Dr. Chi’s Mission: Seduce Officer Su - Chapter 35.2

Su Qiao wished she could bury her head in her rice bowl. She could also tell that Dr. Chi’s affection for her was practically overflowing, but without any official status, how could they make it public?

It wasn’t like she could tell her grandmother, “Well, we started rolling around in bed last night, but hey, it didn’t go any further.”

She reached over her grandmother’s hand and swiftly stole another piece of cured meat. “Let’s eat, let’s eat. We’ll just let things take their natural course.”

“Let me tell you, if you haven’t sorted out your personal life by the time I close my eyes for good, I won’t even reincarnate. I’ll haunt you every day, pestering you until you finally get it together!”

Su Qiao glared at her grandmother with resentment. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t joke about dying. I can’t stand hearing that!”

“A girl like Xiao Chi, beautiful, with a standout career, highly educated, gentle, and considerate, if you don’t put in the effort to pursue her, who knows? She might end up with someone else one day!” The more her grandmother talked, the more worked up she got, almost wishing she could chase the girlfriend on behalf of her hopeless granddaughter.

Su Qiao poked at her rice and muttered, “You just said she’s so, so amazing. Do you really think I’m good enough for her?”

She really didn’t have much confidence. Sometimes she wondered if this ambiguous relationship, free from the shackles of emotional morality, was just a fleeting game for Dr. Chi, something she’d grow tired of one day, leaving nothing behind.

“Pah! Where are you not good enough? At the very least, you’re a government employee, promoted to deputy team leader at such a young age. If you work hard and climb higher, what’s lacking? Putting everything else aside, I’ll ask you one thing: do you like her or not?”

Finally hitting the crucial point, Su Qiao’s heart skipped a beat. She hummed and hawed, then buried her head in her arms on the table, pretending to be dead.

Her grandmother was so irritated she gritted her teeth and poked Su Qiao’s head hard. “You stubborn brat! How old are you, and you’re still this twisted?!”

“Li…ke…” The word squeezed out from between Su Qiao’s teeth. Feeling utterly embarrassed, she squirmed shyly.

“If you like her, you like her! It’s nothing to be ashamed of. If you like her, be brave and go after her! Who did you inherit this wishy-washy personality from? It’s not like your dad, and it’s not like your mom either.” After a few more sarcastic remarks, the old lady finally quieted down, a mischievous idea suddenly forming in her mind, she would take it upon herself to guard Qiaoqiao’s happiness!

After finishing her meal, Su Qiao hummed a cheerful tune while busily washing dishes in the kitchen. For some reason, after confessing to her grandmother that she liked Chi Jue, she felt refreshed and lighthearted.

In the living room, Grandma craned her neck to peek into the kitchen. Seeing that Su Qiao would be occupied for a while, she quietly picked up her granddaughter’s phone.

The lock screen password wasn’t a challenge, she tried her own birthday and succeeded on the first attempt.

The little old lady muttered triumphantly, “Hmph, at least I didn’t raise her for nothing.”

Though unfamiliar with messaging apps, it wasn’t a big issue. Dr. Chi’s contact was easy enough to find. Fumbling her way to the text message page, she pondered what to write.

Thanks to years of using a tablet, Grandma could type pinyin with impressive speed, her digital skills were surprisingly advanced.

The older generation expressed affection with subtlety, lacking the flair for modern sweet talk but excelling in poetic expressions.

After some thought, she composed a line:

“I see all mountains as mere trees and grass, only you stand as the verdant peak.”

She hit send.

Putting the phone down, Grandma frowned, feeling it was too subtle, not conveying enough romance.

She picked up the phone again and typed:

“The wind keeps its promise, the flowers never delay, year after year we shall not betray.”

Send.

No, no, this felt too frivolous. Better to be steady!

“Facing you, my heart draws near, with you I’ll dwell for all my years.”

Send.

Grandma promptly deleted all the sent messages, executing the task with swift determination. She set the phone down unfazed, time to catch up on her dramas.

