Monday, as usual Jian Jing went to school, but unfortunately, the classmates who went hiking with her praised her achievements to the skies. She had gained many fans on her school account, though heaven knows she had never posted a status!
"Now you've really become a celebrity at school," Zuo Xin said. "Fortunately they don't know what you look like."
Jian Jing couldn't help but chuckle.
It was funny. Her classmates all knew "Jian Jing" had encountered a bank robber, the police bulletin had been released—"With the assistance of enthusiastic citizen Jian Jing, the evasive three robbers were successfully captured."
But as she sat in the library, no one knew she was the person involved.
It had to be said, this was thanks to the special filming of the haunted house. Under the infrared camera, the face was unclear. Even those who had seen the show might not be able to recognize her immediately.
"This is good." She needed fame but also wanted to maintain a normal life. Otherwise when she went out in the future, before she could even introduce herself, people would rush up and ask "Hey aren't you so-and-so", how could life go on like that.
However, strangers might not recognize her, but those who had seen her could find her.
Zhao Xuan walked over holding books, hesitantly greeted them: "Hi."
"Hi." Jian Jing nodded to her.
Zhao Xuan seemed to get some recognition and sat down: "I watched the haunted house show, didn't expect the hotel everyone was talking about was discovered by you."
She was really convinced.
Previously when she heard Jian Jing say she had encountered a robber, she was still a little skeptical, suspecting she was deliberately pretending, exaggerating a mere glimpse into an encounter. She had specifically checked it out.
The first news article from the search engine was a clip of "Haunted House Daredevils".
After watching it, she admitted that her prejudice was completely unfounded and one-sided. Jian Jing was not the stereotypical artistic girl, neither dressed in white dancing dresses, nor walking barefoot in slippers, and had nothing to do with being sentimental.
"You're quite capable," Zhao Xuan exhaled and candidly said, "No wonder Jiayou likes you."
Jian Jing: "Uh..."
Zhao Xuan had admitted it, but her pride was not put down. After speaking, she wanted to leave.
"We're just classmates," Jian Jing said quickly.
Zhao Xuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly: "If even you don't like him, I have even less hope." She shook her head and suddenly lost interest.
Jian Jing was surprised on the contrary: "Jiayou and I have incompatible personalities. You are both student council members and should have a lot in common."
"Did we have it before? How could it suddenly appear?" Zhao Xuan suddenly felt it was quite meaningless. She waved her hand: "Thank you, I'll go first."
She and Jian Jing were not familiar with each other, so there was no need to stay after the words were spoken. She left holding her books.
Zuo Xin said in a low voice: "She's reading MBA prep books."
Jian Jing silently nodded, was about to say something, but suddenly saw the girls at the table in front whispering and pointing at a figure gradually approaching.
She glanced over and was shocked: "Oh my god."
"Wow, that guy is so handsome!" Zuo Xin whispered to her, "Walking towards us... Wait, don't tell me he's here to find you again?"
The man walked through rows of solid wood long tables, under the gaze of other postgraduate candidates, calmly pulled out a chair and sat down opposite Jian Jing.
"Teacher Jian, good afternoon." He smiled and greeted her.
Zuo Xin looked at him and thought that half a month ago, Jiayou was also sitting in this chair.
"What's up?" Jian Jing sized up Ji Feng sitting opposite her, not understanding why he would appear here.
Ji Feng: "Can't I come to see you for no reason?"
Jian Jing: "Huh."
She had known him for more than just one day. On ordinary days, this policeman was as busy as a dog, working 370 days out of the 365 days in a year, the extra days were spent working in his dreams.
No one goes to the three treasures' hall for no reason. Instead of investigating cases and catching criminals, he specially ran over to see her, who would believe that?
However, Ji Feng was indeed quite strange today.
Every time she saw him, he was either in uniform or simple, neat casual clothes. Although he had a good-looking face, he never took the trouble to groom himself, and she had even seen him unshaven.
But today he was well-groomed, his clothes were neat and clean, with the smell of laundry detergent. His hair was freshly cut, and there were still some trimmings on his collar that weren't completely swept away. He looked very spirited.
