Chapter 35
The self-reflection had to be written.
If they didn’t start writing now, they wouldn’t finish those five thousand words before six o’clock, and then their fried rice plans would be ruined!
They couldn’t let that happen!
Realizing this, Gu Xingzhou tensed up, took the pen, and hastily began writing on the paper:
“My name is Gu Xingzhou, I’m 27 years old…”
An hour later, Gu Xingzhou put the pen down and rubbed his sore wrist.
He had been writing so fast, surely he had reached five or six thousand words by now, right?
Gu Xingzhou looked leisurely pleased with himself and counted the words—proudly, he counted them out loud:
“574 words.”
No, this couldn’t be true!!
Gu Xingzhou trembled as he picked up the paper and counted the words under the light again.
“574 words.”
The number slapped him like a harsh slap to the face. Gu Xingzhou stared at it in disbelief, looking like a certain writer who couldn’t meet the word count deadline. His face was filled with pure despair.
At that moment, he noticed Ning Sheng, who had just put down his pen. Ning Sheng’s cold, elegant features were filled with mocking amusement. He held up his fingers to show a number and mouthed:
“I wrote two thousand words. How about you?”
Gu Xingzhou: “…”
Gu Xingzhou stood up with a loud “Aww!” He was about to lose his mind. As soon as he stood up, Officer Zhang rushed in and pushed him back into his seat, swinging his baton. “What’s all the noise about? You’re not happy writing five thousand words? Want me to make it ten thousand words instead?!”
Gu Xingzhou’s face turned a strange mix of red, blue, and white, and after a long pause, he reluctantly sat back down. “Fine, fine. I’ll write, alright?”
For the next three hours, both Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou were frantically writing. Ning Sheng, as the top student, was quick to write his self-reflection, his pen moving like a blur.
So, from time to time, Ning Sheng would glance up at Gu Xingzhou to show off his word count, a smug smile playing on his lips.
At first, Gu Xingzhou was infuriated, but soon realized it was part of Ning Sheng’s scheme. He decided to ignore him and focus on his own writing. Hmph, he didn’t believe that a wealthy, Forbes-listed CEO like himself would lose to a poor student!
And so, the two of them wrote furiously.
Gu Xingzhou wrote about everything he could think of, starting with a description of his life, deeply repenting, and reflecting on how everything led to this “unfortunate outcome” of fighting. Then he looked forward to the future, reflecting deeply, every word dripping with emotion…
By the end, Gu Xingzhou himself was in a daze, moved beyond measure.
Yes, he had to change his ways, become a good person, someone who contributed to society, not someone who abused his privileges and acted like a parasite!
5 AM.
After a nap, Officer Zhang yawned as he walked in. “Have you two finished?”
At this moment, Ning Sheng was writing with great urgency, so fast that it seemed like sparks were flying from his pen. He elegantly finished the final sentence, picked up the paper with a determined look, and said, “Officer, I’m done!”
At the same time, Gu Xingzhou was not willing to fall behind. While sniffing and wiping away tears, he put down his pen and said with emotion, “I’m done too, Officer…”
Officer Zhang: “Well, you two are quite efficient.”
Seeing that both of them had even cried while writing, it seemed that their self-reflection had worked well.
Officer Zhang took the two self-reflections, clasped his hands behind his back, and started pacing as he read through them.
Not bad, not bad.
Although the handwriting was a little sloppy, it was clear they had deeply reflected, and every word seemed heartfelt. What was most precious was—through these self-reflections, Officer Zhang could read an emotion, a very strong and urgent emotion, as if they were in a hurry to do something.
Their awareness of wanting to change and become better people who contributed to society was sincere! Urgent!
Officer Zhang nodded in satisfaction.
Under the expectant gazes of Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou, Officer Zhang nodded and said, “Alright.”
The two exchanged an excited look.
They made it! They made it!
It was only 5 AM now. If they hurried, they could still get in line and have fried rice!
