This ensued until they arrived at her destination, and she got out of the car.
Even though she was still somewhat mad, she could still manage to hold back a breath and say to Jeon Jungkook… correction, Helian Jungkook, “Bye!”
It was just that her tone was heavier than usual.
Jungkook didn’t reply to her, simply watching with his deep gaze as she entered Yannan University. He then retracted his gaze.
And then he drove off.
When Lisa entered the school, she proceeded to do what she had wanted to do earlier.
If the Chief Instructor really came from a prominent family and had a rare surname, he couldn’t be an ordinary person in Penalan.
Something really did come up in her search results.
Lisa wasn’t certain if it really had something to do with the Chief Instructor, but the information that popped up made her feel a tad dizzy.
Her hands even trembled, something she rarely did.
The Helian family was the number one aristocratic family in Penalan.
The Defense Minister in the Penalan, the man who wielded the greatest influence in military matters in the empire, was called Helian Yongshuo.
He was an elderly man over seventy.
In spite of his head full of white hair, he appeared spirited and robust.
But below, it was written on the Helian family’s genealogy table, a man in his forties or fifties, called Helian Xi.
With an elegant and refined disposition, he was the chief diplomat in Penalan.
His appearance bore a semblance to Jungkook’s.
One ought to know by now that the Chief Instructor’s background wasn’t simple.
Lisa massaged her forehead. No wonder the Chief Instructor refused to tell her his real name.
Doing so would expose his background.
The number one family in the Penalan Empire.
This title made Lisa feel dizzy.
At the start, she tried deducing using what she knew.
But from the looks of it, the Chief Instructor’s family background was massive beyond her imaginations.
So massive that she felt it was unreachable.
She felt suppressed all of a sudden.
Before she knew it, she had arrived at her older brother’s school building.
She calmed herself down, and then she called her older brother.
Seokjin was currently in the hostel, so he asked Lisa to wait for him for a moment.
In the meanwhile, Lisa recalled Sister Jisoo, who was similarly not as simple as one would expect.
Her family background seemed extraordinary, too. Now, Lisa finally somewhat could understand her.
Because the moment such a distinction in social class was said out loud, it really would bring one a sense of despair.
To think she and her brother encountered something so similarly dramatic.
But clearly, Seokjin still wasn’t aware of this yet.
Lisa only waited for a while, before Seokjin came down in a baseball T-shirt and tattered denim jeans.
He looked handsome and gave off a sunshine vibe, making for a pleasant sight.
When Seokjin walked to Lisa’s side, he saw her force a smile. With an astonished expression, he asked, “Are you in a bad mood?”
They were, after all, siblings. One look and he could tell something was off with Lisa.
“No. Is your specialization’s gathering over?”
Lisa, who didn’t wish to worry him, instantly resumed her usual expression and changed the topic.
“Nope. I called your Sister Jisoo. She will be coming over for lunch. In a few days time let’s return to Dayi City together.”
When Lisa heard this, she detected something amiss. “Is Sister Jisoo going over to our city in a few days’ time?”
“Yup.”
Seokjin, however, answered as though it went without saying, “Didn’t I tell you that I would bring my girlfriend back to show Mom and Dad during the summer break? In any case, Mom already found out about it, and Dad asked me about it several times. I had plans to bring her back early on.”
Since Seokjin wasn’t aware of certain things, he spoke in a more carefree manner than Lisa.
Lisa fell silent momentarily. From the looks of it, Seokjin was serious about this.
After all, he had already graduated from university and hadn’t broken up with Jisoo. That was already sufficient to prove a lot of things.
“Why do I have the feeling that something is off with you today? Did you quarrel with the Chief Instructor?”
Seokjin felt incredulous. “Even you two quarrel?”
Lisa didn’t wish to talk about this matter because the more they talked about it, the more she didn’t know how she would face it. She said, “Nothing major. Brother, what are we having for lunch?”
“With such a rich boyfriend, you came here to get a treat out of your older brother?”