Zuo Xin noticed it too, and kept frantically jabbing her waist, eyes flashing nonstop.
Jian Jing pretended nothing had happened. She knew that according to Zuo Xin's theory, this proved Ji Feng attached great importance to her, but sorry, she didn't believe it at all.
This guy had probably just woken up and tidied up, and dropped by on the way.
"You're looking at me like that," Ji Feng stroked his chin back and forth, "Didn't shave cleanly?"
"Just want to see what tricks you're up to," Jian Jing said. "Don't tell me today you want me to 'help' again."
Solving cases was fun, but she didn't want anything to happen at her school.
"Don't make me sound like the grim reaper." He laughed.
Jian Jing stared at him.
Ji Feng made a "ha" sound, seeming to find it very interesting: "Okay, then I'll get straight to the point."
"Please do." For some reason, Jian Jing had a feeling he was holding back something bad.
But Ji Feng didn't say anything. He just shrugged, took out a jewelry box from his pocket, a velvet box, gorgeous in color, square in shape, a very familiar prop for girls.
Zuo Xin let out a short, hurried gasp, trying hard to hold it in, which made it even more shocking. She didn't say anything, gathered the books in front of her at the fastest speed in her life, stuffed them all into her schoolbag, and disappeared neatly and briskly to a few seats away.
"Open it and take a look," Ji Feng pressed his mouth into a line, but a teasing gleam flashed in his eyes.
Jian Jing: "Boring."
She briskly opened the jewelry box.
Inside was a gold coin.
"The bank's commemorative coin, pure gold." He finally revealed his intention, "You recovered their gold, this is part of it. They took one out to thank you."
Jian Jing had thought the reward was gone. She didn't expect there could be such a souvenir and couldn't help taking it out to admire it carefully.
The gold coin gave off a gentle, brilliant glow under the sunlight. The smell of money was intoxicating.
"I'll take it." She promptly put the gold coin in her pocket.
Ji Feng: "....Aren't you going to decline modestly? Writers aren't short of money, right?"
"I deserve this." She raised her chin, a pleased arc appearing at the corner of her lips, "You catching criminals is your job. I'm different."
"Look at you, gloating," Ji Feng snorted disdainfully, and admonished in a grave tone, "Teacher Jian, pride makes one fall behind, only humility allows one to improve!"
Jian Jing ignored him completely: "Anything else?"
"Originally there was another thing I wanted to give you, but since you like the gold coin so much, I'll keep this for myself." He waved something indistinctly clasped in his palm.
Jian Jing didn't get a clear look and reached for it.
He swiftly drew back: "It's mine now."
"Hey!" She called out, "Give it to me."
Ji Feng leaned back leisurely on the chair and smiled: "Nope." He beckoned, "Come get it if you can."
Jian Jing couldn't help but roll her eyes hugely: "Men really are childish."
"I'll only use one hand," he tempted her. "Want to try?"
"This is the library," Jian Jing didn't fall for it. She would never win against this professional with just basic martial arts. "Besides, what's mine is mine, you can't take it."
Ji Feng neither affirmed nor denied: "So certain? Then let's do this, guess what it is and I'll give it to you."
Jian Jing glanced at him: "Thank you card."
He raised his brows high.
"Old Gao's daughter's thank you card," she slightly hooked her lips. "Did I guess right?"
"Tell me your reasoning," he automatically took on an interrogative tone.
For a moment, Jian Jing recalled when she had just returned after her rebirth, being pressed into defeat section by section by him during the written record. But after so long, she was no longer afraid.
In fact, it was quite pleasant.
When you were not prepared at all, the teacher called on you to answer a question, and you were the only one in the class who got it right, the teacher asked you to come to the front to demonstrate, the latter was undoubtedly satisfying and proud.
She said, "Although I only caught a glimpse of a paper slip, it obviously couldn't be a bank card. The colors were very bright, it seemed like red, blue and green, very garish colors. When you fanned it, I smelled a hint of crayon. So it was easy to guess, a handmade card by a child.
