From a youthful and beautiful girl, it was much more challenging than expected to transform into an ordinary young woman through disguise.
Jian Jing put on a wig and adjusted her facial features, slightly adding some weight and widening her shoulders, waist, and back. Her posture instantly transformed, making her inconspicuous in the crowd.
Zong Ye prepared a pale yellow blouse and a blue long skirt for her, both with low saturation, blending in with the crowd. After getting ready, he stood at a distance and observed for a while, smiling as he tapped his forehead, saying, "There are too many flaws."
However, Jian Jing was already satisfied. "For a first attempt, let's not set the bar too high." She twirled in front of the mirror, eager to give it a try. "I'll make some adjustments later, and I should be able to deceive them."
"Well, I'm looking forward to it." Zong Ye opened the door for her, smiling. "Princess, remember to come back before twelve o'clock, or the magic will disappear."
Jian Jing laughed heartily. "A Cinderella journey?"
"Have a pleasant journey."
She put on a duckbill cap to avoid being captured by hotel surveillance cameras and took the elevator downstairs.
Once downstairs, she bought a city-themed canvas bag from a souvenir shop and hid her Chanel bag inside it. Then she switched to a wide-brimmed straw hat, which matched her outfit better.
She walked into the subway station and picked a cheap phone case from a street stall to replace the original one. Afterward, she found an affordable nail salon and bought a set of nail pieces to cover up her well-done manicure.
Her high-tech watch was temporarily taken off, leaving her wrist feeling empty, so she bought a wide silver bracelet.
The subway arrived swiftly.
She glanced at her reflection in the glass and felt satisfied with her overall appearance, so she happily stepped into the train.
The first stop was Jinwu.
It was now a little after two o'clock in the afternoon, and the train was relatively empty, with two or three available seats.
Jian Jing headed towards the nearest seat, but to her surprise, a young man who boarded the train at the same time quickened his pace and sat down first, giving her a smug look.
She was speechless and chose to sit in the next train car.
Most people completely ignored her.
Jian Jing felt a bit uncomfortable. When she went out normally, she received more attention than being ignored. Girls would notice her accessories and clothing (there were often girls approaching her, asking where she bought things), and boys would simply take a glance, and the more courageous ones might ask for her contact information.
Of course, as a writer, being asked for autographs by fans was also a common occurrence.
But now, no one paid attention to her.
It felt rather pleasant.
She seemed like a drop of water, silently merging into the water, and people wouldn't particularly notice her actions or leave a lasting impression in their minds.
For a detective, this was undoubtedly an excellent form of concealment.
Jian Jing tried walking close to someone, shook her body, and then moved away. However, the person remained engrossed in their phone the entire time, completely oblivious to her presence.
Interesting.
She couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Kang would recognize her when they met later.
Ding-dong, it was her stop.
Jian Jing got off the train and, being familiar with the route, found the business building where Jinwu was located.
And then... she couldn't get in.
Ahem, the security at the Jinwu building was strict. Access required a key card, and if you were a visitor, you needed to register specifically and verify with the relevant department.
In the bright and spacious hall, white-collar workers hurriedly came and went. Although it wasn't as glamorous as a workplace drama, it still had the busyness and efficiency of a large corporation.
"Excuse me, please." Walking towards her was Jian Jing's former classmate and secretary, Dai An. She hurriedly descended the stairs, still holding her phone. "Teacher, I'll be there soon. I'll come down to pick you up—can we meet at the café? Alright, let me ask President Kang first."
She hung up the phone and dialed Kang Mu Cheng's number. "Professor Wang doesn't want to go upstairs. He feels dizzy in elevators. Can we meet at the café... Alright, alright, I'll go first."
While Dai An was talking, she brushed past Jian Jing without even noticing her.
Jian Jing took a few steps back and changed her plans accordingly.
There was a cultural café near the "Golden Crow," with a romantic and stylish ambiance that was quite popular. Since she couldn't go into the "Golden Crow" (it felt quite awkward), she decided to try her luck at the café instead.
