Eighteen Whales

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Jing Chengyun didn’t think Su Zile would contact her without reason. While massaging Ruan Mianmian to ease her pain, she answered the call.

The male fox spirit’s voice was always gentle and languid: “Good morning. Hope I’m not disturbing your rest. There’s a task that needs to be done. If it’s convenient for you, I can come pick you up.”

Time Travel Bureau missions were often assigned at odd hours. Jing Chengyun asked, “Why are you the one notifying me? Where’s the team leader?”

Su Zile replied, “She’s also working overtime on a task. I brought you some breakfast. Get ready and come downstairs.”

The call ended.

Her hand was still held by the rabbit spirit. Ruan Mianmian’s tailbone ached from the fall, and she wished her owner would continue massaging her, but unfortunately, his mind had already drifted away. He shrugged her off and jumped out of bed.

The experience of time traveling was strange and precious to Jing Chengyun.

In the early morning, everyone in the Jing family had their own affairs. Jing Yan would sleep until half an hour before work. Jing Hong practiced yoga on the balcony. Jing Zhao had stayed up all night watching dramas and had just gone to bed.

Jing Chengyun and her mother Jing Hong exchanged morning greetings. She chose a hoodie with pockets so the lop-eared rabbit could hide inside.

Wherever she went, she took the little rabbit with her.

Outside the Jinxiu Garden community, a brightly painted motorcycle waited patiently.

Jing Chengyun’s keen eyesight caught the sight, and she froze, hesitant to approach. “...Su Zile?”

Su Zile saw her too and smiled, “Morning.”

His attire was refined but completely different from before.

A pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. His shirt seemed a size too small, outlining his moderately developed chest muscles—not too flat and dull, nor overly robust.

Jing Chengyun swallowed hard, her eyes lingering on Su Zile’s chest. Hmph, if he dared to show off, she would boldly look. “So early in the morning, posing outside my building?”

Those damn chest muscles! The sly fox truly had skills!

“Born beautiful, I can’t help it. I didn’t do it on purpose,” Su Zile said, handing the milk to Miss Orca, secretly pleased. He knew choosing an ill-fitting shirt was a smart move.

Of course, those muscles were for Jing Chengyun’s eyes only; around others, he wore a jacket to maintain his image.

Before he could enjoy the moment, a lop-eared rabbit poked its head out of Jing Chengyun’s pocket, its voice clear: “Brother Samoyed!”

Su Zile’s back stiffened as he struggled to keep a calm expression.

Afraid he had misheard, he looked closely several times before confirming the rabbit’s identity: “Mianmian?”

His gentle smile masked his disdain for Ruan Mianmian and eagerness to win over Jing Chengyun.

Su Zile bent down, smiling at the little rabbit. “Good morning. Brother didn’t bring you breakfast.”

“It’s okay!” The little rabbit clung to the pocket’s edge, trying to stand straight. “Mianmian isn’t hungry.”

Not wanting the dead rabbit too close to Jing Chengyun, Su Zile pointed to the motorcycle trunk. “Mianmian, how about you sit there? It’s not safe hiding in the hoodie pocket. What if you fall out?”

“No, Mianmian can’t sit there.”

“Why not?”

“Because Mianmian’s butt hurts!” Ruan Mianmian replied crisply. Because of the pain, she could only stand or lie down.

Su Zile’s expression changed drastically; he was stunned speechless, frozen in place.

That dead rabbit had climbed onto Jing Chengyun’s bed, yet he hadn’t even touched the corner of her clothes!

The fox was furious!

Ignoring his increasingly twisted face, Jing Chengyun straddled the front of the motorcycle seat, reaching out for the keys. “Can I drive? Please let me. Your motorcycle is really cool.”

Su Zile calmed himself. He had planned to take Jing Chengyun for a ride to enjoy the morning scenery of White Cloud City and try to earn her favor.

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But seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, he couldn’t bear to refuse and reluctantly agreed.

Jing Chengyun’s motorcycle skills came from her aunt; she drove fast and wildly. Ruan Mianmian hid trembling in the pocket, while Su Zile’s composed face concealed a quaking heart.

Instinctively, Su Zile moved forward, hoping that being closer to the driver’s body would increase his sense of security...

Hmm? His chest brushed against Jing Chengyun’s back, and he felt her body shrink slightly.

Su Zile had an idea. Facing the wind, he shouted, “Can I hold you? I’m afraid I’ll fall off!”

“Ah? Oh, yes, you can hold on, but you have to sit tight.” After all, passengers had to find ways to ensure safety. Besides, Jing Chengyun had her own reasons.

Distractedly, she accelerated again, feeling Su Zile’s chest muscles.

* * *

The task required them to enter a single-player game and destroy the villain’s doomsday machine. Any means were acceptable; as long as the control console was damaged, the mission counted as successful.

Jing Chengyun raised her usual doubts: “If we destroy the machine, what can the game protagonist do afterward?”

Sometimes, it was pointless to ask too many questions. Su Zile said, “We just need to finish the task. The bonus is 1,000 Blue Star Coins.”

They continued to work on their plan.

Jing Chengyun suggested, “Why not try a new approach? Like acting as the protagonist’s system, assigning tasks and guiding them to complete objectives?”

Su Zile explained, “The styles differ across Time Travel Bureau teams. You must know that Du Yishui is a kangaroo... Are kangaroos patient and meticulous enough to guide others?”

