She Makes Me Believe in Science - Chapter 22

Weishui Village wasn’t far from the town, and the ride cost only thirty yuan. On the way, Song Qian listened to the driver tell many bizarre stories. Some were likely exaggerated or far-fetched, but one detail seemed grounded in reality.

There really was a female corpse in the well at the village square!

Song Qian’s grandfather had been one of the few wealthy men in the village, having built a three-story house. Unfortunately, the old man had passed away early, leaving the massive building for Song Qian’s grandmother to live in alone.

Song Qian jogged toward the familiar building with her small suitcase. From a distance, she could see the kind, smiling old woman waiting at the door.

“Grandma!”

“Oh, my sweet girl is back.” Grandma Song joyfully pulled Song Qian close, looking her up and down before nodding with satisfaction. “My sweet girl is getting prettier and prettier, a grown woman now.”

Song Qian wasn’t shy in front of her grandmother. She tilted her head and gave a playful hum, just like when she was a child. “Of course, I’m the best-looking.”

Ji Wuxin, standing nearby, couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She hadn’t realized Song Qian was this narcissistic.

Song Qian shot her a subtle, sideways glare.

Lin Qing, carrying his heavy bag, felt a bit awkward about approaching. He shuffled forward, one tiny step at a time.

Grandma Song clearly noticed him. “Sweetie, who is this?”

Lin Qing took the opportunity to introduce himself proactively. “Hello, Grandma. I’m Song Qian’s classmate. I heard the scenery here is beautiful and wanted to come see it.” This was the cover story they had agreed upon.

Song Qian was in her twenties, and bringing a male classmate home out of the blue made Grandma Song squint at Lin Qing’s face. Feeling like she couldn’t see well enough, she fished a pair of reading glasses out of her pocket. She peered so closely she was practically leaning into Lin Qing’s face.

“Grandma?”

Grandma Song’s expression turned flat. “A classmate, I see. Welcome, welcome.”

Despite her words, her tone was cold. Lin Qing wanted to curl his toes in embarrassment. It was obvious Grandma Song suspected there was something more between him and her granddaughter.

Song Qian grabbed Grandma Song’s hand and acted spoiled. “Grandma, he really is just a classmate. Don’t overthink it.”

“Who’s overthinking? A classmate is a classmate, I never said he was a boyfriend.”

Song Qian: “…”

Lin Qing: “…”

Ji Wuxin: “?”

Since he was already here, Grandma Song couldn’t very well make Lin Qing sleep in the fields, no matter how reluctant she felt. She pointed him toward a room on the third floor and told him to clean it himself.

“Come, sweetie. I finished getting your room ready a few days ago. The blankets and sheets are all washed and smell lovely!” Grandma Song led Song Qian away happily.

Song Qian looked back and gave Lin Qing a sheepish smile. Lin Qing shook his head, not taking it to heart.

Once they reached Song Qian’s room, Grandma Song suddenly pulled her aside, looking very serious. “Sensen, tell Grandma the truth. Do you like that boy?”

“Huh?” Song Qian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She pushed Grandma Song’s shoulders to get her to sit down. “I don’t like him. He really is just a friend.”

Grandma Song’s eyes widened. “A friend? Didn’t you just say he was a classmate?”

Song Qian: Why is Grandma so sharp today?

“Oh, I swear, I really don’t like him. If I liked him, I’d” Before Song Qian could finish, Grandma Song hurriedly patted her hand. “Hush now, don’t say such nonsense. Don’t go jinxing yourself.”

Song Qian smiled and rested her head on her grandmother’s shoulder, swaying gently. “Grandma, I’m hungry.”

“Alright, I’ll go cook. Didn’t you say you wanted to see Uncle Ji? Take that basket of eggs at the door to him later, and tell him to come over for dinner.”

“I’ll go now, actually. I want to catch up.”

“Go on then.”

Song Qian called Lin Qing to join her when she went next door, she wanted to ask him about the jade.

