two classmates.

“Xiao Ai, Yi Ya, I’m leaving now. See you tomorrow~”

Short-haired, dressed in a blue school uniform with a black over-the-knee skirt, her cheeks still plump with youth, Dao Ya waved at her two friends before walking to the car, opening the door, and getting in without hesitation.

Zhao Xuan said nothing. Glancing in the rearview mirror at Dao Ya, who had closed the door, he started the car and drove toward the farther reaches of the street.

Shenjiang University and Hu Niu’s flower shop were both on Ximo Road—perhaps Hu Niu had deliberately chosen this location to facilitate meetings with Zhao Xuan.

As he drove, Zhao Xuan recalled his past interactions with Hu Niu.

Hu Niu seemed to like Zhao Xuan but always coddled him as if he were a child.

For instance, after the devastating blow suffered at the Magic Capital Station, when Zhao Xuan was filled with guilt and self-blame, Hu Niu had tried to comfort him during their last meeting.

Clearly, the effect was less than ideal; it only intensified Zhao Xuan’s guilt.

The car was silent as Zhao Xuan drove—this had been the way he and his sister-in-law interacted for two months.

Neither spoke a word.

However, with Edith’s dialysis mode active, Zhao Xuan realized his sister-in-law’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts!

(Hmm, he’s not heading home—what is he planning?)

(Hmph, no wonder my sister dislikes him. He’s cowardly and straightforward. The marriage was arranged by our parents, both of whom are dead now, yet this guy still comes looking for my sister. What a pretty boy, always wanting to live off others. If it were me, I wouldn’t like him either.)

(Sigh, where exactly is this guy going?)

(Hey? Could he be keeping a mistress? He certainly looks like a refined scoundrel. Hmph, and he dares to bring me along. Just wait and see.)

…

Listening to Dao Ya’s inner thoughts, Zhao Xuan was speechless.

This little girl appeared quiet and gentle but was actually quite the secret firecracker.

He had originally planned to guide Dao Ya to accompany him to the flower shop, but it seemed she didn’t need any coaxing; she was already set on coming along.

Soon, they reached the vicinity of the flower shop. Zhao Xuan deliberately parked about ten meters away.

“Xiao Ya, wait here a moment. Aunt Liu ordered flowers for your sister. I’m going to pick them up.”

(Aunt Liu ordered flowers for you? You ordered them yourself, didn’t you? Hah, looks like you still haven’t given up on my sister.)

(Wait, could his lover be the flower shop owner?)

Just as Zhao Xuan was about to get out of the car, he heard Dao Ya’s thoughts. His mouth twitched slightly, but he remained composed and left.

“You’re quite the talker, little girl. Sooner or later, you’ll poison yourself into silence… Wait, I think I’m hearing your true thoughts. Even if you were silenced, I’d still hear you!”

Bang!

Hearing the sound of doors opening and closing, Zhao Xuan’s mouth curled into a faint smile—they really had followed him.

Calming his mind, Zhao Xuan stepped forward, but his eyes had already scanned the surroundings several times from the corners of his vision.

With his reconnaissance skills, finding no sign of anything unusual only heightened his anxiety.

Though he dared not look around too broadly, this indicated Unit 76 had sent a professional this time.

Hu Niu compromised, and now the enemy was aware while he was in the dark—rescuing Hu Niu would be a near-impossible feat.

With this thought, Zhao Xuan entered the flower shop, followed quietly by Dao Ya, who moved stealthily as if afraid of attracting attention.

Hu Niu, having just finished assisting a customer, gave a polite smile upon seeing Zhao Xuan and stepped forward to inquire,

“Sir, how may I assist you?”

(This was Zhao Xuan’s first meeting with Hu Niu.)

Hu Niu was her code name; her real name was Li Mingzhu, an outstanding graduate of the Military Intelligence Bureau Special Training Class Six and a classmate of Zhao Xuan’s.

It must be said, the flower shop owner’s appearance suited her profession perfectly.

Large eyes, delicately arched eyebrows, flawless fair skin, refined features framed by an oval face—few actresses in a past life could match such elegance. The qipao she wore made Hu Niu appear dignified and graceful.

Zhao Xuan smiled and said,

“Hello, I ordered flowers earlier and have come to pick them up.”

“Your surname, please?”

“Zhao.”

“Very well, Mr. Zhao, please follow me to confirm your order.”

Hu Niu smiled warmly and led Zhao Xuan to the counter. After checking the registration form, she exclaimed in surprise and then apologized profusely:

“Sir, I’m terribly sorry. The flowers you ordered are temporarily out of stock. The twelve white and thirty-six red roses are no longer available. We could substitute with eight white and twenty-four red roses; these were prepared earlier. However, the ones you actually need have just arrived. I can rearrange them for you, but you would need to wait a moment.”