Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

There have been signs of improvement lately, is it because of Gu Cheng...?

Thinking about the reason, Zhou Li slowly stepped forward.

Gu Cheng: "Uncle Zhou is here."

Su Wanxi wiped the ice cream from the corner of her mouth and stood up gracefully.

"Qin Kexin will be here soon, no more than five minutes."

Fortunately, we made it in time. Zhou Li nodded and smiled in acknowledgment.

After a while, a bus with cosmetics advertisements came into view.

As the vehicle came to a stop, passengers disembarked one after another with their luggage, and Zhou Li could see a petite figure from afar.

Qin Kexin wore a grass-green knit sweater, and her fair legs, encased in white stockings, were visible beneath a sky-blue plaid skirt. The area between the skirt hem and the stocking hem was barely concealed, and she wore canvas shoes of the same color.

Zhou Li took the suitcase and patted Qin Kexin on the head.

"Why haven't you grown taller over the summer?" he asked with a smile, his eyes brimming with joy.

"Waaaaah~ I don't want to grow that tall." Qin Kexin narrowed her eyes and gently held Zhou Li's hand.

"Hey, are Sister Xi and Chengzi here too?" She tilted her head and noticed two more people standing behind her.

"Yes, welcome back." Gu Cheng nodded and looked at the other person gently.

"I miss everyone so much~" Qin Kexin put down her bag and rushed into Gu Cheng's arms, bumping into her so hard that it hurt a little.

"Don't tickle me..." With a soft, warm body in her arms, Gu Cheng was already a little uncomfortable. Qin Kexin's small hands were still pinching and kneading her waist, almost touching her breasts directly.

"Chengzi doesn't call me, I want a hug~" She pouted like a child and rubbed her head against Gu Cheng's chest again.

"Let's go first. You must be hungry after such a long drive." Su Wanxi came to the rescue in time and pulled Qin Kexin out of Gu Cheng's arms.

"Great! I haven't had any of Ah Li's cooking in ages!" Qin Kexin turned around and hugged Zhou Li's arm, clinging to him like a koala.

The man let her hug him, a doting smile on his lips.

After stuffing her luggage into the trunk, Qin Kexin sat in the passenger seat of the car, touching the seat and windows.

"Never ridden in one before...fasten your seatbelt." Zhou Li rolled down the car window and jokingly scolded Qin Kexin.

"Never sat here before!" The girl's eyes sparkled as she looked around constantly.

Section 68, Chapter Sixty-Seven: Not Quite the Same

The four of them met at their usual spot, Zhou's Home-Style Dishes.

At Qin Kexin's request, Zhou Li personally prepared the dinner. Gu Cheng didn't get a chance to help and could only stand aside and watch.

"First, heat the oil until it boils..."

"Don't rush to add the scallions, ginger, and garlic; wait a little longer." Zhou Li, wearing a large chef's hat, meticulously prepared the ingredients.

"Is this much salt enough?" Gu Cheng asked him curiously.

"That's enough, this is just the first step. Add soy sauce after stir-frying until it's flavorful, and pay attention to the amount..." She said she wanted to learn from him, but in reality, she answered Zhou Li's questions verbally.

"...Could you please take these two dishes over? I'll also make some seaweed and egg soup."

"Okay." Gu Cheng took the tray and used her arm to push open the door to the private room.

"Waaaaah, how much have I missed..." As soon as I entered the room, I saw Qin Kexin lying face down on the table, looking utterly dejected.

"What's wrong?" Gu Cheng put the things on the table and sat down next to Su Wanxi.

"You guys seem really busy these past two months. I'm so bored at home..." Qin Kexin looked up at Gu Cheng pitifully.

"A holiday...isn't that nice?"

"I'm about to become a complete shut-in~" Qin Kexin pulled her hands back into her sleeves, dangling the two pieces of her clothes back and forth.

"Hey, Ah Li made this dish today... Waaah." Before all the dishes were served, she picked up a small piece of fish and put it in her bowl, blowing on it gently.

"It's so hot~" Qin Kexin couldn't help but stick out her pink tongue after taking a small bite.

"Eat slowly, I'll make more if you're not full." Zhou Li placed the soup on the table and then sat down next to Qin Kexin.

This meal was meant to welcome her home and wash away the dust of her journey. As the guests began to eat, Gu Cheng and Su Wanxi also started picking up their chopsticks.

"This flavor is just right." Gu Cheng took a few bites and couldn't help but mutter to herself. If she were to cook it, she definitely wouldn't be able to cook it so perfectly.

"Just practice more," Zhou Li said with a smile.

"Your cooking is quite delicious too~" Su Wanxi whispered in Gu Cheng's ear.

"Thank you for the comforting words. I'll try to learn as much as possible... I'll prepare more potatoes tomorrow and follow Uncle Zhou's steps." Despite the comforting words, Su Wanxi seemed to eat much faster than at noon.

"Hey, are you living together?!" Qin Kexin overheard the whispers and asked curiously.

"Cough..." A grain of rice got stuck in her trachea, and Gu Cheng coughed repeatedly while covering her mouth. Su Wanxi quickly handed her a napkin and gently patted the girl's back.

