Reality Programming Association

Chapter 112: Chapter 46: ”Major Discovery

”Um...” Yu Xian started to say, hoping to break the silence.

But Wen Xiao suddenly jerked her head up, glanced at him, and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something.

In the end, though, she said nothing. She just huffed softly, turned around in a huff, and left Yu Xian with a view of her stubborn bun and the back of her head.

Yu Xian stood frozen in place, the half-opened umbrella still in his hand, completely baffled.

’Who set her off this time?’

’Wasn’t she fine just a minute ago during dinner? How could her mood change the second those two left?’

”What’s wrong?” Yu Xian asked tentatively.

”I’m mad,” Wen Xiao’s voice was muffled, as if she were deliberately suppressing it.

”Who made you mad?” Yu Xian was even more confused. He quickly replayed their dinner conversation in his head. ’I don’t think I said anything to offend her, did I?’

”The one who didn’t reply to my message, that’s who.”

’Didn’t reply to her message?’

Yu Xian froze for a moment, then subconsciously pulled out his phone.

Sure enough, in their chat window, under the pixelated kitten profile picture, the last message was still the one from that morning: ”It’s too complicated to explain over the phone. Let’s meet up. It’ll be better to talk in person.”

She had sent that a little after eight in the morning.

He had seen the message and was about to reply when his advisor sent a few notifications in the grade-wide group chat about classes resuming and the lockdown ending, pushing Wen Xiao’s message down the list.

After that, he got busy reading the notifications, then Shi Zuozhou started spamming the group chat, and then he was busy washing up, packing his things, and rushing to the South Gate to meet her...

And just like that, he had actually forgotten all about her message.

The classic ”left on read.”

A pang of guilt hit Yu Xian, and his fingers flew across the screen.

DING-DONG.

A crisp notification chimed from the phone in Wen Xiao’s pocket.

She pursed her lips. Even though she was still pouting, she furtively took out her phone to peek at it.

On the screen was a sticker Yu Xian had just sent.

It was a white kitten kneeling on a washboard with the two large words ”My Bad” above its head, looking utterly pitiful.

PFFT.

Wen Xiao couldn’t hold it in. The corners of her pursed lips curved into a subtle arc, but she quickly suppressed her smile.

She turned back around, looked up, and tried her best to keep a straight face as she mumbled softly,

”Alright, I’ll forgive you this time.”

Watching her tuck her phone back into her pocket with a satisfied look, Yu Xian quickly steered the conversation back on track.

”So, let’s talk business. What was this ’major discovery’ you mentioned on WeChat this morning? Have you made any progress with the black box?”

This was the key to breaking the current deadlock. If Wen Xiao could use the MCH source file provided by Senior Sister Yiyi to find a way to crack the encrypted part of the ”patch,” they would have more solid evidence.

At this question, Wen Xiao’s previously relaxed expression suddenly stiffened.

”Well...” She looked uncomfortable, her gaze shifting from the puddles on the ground to the awning overhead—anywhere but Yu Xian’s eyes.

”Wen Xiao.” Yu Xian’s brow furrowed slightly. His intuition told him her reaction was a little off.

”What did you find? Is there something dangerous in it?”

His tone was serious. After all, this could be a matter of life and death for many people, including Shi Zuozhou.

Questioned like this, Wen Xiao looked like a grade schooler who had done something wrong. She bit her lip and said in a low voice,

”Actually... I haven’t actually made any major discovery.”

”What?” Yu Xian was stunned, wondering if he had misheard.

”I said...” Wen Xiao closed her eyes, looking as though she was bracing herself for the worst.

”I haven’t really found any major breakthroughs... The encryption algorithm is too complex. Even with the MCH source file you gave me to use as a reference, I’ve only just managed to figure out its outer shell structure...”

Yu Xian was dumbfounded.

”Then why did you send that message this morning...?”

Wen Xiao stammered, unable to give a clear answer for a long while.

Yu Xian opened his mouth, but looking at the girl in front of him, who was about to bury her head in her collar, he found himself at a loss for words.

He had thought they had found a crucial clue. The stark contrast left him with a sense of helplessness.

But seeing that Wen Xiao had even brought her laptop with her, he could guess that she must have been putting in a lot of effort these past few days.

’This false alarm... she probably realized there was a problem with her approach after sending the message. A classic case of celebrating too early.’

”It’s okay.” Yu Xian sighed, his tone softening.

”If you haven’t found anything, you haven’t found anything. It’s impossible to crack this level of encryption in just a day or two anyway.”

Just then, Yu Xian’s phone vibrated again.

He picked it up and saw it was a message from Yang Yiyi.

”Yu Xian, I’ve made a major discovery. Are you free to come over tonight?”

Yu Xian’s eye twitched.

’Another ”major discovery”?’

’Isn’t that phrase popping up a little too often today?’

He subconsciously glanced at Wen Xiao beside him. The kind-hearted girl with the bun was blinking, looking at him with an innocent expression.

Yu Xian wondered to himself, ’Don’t tell me... this is another false alarm, right?’

But on second thought, this was Senior Sister Yiyi.

This was the meticulous, reliable Brother Yi who never dropped the ball!

She was a completely different breed from the kind-hearted girl with the bun standing before him, who would throw a tantrum over an unread message and blush at the drop of a hat.

’Senior Sister Yiyi must have really found something that needs to be discussed in person; she wouldn’t joke about something like this.’

”Okay, I’ll head over later,” Yu Xian quickly replied.

Putting his phone away, Yu Xian looked at Wen Xiao, his tone tinged with apology.