Chapter 51

Zhen Ai sat by the car window, her pale fingers poking at the glass, drawing circles one after another. The glass was dark, and Yan Su's shadow was faintly reflected on it, just a thin layer.

Zhen Ai carefully poked "his" face, her fingertips cool and smooth. She couldn't help but secretly laugh, feeling like she had touched a real person.

"His" expression remained unchanged as he focused on driving, his face stern and silent.

After amusing herself for a while, Zhen Ai suddenly realized how boring it was.

She slowly sat up straight and turned her head to look at him. He was like the shadow on the glass—cold and detached, not speaking or acknowledging her, only staring straight ahead at the road.

He seemed to be seriously driving, but it felt like he was lost in thought.

Today was the day to register for community service. Zhen Ai had come early to call him, but he remained deep in thought, hardly saying a word on the way. He looked somewhat unhappy; his face was calm, but there was an underlying gloominess that Zhen Ai could sense.

She speculated that it might be because he hadn't cracked the code yet, so the proud him was upset.

Just as she was thinking, his dark eyelashes flickered, and Zhen Ai was startled, quickly turning to look out the window. Unfortunately, she misjudged the distance, and with a "bang," her face collided solidly with the window glass.

Zhen Ai grimaced in pain, covering her nose, tears almost coming to her eyes.

Yan Su looked at her with an expression as if she were an alien, watching her series of inexplicable actions in disbelief. Slowly, he opened his mouth and asked incredulously, "Are you a comedian? Or are you studying bird behavior?"

Zhen Ai had a high nose bridge, and the impact was no small matter. Hearing Yan Su's words almost made her furious, and she groaned in a muffled voice, "At a time like this, can't you refrain from being schadenfreude?"

"Your observational and analytical skills are truly appalling. How can I be enjoying your misfortune? Even a fool can see I'm comparing you to Isaac's shared habits," Yan Su said earnestly.

"Isaac does the same thing; even though the floor-to-ceiling window is half open, it still flutters and crashes against the glass. It's so stupid. I really don't understand why you want to learn from it!"

Clearly, I'm not the one!

Zhen Ai glared at him, wishing she could bite him.

Yan Su, oblivious, frowned in contemplation. After a moment, he nodded, "I understand why now. Your name is Ai, and its code name is I, they sound the same. You must be of the same kind…"

In an instant, Yan Su suddenly paused.

Name code? That password… it couldn't be this simple! No specialized decoding was required, and no knowledge was needed; even a middle schooler could crack it! Impossible!

Zhen Ai, unaware of his thoughts, retorted angrily, "You guys are the same kind. I didn't learn from it; that crash against the glass was my spontaneous action…"

But this only sounded more peculiar.

Yan Su withdrew his thoughts and laughed, "Spontaneous action? Are you a single-celled blue-green algae stimulated by dye in a stress test, or are you a goose flying south in winter?"

Zhen Ai, covered in embarrassment, turned her head to look out the window, muttering angrily, "Hmph, you never consider issues from an interpersonal and social psychology perspective, you idiot!"

Yan Su was taken aback, pondering for a long time before realizing, "Oh, I get it. Thanks for the reminder. Back to the point, why were you so nervous when you saw me looking at you? Why did you suddenly fling yourself against the glass?" He added, his eyes twinkling, "Your behavior is truly bird-like!"

Zhen Ai glared at him fiercely, no longer caring about his feelings, and snorted, "I'm not afraid that you won't crack the code, and that your pride will get hurt and you'll take it out on me! Hmph, after a whole day, you still haven't cracked it. No wonder even the parrot looks down on you!"

Yan Su raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking like he was struggling to understand, "Why would I be angry with you for not cracking the code? Learning has no end! Although I haven't encountered a code that has defeated me so far, I will surely encounter one in the future."

When he said this, his eyes sparkled with a childlike anticipation for the unknown challenges.

"If I were to be so proud, that would be sheer ignorance."

Zhen Ai, covering her aching nose, momentarily froze. Originally worried that he might feel frustrated because of the code, that anxious emotion faded away.

On the contrary, his thoughts were pure and broad, reaching such a level that it made her feel quite ashamed. She usually felt discouraged when encountering setbacks in her research work; she shouldn't have done that, Zhen Ai!

She looked at his chiseled profile, feeling filled with confidence and strength, and a bit guilty for having gone too far in their earlier banter.

As she thought about how to change the subject, Yan Su once again displayed his annoying attributes.

He shifted from his earlier indifferent tone and, neither salty nor sweet, casually remarked, "Besides, isn't there someone who spent five years, with the help of over a hundred top cryptography experts, going through hardships… finally delivering the password into my hands?"

Zhen Ai:…

She leaned back in her chair, feeling defeated by his sarcasm.