She arrived a step earlier than Kang Mu Cheng and chose a seat next to his.
Kang Mu Cheng came down quickly and met with Professor Wang.
The conversation was unremarkable.
Professor Wang and President Kang were from an older generation, preparing to retire and planning to publish a collection of their prose works. As respected seniors, it was only fitting for Kang Mu Cheng to personally engage with them. They discussed not just royalties, but also emotions.
Jian Jing found herself dozing off while listening, but fortunately, they didn't intend to engage in long discussions. The conversation ended after just half an hour.
Dai An paid the bill, and Kang Mu Cheng left with Professor Wang.
Jian Jing followed behind.
The café's glass door was large and heavy. Kang Mu Cheng opened the door and let Professor Wang go first. But when it was his turn, Jian Jing followed him outside.
He paused and let the girl leave first.
"Thank you," Jian Jing said in a soft and gentle voice, using a voice changer.
Kang Mu Cheng nodded, but didn't pay attention.
Professor Wang left, and Kang Mu Cheng prepared to return to the "Golden Crow."
On the way, they passed by the flagship Lego store located at the corner.
Kang Mu Cheng glanced at it and suddenly stopped.
Jian Jing was surprised.
He pushed the door open and went in, directly selecting a few sets displayed in the center. He asked, "Can you deliver them to my doorstep?"
"Of course, sir. Where would you like them delivered? Do you need a card?" The staff was very considerate.
Jian Jing leaned over to eavesdrop.
Kang Mu Cheng mentioned the name of a residential area without a doubt—it was her home.
The staff took note of it and brought a greeting card for him to write on.
He hesitated for a while before finally writing a few lines.
Jian Jing didn't sneak a peek.
Kang Mu Cheng paid, left, and as he passed by her, he glanced at her a little longer.
Jian Jing acted as if nothing had happened, not believing that he recognized her.
And indeed, Kang Mu Cheng didn't think much of it. The concept of disguises was unfamiliar to ordinary people. He just felt it was a coincidence that this girl seemed vaguely familiar, so he took a second glance.
Sometimes, intuition is more accurate than the mind.
Without dwelling on it, he checked his watch—there were still fifteen minutes until the video conference. In an instant, he cast aside all distractions and began to formulate his meeting plan in his mind.
Jian Jing watched him leave and secretly smirked.
When Mr. Kang returned this time, it was impossible for him to leave the office without working until late at night.
Let's move on.
Jian Jing opened WeChat and, as expected, the first message was a news update, and the second one was from Jiang BaiYan.
He had sent a photo in the morning, a selfie taken on the set of a drama. He mentioned that the weather was hot and the makeup was prone to smudging, but luckily there was a restaurant nearby where the crew could take a break in the air conditioning.
Jian Jing searched for the restaurant's name and quickly found the address.
It was an old neighborhood that was still undergoing renovation; the housing was dense, and the buildings were several decades old, with some even being dilapidated.
She took a taxi there and checked their chat history along the way.
Jiang BaiYan mentioned that the espionage drama he had previously agreed to had been postponed. The production team heard some rumors about the actor they had cast as the second male lead and decided not to start filming for the time being. They were stuck because they had already signed the contract, and if they broke it, they would have to pay a hefty sum. But if the actor himself backed out, they wouldn't have to pay anything.
So, his schedule became free, and he decided to take on a movie instead.
The plot was quite funny: the male protagonist woke up one day and found that he had changed sex, becoming a female version of himself. In the memories of his family and friends, he had always been a girl, but only he felt like a boy.
And so, his extraordinary life began.
The world became both unfamiliar and familiar. Even though it was the same person, the same face, after switching genders, different aspects of his personality emerged.
Jiang BaiYan described it as seventy percent comedy, twenty percent heartwarming, and ten percent thought-provoking.
Jian Jing saw her own reply at that time: "[Do you dress up as a woman?]"
Her interest was piqued, but she didn't rush to approach when she arrived. Instead, she stood at a street corner and used a telescope to observe.
Jiang BaiYan was having dessert with a girl.
