Chapter 235: Not Right at All, Not Right at All

Hearing Lin Qingyan's words, Lu Cheng lay on the bed and pulled the blanket tighter around himself.

"What fragrance?"

"It's..." Lin Qingyan stood at the bedside, clutching Lu Cheng's jacket, looking absent‑minded.

Lu Cheng finally lifted his head from the notebook in front of him, noticed the jacket in Lin Qingyan's hand, and then remembered.

"Oh, I went to a Western restaurant today, maybe it got on me then."

Lin Qingyan bit their lip and tentatively asked, "Then who… did you go with?"

"Who did you go with?" Lu Cheng blinked, suddenly feeling that today Lin Qingyan seemed a bit off, off…

It should be said, she hasn't been quite right for a while.

She has become… Lu Cheng can't quite put the feeling into words; in short, like his older sister, she seems to want to meddle in everything.

"What's wrong with you? Whenever I went somewhere or met someone, you never asked about it before; why are you asking me so precisely now?"

Lin Qingyan lowered their head, a bit flustered: "I… I'm just asking casually; you don't have to answer. I'll soak your clothes, you go on with your work first."

Seeing Lin Qingyan's dejected mood as they lifted the door curtain, Lu Cheng, for some reason, blurted out.

"I ate with my Senior Sister; I'm meeting her today for something."

After saying that, Lu Cheng tried to gauge Lin Qingyan's expression, but having moved half his body to the doorway and turned his back, he could no longer see.

He didn't know whether Lin Qingyan heard him clearly, shook his head, and continued drafting the plan.

Although the year has passed and March has arrived, the weather in Capital City remains bitterly cold, yet Lin Qingyan's face seems to wear a warm smile.

Having a meal with Senior Sister? That's normal, as long as it's not Sun Yan Hong.

Even with both hands holding the clothes, soaking them in icy water, she didn't feel anything.

The people in Da Za Yuan haven't rested yet; Teacher Wu's house resounds with clattering pots and pans, Pang Ya's home is filled with children's chatter, and Zhao Daye's house echoes with two sons arguing.

It does seem bustling, far more lively than the Siheyuan and Separate Courtyard over there, though it's hard to say how many times more.

Suddenly, a head popped up in front of her face, startling her.

"Y-you, why did you come out?"

Lu Cheng looked around her: "What are you giggling at all alone here?"

"Did I… laugh? No, right?" Lin Qingyan flatly denied.

Lu Cheng took a few steps sideways: "You're really odd now—clearly snickering, yet you won't admit it! Never mind, just wash it clean for me."

"Okay, I'll wash it clean," Lin Qingyan grabbed the laundry soap and scrubbed vigorously where the fragrance was emanating.

Lu Cheng was speechless: "No need to scrub so hard; the clothes are getting torn apart."

Saying that, Lu Cheng turned his head, intending to go to the public restroom to pee.

At that moment Lin Qingyan stopped the motion and shouted, "Where are you going?"

"Sss!" Lu Cheng inhaled, feeling off, indeed a bit off.

"I'm going to pee, want to come together?"

"Oh, then go ahead, come back early."

Lu Cheng was even more speechless: "No, how long could I possibly take to pee? I'll be back as soon as I'm done, otherwise where else could I go?"

Lin Qingyan glanced at Sun Yan Hong's house, then swallowed the words that were about to come out.

After returning from the public restroom, Lu Cheng quickly crawled back into the blanket, rubbed his hands twice, and continued drafting the plan.

Lin Qingyan, on the other hand, couldn't sit idle—one moment sweeping the floor, the next wiping the table, then folding clothes and tidying the bed.

From the corner of his eye, Lu Cheng watched her busy demeanor and couldn't help but set down his pen, asking, "Qing Yan, may I ask you a question?"

Lin Qingyan opened the wardrobe, took out Lu Cheng's spring clothes from the lower shelf, noting that spring was coming soon and needed to be aired in advance.

"If you ask, and you can't write the plan, I can explain it to you."

"It's not about work; I just suddenly feel a sense of home."

Lin Qingyan looked up from the wardrobe: "A feeling of home? Isn't this your home?"

"No, no, what I mean is, you give me a feeling like a daughter‑in‑law, for example..." Lu Cheng thought for a moment.

"Now you start caring about where I went, who I met, as if only one's own daughter‑in‑law would care about that."

Lin Qingyan pressed their lips together: "Then I'm your daughter‑in‑law, caring about you is only natural."

"Hmm? Yes, you're indeed my daughter‑in‑law, but we're only married in name. As we agreed before, I'll protect you for two years, and you give me your family's Siheyuan, but now... I don't like being controlled."

Lu Cheng stared at the silent Lin Qingyan and asked, "You don't actually want to be my daughter‑in‑law, do you? Have you fallen for me?"

Lin Qingyan quickly shook their head; they didn't know how to answer the question.

Sometimes Lu Cheng has to accompany a vehicle on duty, often away for half a month; she feels the house empty, and her heart empties as well.

When Lu Cheng returns, she feels a sense of steadiness and security.

Is this love? She's asked herself many times with no answer, so she doesn't know how to answer Lu Cheng's question.

Seeing Lin Qingyan shake her head, Lu Cheng finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Good then, I told you you could never fall for someone like me."

"Don't speak of yourself that way; when others say that, it's just because they don't understand you. After getting to know you, you're actually excellent with many strengths."

"Is that so?" Lu Cheng touched his cheek: "I haven't even noticed it myself, but that said, you don't need to worry, I won't delay you."

After Senior Sister gives the word, he'll go to Dang An Guan to push for Lin Zhenfeng's Rehabilitation.

"I never said you delayed me," Lin Qingyan's voice was so soft that Lu Cheng, focused on the plan, didn't hear it.

Since Lu Cheng was being unusually diligent, Lin Qingyan didn't disturb him further.

After changing clothes, she lay on the bed, then turned sideways, staring at Lu Cheng: "Actually, you look quite mature when you work."

Lu Cheng glanced from the corner of his eye: "Is that so? But don't let that make you like me any more; it's probably not going to happen between us."

Lu Cheng had heard from his older sister what kind of person Lin Qingyan's mother is—she's definitely a capitalist's daughter, and for someone like him, an ordinary commoner with no background, she would certainly look down on him.

Hearing Lu Cheng stress the issue again, Lin Qingyan turned over, and their heart remained unsettled for a long while.

The next day, Lu Cheng got up a bit late; last night he stayed up until the middle of the night and finally produced a decent plan.

Regarding the Smuggled Goods in the warehouse, a detailed classification was carried out—identifying which items could be sold and which needed to be destroyed—to formulate a system that, if strictly followed, would cause no problems.

After getting up and just about to wash their hands, they discovered that Frostbite Ointment had been applied again to the back of their hand.

He kept forgetting, but fortunately Lin Qingyan remembered.

After eating the breakfast his mother had left, Lu Cheng took the plan to the Traffic Police Unit, and at the same time good news came from Su Feixue's side.