Nothing happened on the Egypt trip (...).
Jian Jing felt inexplicably disappointed, but she had to admit that a vacation without any cases was thoroughly enjoyable. She managed to visit several attractions every day, completely exhausting her three companions.
Kang President: "Young people are so full of energy."
Jian Jing: "We're here, might as well make the most of it."
Si Yingjie: "Jing, aren't you tired?"
Jian Jing: "Not at all, there's nothing else to do anyway."
Kang Mu Cheng: "...Do you still want us to accompany you?"
Jian Jing: "Nevermind."
Feeling guilty, she obediently stayed in Cairo for the last two days, buying a bunch of souvenirs to take home.
It was still the New Year period before the first month ended, so she felt justified in not writing and instead went to Jiang BaiYan's place for dinner, taking the opportunity to bring Knight home.
The clingy pup hadn't seen her for days and refused to leave her side, earning several ear pinches from Jian Jing.
Jiang BaiYan was busy with chopsticks between two hot pots - one regular pot for them, and one with only clear soup for Pudding and Knight.
He alternated between picking food for Jian Jing, feeding fish balls to Pudding, and not forgetting their guest Knight, giving him several pieces of expensive beef.
Jian Jing sat at the low table, petting the cat and dog, her happiness index off the charts.
After eating and drinking their fill, Jiang BaiYan drove her home.
On the way, they discussed some business - he wanted to buy the animation rights for the "White Cat Detective" series.
"I bought an animation studio, we have all the staff, just need an IP now," he mumbled. "I've been reading scripts these past few days, but haven't liked any of them."
Jian Jing reminded him: "White Cat Detective might be too profound for kids, but too childish for adults. It might not be well-received."
"If we lose money, so be it," Jiang BaiYan said nonchalantly. "Money earned has to be spent anyway, isn't it good to spend it on works I like?"
Jian Jing: "That's fan behavior."
"It's the ultimate dream of a book fan," he said. "So, do you agree?"
Jian Jing shrugged: "I don't mind. The money's in my pocket anyway, and I won't give it back even if you lose."
"I can split half the profits with you if you want," he made a face.
Jian Jing rolled her eyes at him, then added: "Convincing me isn't enough, you need to talk to Kang President. He holds the agency rights."
"He'll agree," Jiang BaiYan said. "The comic adaptation has always been monopolized by Ice Mirror, Golden Crow doesn't get a piece at all. Now there's a chance to open up new territory, Kang President would be foolish to refuse."
Jian Jing thought of Jiang Xun from the other world and couldn't help but ask curiously: "Have you ever thought about what you'd do if you weren't a celebrity?"
"Be kept at home by a rich young lady, cooking, doing laundry, walking the dog and scooping poop every day?"
"How decadent," she playfully smacked his arm, amused. "Be serious. What if you hadn't been kidnapped as a child?"
Although this hypothesis was pointless, Jiang BaiYan never brushed her off. He thought for a moment and said: "Get thrown into the group's work by the chairman, engage in palace intrigue with my siblings, and strive to inherit the chairman's empire?"
He was slightly curious: "Why are you asking this?"
"You still have quite a talent for business, like your father," she said.
Jiang BaiYan laughed: "The chairman would be furious. He's a wolf, I'm a dog."
Knight: "Woof?"
"Not talking about you," they said in unison.
Knight: "Whine~~"
After the New Year period, Jian Jing prepared to move to her new home.
She didn't plan to do it herself, instead calling a moving company to pack all her belongings. She only packed her personal clothes and valuables herself.
Even so, it was still a chaotic process.
Kang Mu Cheng sent Diane to help, Jiang BaiYan had his assistant come over, and Si Yingjie contributed his family's driver.
After finally moving everything from the apartment to the villa, they still had to organize and store everything.
Jian Jing overestimated her abilities and quickly ordered a professional organizer, who finally managed to sort out the mess of household items.
Then, gifts from friends started arriving one after another.
