When the car stopped at the entrance of the Huaijiang Observation Bureau, the phone screen showed 17:03. If not for the time spent chatting, they would have arrived a bit earlier than planned.
Chu Zhishui pulled out several report forms and casually handed them to Xin Yunmao in the passenger seat. "I've already sent the electronic version to the bureau. You can take the paper copies back to the office. I won't be going up."
"When did you print these?" Xin Yunmao looked at the signature in the bottom right corner, which was clearly his own that he had just signed on the iPad, now transformed into a printed paper version.
Chu Zhishui replied, "Portable printer. I finished printing on the way."
Xin Yunmao hesitated before speaking, "...What exactly have you experienced in the past?"
If her previous behavior could be called efficient and dedicated, carrying a portable printer around seemed a bit excessive and abnormal.
Chu Zhishui gave him a deep look, "It's best for monsters not to pry into worldly affairs."
"..."
Xin Yunmao watched the car leave before taking the forms upstairs.
The office was quiet, with no sign of Jin Yu or Niu Shi, who obviously hadn't returned to the logistics department yet. This was normal, though. On-site verification of compensation always took time, and they usually worked late into the night to finish the forms, rarely able to leave work on time.
Xin Yunmao tossed the report forms onto the small table, knowing Wu Changgong would come to collect them at night. Suddenly, he noticed a stack of long, thin forms. These were the daily clock-out forms that required signatures from two people. He had signed once on her first day.
After their falling out, Chu Zhishui never came to him for signatures, and Xin Yunmao ignored the forms.
In reality, whether he worked or not, whether he existed or not in the bureau, no one would question or care.
His long fingers flipped through the pages as Xin Yunmao's gaze scanned each one. He discovered that every form had two signatures. He clearly remembered signing only once, yet wherever "Chu Zhishui" appeared on the left, "Xin Yunmao" was sure to be on the right.
The clock-out forms weren't strictly checked, but she hadn't just filled in her own.
Xin Yunmao shook the long paper strip in his hand, his eyes as dark as ink dots now filled with light. He smiled and said, "Heh, quite a good imitation."
The next day, Chu Zhishui arrived at the office on time and soon saw a tired Jin Yu. Dark circles lingered under Jin Yu's eyes, clearly worn out from yesterday's work. She lay slumped on the desk, exhausted and dejected.
"What time did you and Brother Niu get back yesterday?" Chu Zhishui asked while making coffee.
"We got back to the office around six or seven," Jin Yu scratched her head and replied weakly. "Then we worked on the forms until very late. That guy also rambled on for a long time about his overseas experience."
Chu Zhishui knew the "that guy" Jin Yu referred to was Section Chief Wu Changgong. Like many slacking, bullying leaders who fear the strong but prey on the weak, he took advantage of Jin Yu's lack of seniority and gentle personality to pressure her. He would also show off his work experience for no reason, much like a middle-aged man who talks too much but earns too little.
"Did Section Chief Wu study abroad?" Chu Zhishui looked puzzled. "Do you guys also talk about education?"
"What education?" Jin Yu blinked innocently. "I came from the river, and he came from the sea. Isn't that overseas experience?"
"..."
"Sigh, he used to be in the Qiwu Bureau, which is by the sea, you know," Jin Yu pouted. "Since he transferred here, he keeps mentioning it, saying Huaijiang isn't as good as Qiwu, that there's not even a patch of sea nearby, making it seem unsophisticated and low-class."
Chu Zhishui sincerely replied, "...I don't think seafood is necessarily more high-class than river food."
"Exactly! The main thing is we're all from the water, otherwise why would he always lecture us about it?" Jin Yu sighed. "Look at Brother Niu, he doesn't have this trouble."
Chu Zhishui believed it had nothing to do with species, but purely because Jin Yu was easy to bully. However, one's personality isn't something that can be changed overnight. She comforted Jin Yu, "You don't look well. Would you like some coffee?"
"Ah, can I?" Jin Yu had been smelling the bitter aroma filling the room. She was actually very curious about the taste of coffee, but when actually invited, she felt a bit shy, afraid of revealing her inexperience. "But I've never had it before."
"It's just instant coffee, nothing special," Chu Zhishui said.
Chu Zhishui made a cup of hot coffee for Jin Yu, who watched the entire process with eager eyes, very curious about the dark beverage.
"I've heard there's also something called milk tea," Jin Yu observed with curiosity, gently blowing on the cup.