# 

The court's ruling on community service in New York state was to be served over 23 hours, split into 7 sessions, with various content options available. The service locations included parks, streets, orphanages, welfare homes, nursing homes, drug rehabilitation centers, libraries, museums, prisons, etc.

While applying and registering, Zhen Ai gazed at the dizzying array of service venues and options, feeling like a child in a toy store, selecting left and right, thinking everything looked good and wanting to try them all.

Yan Su sat coldly beside her, looking down on her, "Community service, strictly speaking, is a form of punishment. Can't you be a bit more fitting with your expression? Don't look so excited, like you're about to eat candy."

The black woman in charge of registration raised her eyelids, glanced at her through her glasses, and then dropped them expressionlessly.

Zhen Ai retracted her excited expression, slowly sat up straight, poking at the paper with her finger, eagerly and sincerely saying, "This one, this one, this one… I want seven!"

Yan Su:…

Hey, hey, did you hear what I just said?

During the interval of their registration, Yan Su's mind was still revolving around that password, running at high speed.

In the 27 hours since he received the password, he had tried countless solutions. He even analyzed several exact and practically existing addresses. But according to Zhen Ai, her brother was very certain that aside from Zhen Ai, no one could solve it.

Why was he so sure?

And the pile of addresses that Yan Su had analyzed could completely be derived through human brains and computer frequency analysis. He didn't think that those over a hundred cryptography experts were just twiddling their thumbs. He could see that they must have also realized this; it was just a matter of time. Perhaps over those five years, the locations indicated by the password had been investigated countless times.

Zhen Ai sat by the car window, her fair fingers poking at the glass, drawing circles in a ring after ring. The glass was darkly tinted, and Yan Su's shadow was reflected on it, a thin layer.

Zhen Ai carefully poked "his" face, her fingertips feeling cool and smooth, and she couldn't help but chuckle softly, as if she had touched a real person and felt her heart race.

"He" remained unfazed, focused on driving with a serious expression, silent as ever.

After amusing herself for a while, Zhen Ai suddenly realized how boring it was.

She slowly straightened her posture and tilted her head to look at him. He looked just as cold and unapproachable as the reflection on the glass, not talking, not acknowledging her, only staring at the road ahead.

He seemed to be driving seriously, yet he always appeared to be lost in thought.

Today was the day to register for community service. Zhen Ai had come to call him early, but he had been pondering silently all along, hardly speaking, looking somewhat unhappy. His face was calm, but Zhen Ai felt an underlying sense of gloom.

She guessed that perhaps he was upset because he hadn't solved that password yet, and his pride was hurt.

Just as she was thinking this, his long black eyelashes fluttered, startling Zhen Ai. She quickly turned to look out the window, not realizing the distance wasn't estimated correctly, and "bang"—her face hit the glass hard.

Zhen Ai winced in pain, covering her nose, tears almost brimming in her eyes.

Yan Su looked at her with an expression that suggested he was viewing an alien, watching her series of bizarre actions, and slowly opened his mouth, incredulously asking, "Are you a comedian? Or are you studying bird behavior?"

Zhen Ai, with her high nose bridge, had just hit it hard, and upon hearing Yan Su's words, she almost got angry, muffled her voice through her nose and complained, "Is it too much to ask for you not to gloat at a time like this?"

"Your observation and summary skills are really pitiful. I'm not gloating; even a fool can see I'm comparing you and Isaac's shared habits," Yan Su said with utmost seriousness.

"Issac also behaves like you, flapping against the glass even though the sliding window is half open. So stupid. I just don't understand why you want to learn from it."

Clearly, I'm right here!

Zhen Ai glared at him while covering her nose, wishing she could bite him.

Yan Su, oblivious, furrowed his brow in deep thought, nodded after a moment, "I understand why now. Your name is Ai, and its code name is I; they sound alike. You two must be kindred spirits…"

In a flash, Yan Su suddenly paused.

Name code? That password… it can't be that simple! It doesn't require any specialized decryption skills or knowledge reserves; even a middle school student could solve it! Impossible!

Zhen Ai was unaware of his thoughts and indignantly retorted, "You're the one who's kindred! I didn't learn from it; hitting the glass just now was spontaneous…"

This statement only made things more bizarre.

Yan Su retracted his thoughts, chuckling, "Spontaneous behavior? Are you a single-celled blue-green algae stimulated by dye in an emergency test, or a goose flying south in winter?"

Zhen Ai, feeling embarrassed and disgruntled, turned her head to look out the window, muttering angrily, "Hmph, you idiot, you never consider things from an interpersonal and social psychological perspective!"

Yan Su was taken aback, pondering for a moment before he finally understood, "Oh, I get it now. Thanks for the reminder. Let's get back on track. Why were you so nervous when you saw me looking at you? Why did you turn around and slam against the glass?" He added, rolling his eyes, "Your behavior really resembles that of birds!"

