A Soft Persimmon

Heaven as his witness, he really hadn't stirred up any trouble when he went out this time. On top of that, he'd spent the entire day getting beaten half to death in the training hall by an old wellness fanatic, and he'd drunk so much that night his head was still pounding. It couldn't be that while drunk, he'd dragged Wen Wen along to butcher that dog Yu Hanguang, could it? That really would be... cough, terrible! "It's not you. It's the workshop." Ye Chun sighed and picked up another pair of chopsticks. "Eat, eat. Good thing I slipped away quickly, or who knows if I'd still have the stomach for food later... Wait, what are you looking at?!" Mid-sentence, she went on high alert and glared at Ji Jue's phone. On the screen, the Tianmen University library access app still displayed Ji Jue's browsing history. To her shock, they weren't alchemical papers at all, but medical school textbooks. Anatomy, surgery... and at the very bottom, even bionics. Furious realization dawned on her. "Aargh! You're grinding again, Ji Jue!" Whatever happened to slacking off together?! She'd thought this bastard would finally take a breather after adding alchemy to his schedule. Here she was playing games, watching variety shows, and eating chips with him, and behind her back, he was secretly cramming just to stress her out?! Was he even human?! "Just curious, purely curious!" Ji Jue scratched his head, explaining sheepishly. "I just had a sudden spark of inspiration regarding applications of spiritus. I'll explain later... What's this trouble you mentioned?" "You'll see in a bit." Ye Chun sighed. "If things go well, it'll be sorted out by the time we reach the workshop. If they don't... then we're in for trouble." Not daring to drag his feet, Ji Jue scarfed down the rice noodles and drove Ye Chun toward the workshop. On the road, however, Little Niuma kept spasming, squirming and twisting as if it had an itch somewhere. Even two swift kicks hadn't stopped it. Ever since he fed it that urn yesterday, it had been acting like this. Could it have indigestion or an upset stomach? Its outer shell felt loose and rattly. Should he ask the professor to take a look later? Idly pondering the thought, he parked inside the factory compound and froze. The moment he entered the main gate, he noticed something different about the workshop: the gate was actually open. And parked next to Professor Ye's commuter car was an unexpected luxury vehicle. A Guangyuan A800. Looking at the exterior trim, was it a limited edition? Ordinary folks tended to call it the "Top-Tier Throne," because anyone who could ride in one was practically sitting on a royal throne—unreachable and elite. It was one of the flagship brands under Universal Heavy Industries. The solid-gold flag ornament on the hood alone cost 2.69 million, and a single scratch on the body would run at least nine hundred thousand for a factory paint job. Back at Dalu Auto Repair Shop, Ji Jue had never even laid hands on a luxury car of such absurd caliber. People sitting in a car like that would consider it a loss of face to even glance at a garage like his. "Whoa! Look at that suspension. That's nice." Ji Jue's vocational habits kicked in instantly. He bent over to peek, nearly crawling under the chassis. "Alright, alright, stop staring," Ye Chun said with a sigh. "Just take your cues from my looks later." "Huh?" Ji Jue felt helpless and bewildered. He never could read her looks anyway. If her eyes darted around later, was he supposed to play dead on the spot or turn tail and bolt? Unfortunately, there was no time left to talk. At the workshop entrance, a sharp, upright figure had already stepped out, looking toward them and waving slightly. The handsome young man offered a gentle, familiar smile. "Long time no see, Chun. Master Ye mentioned you'd stepped out, so I thought I wouldn't get to see you this time." "Ah, Brother Lou! Long time no see." Ye Chun shook his hand with equal warmth. "Did you come along with Master Kong? For a vacation?" "Just tagging along with my teacher to lend a hand." The young man smiled modestly, giving nothing away. Finally, his gaze drifted to Ji Jue trailing behind her. After a brief, curious glance over him, he warmly extended a hand. "Hello, I'm Lou Feng from Chaocheng. You must be Master Ye's prized pupil? May I ask your name?" "Ji Jue. A pleasure to meet you." Ji Jue engaged in the practiced pleasantries, noticing that Lou Feng's grip seemed to hesitate for a split second. A puzzled look crossed Lou Feng's face. "Ji Jue? Could you be from the Nanyao Ji clan of Liaocheng in Huangzhou? Or the Ji clan of Shangui Hall in Midtown?" "...Sorry, neither," Ji Jue said, understanding his angle. "I'm just a Yacheng local." The Lou clan of Chaocheng was a household name even here in Yacheng. Across all of Haizhou, they were regarded as a prominent, powerful lineage—a local pillar of influence. Much like the Tong clan of Yacheng or the Yu clan of Jiangcheng, calling them wealthy was an understatement; they were full-fledged aristocracy in all but name. It was common knowledge that unlike the decadent system of the Empire, the Federation had no nobility. Likewise, it was common knowledge that nobility had merely changed its name. Even if such people existed, ordinary folks would never cross paths with them. So this young master had assumed he was highborn like himself? Amusing. To be frank, he had never even heard of the Nanyao Ji clan of Liaocheng since the day he was born; it was far too distant to have any relation to him. Not that he hadn't fantasized about being the long-lost orphan of some grand aristocratic clan, especially back when he was so poor he nearly dropped dead. Unfortunately, every Federation citizen had dreamt that dream. Cold, hard reality proved he had zero connection to high-walled estates. He was certain of this because even though his biological father had died young, his father's family had lived in Shuzhou for over a dozen generations, nowhere near Huangzhou. As for his mother, she