Dr. Chi’s Mission: Seduce Officer Su - Chapter 43

After the lunch break, Ji Nanxing distributed the holiday shift schedule to everyone and briefly reminded them of safety precautions before allowing the team to leave work early.

Liu Shisan hurriedly tidied up the office and then grabbed Ao Yu, ready to head out.

“Captain Ji, Captain Su, Happy New Year! We’re heading off first.”

Ji Nanxing: “Happy New Year.”

Su Qiao: “Happy New Year.”

Shortly after, the medical examiner Wen Ling and Li Mobo from the technical department, following their respective supervisors’ arrangements, made a point of stopping by the investigative office to extend their New Year’s greetings before leaving.

In an instant, the usual noisy chatter vanished, and the office fell into a quiet, almost chilly atmosphere.

As the team leader, Ji Nanxing had to hold down the fort until the very last moment before the holiday, meaning she couldn’t leave until official quitting time.

She brewed a cup of coffee and casually took a seat somewhere.

Being an orphan, she had long grown accustomed to spending festive holidays alone. For her, the Spring Festival was nothing more than a tedious break, and the celebratory atmosphere had long since lost its charm, leaving her numb to it all.

Blowing gently on the steam rising from her cup, she took a small sip and let her gaze drift toward Su Qiao. “You should head back too. Don’t keep your grandmother waiting too long. Go home early and lend her a hand so you can have your New Year’s Eve dinner sooner.”

Su Qiao, idly twirling a pen in her hand, had been staring blankly at her screen. It took her a moment to register that someone was speaking to her.

With a faint, weary smile, she shook her head lightly. “It’s fine. I’ll stay with you.”

Setting her cup down, Ji Nanxing easily saw through her. “Something on your mind?”

“What could possibly be on my mind? Don’t overthink it.” Su Qiao stretched exaggeratedly, feigning nonchalance. “How about coming home with me tonight? The more people, the livelier the New Year’s Eve dinner will be.”

“No.” Ji Nanxing waved her off, refusing. She disliked being a burden to others. Besides, she could eat anywhere.

“Oh~ I get it. Do you have plans with President Gu?”

“Her? That crazy woman better not bother me on such a festive day.” Though Ji Nanxing spoke dismissively of Gu Shinian, for some inexplicable reason, she found herself hoping the woman would seek her out.

Feeling that this line of thinking was utterly absurd, she inwardly scolded herself for developing such a self-sabotaging tendency.

Su Qiao knew Ji Nanxing all too well, her words might be tough, but her heart had long softened into a puddle.

She clicked her tongue and began singing teasingly, “Little nemesis, why do you act like such a fool~ Speak clearly, explain plainly, no pretending to be clueless~”

Ji Nanxing couldn’t stand her burning curiosity and broke out in goosebumps, hurriedly raising a hand to cover Su Qiao’s mouth. “Stop, stop! If you’ve got nothing better to do, just leave.”

Just then, a figure appeared at the office doorway, interrupting their banter.

Chi Jue was dressed in a high-waisted down jacket from a sportswear brand and, seemingly aiming for a more casual look, had topped it off with a baseball cap.

This outfit made her appear less aloof and rigid than usual, lending her a different kind of vitality.

She politely knocked on the door, peeking in at the two of them with a puzzled expression. “Why are only the two of you left?”

“Here to pick up your kid from school?” Ji Nanxing quipped, grabbing Su Qiao’s arm and pulling her toward Dr. Chi. “This kid’s being disobedient, lingering after school instead of going home. Make sure you teach her a lesson when you get back.”

Chi Jue covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, thinking how Captain Ji always told jokes with a deadpan expression, yet her words carried such contrasting humor. “Yes, I’m here to pick up the kid after school.”

Su Qiao smoothed out her wrinkled clothes and protested, “What are you even talking about?”

“Dr. Chi is here to pick you up. If you don’t hurry up and leave, you’re just being ungrateful,” Ji Nanxing gave her a light push and turned to Chi Jue with a blessing. “Dr. Chi, Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year.”

The little bear had been taken away by her ‘parent.’

Ji Nanxing stuffed her hands into her pockets, glanced around the quiet office, and a wave of loneliness surged within her. But for someone accustomed to solitude, it didn’t feel all that unbearable.

Aren’t holidays just the same, year after year?

Returning to her small office, she listlessly lay her head on the desk for a nap. Drowsiness came quickly, and before long, her eyelids grew heavy.

