Dr. Chi’s Mission: Seduce Officer Su - Chapter 20

“This duck blood is very tender, try it.”

“The spicy beef is so hot! You should eat less, or your stomach might feel uncomfortable tonight.”

“Let me blanch some tripe for you?”

“Do you mind trying pig brain? It doesn’t have any weird taste, but eating too much can raise your cholesterol.”

In Chi Jue’s eyes, Su Qiao’s attentiveness was like that of a diligent little bee, a bit noisy but not at all annoying.

Ji Nanxing and Gu Shinian seemed to have something private to discuss. They left the table and went outside after eating for just a short while.

The lively commotion in the private room was entirely on the other side of the table, creating two starkly contrasting worlds.

In Su Qiao’s initiative, Chi Jue sensed a certain helplessness. The look in “Little Bear’s” eyes as she watched her teammates laugh and joke was filled with envy.

She was like a lonely child, desperately wishing to join in the group play of other kids.

But it was as if she were separated by an invisible barrier, unable to join in no matter what, with no one even responding to her words.

It seemed like everyone admired Ji Nanxing, and it also seemed like everyone ignored Su Qiao’s existence.

In their brief interaction, Chi Jue felt this subtle discomfort of being treated differently.

She stared at the mountain of food “Little Bear” had piled into her bowl, her heart aching so much that she wanted to ruffle her hair. “Stop serving me, I can’t eat this much.”

“Alright.” Su Qiao pretended not to care as she picked out her favorite foods from the hot pot.

In truth, she had little appetite but still had to put on a facade of enjoying herself.

Chi Jue set down her chopsticks and pondered seriously: Clearly, “Little Bear” was so wonderful, so why did everyone treat her with such distant indifference?

“Su Qiao.”

Hearing Dr. Chi suddenly call her by her full name, Su Qiao paused mid-bite. “What’s wrong?”

In the moment she looked up, she couldn’t hide the startled panic in her eyes, perhaps that panic stemmed from the fear that Dr. Chi might suddenly want to leave early.

“I suddenly don’t feel like eating hot pot anymore. Take me to try some street food instead, like… the clay pot porridge or stir-fried rice noodles you mentioned last time.”

Right now, Chi Jue just wanted to whisk “Little Bear” away, taking her far from this unpleasant atmosphere.

If she could, how she wished she could hide Su Qiao away, tuck her into a wardrobe, bury her under the covers, or even conceal her in the two-bedroom apartment of her heart.

Although Su Qiao often acted a bit clueless, she wasn’t actually foolish.

At least in this moment, she finally understood Dr. Chi’s intentions. So, she set down her chopsticks and blinked her sparkling eyes at the beautiful woman with the warm smile.

To Chi Jue, she looked just like a mischievous student ready to skip class at a moment’s notice, waiting only for her command.

“Alright.” A smile warmer than the hot pot broth spread across Su Qiao’s lips, and her heart felt just as warm.

As long as it wasn’t against the law, she could unconditionally agree to every reasonable request Chi Jue made.

“Let’s go right now.” Chi Jue stood up, grabbing her coat from the back of the chair, and said playfully, “We’ll sneak out quietly~”

The two of them slipped out of the private room one after the other like a pair of thieves, only to run straight into Ji Nanxing, who was walking toward them.

“Are you two leaving?” Ji Nanxing seemed to be in a good mood.

“Dr. Chi has something urgent to attend to. I’m seeing her off.” Once again, Su Qiao wore the expression of someone who couldn’t lie, her excuse just as clumsy as ever.

“Oh~ Something urgent~ And you have to personally escort her~” Ji Nanxing seized the chance to tease with a sarcastic tone. “Go on, then.”

“Thank you for the treat, Captain Ji. Let’s dine together again sometime; next time, it’ll be my treat.” Chi Jue bid her farewell gracefully, not wanting to waste time on trivial pleasantries.

Gu Shinian, who had arrived a step later with deliberate elegance, dropped her pretense and linked arms with Chi Jue. “Sister, are you done eating already? Leaving so soon?”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

Ji Nanxing and Su Qiao let out simultaneous murmurs of surprise, these two already knew each other?!

“Why drop the act now?” Chi Jue chuckled, patting the hand on her arm. “When you have time, let’s get together with A-Jin. I’ll head off first.”

Seeing her eagerness to leave, Gu Shinian leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Wanting some alone time, huh? I get it.”

“Aren’t you enjoying your own ‘alone time’ too? Those who know, know~” Chi Jue teased back before striding away briskly.

Su Qiao, having missed her chance to say goodbye, scurried after her. “President Gu called you ‘sister’… You two know each other?”

Chi Jue explained briefly, “Our families have been close for generations. We’ve known each other since we were kids. She and A-Jin get along well.”

“Oh, I see.” As Su Qiao processed this, she suddenly exclaimed, “Then doesn’t that make our connection a twist of fate upon fate?!”

“Fate upon fate?” Chi Jue was amused by the odd phrasing.

