The silence lasted for a few seconds, long enough for Jiang Lijin to start wondering if she had asked something she shouldn't have. She was just about to say that it was fine if it was inconvenient to answer, but the other party spoke up faintly, No.
Oh, Jiang Lijin nodded. Guessed right.
Chiron looked at her. Something seemed to flash through those light gray eyes, but they quickly returned to calmness. Why would you guess that?
Because you just don't look like it. Jiang Lijin leaned back into the sofa, finding a more comfortable position.
Chiron didn't reply, just looked at her. The gaze wasn't scrutinizing; it was more like observing.
Why haven't you? After asking, she felt it was a bit presumptuous. After all, they had known each other for less than half an hour, and her questioning was almost like taking a census. So she added, If you don't want to say, never mind. I was just asking casually.
Chiron fell silent for two seconds. His gaze shifted from her face and landed somewhere outside the window.
Haven't found a suitable one, he said, his tone so calm it seemed as if it had nothing to do with him.
True, Jiang Lijin nodded. Matches are all decided by the Mastermind. It really is hard to find someone suitable. Take someone like me, for example. The Mastermind used its pig brain to stuff me with three S-ranks, and in the end, they despised me for my low rank. For three years, they didn't even look me in the eye.
She paused and added, But now that I'm divorced, when the Mastermind matches me again, it should at least give me someone similar. A C-rank with a C-rank, so no one can despise anyone.
Chiron's gaze withdrew from the window and fell on her face. You hope to be matched with a C-rank?
What else then? Jiang Lijin threw her hands up. Get matched with an S-rank and be left hanging for another three years? I'm not a masochist.
Chiron didn't speak, just looked at her. That gaze made Jiang Lijin a little uncomfortable, but she couldn't be bothered to look into it. Anyway, this guy talked so little, let him look. It wasn't like she would lose a piece of flesh. And to be honest, being looked at by someone so good-looking didn't seem like a loss.
The room quieted down again. Jiang Lijin turned her head to glance at the clock on the wall; only twenty minutes had passed. She sighed and sank a bit deeper into the sofa.
Chiron.
Hmm?
Are you usually this free? She pointed at the document in his hand. Just reading this for a whole afternoon?
Chiron looked down at the document in his hand, then raised his head to look at her. This is my job.
I know, Jiang Lijin said, her tone carrying the casualness of small talk. I mean, don't you have to see other patients? Just me sitting here doing nothing, am I not holding you up?
Chiron was silent for a second. I only have you this afternoon.
Jiang Lijin blinked, a trace of doubt flashing in her heart. In such a big hospital, she was the only patient in the psychological counseling center? But she quickly felt relieved: maybe there weren't many divorced females. After all, females in this world were precious, all held in the palm of people's hands. Where else would you find someone as despised as her?
Then my luck is pretty good, she said to herself. Booked the whole place.
Chiron didn't reply, but the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch.
She just chatted with Chiron like this, off and on, although most of the time it was just her talking to herself.
Finally, Chiron put down the document, glanced at the clock on the wall, and then looked at her. Time is up.
Jiang Lijin immediately bounced up from the sofa. Alright, then I'm leaving. Same time tomorrow?
Chiron nodded.
Jiang Lijin walked to the door, suddenly remembered something, and turned back to ask, You won't be replaced by someone else tomorrow, right?
Chiron looked up and said calmly, I will be waiting for you here.
Okay. Jiang Lijin nodded at him, her tone brisk. See you tomorrow.
She pushed the door open and left without looking back.
Just as she walked out, a middle-aged man in a white coat came walking toward her. The man paused when he saw her coming out of that room, but quickly nodded politely and stepped aside to let her pass. Jiang Lijin didn't pay any mind and continued walking forward.
The middle-aged man stood in place for two seconds, making sure the young female had gone far away before pushing open the door to C-07. He knocked on the door first before pushing it open and entering, his attitude respectful.
Director, he bowed slightly. The meeting materials for the afternoon are ready.
Chiron leaned against the back of his chair, his gaze landing outside the half-open door, as if he was thinking about something.
Director? the middle-aged man called out again.
Chiron withdrew his gaze and said faintly, Leave it there.
The middle-aged man placed the materials on the desk and was about to leave when he suddenly heard Chiron ask another question. How many females are scheduled for divorce psychological counseling this afternoon?
The middle-aged man was startled. Psychological counseling? Director, the psychological counseling center is in Building 3, this is—
I know, Chiron interrupted him somewhat impatiently.
The middle-aged man didn't understand, but still answered respectfully, There is only one female on the counseling list this afternoon, surnamed Jiang.
Chiron nodded. Make a copy of her file and bring it over later.
The middle-aged man was even more confused, but he didn't dare to ask more. He acknowledged the order and quietly backed out.
The door closed, leaving Chiron alone in the room. He looked out the window, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk twice, the corners of his mouth slowly curling into a faint smile.
C-rank?
He couldn't sense her specific rank. This meant that either she had an exceptionally high-level perception-shielding device on her, or her rank was outside the range he could perceive.
Interesting.
