Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Chuan returned to the kitchen doorway.

"Hanako-nee, Professor Oak wants me to come to the lab. He says it's urgent."

Hanako was about to ladle out the soup when she heard this and looked up.

"It's getting dark, are you still going?"

"Hmm. It should be quite important."

Hanako said with concern, "Okay. You go ahead then, I'll save it for you. I'll heat it up for you when you come back."

She pointed to the refrigerator.

"I also have some desserts that I've frozen. You can eat them when you get back."

Jiang Chuan nodded.

"it is good."

He glanced at Xia, who was sitting next to the kitchen counter and had already started secretly eating bread slices.

"Xiaoxia went out for special training with me today and ate a lot of fried meatballs on the way. Keep an eye on her tonight and make sure she eats less."

Xiaoxia was stuffing her third slice of bread into her mouth when she heard this. Her eyes widened, and she protested in a muffled voice.

"Oh dear! Professor Oak wanted to see you, didn't he? Go on with your work! Okay, okay, I'll control myself, you don't need to remind me! Go on, go on!"

As she spoke, she waved to shoo people away, her mouth stuffed full, like a squirrel whose tail had been stepped on.

Jiang Chuan couldn't help but laugh when he saw her possessive way of handling her food.

"I'm gone."

After he finished speaking, he walked to the door and put on his shoes.

Just as I was about to open the door, I suddenly remembered something else.

He turned around and pulled a Poké Ball from his fanny pack.

"Oh, right."

Jiang Chuan pressed the switch.

A soft white light flashed, and Dratini appeared on the living room floor.

Xiaoxia and Hanako both looked over.

As soon as the mini dragon emerged from its ball, its body tensed almost instinctively.

Its tail was slightly raised, its head held high, the fins on its ears spread out, and its sharp eyes scanned its surroundings, exuding a fighting spirit.

This little guy seems to have developed conditioned reflexes recently thanks to Jiang Chuan's training.

Jiang Chuan looked at its alarmed appearance and felt both amused and a little sorry for it.

He bent down, raised his hand, and gently touched the top of the mini dragon's head.

"relax."

His voice was very soft.

"No fighting today."

The mini dragon paused for a moment, then raised its head, its bright black eyes meeting Jiang Chuan's gaze.

Jiang Chuan touched the smooth scale on the back of its head again, his fingertips slowly sliding down the scale's texture, as if soothing a nervous little animal.

"Go have a nice meal with your mom today."

The Minidragon's eyes suddenly lit up.

It came closer, nuzzled Jiang Chuan's palm affectionately with its head, then let out a cheerful cry and swam towards the kitchen.

Halfway through the swim, he turned back to look at Jiang Chuan.

There was a hint of dependence and joy in her eyes, as if she were confirming that Jiang Chuan really had no other orders.

Jiang Chuanchong waved his hand.

"Go ahead. Eat more."

The dwarf dragon finally relaxed completely, flicked its tail, and plunged headfirst into the kitchen.

Hakron's voice came from the kitchen, filled with surprise.

"Oh dear, my little darling is here too. Come, come, let Mommy see you..."

Hearing the voice, Jiang Chuan's lips curled up slightly, and he opened the door and went out.

....................................

Upon arriving at the research institute, Jiang Chuan pushed open the glass door. A faint smell of disinfectant wafted through the corridor, mixed with the low hum of some kind of machine in operation.

He walked straight toward the main laboratory, his footsteps sounding particularly clear in the empty corridor.

Professor Oak stood at the control panel, his white lab coat sleeves rolled up to his elbows, as he bent down to put something into a machine. Rows of data were displayed on the screen next to him, and he would occasionally raise his hand to tap a few keys on the keyboard, his brows furrowed so deeply that he could hold a pen between them.

Professor Oak.

Jiang Chuan called out from the doorway.

Professor Oak didn't look up, only grunted an "Mmm," his fingers still flying across the keyboard.

"I need to use the switch."

Jiang Chuan gestured towards the network terminal in the corner, and then took two steps toward it.

"Ah, the switch, that works, it's available."

Professor Oak then looked up, as if he had just pulled himself out of a deep thought.

"Uh, but don't rush."

He reached out and beckoned to Jiang Chuan, his tone slightly urgent.

"I need to talk to you about something first. I'm going to introduce you to someone."

Jiang Chuan had just touched the edge of the switch when he pulled his hand back.

"To see someone?"