“…But,” Officer Zhang suddenly changed the subject, “before I let you go, there’s one last thing. I need you two to cooperate.”
Ning Sheng: “Officer, what do you need?”
Gu Xingzhou also didn’t back down: “I’ve already repented. Whatever the organization needs, I’ll do my best to cooperate.”
Officer Zhang: “Hmm. Well then, you two need to shake hands, apologize to each other, and clear your misunderstandings. Once you do that, this matter will be over.”
Ning Sheng: “…”
Gu Xingzhou: “…”
Ning Sheng’s face darkened.
Gu Xingzhou’s face turned pale.
Shake hands and apologize?!
Ning Sheng thought to himself, after all the mistakes Gu Xingzhou had made, you think a simple handshake will make everything forgiven? That’s just nonsense.
Gu Xingzhou thought, it’s not that he didn’t want to apologize, but… Ning Sheng probably wouldn’t accept it, right?
Not accepting was the least of his worries.
But seeing Officer Zhang’s attitude, it seemed like if they didn’t reconcile with a handshake, he wouldn’t let them go.
Gu Xingzhou gritted his teeth, using every bit of his self-control and forcing a twisted yet sincere smile on his face as he extended his hand to Ning Sheng.
“Mr. Ning, I sincerely apologize for my past actions. I will prove with my actions in the future that I have truly changed.”
Ning Sheng turned his face away, his eyes cold.
Refusing to cooperate.
Officer Zhang: “…”
Officer Zhang sighed. “I’ll go get some tea. You two think about it.”
As soon as Officer Zhang left, Gu Xingzhou started to panic. He glanced at the clock and whispered, “Fried rice.”
If they didn’t leave now, they wouldn’t make it in time.
Ning Sheng was caught in a fierce internal struggle.
It was Jian’s fried rice, after all. He had written self-reflections all night just to have it… But letting Gu Xingzhou off so easily with a handshake? He just couldn’t accept that.
Gu Xingzhou gritted his teeth and played his trump card: “If you accept my apology, I’ll give you half of the fried rice I buy today. How about that?”
Ning Sheng: “!!!”
Half a minute later, as Officer Zhang walked back in, he saw Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou’s hands tightly gripping each other.
They were glaring at each other (intensely), with smiles that were “sincere” (or perhaps “cursed”) at the corners of their mouths, looking extremely harmonious and friendly.
Gu Xingzhou gritted his teeth and said, “I apologize.”
Ning Sheng forced a smile, cold and fake, saying, “I accept.”
Officer Zhang: “…”
Although it looked a little strange, at least they had shaken hands and apologized.
Officer Zhang looked at the two suspiciously.
After a long pause, he sighed. “Good, that’s more like it. You young ones, you’ve got plenty of time ahead of you. There’s no hurdle that can’t be overcome.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
Officer Zhang unlocked their handcuffs.
As soon as their hands were free, they quickly pulled away from each other.
The moment they stepped out of the police station, Ning Sheng immediately pulled out an alcohol wipe from his pocket and carefully wiped his hand where he had shaken Gu Xingzhou’s hand, his face full of disgust and disdain.
Gu Xingzhou was a little hurt.
And somewhat angry.
Why was he so looked down upon?
Both of them were heading to Yuanzhou Group, which was a ten-minute walk from here. Although Ning Sheng clearly didn’t want to walk with him, the road was narrow and there was no way to avoid each other without taking a detour.
So, they walked in awkward silence, keeping a not-too-close, not-too-far distance from each other.
Watching Ning Sheng’s back, Gu Xingzhou felt an uncomfortable knot in his chest.
Yes, it was true that he was the one in the wrong.
Ning Sheng was a good person, but it was only because Gu Xingzhou had pushed him to the limit that he made such a move… However, those few strikes were merciless! Even now, Gu Xingzhou’s lower body still ached faintly!
Thus, Gu Xingzhou’s expression shifted rapidly—guilt, distortion, and a variety of emotions changed across his face in just a few seconds.
