Chapter 16

After leaving, she first went to Lu’s Department Store to check on the progress of the flower shop’s renovations.

Lu Jiu was a novice, so she stayed in the shop for only about ten minutes. Unable to notice anything wrong, she drove to the flower garden instead.

This time, as an expert, she spent a lot more time there.

Soil quality, moisture, fertilization, pest control… After a round of busy tasks, it was already 4 p.m.

The farmers’ market closes at 5 p.m.

There was a stall there that specialized in selling flower seeds.

After bidding farewell to the workers at the flower garden, Lu Jiu drove straight there.

Unlike Luoyang, where peonies were abundant, Haicheng didn’t have many. Even after buying up all the stock, she only managed to get 50 kilograms of seeds.

It sounded like a lot, but one mu of land requires 15 to 20 kilograms.

With no other choice, Lu Jiu bought the 50 kilograms for now.

She then placed an order for another 1,000 kilograms, paid one-third of the deposit, and agreed to come back in a week to collect the rest, leaving the market somewhat reluctantly.

—

Haicheng is quite large, after all.

Over 4,000 square kilometers with a population of more than 7 million.

Running into the same person frequently isn’t easy.

But if intentional, it’s another story.

Sure enough, as soon as Lu Jiu parked in front of the bookstore and got out of the car, she spotted Officer Wei inside the neighboring video rental store.

Although his back was to her, she instantly recognized that tall, broad figure.

Recalling that the police station was nearby, Lu Jiu suddenly had a strange feeling as if she’d been set up by her high school self.

Just as she was about to pretend she hadn’t seen him and head straight into the bookstore, he suddenly turned around and looked directly at her.

His gaze… dark and intense, looked especially fierce.

Caught off guard by his sudden turn, Lu Jiu found herself in an awkward position, unsure whether to keep walking or stop.

On the other side, Officer Wei had just finished a case and had been granted a day off by his boss.

Aside from sleeping, he planned to rent a couple of movies to pass the time.

Of course, his main reason was to have a chat with his informant, the owner of the video store.

Sensing someone staring at him, he instinctively turned around.

He didn’t expect the world to be this small.

Seeing the girl standing there, Wei hesitated for a few seconds before walking over with the video tapes in hand.

He stopped about a meter away from her, lowered his head slightly, and greeted her, “What a coincidence, running into you again.”

The man was tall and solidly built.

Standing in front of her, he easily overshadowed her, exuding a sense of strength, like a bear of a man.

Even though she wasn’t short herself, Lu Jiu had to tilt her head up, her ears turning a faint pink without her control. She tried her best to remain calm, “It is quite a coincidence. Are you here to buy some tapes, Officer Wei?”

Lu Jiu could swear she had no thoughts about Officer Wei before, only a sense of gratitude and perhaps some professional respect.

But after meeting him four times in such a short period, even though two of those times were orchestrated, she couldn’t quite stay as composed.

“I’m renting. You… like reading this kind of book?” Wei’s gaze drifted to the novel in her hand: Loving You on Behalf of XX. Then he let out a brief laugh.

He probably didn’t smile often, but when he did, it was particularly masculine.

Lu Jiu was momentarily stunned. After a while, she followed his gaze down.

When she saw what was in her hand, her face instantly turned bright red.

Chapter 9

The woman in front of him was beautiful.

After their brief encounter a few days ago, the guys in his team had been talking about her non-stop, amazed by her beauty.

Wei Shian was a man, and a man with a normal sense of aesthetics. Though he hadn’t joined their discussions, he certainly acknowledged all the compliments his colleagues had showered on her.

However, that appreciation was similar to the way people admire anything beautiful, devoid of any romantic thoughts.

But now, seeing her cheeks turn pink because of something he said, Wei’s heart skipped a beat, and his gaze deepened without him realizing it.

At the same time, he suddenly wondered if his earlier teasing might have been a little inappropriate.

The girl in front of him was not one of the rowdy boys at the station.

Clearing his throat, Wei was just about to apologize when he noticed her saying something.

“What did you say?”

“It’s just…” Lu Jiu lifted the book in her hand, intending to explain again.

But after a few words, she clammed up. Even though the novel wasn’t hers, she was still a reader of such books.

Besides, the two of them weren’t that familiar. Over-explaining like this didn’t seem quite right.

Realizing this, she simply pointed toward the bookstore. “It’s nothing. Officer Wei, I’m just returning the book.”

Wei’s gaze lingered on her fluttering eyelashes and flushed cheeks for a few seconds before he stepped aside. “Okay.”

Lu Jiu discreetly let out a breath. She was about to walk away when she suddenly remembered something.

She hurried back to her car, pulled a cup of iced milk tea from a plastic bag on the passenger seat, and handed it to the man. “Here, have this.”

After handing it over, she glanced into his deep black eyes and uncertainly asked, “Officer Wei… do you like milk tea?”

“…Yes.” Wei took it from her hand. “Thank you.”

Lu Jiu smiled, her eyes crinkling slightly. “You’re welcome.”

—

Wei’s car was parked nearby as well.

He casually tossed the tapes onto the passenger seat and placed the milk tea in the cup holder by the gearshift.

In truth, he’d never had milk tea before. However, he’d heard that kid Luo Wei complain about it a few times.

Apparently, it tasted great, but there was only one store in the whole city, which had just opened in the new district last month, making it difficult to buy.

The milk tea had been bought some time ago. Though still cold, a layer of condensation had already formed on the cup.

As the clear droplets of water rolled down the side, Wei’s mind drifted back to the image of the woman blushing while trying to act composed.

Come to think of it… hadn’t she been feeding him this whole time?

Wei lit a cigarette.

Other than during long nights spent on a case, he rarely smoked.

So this time, he simply held it between his fingers, letting the smile in his eyes fade away with the smoke.

Knock, knock. Just as the sound of knocking on the window faded, the passenger door was opened.

Wei glanced over, his gaze lingering on the man’s hair for a moment before he asked, “Something wrong?”

Luo Wei, dressed in full police uniform, picked up the tapes from the passenger seat, chuckling as he sat down. “I knew it was your car, Chief. Why haven’t you gone home yet? Perfect timing, drop me off at the teahouse over in North Alley.”

author’s note:

Dear readers, there are parts where you might be confused and a little bit lost. It’s because of the Early age, but as the chapters progress, you will understand because all the story and explanations are in the middle of the chapters keep reading.

thank you for supporting me i will do my best to work hard!