Chapter 9: Fine, Cards on the Table—No More Pretending!
“Come to think of it, you don’t just understand crows, do you?”
There were only two people and two crows in the car now. The ones who had come along were the little crow and the largest one—the leader of the flock.
Hearing the question, Lin Jiangye slowly lifted his head. Their eyes met in the rearview mirror for a brief second.
“So what if I do?” Since exposing his ability, Lin Jiangye had no intention of hiding it.
Whether others believed him was none of his concern.
A faint smile flickered in Shang Fuyan’s eyes. “You can understand that tabby you just adopted too, can’t you?”
Lin Jiangye thought for a moment, then said, “When I named Zangao, you saw it.”
It wasn’t a question—it was a statement. He was certain Shang Fuyan had witnessed him conversing with the cat.
Shang Fuyan admitted it openly. “Yes. That’s why I found it strange. The way you spoke to the tabby wasn’t how ordinary people talk to their pets.”
In fact, he had sensed something off when the tabby lunged at Sun Zhao and Lin Jiangye voiced his suspicions.
Only just now had he fully confirmed it.
Lin Jiangye could truly understand animals—communicate with them seamlessly.
“I’m curious. Did you learn this… unusual ability abroad? Or—” Shang Fuyan left the rest unsaid.
On paper, Lin Jiangye was just an ordinary overseas graduate.
But upon closer scrutiny, he was riddled with inconsistencies.
Five years ago, he was an orphan in a welfare home with no funds for overseas study. So how had he gone abroad?
And if he intended to study overseas, why take the national college entrance exam?
He couldn’t uncover what Lin Jiangye had done during those five years abroad, but one thing was certain—no ordinary student returned with such lethal combat techniques.
When Lin Jiangye struck earlier, those were killing moves. He had simply held back. Otherwise, the first two traffickers would already be dead.
What kind of overseas study teaches assassination?
Shang Fuyan couldn’t help but wonder.
He had even briefly suspected that Lin Jiangye had been trafficked overseas as some kind of experimental subject.
But that idea quickly fell apart.
Lin Jiangye’s hands and arms were smooth, unscarred—hardly the marks of brutal training.
And even well-treated test subjects often developed psychological distortions.
If he truly had been an experiment, how did he return safely—with a ten-billion inheritance, no less? That money couldn’t possibly have come from overthrowing some shadowy organization.
The two men held each other’s gaze.
Lin Jiangye clearly saw the suspicion in Shang Fuyan’s eyes.
But suspicion without evidence meant nothing.
Besides—
He was a law-abiding citizen.
The phrase, originally uttered by Shang Fuyan, made him want to laugh.
Shang Fuyan noticed the dimples forming at the corners of his mouth and recalled his earlier praise for bravery. His vigilance diminished by several degrees.
Whatever Lin Jiangye had experienced overseas, he had returned lawful—and had helped save three lives.
“I was thinking,” Shang Fuyan said frankly, abandoning pretense, “since you can understand animals, perhaps you could assist the police in the future.”
Lin Jiangye arched his brow and snorted. “No. Too troublesome.”
“What if we give you an official position?”
“I’m rich. Don’t need a job, thanks.”
An official post meant restrictions. If he were an ordinary person, perhaps it would be tempting.
But he wasn’t.
Shang Fuyan wasn’t surprised by the refusal.
Still, a different thought surfaced in his mind.
They fell silent for the rest of the drive.
Soon, they arrived.
Lin Jiangye tilted his head, puzzled.
“Didn’t you say we were buying gems? Why bring me to this building instead of Gem Street?”
“The selection here is more comprehensive. Better quality.” Shang Fuyan glanced at the crows on their shoulders and added with a smile, “Which means shinier. Prettier.”
The crows’ eyes lit up instantly.
They didn’t understand “variety” or “quality”—but they understood “shinier and prettier.”
The little crow began cawing excitedly.
[Crow wants better! Better! Better!]
The piercing cry nearly rattled Lin Jiangye’s brain.
He quickly covered the crow’s beak. “Alright, alright. Stop yelling in my ear—I’m going deaf.”
At his agreement, the crow wagged its tail like a puppy.
Lin Jiangye’s heart melted.
If there were no puppies in the sky, at least there were crows. Adorable.
They took the elevator to the sixteenth floor.
When the doors opened, display cases filled with gemstones sparkled under the lights, their fire dancing brilliantly.
Both men simultaneously restrained their restless crows.
“Behave. If we get kicked out, you won’t get anything.”
Instantly, the birds settled.
The receptionist approached, puzzled but professional.
“How may I assist you?”
Unexpectedly, the two men lowered their heads to their birds instead of answering.
“May the crows choose? I guarantee they won’t grab recklessly,” Lin Jiangye asked.
The receptionist hesitated, glanced at the sturdy bulletproof glass, then nodded. “That’s fine.”
It wasn’t unprecedented. Some clients let pets choose their accessories.
Lin Jiangye reminded the crows not to use their claws carelessly and released them.
The receptionist watched in astonishment as the birds behaved perfectly—examining display after display, occasionally cawing to each other as if deliberating.
Suppressing a smile, she thought: Are they really discussing which gem to buy?
They were.
Soon, both crows chirped excitedly before one display.
A full diamond set.
Each stone dazzling.
“Diamonds,” Shang Fuyan assessed, “one to two carats should suit their size.”
He paused.
“Loose stones or necklaces?”
Lin Jiangye pondered seriously.
Necklaces were convenient—but could attract thieves.
Loose stones could only be admired in the nest—and might fall.
In the end, when they exited the building, Lin Jiangye carried a bag containing twenty loose diamonds.
It had cost a small fortune.
But he was delighted.
“You were right. The quality’s excellent. Good value.”
After spending over a million in one go, he was satisfied.
The jeweler was too.
The crows wagged their tails in unison, eager to return and divide the diamonds.
[Shiny! Shiny! I want shiny!]
“Home, home!”
Lin Jiangye waved casually. “Thanks, Captain Shang. Bye!”
And promptly focused on soothing the crow—perfectly demonstrating the phrase “use and discard.”
Shang Fuyan’s lips twitched. He hadn’t felt this speechless in a long time.
Then—
A shrill scream pierced the air.
“Help! Someone’s kidnapping a child!”
—
Author’s Note:
Little Crow: Human! Crow has diamonds now ?
(I want some too.)