"There is, but there's no milk tea shop near the bureau," Chu Zhishui replied.
Jin Yu carefully took a sip, her face lighting up with joy. She said contentedly, "This tastes really good."
Seeing Jin Yu enjoy even instant coffee so much, Chu Zhishui suddenly felt a surge of affection and maternal love.
Section Chief Wu rarely appeared during the day, which brought peace to the logistics department.
Chu Zhishui had just finished organizing the reports and was about to browse a job recruitment website when she unexpectedly received a call from Old Li, a villager. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly went through the procedures in her mind, certain that she hadn't made any mistakes during the verification.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Ah, comrade, you left something in the field yesterday!" Old Li said loudly. "Why don't you give me an address, and I'll bring it over to you?"
"Left something?" Chu Zhishui was puzzled. "We shouldn't have forgotten anything..."
"You left all the vegetables in my field! I only saw them when I went there today!"
"What vegetables?"
Not long after, Old Li arrived at the entrance of the Huaijiang Observation Bureau in his three-wheeled vehicle. Jin Yu and Niu Shi helped unload the fresh vegetables from the car. The vegetables were clearly just dug up from the field, with fresh morning dew on the leaves and moist soil still clinging to the roots and stems.
"I got a shock when I went to work in the field this morning. The plot at the back was full of vegetables, which must have been left by you yesterday," Old Li said, confused. "Did you bring them over by car?"
Old Li hadn't noticed anything unusual at first. It wasn't until he reached the edge of the vegetable plot that he discovered a grand gathering of various vegetables.
Chu Zhishui realized from his description that the area where the vegetables had grown wildly was once filled with monster energy, which Xin Yunmao had dispersed into rain.
Seeing Old Li arrive covered in dust, Chu Zhishui said apologetically, "You should have kept them to eat. You didn't need to bring them over. We already feel bad about damaging your field..."
Old Li had once sown seeds in the soil, but they were ruined before they could sprout. She suspected the remaining seeds had been stimulated by the monster energy.
"That wouldn't be right. One thing's one thing, and another's another. You've already compensated for the damage to the field. These vegetables could be worth quite a bit if you eat them or sell them!" Old Li scratched his head sheepishly. "Besides, I didn't dig them all up. The car couldn't fit any more. If needed, I can bring another half load later."
"It's fine, don't trouble yourself. You can keep the rest," Chu Zhishui said.
"But your vegetables are really good. I've grown these varieties before, but they look completely different," Old Li examined them carefully. "...The more I look, the more they resemble the ones in my field?"
Chu Zhishui felt increasingly guilty as she listened.
Jin Yu had finished moving the vegetables and returned after washing her hands. She called out softly behind Old Li, "Sir."
"Yes, what is it?" Old Li turned around instinctively.
In mid-air, a colorful bubble floated out, landing squarely on Old Li's forehead, bursting like a fleeting dream upon contact. He looked at Jin Yu's innocent face, blinked in confusion, wanting to say something but unable to remember what. His mind suddenly went blank, a certain memory cut off.
Jin Yu clenched her fist, "It worked!"
Having become familiar with Chu Zhishui, Niu Shi knew she was aware of the Observation Bureau's true nature. He didn't reproach Jin Yu for using her ability in front of the newcomer. Used to such scenes, he said, "Let's see him off."
Old Li no longer continued the previous topic. He appeared to behave normally, bidding farewell to Chu Zhishui without any sign of oddity, "Comrade, I'll leave these things here and head back now."
"Alright, take care on your way back. Thank you for making the trip," Chu Zhishui replied.
"It's no trouble at all!"
After the three-wheeler left, Chu Zhishui turned to Jin Yu with a stiff body and asked nervously, "What did you do to him?"
"Just made him ignore the unnatural parts," Jin Yu said softly. "My bubbles can erase memories, but they don't harm people."
Chu Zhishui had a sudden realization. No wonder there were no strange stories about the Huaijiang Observation Bureau online. These monsters apparently possessed advanced technology.
"What should we do with these vegetables?" Niu Shi asked. "Do you want to take them home?"
Chu Zhishui shook her head, "No need. Brother Niu, you can take them to the cafeteria. They should belong to the bureau anyway."
"Alright! We can have some extra dishes for lunch!" Niu Shi said, rubbing his hands together.
At noon, the Observation Bureau's cafeteria indeed had two additional vegetable dishes, though it still didn't reach the standard of two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes.