Professor Oak didn't explain. He strode over, grabbed Jiang Chuan's wrist, and pulled him inside. His grip was stronger than usual, and his steps were faster, the hem of his white coat swaying with each movement.

Jiang Chuan was pulled through the corridor, turned a corner, and headed towards the reception room deep inside the research institute.

"Professor Oak, what's wrong? Who's this mysterious person?"

Jiang Chuan staggered a bit as he was pulled, and couldn't help but ask.

"You didn't even tell me you were on the phone! You've already arrived, why didn't you tell me?"

Professor Oak glanced back at him, a smile etched on his wrinkled face.

"Hey, don't rush."

He patted Jiang Chuan's hand.

"We'll be there soon, you'll see us in a bit."

Jiang Chuan's doubts deepened again, but seeing Professor Oak's mysterious demeanor, he didn't press the matter further.

The door to the reception room was ajar, and warm yellow light leaked out from the crack.

Professor Oak pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Jiang Chuan go in first.

Jiang Chuan stepped inside, his gaze naturally sweeping across the entire room before settling on something else.

A person was sitting on the sofa by the window in the living room.

a woman.

To be precise, she is an exceptional mature and sophisticated woman who exudes charm from head to toe.

She was slightly turned to the side, flipping through an academic magazine in her hand. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders, the ends curling naturally against her chest. The magazine pages were half-flipped between her fingers as she looked up from the paper, her gaze meeting Jiang Chuan's.

It was a very delicate face.

Her eyebrows and eyes were relaxed, her nose was straight and delicate, and her lips were neither too thick nor too thin, with a natural light pink color.

Her individual features aren't particularly sharp, but when put together, they create an indescribable sense of comfort and pleasing appearance.

Her skin was very fair, the kind of delicate white that comes from being indoors all year round and not seeing sunlight, and it had a faint glow under the warm light.

She wore a light gray bodycon skirt, the hem of which fell just two inches above her knees. The fabric hugged her waist and hips perfectly, making the proportions of her upper and lower body stand out.

She wasn't wearing stockings; her bare calves peeked out from under her skirt, long and straight, and she wore a pair of soft-soled slippers commonly seen in research institutes, her ankles slender.

She exudes a composure and charm unique to mature women.

It's understated, but it has a strong presence.

Hearing the noise at the door, she put down the magazine in her hand and looked up.

Her gaze lingered on her grandfather's face for a moment, then naturally slid down to Jiang Chuan.

The person Professor Oak was pulling.

She roughly knew what was going on.

This is Jiang Chuan, the rookie trainer that his grandfather had mentioned to him.

The one who published a research paper with Zheng Hui.

Nanami's face unconsciously showed a hint of surprise.

When her grandfather introduced the subject before, she focused on the academic aspects.

Dr. Oki catered to Jiang Chuan's interests by describing in great detail the research Jiang Chuan and Zheng Hui had done together, highlighting their novel research ideas, solid data organization, and positive feedback after the publication of their paper.

As for his achievements as a trainer, it was only mentioned briefly, saying that the child was quite talented and had made a name for himself in the wild.

So the image that Nanami conjured up in her mind was an academic trainer who wore glasses, was slightly hunched over, spoke softly, and whose every other sentence revolved around data.

The person standing in front of her turned out to be completely different from what she had imagined.

Jiang Chuan was very strong.

It's not the bulky muscles you get from working out in the gym, but rather the well-proportioned and toned physique you develop from years of running around in the wild and traversing mountains.

With broad, flat shoulders and a straight back, the person exudes a sense of stability and groundedness when standing there.

His skin was a healthy wheat color, with faint sun marks left from his outdoor retreat, but it wasn't rough; instead, it made him look very energetic.

His features weren't the kind of extremely refined handsomeness, but his contours were well-defined, and there was a clean and heroic air between his eyebrows and eyes. When he smiled, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, carrying a touch of youthful sunshine.

She exudes a very comfortable aura.

Not dull, not boring, not rigid.

Nanami silently formed her first impression in her mind.

pretty good.

Having worked in research for so many years, she has met far too many academic men.

Most of them are like that: wearing thick glasses, wrinkled shirts, staring at the floor or screen when they speak, and their topics always revolve around data and theory.

It's not that it's bad, but it's just missing something.

It lacks a bit of vitality.

Jiang Chuan possesses precisely this kind of vitality.

But soon, more doubts welled up in Nanami's mind.

She recalled the last few words her grandfather added after introducing Jiangchuan to her.

