Bai Yuqi arrived at the Xia residence just as the family was having dinner and stayed for a meal.
After he was full, Bai Yuqi ordered a pizza, grilled wings, and a large coke for Nemo, then casually asked Xia Qingyu, "Sister Qingyu, your classmate, Nie Qingkong, right?"
Hearing the name after so long, Xia Qingyu first paused slightly before looking at Bai Yuqi, "Huh? What?"
"The one who participated in the competition with you before and rode on my boat," Bai Yuqi continued. "At your door, you..."
"I remember," Xia Qingyu interrupted, not wanting him to say too much. "Is there something you need, Young Master Bai?"
"Just chatting," Bai Yuqi said with a chuckle. "How has he been lately?"
"He transferred schools," Xia Qingyu answered directly without hiding anything. "The teacher thought it was a shame. He did well last time and would have definitely qualified, but he transferred abroad, and the spot moved down one, I think to the Kyoto Imperial High School."
"I see." This was about what Bai Yuqi had guessed.
"Why are you suddenly asking about him, Young Master Bai?" Xia Qing Tian asked after sitting down, sharing half of the round red apple in her hand with Xia Qingyu beside her.
"Hmm... I did a casual check, and it turns out this Nie Qingkong's identity is forged," Bai Yuqi said. "Apart from his gender, nothing matches."
"Huh?" Xia Qing Tian was surprised. "Is that so?"
"..." Xia Qingyu held the half apple in her hand, unsure of her feelings for a moment.
Although the news was quite sudden,
Xia Qingyu recalled everything about Nie Qingkong.
For some reason, she didn't find it surprising that Nie Qingkong would do something like this.
He seemed like the kind of person who could do such things.
"Why does it seem like Sister Qingyu already guessed it?" One of the reasons Bai Yuqi came to find Xia Qing Tian was to see Xia Qingyu's reaction.
In fact, Xia Qingyu's reaction was quite interesting to Bai Yuqi.
"Hmm... I can't really say," Xia Qingyu herself didn't know why and could only manage a strained smile.
"A genius's sharp sixth sense, perhaps?" Xia Qing Tian chimed in. "I've read about it in books."
"Which book? That unreliable?" Bai Yuqi looked at Xia Qing Tian speechlessly. He was here to help his benefactor eliminate potential dangers around her.
How could Xia Qing Tian be any less cooperative?
It wasn't yet possible to prove that Nie Qingkong had no connection to Xia Qingyu, nor to prove Xia Qingyu was absolutely safe. What was Xia Qing Tian doing?
Had she defected?
"Let me tell you, don't disbelieve me, my Qingyu is definitely a genius!" Xia Qing Tian slung an arm around Xia Qingyu's shoulders, her face beaming. "Qingyu won the national competition very easily, and next month she'll represent our country in Finland for the World Competition!
Do you understand, the World Competition!
She's a super genius!
And also, my Qingyu..."
Once Xia Qing Tian started talking about her sister, she couldn't stop.
The blush on Xia Qingyu's cheeks spread to her neck, and her eyes looked at Bai Yuqi with shyness.
She wasn't as amazing as her sister said!
Honestly.
In the whole world, only in Xia Qing Tian's eyes was she so perfect...
Thinking that in this vast world, there was someone like this, who believed in her wholeheartedly, loved her, and thought she was the best.
Xia Qingyu felt she was incredibly fortunate.
Perhaps all the misfortunes since childhood were just preparations to wait for Xia Qing Tian.
Xia Qingyu felt her heart overflow with emotion.
She had to work even harder, she absolutely couldn't disappoint her sister.
"Oh, that's very impressive," Bai Yuqi said with a dry laugh, his mouth twitching. "Oh, yes, yes, yes."
Your sister is the best in the world!
Fine, he got it.
Xia Qing Tian had defected too thoroughly; there was no pulling her back.
So be it. Whatever happens, happens. May it all go to ruin.
There was no need for Nemo to continue investigating Nie Qingkong.
After leaving the Xia residence, Bai Yuqi went directly back to the temporary studio he had set up in his high-rise apartment. The moment he opened the door, he smelled the aroma of pizza.
"The lights aren't even on," Bai Yuqi said with a helpless raised eyebrow, looking at the pitch-black living room. He reached out and turned on the lights, then saw Nemo curled up on the single sofa, holding the crust of a pizza, with stringy cheese reaching his pale lips.
The cheese looked delicious, but the person...
It was a bit off-putting.
Nemo wasn't wearing his glasses. His eyes actually looked quite good, but he had noticeable dark circles, appearing sleep-deprived.
Seeing Bai Yuqi return suddenly, Nemo seemed quite surprised. He casually wiped his greasy hands on his clothes, then picked up the black-rimmed glasses from the table, put them on immediately, and quickly shoved the remaining piece of pizza into his mouth before mumbling, "You're back."
Seeing Nemo's string of actions, Bai Yuqi's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
How could someone... be so slovenly?
If he hadn't truly witnessed Nemo's real talent, Bai Yuqi would have doubted if this guy was really a top student from Ivy League.
But then again, normal geniuses wouldn't come to work for him as an assistant. Anyway, Nemo had the skills.
Sigh, so be it.
In this world, who is perfect?
Take his nemesis, for example. He was good at everything, except for being a bit of a love-struck fool.
And then there was Xia Qing Tian, good at everything, except for defecting too thoroughly.
Sigh...
People should be content. Contentment brings happiness.
"I've finished verifying the data you gave me," Nemo said, seemingly wanting to prove he had been working diligently. "That Nie Qingkong, I checked him while waiting for the pizza. That person went to Finland and has had no departure records since. He should still be in Finland right now."
"No need to check Nie Qingkong anymore. The benefactor isn't interested. Oh, she..." Bai Yuqi paused, then asked again, "Wait a moment, where did you say he was?"
"Finland," Nemo said, his eyes shifting slightly when he mentioned it. "I don't travel for work, I'm not going."
"No one is asking you to go," Bai Yuqi waved his hand, his eyes narrowing slightly.
How could it be such a coincidence?
Next month, Xia Qing Tian would accompany Xia Qingyu to Finland for the World Competition, and Nie Qingkong just happened to be in Finland?
Such a coincidence, even a novel wouldn't dare to write it like this.
If anyone said it wasn't intentional, he, Bai Yuqi, wouldn't believe it!
"Hehehehe..." Bai Yuqi chuckled triumphantly, raising an eyebrow. "It seems Finland... I must go."
Nemo watched Bai Yuqi laugh like a villain, a strange glint in his eyes.
Finland, he would absolutely not return.
Having chosen to run away from home, he never intended to go back!