The woman had slipped into the room at some point, her high heels making only the faintest sounds on the floor.

Circling around the desk, she leaned in to study Ji Nanxing’s peaceful sleeping face, a trace of contentment flickering in her deep eyes, the kind of serene joy one only shows when looking at someone they adore.

A few strands of her thick, seaweed-like curls fell loose, brushing against Ji Nanxing’s nose, causing a faint, intermittent tickle.

Catching the scent of roses that didn’t belong in this world, Ji Nanxing’s brow furrowed uneasily. Then she opened her bleary eyes, gazing dazedly at the face that had suddenly appeared.

The cold, pale skin was tinged with a romantic golden hue by the fading sunset, hazy and dreamlike, making it hard for her to tell whether the scene was illusion or reality.

Only when those delicate features curved into a sly smile, an expression Ji Nanxing despised the most, yet now tinged with a hint of anticipation, did she snap back to awareness. This was no fleeting, beautiful dream.

Quickly straightening her collar, she asked coldly, “How did you get in?”

Gu Shinian’s eyes hid a cunning fox, lending everything she looked at a touch of allure. She shrugged, raised an eyebrow, and chuckled lightly, “Of course, I walked right through the front door of the Criminal Investigation Center. After paying my New Year’s respects to Chief Zheng, I walked right into your office.” Gu Shinian leaned against the desk with a sultry grace.

Ji Nanxing didn’t respond, burying her head as she casually tidied the documents on her desk, all just a cover for the flicker of delight stirring in her heart.

“Obsessive-compulsive, terminal neat-freak. Spending the New Year all alone must be so dull. I’ve taken pity on you and come to keep you company. If you won’t say thank you, at least wish me a Happy New Year?”

Gu Shinian’s tongue was sharp, and the nicknames she came up with for Ji Nanxing would make anyone shake their head in disbelief.

Her proud, teasing tone was just a way to make her intentions seem more reasonable.

Ji Nanxing leaned back lazily, her sharp, eagle-like eyes scrutinizing Gu Shinian’s gaze, still stubbornly retorting, “Who asked for your company? Are you a peacock feather? So eager to show off… full of yourself.”

“Oh, then let me rephrase it.” Gu Shinian didn’t take offense. Knowing full well that the other disliked being touched, she deliberately reached out to hook her finger under Ji Nanxing’s chin, stroking it gently. “I’m giving you the chance to spend the New Year with me. That phrasing should suit you better, right~”

…

Rushing home in the evening for the New Year’s Eve dinner her grandmother had prepared, she couldn’t very well show up empty-handed. She had to bring some New Year’s treats.

Seeing that there was still plenty of time, Chi Jue suggested going to the shopping district to browse the supermarket.

Su Qiao didn’t say much along the way, her gaze drifting aimlessly, occasionally fixing on some spot before losing focus.

Her hands were tucked in her pockets, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing against the bank card.

Earlier that morning in the small meeting room, she had considered confessing her most painful past to Chi Jue.

But with the New Year festivities everywhere, draped in vibrant reds and purples of celebration, it didn’t seem the right time to bring up stories of pain. Each time the words reached her lips, she forced them back down.

“This is so adorable! Try it on~”

Chi Jue was leisurely browsing in the supermarket when she spotted a bright red Lei Feng hat with an embroidered tiger design on the shelf.

She liked it so much that she picked it up, rubbed it between her palms, and finding the texture pleasant, plopped it right onto the bear’s head.

The tall and sturdy Su Qiao looked adorably silly wearing it, creating a charming contrast.

After giving it a thorough look, Chi Jue quickly tossed the hat into the shopping cart.

Su Qiao’s dazed eyes fell on the cart, thinking such a hat wouldn’t get much use, and she quietly returned it to the shelf. “It doesn’t suit me, let’s forget it.”

Seeing her push the cart forward, Chi Jue pouted in mock anger, refusing to move, wanting to see how long it would take for her to realize she’d lost her beloved girlfriend.

Fortunately, Su Qiao caught on quickly, turning around and rushing back. “Oh dear, I almost lost my precious.”

Just as Chi Jue broke into a smile and was about to open her arms for a hug from the silly bear, she felt a sudden weightlessness, watching herself being scooped up into the air and swiftly deposited into the shopping cart.

“I’m here to shop for New Year goods, not to be fished away by you!” she protested, trying to climb out.

