"Huh? What are you doing here?" My eyes go wide as I see him sitting in the chair with that same smug look from years ago.
"Surprise, Yunhua!" he says, he smirks, all cheeky and casual, like he's been rehearsing this moment. Slowly, he gets up from the chair and spreads his arms a little.
"No way. Li Zeyan… you're here? For real? Like really real?" I step into the cabin, my feet slow, disbelieving. I reach out and poke his bicep through his coat just to be sure he's not some weird lab hallucination.
He chuckles, low and smooth. "Yes, I'm. As your senior again."
Seriously? Li Zeyan?
He's the one who helped me a lot back in university. He wasn't a student then—already graduated, but always around. Helping professors, conducting research, guiding newbies like me through practicals, editing everyone's messy reports like some cool older brother.
I smack his shoulder—harder than necessary. "Idiot! Where did you disappear right after my graduation?"
He leans in a little, wearing that same annoying smirk. "Oh, I went for further studies. In the USA."
Further studies, my foot. This man already had a PhD when I was still crying over thesis drafts.
"Tch… I know that much. But seriously? You disappeared without saying a word."
He suddenly grabs my wrist, pulling me a little closer. His voice drops to that flirt mode. "Why? Did you miss me?"
Ugh. How could I forget? This man is a one-man flirt squad. Certified lady killer. Walking hormone in a lab coat.
I yank my hand back and push him away with a glare. "Idiot. You didn't grow up at all, did you?"
He laughs again. "Fufufu… What's the problem?"
I fold my arms and give him my best serious-scientist glare. "The problem is—you're not in university anymore. You're at NBCR now. Try acting like it."
"Oh? Then pay respect to your senior, won't you?" He grins, tilting his head like he's expecting me to salute him or something.
I snap my fingers. "Ah, right! Then, dear senior—postpone those two tests you scheduled today. Right now. And tell everyone not to touch the freezer."
His smug smile drops half an inch. "Huh? Why? I'm here to pull this mess back on track. I can't delay any tests."
I lean closer, eyes narrowing. "Just do it, you moron. Or I swear—I'll tell everyone that you used to sneak into the girl's washro—"
"Ahh no no no, wait! Please! Not that!" His eyes go wide, hands up in surrender. "I'll do it! I'll do it right now!"
I smirk. "That's more like it, Senior."
He grumbles under his breath and starts tapping away at his tablet, face red but obedient. Victory is mine.
"Well, I've been informed you're the one handling stuff in the absence of all seniors, Yunhua," he says, arms crossed, looking very official all of a sudden.
I flip my hair dramatically. "Oh yes. I'm a very important person now. All the seniors left the kingdom to me."
He chuckles. "Then will you honor me and give a quick heads-up about your lab?"
I wag my finger at him. "Haha, well well, I will... but you gotta wait. I've got some things to take care of first."
He raises an eyebrow. "Mysterious. I like it."
I don't reply. I'm already halfway to the freezer in my mind, heart pounding like crazy.
I step out of the cabin, glancing back at the freezer. "Just give me half an hour."
I walk up to my desk and sit down into the chair, letting out a deep sigh.
Well, Zeyan's here. The workload might lighten a bit, but now my secret research is in serious danger.
I had planned to dive into the NSRO database, extract all the info about that galaxy cluster Jiang showed me last night, but with Zeyan here, keeping my eyes off that freezer is way too risky.
I quickly dial Mr. Jun's number.
"Um, hello, Mr. Jun, I'm sending you some information about a galaxy cluster. I need you to pull up everything we have on it. Also, please update me with our recent signal receivers."
There's a long pause on the other end.
"If any is free, I need one antenna focused on the coordinates I send you right now, okay?"
[But Miss Yunhua—]
"Oh, I know you can do it," I cut him off, forcing a smile that no one can see. "Your promotion's right here in my eyes. Good luck."
I hang up the call, sitting back in my chair, the weight of everything settling back down on my shoulders.
I send Mr. Jun the coordinates of the galaxy cluster and drop my phone on the desk, eyes glued to the freezer.
"Tch…" I suck air through my teeth, glaring at the freezer like it personally betrayed me.
How could I mess up this big? Not to mention—I still need more of Jiang's blood. I haven't even started the DNA test.
But now that Zeyan's here, I can't take any big risks. One wrong move and he'll sniff out something weird for sure.
I lean over the desk and wave at Yuyu across the lab. "Hey, Yuyu, can you tell everyone to make a quick report about their current research? I need to help Zeyan catch up."
Yuyu raises a brow, walking over with her clipboard. "Shh, what are you doing, Yunhua? He might be young, but he's our senior. Pay some respect."
"Oh, right, You don't know, right? Zeyan was in the same university as me. He's my friend."
"Ehh?" Her eyes go wide, and she lowers her voice like she just heard royal gossip. "That new charmer senior is your friend?"
"Haha, charmer?" I laugh and lean back in my chair. "Right? Everyone in university used to call him that too."
"Yeah, yeah," I wave my hand lazily, "that idiot is my friend."
"Yunhua!!" Yuyu gasps dramatically, clutching her clipboard like it betrayed her. "You get all the handsome guys around you and never introduce me to them!"
"Ah… haha…" I scratch my cheek, trying not to look guilty.
Handsome, she says? I glance at Zeyan through the glass wall of his cabin as he talks to a few staff. If she's acting like this just from seeing Zeyan… I don't even want to imagine what she'll do if she ever sees Jiang.
.
.
.
.
After that, I just spend half my day staring at the freezer and explaining everything to Zeyan.
He keeps interrupting with annoying questions and smug grins, but I manage to keep things on track. Barely.
Just like that, lunch break arrives. Everyone's out of the lab. Perfect. Best time to finally take Jiang's blood sample out of the freezer.
I glance around—no one. Not a sound.
I move straight to the freezer and open it. Cold mist rolls out. Rows of labeled tubes sit in silence. My fingers close around the one with Jiang's blood. The faint blue glow is still there.
I don't waste a second. I bring it to the microscope.
Slide in. Adjust the focus.
Then I freeze.
The cells… they're moving. Not decaying. Not breaking down. They're repairing. Multiplying. they're alive. As if they don't know they've been frozen.
My breath catches in my throat. I can't look away.
Tap.
"Yunhua."
I jolt hard.
Zeyan's voice. His hand on my shoulder.
I turn slowly, heart racing. "Zeyan…"
He's staring at the microscope.