Lei Ao sent her an antique European bed, supposedly once belonging to a princess. It was small and incredibly ornate, but if one actually tried to sleep on it, it would surely be uncomfortable in various ways.
So, she placed this bed in the flower room, facing the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the courtyard. It would be perfect for reading and napping during afternoon breaks.
Si Yingjie wasn't to be outdone, hauling in a cloud sofa from Italy that cost hundreds of thousands. It was so soft and sweet that once you sat in it, you never wanted to get up.
Jian Jing couldn't resist, so she quietly moved the sofa she had originally bought elsewhere.
Kang President was equally extravagant.
She gave Jian Jing a classical oil painting depicting a drowning girl, likely on the theme of Ophelia. Although not by a famous artist, its auction price exceeded a million.
Jian Jing didn't know how to handle it, so she ended up hanging it on the most prominent wall in the living room.
Compared to these wealthy friends, others' gifts were much more modest.
Fei Na, who had just arrived in Yunnan, sent a large box of parcels containing handmade specimens. Although not rare animals, the details were lifelike and almost undamaged, which was quite remarkable.
Jian Jing displayed them directly on the fireplace in the living room, thinking they would surely catch guests' attention.
Wataru Kojima sent new manga, which she locked away in the study's bookcase.
Zuo Xin sent an antique-style oil lamp, which she hung by the door, giving a very 19th-century London vibe.
Liang Yi sent a dog bed, Zhu Yanan sent aromatherapy items, all of which found their use.
However, in terms of practicality, nothing beat the security system sent by Kang Mu Cheng.
It was currently the world's most advanced security system - discreet, high-end, and thorough. The mechanisms were invisible to the naked eye, but if any thief tried to break in, they'd be enjoying a late-night snack at the police station within 15 minutes.
Jian Jing's favorite part was the courtyard system, which at first glance looked like an ordinary glass roof.
On sunny days, the top layer could be completely opened to let in sunlight, and the same applied during snow season.
If summer got too hot, the transparent glass could turn dark gray, effectively shading the entire courtyard, and it was equipped with a network of fine pipes for cooling through water circulation.
Similarly, in winter it used residual heat from the floor heating for warmth, ensuring that plants in the yard wouldn't freeze even in the dead of winter.
Although Jian Jing... didn't actually have any plants.
Ahem, it looked completely harmless, right? But once an intruder entered, the pipes would spray anesthetic gas, ensuring they'd never leave.
The equipment inside the house was similar, but we won't go into details.
As for Jiang BaiYan, he had sent over some plants earlier, including kumquat trees, roses, money plants, Buddhist pine, camellias... and even built a small pond for water lilies.
Jian Jing thought it looked beautiful but was worried: "I don't know how to take care of them."
Jiang BaiYan: "I'll come over to help take care of them, you just need to not take care of them."
Jian Jing angrily: "What do you mean by not take care of them?"
"You've already killed six of my succulents..." he weakly protested.
Jian Jing knew she was in the wrong, so she kept quiet.
After she moved in, he sent over some bedding - a full set of pure silk that felt like flowing water to the touch.
"Using this prevents wrinkles," the big star personally recommended.
Jian Jing was convinced.
Ji Feng was the last to visit, arriving so late that Jian Jing thought he didn't even know she had moved.
Because of this, when he rang the doorbell, she wasn't sure whether to open it or not - it seemed like she was angry, but she couldn't remember why!
While she hesitated, Knight had already rushed out, skillfully standing on his hind legs and pressing the automatic button with his paw.
The door opened.
"Your yogurt jelly is gone," Jian Jing pushed the German Shepherd trying to squeeze into the house back out, pretending not to see its wildly wagging tail. "No coming in. If you dare to open the door yourself again, I'll spank you."
Knight: *Pitiful face*
"Look how you're scolding the child," Ji Feng laughed, rubbing the dog's head. "What a good dog."
Jian Jing crossed her arms: "Yeah, birds of a feather flock together."