Seokjin deliberately teased her. He stroked Lisa’s head and considerately stopped pressing her about that matter. “Alright, I’ll treat you to whatever you want to have for lunch. My internship pay has been credited to my account, so I shouldn’t have any problem treating you to a meal.”
Lisa smiled. “Just one meal?”
“Then how many meals do you want me to treat? Do you wish to make my wallet bleed?”
As the two of them joked around, Seokjin led Lisa out of school.
At noon, after the duo had entered a restaurant, Seokjin called Jisoo.
“Just order what you want to eat first. This restaurant serves pretty good steak.”
Seokjin seemed generous.
Lisa distractedly looked at the menu.
Having eaten at that certain place the Chief Instructor brought her to, she was sure that the steak served here wouldn’t be as good as that restaurant. But since her older brother was treating her to it, Lisa naturally had to give him face. After ordering the flavor she wanted, she asked in passing, “What is Sister Jisoo having?”
“Let her choose on her own after she arrives. Or else the steak might have turned cold by then.”
After Seokjin had finished speaking, he glanced outside the restaurant and instantly revealed a vibrant smile. “She’s here.”
Lisa looked over and saw a svelte Jisoo in a white lace top paired with a white silk short skirt. She was also holding up an umbrella to shield herself from the sun. As she entered, she kept away her umbrella.
She exuded a celestial air as she walked, just like the sort one might see on television.
Her celestial air attracted the gazes of many patrons in the restaurant.
“Sister Lisa. Jin.”
Jisoo appeared gracious in front of Lisa.
It didn’t seem like any feelings of animosity or awkwardness had arisen due to their previous conversation.
Before, Lisa had said that she wouldn’t interfere in her older brother’s matters, and it was up to Jisoo with what she was going to do. She flashed her a friendly smile and greeted her, “Sister Jisoo.”
“Jisoo, order whatever you want. It’s so rare that there’s only the three of us today.”
Jisoo’s glistening eyes looked as though water might drip from within as she gently gazed at Seokjin. “I’m fine with whatever.”
She then turned her head towards Lisa and asked, “Lisa, your exams are over by now, right? How did you fare?”
“Not bad, I think.”
Lisa didn’t respond overly modestly.
“You’re terrific,” Jisoo praised.
Next to her, Seokjin teased, “Alright, alright, stop praising her. Her tail is curling up to the skies.”
Just then, his phone rang, so he whipped out his phone to answer the call.
Lisa and Jisoo stopped and looked at him.
“Mm, mm. Mom, mm, alright, got it. Sister is here. Do you want to speak with her? Oh, then alright.”
When Lisa heard that the caller was Qi Yuefeng, she couldn’t hold herself back from asking after Seokjin hung up the call. “Why did Mom call?”
“She’s urging us to go back. She said Young Uncle and his family are coming in a few days’ time.”
“Young Uncle? Gu He?”
Lisa was a tad astonished. In all these years, she had only met Young Uncle a handful of times.
“No respect for your elders.” Seokjin tapped Lisa’s forehead. “Isn’t there only one Young Uncle?”
And that was Gu He.
As Lisa didn’t have a deep impression of either uncle, this knowledge wasn’t of any use to her.
She couldn’t even recall what Gu He looked like.
Much less his family.
Seokjin’s actions tickled Jisoo.
After the meal, Lisa went strolling around with Seokjin.
She had nothing much to do now, and having just learned of Jungkook’s identity, she didn’t much wish to go back.
She decided to stay with her older brother tonight.
Despite thinking this way, she felt unbalanced for some reason.
But she couldn’t quite describe how so.
Since Seokjin was busy with his graduation matters these days, he didn’t have to go to the company for the time being after his internship ended.
Due to his fine performance, he was officially employed by the company to become a city elite.
In the future, he would be staying in the capital. But the rental in the capital posed quite a burden on Seokjin.
Seokjin had never spoken to Jisoo about this burden before. After Jisoo left, Seokjin then said worriedly, “Lisa, Brother is thinking of buying an apartment in the capital. Based on my salary, I’ve calculated that it would be difficult for me to buy a three-bedroom apartment in a few years, even if Dad is willing to help out. There are no one hundred square-meter apartments in the Third Ring or better that cost less than five million yuan, even in the worst locations. As a student of Yannan I’ll receive some discount, but the apartment I desire would require no less than five million yuan.”