Chu Zhishui picked at the vegetable leaves but ate with great relish, praising, "These vegetables taste so fragrant!"
"Probably because they're fresh," Xin Yunmao did indeed taste the crisp freshness and sweetness, but it was merely the flavor vegetables should have.
"No, it's not that, I can't explain why, but it just tastes especially fragrant..." Jin Yu stood up, her stomach growling, "I'm going to get some more, I've never eaten anything like this before!"
Chu Zhishui just assumed her young colleague's food obsession had awakened, thinking her words were a bit exaggerated, and didn't take it to heart.
She was still pondering changing jobs. If the Huaijiang Observation Bureau had the ability to erase memories, it would be easy to return to normal life unscathed. If she resigned from the bureau, her name would disappear from the register, and after receiving the memory-erasing bubble, she should forget all the unreasonable things.
The urgent task at hand was to find a more suitable job.
Chu Zhishui's educational background and work experience were solid, after all, Yinhai City University was a top-tier institution in the country. It wasn't difficult for her to find a job in Huaijiang City, but finding a suitable one was very challenging.
Huaijiang City had six-figure housing prices, but its economic development level was far behind Yinhai. The salary caps for various positions were quite low. Salary levels commonly seen in Yinhai would be considered sky-high in Huaijiang.
A stable position would be the best choice, but the initial preparation period was too long. Chu Zhishui had already fallen into the pit of the Observation Bureau and wasn't sure if jumping to another place would lead to the same predicament.
In her spare time, Chu Zhishui interviewed at other companies in Huaijiang City. Occasionally there were positions with decent benefits, but upon inquiry, it became clear they were invariably grueling jobs where leaving work on time was impossible, and team factional conflicts were severe.
At the dinner table, when Chu Xiaohe heard about Chu Zhishui's thoughts, he kindly advised, "Why don't you just stay at the bureau? It doesn't matter if the salary is a bit lower, after all, our family doesn't lack anything..."
"You really scared your father and me last time," Xie Yan said worriedly, "We don't have any other requests, just take good care of your health, okay?" She knew her daughter had high aspirations and rarely revealed them, often making decisions on her own.
Chu Zhishui met her parents' worried faces, clearly still haunted by past events. Her heart ached a little, and she quickly said, "Dad, Mom, I know what I'm doing, don't worry."
After a round of inquiries, there was no new job prospect yet, but Huaijiang City had been thoroughly explored. Chu Zhishui even discovered a bubble tea shop on her way to the bureau.
In the logistics department, Chu Zhishui placed the bubble tea bag on the table, calling Jin Yu over to get it.
Hearing the rustling of the plastic bag, Jin Yu looked up in confusion, then saw four drinks and exclaimed with delight, "Is this...?"
Chu Zhishui nodded with a smile, "Didn't you say you wanted bubble tea? I saw a shop on the way."
The Huaijiang Observation Bureau was in a remote location, and supernatural beings like Jin Yu rarely went downtown, naturally having no chance to encounter such things.
Jin Yu hadn't expected her casual remark to be remembered, and now she was flustered, her face turning red. She stammered, "Should I... should I pay you back?"
"No need, it wasn't much money," Chu Zhishui said, thinking of her own plans to resign and even less willing to fuss over such a small matter.
Jin Yu felt embarrassed. She hugged Chu Zhishui tightly and nuzzled her, almost moved to tears: "You're the kindest person I've ever met!"
Chu Zhishui was already used to her frank expressions and said gently, "That's because you haven't met many people."
There were four cups of bubble tea in the plastic bag. After Chu Zhishui and Jin Yu took theirs, she placed one on Niu Shi's desk. Although she had been thinking of Jin Yu when buying them, she couldn't show favoritism, so she decided to buy for everyone.
Niu Shi thanked her specifically when he came in, but he wasn't very interested in bubble tea. The older brother preferred to drink pure tea.
"There's still one cup left," Jin Yu frowned, mumbling, "It's not for Director Wu, is it?"
"Of course not, Director Wu doesn't show up during the day."
Chu Zhishui took out the drink, crumpled up the plastic bag, and placed the last cup of bubble tea on the desk behind her own, which was Xin Yunmao's position.
Jin Yu's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't say anything.
After returning from on-site compensation, Xin Yunmao still kept to himself in the logistics department, his whereabouts mysterious. He only spent a short time in the office each day, mostly when Jin Yu and Niu Shi weren't around. The rest of the time, he was either hiding under a tree in the courtyard or strolling by the secluded stream.
