Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 201 Breakfast
The kidnapping case was quietly closed.

The news of Wang Youcai's death, Hu Yingshao's death, and the deaths of the real and fake Wang Sheng was all suppressed.

And each of the victims' families received satisfactory compensation.

Thanks to prosecutor Gao Bin, who unearthed a complete chain of evidence from Hu Yingshao's body, none of the people involved in the case escaped.

Wang Youcai's influence and Hu Yingshao's network of connections were completely wiped out.

In a typical case, the police could at most eliminate the ringleaders, such as key figures like Wang Youcai and Hu Yingshao.

But this kidnapping case involved masks.

When it comes to the masked group, the Countermeasures Bureau has always been to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free.

Everyone who had close contact with Hu Yingshao, regardless of their background, was invited for questioning.

A huge gap suddenly appeared in the underground forces of Qianhua City.

As for who will replace Wang Youcai in a year or two, that's not Gao Bin's business.

With the cooperation of the Third Countermeasures Division, this operation did not cause any disturbance in society.

Qianhua City is still the same Qianhua City.

Only a few seasoned tea drinkers noticed that many old shops had closed down, and they were all lamenting their loss.

However, once the storm has passed, those massage parlors will simply relocate and rebrand to reopen.

They will soon find a new home.

There is less than a week left before the start of school.

Ai Liang originally planned to take advantage of the summer vacation to explore Qianhua City and enjoy the scenery.

As a result, he got involved in a kidnapping case shortly after arriving.

Ai Liang was fully aware that Hu Yingshao was a masked man, but there were two main reasons why he did not intervene.

Firstly, with Gao Bin and Xia Qiyuan around, he didn't need to expose himself.

Moreover, Gao Bin's ability is just as dangerous as Jin Ping'an's; both of them can ignore mind control and directly rewind to the essence of the past.

Ai Liang's ability can alter memories, but it cannot change the past. Even if their memories are altered, they can still use extrasensory perception and regression to see what happened in the past.

Jin Ping'an's abilities, in particular, are far superior to Gao Bin's, except for the limitation on the number of times they can be used.

Unlike Gao Bin, who can only view the primitive memories of living beings, Jin Ping'an can directly see all the things that happened in the past through any medium.

If he accidentally exposes his use of his abilities, as long as Jin Ping'an's ability to rewind remains, he will eventually discover that his memories have been altered.

As for another reason for not interfering too much... Ai Liang was rather wary of the Thousand-Faced Man.

According to Gao Bin's memory, among all the major forces, there is currently no one who can rival the Thousand-Faced Man. He is the first and strongest apostle in this world.

The four political systems even suspect that the fifth political system, Theo, which is implementing a policy of isolationism across the ocean, is under the control of the Thousand-Faced Man.

Many years ago, when I first received information about the supernatural.

With the tacit approval and encouragement of other political entities, the African International Republic exerted military pressure on Theo, attempting to force them to hand over all research data on the supernatural.

It was that incident that made the world realize what the Apostles really are.

Codenamed Thousand Faces, leader of the Apostles Society, possessing the ability to kill tens of millions of people in an instant, the strongest spiritual apostle.

The horrific mass deaths of that year were summarized in a single sentence by various political systems.

This is similar to a historical record: "During a great famine, people resorted to cannibalism."

What may seem like a casual remark hides a cruel and desperate hell.

No one knows if this is the limit for the Thousand-Faced Man. Before he has absolute certainty, Ai Liang does not plan to deal with the Apostle Society.

I should wait until after my sixteenth birthday, when my abilities have been enhanced, before I can even touch the mask.

………………

August 27th, 10:30 PM.

As usual, Ai Liang went to the balcony before going to bed and opened the windows to ventilate the living room.

"Hey, Liang, why haven't you been going out for a stroll lately?"

Ye Qing, who had just finished showering, was wearing a tank top and using an electric fan to dry her hair on the balcony next door.

Ai Liang glanced at her: "Just got back from get off work?"

"Yeah, school's about to start, so my part-time job at the supermarket can only be moved from daytime to nighttime."

Ye Qing turned her body and tilted her head to the side, using a comb to gently brush away the water droplets from her hair in front of the electric fan.

As she combed her hair, she muttered to herself, "Although the shorter working hours mean the work will be easier, the income has also decreased. I wonder when the scholarship will come through..."

The windows on both balconies were open, and the electric fan blew the fragrance of shower gel over to Ai Liang.

A faint, refreshing fragrance, mixed with the milky scent of skincare products, constantly tantalized his nose.

Ai Liang leaned against the balcony and looked at Ye Qing, saying, "Your bra strap."

To make it easier to blow-dry her hair, Ye Qing unconsciously leaned to one side, causing the strap of her tank top to slip down her shoulder.

As the rabbit on the left combed its hair, it tried several times to break free from the restraints of its clothes.

However, under the watchful gaze of some special force, it shrank back in terror, revealing only a small section of its body trembling.