As Seokjin pondered this practical issue, his brows furrowed with worry.
Lisa felt her heart clench a little. “Brother, are you planning to buy an apartment in the capital?”
She indeed hadn’t considered this issue of buying property.
It was because she had no intentions of staying in the capital for the long term.
Also, because currently, she was only a student.
She was surprised that her older brother had started contemplating this issue.
“Jisoo is a local here. Surely, I couldn’t return to Dayi City to live?”
It made clear Seokjin’s intention to carry on his relationship with Jisoo.
Lisa felt awful.
Their family’s conditions were considered not bad in Dayi City. But comparing it against the capital, they were nothing.
But it so happened that the girlfriend and boyfriend that they found came from prominent family backgrounds.
She was still young and didn’t have to consider such matters for the time being, but her older brother did have to consider such practical issues.
Yeah, no idea what Jisoo’s family background was like. If her older brother didn’t even have an apartment in the capital, it wasn’t too practical for him to consider marrying Jisoo.
She felt vexed and troubled.
Since she was currently studying in the military school, she couldn’t provide any help to her older brother for the time being.
However, this was a much better situation than before since her older brother had a goal to fight compared to her previous lifetime.
“Brother, you’re only 22. You can work hard for a few years first and see how things go,” Lisa comforted him.
She was afraid that her older brother would feel too much pressure.
“That’s what I thought too. But I don’t know what Jisoo’s family would think of this.”
Seokjin finally brought up the main point. “Speaking of which, I have been dating Jisoo for a long time, but I have never heard her mention her parents. Although this time, Jisoo promised to go back to visit our parents. I don’t feel secure as I have yet to see her parents.”
He seemed to realize that something wasn’t quite right.
He had been dating Jisoo for a long time.
Which would make it appropriate for them to meet each others’ parents. But he hadn’t heard Jisoo mention her parents before.
In the past, Seokjin didn’t mind it. Now that his younger sister mentioned it, he did feel weird about it.
Lisa naturally knew why Jisoo didn’t mention it, but it wasn’t her place to talk about such a matter.
After a momentary silence, Lisa said, “Brother, let’s take it one step at a time. You’re thinking too much. Be careful, or your hair will turn white from all that worrying.”
“Damn you. What can I be worried about?”
Seokjin smiled. He reached out to hold Lisa’s shoulders and let out a sigh. “I feel that you and the Chief Instructor make a nice couple. Grab hold of the opportunity if you have the chance.”
Lisa was speechless.
She didn’t at all wish to think about such matters at the moment.
They hung out until nighttime. When Seokjin saw that Lisa didn’t intend to go back, he planned to book a room for her.
Jungkook called Lisa. Despite what happened during the day, he didn’t seem at all affected by it. As though nothing had happened, he asked, “Where are you? I’ll come over and fetch you.”
After a pause, Lisa said slowly, “It’s fine, Chief Instructor. I’ll stay with my older brother for tonight.”
“…”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
It was so quiet that one couldn’t help but feel heart palpitations.
A moment later, he finally replied, “Okay.”
With that, he hung up.
Gazing at the ended call on her phone screen, Lisa felt a stuffed sensation in her heart.
She felt like she couldn’t vent the emotions in her heart, and with those feelings bottled up inside, she felt extremely painful.
Seokjin booked a room for Lisa somewhere near his school. Just to be safe, he booked the room adjacent to hers so that he could take care of her.
Seeing Lisa’s terrible countenance after she had hung up, Seokjin grew suspicious. “Did you really quarrel with him?”
Lisa shook her head. “Not really. A bit of a cold war.”
Seokjin was speechless.
A bit of a cold war.
What a refreshing and novel answer.
Shouldn’t two people in a cold war be ignoring each other?
Why did he call then?
Seokjin, who couldn’t understand what his younger sister was thinking, prepared to bring her out to play.
To help distract her thoughts, and also to have some supper.
But before they went out, Lisa suddenly received Namjoon’s call.