By now, Gu Xingzhou still wasn’t sure what his feelings for Ning Sheng were.
On a strange impulse, Gu Xingzhou caught up to Ning Sheng. “Ning Sheng, I need to talk to you.”
Ning Sheng’s expression was cold, his handsome features too perfect, but his eyes and eyebrows were filled with disdain and contempt. He said, “What is it?”
But the next second, Ning Sheng’s expression changed.
His eyes brightened, his gaze softened, and even the corners of his tightly pressed lips couldn’t help but show a trace of a smile.
—Because Gu Xingzhou had pulled out a portion of fried rice from his jacket.
After an entire night, the fried rice was obviously cold, but you could still make out the distinct grains of rice, soaked in spicy chili oil, and the golden, crispy potatoes…
It was unmistakably Jian’s famous spicy potato fried rice!
“You…” Ning Sheng swallowed hard. “How do you have an extra portion of fried rice?”
Seeing Ning Sheng’s attitude flip 180 degrees, Gu Xingzhou felt a bit uncomfortable.
He also felt a little speechless.
“Yesterday, my secretary was in line and bought a portion.”
Gu Xingzhou said proudly. After all, his professional team wasn’t freeloading. Of course, when he took the fried rice from his secretary, he caught a vicious look of jealousy in his secretary’s eyes… but that’s not important.
“I kept it hidden because I was planning to eat it last night,” Gu Xingzhou said, his stomach growling in hunger. He hadn’t eaten all night, so it was clear how tempting that fried rice was. “But…”
Ning Sheng looked at him expectantly. “But?”
Gu Xingzhou’s dark eyes grew serious, his brows furrowed, and an air of dominance radiated from him.
Gu Xingzhou struggled and spoke, “If… I mean, if I give you this fried rice, will you forgive me?”
“Truly, from the heart.”
Ning Sheng: “…”
Damn it!
This was clearly aimed at him, and it was a bit hard to handle!
Looking at that fried rice, Ning Sheng, who had once sworn never to forgive Gu Xingzhou in this lifetime, felt deeply shaken.
This wasn’t just any fried rice, it was Jian’s fried rice—the one so delicious that it led to him and Gu Xingzhou having a fight. Even though it had cooled down overnight, its deliciousness wouldn’t be compromised.
And he hadn’t eaten anything all night.
Should he forgive Gu Xingzhou?
Thinking about it carefully, although Gu Xingzhou had locked him up for a few days, he hadn’t really caused any substantial harm. His family was safe, and he had started his internship at Hongtu Technology without any setbacks.
As for the few days Gu Xingzhou kept him locked up, Ning Sheng had already beaten Gu Xingzhou to his heart’s content, and now with this fried rice… he had already repaid it all, plus interest.
Ning Sheng’s gaze struggled.
In his mind, it seemed like a century had passed, with wave after wave of mountain-shattering and sea-raging turmoil, as he wrestled with this painful decision.
But in reality, only half a second had passed.
From Gu Xingzhou’s perspective, he had just finished making the suggestion when Ning Sheng quickly responded: “Okay.”
“If you give me the fried rice, I’ll forgive you.”
Ning Sheng’s eyes were locked on the fried rice, and his eyes gleamed with greed.
Gu Xingzhou: “…”
You agreed way too quickly!
Gu Xingzhou: “For real?”
Ning Sheng: “For real.”
Gu Xingzhou fell silent.
Ning Sheng reached out to take the fried rice, but Gu Xingzhou raised his hand and dodged it.
“…” Seeing Gu Xingzhou’s expression, Ning Sheng suddenly had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, the next second, Gu Xingzhou’s face showed a victorious grin as he turned around, opened the takeout box, and scooped up a full spoonful of fried rice. “Haha, I was just joking~ I’m not giving you the fried rice~”
The fried rice, Jian’s fried rice, was all his. He wasn’t going to share even a bite.