He withdrew his gaze and picked up the document again, but as his eyes fell on the paper, he couldn't take in a single word. His mind was full of the casual, slouchy way that female had pushed the door open and walked in earlier, as well as the way she looked when she asked him, Are you married?
Chiron suddenly let out a laugh.
It had been a long time since he met someone so interesting.
Jiang Lijin walked out of the hospital gates and stretched broadly.
Xiao Yi? she called out in her mind. No reaction.
Xiao Yi? Still no reaction.
Jiang Lijin frowned and stopped walking. What was going on? Had it lagged again? She began to suspect that what she had activated wasn't some companion system, but a trial product, the kind that would start charging fees after three days.
Xiao Yi.
Waaaaaahhhhhhh!
A scream suddenly exploded in her mind, startling Jiang Lijin so much she shivered.
What are you doing? She covered her ears. Even though she knew covering her ears was useless, it was an instinctive reaction.
Host, Host, Host! Xiao Yi's voice was trembling with excitement. Do you know who that person was just now?!
Just now? Jiang Lijin blinked in confusion. The psychological counselor. Didn't he say his name was Chiron?
Chiron! Yes, it's Chiron! Xiao Yi's voice grew even more excited. Host, do you know who Chiron is?
How would I know? It's not like he's my relative. Jiang Lijin rolled her eyes and continued walking forward.
[He is the director of this hospital! The director of the Main Star Central Hospital! One of the most powerful people in the entire interstellar beast world!] Xiao Yi frantically outputted in Jiang Lijin's mind. [His background information is encrypted with the highest clearance! When I tried to retrieve it just now, I completely crashed! Not because he's too handsome, but because his information clearance is too high! I couldn't open it at all! After finding out his name, I went to check again and crashed again, but I still managed to find some basic information!]
Jiang Lijin paused her steps.
"The director?" She fell silent for two seconds, then continued walking forward.
[Host, why aren't you shocked at all?]
"I am shocked," Jiang Lijin said in a flat tone. "But so what if he's the director? Even the director has to provide psychological counseling to people, right? Maybe he's just experiencing normal life."
[No! It's because we went to the wrong building just now! We went to Building 5! That's not the psychological counseling center at all! That's the administrative building of the Main Star Central Hospital! No wonder I couldn't breach their firewall for the life of me! That's director's office-level protection! Wuwuwu, it's not that I'm useless!!] Xiao Yi felt the thrill of finally clearing its name.
Jiang Lijin only just realized it too. No wonder Xiao Yi could track the movements of those three scumbags in the hospital but couldn't breach the network of a mere "psychological counseling room." It turned out it wasn't useless; she had just walked through the wrong door.
[Then their security system is way too poor,] she complained casually. [Anyone can just walk into the director's office? It's like strolling through a vegetable market.]
[No! Host, you don't understand!] Xiao Yi was so anxious it was about to smoke. [He's not an ordinary director! He is SSS-grade! Do you know what SSS-grade means?! Who would normally dare to wander around in front of him? Just getting close to him makes people weak in the knees!]
Jiang Lijin stopped again.
"SSS-grade?" She frowned, quickly searching through the original owner's memories in her mind. "Isn't the highest grade in this world only S-grade?"
[That's for females!] Xiao Yi explained rapidly. [The highest for females is S-grade! But males are different; males have SS-grade and SSS-grade! The highest is 3S-grade! In the entire interstellar beast world, there are less than 10 beastmen who are 3S-grade! And that Chiron from just now is one of them!]
Jiang Lijin stood frozen in place.
Less than 10? Then he was truly a big shot in the truest sense of the word. And she had just swaggered up to one of them and said, "I'll come sit here for an hour every day, and when the time is up, you just sign for me."
She suddenly felt that she was pretty cool.
[And Host,] Xiao Yi's voice suddenly became a bit complicated. [2S-grade and 3S-grade males basically cannot find mates.]
"Why?"
[Because the highest grade for females is only S-grade, and an S-grade female cannot perform mental purification for a 2S-grade or 3S-grade male, much less withstand their power. The gap in mental power levels is too vast, and forced bonding would cause irreversible damage to the female.] Xiao Yi paused, its tone taking on a rare heaviness. [Therefore, even though they possess immense combat power and stand at the pinnacle of authority, their lifespans are all very short. Without purification, their mental power goes berserk year after year, and eventually, they die.]
Jiang Lijin fell silent.
She suddenly remembered how she had just asked him "Are you married?" and "Why aren't you married?" She felt that she had been extremely presumptuous, stabbing knives right into his wounds!
...Then his temper was actually quite good. To think he didn't throw her out, and even answered her nicely.
She thought of the S-grade mental power she had just awakened, thought of Xiao Yi saying her potential value was very high, and thought of the moment the man looked at her, his gaze shifting from contempt to curiosity.
She was suddenly a little curious. What if, what if her S-grade self could withstand the power of a 3S-grade?
This thought only flashed by for a second before she instantly snuffed it out.
What are you thinking, Jiang Lijin? Do you think your past life wasn't bitter enough? Do you want to inherit the original owner's dying wish and go dig wild vegetables?
