After finishing lunch, Lin Xinyi returned to the Office.
Just like in the morning, very few people came to disturb him in the afternoon either.
It was as if the Laboratory would remain secure just by him, the Safety Director, sitting in the Office.
And then, just like that, after he broke his personal best record in beginner Minesweeper to 2 seconds, another idle afternoon passed.
It was already 5 PM.
Lin Xinyi rubbed his sore and swollen eyes, wondering internally what time he could leave Work.
Just then, a Mobile Phone ringtone suddenly sounded.
Lin Xinyi, whose brain felt a bit dull after playing all afternoon, suddenly perked up:
"Someone is calling 'me'!"
"Who could it be? Is it that Security Chief from this morning?"
He quickly Took Out his Mobile Phone to check, and saw that the number displayed was labeled:
"Most Important Person."
"This..." Lin Xinyi's Pupils contracted:
The Original Owner's Mobile Phone only had two numbers saved: one for the "Laboratory," and one for the "Most Important Person."
The "Laboratory" number was clearly for Work, but this "Most Important Person"—
Who knew who this was, or how deep their relationship with the Original Owner was.
"I hope it's not some Family member or parent."
Lin Xinyi really didn't want to call a stranger Dad.
With this slight nervousness, he finally answered the call:
"Hello?"
A Young Woman's voice came from the other end of the line.
Like the Security Chief from the morning, this woman's Sound was very cold.
But the manner of coldness was different.
The Security Chief's voice was like a Winter ice field—cold, emotionless, and ruthless.
This Young Woman's voice was more like an autumn mountain forest, faintly revealing a desolate Sadness.
Of course, these were just Lin Xinyi's subjective feelings.
What was more direct to his Thought was:
Why do the people calling the Original Owner all speak with this kind of tone? Did the Air conditioner break and they want to cool themselves down?
As Lin Xinyi was Complaining internally.
He heard the Young Woman on the other end of the line say:
"You are in the Office right now, correct?"
Lin Xinyi's heart skipped a beat:
This so-called "Most Important Person" was actually inside this Pharmaceutical Company?
Was she the Original Owner's female Colleague? Or perhaps, was their relationship even closer?
"I am in the Office," Lin Xinyi replied, bracing Oneself.
The Young Woman on the other end spoke with unusual brevity: "I'm coming over now."
As soon as she finished speaking, the call was hung up.
Lin Xinyi's Mood immediately became somewhat uneasy.
And just a few minutes later, his Office door was knocked upon.
"Please come in."
When the door opened, the woman who entered was—
"Shiho Miyano?"
Seeing the Brown-haired Girl who Pushed Open the Door with an icy expression, Lin Xinyi couldn't help but feel some Astonishment:
How could it be her? Is this the "Most Important Person"?
Then why didn't she even say hello during lunch, and why did she look at me with such extreme disgust?
When Lin Xinyi first received the call, he had Speculated that the "Most Important Person" would be a female Colleague with a deep relationship with the Original Owner, or perhaps even a Girlfriend.
But looking at it now, his relationship with Shiho Miyano did not seem that simple.
Could it be that Shiho Miyano was actually "my"—
Girlfriend who was currently having a spat with me?
As Lin Xinyi was making Bold assumptions and preparing to cautiously verify, Miss Miyano, who had no expression on her face, spoke to him with extreme brevity:
"Can we leave now?"
Lin Xinyi: "..."
Shiho Miyano slightly frowned: "Why are you still sitting there?"
Lin Xinyi: "..."
The Brown-haired Girl's icy face gradually melted, and anxiety faintly showed on her delicate features: "Why aren't you speaking? Is there a problem?"
Lin Xinyi remained Silent, his Performance more like an ice block than Miss Miyano had been before.
However, his inner world was extremely lively at this moment:
Leave? Go where?
Why don't you just say it!
Lin Xinyi felt his scalp tingle; his current situation was exactly the same as when he was facing Inspector Megure's interrogation this morning.
Except now, the one questioning him was an Acquaintance of the Original Owner, and if he kept failing to answer, he would likely be discovered as strange very soon.
"This, cough cough..."
Lin Xinyi was Silent for a long time before finally bracing Oneself and saying:
"I need to consider this matter further."
"You—"
The Brown-haired Girl's gaze became sharper:
"Why won't you take me to see my Sister?!"
"Sister?" Lin Xinyi breathed a long sigh internally: "Finally, something useful has been said."