His appearance was naturally androgynous, and at the moment, he was wearing loose t-shirt and pants. Only his hair was slightly longer, but it didn't look exaggerated. However, his backpack, accessories, and jewelry were all cute and pink, revealing the reversal of his gender.
Perhaps his acting skills were too good, as his expression of despair seemed too real. Jian Jing couldn't help but want to laugh as she watched.
"Cut!" the director called, replaying the scene and nodding in satisfaction. "That's a wrap."
A few lucky fans hurriedly approached, asking if they could get an autograph.
Jian Jing blended in with them.
Jiang BaiYan was always approachable and, of course, he wouldn't refuse. He found a shady spot and signed for them.
The fans suppressed their excitement and asked, "Can we take a picture?"
"Sorry, but I can't," he said skillfully, drawing his own name. "I'm working, so it's not convenient to take photos."
"Aw," the girls sighed with regret but didn't insist.
It was Jian Jing's turn.
Jiang BaiYan signed his name without even looking up and asked, "What should I write?"
Jian Jing replied, "Jin Ji'an?"
It was a perfectly normal name. Jiang BaiYan didn't think much of it when he started writing, but after finishing, he felt that something was off and glanced at her.
He didn't recognize her.
"Are you my fan?" he casually asked.
Jian Jing replied, "Sort of."
"Hey, are you a spy from another fan club?" He tilted his head and, surprisingly, drew a little stick figure that perfectly depicted her current appearance. He even said, "Since you're here, remember to support me more in the future. I'll draw two little hearts for you."
Seeing how adorable he was, Jian Jing couldn't help but suppress her laughter. She almost burst out laughing.
"Sister Chen approached and said, 'Xiao Bai, your scenes for today are over. Are you going home?'"
Jiang BaiYan handed back the autograph and casually asked, "Did you bring it?"
"It's in the car."
They returned to the nanny car while Jian Jing pretended to walk away but secretly listened in. However, Jiang BaiYan didn't mention anything like "that fan is strange." Instead, he started talking about himself.
Sister Chen said, "Is it for Teacher Jian? I've wrapped it up for you."
Jian Jing perked up her ears. Huh?
As Sister Chen spoke, she picked up the paper box in the car. It was a pink box with a satin ribbon tied around it, wrapped with great care and thoughtfulness.
"Is this okay?" The manager fretted.
Little did they know, Jiang BaiYan vigorously shook his head, removed the ribbon in three quick motions, and opened the box, messing up the arrangement of the lipstick, sunglasses, and perfume inside. It looked as if they were haphazardly thrown in.
Sister Chen was speechless. "Stop, stop, stop! How can you give it like this?"
"You made it too much like a gift. Teacher Jing will find it strange," he complained. "It should look more casual, as if I randomly took some things. It shouldn't seem like the brand sent too many."
Sister Chen remained silent.
After fussing around, he was satisfied and lowered his head to send a message.
Jian Jing's phone vibrated.
She took it out, and he had written: [I've been endorsing too many brands lately. I received a bunch of stuff that I can't use up. I'll send some to you. Are you at home?]
Jian Jing replied: [I'm not at home.]
He asked: [Should I leave it at the entrance?]
Jian Jing responded: [Okay.]
At the same time, Jiang BaiYan's voice reached her ears. He said to Sister Chen, "Did you see that? The more casual, the better. That way, she'll accept my gift."
Jian Jing thought, "..."
Sister Chen couldn't help but complain, "Is it necessary?"
Jiang BaiYan said, "When starting from the bottom, you have to work harder than others."
"But what if Teacher Jian thinks you're not sincere?" Sister Chen countered.
"Jing Jing isn't foolish. These are all the styles she likes. How could she think I'm not sincere? She'll know at a glance," he said confidently.
Sister Chen couldn't understand. "If she can see through your intentions, your scheming might backfire, won't it?"
"You don't understand. The intentions that can be seen through are just petty tricks," he casually explained. "I want her to see that no matter how much I struggle, I can't escape her grasp."
Sister Chen remained silent.
Jian Jing rested her hand on her temple and silently walked away.