“Think about it: my friend is head over heels for your sister, your friend has some unclear relationship with my captain, and yet we met entirely by chance. Isn’t that fate layered upon fate?” Su Qiao rattled off excitedly, her voice rising with enthusiasm.

The world is vast, so vast that brushing past strangers in a sea of people is the norm. Yet it’s also incredibly small, small enough for chance encounters on the streets to happen again and again.

She felt grateful for their meeting and marveled at how serendipity often springs from connections beyond the obvious.

“Wow, you’re quite the tongue-twister master,” Chi Jue quipped, turning to loop her arm through Su Qiao’s and pulling her toward the door. “Let’s go, I’m still hungry.”

…

The night in Zhouhai suddenly felt less chilly. Though spring still lingered in the future, its subtle presence felt strangely close.

The lively atmosphere of the old city renovation area was reflected on the faces of the diners and had quietly seeped into Chi Jue’s eyes as well.

The endless row of food stalls lining the street offered an almost adventurous delight. She lingered at each stall, thoroughly engrossed even if she wasn’t buying anything.

As a member of a wealthy, prominent family, she carried none of the aloof pride expected of a young lady. Nor did she see her privileged background as something to flaunt, which was precisely why her father often scolded her for being the odd one out.

Perhaps it was from witnessing life’s sorrows in the hospital that she embraced the ordinary world with such determination.

“Little Bear, I want to try this,” Chi Jue pointed at the egg waffles wafting with milky fragrance.

“Boss, one order of egg waffles, please.” Su Qiao hurriedly pulled out cash to pay, then turned to Dr. Chi with a puzzled look. “What did you just call me?”

“Little Bear~” Chi Jue replied matter-of-factly. She’d long wanted to give Officer Su this nickname, and now was the perfect opportunity.

“Why ‘Little Bear’?” Su Qiao instinctively glanced down at herself. Did she look like a bear? Was she that burly?!

“Because you still owe me a traffic police bear keychain. Until you give it to me, you are the bear.” To emphasize her lingering disappointment over not receiving the keychain, Chi Jue spoke with firm seriousness.

Su Qiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Why do I get the feeling you hold a bit of a grudge?”

Sometimes it feels like the Dr. Chi in her eyes is a completely different person from the one others see, at the very least, she’s never witnessed Dr. Chi treating any other patient or their family with this kind of attitude.

What’s the difference between this and her running around everywhere looking for a toy walkie-talkie?

It’s like a contagion spreading from person to person, when the two of them get together, it’s just pure, unadulterated childishness.

But on second thought, she had to blame herself for this. After all, that traffic police bear plushie was originally meant for Dr. Chi, only to be hijacked by a kid along the way.

“Well then, just think of me as the traffic police bear plushie plus edition,” Su Qiao spread her arms and gestured, “XXXXXL size, one-of-a-kind limited edition in the world!”

“Your egg waffle is ready,” the vendor handed over the freshly made snack.

“Thank you,” Chi Jue took it and held the steaming egg waffle out to Su Qiao, teasingly saying, “Here, fans eat first~”

The aroma wafted over, making Su Qiao swallow, yet she felt it would be a bit impolite to just take a big bite. “No need, you have it.”

“Then I’ll feed you,” Chi Jue broke off a small piece and brought it to her lips: “Ah~”

Su Qiao was reminded of the time she was fed the rabbit-shaped mochi with mung bean filling, and her ears began to burn again. She quickly snatched the piece with her mouth and turned her head away.

What’s the big deal? Friends feeding each other isn’t crossing any lines, right?

She desperately tried to come up with reasons not to feel shy, but her heart was pounding wildly.

Chi Jue took a small bite as well, the sweet, soft texture making her squint with happiness. Paired with the ‘little bear’s’ flushed cheeks, the egg waffle seemed even more delicious.

As she chewed carefully, she asked seriously, “Are you feeling happier now?”

The sudden question made Su Qiao freeze for a moment, wide-eyed, before she belatedly relaxed into a smile. “Haven’t I always been pretty happy?”

You’re always by my side, you understand me, you pull me away from the unbearable complexities of social interactions, how could I not be happy?

“You shouldn’t force a smile when you’re unhappy. Even the most delicious hotpot would become bland and unappealing, it’s not even as good as this little bite of egg waffle,” Chi Jue cradled the snack to warm her hands, and once her fingertips were warm, she gently placed them on the back of Su Qiao’s hand.

She believed this cozy warmth from the night market would seep through skin and flesh, deep into the bones, embracing the soul hiding its pain, even though she had no idea what kind of turmoil Su Qiao had been through.

Su Qiao fell silent, quietly savoring the warmth on the back of her hand. She cautiously glanced at Chi Jue’s gentle, sincere face.

Falling into that tender trap again and again, she was more than willing.

Chi Jue, having gotten her way, pinched the ‘little bear’s’ cheek. It was soft and bouncy, with a hint of shy warmth.

“Be good, give me a genuine smile, and I’ll reward you with a little date~”