A Bundle of Bare Stalks

The living quarters of the research institute were just as difficult to enter as the working quarters, equipped with a dedicated reception area. Xin Yaoqiao was in a bit of an awkward spot. Although visitor clearance had been filed well in advance, someone still failed to receive a pass when it came time to register. Among them, Wu Xu being denied came as no surprise. What was unexpected was that Shen Yixiu, inside her iron armor, was actually turned away as well. The guards' stated reason was that her identity could not be directly verified, posing a risk of impersonation. When it came to security, Azure's research institutes rarely changed locations for decades due to their intricate equipment and the difficulty of laboratory construction. Honestly speaking, they were hardly a secret; both the Cleansing Faction and the Self-Preservation Faction knew plenty about them. So the institute simply sat out in the open, deploying super-tier defensive forces to wait in plain sight. Over the decades, layer upon layer of bleached bones had built up an invisible ban. As a result, these two places—which anyone would assume were the most vulnerable to assault and undeniably worth targeting—had gradually ceased to be attacked almost entirely. "It's fine, don't worry about it," Han Qingyu said, taking the initiative to step forward while Xin Yaoqiao was still negotiating with the staff. "This is the caution a research institute ought to have. It takes strictness like this for Azure to put people at ease." Hearing him, Xin Yaoqiao whipped her head around, her ponytail nearly brushing against him. She looked at him as though seeing a stranger. *And who said Han Qingyu doesn't understand these things?* she thought. *Mom? Step forward right now! Hmph!* In truth, Han Qingyu had merely spoken an honest thought. Aside from being a "dead-iron straight guy" around women, as Wen Jifei and the others called him, he actually handled most other matters quite well. "We're just dropping off the things. You guys go ahead. The three of them can help you carry everything up, and we'll wait down here," Han Qingyu added. "Mm, okay." Feeling touched by his consideration and understanding, Xin Yaoqiao grew a little anxious to get the gifts stowed away quickly. She turned around and scooped up the bundle of sugarcane herself. After all, she was a Grade A veteran; carrying this little bit of weight took no effort at all. *Tap, tap, tap.* Her footsteps quickened as she climbed the stairs. Xin Yaoqiao called out the floor number and took the lead, deliberately putting a little distance between them. She wanted to slip into the apartment first and hide the sugarcane; having Wen Jifei and the others see it would be too embarrassing. She unlocked the door with her key and pushed it open... right as Mother Xin walked in from the balcony. The guard post and registration office were outside her line of sight, so her mother had no idea her daughter would bring the things straight home first. Catching each other off guard, mother and daughter were both caught in a sudden wave of surprise, embarrassment, and fluster. "Mom, you... don't you have work?" Xin Yaoqiao asked with a slight stammer, holding the bundle of sugarcane straight up beside her, hoisted off the floor. Mother Xin thought quickly. "Ah, I wasn't feeling well, so I took some leave and came home. *Cough, cough.*" "Mom, that cough sounds so fake," her daughter grumbled, her eyes full of petty reproach. "So what if it's fake?" Caught in the act, the mother spoke up with righteous boldness. "I'm your mother—can't I show a little care and curiosity?!" With that, Mother Xin's gaze fell upon the tall bundle of sugarcane. Unconsciously stepping back two paces, she widened her field of view to frame both her daughter and the sugarcane together in the same picture. "*Pfft*... hahaha!" Though she had already seen it from afar earlier, seeing it up close proved impossible to hold back. "You're going to kill your mother from laughter," Mother Xin said, clutching her stomach. "Ouch, my stomach hurts... Qiaoqiao, that Qingyu of yours really does manage the unexpected every single time... Mom isn't the least bit surprised now that he smashed a beetle against you." "What's wrong with it?" Xin Yaoqiao muttered weakly, seeing her mother laughing like this. Mother Xin struggled to compose herself, smiling as she said, "Nothing's wrong, really. It's just that your mother hasn't seen much of the world. In all my life, I've never seen anyone give a girl a bundle of sugarcane when meeting her." "And what's so strange about that?" Xin Yaoqiao retorted stubbornly. "What's wrong with it? Isn't sugarcane fruit too? And it's so sweet, and it grows joint by joint, rising higher with every step—don't you know what a fitting gift that is?" "Oh? Really? Thinking about it, it really is fitting." Fearing her daughter might get too embarrassed, Mother Xin forced a serious expression and added a nod of agreement, showing she genuinely concurred. After two seconds, Xin Yaoqiao finished scrutinizing her. "Mm." Mother Xin suddenly burst out again: "Hahaha..." "What is it now?!" Xin Yaoqiao was genuinely getting anxious. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mom really couldn't hold it in." Composing herself with difficulty, her mother stared at the bundle of sugarcane in her daughter's hand and managed to wheeze out between laughs, "Qiaoqiao, do you know what just crossed my mind?" "What?" "A bundle of bare stalks—bare bachelors! Hahaha!" "..." "It really is the perfect gift for him to give, hahaha! Truly a guy destined to stay a bachelor for life." Her mother burst into uproarious laughter once more. Xin Yaoqiao refused to pay her any more attention. Keeping her head down, she quietly hauled the sugarcane out to the balcony. Yet the moment she rounded the doorframe, she finally couldn't help snickering to herself. She had actually been holding it in for a good while. *Gosh, Comrade Han Qingyu really is... strong, handsome, cool, and hilarious.* "That's right, leaving it on the balcony is good! That way, whatever you can't finish eating, you can plant first, Qiaoqiao!" her mother was still calling from the living room. *Infuriating, absolutely infuriating.* Still, the idea didn't sound half bad. As Xin Yaoqiao pondered it, her heart suddenly gave a jolt. *Did I forget something?* *Oh no, the guests!* Realizing her blunder, Xin Yaoqiao hurried back. Crossing through the living room, she quickly told her mother that his teammates were coming up, then rushed straight to the front door. Wen Jifei and the other two had been waiting politely and cautiously down a flight of stairs. They had only caught the sound of laughter and a few shouted words, and because they had nearly overheard the specifics, they had deliberately avoided listening closely and chosen not to head up. "Sorry about that, I... Please, come on up." Just as Xin Yaoqiao invited them in, Mother Xin came out as well. "Is this... Yaoyao-huanghuang, your older sister?" He Tangtang asked with blunt sincerity. Xin Yaoqiao shook her head, feeling rather pleased. "It's my mom." "Oh, hello, Auntie!" "Hello, Auntie!" "Auntie looks so young!" "..." The three offered greetings one after another, subtly explaining why Han Qingyu hadn't come up as well: "From what Qiaoqiao said, we thought you wouldn't be home, Auntie. It's so wonderful to meet you." *To think that guy has people around him who are so worldly-wise and socially adept without being grating,* Mother Xin thought. Given her age and status, she naturally took no offense. On the contrary, it made her view Han Qingyu in a higher light, piquing her curiosity even more. Smiling warmly, she said: "Thank you, hello to you all! Look at how you boys flatter me; you'll put Auntie in a good mood for days... Come, come inside and have a seat. I'll brew some tea for you." With that, she ushered them in. "Auntie, we won't stay to sit," the boys said as they walked through the door and set down the gifts in their hands. "Why did you bring gifts? Oh my, so many," Mother Xin remarked. "Just some local specialties from the countryside and the coast," Wen Jifei said. "Nothing valuable, just a small token of Qingzi's regard... He isn't much of a talker and didn't know what would be best to give, so he just bought them without thinking it through. Auntie, look at this... making you go through the trouble of tidying it all up." In truth, a family like this would certainly have household help, but Wen Jifei framed it politely nonetheless. "Not at all, not at all. Auntie loves these things." Mother Xin responded cordially, her mind growing increasingly curious about what kind of person this Han Qingyu truly was. She had actually inquired and gathered quite a lot of information. A recruit's performance that made him almost certain to become a super combat force, the caliber of people gathered around him, the deeds she had heard about him performing—from the battle in the canyon to the responsibility and backbone he had shown in Wu Xu's matter... All of it seemed to tell Mother Xin that beneath the surface of this fellow who seemed destined to be a bachelor—who would smash a beetle onto a girl and present a girl with a bundle of sugarcane—there had to be something extraordinary about him. *Well, no need to rush. I'll take my time and see.*