Dr. Chi’s Mission: Seduce Officer Su - Chapter 21.1

Su Qiao blinked her round, innocent eyes, still pondering what “a little date” meant, completely unaware that Dr. Chi had already taken advantage of her.

“Hey!?” she exclaimed belatedly, covering her reddened cheek where she’d been pinched and taking a small step back. “You just took advantage of me!”

“Took you this long to notice? I really love eating tofu, scallion-tofu salad, mapo tofu, home-style tofu…” Chi Jue teased her for overreacting, leaning in to pinch her other cheek. “But my favorite is little bear soft tofu~”

A blush spread across Su Qiao’s face. If her ears could puff steam, she’d be the brightest, reddest chimney head on the whole street.

“I-I’m not giving you any little bear soft tofu…” Her stuttered protest completely lacked conviction. Pretending to be upset, she stomped off, but after only a few steps, she wilted and turned back to grab Dr. Chi’s wrist. “D-don’t get separated.”

Chi Jue mischievously mimicked her stutter: “D-d-don’t get separated.”

Su Qiao puffed up like an angry kitten, huffing and puffing: “Ugh, you’re so annoying, copying me!”

The playful figure behind her copied again: “Ugh, I’m so annoying, copying you!”

Su Qiao had no way to deal with her and could only scold in defeat: “Dr. Chi!”

“Officer Su!” Teasing the “little bear” was a trick that never got old. Chi Jue hopped into step beside her.

“Enough, enough. I’ll take you to eat something delicious.” Su Qiao’s affection was filled with genuine, simple sincerity as she tightly gripped that slender, delicate wrist, unwilling to let go easily.

Chi Jue, of course, knew the importance of playing along and eagerly agreed: “Okay, okay~”

Weaving through the bustling crowd, Su Qiao found the stir-fried noodle stall she often ordered from and boasted, “This is the place. Guaranteed to satisfy your taste buds!”

“What if I’m not satisfied?”

“Then I’ll treat you to little bear soft tofu.”

Oh? Had that silly head finally caught on? The “little bear” even learned to apply knowledge creatively?

Chi Jue reached out to pinch Su Qiao’s cheek again, acting shameless: “Then I’m not satisfied.”

“You haven’t even tried it yet!” Su Qiao nimbly dodged that fair, wicked hand and called out to the vendor: “Boss, one dry-fried beef hor fun and one shredded pork stir-fried noodles.”

“Officer Su, the usual?” The boss knew Su Qiao’s preferences like the back of his hand. Noticing she’d brought someone new, he cheerfully added, “I’ll throw in two fried eggs for you.”

“That’s too generous.” Su Qiao scratched her head sheepishly. “Let’s keep it light today, shredded pork noodles, no spice.”

“What’s with the politeness between us?” The boss’s voice was rough, his greetings practically shouts. He heated the wok, poured in oil, and skillfully added the ingredients. “Find a seat anywhere, it’ll be ready soon.”

Su Qiao led Chi Jue to a relatively quiet corner. Worried she might not be comfortable with the street food environment, Su Qiao repeatedly wiped the table with tissues. “It might not look like much, but it’s actually quite clean. Hope you don’t mind.”

“If I minded, I wouldn’t have come to the night market with you for snacks.” Chi Jue didn’t consider herself picky and pressed Su Qiao’s hand to stop her. “Stop wiping, you’re going to rub the finish off the table.”

“Aren’t you doctors the ones who care most about hygiene? Like spraying alcohol before meals, after meals, and after touching anything.”

“Is this what you mean?” Chi Jue smiled at the innocent look of ‘Little Bear’ and decided to play along with her expectations, actually pulling a portable hand sanitizer from her purse. “Give me your hand.”

“Yes, yes, exactly like that.” Su Qiao obediently stretched out her hand, waiting for Dr. Chi to sanitize it. “There, that’s right.”

Chi Jue carefully rubbed the sanitizer over Little Bear’s hands, praising her affectionately, “Should a clean little kid like you get a big red flower?”