was born and bred in Yacheng, Haizhou. In the Federation, whether someone was highborn could be told at a glance from their citizen ID number—if it didn't start with 01 when you opened your eyes to the world, there was no hope for you in this lifetime. Ji Jue's prefix started way back at 90; there wasn't a ghost of a chance he had any connection! He smiled, unfazed. As for the young master of the Lou family, upon learning Ji Jue was merely an ordinary commoner, he didn't drop his smile or turn cold immediately. He maintained a cool courtesy, though the corners of his eyes tilted slightly higher in unconscious disdain. He still made small talk now and then. On the surface, everyone was having a pleasant conversation. They stood by the entrance chatting away, entirely indifferent to baking in the sun. During a lull, Ji Jue yawned, glancing sideways at Ye Chun, who was still smiling warmly. *Where are your cues?!* Ye Chun threw him a look that held three parts helplessness, three parts annoyance, three parts sympathy, and one part indefinable something. Ji Jue didn't understand it in the slightest; looking at her was a total waste of time. You highborn folks are truly exhausting to talk to. When regular people meet, they just ask 'Have you eaten?' and 'Where are you headed?' Why do you lot need so many procedures? Just then, the dialogue inside the main hall seemed to come to a pause. Professor Ye's voice drifted out: "Since you're here, come on in. Why stand at the door the whole time? Trying to get a tan?" "Ah, my fault," Lou Feng said, as if only just realizing. "It's been so long since I saw Chun that I got carried away." "Yeah, sure, right," Ji Jue agreed, feeling like an uninvited spectator to their performance. *Don't bother acting next time.* Stepping into the hall, he finally caught sight of the visitor seated on the sofa, and his heart tightened slightly. She was a rather lean, elderly woman, but exceptionally well-preserved. Yet when her narrow eyes swept toward him, a chill ran down his spine. While judging by appearances wasn't fair, whenever he encountered a car owner with this sort of look back at the repair shop, he would always keep his guard up. Otherwise, after sweating his guts out on the job, she would either complain that this wasn't done right, or that that wasn't wiped clean, before finally claiming his attitude was terrible and accusing him of swapping out her parts—saying he had sticky fingers at such a young age... When he noticed Professor Ye's utterly expressionless face, he finally understood: this visitor had clearly not come in peace. "So this is Master Ye's prized pupil?" Kong Qingyan looked over from the sofa with a warm, beaming smile. "Truly out of the ordinary." "Passable, at best. His natural talent is ordinary, but at least he's hardworking and can endure hardship. He's only studied for six months or so, barely scraping by as an apprentice." Professor Ye held her teacup, took a slow sip, and said, "Still, he's better than your student. At least he doesn't put on airs." "..." For a split second, Ji Jue's face twitched in perfect sync with Master Kong's on the sofa. As for Lou Feng behind him, Ji Jue didn't even need to look to know his expression must be priceless. *Professor Ye, if you don't know how to carry a conversation, you can just say so. There's no need to kill it stone dead and bury me along with it!* *She's a master, after all!* *A master!* *She could crush me with one finger, alright?!* Still, being a master meant that even after such sharp words, she kept her poise. Kong Qingyan merely smiled and said placidly, "Since you say so, why not let the two youngsters spar a bit to exchange pointers? It would be a fine way to get acquainted." Ji Jue desperately wanted to say that they were already acquainted enough, no need! *What is your problem? Egging kids on to fight at the drop of a hat... Why don't I just put on a little talent show for you, you hand over some pocket money, and then pack up and go home?!* "There's really no need for all that hassle." Professor Ye's words brought Ji Jue a breath of relief, but what followed was entirely merciless: "If Master Kong is still brooding over losing the bid for the Tiantai to me back then, you can challenge me directly. "After all these years of dragging me into one contest after another and refusing to let it go, pushing your student forward to make a fool of himself—what is that supposed to achieve?" Setting her teacup down slowly, she said indifferently, "The workshop is right here, and there's plenty of room outside. If you want to compete, name your terms." Ji Jue's vision went black. *Holy shit. You won't let the students fight, so you're throwing down in person?! How did a few mismatched words turn into an all-out brawl? Enough, please stop! You're already a master of conversation, you've beaten half the big shots out there!* "...Ye Xian!" Kong Qingyan's smile finally froze on her face, as if she were straining to suppress her rage. "Setting past grudges aside, I came to pay a visit today with every courtesy observed, without slighting you, Master Ye in the least. Is this how the Ye family treats guests?" "That's precisely why I loathe empty pleasantries." Ye Xian shook her head, utterly nonchalant. "Everyone already knows what you're scheming deep down, yet you insist on trading polite bows like a clown. It's thoroughly boring." Kong Qingyan's face turned purple with fury. She rose, about to unleash a tirade, but the previously silent Lou Feng suddenly stepped forward. His expression showed neither anger nor joy, remaining remarkably calm. "Teacher, Master Ye possesses discerning eyes. Since she says I am no match, I trust she wouldn't be mistaken on such a point." He paused, turning toward Ji Jue with a warm smile. "However, I am intensely curious about just how vast the gap is between Brother Ji and myself... I must ask Master Ye to grant me the honor of experiencing it firsthand!" *Fuck me!* Ji Jue's temper flared. Picking on the soft persimmon, are you?!