Compared to Song Qian’s three-story house, the neighboring home looked like it belonged to a different era. The two small rooms were built entirely of bamboo, giving off the vibe of a hidden master’s dwelling from a martial arts novel. A small bamboo forest surrounded the house.

Bamboo houses aren’t soundproof. Before Song Qian even reached the door, she heard the voices of a man and a woman inside.

“Second Uncle, just come back with me. My dad has sent me several times to invite you, and I always go back empty-handed. I’m going to get scolded.”

“I’m old now and really don’t like traveling far. Just tell big brother I wasn’t careful while hiking and broke my leg.”

“Second Uncle!”

The young woman’s voice sounded strangely familiar to Song Qian, and for some reason, she found it instinctively annoying.

Since the people inside were talking, she and Lin Qing felt it was rude to barge in. They stood quietly in front of the small bamboo patch.

As Lin Qing looked around, he suddenly let out a soft “huh” and began scrutinizing the surroundings.

The bamboo was planted in irregular, almost ugly patches around the house. However, the positions were such that they blocked the sunlight during both sunrise and sunset. Over the years, this would cause yin energy to linger. Even in the sweltering heat of summer, the inside of the house would be as cool as water at night.

Were these bamboo positions accidental, or… intentional?

“Sensen!?”

A man’s delighted voice broke Lin Qing’s train of thought. He looked up to see a man and a woman standing in front of the bamboo house. The man looked to be in his fifties, his hair heavily salted with gray. The woman looked young, around their age.

Song Qian stood frozen, her expression dazed. It wasn’t because she was out of practice seeing Uncle Ji after so long, she was stunned because she recognized the person standing next to him.

“Sensen? Don’t you recognize me?” Ji Jiusheng walked up to Song Qian and waved a hand in front of her eyes.

Song Qian snapped out of it and smiled. “Of course I do. Uncle Ji is as handsome as ever.” As she spoke, she couldn’t help but glance at Ji Shixing again.

Inside her head, she was gnashing her teeth. How is it this coincidental!?

“Come, let me introduce you. This is my brother’s daughter, Ji Shixing. She’s probably a year or two older than you.” Ji Jiusheng beckoned Ji Shixing over.

Ji Shixing’s expression was also complicated. Who would have thought that visiting a relative in the countryside would lead to running into an ex-girlfriend?

“Hello.” Song Qian pretended not to know her, keeping her smile polite and gentle.

Ji Shixing returned the smile with equal measure and extended her hand. “Hello there, Sen…sen?”

Song Qian’s smile stiffened. She raised an eyebrow at the extended hand, really not wanting to shake it. And who gave her permission to use her nickname?

“Who is she!?” Ji Wuxin sensed something was off, floating behind Song Qian and asking gloomily.

Song Qian gave a perfunctory squeeze of the fingertips and immediately retracted her hand. She was going to wash her hands three times when she got home! No, ten times!

Ji Jiusheng’s gaze fell on Lin Qing behind Song Qian. He looked him up and down several times, a flicker of hidden hostility in his eyes.

“And this is… the boyfriend?”

Song Qian shook her head and handed over the eggs. “He’s a friend, he came here to relax.”

“I see.” Ji Jiusheng adjusted his glasses. “Came here to relax, did he?”

Lin Qing felt immense pressure. He hadn’t been this nervous even when facing his master’s questions about drawing talismans.

“I… I…”

“Uncle Ji, look at how timid he is. Don’t make it hard for him. My grandma wants you to come over for dinner later. It’s been years, why don’t we walk and talk?”

Seeing Song Qian defend the boy so fiercely, Ji Jiusheng gave him a silent, dark glare.

This little brat dares to compete with me for the role of grandson-in-law!?

Lin Qing didn’t see the look, but he felt a sudden chill down his spine.

“Looks like the people around here aren’t very friendly to you,” Ji Wuxin said, standing beside him with her arms crossed, coldly raining on his parade.