Jing Chengyun fell silent, accepting his explanation, then signed and sealed the “Task Plan” before heading to the basement for time travel.

Lying inside the time machine, the program ran according to commands and played a soothing melody. Within thirty seconds, Jing Chengyun was inside the task world.

The world was cyberpunk-themed, with dazzling, glaring colors that made her eyes ache. Ahead stood the massive control console—the mission target. Destroying it would foil the villain’s plan and protect the world.

Following the pre-arranged plan, they only needed to damage the console’s program.

Su Zile, the expert, wasn’t in a hurry. He leisurely crossed his arms and asked, “Do you understand programming?”

“No,” Jing Chengyun answered frankly. She had never studied code and knew nothing about it.

But she knew a lot about the nine-tailed fox spirit’s temperament. From Su Zile’s smirk, she sensed his arrogance and confidence.

“Then just watch me do it,” Su Zile said, adjusting his already neat collar, donning his gold-rimmed glasses with a calm voice.

Without hesitation, Jing Chengyun stepped forward to observe.

Su Zile inserted a USB drive, ran a program, and tapped a few buttons. The progress bar on the console showed “50%.”

Hearing her exclamation of surprise, Su Zile was smug. Hmph, now she knew how impressive he was. He’d win her over sooner or later!

However, if he studied Jing Chengyun’s expression carefully, he’d see her reaction was more curiosity than admiration.

Jing Chengyun stroked her chin, considering whether to take a programming class. She already balanced two jobs—at the funeral home and the Time Travel Bureau—plus Du Yishui’s boxing class and playtime in the ocean...

Better to buy a book and self-study.

Pleased with her plan, Jing Chengyun smiled, and that smile struck Su Zile’s heart like an arrow, making his face flush and his breathing falter.

The nine-tailed fox’s vanity was in his blood, undiminished by his family’s exile. Su Zile wildly imagined Jing Chengyun abandoning Ruan Mianmian and turning to him.

He felt—he had it in the bag!

He didn’t believe he couldn’t win her over!

Just a little more scheming, and both the beloved and half a million in rewards would be his. Thinking this, Su Zile’s typing slowed.

Suddenly, an alarm blared by his ear, jolting him awake.

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“You’re too slow. The villain is about to break in. Check if there’s still time to hack the program,” Jing Chengyun listened intently to the sounds outside, instinctively stepping toward the door.

Su Zile cursed himself. His skills were top-notch; as the Time Travel Bureau’s star employee, he’d never botched a task due to distraction.

He grumbled, “There should be enough time. If not, it’s fine—we’re Time Travel Bureau agents and can re—What are you doing?”

Under Su Zile’s stunned gaze, Jing Chengyun took several strides back, then suddenly sprinted forward—BANG!

Dust flew, alarms blared incessantly, piercing Su Zile’s eardrums.

Through the flying dust and debris, he saw a massive ocean beast smash the console, leaving him awestruck and triggering the “Mission Complete” notification.

In an instant, the beast transformed into a human-shaped figure bathed in gentle white light, landing softly. Jing Chengyun was unharmed, only dust smudged at her temple.

She glanced back at the armed villainous army, finger pressing the bracelet’s button, and winked slyly at Su Zile: “I’m leaving first!”

She vanished.

Su Zile remained, heart pounding.

* * *

Back at the Time Travel Bureau.

Though the mission was imperfect, Jing Chengyun wrote a summary of several thousand words, including a special paragraph about her curiosity toward programming.

“Thanks to you just now,” Su Zile said with difficulty. His pride made it hard to admit mistakes, but his heart urged him to praise Jing Chengyun boldly.

Violent solutions might not be recommended, but every time Jing Chengyun used them, they were effective—during hunts, when targeted by thugs, and on missions.

Hearing “thank you” from Su Zile, Jing Chengyun raised an eyebrow and accepted the gratitude. “It’s what colleagues should do. No need to thank me. You should reflect on why you got distracted. By the way, did you learn programming on your own or through other means?”

“I studied it at university,” Su Zile sat beside her, his beautiful fox eyes full of affection. “If you want to learn, I can teach you.”

Jing Chengyun considered the reliability of taking him as a teacher. Though Su Zile was professionally skilled, her reservations remained. She couldn’t chant anti-charm spells while learning, after all.

“I was just asking, not saying I want to be your student,” she declined politely and lowered her head to write the report, focusing.

Rejected again, Su Zile was unhappy. After being flung all over during a previous game interruption, he’d developed a psychological shadow about the fierce orca woman and dared not pester her.

He decided to test the waters.

“Jing Chengyun, pass me a tissue.”

“Okay.”

Without looking up, Jing Chengyun casually grabbed a tissue and handed it over. The next moment, she noticed the texture was different.

Not only was it soft yet firm, but it trembled slightly.

Turning her head, Jing Chengyun was stunned.

Her fingertips rested not elsewhere but on Su Zile’s lean chest. When the fox didn’t exert force, his muscles felt soft; applying pressure made them hard.

Su Zile breathed rapidly, embarrassed and nervous; his chest rose and fell, muscles changing texture.

“Ah!” Suddenly, someone burst through the door. It was Ruan Mianmian, who had returned from the HR department looking for her owner. Upon seeing this, she whispered sharply, “Why is Master touching Big Brother’s chest muscles?”

Ruan Mianmian slammed the door, rushed over, and crouched beside Jing Chengyun, pouting. “Touch Mianmian’s too!”