Chapter 53: Ju Qingmeng’s Past

9:35 p.m.—only twenty-five minutes left until the usual bedtime.

The streets were nearly deserted, with only a scarce handful of patrolling night watchmen emerging languidly from their homes, preparing for a long, tedious night’s watch.

At the gate in the white wall dividing the slums from the affluent district, all was still empty.

Not until 9:55 would a few second- and third-rank professionals from the town guard arrive punctually at the gate.

Though nearly every citizen in the villa district had their own automated defense systems, there were also professional night watchmen assigned to the area.

Because night shifts took a heavy toll on the body and often resulted in sudden deaths, the professional watchmen of the guard worked in rotation; each person took their turn every few days, wearing themselves out for the task.

If a professional night watchman was fortunate enough to survive ten years, they would be granted citizenship—albeit of the lowest rank.

It was no easy feat, but it was a carrot whose taste Ren Zhong knew well.

Hurrying past the white-walled gate, Ren Zhong changed direction, heading straight for the western side of the villa district.

There, near the heart of the town, stood a four-story alloy building.

It was the villa of Ju Qingmeng, a second-rank citizen.

Ren Zhong had arranged to meet her here.

They had exchanged contact information earlier, so Ren Zhong was able to reach her.

After probing with a phone call, he discovered she had the day off.

Ju Qingmeng detested Spark Town and had no interest in making friends here. Aside from the “Census Officer” Ren Zhong and Mayor Madafu, she couldn’t be bothered to interact with anyone.

Thus, she had spent the entire day at home.

The unofficial wanted notice circulating among the wastelanders hadn’t yet reached her ears.

When she heard over the phone that Ren Zhong would be visiting at night, there had been a brief silence, then unexpected warmth in her voice.

Ren Zhong was prepared to sprinkle a malicious lie.

Ding dong.

The doorbell rang.

Three seconds later, the small side door in the villa’s tall iron fence creaked open.

Amber light poured from the doorframe, casting a long, graceful silhouette onto the ground.

Ren Zhong took two steps to the side, standing directly in front of the small door.

There stood Ju Qingmeng, clad in a semi-transparent gauzy nightgown, the purple lingerie beneath faintly visible, a wine glass in her left hand, her damp hair draping over her shoulders, smiling at him.

A gentle breeze carried a hint of her bath’s subtle fragrance to his nose.

Once, such a sight would have set Ren Zhong’s heart racing.

But now, anger burned cold and motionless within him, like a deep, still well.

“Mr. Ren, you finally decided to come see me? Please, come in.”

Ju Qingmeng greeted him, her manner both nervous and shy, yet full of enthusiasm.

With Mayor Madafu’s endorsement, she believed utterly in Ren Zhong’s “Census Officer” identity.

She had offended the wrong people and been banished here; her spirit was already numb. But after Madafu introduced this “Census Officer,” and a bond was formed, a tiny spark began to kindle once more in the desolation of her heart.

Yearning to change her fate, to leave this accursed Spark Town and return to the city as a true citizen, she had finally overcome her doubts and her former self after much internal struggle.

Ren Zhong slipped into the courtyard.

The alloy door behind him closed with a creak.

Ju Qingmeng approached, making as if to remove his helmet.

She leaned forward, chest rising, the scent of her perfume swirling in the air, the mood subtly charged.

Ren Zhong turned slightly aside, removing his helmet himself.

Ju Qingmeng paused, a pang of disappointment welling inside her.

A fear that her hopes would be dashed began to gnaw at her fragile will.

“So… Mr. Ren, what brings you here tonight?” she asked, lifting her head, feigning ignorance.

She gazed at Ren Zhong, her eyes brimming with yearning, trying her best to charm him, although it was not her greatest strength.

Ren Zhong studied her, thoughts flickering swiftly through his mind, then sighed softly. “We’re too close to the wall here. Is there somewhere more private where we can talk?”

Whew—

Ju Qingmeng exhaled in relief.

So that’s all it was. She was overthinking things; he wasn’t uninterested, just not impatient.

“Let’s go inside,” she suggested.

“All right.”