The Huaijiang Observation Bureau occupied a large area, but the built-up area was quite limited. The yard was just the office area, with the rest being a vast expanse of wild grass, an endless wilderness.
Chu Zhishui sat by the window watching all this. She didn't dare venture too deep into these areas, always feeling that something might be lurking and growing in secret.
As the sun set, casting a golden glow over the wilderness, certain supernatural beings appeared.
When Xin Yunmao entered the room and found only humans, he raised an eyebrow slightly, walking in expressionlessly, but then saw an unfamiliar drink on his desk. It was an ordinary pearl milk tea, no longer cold but room temperature, with a straw placed beside it.
Xin Yunmao picked up the milk tea and shook it, asking, "Whose is this?"
"It's for you," Chu Zhishui said casually. She glanced at the time in the bottom right corner of her computer screen and began packing up to leave work.
Xin Yunmao saw her lowering her head to organize items in her bag, not even daring to meet his gaze. He said meaningfully, "Tsk."
Her smooth long hair fell on both sides of her chest, revealing a stretch of fair neck when she lowered her head, skin like jade.
If she were like other supernatural beings, he could still be cold and stern, his face like frost, but she was so shy she didn't dare look at him, which made it difficult for him to handle the situation.
Chu Zhishui heard the sound and paused as she was reaching for her car keys. She methodically packed her parasol and spoke slowly, "It's like this, to avoid any misunderstanding, let me explain. Everyone in the logistics department got milk tea, it wasn't bought specifically for you..."
"Alright, you don't need to explain," Xin Yunmao raised his hand to stop her, assuming she was just making excuses to cover up. "I haven't even asked anything, and you're already explaining?"
"Because I've already experienced your imaginative abilities," Chu Zhishui said helplessly. "And to be honest, your thoughts are too easy to understand."
If he didn't put on that cold, aloof face, his various expressions and tones were as straightforward as a child's.
Xin Yunmao's fingers tapped lightly on the milk tea. He adopted a reasonable tone and said kindly, "I thought about it after I went back that day. If you continue to work here, it's not good for us to remain at an impasse like this. You're always thinking about me, which really affects your daily state."
Chu Zhishui nodded perfunctorily, "Mm-hmm, you're right. So you should get treatment early. Erotomania is a clinical symptom of thought content disorder, commonly manifesting as believing the opposite sex likes oneself, and persisting even after repeated clarification from the other party."
Xin Yunmao ignored her sarcasm and instead covered his mouth in thought for a long time. Finally, he declared, "Although I can't respond to your human feelings, I haven't had any believers since I was born. Considering your sincere offerings to me, I'll allow you to be my first believer."
Chu Zhishui listened to him talking to himself and reminded him, "...Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"
"This way, if you encounter danger again, it would be reasonable for me to help you, after all, it's normal to protect one's believers," Xin Yunmao placed something like a wooden chip into her hand. Whether he was self-hypnotizing or trying to convince Chu Zhishui, he repeated earnestly, "That's right, very reasonable."
It was a thin, flat, lustrous piece shaped like a pendant. The material felt like wood at first touch, but upon closer inspection, the grain was more like bamboo. It had been polished smooth and flawless, with a hole for threading. The flat, slightly compressed pendant was darker in color, like a misty sky in the rainy season, but with a somewhat verdant glaze on the surface.
Chu Zhishui stared at the pendant in a daze, "What is this?"
"You can consider it a return gift for your offering," he chuckled lightly. "No need to be too grateful for my generosity."
"I don't really understand what you're saying," Chu Zhishui felt it was probably a return gift for the milk tea. She casually put it in her coat pocket and said politely, "But thank you for your kindness. However, please don't say such things to others in the future."
"Why not?" Xin Yunmao was stunned for a moment. He seemed to have an epiphany and said understandingly, "Your jealousy is too strong. You're already not accepting other believers. But I'm really not interested in protecting ordinary people or listening to their wishes, so you can rest assured about that. There won't be anyone else."
Chu Zhishui quickly interrupted: "No, it's not related to that."
"Then why?"
"I've confiscated the materials you were using to preach, but I still need to solemnly remind you that public preaching in non-religious settings is illegal." She picked up her bag and stood up to leave work. Before leaving, she gave a faint smile, "This is a one-time exception. Don't let it happen again, and there's no need to be too grateful for my leniency."
Xin Yunmao listened to the familiar lines and thought: "?"