He was enjoying this moment of being mischievous.
Ning Sheng: “…”
Ning Sheng: “??????”
Ning Sheng’s beautiful face turned cold, and a terrifying aura seemed to ignite behind him, like flames from hell, making the people around him look away in fear.
Like the King of Hell returning from the underworld, his gaze was filled with murderous intent.
“Gu Xingzhou, I’m going to kill you!”
He lunged forward, raising his hand to slap Gu Xingzhou a few more times.
Ning Sheng swore that he would slap Gu Xingzhou’s face until it was swollen. If his face didn’t turn into a pig’s head, he would write his name backward!
At that moment, Officer Zhang, who was out to buy breakfast, passed by and happened to see the two of them: “Hey, Xiao Ning, Xiao Gu, you two haven’t left yet? What are you doing here?”
Seeing the fried rice in Gu Xingzhou’s hand, Officer Zhang’s expression turned suspicious. “…Are you two fighting over fried rice again?”
Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou froze.
Ning Sheng’s raised hand froze mid-air, and he suddenly turned it into a “gentle” embrace. Gu Xingzhou, too, stopped trying to move away and “affectionately” returned the hug to Ning Sheng, whose eyes were still filled with murderous intent.
The two of them awkwardly and stiffly hugged each other.
“No, no, Officer Zhang, we’re just concerned about each other, haha.”
Officer Zhang scanned them with suspicion.
After a while, it seemed that Officer Zhang reluctantly believed them.
Just then, a little boy passed by and blinked his round eyes when he saw the fried rice Gu Xingzhou had placed aside. “Big brother, I’ve been hungry for a day and night… can I try a bite of that fried rice?”
Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou immediately glared at the boy angrily.
The boy was ragged and seemed like a runaway. Officer Zhang patted the boy’s head and looked at the two of them.
Officer Zhang: “You two have grown up and become more enlightened, right? You won’t mind sharing some fried rice with someone else, right?”
Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou: “…”
Damn it!
Under the sorrowful and angry gazes of the two, the little boy picked up the fried rice and took a bite.
Both of them were starving after a whole night without food, and the boy, having run away from home, was also tired and hungry.
The boy had no expectations for the cold fried rice, but he was just so hungry that he needed something to fill his stomach.
However, after that first bite of fried rice, the boy was stunned.
—The texture of the rice was simply incredible, fragrant with a crispy, smoky aroma, soaked in chili oil and savory sauce. When he took a bite, he found slices of sausage, both fatty and lean, with a nice chewy texture, bursting with flavor.
The most amazing part was the potato. Even though it had cooled, it had a unique taste, almost like a cold salad. The skin was still crispy and golden, while the inside was soft and powdery, melting in his mouth. When paired with the rice…
“Wow, what kind of fried rice is this?! It’s so delicious!”
If it’s this good cold, how amazing must it be when it’s fresh and hot? The boy couldn’t even imagine!
Having gone hungry for an entire night, suddenly eating such delicious food made the boy lose control. One spoonful after another, he quickly finished the entire portion of fried rice.
Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou watched him, their hearts bleeding.
Both of their eyes were red with urgency.
The fried rice, their fried rice.
Sob…
Watching the boy devour the fried rice so greedily, even Officer Zhang couldn’t hold back, his eyes gleaming with desire.
After finishing the entire portion of fried rice, the boy suddenly collapsed.
The three of them were startled and quickly helped him up, only to find that the boy still wore a happy smile on his face, a flush on his cheeks.
…After being so hungry for days and then eating such delicious fried rice, he had been overwhelmed by the joy and passed out from the fragrance.
Officer Zhang hurriedly contacted his colleagues at the station to take the boy to the hospital for emergency care, and to handle his missing persons case and contact his parents.
Once everything was settled, Officer Zhang sighed in relief and looked up. “So you two were fighting over this fried rice?”
Ning Sheng and Gu Xingzhou nodded.
