Chapter 13: Praising Her Excellence

“Let’s go have beef noodles,” Shu Yan said to Lu Chengfeng. “It’s about a ten-minute walk from here.”

“All right, let’s go,” Lu Chengfeng replied.

Liu Xun watched Lu Chengfeng and Shu Yan walk off together and didn’t dare protest.

He was afraid Lu Chengfeng would make him work overtime writing a self-criticism.

Indeed, this mistake was his oversight, his carelessness.

Inwardly, Liu Xun admired Lu Chengfeng’s foresight. Luckily, Lu Chengfeng had quietly gone to investigate on his own.

Otherwise, how would they have handled those difficult deceased family members today?

Often, dealing with the living is more troublesome than dealing with the dead.

Thankfully, Lu Chengfeng was around; his performance was remarkably steady. Truly, his ability lived up to his reputation.

Still, Liu Xun felt uneasy. He had worked with Shu Yan for so many years but had never gone out to eat with her alone.

Lu Chengfeng had just arrived yesterday, and today he was already going out to eat alone with Shu Yan.

Liu Xun wanted to follow them but lacked the courage.

After all, Lu Chengfeng was his superior. Challenging a superior for a woman would be career suicide.

Shu Yan was unaware of the tangled thoughts Liu Xun was having about her going out for noodles with Lu Chengfeng.

To her, it was just colleagues grabbing a simple meal together—not a date.

Wait—what was she thinking? Why had she jumped to the idea of a date?

At that moment, Shu Yan and Lu Chengfeng were walking side by side along the roadside.

She walked on the inside, he on the outside.

Both wore casual clothes today.

Shu Yan wore a white turtleneck sweater paired with light blue jeans and a camel-colored long coat.

Lu Chengfeng wore a black turtleneck and black pants, also with a camel coat.

Anyone who saw them would think they were dressed like a couple.

Shu Yan belatedly realized this.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she awkwardly tugged at her coat.

Lu Chengfeng noticed the small gesture, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

---

Feigning nonchalance, he said, “It’s rare to have a day off, and yet I had you run all the way here. I’m really sorry. To make up for it, lunch is on me today.”

Shu Yan tilted her head toward Lu Chengfeng, catching his intense gaze, her heart skipping a beat.

She quickly turned away. “You already treated me yesterday. Let me pay for lunch today. It’s only fair, and I also want to thank you for helping me out earlier.”

Lu Chengfeng said, “I just spoke the truth. As the case leader, it’s my duty to explain things clearly to the deceased’s family. I should be the one apologizing.”

“I didn’t know Mr. Zhang was sexist; otherwise, I definitely wouldn’t have let you come over. Don’t take his words to heart. To me, you’re exceptional.”

“You’re the most outstanding female forensic doctor I’ve ever met. The case was solved quickly because of you—you helped us confirm the cause of death.”

Shu Yan felt sure her face had turned bright red.

Why was this man so good with words? His compliments made her feel like she was floating.

Shu Yan said, “I’m not as great as you say. This case was relatively simple. Any other forensic doctor could have reached the conclusion quickly.”

Lu Chengfeng replied, “Not necessarily. Mr. Zhang’s doubts were reasonable. The deceased had just married a former PR lady a month ago, then suddenly died at home in such a strange way.”

“In such cases, it’s easy to jump to the conclusion of murder. As investigators or forensic doctors, it’s hard not to be biased. But you handled it well—you didn’t let preconceived notions cloud your judgment.”

Shu Yan gave a self-mocking laugh. “That’s because I’m cold-blooded. Do you know what everyone at the bureau says about me?”

Lu Chengfeng stopped walking and looked at her. “What do they say?”

Shu Yan said, “They say I’m a cold-blooded creature because I show no emotional fluctuation or sympathy when facing corpses. That’s how I avoid bias.”

“You’re not,” Lu Chengfeng retorted. “Though we’ve only known each other three days, I can tell you’re a girl who’s cold on the outside but warm inside. You’re not cold-blooded, you’re calm.”

“And your calmness isn’t innate; it’s shaped by your experiences, related to what’s happened in your family. Because of that, I think you’re remarkable.”

Shu Yan stared at Lu Chengfeng, tears welling in her eyes.

They’d only known each other three days, yet his words made her feel as if they’d known each other for thirty years.

She abruptly turned away and quickened her pace, tossing out, “You don’t really know me. When you do, you won’t think that way.”

Lu Chengfeng quickly caught up and draped his coat over her shoulders. “It’s windy; don’t catch a chill.”

Though the wind was strong, Shu Yan didn’t feel cold.

Being close to him made her feel warm.

She caught the faint scent of the ocean on his coat and felt reluctant to give it back.

Licheng was a coastal city, but only the southern part bordered the sea.

In the past, after visiting her mother at the sanatorium, Shu Yan sometimes took a twenty-minute taxi ride to the seaside.

The last time had been about three months ago.

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For the past three months, the director had been frequently away on business trips—sometimes to the province, sometimes to the capital—attending training or giving lectures.

So the burden of the forensic center’s work fell on Shu Yan’s shoulders.

Zhao Jianguo said this was also to train Shu Yan. After Liang Feng retired, the forensic center would be handed over to her.

Shu Yan and Lu Chengfeng walked in silence until they entered a small beef noodle shop.

The shop owner’s wife was momentarily taken aback when she saw Shu Yan enter with a tall, handsome man, then smiled and greeted them warmly.

“Director Shu, it’s been a while! Is this your boyfriend? So handsome, just like a celebrity. Handsome man, take any seat you like.”

Shu Yan hurriedly took off her coat and handed it to Lu Chengfeng.

She explained to the owner’s wife, “You’re mistaken. This is our bureau’s new team leader, Captain Lu. When he comes by in the future, please remember to give him a discount.”

The owner’s wife covered her mouth in surprise. “Oh my, you’re the new team leader? I’m sorry. Now that Director Shu says so, you really do look like a criminal investigator. I thought you were her boyfriend.”

“It’s just that you two look so perfect together, and you’re even wearing matching outfits.”

As she spoke, the owner’s wife turned to the man peeking out from the kitchen window.

“Honey, don’t they look like a couple?”

The owner smiled and replied, “Yeah, they look perfect together.”

Lu Chengfeng pulled out a chair for Shu Yan with a gentle smile. “Madam, please recommend some specialties.”

He knew Shu Yan was shy and blushing like an apple right now.

He didn’t want the owner’s wife to keep talking and scare her off.

Shu Yan was relieved it wasn’t mealtime and the shop was empty; otherwise, she would have been utterly embarrassed.

The owner’s wife pointed at the menu on the wall and said to Lu Chengfeng, “You must try our signature beef noodles. Also, get some crispy fried pork—Director Shu loves it—and stir-fried choy sum. She always orders that because she says she needs more vegetables for vitamins.”

Shu Yan gave a wry smile.

“Madam, let our captain order what he likes. I’ll just have a small bowl of the signature beef noodles.”

The owner’s wife looked at Lu Chengfeng.

“Captain Lu, take a look at the menu and see if anything catches your eye.”