Su Qiao pressed down on her shoulders, not letting her struggle. “Other people’s girlfriends get to enjoy being pushed around; we can’t fall behind. Sit still now, let’s go~”

It was already New Year’s Eve, and most of the shopping had been done earlier. The store was sparsely populated.

Su Qiao pushed Chi Jue up and down the wide aisles.

Chi Jue, feeling a bit embarrassed to be acting like a young couple at their age, pulled down the brim of her hat, afraid someone might see and tease them.

Su Qiao, however, didn’t mind at all. She leaned down and kissed her girlfriend, joking, “Respected Ms. Chi, which section would you like to visit? At your service!”

Amused, Chi Jue directed, “Head to the dried fruits section first. We need to stock up on Grandma’s chatting trio.”

Su Qiao couldn’t help but laugh. “What trio is this?”

“Sunflower seeds, peanuts, and pistachios, of course! For watching the Spring Festival Gala or her dramas tonight, we have to have some, right?”

“Oh, you’re the best~” Su Qiao wrapped her arms around Chi Jue’s neck and planted a series of kisses. She was usually carefree and rarely paid such close attention to daily details.

But since having this universe’s number one girlfriend, everything was sorted out perfectly.

“Hey, there are cameras everywhere! Can you be a bit more proper?” Chi Jue flicked the bear’s forehead but allowed her mischievous antics to continue.

Su Qiao nuzzled against her, murmuring, “You’re so good!”

“How good?”

“Extremely good!”

“That’s vague, be more specific~”

“Hmm… if I get hurt, you’ll stitch me up, and I’ll never have to worry about writing a bad self-criticism again. Hmm… you’re the ultimate grandma-nagger terminator, isn’t that great?”

Chi Jue lifted her head, hugging the teddy bear’s head, and bit its ear in mock frustration, “Why do I feel like what you’re saying… makes me sound more like a tool than a person!”

“Not at all! This is heartfelt gratitude, okay? Thank you, heavens, for giving me the best, most excellent, most beautiful girlfriend in the entire universe~”

“Your little mouth is quite sweet, huh? Here’s a kiss for you~”

“Mwah~”

The two decided to spend the seven-day holiday at home, snuggling under the covers to catch up on all the movies they wanted to watch.

How could snacks be missing from the equation?

By the time they reached the checkout, Chi Jue was nearly buried in the shopping cart under piles of snacks.

“I’ll pay!” Su Qiao deliberately didn’t pull her out, taking out her wallet and exclaiming, “Don’t even think about arguing with me, I have a gift card.”

“Really? Your year-end benefits include things like this?” Chi Jue didn’t argue, but feeling the cashier’s gaze, she could only repeatedly pull down her hat, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

“Hey, didn’t you know? This chain supermarket is owned by Lin Yao’s family. He’s the supermarket prince, and he loves giving gift cards to me and Nanxing for no reason, saying it’s better to give them to us than to anyone else.” Su Qiao waved the card. “Your sister has good taste, that guy is a pure-hearted romantic, really simple-minded.”

Mentioning Chi Jin, Chi Jue froze for a moment, her smile stiffening slightly, but she quickly brushed away the gloom brought by thoughts of her family.

It’s fine. Life is full of flavor now, why dwell on people who don’t need to be in it?

After organizing their New Year’s purchases, Su Qiao pushed Chi Jue, rattling the cart, as they hurried into the parking garage to get the car.

Once everything was loaded into the trunk, she returned to the shopping cart and looked at her girlfriend, who had her arms outstretched, asking for a hug. She couldn’t help but lean in and offer herself. “Come on, hug~”

“I’m so happy! We’re going home for the holidays~” Chi Jue’s cheers were from the bottom of her heart.

Reflecting on the past thirty years, it seemed no Spring Festival had ever filled her with such anticipation as this one.

She recalled living in the old estate manor with her grandmother. Even with many servants and the nearby villages adorned with festive decorations, the manor’s inherent coldness acted like a natural barrier, isolating all holiday joy from the outside world.

Even when her parents returned with her brother and sister for visits, it barely stirred any happiness. Only when the three younger generation members knelt before their grandmother to kowtow for red envelopes at New Year’s did the atmosphere briefly peak.

But those fleeting moments of laughter, anticipated from the beginning to the end of the year, lasted merely a few seconds.

Now, things were different. She didn’t have to return to the emotionally barren Chi residence to endure its increasingly cold and indifferent family atmosphere.

Even if the courtyards and corridors were hung with red lanterns, they couldn’t compare to the startling crack of firecrackers ignited by children in the old city’s narrow alleys.