Chapter 754: Chapter 18 Distance_2

“You’ll notice that most people from the Country, as well as from the federation, wouldn’t favor the cuisine of your homeland. Aesthetic preferences are always shaped by personal experiences, and habit is the best seasoning in the world.”

Gongsun Ce ate half of it with a bitter face and sadly discovered that he was starting to get used to the taste. He looked up inadvertently and noticed that Alandia was watching him with a rare expression that differed from her usual demeanor.

“What’s wrong?”

“I used to come to this restaurant often with Jian, sitting right here,” Alandia said.

Gongsun Ce widened his eyes, “Do you know what the most off-putting topic of conversation is when a young man and woman go out to eat?”

“I don’t know.”

“Talking about who they’ve been here with before,” Gongsun Ce said with a sneer, “It makes one feel like a substitute, a cheap alternative meal.”

“I see,” the Knight of Dawn nodded, “She never ordered fried fish because she didn’t like to be reminded of her impoverished past.”

Gongsun Ce lamented, “I’m being this straightforward about it and you’re still talking?”

“But you changed your mind halfway. So I’m very curious, why did you do that?”

When Alandia said this, she was very serious, as serious as she was when searching for evidence at a crime scene. Initially, he was surprised to think that such a trivial matter was unworthy of her focus, but on reflection, he realized that she seemed to have always been this way since they met. She was just as serious with friends as with enemies, with the same visage in work and life. She was like a machine, blunt and direct about whatever she thought.

“Just, it’s nothing,” Gongsun Ce was waving his fork, “I saw you order and was curious to try it… wanted to eat the same thing as you, that’s all.”

“Why?” Alandia asked puzzled.

Gongsun Ce suddenly became embarrassed. What else could he say? He couldn’t exactly tell her, “Miss Knight, I really admire you, and I want to close the distance between us. Maybe, one day, I could have a chance to build some friendship, or maybe something more…” But saying that would probably destroy the trust they had painstakingly built up. Alandia might disdainfully hand this assignment over to Yuliy…

“Why not? Can’t I just be curious!” He shoved a large piece of fried fish into his mouth, hurriedly changing the subject, “By the way, about that case this morning, how did you come up with the method so quickly? I was clueless at the time.”

It seemed like he had chosen the right topic. The case was of more interest to the Knight of Dawn than some little boy’s whims. She gave an ambiguous reply, “Observation.”

“Ah?”

“By observing, you get details, and from details, conclusions,” Alandia traced a line on the table, “The slash marks suggested that the Viscount might be left-handed, but the Viscount we met was right-handed, which gave me an initial suspicion. His behavior also contradicted his identity.”

Gongsun Ce propped up his face, always ready to argue, “I thought he acted really well, those words sounded aristocratic.”

“His body was slightly leaned forward, which usually means frequent desk work; his gaze habitually shied away, and he wasn’t as arrogant as his appearance; his hands lacked calluses, yet his movements resembled that of someone who writes regularly. These are details worth pondering over.”

Gongsun Ce was stunned. He hadn’t noticed any of these things; he had only caught on to the left-handedness.

“That’s all hindsight,” the young man grumbled, “It’s simply impossible to determine someone’s identity just by observing them a few times.”

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Alandia shook her head, “What do you think about the waiter we had before?”

“Just a waiter.”

Alandia tapped the brim of her hat, “He’s studying at the Royal Academy of Arts, probably a freshman. Likely from the music department, at the very least has a love for music.”

Without a word, Gongsun Ce raised his hand to call over the waiter, who came quickly. He focused his attention and faintly heard the server humming a song.

“Can I help you with something, sir?” The waiter smiled broadly.

“Another order of this fruit milk cookie,” Gongsun Ce casually asked as if an afterthought, “By the way, mate, you’re from the Royal Academy of Arts, right? A freshman?”

The waiter was a little surprised, “Yes, from the music department… are you one of our young alumni?”

“Oh no, I just happened to pass by your school gate and thought I saw you once,” Gongsun Ce smiled.

The waiter hummed a song as he walked away. Gongsun Ce held back a moment, then spoke, “…I noticed the song, but what else?”

Alandia pointed out the details, “His shoes, clearly new, with the school emblem and letters on the side, a welcome gift for freshmen from the student association.”

“I’m convinced,” Gongsun Ce sentimentally conceded, “You’re really amazing, Alandia.”

“It’s not difficult, as long as you’re observant. Mr. Gongsun, you have sharp observational skills too; you can do the same.”

“You make me want to try it,” Gongsun Ce was eager, “Let’s try… that customer over there? I guess he’s an engineer.”

“An electrical engineer.”

“Ah? Ah, the logo on the work clothes…”

“Look at the carry bag; he has at least two children.”

“Baby toys and notebooks for students… makes sense…”

When the dessert Gongsun Ce ordered was served, they had already guessed the backgrounds of the few other customers in the shop. They then turned their gaze outside the window to the pedestrians on the street, speculating on their social status and true identities based on the brief moments they walked past the shop.

They ate their fried fish and chips, talking about clothing, hairstyles, and the traces left on collars or cuffs. Their conversation sped up unknowingly, and their interests were piqued. Gongsun Ce was engrossed in the conversation, tirelessly enjoying each round of this mental game. The characters discussed, who existed only in their dialogue, flitted through his mind, and he truly learned some useful techniques.