If it weren't for the matter of the mole, Jiang Si might not have thought so deeply about it.
But now, by working backward from the answer, she instantly understood the meaning behind the other party's actions.
The university recommendation was, frankly, just bait.
Anyone with even slightly wavering resolve would lose themselves in such a temptation.
And once she accepted this recommendation, she would inevitably have to choose between her studies and her work.
In other words, the other party simply wanted to use this opportunity to transfer her away and divert her attention.
Yet what truly struck Jiang Si as eerie wasn’t this.
"Then what is it?" After lunch, Chi Heng came to discuss the construction plan, and Jiang Si shared her thoughts with him.
Upon hearing this, Chi Heng was visibly surprised.
Jiang Si wasn’t sure how to explain it either. She simply asked, "If you were the mole, and your goal was to transfer me away, would you come to me afterward to claim credit for it?"
"Claim credit" might not be the most fitting term, but that was exactly how Deputy Minister Xu had seemed to her.
If not for the deliberate interruption later, it was clear he would have brought up the topic of recommending her for university.
This was why Jiang Si found the situation so unsettling.
Think about it—what kind of mole, after making such a significant move, would go straight to the very person they were targeting to talk about it?
Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that Deputy Minister Xu was playing the fool to hide his cunning.
But based on his usual behavior, Jiang Si was more inclined to believe he wasn’t the mastermind.
To be precise, he seemed more like a tool in someone else’s hands.
"Do you suspect someone else?"
Noticing her certainty, Chi Heng couldn’t help but remind her, "Aside from those three, no one else would have the means to pull this off."
"Not necessarily."
Since they were working together, Jiang Si saw no reason to hold back. "I suspect someone else."
"Who?"
"Secretary Yan."
Jiang Si shared the information she had gathered. "Not only is he a longtime friend of Deputy Minister Xu, but they were also university classmates. By all accounts, the two are very close."
She emphasized the words "very close."
"So it’s him..." Chi Heng had heard of the man as well.
But his department had no connection to the construction side of things.
Moreover, the man had been on medical leave for over half a year and hadn’t returned to work.
Subconsciously, Chi Heng had overlooked him.
Jiang Si nodded—she had done the same.
But his closeness to Deputy Minister Xu was only the first reason for her suspicion.
What truly seemed suspicious was something else.
"You mean his illness?"
"Right."
Though Jiang Si wasn’t entirely sure what exactly was wrong with him, given his condition, the best choice would be to rest at home, not return to work.
In this era, no one would be fired for being sick.
What reason could he possibly have to insist on working while ill?
Of course, these were just Jiang Si’s suspicions. Whether they held water would depend on further investigation.
Neither she nor Chi Heng were in a position to dig deeper themselves—it was better left to professionals.
Chi Heng had no objections to this.
With the embassy project set to break ground next week, they shifted their discussion to the construction details.
Jiang Si noted down the minor adjustments to be made.
"Alright, I’ll head out first." Suddenly, as if remembering something, Chi Heng mustered the courage to add, "This weekend..."
His voice was noticeably quieter than usual.
Almost at the same moment, the phone on the desk rang.
"Sorry, I need to take this." Jiang Si gestured to Chi Heng before picking up the receiver.
"Hello?"
"It’s me." The familiar deep voice came through the line.
Perhaps worn out from recent training, Huo Tingzhou sounded tired, yet there was a faint trace of excitement in his tone.
"Am I interrupting your work?" he asked softly.
"No, we just finished discussing business." Unconsciously, Jiang Si’s voice softened.
Seeing the smile in her eyes, Chi Heng didn’t need to guess who was on the other end.
"I’ll go now." He mouthed the words silently, then stood, opened the door, and closed it gently behind him.
Despite his quiet movements, Huo Tingzhou’s sharp ears caught it.
"Was someone in your office just now?"
"Yes." Jiang Si never hid anything from him.
Well, almost anything—she hadn’t mentioned the space matter, but otherwise, she was always open.
"It was Chi Heng. We were discussing work."
"How’s work going? Smoothly?"
Some things couldn’t be said outright over the phone, so they had long since agreed on simple coded phrases.
This innocuous question was one of them.
Jiang Si smiled. "Everything’s fine. No need to worry."
Relieved, Huo Tingzhou let out a quiet breath.
"And you? How have you been these days?" After over ten days without word from him, Jiang Si had been concerned.
"I’m fine." Huo Tingzhou was used to downplaying hardships, but today, for some reason, he couldn’t help adding, "It’s just... a little hard to adjust."
During training, he could manage.
But returning to an empty dorm room—that feeling was hard to put into words.
He had never realized how tangible "missing someone" could be.
Or how agonizing.
Still, the moment he heard Jiang Si’s voice, all those emotions faded away.
He didn’t voice these thoughts outright, but even in his sigh, Jiang Si could sense them.
Thankfully, he’d be back in two months.
Not wanting to dwell on the melancholy, Jiang Si changed the subject.
"By the way, did you hand out the gifts I sent?"
"Yeah, I did." A hint of laughter returned to Huo Tingzhou’s voice. "They loved them."
He then mentioned that Sister-in-law Xu and the others were planning to visit Capital City during National Day.
"Really? That’s wonderful!" Jiang Si was delighted.
It had been over half a year since she’d last seen them.
Just as she was about to say more, a male voice faintly came through the line.
"Commander, it’s almost time..."
"Do you have to go train now?"
Unlike usual, during this training period, the pilots’ schedules—down to their meals—were strictly regulated.
Jiang Si had known this before Huo Tingzhou left.
And she knew that at this hour, it was likely time for night flight training.
Huo Tingzhou gave a quiet "Mm."
Hearing the subdued tone, Jiang Si couldn’t resist adding, "Take care of yourself during training, alright?"
"Mm. I will." His reply was obedient.
After a pause, he added, "Sweetheart, I won’t be able to celebrate your birthday with you this year. When I get back, I’ll make it up to you..."
Hearing this, Jiang Si felt both warmth and a tinge of sadness in her heart.
But she quickly stopped him before he could finish.
Celebrating a birthday just meant getting older.
She absolutely refused to make up for a missed birthday!
She wanted to stay eighteen forever, eternally beautiful.
"Alright, as you wish," Huo Tingzhou replied, his tone laced with indulgence.
Skipping the birthday was fine, but a birthday gift was non-negotiable.
This time, though, he’d hidden it a little too well—who knew when his sweetheart would finally discover it?