Officer Zhang: “Hmm…”
It seemed… not impossible to understand?
If the fried rice could make someone faint from the fragrance, the value of this fried rice was certainly impressive.
Officer Zhang had been on duty all night and was also starving.
He really wanted to go buy a portion himself and see if the fried rice tasted as delicious as it looked.
And maybe, he could also use this opportunity to give these two a bit of a talk and educate them.
Yes, killing two birds with one stone.
“Where did you get this fried rice?” Officer Zhang smiled kindly, putting an arm around each of their shoulders, “Are you going to buy more? Take me with you.”
Officer Zhang: “You guys have made up, so you’re good friends now, right? You won’t mind, right?”
“…”
Ning Sheng pulled the corner of his mouth into a cold smile, looking at Gu Xingzhou with a murderous intent, and said, “Of course, we don’t mind, right, ‘good friend’?”
“I don’t mind at all. In fact, I’m really looking forward to spending more time with you,” Gu Xingzhou put on a fake smile and didn’t back down, returning with a vicious tone, “We should have a heart-to-heart talk, right, ‘good friend’?”
Officer Zhang nodded in satisfaction. “Very good, very energetic!”
*
Live Broadcast Room:
[Damn]
[Big Damn…]
[What can I say, it’s so crazy, I’ve gotten used to it now hahaha (pale smile)]
[This officer, Officer Zhang, hahahaha, I’m dying of laughter, how is he so strong? He has both the main characters under control, making them write self-reflections! But even he can’t beat the power of Jian’s fried rice (???)
[About the current situation of the two protagonists of “Paranoid Possession,” netizens kindly offer their blessings, calling them: two golden gods]
[Who says our Ning Baby is a golden god! Ning Baby did nothing wrong~ Gu Dog deserves it!?
[Where else can you see a domineering CEO almost being destroyed like this…]
[Guys, who understands, I’m just a passerby. I never shipped the original couple from “Paranoid Possession” because I found it awkward and greasy. But in this live broadcast room, I’m really enjoying it!]
[I kind of get it]
[+1, while obsessive love can be captivating, the pure, male-on-male hate between them just to fight over fried rice has its own flavor, I’m dying of laughter]
*
Below the Yuanzhou Group building, the time was steadily approaching nine o’clock.
Today, there was no rain, and it was a bright, sunny day, so the crowd waiting in line was even larger than yesterday.
In the crowd, as before, there were still fans holding light boards and waving fans with the Q-version cartoon portrait of Jian Yunlan printed on them. Since it wasn’t raining today, they didn’t hand out umbrellas but instead handed out folding fans. Due to the hot weather, everyone was happy to take one and fan themselves.
Li Yun was looking for Tan Tingting, but after searching for a while, she finally found her hiding in a fan club, her eyes shining as she held a paintbrush, drawing a Q-version image of Jian Yunlan.
“How nice, so cute, hehe~”
Li Yun: “…”
Han Lin, the PhD student from Jing University, had arrived too.
She had actually seen the news yesterday, but she couldn’t leave her lab, so she was late to arrive today. And, just by chance…
She saw her professor in the line, crying internally.
Why?! Was there some curse that made her run into Professor Wang every time she lined up for Jian’s fried rice?
Of course, in the line, Professor Wang and Professor Murong were arguing, so they were too busy to pay attention to her.
“Old thief Murong, you dared to play dirty tricks yesterday!” Professor Wang was furious, his anger making his hair stand on end. “There was clearly no meeting, you lied to me just to monopolize the fried rice!”
“So what?” Professor Murong had a look on his face that seemed to say, “What can you do about it?”
Yesterday, right before Professor Wang came to line up, the principal called him for an urgent matter, and he ended up missing out on the fried rice.
But Professor Murong managed to get some.
Although he was drenched in the heavy rain, he still got to eat it! And he knew that Jian Yunlan never repeats the dishes he serves, so if he didn’t buy it today, he wouldn’t get the same fried rice tomorrow.