Su Qiao, done with the dishes, hurried into the bathroom for a shower, her mind buzzing with thoughts of cream cake. Clutching a bar of soap, she bounced excitedly on the spot.

So nervous, even more than last night.

After freshening up, she dashed into her bedroom and rummaged through the closet to put together an outfit.

Grandma, munching on sunflower seeds, glanced at her bustling about and snorted, “Tsk, the honeymoon phase. Definitely the honeymoon phase.”

…

Qin Wanyi, knowing her daughter would be home today, had specifically instructed the family chef to prepare Xiao Jue’s favorite dishes.

Ignoring the butler’s advice, she waited eagerly by the entrance since morning.

When Chi Jue and Chi Chengxiu’s cars pulled up one after another at the Chi residence, Qin Wanyi tightened her shawl and stepped over the threshold to greet them.

“How did you two come back together?”

“Mom, it’s freezing, be careful not to catch a chill.” Chi Chengxiu was the first to wrap an arm around his mother’s shoulder, then turned to wait for Chi Jue. “A-Jue had some business at the company today, so we returned together.”

Qin Wanyi linked arms with Chi Jue and reached to touch the gauze on her forehead. “If A-Jin hadn’t seen the video online, your father and I wouldn’t have known you were involved in that hospital incident. Are you hurt anywhere? Let me see.”

Faced with her mother’s concern, Chi Jue showed little emotion, instinctively leaning away from the outstretched hand. “I’ve already been checked. It’s just a soft tissue injury, it’ll heal in a couple of days. Nothing serious.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll have legal affairs contact the family to settle this quickly. It’s better for both you and the hospital,” Chi Chengxiu offered helpfully.

“No need. The police spoke with me today, I’ve already signed a letter of understanding. This matter is over,” Chi Jue replied, unwilling to discuss the hospital dispute further.

The child’s father drives a truck for a living, while his wife stays home full-time to care for the young and old. What was once a modest income is now entirely spent on medical treatments. If this continues, it will only drag the entire family down.

It wasn’t that she was acting out of some saintly compassion, she simply wanted to avoid trouble and keep things simple.

“You’re just too kind-hearted. What if something serious had happened after pushing him down such a high staircase?” Qin Wanyi couldn’t understand her daughter’s actions and could only murmur a few soft complaints.

Chi Jue didn’t respond further, merely feeling unaccustomed to being held so firmly, though Su Qiao was the exception.

Just then, a series of message alerts chimed in quick succession. She hurriedly pulled her arm free. “Let me check my phone. There might be work to handle. You all go ahead.”

Qin Wanyi knew her daughter was deliberately avoiding her affection but could only smile and accept it. “Alright, we’ll wait for you in the dining room.”

The laughter and chatter in the corridor gradually faded into the distance. Chi Jue let out a sigh of relief, it seemed she still couldn’t get used to such superficial care and concern.

She turned her attention to her phone. It was a message from Su Qiao. She wondered why he hadn’t used a messaging app.

“I see all mountains as mere trees and grass, only you stand as the verdant peak.”

“The wind keeps its promise, the flowers never delay, year after year we shall not betray.”

“Facing you, my heart draws near, with you I’ll dwell for all my years.”

She couldn’t help but laugh aloud. What was with the sudden poetry? It felt inexplicably cheesy, sending a shiver down her spine.

“Feasting on poetry tonight? Feeling inspired all of a sudden?”

She tapped “send.”

The brief moment of joy made Chi Jue care less about the current atmosphere. She just wanted to get through dinner quickly and reunite with the person she hadn’t seen all day, it felt like an eternity, to enjoy the cream cake she’d been craving.

When she reached the dining room at the end of the corridor, Chi Qinian was seated upright in the master’s chair at the front, sipping hot tea from a porcelain cup as usual.

Seeing Chi Jue step over the threshold, he pursed his lips and clenched his jaw. The stark white bandage on her forehead made him frown slightly, as if he was suppressing the scolding he wanted to unleash, venting his frustration only by setting his cup down heavily.