"No...it's just because of work, we had lunch together." How did this child understand that...?

"Work?" Qin Kexin touched her hair, her mind filled with questions.

“Mm.” Gu Cheng explained her part-time job at the flower shop in detail. Su Wanxi was busy eating and nodded in agreement from time to time.

"I'll definitely go check out Xi-jie's flower shop soon." Qin Kexin seemed to be making plans excitedly, as if she was just finding out for the first time.

"Stop making a fuss, or the food will get cold." Zhou Li pretended to be angry, picked some vegetables and put them in Qin Kexin's bowl, and the latter wailed.

...Uncle Zhou is really strict.

Although the food was plentiful, Gu Cheng's appetite was limited, and she was full after a few more bites.

She put down her chopsticks and leaned back quietly. She suddenly remembered the night she joined the Hermit Bureau, the same people, the same things, the same moonlight and lights outside the window.

I really hope it can stay like this forever... With her eyes a little wet, Gu Cheng put her fingers close to her forehead and wiped them while Qin Kexin and Zhou Li were talking.

Su Wanxi noticed the other person's subtle movement and subconsciously pursed her lips.

After dinner, Zhou Li drove Qin Kexin back to the campus, while Gu Cheng and Su Wanxi prepared to take a walk in the nearby streets.

"Sister Xi seems a little different than before..." Qin Kexin glanced at the rearview window. Su Wanxi stood under the colorful billboards, her face delicate, but her eyes were full of gentleness.

The car started, and Zhou Li gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Becoming more like someone your age should be."

"Yes, that's the feeling!" Qin Kexin nodded in agreement. It was probably a kind of...girlish feeling?

“You’ve become even cuter.” Zhou Li took a moment to pat Qin Kexin’s head, and the latter smiled foolishly, staring out the front window.

......

After the black sedan disappeared from sight, the two strolled along the street.

"I can't believe it's already been three months." Gu Cheng murmured to herself. Tomorrow is September 6th, exactly three months since she joined the Hermit Bureau.

Su Wanxi tucked her snow-white wrists behind her back and walked with light, graceful steps.

"Do you like working at the Hermitage Bureau?" After a long silence, she turned her head and gave a cool, aloof look.

"..."

"like."

Upon receiving this answer, Su Wanxi remained expressionless, her slender figure appearing even more ethereal in the moonlight.

"Why..." she asked.

“...Because I just like it.” Gu Cheng sat on a round road barrier, her long legs stretched out just long enough to touch the steps.

"Just like in the movies, dressed in all black, with special abilities, protecting the world from places unseen by ordinary people..." Perhaps feeling ashamed, Gu Cheng's voice grew softer and softer.

"Actually, the person in the warehouse wasn't wrong. I quite enjoy being a policeman."

If she hadn't joined the Hermit Bureau, she might still be working as a waitress in a small restaurant, with no opportunity to talk about ideals and ambitions.

"Isn't it tacky?" Gu Cheng asked her.

Su Wanxi slowly turned around and sat on the round ball next to her.

"I think it's quite good." His tone was gentle and sincere, his eyes shimmering with tears.

"Is that so..." Gu Cheng blinked, a faint feeling of emotion welling up inside her.

The evening breeze was slightly cool, the subway had stopped running, and the place they were strolling in was somewhat secluded, with hardly any other pedestrians in sight.

"What follows will be much more dangerous than before." Su Wanxi brushed her hair behind her ear, her blue silk dress fluttering in the wind.

"...What's wrong?" Gu Cheng asked softly.

"Lanjiang City is about to enter a period of frequent cracking..."

If the number of cracks in a certain area exceeds the standard value within a certain period of time, the Hermit Bureau will refer to this period as the crack-prone period.

"Frequency period..." Gu Cheng had seen similar statements on the forum. At present, this situation cannot be explained by conventional means. Researchers can only look for patterns in various documents and make rough inferences about the time.

"Yes, it will probably last for one to two months. The people responsible for assisting us are already on their way." Frequent outbreaks usually affect a large area, including not only Lanjiang, but also several nearby prefecture-level cities and their subordinate districts and counties.

"Ring ring~" Gu Cheng was about to say something when her phone rang at an inopportune moment.

Weakly neutral cracks were detected, located in the normal mouth region...

"What I said came true..." Su Wanxi sighed softly, smoothing the fine hairs from her forehead.

Section 69, Chapter Sixty-Eight: Sewers and Falcons

"So tired~ I've been traveling all day, and I still have to come back to deal with the cracks tonight." Qin Kexin patted her cheeks, and the seashell bracelet made a crisp sound. She had just put her luggage back in the dormitory when her phone screen lit up with a message about the cracks.

"Stop complaining, be on your guard. This is a weak neutral rift." Zhou Li gripped his longsword tightly, his tone serious.

"Okay~" After chambering the bullet, Qin Kexin twirled the pistol between her fingers.

Su Wanxi stood less than ten meters from the crack, her brows furrowed.

"Uncle Zhou is right. We must be careful in this operation. I may not be able to take care of all of you."