So, when they got back to Beijing University, Professor Murong flaunted the fried rice in front of Professor Wang, holding it with a proud smile. “Hey, fried rice, aromatic, spicy potato fried rice. Let me show you who didn’t get any!”
Professor Wang almost collapsed from anger.
Thus, today, after reflecting on everything, he left home at five in the morning, determined to buy the fried rice!
And by pure bad luck, he ended up in the same line as that old thief Murong. Hmph.
Next time, he really needed to check the Feng Shui before leaving home.
In addition to the Beijing University students and faculty, there were also the locals from Yuanzhou Group in the line.
Recently, things had been tough for everyone. Before Jian Yunlan became famous online, although the fried rice was hard to buy, it was still possible to get. But now, the difficulty of buying fried rice had escalated!
Led by Wu Qiuhuo, the owners of small food stalls started packing up at 8 a.m., focusing entirely on lining up, while also maintaining order, protecting their dreams with both hands.
There was another notable person in the crowd.
“Damn, is that Mr. Gu?” Lin Tianqiu saw Gu Tiancheng in the line and almost blinded himself with his own astonishment.
How could he, of all people, end up eating the same fried rice as the chairman of his own company?
Gu Tiancheng was much more laid-back, wearing a suit and holding his beloved dog, Da Hei, by the leash. He kindly greeted the employees with a warm smile, “Hello, everyone. You’ve all been working hard.”
Someone kindly reminded him, “Mr. Gu, you know that each person can only buy one serving, right? Even though you’re holding Da Hei to save your spot, you can’t buy two servings.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Tiancheng immediately couldn’t hold back, tears welling up in his eyes: “…”
Waaah, why?!
Da Hei is his precious son!
A fortune teller once said that pets take up the child palace in one’s life. What’s wrong with buying one more serving of fried rice for his son?
The crowd started gossiping:
“Did you hear? Yesterday, two people fought over the fried rice!”
“Yeah, yeah, I heard one was a Beijing University genius and the other was the president of Yuanzhou Group.”
“Can’t you understand? I would fight for Jian Yunlan’s fried rice too! Not just fight, such delicious fried rice should belong only to me, and I’d gouge out anyone else’s tongue…”
The crowd stared in shock at the last person who spoke, a seemingly quiet girl.
The girl gave a sinister smile before slowly slinking away.
The crowd: “…”
Wait, didn’t this scene happen before?
Are they encountering some kind of curse?
And at the back of the crowd, the two people who had fought over fried rice yesterday stood silently.
Officer Zhang, still cheerful, leaned in to listen and then asked them, “How does it feel to be famous?”
“…”
Ning Sheng glanced at Gu Xingzhou. “I’m asking you, my ‘good friend,’ how does it feel to be famous?”
“Of course, it’s great,” Gu Xingzhou replied with a fake smile, not backing down, “I love getting famous together with my ‘friend,’ right?”
The two of them stopped talking.
… Damn, this is a bit embarrassing.
Finally, under the eagerly anticipating gaze of the crowd, the figure on the tricycle appeared in the distance!
“Boss Jian is here!” “Ahhh, finally, after waiting for three hours!” “Damn, do you guys smell that? It’s so fragrant~”
Once someone mentioned it, everyone noticed.
A faint, almost imperceptible aroma wafted toward them, carried by the wind.
The smell was incredibly rich, with an indescribable fresh taste, like pork bone soup, but much more intense.
It smelled so good!
Especially for the students from Beijing University, the aroma of this rich broth reminded them of the chicken soup dumplings from the old days at the South Gate. Could it be…
The lost white moonlight—has it returned?
“Sorry for the wait,” Jian Yunlan parked the tricycle, the two large pots on it standing out. He uncovered the broth pot, gave a small bow to the crowd, and smiled slightly:
“Today’s special is Yangzhou fried rice!”
Me: drooling.jpg