From the sound of it, the "self" must have agreed with this Miss Miyano in Advance to go see her Sister together after Work today.
If that's the case, then the problem is huge.
If their relationship was just ordinary, would the "self" casually agree to go see his female Colleague's Sister with her?
Thinking again about that note "Most Important Person"—hiss—
Could this really be "my" Girlfriend who is currently having a spat with me?
Thinking of this, Lin Xinyi felt his headache worsen:
He didn't want to inexplicably gain a Girlfriend he didn't know at all.
Moreover, although this Miss Miyano was good-looking, her Personality was somewhat Awful—every time she saw him, she looked like she was facing an Enemy, and her expression was so cold it made people shiver.
Ugh, I don't want a Girlfriend like that!
"Um..."
Lin Xinyi thought for a moment, and finally expressed his desire to distance himself very tactfully:
"I won't be going today; you can go by yourself."
Shiho Miyano: "..."
She only had one chance every week to meet her Sister, Akemi Miyano.
And as a Prisoner currently under House Arrest in this Laboratory, she needed the permission of Lin Xinyi, the "Prison" Warden, and his full accompaniment and Surveillance to leave the Laboratory for activities.
If Lin Xinyi didn't agree or accompany her, she couldn't step out of this building.
So, let her go alone?
Forget whether she could even walk out the company gate herself; even if Lin Xinyi dared to let her go alone,
Gin would probably arrive with his Beretta M92F—the gun he used to shoot his own people with fatal accuracy—within half an hour to deal with him.
"Are you joking with me?"
Miss Miyano rarely showed facial expressions, but Lin Xinyi could still read annoyance from the slight upward curve of her eyebrows.
What was more concerning was that in her beautiful blue-green Pupils, a faint glimmer of suspicion seemed to be rising.
"Awful, she seems to have noticed that I am different from before."
"Indeed, someone close to the Original Owner would definitely notice things that others wouldn't."
Lin Xinyi Vaguely felt something was wrong:
It seemed he had to settle things directly with this Miss Miyano.
Since the Original Owner was already having conflicts with her, and hadn't even left a word for this "Girlfriend" before committing Suicide, he might as well break up cleanly now.
This way, he could minimize contact with the Original Owner's Acquaintances and avoid causing trouble.
So, after a brief Silence—
Lin Xinyi looked up and spoke to Shiho Miyano in the gentlest Tone possible:
"Shiho."
He vaguely knew that among close-contact men and women in Japan, they should address each other by name.
Therefore, at this formal moment of proposing a breakup, Lin Xinyi chose to gently address Miss Miyano as "Shiho."
"Shiho."
"Actually, there are some things I've wanted to tell you for a long time..."
He was about to give Shiho Miyano a permanent 'Good Person' card in the Original Owner's stead.
But he Didn't Expect that upon hearing that gentle "Shiho," Miss Miyano's expression immediately changed.
In an extremely rare occurrence, her facial expression became as rich as it was now.
This expression, containing Shock, embarrassment, disdain, aversion, resistance, and various other Emotions, was extremely complex and hard to describe. If one had to make a comparison—
It was probably like when Lin Xinyi returned to his hometown for the New Year and saw the neighbor lady desperately trying to introduce him to her niece, using a Photo that was so edited the space was distorted.
"I understand,"
Shiho Miyano unconsciously stepped back two paces:
"Wait a moment, I'll come back in later."
Saying that, she walked out of the Office without permission, closing the door with a cold expression on her way out.
As soon as the door closed, amidst Lin Xinyi's Astonished Silence, the sound of hurried conversation could soon be heard from outside.
About a minute later, Shiho Miyano reappeared in front of Lin Xinyi.
She Pushed Open the Door and said to him in a cold Tone:
"Lin, you have a phone call."
"Huh?"
Lin Xinyi slightly stunned.
And almost the very next second, the Mobile Phone in his pocket began to ring.
He Took Out his Mobile Phone to check; it was the number of the "Security Chief" from the morning.
He naturally dared not delay a call from his Leader.
Lin Xinyi immediately answered the Mobile Phone and held it to his Ear, even mimicking the tone of those black-clad Security personnel as he called out:
"Boss, what is it?"
"..."
The Leader on the other end of the line was somewhat Silent.
He Pondered for a moment before finally speaking, but his voice was not as cold and calm as before.
Clearly, what he was about to say was unbelievable even to him:
"Sherry called over, saying that you—"
"Harassed her?"
Lin Xinyi: "..."