Chapter 29: It’s a Physiological Attraction

"Is your personality always this overbearing?" Shu Yan asked, watching Lu Chengfeng as he busied himself with packing those two cases.

Lu Chengfeng froze. He suddenly realized that his attitude just now had indeed been a bit too forceful. "I apologize; that was rude of me."

Shu Yan had not expected him to admit his fault so quickly; she had assumed he would argue his case. Not wanting to sour their relationship, she softened her tone: "Go back and get some rest. You've been driving for so long today, you must be exhausted. There's no need to go out of your way to pick me up so early." Although she didn't know where Shi Wei lived, she felt certain it wasn't on his way.

Lu Chengfeng stared at her. "Are you worried that I won't get enough rest if I get up too early? If that's the case—"

"Enough," Shu Yan interrupted. "I'll take the bus to the office tomorrow. You should go back and rest."

Seeing that she remained firm, Lu Chengfeng compromised. He picked up the two cases and took them downstairs to dispose of them on his way out.

After seeing him off, Shu Yan closed the door and bent down to pick up the pair of men’s slippers he had left behind. A ridiculous thought flashed through her mind: could Lu Chengfeng have left them here on purpose? But why would he do that? Could it be that he actually liked her?

...

"Your captain is definitely physically attracted to you," her best friend, Li Jiaojiao, declared with conviction.

After showering and lying in bed, Shu Yan had started a video call with her friend to ask her to thank Li Junjie on her behalf. When Li Jiaojiao mentioned that Li Junjie had been asking around about Lu Chengfeng, the conversation naturally shifted to him. Shu Yan decided to take the opportunity to have her friend analyze the situation.

Li Jiaojiao believed that Lu Chengfeng certainly liked Shu Yan, but that this affection had started as a purely physical attraction. Seeing Shu Yan’s brow furrowed, she quickly added, "Don't feel uncomfortable about it. Honestly, I think you feel the same way about him."

Shu Yan looked at her friend on the screen and remained silent.

Li Jiaojiao stroked her cat as she spoke: "Since college, haven't there been plenty of people pursuing you? Yet, have you ever felt a spark for any of them? No, right? But you've felt a physical impulse toward your captain. If that’s not physical attraction, what is?"

Shu Yan bit her lower lip, seemingly unwilling to admit the truth. After a long silence, she finally said, "I never thought I would be a lustful woman."

Li Jiaojiao shook her head repeatedly. "Wrong. 'Food and sex are human nature'—it’s instinct. I think you should be glad you've met a man who can stir your physical impulses. You have no idea how many people never find such a partner in their entire lives. In the end, they just marry someone at random to appease their families and settle for a mediocre life. That’s why so many people agree with the saying that marriage is a besieged fortress. If everyone could marry someone they felt a physical attraction to, those marriages would surely be very happy. Just look around—those women who become radiant after marriage are almost certainly the ones with harmonious intimate lives."

Shu Yan blinked and teased her friend: "Anyone listening would think you were married, or perhaps a relationship expert. You’ve never even been in a relationship yourself, yet you seem to know so much."

Li Jiaojiao laughed. "Don't forget, my parents are the best case study. My father is physically attracted to my mother; the old man sticks to his wife the moment he walks through the door, and he barely notices me or my brother. If my brother or I argue with Mom, he always sides with her, regardless of who is actually wrong."

Shu Yan smiled. "Your parents' relationship is truly enviable."

Li Jiaojiao sighed. "To be honest, I envy them too, but that kind of destiny isn't something everyone encounters. I think you should consider dating your captain first; if it doesn't work out, you can break up."

"We work in the same unit," Shu Yan countered. "If we do date and it ends badly, it will be incredibly awkward."

Li Jiaojiao clicked her tongue. "True, you have a point."

Shu Yan felt that as one gets older, one becomes much more rational. If she were only in her early twenties, perhaps she would have thrown caution to the wind and had a passionate, whirlwind romance with Lu Chengfeng. But she was thirty now. He was a leader in the investigative department, and she was the incoming head of the Forensic Center. Both of them carried heavy responsibilities entrusted to them by the organization. She could not afford to be impulsive.

The next morning, Shu Yan took the bus to work. As soon as she stepped into the office, she saw her investigation kit sitting on the coffee table. "Came in early, did he?" she muttered, picking up the kit to put it away.

Just as she sat down, the desk phone rang. She answered, "Hello, this is Shu Yan, Deputy Director of the Forensic Center."

Zhao Jianguo’s voice came through: "Yanyan, it’s me. Come to my office for a moment."

Shu Yan’s eyelid twitched. A wave of inexplicable guilt washed over her—could the Bureau Chief have found out about what happened in the elevator? She couldn't remember how she had responded to Zhao Jianguo as she walked toward his office with a heart full of trepidation.

Inside, she found Zhao Jianguo and Lu Chengfeng eating fried dough sticks and drinking soy milk. Seeing her, Zhao Jianguo pointed to the seat next to Lu Chengfeng and said, "Yanyan, come sit down. Have some breakfast; I'm sure you haven't eaten yet."

Shu Yan hadn't, planning to grab something at the canteen later. Before she could speak, Lu Chengfeng grabbed a bag, took out a fried dough stick, and handed it to her. "These are quite good. Eat them while they're warm."

With Zhao Jianguo watching, she couldn't refuse and obediently took the dough stick. It was fragrant and crispy—truly delicious. Lu Chengfeng then opened a cup of soy milk and placed it in front of her.

Shu Yan quickly said, "Thank you, I can do it myself."

Zhao Jianguo watched the two of them with a meaningful smile. After a while, he finished his own food and sipped his soy milk before saying, "I was worried about whether you two would be able to work well together, but it seems my concerns were unnecessary. The way you’ve meshed through these last two cases proves that my arrangements were correct. You must keep up the good work."

"Yes, Bureau Chief," Lu Chengfeng replied.

Shu Yan chewed her dough stick in silence, but the heavy stone in her heart finally felt lifted.

Zhao Jianguo looked at the silent Shu Yan and asked with a touch of concern, "Yanyan, what is your opinion of Captain Lu?"

Shu Yan was startled and looked at Lu Chengfeng. As soon as their eyes met, her ears grew hot. "Bureau Chief, Captain Lu is excellent. The reason we were able to solve these last two cases so quickly is entirely thanks to his efforts."

Zhao Jianguo nodded, clearly satisfied.

Lu Chengfeng quickly interjected, "Deputy Director Shu is being modest. These cases were solved thanks to her. It was her discovery of the cause of death in record time that gave our investigation team its direction. Especially in the case of Xia Linlin—if she hadn't determined that the victim had drowned and identified that the suspect was female, our team would never have been able to apprehend the culprit so quickly."

Zhao Jianguo laughed. "Alright, both of you, stop being so modest. This is the result of your excellent teamwork. I will report this to our superiors; they think very highly of you both. Especially you, Shu Yan. Your mentor has been away on assignment lately, and the weight of the Forensic Center has fallen on your shoulders. This is a great opportunity to show your capabilities—make sure you seize it."