Chapter 75
Zhuo Zhi turned around, her face as red as a cooked shrimp.
Officer Sun also looked embarrassed, scratching his head repeatedly.
Li Qinyue, however, was as shameless as ever. She smiled at Officer Sun and said, “Yes, I’m taking Zhuo Zhi out for lunch.”
“Ah,” Officer Sun said instinctively, “Want to join us?”
Li Qinyue said, “No, I’ve already ordered at another restaurant.”
“Oh, okay,” Officer Sun scratched his head again, “Then I’ll go in now. Xiao Zhuo, come straight to the station this afternoon.”
“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi responded.
Officer Sun turned and went back into the noodle shop, pushing the door a few times before realizing he had to pull it.
Li Qinyue smiled, putting her arm around Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder, “Let’s go, what do you want to eat?”
“Didn’t you say you already ordered?” Zhuo Zhi rubbed her face, which was still burning hot.
“I lied to him, I just caught you when you got off work. You guys work too hard, running around all morning…” She paused, then changed the subject, “You have to go back after lunch, right?”
“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi continued rubbing her face, “Just something simple will do.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue looked around as they walked, “How about grilled fish?”
“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi wasn’t looking at the restaurants, her eyes were on Li Qinyue.
Li Qinyue had her arm around her, practically hugging her. Apart from the occasional glances from passersby, attracted by Li Qinyue’s beauty, no one paid them much attention.
Normally, two girls walking on the street, holding hands, hugging, or putting their arms around each other’s waists, wouldn’t be considered unusual. But the kiss earlier had been too intimate.
Zhuo Zhi didn’t know what Officer Sun was thinking, but her own heart was still pounding.
Her heart finally calmed down after they entered the restaurant, ordered their food, and the music and lively atmosphere filled the air.
As she calmed down, her mind started to work again, her eyes widening in realization.
Li Qinyue, sitting across from her, looked at her curiously, “What’s wrong?”
“You said we were running around all morning, Sister,” Zhuo Zhi stared at her, “How did you know?”
Li Qinyue chuckled, “Isn’t it obvious?”
Zhuo Zhi simply said, “Oh,” and took out her phone, typing quickly.
Although Li Qinyue hadn’t intended to tell her about her foolish act, Zhuo Zhi, having sensed something was amiss, had just dropped it after one question?
This made Li Qinyue unhappy.
She looked at Zhuo Zhi’s fingers tapping on her phone and said, “I was messaging you, and you didn’t reply all morning, were you doing that on purpose?”
“No, no, no, I was busy with work, I didn’t even look at my phone.”
“You have time to look at it now?” Li Qinyue squinted at her.
“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi put down her phone, “I’m done.”
“Heh,” Li Qinyue looked down at her tea, “How does it feel? If it’s too tiring, you don’t have to do it, we…”
“No!” Zhuo Zhi’s reply was firm. “I can’t just give up halfway, it’s not really tiring, it’s just that some people are really annoying.”
“Hmm?” Li Qinyue looked at her.
“For example, our first call this morning was about a parent hitting their child, a neighbor reported it, saying the child was screaming like a pig being slaughtered.”
“Just like the couple downstairs from us?” Li Qinyue interjected.
“Yes, I think it’s the same situation. We went over, checked the child’s injuries, it wasn’t serious, just some bruises on the butt. We asked the parent why they hit their child,” Zhuo Zhi mimicked the parent’s expression, her face angry. “Haven’t you ever been beaten as a child? Are you asking about today’s beating or yesterday’s? The reasons are different each time.”
“Damn,” Li Qinyue chuckled.
Zhuo Zhi continued her vivid impersonation, “I said, then tell me about today’s beating. He slammed his exam paper on the table, he failed, only scored ten points in math. But he added a zero at the end, and his father said, ‘Are you trying to fool me, treating me like an idiot?’ Tell me, doesn’t he deserve a beating?”
Li Qinyue burst out laughing.
Zhuo Zhi also chuckled, “I thought to myself, if I had done that, my master would have broken my legs. I didn’t even know what to say. Officer Sun handled it well, he said, ‘You must have beaten him many times before, did it work? Did he change? No, he didn’t. So your method is wrong’.”
Li Qinyue nodded.
Zhuo Zhi slapped the table, “Then Officer Sun started discussing parenting with the father, as a police officer, he’s like a political counselor.”
“A community police officer’s job is basically that,” Li Qinyue said, “Mostly dealing with trivial matters.”
“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi sighed.
Li Qinyue said, “And then?”
“And then…” Just as Zhuo Zhi was about to continue, her phone lit up. She immediately picked it up to check the message.
Li Qinyue’s previous displeasure intensified. She slapped the table, “We’re eating! Can you put down your phone and talk to your friend?”
Zhuo Zhi threw her phone on the table and looked up at Li Qinyue, her eyes suddenly reddening.
Li Qinyue was shocked, “What’s wrong with you? Can’t even take a little criticism now? Are you about to cry?”
“No,” Zhuo Zhi wiped her face with her hand, but it only made her eyes redder.
“Damn, I won’t say anything anymore,” Li Qinyue opened a pack of tissues, took one out, and handed it to Zhuo Zhi, “Don’t wipe your face with your hand.”
Zhuo Zhi took the tissue, stared at it for a moment, then looked up at Li Qinyue and said, “You’re so kind, Sister.”
“So kind for just handing you a tissue,” the waiter started serving their food, and Li Qinyue leaned back.
A steaming plate of grilled fish was placed on the table. Li Qinyue removed the chili peppers and placed a large piece of fish, the part Zhuo Zhi liked, in her bowl, “Eat.”