Lin Qing found it strange too. He had been worried about saying the wrong thing or breaking a taboo, yet he had somehow managed to offend two elders without saying a single word.

“Shixing, I won’t be going back this time. Go back and tell your father I’m sick.” Ji Jiusheng grabbed a bottle of wine from the house to go with Song Qian, then remembered his niece and turned back to give her instructions.

Ji Shixing glanced at Song Qian and suddenly curled her lips into a smirk. “Second Uncle, the scenery here is so nice. Can I stay for a few more days?”

Song Qian’s eyes widened. What is she doing!? Don’t think she didn’t see that look just now.

“I suppose, but I don’t have an extra room for you to stay in,” Ji Jiusheng said, suddenly noticing his niece was smiling at Sensen in a very strange way.

He had a bad feeling, and sure enough.

“I can sleep with Sensen. We’re both girls, so it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

For the first time, Song Qian thought Ji Shixing’s smile looked incredibly punchable.

“Little Taoist, don’t you think there’s something weird between Song Qian and that woman?”

Lin Qing was used to Ji Wuxin appearing out of nowhere by now, but her question hit the nail on the head. “It feels like they know each other.”

Song Qian’s smile had become incredibly forced and fake ever since seeing Ji Shixing.

“Sensen doesn’t like sleeping with other people.” Ji Jiusheng suddenly found his niece a bit annoying too. “If you really want to stay, go find a guesthouse in town. It’s convenient since you drove here.”

Ji Shixing: “…” Are you really my uncle?

Song Qian felt like she could worship Ji Jiusheng right then and there. She nodded like a little chick pecking at grain, then shot a triumphant look at Ji Shixing.

Your uncle has spoken. It’s not appropriate to overstay your welcome, right?

Ji Shixing saw the look, and her temple began to throb. How had she never noticed how petty Song Qian was when they were dating?

During dinner, Lin Qing was seated as far away from Song Qian as possible. Even when Ji Shixing tried to sit next to Song Qian, Ji Jiusheng squeezed in between them.

“When you’re a guest in someone’s home, you don’t take the seat of honor. Didn’t your father teach you anything? Go over there.”

Ji Shixing was forced to sit next to Lin Qing. She looked up just in time to see Song Qian eagerly pouring wine for her uncle.

“Uncle Ji, I noticed you’ve really gotten more handsome. It’s been a few years, and you have such a mature charm now.”

Ji Jiusheng blushed at the compliment. A man who usually never touched a drop of alcohol simply watched as Song Qian filled his glass, his eyes full of gratification.

Ji Wuxin stood behind Lin Qing, her frown deepening. “This old man… the more I look at him, the more I hate him.”

Lin Qing kept his head down and ate, not daring to speak.

“Sensen, why did you suddenly come back this break?”

Grandma Song’s hand paused as she reached for a dish. Lin Qing noticed the tips of her chopsticks trembling, as if she had heard something that terrified her.

But in just a moment, Grandma Song regained her composure and placed a chicken leg in Song Qian’s bowl.

“Sensen said she missed us, especially you. On the phone, she was always asking how Uncle Ji was doing. I think this little girl really came back just to see you.”

“Is that so?” Ji Jiusheng took a sip of wine, his face slightly flushed. A very deep emotion, almost like excitement, was hidden in his eyes.

Song Qian, caught between the two of them, didn’t see the constant eye contact between Grandma Song and Ji Jiusheng. She simply followed her grandmother’s lead. “Oh, Grandma, I came back to see you, of course. You aren’t seriously jealous of Uncle Ji, are you?”

Lin Qing and Ji Wuxin saw it clearly. They seemed to be anticipating something from Song Qian’s return.

“Uncle Ji, I wanted to ask you something after dinner.”

Ji Jiusheng’s intoxication vanished instantly. His voice carried a slight tremor. “What is it?”