I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

Although it was a little strange that Ace suddenly made a solemn promise for some small things in life, Pei Xiang still nodded calmly, only thinking that this was the strange insistence of a young man.As a considerate and stable elder sister, Pei Xiang believes that it is really unnecessary for him to figure out every thought of an adolescent boy.

That night, Pei Xiang interrogated the maid Betty, and with the assistance of Ace and others, he waited on the sidelines to catch the contact person who had contacted Betty, and successfully obtained all the clues he could get so far.

"After you get the drawings, will you send them to this address?"

Pei Xiang pointed to a certain line of writing on the interrogation record, and asked the captured little man in a gentle tone:

"Also, you don't know who the real employer is. You only know that every time you complete a task, the other party will ask you to collect the cash you put in advance somewhere, right?"

The person who fell on the ground slowly rolled his bloodshot eyeballs, and shuddered under Pei Xiang's gentle and gentle tone.

At this time, he had lost the courage to continue to fight and resist. In other words, this person did not have much persistence and belief in keeping secrets.

"Yes, ahem, the person who asked me to do the work has never shown up. I just need to deliver the things I got to the designated address. Ahem, Miss Meredith, I have really explained everything I know , let me go, I am only entrusted by others, and I have no personal grievances with you. Cough, if I knew, cough, I knew that you are like this... you are extraordinary, cough, I would not take this job even if I was killed .”

Pei Xiang looked down at the regretful thief and abettor, and raised his eyebrows noncommittally.

After a while, she squatted down, and said again with eyes full of interest:

"Since you don't know anything about your employer, let's move on to something you must know very well, so that the evening won't be wasted. Mr. Fortes, I'm suddenly curious about your line of business. What do you think?" Let me tell you what rules you have, and explain them in detail."

Fortes kept his mouth firmly shut this time, feeling that he had to stick to a certain bottom line no matter what, and couldn't reveal the secrets of their gray field to outsiders who didn't understand.

Seeing that Fortes was silently resisting, Pei Xiang neither reprimanded, threatened nor induced to ask questions.She looked down at her pocket watch and found that there was still plenty of time, so she waved to Ace who was standing aside, and said softly:

"Come on, let's add a practical class tonight. When I taught you about the acupuncture points of the human body, didn't you have many new ideas and puzzles? It's just right, I will ask Mr. Fortes to verify it tonight."

Hearing this, Ace approached silently, and squatted in front of Fortes with Pei Xiang, his indifferent and probing eyes scanned the man on the ground coldly...

When the sky was slightly white, Ace sent Pei Xiang back to Lawrence Mansion.On the way, he whispered:

"When you interrogated Foster today, I suddenly had a very strong thought in my mind, that is, I felt that your interrogation methods were too gentle and too time-consuming. I seem to... feel that I can easily obtain the memory of a human being. , or let those who refuse to cooperate take the initiative to explain all their ideas.”

Pei Xiang paused, then moved on: "Isn't this the first time?"

Ace didn't ask how Pei Xiang noticed it, but just said "um", and then frowned slightly because he was lost in thought.

Pei Xiang was also thoughtful. Of course, she would not laugh at Ace because of this, or regard his thoughts as a young man's whimsy. Instead, she asked very seriously:

"Then have you tried following those inexplicably extra ideas?"

"I tried it, but it seemed that there was something in between, and it all failed in the end."

"How many times is this? Well, I mean these unrealistic but extremely strong and vivid thoughts."

"In the past year, I have had such strong thoughts no less than twenty times, and they have become more and more specific and clear. I can feel that the barrier is getting thinner, and I will be able to break it sooner or later." Ace used Said in a determined tone of course.

Pei Xiang blinked, and his thoughts jumped a little because of Ace's answer:

"You are so sure that you can break the barrier and make the idea that sounds absurd and uninhibited become a reality. This...Ace, have you already acquiesced that you and I are aliens hidden in the crowd, and even...you don't know that you are still Is it human?"

While talking, Pei Xiang picked up the hard stones on the ground and crushed them casually. Afterwards, a shallow layer of clear water appeared in her palms, helping her to wash away the dust and dirt on her hands.

Ace watched Pei Xiang's series of movements calmly, with a gentle and calm expression.He took out his handkerchief to wipe off the water stains for her, and then said frankly and slowly:

"I do have similar thoughts. At the beginning, I tried my best to suppress this inexplicable emotion of being out of place and a little bit superior, trying to make myself see the people around me as fellow countrymen, but the effect was very poor. Deep in my soul, It seems that there are some deep-rooted ideas that separate me from the human race. Amy, if you didn't appear, I would definitely suspect that there is something wrong with my mental state."

After listening to Ace's narration, Pei Xiang didn't think it was particularly strange.She turned her head to look at the outline of Ace's facial features, thinking, this one was originally an elf.