Zhen Ai glared at him fiercely, no longer caring about his feelings, snorted, "I'm not afraid you can't figure out the password; you're just upset over your bruised ego! Hmph, it's been a day, and you still can't crack it; no wonder even parrots look down on you!"

Yan Su raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking like he was struggling to understand, "Why would I be mad at you for not solving the password? Knowledge is endless. Although I haven't encountered a password that stumps me yet, I will eventually."

As he said this, his eyes sparkled with anticipation for the unknown challenge, like a child eager for knowledge.

"If I were so proud, I'd be truly ignorant."

Zhen Ai covered her aching nose, momentarily stunned. Initially worried he would feel defeated over the password, her anxiousness dissipated.

Instead, his thoughts were so pure and vast, it made her feel incredibly embarrassed. Normally, when faced with setbacks in research, she would gradually lose heart, but she shouldn't be this way, Zhen Ai!

She gazed at his finely sculpted side profile, feeling a surge of confidence and strength, yet also a bit ashamed for having gone too far in their banter.

While she pondered how to mend things, Yan Su once again revealed his irritating trait.

He abruptly shifted from his previous indifferent tone and said dryly, "Moreover, there's someone who took five years, with the help of over a hundred top cryptographers, and endured great hardships… finally delivering the password into my hands."

Zhen Ai:…

She sank back into her seat, feeling defeated. To wield sarcasm with such artistry was truly something she had to admire.

#

The court mandated 23 hours of community service in New York State, divided into seven sessions, with various options available. Service locations included parks, streets, orphanages, welfare homes, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, libraries, museums, prisons, etc.

When Zhen Ai looked at the dizzying array of service locations and content while applying and registering, she felt like a child in a toy store, happily picking and choosing, thinking that she wanted to try everything.

Yan Su sat coldly beside her, looking down on her, "Community service, strictly speaking, is a kind of punishment. Could you not be so enthusiastic? Don't act like you're about to eat candy."

The black woman in charge of registration raised her eyelids, glanced at her over the glasses, and then returned to her impassive work.

Zhen Ai restrained her excited expression, slowly sat up straight, and began poking the paper with her finger, earnestly and eagerly saying, "This one, this one, this one... I want all seven."

Yan Su:…

Hey, did you even listen to what I just said?

While they were waiting to register, Yan Su's mind was still revolving around that password, spinning rapidly.

In the 27 hours since he received the password, he had attempted countless methods to decipher it. He had even analyzed several precise and practical addresses. But according to Zhen Ai, her brother was certain that no one could solve it apart from Zhen Ai.

Why was he so sure?

The pile of addresses Yan Su analyzed could be deduced through human intellect and computer frequency analysis. He didn't believe that over a hundred cryptographers were just idling about. He could see that they should have noticed too; it was just a matter of time. Perhaps, in the five years, the buildings and people at the locations indicated by the password had been investigated countless times.

Until just now, Yan Su suddenly realized that perhaps this wasn't a password at all. The simplest, most common thing had been tagged with a password label, and dissecting it mechanically would certainly yield no correct answer.

But if it truly was as he suspected, then… he turned his gaze to Zhen Ai, who was eagerly watching the registrar fill out the form… then she had deceived him.

He silently retracted his gaze.

The black woman took the pen and swiftly filled out the form, then lifted her eyelids to ask Yan Su, "What about you?"

"Same as her," Yan Su answered without hesitation, only then realizing how subtle the atmosphere felt. She was excitedly choosing, and he showed no objection, like a husband obediently acquiescing to his wife.

Heh, he smiled faintly.

#

On the way back, Zhen Ai was still in a good mood, leaning against the window and drawing circles. Yan Su's expression remained perfectly calm, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Zhen Ai, blissfully unaware, cheerfully chatted about where she would go for service. Yan Su quietly listened, waiting until she paused before suddenly saying, "I've figured out the password."

Zhen Ai gasped in surprise, "So fast?"

Her heart suddenly lifted.

After waiting so long, the dawn finally appeared, and she could finally follow the information left by her brother. It was as if, until this moment, her life had gained a different purpose beyond research.

Many words hovered on the tip of her tongue, and she simply said, "Thank you, Yan Su!"

Yan Su didn't respond. He had initially planned to observe Zhen Ai's expression when the password was cracked: joy, excitement, admiration…

At this moment, he stubbornly stared ahead, his lips curving slightly, "I didn't expect this password to be so simple. Or rather, it can't really be called a password."

He gently narrowed his eyes and glanced at Zhen Ai through the rearview mirror.

Zhen Ai laughed awkwardly, "My brother said that as long as I read more books, I would definitely be able to solve it. But I've read so many books and still don't understand."

After hearing this, Yan Su became more convinced that his answer was correct.

He chuckled, "Did your brother tell you other things?" After saying this, he glanced at her again.