"Hmm... don't be so blunt about these things! Be more subtle, more nuanced."

Ye Qing rolled her eyes at Ai Liang, pulled the shoulder strap back in an annoyed manner, and then deliberately pulled the tank top down hard to prevent the shoulder strap from slipping down again.

However, with this pull, the shoulder strap wouldn't slip off, but a certain valley would reappear.

Since there was no one else around, Ai Liang didn't bother reminding her a second time and simply looked away at the sky outside the window.

"Aren't you busy lately?" Ye Qing brought up the question from the beginning again.

"I've already explored all the major areas nearby."

"Oh, I see."

Ye Qing put on an "I knew it" expression.

After her hair was half-dry, she came to Ai Liang's side, the two of them less than two meters apart.

"Are you going to report for duty tomorrow?" Ye Qing asked, stretching.

Ai Liang propped her head up with her elbow, gazing at the sky where only the moon was visible: "Isn't school supposed to start in September?"

"You can report earlier now, it's written on the notification letter."

Ye Qing stretched out her arm and poked Ai Liang next door through the security window: "There's more than just Experimental Middle School in this area. If everyone registers on the same day, those who arrive late probably won't even be able to see the school gate."

"From the 28th until early September, you can register in advance. I plan to go tomorrow to avoid queuing for the last two days. Shall we go together?"

"I'm fine on my end, but can you get up tomorrow?"

Ai Liang asked the core question.

Ever since Ye Qing's part-time job was switched to the night shift, Ai Liang has never seen her get up before 10 o'clock.

"So tomorrow I'll have to rely on you, A-Liang, to wake me up."

Ye Qing said with a grin.

"Okay, remember not to turn off your phone tonight."

Ai Liang casually accepted the wake-up call service.

The two chatted for a while about their upcoming campus life, and then left the balcony to rest.

There's still some time before my usual bedtime.

Ai Liang planned to go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for tomorrow.

Open the cupboard, fill a cup with rice, and then take out 50 grams of pork, two preserved eggs, half a carrot, a small section of scallion, and a small piece of ginger from the refrigerator.

Ai Liang picked up the rice cooker, rinsed the rice, poured it into a transparent lunchbox, and soaked it with water and sesame oil.

Then cut the pork strips into cubes and put them in a bowl. Add a small spoonful of salt, stir and mix well to marinate.

Peel and shred a small piece of ginger, chop scallions, and dice preserved eggs and carrots.

Ai Liang did not use telekinesis to cut vegetables because cutting vegetables without making any noise always felt like something was missing.

The clanging sound of the cleaver hitting the cutting board not only adds a touch of life to the quiet home but also brings him a sense of tranquility.

Ten minutes later, Ai Liang returned, covered the prepared food with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator.

Then I took a shower and went to bed.

………………

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking...

Ai Liang opened her eyes and reached for her phone.

It was 5:30 in the morning, half an hour earlier than I usually wake up.

It's probably because he goes to bed early.

After washing up, Ai Liang went to the kitchen and took the ingredients she had chopped yesterday out of the refrigerator.

Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the marinated meat pieces from yesterday, skim off any foam, and then add half of the scallions and ginger slices.

After cooking for about two minutes, Ai Liang picked up the small pot and poured the meat and broth into the rice cooker.

Then take out the rice that was soaked yesterday. Rice soaked in sesame oil will be softer and more fragrant without being greasy when cooked.

The sesame oil will evaporate during the cooking process, so there's no need to worry about the porridge being too oily.

Pour the rice, diced carrots, and other remaining ingredients into the pot, add a few cups of water, and you're all done.

Ai Liang closed the lid and pressed the porridge button to start cooking.

He went to the living room and started browsing through a new novel he had recently bought at the bookstore.

Fifty minutes later, the aroma of preserved egg and lean pork congee began to waft from the kitchen into the living room.

Ai Liang returned to the kitchen, opened the pot lid, poured in the remaining half of the diced preserved eggs and scallions, added a small spoonful of salt and some pepper, and continued to simmer.

About ten minutes later.

A pot of congee with preserved egg and lean pork is ready.

This is a fairly common way to make preserved egg and lean pork congee, and it's also the method that Ai Liang uses most often.

After finishing a bowl of porridge, it was 6:50.

Ai Liang estimated that it was about time to wake Ye Qing up.

Reporting at 8 o'clock, getting up now, brushing teeth, washing face, eating, and getting to school, an hour is about enough.

So he picked up his phone and dialed Ye Qing's number.

Du~du~du~
Second time.

Du~du~du~
Third time

Du~du~du~
Ai Liang lowered her eyes. Could it be that Ye Qing had silenced her phone?

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

No, it's probably just that he was sleeping too soundly.

After several unsuccessful phone calls, Ai Liang went directly to her door and knocked loudly.

The knocking grew louder and louder until the door was opened twice from upstairs, at which point Ye Qing's door finally opened.