So far, Pei Xiang only recalled the two or three days when Cui Cui was just born, and never dreamed about the past again.

——I don’t know what Cui Cui and I experienced later, and how long have we been together in that magical world?

——Why do we drift into this world and still have memory loss?

——But now it seems that Ace's memory is not completely forgotten, but like myself, the fountain of memory is locked in a special area of ​​​​the mind, just waiting for one day to burst forth.

"Ace, apart from the feeling of not being able to identify with humans, what other thoughts did you have before?" Pei Xiang asked curiously.

"Most of it is related to the outcome of the battle," Ace pursed his lips slightly, deliberately ignoring a few particularly weird thoughts, and analyzed in a low voice, "Thinking about it from the beginning, after I recovered from the serious illness that was near death, suddenly The fact that I am particularly interested in the ocean is actually a vague symptom. Because before I got sick, I had never had such thoughts."

——Also, the special intimacy I felt when I first saw you was also unusual.

Pei Xiang tilted his head, feeling a little confused.

After getting along for several years, she can almost believe that Ace is Cui Cui.However, judging from Pei Xiang's memory images, Cui Cui is a natural elf grown from the magic seeds of the forest. If she is naturally close to something, besides her contractor, it should be related to flowers and trees. Why is Ace so obsessed with Hao Han? What about the vast sea?

Thinking of this, Pei Xiang shook her head helplessly. She knew very well that fantasy things should not be speculated with normal logic and common sense. Who knows which link will have an unexpected mutation?

"What did you think of, Amy?"

"You can't tell. Anyway, there are many mysteries in you and me that need to be solved, and time and patience will be the best means of deciphering."

"Maybe." Ace murmured, his slightly frowning brows unknowingly unfolding.

He thought to himself, although the feeling of being full of doubts is not very good, but if these doubts become a special bond between him and Pei Xiang, which cannot be cut by any sharp weapon, and no one can penetrate it, it would be very good.

When they were about to arrive at Lawrence's house, the topic of discussion between Pei Xiang and Ace had turned back to tonight's investigation.

She carefully repeated the transaction address revealed by Foster, and said slowly:

"The place where the employer handed over the blueprints is a private club with relatively strict admission requirements, with a naval background. I paid special attention to this cruiser club before because of business needs."

Ace quickly followed Pei Xiang's train of thought, and suddenly said:

"No wonder you stopped digging into the matter of stealing blueprints. For now, the clues are broken."

"Yes, since the clues point directly to the Cruiser Club, which has close ties with the navy, we can't investigate further, especially in such a sensitive period. Moreover, my identity is unknown, which is more likely to attract suspicion and vigilance. "

Ace further analyzed: "The other party is likely to be pretending to be a tiger, and is using military power to silently threaten investigators like us, so that we have to stop the investigation and suffer this dark loss."

Pei Xiang caught a glimpse of the cold and stern look in Ace's eyes, and lightly patted his arm, signaling the young man to stay calm:

"The other party chooses the cruiser's club as the trading place, in order to intimidate those owners who have the means to investigate the truth, so that people have to stop and give up revenge after suffering a frustrating loss. Oh, it's a very effective trick, at least for now As far as I am concerned, I really will not continue to explore.

"But everything has advantages and disadvantages. The Cruiser Club is a shield to block troubles, but it is also the best entry point for investigation. The club's entry threshold is high and the background is large, which means that the club's personnel are few but skilled. Whether it is a service staff or a member, the origin is clear and the mobility is very small, and everything can be traced.

"So, when we have the ability to further investigate this matter, it will be difficult for coveted and greedy people to continue to hide in the dark. Ace, we will find out the enemy sooner or later."

"I believe in your abilities, Amy."

——But I was supposed to protect you from the wind and rain. I am much older than you, and I treat you...

A sharp pain erupted from the depths of Ace's mind, and he couldn't help but groan.Pei Xiang quickly supported Ace, who was standing unsteadily, and checked his pulse.

At the same time, Pei Xiang's voice sounded from the bottom of Ace's heart, as if in the distant past, she said to him with great certainty: "You are my Cuicui."

"Ace..." Pei Xiang called anxiously and worriedly in his ear.

The joyful voice in Ace's heart sounded again: "Cui Cui, you are as delicate and lovely as I imagined."

The pain gradually dissipated, and Ace's vision became clear again.He looked at Pei Xiang beside him in a daze, and blurted out in doubt: "Who is Cuicui?"

Pei Xiang was slightly taken aback, she carefully looked at Ace's handsome face, and replied slowly:

"Cui Cui is what I once said, the friend in my dream who looks very similar to you."

Ace was also observing the subtle changes in Pei Xiang's expression. At this time, there was a flash of clarity between his brows:

"Amy, you already thought I was Cui Cui?"

Pei Xiang nodded slightly, while guessing what the situation was, he quickly explained:

"At first I noticed you because of this, but later I only regarded you as Ace Hummel, and later, after getting in touch with you more, I realized that you were Cui Cui."

