Chapter 31: Shi Wei Discovers the Secret of Lu Chengfeng and Shu Yan

Shu Yan shook her head quickly. "No thanks, ma'am. That's enough for me. I wouldn't be able to finish any more; give it to him instead."

"Captain Lu, come on over," the lady called out to Lu Chengfeng with a smile.

Lu Chengfeng had no choice but to hand over his tray. The lady served him a large portion of rice and added a steamed bun for good measure.

"Captain Lu, you're from the north, aren't you? Give our cook's steamed buns a try. If it's not enough, just come back for more—there's plenty."

Shu Yan pursed her lips to hide a smile; the lady was definitely doing that on purpose.

The side dishes were buffet-style. Shu Yan chose a serving of steamed fish, garlic-sautéed greens, and shredded pork with hot peppers. Finally, she grabbed a bowl of pork rib and lotus root soup.

Seeing how little Shu Yan was eating, Lu Chengfeng felt embarrassed to take much for himself. When Shu Yan turned back after getting her food, she saw him still hesitating. Knowing he was just being shy, she walked over and said, "Don't be embarrassed. Look at all the men here; whose tray isn't full? Men should eat more, especially those of you in the Investigation Unit—it takes a lot of energy."

Lu Chengfeng glanced around the cafeteria at his colleagues. Indeed, all the men had full trays. Only then did he add a bit more to his own.

Shu Yan found a corner seat, and Lu Chengfeng followed, sitting opposite her. He asked, "You're only eating that little? Won't you be hungry this afternoon?"

"No," Shu Yan replied. She took a sip of her soup with a spoon before adding, "If I get hungry, I can just order afternoon tea."

Lu Chengfeng remarked, "I once heard Shi Wei say that you southern girls don't eat much. Now I’ve seen it for myself. No wonder you all look so delicate."

"That's because the water and soil of a place nourish the people who live there," Shu Yan countered.

"Captain Lu, Director Shu, do you mind if we join you?" Liu Xun approached with his tray, followed by a reluctant Gao Yi. Gao Yi had already sat down elsewhere, but Liu Xun had insisted on dragging him over.

Lu Chengfeng cast a glance at Liu Xun. "If I said I did, would you go find another table?"

Liu Xun paused, then laughed. "The Captain loves to joke." Ignoring Lu Chengfeng's dark expression, he sat down beside him. Gao Yi had no choice but to sit next to Shu Yan.

After a sip of soup, Liu Xun began to talk on his own. "We've had great luck lately, solving two headache-inducing cases in a row. Both victims were somewhat well-known, and those are the kinds of cases we fear the most." He turned to Lu Chengfeng. "Captain, what kind of constitution do you have? Why is it that as soon as you arrive, we start running into such thorny cases?"

Lu Chengfeng ignored him and focused on his meal. Shu Yan remained silent, chewing her food slowly.

Gao Yi glanced at Lu Chengfeng, then retorted to Liu Xun, "Captain Liu, I don't agree with that. In the eyes of us investigators, all cases should be treated equally. We can't give special treatment just because a victim is well-known. At our Forensic Center, we don't allow for preconceived notions."

"No, Gao Yi, I didn't mean you should give special treatment," Liu Xun defended himself. "Fine, I phrased it poorly. Let's drop it and just eat. We have a lot of wrap-up work to do this afternoon."

Gao Yi replied, "We *are* eating; you're the one doing all the talking."

Liu Xun glared at Gao Yi, but upon seeing Shu Yan lift her gaze toward him, he quickly bowed his head to his food. He was, to some extent, intimidated by her.

For the next few days, there were no criminal cases, and both the Investigation Unit and the Forensic Center enjoyed a rare moment of leisure.

On Friday night, Qin Yanbin used Shi Wei’s name to host a get-together for the investigators and forensic experts who had worked on the Xia Linlin case. The venue was Shi Wei’s bar. Lu Chengfeng reported the event to Zhao Jianguo, and after receiving approval from his superior, he brought everyone to "First Encounter" bar after work.

Qin Yanbin had Shi Wei prepare plenty of gourmet food and fruit drinks for the group. Unexpectedly, the bartender recognized Shu Yan and Lu Chengfeng. While Qin Yanbin was busy entertaining the guests, the bartender pulled Shi Wei aside and told him what had happened that night.

Shi Wei was stunned. Later, when he saw Lu Chengfeng heading to the restroom, he intercepted him inside.

Seeing Shi Wei lock the door behind him, Lu Chengfeng frowned slightly. "What is this about?"

Shi Wei was agitated and lowered his voice. "Did you and Shu Yan come here for drinks on Valentine's Day, and then leave together to check into a hotel?"

Lu Chengfeng paused for a few seconds, then countered, "Your bartender told you?"

Shi Wei was dumbfounded. "So it's true!"

Lu Chengfeng let out a breath. "Since you know, keep your mouth shut. Don't go around spreading rumors."

Shi Wei was confused. "Why? You've already slept together, why not just openly date?"

Lu Chengfeng replied, "You think I don't want to?"

Shi Wei realized. "I see. It's Shu Yan—she doesn't agree. She's afraid that if the department finds out, they'll call you in for a talk, right? And if things go south, they might even transfer you. I was too rash."

Lu Chengfeng didn't want to waste any more breath on Shi Wei. He turned to open the door, only to find Shu Yan standing right outside. He froze and asked, "Did you hear everything we said inside?"

Seeing Shu Yan at the door, Shi Wei panicked. *It's over,* he thought. He should have waited until he got home to ask; he just couldn't keep his cool. Now Shu Yan would definitely be angry with Lu Chengfeng. If Lu Chengfeng was in a bad mood, he, Shi Wei, would be the one to suffer.

As Shi Wei struggled to think of an explanation, he heard Shu Yan ask calmly, "Did you want me to hear it?"

She squeezed into the restroom and closed the door. Lu Chengfeng turned to glare at Shi Wei. "I'll deal with you later. Keep that big mouth of yours shut."

Shu Yan lingered in the restroom for a long time. She had, in fact, heard the entire conversation between Lu Chengfeng and Shi Wei. There are no airtight walls in this world; she knew the matter would be discovered sooner or later. Just as Shi Wei had said, if the day came when one of them had to be transferred, they would just have to accept it. Shu Yan felt that Lu Chengfeng was the most likely candidate for a transfer. She just hoped that when that day came, he wouldn't hold it against her.

When Shu Yan emerged, Lu Chengfeng was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, seemingly waiting for her. He was dressed all in black, looking cold and cool. Seeing her come out, he stood up straight and whispered, "The bartender told Shi Wei about that night, and he asked me. I told him the truth, but I've already told him not to talk about it."

Lu Chengfeng was extremely uneasy, fearing that Shu Yan would distance herself from him. To his surprise, she simply replied lightly, "I know."

A weight lifted off Lu Chengfeng's heart. "You're not angry, are you?"

Shu Yan raised an eyebrow at him. "In your eyes, am I the type of person who gets angry easily?"

"No," Lu Chengfeng denied quickly. "Actually, you would have every right to be."

"I'm not angry. Let's just turn the page on that matter and not bring it up again," Shu Yan said, then walked away.

What good would being angry do? What could it possibly change?

Lu Chengfeng caught up to her and said in a low voice, "Let me know when you're ready to leave. I'll take you home."

Shu Yan refused. "No need. Gao Yi drove, and he's heading in my direction. I'll take his car."

Lu Chengfeng insisted, "Men and women are different, and it's late now. I'm not comfortable with you riding in someone else's car."

Shu Yan laughed in annoyance. "And what, aren't you a man?"