Chapter 39 Museum (Merry Christmas, everyone)
"Are you really sure it was the Nisshin-kai who did it?" Gan Jing looked at Ling Xiao with some concern. When the two of them discussed these matters, they spoke in Mandarin Chinese, so they weren't worried that someone nearby might understand and also be connected to the Nisshin-kai.
"Most likely." Ling Xiao sighed softly and whispered, "But the clues are basically gone. It's almost impossible to investigate further from a legal standpoint."
"Then what should we do?" Although Gan Jing wasn't particularly fond of Kate Beckett, she sympathized with her in this matter.
Ling Xiao glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, "That depends on whether Katherine is willing to give up on pursuing this matter through official channels."
"What do you mean by that..." Gan Jing hadn't finished speaking when a waiter approached to clear their plates. Soon, the final desserts were served: first cheese and fruit, followed by various cakes and sweets, tiramisu, and panna cotta.
Ling Xiao had ordered quite a few delicious things, which made Gan Jing, who had a fondness for good food, somewhat forget about Beckett. It wasn't until they had finished dinner and left the restaurant, returning to the car, that Gan Jing brought it up again.
Ling Xiao looked at Gan Jing and shook his head gently. This girl was extremely intelligent, but due to her limited experience, her understanding of these matters was insufficient. After a moment of contemplation, Ling Xiao said while driving, "Since this matter is connected to the Nisshin-kai, then Shizhi Xuan, who has led the Nisshin-kai for nearly two decades, naturally can't be unrelated to it. We might even be able to directly ask him who the mastermind is. However, the chain of evidence for this will be completely broken. Even if we find the ultimate mastermind, it will be very difficult to bring him to justice."
Ling Xiao's meaning was very clear, and Gan Jing understood completely. Ling Xiao had been talking about taking matters into their own hands. Gan Jing remained silent for a long time; to be honest, she still felt uncomfortable about such things.
"Oh, why did you stop here?" Gan Jing instinctively turned to look at Ling Xiao. Outside wasn't her Pharmacy, but the famous TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Amidst the dazzling lights, many people were checking their tickets and entering.
"Haha!" Ling Xiao chuckled at Gan Jing, took two tickets from his pocket, and said to her, "I know you like ballet, so I got two tickets for Swan Lake. Come on, it's time to get out!"
"Thank you, Ling Xiao!" Gan Jing bit her lower lip. She could feel that Ling Xiao had put a lot of thought into their date tonight.
Gan Jing's evening gown was perfect for a ballet. Now Gan Jing finally understood why Ling Xiao had insisted she wear this dress when they left that evening. This rascal, he had planned it all along.
After three hours of performance, Ling Xiao, who had secretly taken a nap, left the Chinese Theatre with Gan Jing.
"I know you don't like this, right?" Gan Jing looked at Ling Xiao apologetically. He had been so bored that he had fallen asleep, leaning on her shoulder.
"No, it's quite good, this place is not bad." Ling Xiao didn't want to spoil Gan Jing's mood at this moment, so he put his arm around her and said with a smile, "Wherever you are, no matter where, it's paradise."
"You're all talk, and you don't even look at where we are." Gan Jing shyly glanced around. This wasn't the restaurant from before; there were Chinese people everywhere, any of whom could understand their conversation.
"Haha!" Ling Xiao said with a smile, his arm around Gan Jing's slender waist, "Isn't that what you like about me?"
"Such behavior!" Gan Jing stood in front of the car, playfully scolding Ling Xiao. No matter what, she had felt his sincerity.
Riding in the rented Porsche, they sped back to the Pharmacy. This drive made Gan Jing feel very happy. What made her even happier was that after returning to the second floor of the Pharmacy, before turning on the lights, she heard a soft sound from Ling Xiao's hand, and the next moment, a very exquisite large cake appeared in the center of the room.
By the light of the lit candles, Gan Jing looked at Ling Xiao with surprise and joy, saying with an incredulous and somewhat flustered expression, "When did you get this? But today isn't my birthday, and it's not yours either?"
"Don't worry about that." Ling Xiao smiled gently, walked over to turn on the stereo, and said with a hint of pride, "I figured you'd definitely go back to China this summer, and you wouldn't be in America for your lunar birthday, so I had to celebrate it on the date written on your ID card. The only thing I feel a little bad about is that it's just the two of us here."
Listening to the 'Happy Birthday' song playing, Gan Jing bit her lower lip. Her heart was filled with happiness and joy; for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
"Come on, blow out the candles." Ling Xiao led Gan Jing to the front of the large cake. Watching her blow hard at the more than twenty candles on the cake, extinguishing them all, she then said to Ling Xiao, "Thank you!"
"It's what I should do." Ling Xiao looked at Gan Jing, who looked exceptionally charming in her golden-white long dress, and asked softly, "How was it? Did you make a wish?"
"Want to guess what wish I made?" Gan Jing looked up at Ling Xiao, her white skin appearing exceptionally soft and tender in the gentle light.
Ling Xiao shrugged, saying with a wry smile, "I think I already know."
Gan Jing looked at Ling Xiao, her smile fading slightly, and whispered, "Listen, Ling Xiao, all of this is wonderful—the show, the Advanced dinner, and this cake—it's all great, but you know, these aren't what I need."
"I know, so I've prepared everything." Ling Xiao took out a square, flat box from his person and said sincerely to Gan Jing, "So, starting today, be my girlfriend, okay?"
"Mm!" Gan Jing bit her lower lip and nodded vigorously, trying hard not to let tears fall from her eyes. Frankly, Gan Jing was still slightly disappointed; if the box Ling Xiao had taken out contained a ring instead of a beautiful sapphire necklace, she would have been even happier.
"Let me put it on for you." Ling Xiao reached out and first helped Gan Jing remove the pearl necklace from her neck, then put the sapphire necklace on her.
Ling Xiao actually knew what Gan Jing was thinking, but he couldn't give her that commitment yet, so this was all he could do for now.
Watching the sapphire gently rest on Gan Jing's chest, Ling Xiao's lips curved slightly into a smile as he said, "The item is nice, but this dress doesn't quite match it. Come on, Gan Jing, let me help you take it off."
With that, Ling Xiao pounced on Gan Jing amidst a startled cry from her, throwing her to the ground, then picked her up and carried her directly into the bedroom.
The next morning, after finishing his morning Dao practice, Ling Xiao left without breakfast and rushed to the place he had arranged to meet Mikayla Baines.
Recalling the madness of last night, Ling Xiao couldn't help but shake his head gently. Gan Jing hadn't woken up yet, and he himself had almost missed his evening Dao practice. Such things really must be avoided!
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, opened in 1913, is the largest Natural History Museum in the Western United States, housing over 35 million artifacts spanning 4.5 billion years of history, encompassing everything and boasting amazing exhibits and collections.
Ling Xiao had always wanted to come here, but due to his previous cultivation level, he couldn't bypass the guards and sneak in unnoticed.
The god and demon list is actually very picky; not everything is worth absorbing to perfect itself. Ling Xiao had tried many things, various Ore metals, but the god and demon list only absorbed a little before becoming indifferent to them. It prefers minerals like diamonds and agates, forged from deep within the Earth's lava. These extremely rare surface materials are its favorite.
Here, Ling Xiao believed there would be many things that the god and demon list would like. Looking at the magnificent museum before him, he smiled softly.