“I’m not a little kid!” Su Qiao protested softly, just as the owner timely served up the fragrant stir-fried noodles.

Chi Jue grabbed a pair of disposable chopsticks and eagerly took a bite. The wok-fried beef noodles were bursting with flavor, making her mouth water, and she couldn’t resist taking another bite.

Su Qiao’s eyes sparkled with anticipation for praise. “So, how is it? Tastes good, right?”

“Not bad.” Chi Jue instinctively gave a positive review but then thought that saying so would mean missing out on teasing Little Bear, so she quickly corrected herself, “Hmm… still a bit unsatisfying.”

“How old are you, still acting like this!” Su Qiao protested.

“I’m 3.5 years old, isn’t that what you said? Let me pinch your cheek one more time, and I won’t be cheeky~” Chi Jue finally got her wish and pinched Su Qiao’s face. “Just kidding, it really does taste great. Will you bring me here again next time?”

“Whenever you want to eat, I’m happy to accompany you.” Su Qiao replied earnestly.

The laughter of the diners echoed under the rain shelter, the atmosphere of everyday life permeating every corner. This was the flavor life ought to have, simple, lively, and filled with trivial joys.

The two of them, understanding each other’s hearts yet treading carefully, hid their affection in the exchanged glances and smiles.

Sometimes romance could be down-to-earth, like right now, where a plate of stir-fried noodles costing just over ten yuan was more memorable than a bouquet of blooming Freudian roses.

Satisfied, they left the noodle stall as the night grew deep.

Su Qiao intended to walk Chi Jue back to the parking lot to get her car, but Chi Jue beat her to it, suggesting, “You always walk me home. How about letting me walk you home this time?”

“No need to trouble yourself. Are you worried I’ll run into bad guys?” Su Qiao joked lightly, though inwardly she resisted. A deep-seated insecurity suddenly stirred, she didn’t want Dr. Chi to see how poor her living conditions were.

Compared to the elite neighborhoods of the South District, this area was a mixed bag, everywhere mocking Su Qiao, reminding her that the class divide between her and Dr. Chi was an insurmountable chasm.

“Just think of it as me learning the way. If I ever feel like it, I might drop by your place for a meal~” Chi Jue knew what Su Qiao was resisting, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she felt a love-me-love-my-dog affection for everything around Su Qiao.

“My home is in an alley, dark and not very safe. Even if there are no bad guys, you could easily trip just walking on the flat ground.”

“Really? Sounds like a giant escape room~” Chi Jue linked arms with her and swayed playfully. “Just take me for a walk. It’s a reasonable request to stroll and digest after a meal.”

Su Qiao didn’t know that the usually aloof Dr. Chi was using almost all the initiative and coquettishness she had accumulated in her lifetime.

Unable to resist such persistent, sweet pleading, Su Qiao sighed, placing her hands on her hips. “I really can’t do anything with you.”

Passing through the bustling main street, Su Qiao stood at the entrance of the alley that was the only way home.

The streetlamp hanging on the damp wall seemed to be clinging to its last breath, each flicker a desperate struggle, its faint light failing to illuminate the path ahead.

Su Qiao, her nerves on edge and ready to retreat, hid in the shadows, her face drained of all courage.

“Maybe we should stop here.” she said, gazing into the dark alley. For the first time, the place she had grown up in felt like a gaping abyss, swallowing her embarrassment and helplessness.

“What’s wrong?” Chi Jue instinctively tightened her grip on Su Qiao’s arm.

Su Qiao forced a faint smile. “It’s too dark. Aren’t you afraid of walking back alone in the pitch black?”

These past few days, she had been lost in delusions. Bringing Dr. Chi into the place she had lived for half her life filled her with a sense of shame, as if she had been stripped bare. The shame came from her poverty, which she felt was unworthy of someone like Chi Jue.

She laughed at herself inwardly. Like a rat scurrying across the street, she couldn’t offer any material security. Hoping for a relationship was nothing but a ridiculous fantasy.

“I’m not afraid. It’s you who’s afraid,” Chi Jue turned to face her, her eyes bright and resolute under the flickering streetlamp. “What are you afraid of?”