Ren Zhong led the way, Ju Qingmeng trailing close behind, her heart pounding, her breath growing unsteady.

As they entered the living room, Ren Zhong spoke first. “Mayor Ma mentioned you’re from Chongyi County, and a top student in the armament management program at Chongyi Vocational High. By rights, someone like you should have stayed in the county. Why did you end up in a remote place like Spark Town? Is there a story behind it? If you’re willing, perhaps I can help.”

“Ah?” Ju Qingmeng was caught off guard.

Things were moving too quickly.

He hadn’t even laid the groundwork—how had he so quickly moved to bare the knife?

“This… this…”

She hadn’t yet composed her excuse, fidgeting with her fingers, hesitating to speak.

“Is it inconvenient to say?”

“No, no, Mr. Ren, please, sit on the sofa—I’ll get you some tea.”

“Thank you.”

Three minutes later, Ren Zhong sat upright on the sofa, a warm teacup in his hands.

Steam curled from the cup.

Ju Qingmeng, still in her sheer nightgown, sat across from him, seemingly lost in memories, gathering her thoughts.

Her expressions shifted rapidly—at one moment nostalgic, then angry, then fearful, then full of self-reproach.

In the bright light, her graceful form was rendered vividly.

Ren Zhong considered reminding her to put on a robe, but seeing her this way, he refrained from interrupting her train of thought.

“Mr. Ren, if I told you I was once first in my class in the armaments program at Chongyi Vocational High, and by rights should have been recruited after graduation into the technical department of the arms mall in Yangsheng City, would you believe me?”

“I would. But in the end, you didn’t go to Yangsheng—you came here.”

Ju Qingmeng sighed. “Yes. It was the price of arrogance. I’m not ashamed to say it. Because of my looks and abilities, I was always the center of attention, used to being admired. It made me… a bit conceited, too aloof. I once believed I was strong enough to shape my own destiny. So, when it came to relationships, I insisted on being true to myself.”

Ren Zhong replied, “So you offended a suitor?”

“Yes. A fourth-rank citizen with connections. I turned him down in public, without mercy.”

She summarized it simply.

But in Ren Zhong’s mind, an involuntary thought surfaced:

Naivety is a privilege reserved for citizens.

“I was too naïve back then. I paid a heavy price. Now I’m trapped in Spark Town, with no hope of advancement. No matter how hard I work, how professional I am, no one notices, no one cares. I’ve become nothing but a decoration here, with no hope in sight.”

Ju Qingmeng rubbed her eyes; the rims were already reddening. “Day after day, three years have passed. I know now I was wrong. I was wrong back then.”

Ren Zhong nodded at her attire. “So now you’ve learned your lesson, and chosen to bow to fate?”

Ju Qingmeng suddenly laughed, an enchanting, sultry laugh. “I wouldn’t call it bowing. Isn’t this how everyone survives? I suppose I should feel lucky to know someone as kind as you, Mr. Ren, such a gentle census officer.”

“I think, as long as I can make you happy, you won’t mind lending me a hand, will you? When I return to the county, I’ll still belong to you. If you don’t give up on me, you’ll be my first, and my last man. I’ve reflected a lot these years—watched a lot of dramas, too—and now I’m very skilled at pleasing people.”

“Mr. Ren, you’ll help me, won’t you? Please. My parents don’t have many years left. I want so much to go back to Chongyi and see them, to stay by their side. I don’t want to say goodbye through a screen when they die…”

In an instant, her flirtatious smile dissolved into tears.

Ren Zhong watched her quietly, as if reading a history book.

He saw with his own eyes how the times had twisted a once naïve and proud woman into someone so obsequious.

And in Ju Qingmeng, he seemed to see himself.

“All right. I can promise you. But you have to do me a small favor first. You may have to stay up late tonight.”

“Really? Thank you, Mr. Ren! I—”

Ju Qingmeng shuddered with joy, abruptly standing and reaching to shed her clothes.

Tear tracks still marked her cheeks, but a flush crept from her neck to her ears.

Ren Zhong quickly straightened, waving his hand. “No! Wait! Put your clothes back on! That’s not what I meant!”