Chapter 28: Some Things Can't Be Stopped Halfway

Looking at that familiar string of numbers lighting up her phone screen, Qu Tuotuo's heart suddenly raced, and she found herself at a loss for what to do.

She took a deep breath and tapped the answer icon on the screen.

"Hello?"

"What is it? If you've got something to say, spit it out—I'm eating right now."

Hearing Yu Dazhang's impatient tone, Qu Tuotuo immediately relaxed and said, a little peeved:

"I can't call you if there's nothing going on?"

"Uh… that's not what I meant." Yu Dazhang promptly backed down.

Sensing that he was a little afraid of her, Qu Tuotuo couldn't help but get a bit bolder.

"Where are you eating?"

"At home."

"How much have you eaten?"

What's this, a kindergarten teacher checking in on a little kid…? Yu Dazhang answered patiently:

"Half full, I guess."

What he meant was: cut the nonsense, it's very rude to interrupt someone eating.

Little did he expect that Qu Tuotuo hadn't thought along those lines at all.

Hearing that Yu Dazhang had only eaten half his fill, she said instead, delighted:

"Then stop eating for now—save half your stomach and eat with me."

"No way." Yu Dazhang refused outright:

"Eating is like that other thing—you can't stop halfway through."

Qu Tuotuo:????

What is he saying?

Which thing and which thing?

Just as she was about to press him for details, Yu Dazhang got in first:

"I've been way too busy these past few days. Once things calm down a bit, I'll treat you to a meal."

"Really?" Qu Tuotuo felt he was brushing her off.

"It's just one meal—do you think I'd welch on that?" Yu Dazhang's voice grew more and more muffled:

"Don't worry, I promise I'll take you somewhere nice."

Toward the end, Qu Tuotuo couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but luckily she could guess.

That bastard—he must be stuffing rice into his mouth… Suppressing her anger, she said:

"Then it's a deal."

"Mhm-mhm-mhm~, that's that, gua bai."

After hanging up, Yu Dazhang continued to show off his eating.

Li Xuehe, standing beside him, watched her son with shining eyes:

"Who was that girl on the phone just now?"

She hadn't caught the content of the call, but she had picked out the girl's voice.

The thought that her son might be dating sent a thrill through her.

Yu Dazhang thought it over. It was a little hard to explain, but since his mom had asked, he had to give her something:

"A friend who barely counts as a friend."

"What on earth!" Li Xuehe reached out and took the meat dish away from in front of Yu Dazhang:

"You talk properly to me."

Yu Dazhang stretched his chopsticks toward the dish. Seeing his mother's resolve, he could only explain:

"A victim from one of my old cases. After being rescued, she's been pretty grateful to me. We're not that close—more like we just know each other."

Though his explanation was vague, he wasn't lying.

Put broadly, that really was how things stood.

"That doesn't add up." Li Xuehe wasn't so easy to fool. She stared at her son:

"I just heard you say you'd treat that girl to a meal, and something about taking her somewhere nice."

The girl reached out to you first, and you're already planning to have a meal together—how could that be a passing acquaintance?

She actually hoped her son would meet someone of the opposite sex; after all, he was at that age.

As long as the girl was a normal person who could settle down to a steady life, that was fine. With her son's weight, what watch did he need?

"Mom…"

Yu Dazhang set down his chopsticks and looked at Li Xuehe with a serious face:

"Couldn't you tell that was just polite talk? Let me tell you—her family's circumstances are nothing like ours." In his past life, Yu Dazhang was already past thirty, long past the age of raging hormones.

He felt that line—"fairy tales are all lies"—deep in his bones.

On top of that, being a criminal cop made him more rational and level-headed than most.

But the moment Li Xuehe heard "good circumstances," her interest only grew.

"Tell me the specifics—is her family in some small business?"

Mom, your idea of "good circumstances" is still stuck in the ten-thousand-yuan household era… Yu Dazhang had no choice but to paint a clearer picture.

"Their house is huge…" He did a stretching motion as he spoke:

"You know a villa, right? I'd estimate at least five floors. Luxury cars, a personal driver—uh, never mind the driver. Anyway, they've got money—they've just got money."

Li Xuehe watched her son's exaggerated gestures and listened to his over-the-top tone, and the scene was already playing out in her head.

"So what if they have money." Li Xuehe straightened her back with resolve, an unconvinced look on her face:

"Our family isn't the money-grubbing type. You young people can date normally — if it works out, be together; if not, let it go."

Oh~? Some decent resilience… Yu Dazhang decided to kill his mother's hopes in one go.

Please... save... 6... 9... book....!

No way around it — if he didn't lay this out clearly today, he'd be pestered by his mother about it later.

"Let me put it this way: if I treat her to one meal, I'd have to dip into you two's retirement savings."

Li Xuehe:!!!!

"What on earth could you eat that costs that much money?"

Seeing his mother's stunned expression, Yu Dazhang knew he'd hit the mark.

Mom had already given up — that question was pure curiosity.

"You've lived in Songhai for so many years now. Is it really that strange for one meal in this city to cost tens of thousands?"

"W-well, I suppose that's true." Li Xuehe deflated.

She knew perfectly well that just because her own family couldn't afford it didn't mean others couldn't.

She'd heard that for wealthy families, just the food alone ran at least six figures a month.

And that didn't even count entertaining guests outside. If you added all of that in, Li Xuehe didn't dare imagine — she was afraid her heart couldn't take it.

So you see, matching backgrounds really does matter.

Think hooking up with a rich family as in-laws would be comfortable?

Heh. The moment you actually start interacting, the way they look at you is exactly like they're looking at Zhu Chongba before the uprising.

Without a strong heart, you really couldn't bear that kind of gaze.

The next day, the criminal investigation detachment's meeting room.

Yu Dazhang carried breakfast and handed it out one by one to the task force members.

"Master, here — your favorite beef buns."

Lu Zhongxin stretched and rolled his neck.

Then he took the coat draped over him and placed it on the back of the chair before reaching out to take the breakfast Yu Dazhang handed him.

"I eat buns every morning because it's convenient, not because I love them."

That's a complaint aimed at me… Yu Dazhang could hear the dissatisfaction in his master's words.

He must be blaming him for going home early yesterday.

Looking at it, everyone on the task force except him had spent the night in the meeting room.

"How far did the interrogation get last night?"

Yu Dazhang pretended not to notice, and as he spoke, he grabbed Lu Zhongxin's hand.

Lu Zhongxin froze — the feel wasn't right.

He looked down, and Yu Dazhang's hand had already pulled back, leaving a pack of cigarettes in his hand.

"Still grinding them down." Lu Zhongxin set the cigarettes on the table, picked up a bun, and took a bite.

After finishing one bun, he continued:

"Probably another day and we'll have results."

"That's efficient." Yu Dazhang offered a compliment.

That wasn't flattery — it was what he truly thought.

In his expectations, this tug-of-war should've lasted at least two more days.

The reason the progress sped up was entirely thanks to Lu Zhongxin and the others pulling an all-nighter.

After waiting a while longer, Yu Dazhang saw everyone had finished eating and stood up to say:

"Let me lay out today's tasks."

(End of chapter)