“A-Jin and Xiao Lin won’t be back for dinner tonight. They said they’re going to watch a play, so let them be,” Qin Wanyi said gently, smoothing her shawl in an attempt to dispel the chill in the air.

Then, she beckoned to Chi Jue. “I picked out some jewelry for you to wear at the year-end banquet.”

Qin Wanyi retrieved several velvet jewelry boxes from the rosewood cabinet behind her, opening them one by one and laying them out on the table.

Chi Chengxiu, not wanting to spend his break discussing company matters with his father, joined in the commotion.

He walked over to the table and, amid the glittering array of jewels, pointed to the Tahitian black pearls. “Jade looks too mature, gemstones are tacky. This set is better, understated and suits your temperament.”

“Then this set it is,” Chi Jue replied, her attitude almost indifferent. Whatever others suggested was fine by her.

Qin Wanyi’s smile couldn’t hide her disappointment. These pieces were expensive, each selected with painstaking care, yet her daughter’s response wasn’t even perfunctory, it was outright dismissive.

“Don’t just listen to your brother. You should choose what you like,” she urged, hoping her daughter would take more interest.

“They’re fine. Pearls do suit me better compared to the others. I’ll return them after using them,” Chi Jue said. Given her profession, she had little use for such luxuries in daily life, and she genuinely didn’t want any further ties to her family.

“Fine, have it your way.” Qin Wanyi’s shoulders slumped, the earlier enthusiasm doused like cold water.

Chi Qinian watched this, his face flushing red with suppressed anger. He simply couldn’t stand how Chi Jue always put on such airs in front of family, that arrogance grated on his nerves.

He couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke up for his wife: “Your mother went out so many times to pick out decent jewelry for you before settling on these pieces she liked. And you just brush it off with a simple ‘fine’? At the very least, saying thank you isn’t too much to ask, is it?”

“Thank you, Mom,” Chi Jue complied, offering a polite thank you.

That only made the atmosphere more distant.

Soon after, the housekeeper brought hot dishes to the table.

Compared to the usual simple yet refined meals, today’s spread was noticeably more lavish. For dessert, Qin Wanyi had specially prepared handmade pastries for her daughter, as always.

The Chi family wasn’t fond of talking during meals, partly due to strict upbringing, and partly because of the tension between Chi Qinian and Chi Jue. A single extra word could easily ruin everyone’s appetite.

When it was time for dessert, Chi Chengxiu waited until the housekeeper had cleared the extra plates before nudging Chi Jue’s foot under the table.

Chi Jue, lost in thought while staring at the exquisite molten egg yolk pastry, felt the nudge and looked up at Chi Qinian, who remained silent.

“I came home tonight because I wanted to tell you something,” she said.

Chi Qinian set down his small fork, took a sip of tea to rinse his mouth, and said nothing, quietly waiting for her to continue.

Qin Wanyi, however, smiled kindly. It was rare for her daughter to initiate a conversation, so she listened attentively. “Go on,” she said.

“I’ve already found someone I like, and I hope you’ll annul my engagement with An Jiaqin,” Chi Jue stated in her usual matter-of-fact tone.

Chi Qinian let out a stifled breath through his nose, and the dining room fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Chi Chengxiu was taken aback for a moment. So, this was why Chi Jue had sought him out earlier.

He didn’t interfere with his sister’s freedom in marriage, which was why he had agreed to help her out during dinner. But he never expected her to be so firm in her stance.

“Uh… it’s a good thing that A-Jue is in love,” he chimed in awkwardly, raising his cup to hide his embarrassment.

Chi Qinian finally erupted. “You think you can just call off the engagement like that? Have you asked Jiaqin what she thinks? Have you consulted the elders from both families?” he demanded angrily.

“I spoke with An Jiaqin this afternoon. She was fairly understanding. After all, she broke up with me before she went abroad. I never told you about it because I didn’t want to affect the relationship between our families. Now that she’s back, it’s only right to give everyone an explanation.”