On their way to the cafeteria, Ye Qingfeng and Zhu Yuan encountered quite a few officers heading back from their meal. Upon seeing the two, they all instinctively stepped aside, clearing a path down the middle.
"Where are we rehearsing this afternoon? Here at the Public Security Bureau or somewhere outside?"
Ye Qingfeng ignored the surrounding glances and asked casually.
"Hmm?" Zhu Yuan fell into thought and soon landed on an answer she was satisfied with. "How about the park? It shouldn't be too crowded before five o'clock."
"The park, huh?"
The memory of his miserable experience there flashed through Ye Qingfeng's mind, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"There are other options." Seeing his expression, Zhu Yuan assumed he might have some difficulty he couldn't bring up. Without pressing for the reason, she went ahead and suggested a few alternatives.
"No, the park is fine! It's close too." Ye Qingfeng quickly shook his head.
"The park it is, then."
Zhu Yuan gave a nod, settling the location for their afternoon rehearsal.
Under Zhu Yuan's lead, they arrived at the cafeteria before long. She found Ye Qingfeng a seat and then went to the serving window alone to get their food.
As soon as she walked off, an officer wandered over and casually draped an arm around Ye Qingfeng's shoulder. "Brother, impressive! Didn't think you'd be the one to snatch our bureau's most beautiful flower."
"Luck, just luck."
Ye Qingfeng waved it off nonchalantly.
Since everyone already seemed to think he and Zhu Yuan were together, he might as well let them. Besides, Zhu Yuan clearly knew about the rumors and hadn't said a word against them. As a man, there was no need to be too fussy about it.
"Any tips? Give your brother a pointer or two!" The officer's eyes lit up. He pointed toward a sweet-looking female officer not far away. "See her? I've had my eye on her for over a month, but I can never bring myself to make a move..."
"There's no special tip." Ye Qingfeng looked in the direction he'd pointed. A small group of female officers sat eating together, and he quickly picked out the one in question, gave her a brief glance, and looked away. "But a wise man once told me something."
"What did he say?"
The officer's expression had deflated at the first sentence, but perked right back up at the second.
Ye Qingfeng smiled faintly, his tone unexpectedly sincere. "He said sincerity is the ultimate skill."
"Sincerity is... the ultimate skill?" The officer went still for a moment, then looked as if something had just clicked into place. "Master! I understand now!"
He clasped his fists toward Ye Qingfeng with solemn gravity, then turned and walked straight toward the girl without another word. Just at that moment, Zhu Yuan returned carrying two plates of food. She watched the officer's retreating back and asked:
"What did he come over for?"
Zhu Yuan clearly knew the officer. Combined with certain rumors that had been circulating in the bureau lately, her gaze held a note of wariness, and her voice carried a faint chill.
It was obvious she assumed he had come over to cause some kind of trouble.
"Come, sit down first."
Ye Qingfeng reached out and took Zhu Yuan's wrist, gently pulling her down to sit beside him. She followed the momentum naturally and settled in at his side.
"You're treating me to a meal, and I'm treating you to some gossip. That's a fair deal, isn't it?"
Ye Qingfeng still hadn't withdrawn his hand after she sat down. Still holding hers, he leaned forward and rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. He could feel her body go rigid. He brought his mouth close to her reddening earlobe and spoke in a low voice.
"Ah... mm! Very... very fair!"
The warmth of each breath against her ear sent Zhu Yuan's face flooding with color. Her heart lurched, and a faint tingling sensation spread through her.
So... so close! And she could feel his warmth clearly. Why did it feel a little cool?
No — it was her own body that was burning up!
Feeling Zhu Yuan's temperature rising, Ye Qingfeng quietly suppressed the urge to keep teasing and pulled back, glancing around to confirm no one was looking their way. He silently exhaled with relief.
She really did smell nice. And she felt so soft. Hugging her would probably be incredibly comfortable.
The real reason he had stopped was his concern for Zhu Yuan. The last thing he wanted was for someone who harbored a grudge to spot them and report it to her superiors. Even a verbal warning on her record — he didn't want her to suffer any consequences because of him.
As for why no one had noticed the moment — the answer was standing about ten meters away. The officer who had just left was now planted in front of that female officer, visibly trembling with nerves.
The sight of a live confession instantly pulled every eye in the cafeteria toward it. The room erupted.
"Little A, I didn't know you had it in you!"
"Go for it, we're behind you!"
"If you crash and burn, I'll never let you live it down!"
"You absolute madman!"
A nearby officer who knew him well had already abandoned his meal entirely and was standing on his chair to cheer him on. Others who barely knew him were hollering words of support anyway.
Zhu Yuan, whose face was still warm and whose thoughts were still scattered, heard the commotion around her. She looked over and immediately took in the scene.
Him? She hadn't expected that within moments of leaving Ye Qingfeng's side, he would already be standing before that girl with that kind of courage.
"He came over to ask whether you and I are together."
Ye Qingfeng ate his food and explained as he went. "I didn't give him a definite answer. Just said it depended on your thoughts. Then he asked if I had any advice, and I told him sincerity."
"And then?"
Zhu Yuan watched the scene unfold while listening. Something in her chest grew strangely tense, though she kept her expression composed as she asked.
"Then what you're seeing now." The moment Ye Qingfeng finished speaking, the officer made his move. "Here we go."
Zhu Yuan turned her full attention over.
"I... I like you! Please give me a chance!"
"Sorry... I don't feel that way right now."
Crack——
The sound of a certain officer's heart shattering.
"I understand..."
He said it quietly, then turned and walked away without looking back.
...
Zhu Yuan watched his retreating figure with a quiet pang of empathy, then sank into thought...
What Qingfeng had said just now was a hint.
He hadn't denied the rumors about the two of them being a couple. And what he said afterward was "it depends on your thoughts"...
On top of that, he had been the more proactive one on so many occasions. Like just now.
Maybe it was time for her to take a step too.
The thought brought a fresh flush to her face. Just as she was working up to doing something, she became aware of multiple pairs of eyes drifting toward her.
A quick sweep of her peripheral vision confirmed it — quite a few people were watching. She immediately tucked her chin in and buried herself in her meal. Seeing her suddenly retract like a turtle pulling into its shell, Ye Qingfeng found it genuinely difficult to follow, but he chose to respect it. And so the two of them quietly worked through their food under the gaze of the cafeteria.
-------
A/n: New content and stories posted on my patreon go check it out!
patreon.com/deadlygoober