Zhuo Zhi looked at her through the steam, not moving her chopsticks, “Aren’t you going to tell me, Sister?”
“Tell you what?”
“You waited for me all morning, didn’t you?” Zhuo Zhi’s voice was slightly choked with emotion.
“Damn,” Li Qinyue’s chopsticks froze. She stared at Zhuo Zhi for a few seconds, her face suddenly burning, “No, what are you talking about?”
“You did, don’t lie to me. I just messaged Master and asked her when you left, she said you left shortly after I did,” Zhuo Zhi sniffled, “And I just had a moment to check my phone, and you came looking for me…”
“Eat!” Li Qinyue interrupted her.
“Where were you waiting for me, Sister? I was running around all morning, it was so cold…”
“I told you to eat,” Li Qinyue looked at her, “One more word, and I’m leaving.”
“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi didn’t dare to say anything more.
Meat and vegetables were piled into her bowl.
The drink was her favorite one. Li Qinyue quietly refilled it for her when it was empty.
When Zhuo Zhi dropped her chopsticks, Li Qinyue bent down to pick them up and asked the waiter for a new pair.
Zhuo Zhi was ordered not to speak, just to eat. So, with a heart full of gratitude, she devoured everything on the table.
After lunch, they didn’t have much time to linger.
Li Qinyue knew that. She stood up as soon as Zhuo Zhi finished eating.
Zhuo Zhi followed her closely. Li Qinyue patted her butt, “Go pay the bill.”
Zhuo Zhi, in charge of the family finances, happily went to pay.
It was still cold outside.
Zhuo Zhi tucked Li Qinyue’s hand into her pocket. They didn’t speak, but walked towards the police station in comfortable silence.
Halfway there, Zhuo Zhi couldn’t hold back any longer. She looked up at Li Qinyue, “Can we talk now, Sister?”
“No nonsense,” Li Qinyue didn’t look at her.
“This isn’t nonsense,” Zhuo Zhi said, “How can this be nonsense?”
“Anything I don’t want to hear is nonsense,” Li Qinyue said firmly.
“Oh,” Zhuo Zhi responded, then after taking two steps, she suddenly skipped ahead, turning around to walk backwards, facing Li Qinyue.
“I understand now, Sister,” she said with a wide smile.
Li Qinyue looked at her, silent.
“You’re embarrassed, aren’t you?” Zhuo Zhi’s smile widened, “You didn’t even realize how much you like me, did you?”
Li Qinyue took a deep breath, wanting to slap that smug face.
But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She had been surprised by her own childish behavior all morning, and now, hearing it from Zhuo Zhi, it felt like Li Qinyue’s face was being rubbed in the dirt.
Would any adult act like this in a relationship? Li Qinyue wasn’t interested in other people’s love stories, she didn’t know, but she knew she had never imagined her own love life would be like this.
Embarrassing, truly embarrassing.
She had lost all her pride, and from now on, in Zhuo Zhi’s eyes, there would be no more untouchable Li Qinyue.
Her authority had vanished.
Li Qinyue couldn’t speak. Zhuo Zhi’s lips trembled, she looked like she was about to cry again.
“You’re so good, Sister, you’re too good to me, I never thought, you’re so…”
Li Qinyue covered her mouth, “Shut up, don’t say it.”
“Mmmpphhh…”
“That’s just how I am, Li Qinyue. I do what I want, it has nothing to do with you.”
“Mmmpphhh…”
“Today was an exception, it won’t happen again, definitely not!”
“Steamed?” Zhuo Zhi managed to mumble, pushing Li Qinyue’s hand away slightly.
“Boiled,” Li Qinyue shook off her hand and walked away quickly.
Her long strides made her look like she was gliding, just like when she had left the apartment earlier that morning.
Li Qinyue, fuming, suddenly found it amusing. Before she could even frown, she started laughing.
Zhuo Zhi caught up to her, her eyes on Li Qinyue. Seeing her laugh, she smiled too and stealthily took Li Qinyue’s hand, slipping it into her pocket.
They were approaching the police station, they had been spotted, and Li Qinyue couldn’t spend the afternoon with Zhuo Zhi anymore, nor would Zhuo Zhi allow it.
It was almost time to part ways. They wouldn’t see each other again for another four or five hours.
It felt like an eternity…
So, Li Qinyue forgave Zhuo Zhi, cherishing their time together, holding her hand tightly in her pocket.
Their steps slowed unconsciously, but even a snail would reach its destination eventually. Just as they reached the police station, Zhuo Zhi suddenly pulled Li Qinyue into a nearby corner.
The spot wasn’t completely hidden, they could still be seen from certain angles.
But although Zhuo Zhi felt shy, she knew what she was doing. They were openly in love, openly affectionate, and determined to be together. So… what was wrong with indulging in a little intimacy when they couldn’t help themselves?
Li Qinyue was pressed against the wall by Zhuo Zhi, who stood on tiptoe, her lips finding Li Qinyue’s.
Her sister, after all, still cared about her. The kiss only lasted a couple of seconds before Li Qinyue bent down, eliminating the height difference between them.
Zhuo Zhi’s tongue probed at her lips. Li Qinyue didn’t let her in, pulling away slightly, a smile on her face, “What are you doing, in broad daylight?”
“Didn’t you want to buy a kiss from me?” Zhuo Zhi’s voice was husky, her breath warm on Li Qinyue’s lips. “I’ll sell it to you for one mao.”
***
T/N: mao is equivalent to one-tenth of a yuan, or 10 fen (similar to how “cents” are used in relation to dollars)
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