Fan Fan arrived at the new workshop soon after Xia Lei returned to it.

She had already changed out of her work clothes and was wearing the clothes she had worn in the laboratory: a white long-sleeved antibacterial lab coat with a black short skirt underneath, and a white t-shirt. She looked like a stuffed milk candy.

She had even brought a notebook and a camera.

Song Baicheng had given her and Fan Yiming a week’s time so she had to appear proactive.

Xia Lei smiled. “Your grandfather and Mr Song didn’t come?”

He asked this though he clearly knew the answer.

“They are talking about the Alloy X Project and I don’t have anything to add so I came over. That Mr Song is really troublesome,” said Fan Fan.

“That Mr Song isn’t your grandfather’s student, is he?” asked Xia Lei casually.

“My grandfather has many students and I recognise pretty much all of them, but this is the first time I’ve seen Mr Song,” said Fan Fan.

“So you’re not sure, huh?”

Fan Fan nodded. “Yes.”

Xia Lei would have thought she was lying if he hadn’t seen her conversation with Fan Yiming, but he didn’t think so now. He had begun to understand her, and she was only playing an awkward role in this matter.

Fan Fan was silent for a moment before she said, “Never mind, I’ll just tell you. He isn’t even my grandfather’s student. He’s just the person in charge of this job. He gave my grandfather a week’s time, and he said...”

Xia Lei smiled. “What did he say?”

Fan Fan mustered her courage. “He said he wants to know if there’s anything going on in your body within a week. He’ll find someone else to do the job if Grandfather and I can’t finish it.”

Xia Lei already knew all of this but having Fan Fan say it herself felt different.

Xia Lei was happy inside but he pretended to be angry. “I’m willing to cooperate because of you and Elder Fan. Who does he think he is? What right does he have to turn me into some kind of lab rat?”

Xia Lei seemed to have influenced Fan Fan. She became a little emotional and said, “That’s right, I also think it’s unfair. You braved many life-threatening dangers to find those ancient alloy pieces and you’re risking your life to research it too. You manufactured the world’s leading XL2500 sniper rifle, the Gust assault rifle, and the world’s leading Thunder Dragon intelligent lathe. Even the West wants that. You’re our hero and the idol of all of us research workers but they treat you like this! This is unfair to you! I...”

It was uncertain how much time passed before the chaotic yet extremely passionate scene quieted down.

Fan Fan curled quietly in Xia Lei’s embrace. All the cells in her body were full of happiness. Her special constitution had brought her many worries, but it had also brought happiness other women wouldn’t be able to experience. Right now, in her eyes, Xia Lei became the finest man in the world, and even the filthy lounge in front of her was beautiful. It no longer disgusted her.

“You asked so many questions earlier. Do you still want to know the answers?” asked Xia Lei by her ear.

Fan Fan looked at Xia Lei with a loving expression as a sweet smile bloomed on her face. “I don’t want to know anymore. If you’re going to lie to me, then you can lie to me forever.”

What intimate words of love.

Guilt poked at Xia Lei’s heart. He had approached her in order to subdue her. From the start, he had an agenda, and it wasn’t love. Fan Fan was so kindhearted and pure, but he had to harden his heart and trick such a frail girl. This made him feel uneasy, but what made him more uncomfortable was that this scam had to continue.

“Dummy, wouldn’t you be very pitiful if I lie to you your whole life?”

“No, I think I’m very happy right now. I’ve never been so happy. Do you know how many times I had it?”

“What?”

“That.”

“What that?”

Fan Fan bit her lip, then moved close to Xia Lei’s ear and whispered something to him.

Xia Lei’s jaw dropped, and he could not close it.

This tiny secret made Xia Lei suddenly feel as though she was the most interesting woman he’d met. She had quietly entered his heart, using her methods to treat the scars that Shentu Tianyin had given him.

Actually, the best way to treat pain from love wasn’t time, but a new love.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“You can’t laugh at me. I, I also don’t want it to be like that but my body is just like that. The moment you touch me, I can’t stop it.” Fan Fan buried her chin in Xia Lei’s chest in embarrassment, not daring to look at his expression.

“Fan Fan, I love you.”

Fan Fan let out a moan and suddenly shuddered.

Xia Lei stared blankly. “You didn’t just... Did you?” asked Xia Lei in astonishment.

Fan Fan bit her lip and didn’t speak, but she nodded slightly.

Xia Lei was speechless.

He was speechless, but he knew that another high-quality girlfriend had appeared by his side.

After lying in warm tenderness for a while, Xia Lei said, “Fan Fan, from now on I will do my best to cooperate with you and your grandfather’s work. In a week, in a week you and your grandfather can give Song Baicheng a satisfactory answer sheet,” said Xia Lei.

“Then what?” Fan Fan had long stopped thinking about work.

Xia Lei sighed. “Then what? I don’t know either. If your research report interests Song Baicheng, I think I’ll probably become a real lab rat. I don’t know if I’ll be able to see you again. I’m worried and a little scared...”

Fan Fan suddenly covered Xia Lei’s mouth. “I won’t let you keep on talking about this. That’s just unfair to you. You’re a hero and the smartest person I’ve met. How could someone like you become their lab rat? I object!”

Xia Lei took her soft hand off and laughed bitterly. "It’s no use even if you object. This is only the beginning. That Song Baicheng is too powerful. I don’t know what his true identity is, but even your grandfather has to listen to his commands. Could he ever be a simple man? On the other hand, you think I’m a hero, and the smartest person in the world but, to Song Baicheng and those other people, I’m just a rare research subject. I represent big benefits and these benefits are so big that they’re willing to destroy me. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Fan Fan hugged Xia Lei tightly. “I won’t let anyone harm you. You aren’t a lab rat, you’re my hero and the person I love. I can do anything for you. Tell me what I can do to help you?”

“You want to help me?”

“What stage are we at now? You want me to look on without doing anything about it after telling me about this? Do you want me to present a research report that will render you some lab rat?” Fan Fan got angry, and her eyes were aflame.

She was serious.