"Hey~ Who's here so early in the morning?"

The door opened from the inside out, and Ye Qing poked half her head out, revealing her sleepy eyes.

"It's almost seven o'clock now, according to today's report."

Seeing that she was clearly still half asleep, Ai Liang said with a stern face.

You asked me to go to the reporting office with you just so I would wake you up, right?
"Oh, right, school started today."

After muttering something incoherently, Ye Qing retreated back into the room without even closing the door.

Ai Liang helped her put it on.

A dozen minutes later, Ye Qing, having finished washing up, knocked on Ai Liang's door.

Ai Liang, all ready to go, opened the security door with her admission notice tucked under one arm and her newly bought novel in the other.

Unlike Ai Liang, who dresses casually.

Today, Ye Qing wore a white chiffon short-sleeved shirt, revealing her pink arms, and denim shorts and white sneakers. Her fair and smooth thighs shone brightly under the lights.

Putting everything else aside, just looking at her outfit, she'll definitely be the campus goddess after she enters school.

"Come on, I'll treat you to something delicious today. I know all the snack shops around here by heart."

Ye Qing waved her hand generously, her ponytail swaying behind her.

"Thank you, I've already had breakfast."

Ai Liang glanced at Ye Qing briefly before turning her gaze back to her face, controlling her eyes from wandering around.

"Hey? Where did you eat? That beef noodle shop across the street?"

Ye Qing was stunned. It was only seven o'clock. Did he get up and eat breakfast at six o'clock?
"No, I made my own preserved egg and lean pork congee."

"Getting up so early to cook porridge? You didn't get up at five o'clock, did you?"

Ye Qing's expression froze: "I understand if you like cooking, but do you have to prepare your own breakfast?"

"I prepared all the ingredients last night, and I woke up quite early today, so I just made it on the spot."

Ai Liang had already started changing his shoes, but remembering that there was still more than half a pot of porridge left, he stopped and turned to Ye Qing, asking, "There's still quite a bit left in the pot, would you like some?"

Ai Liang doesn't eat much. He only eats three meals a day on time because he enjoys cooking. Basically, after cooking, he takes a couple of bites and puts down his chopsticks.

In the past, the nanny would take care of any leftover vegetables, but now we just have to throw them away, which feels like a real waste.

So, wanting to avoid wasting anything, Ai Liang asked Ye Qing.

"Is that okay? I've never had preserved egg and lean pork congee before."

Ye Qing didn't stand on ceremony with him. She stepped on the shoe cover dispenser next to the door and walked into the living room in a carefree manner.

They weren't shy at all.

Perhaps she had accepted Ai Liang, which was why she wasn't polite to him.

"Wait a mininute."

Ai Liang turned and walked into the kitchen, picking up a transparent round food storage container.

There was still quite a bit of porridge left in the pot; one bowl probably wouldn't be enough, and Ye Qing had a big appetite, so this food storage container was perfect.

Anyway, she's not the type of person who likes to fuss over these little details.

"It smells so good! Did you make this yourself?"

Before Ai Liang could even put the food on the table, Ye Qing started sniffing: "Wow, so much? You didn't make it for me too, but you were too embarrassed to ask, did you?"

Facing Ye Qing's ambiguous smile, Ai Liang's expression remained unchanged.

"I don't eat much to begin with, but whether it's cooking or stir-frying, it's not easy to control the quantity if it's small. It's more convenient to cook for multiple people."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely finish it. I used to eat dry food for breakfast, this is the first time I've had porridge."

Seeing that Ai Liang had no reaction, Ye Qing felt very bored.

However, she enthusiastically picked up a spoon and scooped up a big mouthful of the porridge in front of her: "It's so delicious! Did you really make this yourself? Although I've never bought porridge before, this is enough to open a shop!"

The porridge, which had been sitting for a while, was just warm enough for Ye Qing to scoop up spoonful after spoonful.

"As long as it suits your taste."

Watching Ye Qing happily drinking her porridge like a child.

Ai Liang gave a brief smile.

Ye Qing wolfed down the porridge in no time, finishing the whole bowl in less than five minutes. She looked like she hadn't had enough and was still hungry.

"Thank you for the treat. Oh, I was going to treat you to breakfast, but I ended up getting a free meal from you too."

Ye Qing scratched her cheek with her index finger, feeling a little embarrassed despite her cheerful personality.

Ai Liang picked up a large food container and put it in the kitchen sink: "It's okay. If you don't eat it, you'll just have to throw it away. It's good that someone takes care of the leftovers. At least we don't have to keep a dog."

"...Can you speak like a human being?"

Ye Qing's face darkened, and she glared at him fiercely.

I was halfway through correcting typos when I realized I had sent the wrong manuscript.

This is an old draft, and the folder name is always "Chapter 1," so I made a mistake.

However, it has been fixed. Just refresh the page; it won't affect your reading experience.

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(End of this chapter)