Chapter 15: Keep the Good Fortune in the Family

Aside from her best friend Li Jiao Jiao, this was the first time Shu Yan had shared so many personal matters with anyone else. She didn’t quite understand why; even though she had only known Lu Chengfeng for three days, she trusted him deeply and was willing to open up to him. Of course, most of the time, it was Lu Chengfeng asking the questions and Shu Yan answering.

Later, Shu Yan thought to herself that Lu Chengfeng truly deserved his role as a detective captain—he had a remarkable way of guiding people to speak. Those in criminal investigation often had a profound understanding of psychology, and Lu Chengfeng must have studied it extensively.

The two of them had unknowingly spent an hour wandering through the supermarket. When it came time to pay, Shu Yan deliberately chose a different checkout counter from Lu Chengfeng’s, each paying for their own items. She had always disliked owing favors to others, even when it came to men with whom she had been intimate.

After paying, Lu Chengfeng insisted on taking the two large bags from Shu Yan’s hands. She quickly pulled out the bottle of 2.5-kilogram laundry detergent, hugged it to her chest, and followed him. The pair looked very much like a young couple living together, their striking good looks drawing the attention of passersby.

Feeling overwhelmed by the attention, Shu Yan deliberately slowed her pace to put some distance between herself and the towering man, who stood nearly 1.9 meters tall. Shu Yan herself was 1.65 meters, not short among southern girls, but next to Lu Chengfeng, a northerner, she felt like a tiny potato.

Seeing that Shu Yan was lagging behind, Lu Chengfeng slowed down to wait for her, and soon they walked side by side again. At the escalator, he let her go first, following closely behind. Shu Yan felt a strong sense of security, knowing that if she accidentally stumbled backward, he would surely catch her. The thought made her cheeks flush once more.

They exited the mall and stood by the roadside to hail a taxi. Shu Yan had planned to take separate taxis home, but Lu Chengfeng insisted on escorting her, reasoning that a forensic doctor’s hands were precious, like those of a pianist, and she shouldn’t be carrying such heavy bags herself.

Before Shu Yan could refuse, he hailed a cab and placed both their bags in the trunk. Slightly domineering, he left her no choice but to get in, giving the driver her address. Fortunately, the journey was short, about ten minutes.

Shu Yan intended to tell Lu Chengfeng not to get out, but he had already scanned the QR code to pay and followed her out of the taxi. Shu Yan carried the heavy laundry detergent, while Lu Chengfeng held the four shopping bags. They walked into the neighborhood one after the other.

At that moment, many women were gathered chatting and playing cards. Seeing Shu Yan return with such a tall and handsome man, the neighborhood ladies’ eyes sparkled with curiosity. They eagerly greeted them.

“Yan Yan, is this handsome young man your boyfriend? He looks so spirited!” one auntie asked.

Embarrassed, Shu Yan quickly denied it. “No, Auntie, he’s a new colleague from my workplace.”

The aunties, all experienced and sharp, quickly saw that Lu Chengfeng was interested in Shu Yan.

“Colleagues, huh? As the saying goes, don’t let your good fortune flow to outsiders. Young man, you have great taste—Yan Yan is the prettiest girl in our neighborhood, and probably the most beautiful female officer in your department too, right?”

Lu Chengfeng answered honestly, “She is the most beautiful.”

When Shu Yan first moved into this neighborhood, many aunties with single sons had tried to matchmake for her because of her beauty. To discourage them, she had intentionally revealed her profession as a forensic doctor. Sure enough, once they learned this, the aunties left her alone.

Shu Yan hadn’t expected her profession to serve as a shield for personal boundaries. She also noticed that the men in the neighborhood treated her with great respect, perhaps wary of offending her and suffering dire consequences.

She practically ran into the elevator. Lu Chengfeng followed and, once the doors closed, smiled and asked, “The aunties in your neighborhood are quite warm. Are you close with them?”

“Yeah, maybe a little too warm,” Shu Yan’s lip twitched. “Not really close, just greetings when we meet. The aunties just take the initiative.”

“True enough,” Lu Chengfeng said, sensing her helplessness. He understood that a beautiful girl like Shu Yan would naturally attract attention wherever she went.

After a brief pause, he asked, “Have any of them tried to set you up?”

He knew how meddlesome matchmaker aunties could be.

Shu Yan was momentarily taken aback. “When I first moved in, yes, but after I told them I’m a forensic doctor, it stopped.”

A small smile played at the corners of Lu Chengfeng’s mouth. “Our Director Shu is really clever.”

Shu Yan lowered her eyes, feeling shy. Did he see her as a child?

When the elevator reached Shu Yan’s floor, she hurried out, fumbling for her keys. Lu Chengfeng followed at a measured pace, watching as she opened the door. He glanced at the neighboring apartment’s electronic lock.

“Why don’t you have an electronic lock?” he asked.

Shu Yan opened the door, bent down to remove her shoes, and replied, “Don’t you think electronic locks are unsafe? I prefer traditional things.”

Lu Chengfeng set down the bags, took off his shoes, neatly placed them aside, and then carried the bags inside.

Shu Yan had already changed into slippers. She glanced at Lu Chengfeng’s large feet, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I don’t have men’s slippers at home. You’re the first man to come to my place besides construction workers.”

He had helped carry the bags inside, and Shu Yan couldn’t bring herself to send him away—it would be too rude.

Lu Chengfeng thought for a moment and said, “No worries, I just happened to buy slippers at the supermarket.”

With that, he put down the bags, rummaged through them, and pulled out a pair of men’s slippers to put on. Then he placed his two bags neatly in a corner and picked up Shu Yan’s two bags, following her further inside.

As they walked, he noticed the light above the entrance was off.

“Is the ceiling light broken?” he asked.

Shu Yan looked up and nodded. “Yes, it’s been broken for a while. It’s too high to reach, and I’ve been busy lately, so I haven’t called the property management to fix it. Also, I don’t like strangers coming into my home.”

Lu Chengfeng asked, “Do you have spare bulbs?”

Shu Yan turned to him. “Yes.”

“Where should I put these things? Find the bulbs; I’ll help you change them. If there’s anything else that needs fixing, just say so—don’t be polite.”

Biting her lip, Shu Yan confessed, “The balcony light is broken too. Sometimes it’s inconvenient to hang clothes at night. Just put the bags down; I’ll organize them later. Let me find the bulbs first.”

Those two broken bulbs had indeed been bothering her, so she decided not to fuss over it any longer. She quickly retrieved two new bulbs from the storage cabinet and handed them to Lu Chengfeng.

He moved a chair from the dining area and changed the entrance light bulb in no time.

“Turn it on and see if it works,” he said after finishing.

Shu Yan hurried to flip the switch, and the entrance instantly brightened. A smile appeared on her face.

This was the first time Lu Chengfeng had seen Shu Yan smile. She was truly beautiful when she smiled, with a pair of gentle dimples that made his heart beat faster.

Noticing his gaze, Shu Yan quickly looked away and pointed outside. “The balcony is over there.”

Lu Chengfeng snapped back to reality, took the chair, and followed her toward the balcony.

He changed that bulb just as quickly. After testing the light to confirm it worked, he relaxed.

Turning to Shu Yan, he asked, “Is there anything else that needs repairing?”