Zhen Ai sensed something was off. From earlier, his words had an implicit meaning. The Yan Su she knew wasn't like this.

Seeing her stiffen, Yan Su felt a sting in his heart, his smile fading: "What you've given me isn't all of it, is it?"

Zhen Ai shivered, realizing he had seen through her.

She suddenly remembered her brother's words: if you can't solve it, find someone to help you, and if the person helping you says it's simple, doubt that it's not the whole truth. It's likely he has successfully cracked the first step. You can then continue with the steps using the methods I taught you. If you trust him, decode it together; if you don't, I still believe you can solve the rest of the password.

Zhen Ai's heart sank; with Yan Su's intelligence, if he could see the password, how could he not see her intentions?

"Your brother is very clever. He said it was a password, and the answer is a location. He misled all the experts to use professional decryption methods to analyze it, leading them further astray. At the same time, he concealed a fact: solving this password requires more than one step."

Zhen Ai's face paled as she listened to his words. Yan Su was right; this was the understanding shared only between her and her brother.

"The dozens of addresses that can be analyzed directly from this password are all false. The correct answer for the first step isn't a location. But once the first step result is out, you will find a way to solve it." He looked at the scene outside, his eyes devoid of emotion. "So, I want to ask you, if I tell you the result of the first step, what will you do next? Will you follow your original plan and tell me that the password cannot be solved, then sneak off to deal with it yourself?"

Zhen Ai hadn't anticipated that everything would be seen through by him. She felt awkward and ashamed, wishing she could jump out of the car. She didn't dare look at him, turning her gaze outside and murmuring softly, "I'm sorry; I still concealed things."

Yan Su replied calmly, "It's alright; it's a very important secret for you. You've been cautious, so it's understandable to hold back."

For the first time, he was so understanding. Zhen Ai felt a chill in her heart, uneasily looking at him; he appeared magnanimous, yet his eyes held not a trace of warmth.

Zhen Ai knew that had she been honest from the start, Yan Su would have definitely helped her.

But she had said she would tell him everything and then secretly concealed part of it.

She lowered her head, "If you want to blame me, just say it!"

Yan Su was very calm: "I don't want to blame you."

"Why not?"

"Discretion in words and actions."

Zhen Ai suddenly felt as if she were standing barefoot on the icy ground in midwinter. She looked at the lush greenery outside, feeling as desolate as winter. Unable to sit still any longer, she noticed they were about to turn and hurriedly said, "Stop at the bank ahead; I need to take care of something."

Yan Su pulled over at the roadside, and as Zhen Ai unfastened her seatbelt, she quietly said, "You go ahead; I'll take a taxi later."

Yan Su turned to look at her: "I'll wait for you."

"No need." Zhen Ai forced a smile, eager to get out of the car. But the seatbelt buckle seemed to be against her, no matter how she tried, it wouldn't unfasten. She felt anxious and guilty, her face turning red as she angrily punched the buckle.

A familiar pale hand reached over, brushing against her hand with a chill. He leaned forward, and with a flick of his finger, the seatbelt popped out.

She gazed at his side profile, so close and aloof, making her feel increasingly embarrassed. Before he could settle back in, she pushed the car door open and fled like the wind.

Yan Su lifted his gaze, watching her little figure sprinting away down the tree-lined street, frowning. A wave of inexplicable frustration and defeat filled him. It was clearly a trivial matter; he didn't understand why he was so concerned.

Rationally, he was aware of her cautious and alert nature, along with her inherent anxiety and suspicion. But emotionally, he was still inexplicably angry, angry at himself for not earning her trust, for not gaining her complete trust.

He didn't understand and didn't know how to express it.

Feelings, ha, how ridiculous. When did he start considering problems from an emotional perspective?

But now, she was also sensitive, running away feeling guilty and ashamed. This was not the result he wanted.

He felt inexplicably irritated and uneasy, a tightness in his chest driving him to release his pent-up feelings. He raised his hand and punched the steering wheel hard. After doing so, he froze, wondering why he was angry?

After that punch, he hit the headlights. Following the dim light, he looked over, and the road sign brightly read "Maple Street." The place where Zhen Ai disappeared was the bank at 13 Maple Street.

That address felt familiar. One of the addresses from her brother's password, deduced from the first step, was included in the dozens.

An inexplicable sense of foreboding rose in Yan Su's heart as he pushed open the car door and dashed toward the bank. In an instant, six sharp gunshots rang out through the dense maple trees lining the street, causing flocks of birds to take flight into the blue sky.

A second later, police sirens blared, followed by another gunshot, shattering the street's tranquility with screams and cries as people outside the bank frantically scattered in all directions.

Yan Su's heart sank.

Leaves rustled in the maple trees, and birds flew in a frenzy; he dashed toward the bank like a gust of wind, his trench coat trailing behind him, forming a black flower amidst the falling leaves and flying birds.