“I…”

“Hold my hand and walk slowly, slowly. Then tell me a fun little story, and the path won’t seem so difficult anymore.”

Chi Jue’s tenderness was subtle and gentle. The path she spoke of felt more like Su Qiao’s own tumultuous life, winding and narrow, cramped and dilapidated, much like the alley before them. But suffering wasn’t endless; there would always be someone brave and tireless trying to dispel it.

Clasping “Little Bear’s” hand, she gently rubbed the cool fingertips with her own.

In the quiet night, the uneven cobblestone path echoed with scattered footsteps.

“What story would you like to hear?” Su Qiao didn’t realize when she had started holding that soft hand in return, the warmth flooding her heart.

This was a good opportunity to understand “Little Bear.” Chi Jue was skilled at straightforward conversation without being pushy. “Have you lived here since you were little?”

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve lived here. In the summer, I used to run around barefoot with the neighborhood kids in this alley, often ending up covered in bruises, but it never hurt.”

Recalling her childhood, Su Qiao felt relaxed, eliciting a soft chuckle from Chi Jue. “It sounds so joyful just thinking about it.”

“Yeah, the summers in my memories are filled with the scent of watermelon, sweet and fresh.” Su Qiao smacked her lips, suddenly craving a big bite of watermelon. “Back then, I’d often squat in the alley munching on watermelon. The adults passing by would tease me, saying if I didn’t spit out the seeds, a watermelon would grow in my belly. I’d get so scared, I’d run home crying my eyes out.”

“Hahaha, let me imagine what a crying Little Bear must have looked like.” Chi Jue could vividly picture it, a chubby little Su Qiao in a loose tank top, face smeared with watermelon juice, happily eating one moment and then panicking the next. It was utterly adorable.

“Didn’t anyone tease you like that when you were little?” Su Qiao tilted her head innocently, but then she thought that with Dr. Chi’s family background, she probably never had to worry about spitting out watermelon seeds.

“Me? My childhood was pretty dull. No one ever played pranks on me like that.” Chi Jue’s expression darkened. She could hardly recall any memorable joys from her youth, it was all rather bland and colorless.

In her memories, the vast house felt empty, devoid of any sense of home.

Her closeness with her elder brother and younger sister was limited to a few respectful words during meals, often overshadowed by their father’s comparisons and criticisms.

Her brother, Chi Chengxiu, was several years older and possessed a natural talent for business, making him the designated future heir of the family. Their father invested time and effort in personally grooming him.

Her younger sister, Chi Jin, as the baby of the family, received an abundance of love and indulgence from their mother, while their father responded to her willfulness with boundless tolerance.

She, on the other hand, was like a wild grass growing in the cracks, unnoticed and overlooked was the norm. For a long time, she lived as if she were invisible.

On her journey of growth, no one but herself served as her guide. Thus, she chose the path of medicine, a noble ideal, yet her father viewed it as an act of rebellion.

It seemed that in her father’s eyes, her choices were nothing more than childish attempts to seek attention.

In reality, her current achievements were more than enough for Chi Jue to stand independently from her family and still thrive.

Because she knew deeply that only what belonged to her could never be taken away.

“Why would it be boring?” Su Qiao muttered, unable to understand how childhood could be associated with the word “boring.” Shouldn’t it be the most vibrant and beautiful time of one’s life?

Chi Jue shrugged it off. “There were always endless etiquette lessons to learn, countless rules big and small to follow, and constant comparisons by the elders. That made up what I’d call a far-from-interesting childhood.”

To her, if someone had told her back then that swallowing watermelon seeds would make them grow in her stomach, she would have defied all those so-called rules and secretly tried it, albeit with trepidation.

But back then, she was too obedient, like a puppet living in a cold household.

No one cared whether she was happy; she was only repeatedly lectured on what she should and shouldn’t do.

Dr. Chi’s tone was filled with an unshakeable melancholy, so Su Qiao stopped probing further. There was plenty of time ahead to explore her past like a treasure hunt, no need to rush it now.