"Why, because I and that Cui Cui are very similar in temperament?"

"No, in fact, I don't remember much about Cui Cui's affairs, and some of my limited understanding comes from intermittent pictures in dreams. But the unusual ability you showed and the invisible bond between you and me, Let me judge that you are Cui Cui. Ace, there is a partnership contract between us."

Hearing this, Ace finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that all of Pei Xiang's kindness towards him was due to that "Cui Cui", and at the same time he was grateful for this special bond.

"I just... heard your voice in my heart. You said to me, I am your Cui Cui, and I think that may be one of the things I forgot."

Pei Xiang's eyes lit up, and some floating things in his heart finally settled down, and he felt a sense of steadfastness.

"Cui Cui, what else do you remember?"

Ace, who somewhat disliked the name "Cui Cui", looked at Pei Xiang's shining eyes and the sincere smile on his lips, endured it, and did not correct Pei Xiang in the end - he is now called "Ace Hummel".

"I don't have any other memories for now, I just remembered this."

Hearing this, Pei Xiang said very optimistically:

"With a beginning, there must be a follow-up. Although what we are talking about now is like two lunatics talking nonsense, but I still want to tell you that in my dream, Cui Cui was planted by a magic seed Little elf, because you absorbed my blood, signed a contract with me and became a companion. When you were just born, you were only as big as my palm."

Ace, who has always been calm and calm, rarely opened his eyes wide in surprise.He stared at Pei Xiang's white palm stretched out under his eyes, it was hard to imagine that he was planted, and then... still so petite.

"Elf Cui Cui? Sounds like a fairy tale."

"Yes, I also think it is the fairy tale land of the magical world. Hey, I don't know if there are arrogant and domineering demon kings and handsome and charming warriors in that magical world."

"I'm really an elf?" Ace asked again, "Why don't I have the slightest sense of identity with this identity?"

"Maybe it's because the memory is blocked? Anyway, according to the picture I saw in my dream, you are a true elf. And, if you don't become Ace Hummel, you will probably be very sad for the rest of your life." The smaller one will not grow taller than me like it is now."

While speaking, Pei Xiang nodded with certainty.

The young Ace had a natural trust in Pei Xiang who taught him, so even though there was a vague voice in his heart telling him that there was something wrong with this statement, he still chose to believe it despite the difficulties.

One dares to guess and speak, and the other dares to listen and believe.

The two finally reached the back door of Lawrence's garden.At this time, the sky is covered with beautiful morning glow, and the brilliance of the morning sun and the crystal dew are gently awakening everything in the garden.

Pei Xiang took a deep breath of the fragrance of grass and trees, and said goodbye to his little friend who was waking up his memory in a very happy mood.

The following days are still bright and warm.

Meg has a happy and smooth life after marriage, and those unavoidable little bumps have become catalysts for a sweet married life, allowing the Brooke couple to understand each other better and cherish everything they have.

Jo became the eldest unmarried girl of the March family, but to a certain extent, her ambition was not as mature as that of the youngest sister, Amy, and she never imagined her own marriage and love.Now she puts all her thoughts on literary creation. Of course, taking care of and accompanying Aunt March is also her half-bittersweet responsibility.

Beth has always been a sweet and gentle girl, she loves music, is willing to give, and her daily life is busy and fulfilling.Housework, piano, sewing, spending time with family and Mr Lawrence took up most of her time.Occasionally, in her spare time, she would visit her sister Meg's house, or go to Hummel's house to chat with Luo Shan.

The youngest, Amy, has always had a special liking for painting art. She learned a lot from Pei Xiang, and gradually revealed the talent and spirituality unique to Amy March.But Pei Xiang has become more and more busy recently, and the time available to teach her has become limited. Amy accepted Pei Xiang's suggestion and went to a painting class with good teaching quality to study art courses systematically.

Of course, it was the Marches who paid for Amy to study painting.This considerable expense put some mundane pressure on Mr. March, who has always been obsessed with the ideal world, and made him really pay attention to his daily life.

The business of Pei Xiang and Brooke is also very prosperous.There is no shortage of orders for the newly opened factories, of course, there is no shortage of temptations from all sides and some people's secret covetousness, but they are all blocked by Pei Xiang and the hidden Ace.

Afterwards, those who can take revenge will take revenge back, and those who cannot take revenge immediately, such as the enemy hidden in the club full of naval officers, Pei Xiang silently remembers in his heart, waiting for the right time to counterattack.

It is also worth mentioning that since Ace knew that he was once a petite and cute elf and may never grow up, he suddenly has a more sense of identity with human beings, and he no longer feels tired of interpersonal communication for no reason and bored.

Every time he looked in the mirror, he looked at his height and long legs, and he secretly rejoiced, thinking that being a man was pretty good.