"Huh? Are you sure it's okay?"
Ye Qingfeng couldn't hide his surprise at Zhu Yuan's invitation.
His gaze shifted between Zhu Yuan and the small, quiet figure beside her. He had already pieced together the situation—Zhu Yuan had likely found a lost child who was hungry and was planning to treat her to a meal.
"It's completely fine! I promised to treat you last weekend and ended up canceling because of work." Zhu Yuan shook her head quickly, her cheeks tinged with pink as her fingers unconsciously tightened around the fabric of her jacket. "I felt terrible about it."
"Don't worry about it, Zhu Yuan. Your duty comes first."
"That's why I insist on treating you today!" Zhu Yuan's voice softened but remained firm. "Please, Qingfeng?"
"Alright, I'll accept your kindness." Seeing her determination, Ye Qingfeng gave in with a small smile. "Let me get something for you two to drink while we wait."
Before she could protest, he was already heading toward the tea milk stall. He returned moments later with two cups in hand.
As he extended one toward Zhu Yuan, he paused, his arm freezing mid-air.
"Wait… I didn't even ask what flavor you like." He withdrew the cup awkwardly. "My mistake—let me get you the right one."
"It's really not necessary." Zhu Yuan reached out and gently took the cup from his grasp, her fingers brushing lightly against his. The brief contact sent a flush to both their faces, and they quickly looked away.
[Ding! Zhu Yuan's favorability +5% | Current: 55%]
A sweet, almost tangible warmth seemed to settle in the air between them.
Ye Qingfeng, finally remembering there was a third person present, glanced around.
Standing silently beside them, Qingyi's expression was placid, but a faint, throbbing vein on her forehead betrayed her irritation.
[Ding! Qingyi's favorability –5% | Current: –10%]
What is this guy's problem? Qingyi felt an unfamiliar heat rising within her chassis, along with a strong impulse to punch him.
This was supposed to be her rare outing with Zhu Yuan—just the two of them. Then he showed up, and now they were chatting away as if she weren't even there. The only reason she was holding back was that he'd at least remembered to get her a drink.
One punch. Just one.
Come to think of it… Wasn't it right after this guy visited the station that those rumors about Zhu Yuan started? The ones about her having a boyfriend?
She hadn't paid them much mind at the time. She and Zhu Yuan spent nearly every waking moment together. If Zhu Yuan had developed feelings for someone, Qingyi would have noticed, wouldn't she?
…But now that I think about it, Zhu Yuan has been smiling at her phone a lot lately.
I just assumed she was texting her family…
Could the rumors be true?
Her fist tightened silently. The angle was perfect—a clean strike to the stomach. She was about to lunge when a hand came to rest gently on top of her head, ruffling her hair.
She froze, the motion completely derailing her attack.
"Here. Got you one too. It's still warm."
A cup of tea milk appeared in her field of vision. She looked up and met Ye Qingfeng's gaze. For reasons she couldn't explain, she accepted it without protest.
[Ding! Qingyi's favorability +10% | Current: 0%]
That was close, Ye Qingfeng thought, letting out a mental sigh of relief. He'd figured a kid would like something sweet, so he'd ordered hers extra sugary.
The system notification reminded him—this "kid" was the same one from the Public Security Bureau. He hadn't expected the gesture to actually improve her opinion of him. Well I guess kids are like that sometimes one moment they hate you the next moment they love you.
"Thank you," Qingyi murmured, her voice barely audible. He had spent his own money on it. Not that she'd ever admit it out loud, but he was… pleasant to look at. That wasn't why, though.
It was more that… he'd treated her with a casual kindness usually reserved for children. It was a feeling she hadn't encountered in a very, very long time.
A small, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips as she stared down at the cup in her hands.
"Senior Qingyi! There you are!" Zhu Yuan bent slightly to meet her eyes, a hint of playful reproach in her tone. "You were so quiet—I almost lost you."
"Seriously! If I hadn't glanced down, I might have missed her entirely." Ye Qingfeng agreed, reaching over to give Qingyi's head another pat. He grinned at Zhu Yuan. "How did someone so tiny even join the force? Is she the station mascot?"
He chuckled at his own joke.
"Senior Qingyi is not a mascot!" Zhu Yuan replied, though her eyes sparkled with amusement. She spoke earnestly, "She was already a respected officer before I joined. She's incredibly capable!"
"Is that so?" Ye Qingfeng raised an eyebrow, intrigued. A new term popped into his head: legal loli. "Well, we can talk more over food. I'm starving!"
"Let's go!"
Zhu Yuan fell into step beside him, continuing her earnest praise of Qingyi's many professional virtues as they walked.
They seemed to have entirely forgotten the third member of their party, walking ahead and chatting animatedly.
The smile vanished from Qingyi's face. Her eye twitched.
Are they… making fun of my height? I am 142 centimeters tall!
That's only… approximately 33 centimeters shorter than Zhu Yuan!
"Mommy, this tea milk is delicious!"
A young child being led by their mother passed by Qingyi. The child's eyes were perfectly level with hers.
"Mommy, is that little girl lost?"
The child asked innocently.
The mother, following her child's gaze, looked back at Qingyi. "Oh, sweetie, I think her parents are just buying drinks. She looks about your age."
Qingyi's internal temperature sensors registered a sudden, inexplicable spike.
…I will not engage with a minor.
Clutching her tea milk, she hurried to catch up with the two figures now several paces ahead, resigning herself to trailing behind them.
This is unacceptable. Anyone can see Zhu Yuan is taken with him. As her partner, it's my duty to assess his character thoroughly. I must not make hasty judgments.
She inserted a straw into the cup and took a cautious sip.
…It's disgustingly sweet!
To any passerby, the scene painted a heartwarming picture: a young, laughing couple strolling through Lumina Square with their adorable, well-behaved child in tow.
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