He: "Still angry?"
Jian Jing finally remembered why she was upset, her face darkening: "If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost."
Ji Feng: "Heard you moved, brought some things over."
Jian Jing eyed the box in his arms suspiciously and asked: "What things? A soy milk maker? Oven? Microwave? Air fryer?"
He couldn't help but laugh: "How domestic do you think I am? If I gave you these, would you even use them?"
"Then what is it?" She became even more curious. "Self-heating hotpot?"
Ji Feng: "...Can we talk inside?"
Jian Jing reluctantly stepped aside: "Fine." As she spoke, she tried to sneak a peek.
The box was neither big nor small, perfectly square. It didn't look like an appliance or food. Judging by his posture as he carried it, it wasn't exactly light either.
Could it be books?
"Not books," he said with a smile. "But close enough."
Jian Jing simply tried to snatch it: "Give it to me."
Ji Feng was surprised: "Why are you suddenly acting like a child? Alright, alright, here you go." Despite saying this, he still headed upstairs towards the collection room.
Jian Jing: "No trespassing."
He pretended not to hear, pushed open the door, and laughed as soon as he looked inside.
"I knew it," Ji Feng chuckled, putting down the box. "Don't pout, it'll be useful."
Jian Jing immediately started unpacking.
Inside were neatly arranged file boxes.
She picked one up at random. It was labeled "Case 0823: Safe Robbery."
"Hey." Jian Jing instantly forgot her sulking and eagerly sat down in the armchair, beginning to read about this case in the sunlight.
The contents were as follows: A bank president had a custom-made safe where he kept his expensive treasures. One day, he opened the safe to find that the contents had been stolen.
He reported it to the police, demanding they catch the thief.
Since only a few people had access to the safe, the suspects were narrowed down to his wife, son, daughter-in-law, daughter, housekeeper, and sister.
"Tsk, what a melodramatic case," she commented while reading and guessing. "All the suspects are family members, yet he still called the police. He must suspect his wife, right? But what would the wife need to steal?"
Ji Feng didn't answer, finding a place to sit down and slowly easing his healing wound.
As he sat, Jian Jing seemed to remember: "Are you better?"
"I can work now," Ji Feng said. "Though I'll have to stay at my desk for a few days, it's not a big deal."
She glanced at him and drawled: "Is... that... so..."
Her tone was neither cold nor warm.
Ji Feng: "Yeah."
She rolled her eyes dramatically, but even this gesture seemed charming, like something out of a novel.
He held back a laugh: "What else?"
"This," she said, flicking the papers with a rustling sound. "Where did it come from? Isn't this against regulations?"
"It's not from the department," Ji Feng said. "The statement you're holding, I rewrote it from memory, omitting the unimportant parts. There are also news reports and public legal documents."
He added: "Don't worry about keeping them."
Jian Jing quipped: "Only you would gift a bunch of papers."
"Isn't this exactly what you're lacking? Case files?" he said nonchalantly. "You can treat them as stories if you like. Next time you write, you'll make fewer factual errors."
She eyed him and sneered: "When have I ever made such mistakes?"
"Heh," he avoided that trap and admitted directly, "I've been resting at home these past couple of days and read all your books. Want me to count the errors for you?"
Jian Jing: "If you don't like them, don't read them."
Ji Feng: "No, no, I like them. They're well-written. When's the next one coming out?"
"Those who rush writers can go to hell," she fumed.
Ji Feng: "...I won't rush. It's not like I have time to read new ones anyway."
Jian Jing took a deep breath and decisively issued an eviction notice: "Goodbye."
"Alright," Ji Feng looked at her. "When do you plan on finishing being angry?"
She couldn't take it anymore and picked up the papers in her hand to hit him: "Why do you care? Why do you care? I'll be angry if I want to be angry. Get out!!"
Amid a barrage of scolding and shoving, she finally kicked him out of the house.
Lastly, she threatened: "Don't let me see you for a month! Hmph!"