"Given that you previously tried to play the emotional card on me with Officer Gao's child, the answer is obvious."
Jian Jing held out her hand to him: "Hand it over."
"Your deduction makes sense, but I have to tell you I did half of it," Ji Feng handed the greeting card to her, emphasizing, "Remember to return it to me."
Jian Jing unfolded the card. It had quite childish drawings on it, flashy yet abstract enough. A short letter was written in pencil:
"Uncle Ji, Sister Jian, thank you for saving my dad. Wish you good health and safety."
Although the character for "sister" was missing a stroke, and the character for "thank" was written unusually big, and there were pinyin spellings, no one would nitpick over such things.
Unknowingly, Jian Jing's expression softened, a smile emerging from her eyes.
"Read it already?" Ji Feng took back the card and carefully put it away, "I was the one who saved Lao Gao, you just happened to be there."
Jian Jing didn't argue with him. The card was just as important to Ji Feng. She only mocked him, "Uncle Ji."
Ji Feng made a pained expression.
Children's words stabbed the most. Jian Jing was in good spirits: "Staying up makes one age faster."
"Are you urging me to hurry up and scram?" Ji Feng exhaled and glanced at his watch, "Alright, I should get going too. You can slowly guess the third thing. Teacher Jian is so smart, you'll definitely get it."
Jian Jing was startled, "There's something else?"
He asked back, "If not, would I have made a special trip here?"
Jian Jing thought about it, "What did you prepare for me?"
Giving her the gold coin and card privately would have been fine. He didn't need to specifically come to the school. His actions meant there was a reason he had to show up in person.
"Only thought of it now?" Ji Feng was in a hurry to get to work, "You're taking the entrance exam right, every extra point counts. Okay, I'm really leaving now. I'll treat you to a meal after Lao Gao gets discharged."
He waved his hand and strode away, disappearing from sight shortly after.
Zuo Xin sidled back over, eyes shining bright, "Who was that?"
"A friend," Jian Jing casually replied. She opened her palm eagerly, "Look at this quickly!"
Zuo Xin was dumbfounded, "Why did he give you a commemorative coin?" From a distance she had thought it was jewelry.
"The bank gave it," she blinked, "It's one of the stolen gold coins."
Zuo Xin immediately discarded her gossip and exclaimed sincerely, "Wow!"
Jian Jing: "Pretty great right?"
Zuo Xin nodded rapidly. She had read many detective novels about stealing treasures and robberies. She would always get excited when the protagonist found gold treasures and treasures.
But those were fake.
What was in front of her was real, authentic gold, an authentic treasure.
"This is too good."
*
The next day, Jian Jing learned from the counselor that the police had given a "Honoring Good Deeds" commendation to the school.
The award certificate was tucked into a folder. The processing fee was 1 yuan, no more, but it was worth 3 credits. 5 extra points could be added for the entrance exam.
She had to admit, Ji Feng usually seemed unreliable, but he handled things very thoughtfully. This was much better than money, and they didn't have to pay anything themselves. Sly.
Declining the school's suggestion to publicize it extensively, Jian Jing only agreed to the school sending out a notice, and no photos. The school didn't insist either, after all acts of honoring good deeds were not uncommon in this world.
Jian Jing put the certificate away in a drawer. The gold coin was placed in her makeup box.
Seeing it every day made her feel refreshed.
Then the weekend arrived.
Jiang Baiyan had arranged to meet her three days in advance, on Saturday afternoon.
The location was a rather famous cafe, with good privacy, unlikely to be secretly photographed, yet still a public venue, so no need to worry about rumors. It was thoughtful from all angles.
Jian Jing went to the gym Saturday morning, then wrote articles for two hours before leaving for the meeting at 2pm.
The cafe Jiang Baiyan chose was called Orange Cat Cafe, quiet amidst the hustle and bustle, with very convenient transportation. She declined his offer to send an assistant to pick her up, and drove there herself.
Jian Jing arrived 10 minutes early. Unexpectedly, Jiang Baiyan had come even earlier than her.