When she saw the letter ‘L’ on her phone, she instantly avoided her older brother and went to one side before whispering, “Something the matter?”
“Something urgent cropped up. Do you have a gun with you?”
Namjoon’s voice sounded rather urgent. Beads of perspiration nearly formed on Lisa’s forehead as she said, “Big boss, I’m just an ordinary civilian… How can I possibly be carrying a…”
A gun!
Even if she was a student of the military school, she couldn’t bring a gun around.
“From what I can see, you’re in the vicinity of Yannan University, right? Head to Entrance C of the train station near Yannan University right now. I’ll wait for you there.”
Immediately after he had finished speaking, Namjoon hung up.
Surprised by the suddenness of this mission, Lisa glanced at her older brother and said, “Brother, I have something to attend to so I need to go out. I’ll be right back.”
Before Seokjin could even reply, he saw Lisa running out like a gust of wind.
He murmured to himself, “Where is she going?”
...
The place Namjoon asked Lisa to meet him at wasn’t far from her current location.
Hence, she just jogged there.
When she reached Entrance C of the train station, Lisa saw a small sedan parked there.
It was a black car with one-way car windows, such that one couldn’t see the passengers from outside.
When Lisa went over, the car door directly opened.
She merely went near and could already sense that the person in the car was Namjoon.
When she got into the car, she saw Namjoon gripping the steering wheel, a rare frown on his amicable face. Lisa immediately asked, “What happened?”
“Something happened in the West Zone in the suburbs. Lie Feng and the rest were supposed to go on a mission, but something cropped up, and everyone in the department was deployed at the last minute. I saw that you were nearby, so I could only bring you along.”
Lisa was enlightened.
Since even Namjoon had to go personally, that meant it could be a significant affair.
“What happened in West City?”
Since Lisa didn’t like being kept in the dark, she couldn’t help but ask.
Since they were on a mission, Namjoon shouldn’t mind letting her find out about these matters, right?
“Can’t tell you the details.”
Namjoon considered for a moment, then only revealed some side information to Lisa. “I can only say that there is a dilapidated villa in the West City suburbs that was originally unoccupied, but a felon now hides there. He’s holding onto something that our department lost.”
“This felon is agile in his movements, and both of us are not his match. But I want you to shoot at him from outside. I believe this shouldn’t be a problem to you.”
With that, Namjoon tossed a gun to Lisa.
“Then why did you still ask me if I was carrying a gun over the phone earlier?”
Lisa asked in confusion as she caught the gun.
Namjoon fell silent for a while, then said, “This is the gun I use to protect myself. Also, it contains real bullets. Hence, when you fire the bullets, think carefully.”
Lisa’s hand froze as she stroked the gun handle.
She realized that this gun wasn’t the model that she usually trained with, but a weapon with a more square and straight handle than the ones she was accustomed to using.
It seemed more suitable for men.
In it were real bullets…
Lisa felt a little disconcerted.
It was the first time she was holding a gun with real bullets inside.
It meant that if she fired this bullet, it wouldn’t be like the shooting activities she participated in in the past, where after firing a shot at someone, that person would still be alive and kicking.
She could very well claim someone’s life with this gun.
Sensing Lisa’s silence, Namjoon said in a deep voice, “Lalisa, you understand this. Since you’ve joined our department, you’ll have to take this step sooner or later. The other party is a felon, the sort who would have a death penalty, anyway. Perhaps this will make you feel better.”
She would, after all, be killing someone.
Having been educated on safety and taught to abide by societal rules like an average person since young, one would feel a significant change in their heart now that they were being asked to kill someone.
Even if it were Lisa, she would need some time to digest this.
This was what Namjoon thought.
However, Namjoon saw that Lisa merely caressed that gun, and when she spoke, she exuded a lonely, quiet, and chilly vibe in the dark night. “I know.”
That moment, Namjoon turned to look at her with a complicated expression.
The young lady merely lowered her head, her fair and porcelain-like skin glistening like jade under the moonlight.
Life was abnormally fragile.
However, for someone who had already died once, she felt no fear towards all these.