"This child has a bright future."

"You should seize this opportunity and get to know him better."

"Grandpa has high hopes for him."

At the time, Nanami didn't think too much about it, simply assuming that her grandfather appreciated her talent and wanted her to expand her academic network. After all, Professor Oak was always enthusiastic about connecting younger generations with various research resources.

But now, seeing the barely concealed smile on Grandpa's face as he pulled Jiang Chuan in, and seeing Jiang Chuan standing right in front of him like this...

Nanami suddenly realized that the deeper meaning behind her grandfather's words seemed to go beyond academic connections.

"Make the most of the opportunity."

"Let's learn more about it."

"Grandpa has high hopes for him."

Putting these words together, they sound exactly like...

Nanami silently closed the magazine in her mind.

She looked Jiang Chuan over carefully again.

My gaze traveled from his face to his shoulders, to his waist, and then to his legs.

If the experiences Grandpa described were true—publishing a paper with Akira, achieving results through solo training in the wild, and being praised by Professor Oak for his promising future—then this person's abilities and potential are indeed undeniable.

In addition, there's his face and figure, and that sunny disposition.

It really suits her taste.

A string in Nanami's heart that hadn't been touched for a long time was gently plucked.

But then, her gaze finally settled on Jiang Chuan's face, and the most important thought came to mind.

too young.

Jiang Chuan looks about the same age as Xiao Mao.

Although Jiang Chuan's face showed more composure and the seasoned experience of the wilderness than Xiao Mao's, his youthful vigor was undeniable.

Her skin was firm, her eyes were bright, and there wasn't a single wrinkle at the corner of her eyes when she smiled.

Nanami silently calculated her age in her mind.

It's much bigger than Jiangchuan.

In her daily research, she usually interacts with colleagues of the same age or older seniors, and rarely has the opportunity to interact with someone so young.

Not to mention, it's in this kind of...

She paused for a moment.

This is a way of meeting that carries emotional connotations.

Nanami was a little confused.

Grandpa, what are you doing?

Even if you really want to introduce me to someone in the relationship field, you should at least do it properly.

Although my first impression of Jiangchuan was indeed quite good.

but.

If I were to develop a deeper relationship with him...

If word gets out, wouldn't it be saying that I'm an old cow eating young grass?

Nanami maintained a polite smile, but her mind was in turmoil.

She rarely comes into contact with matters of romantic relationships between men and women.

She inherited Dr. Oak's research trait; she loved to delve into things from a young age and once she got into academia, she couldn't get out.

While other students were dating, she was in the lab.

While others were going on blind dates after starting work, she was still in the lab.

But that doesn’t mean she didn’t have those thoughts.

I just haven't met the right person yet.

The academic men she encountered were mostly rigid, inflexible, and lacking in vitality. Being a researcher herself, she found herself uninterested in her colleagues. Day after day, year after year, her romantic life remained empty.

And today.

Grandpa paved the way for Jiang Chuan's many excellent qualities—strong academic ability, promising trainer, good character, and willingness to endure hardship.

Then she met the real person.

He was robust, with the healthy tan of someone who had practiced in the wild. He had a sunny smile, spoke in a calm and unhurried voice, and exuded a reassuring composure.

The favorability rating jumped significantly in that instant.

But the only problem is...

Nanami sighed inwardly.

He's so young.

At my age, do I have the chance to win his favor?

Even if they develop feelings for each other, given the age difference, won't it be awkward when they get to know each other better? Won't they run out of things to talk about? Won't there be a generation gap?

Countless question marks popped into her head.

The usually calm, rational, and aloof Nanami felt like her mind was a jumbled mess.

She maintained her composed demeanor, her fingers lightly resting on the magazine cover, a perfectly curved smile playing on her lips.

But the contrasting side deep inside is slowly emerging.

Those miscellaneous things.

Those little thoughts that she usually kept deep inside, thoughts that she herself was reluctant to admit.

Nanami took a breath without making a sound and placed the magazine on the sofa armrest.

The hem of her pencil skirt rose slightly with her movements, then fell back down, clinging to the outside of her thighs.

She raised her hand and tucked her long hair, which fell to her chest, behind her ear, revealing her fair neck and softly shaped jawline.

Nanami is not the type of person who is bad at communicating.

But considering all the groundwork Professor Oak had laid beforehand, and the current situation, she didn't know what to say for a moment.

We can only wait for Professor Oak or Jiang Chuan to speak first, and then improvise...