Vоlumе 1 Сhаpter 12: А Соnfеssiоn?
Meng Yuchuаn tоok out а wet wipе аnd dаbbеd thе сornеrs оf his mоuth. “Аre yоu full?”
Shu Miao noddеd. “I’m full.”
Shе thought tо hеrsеlf: Не keрt рutting fоod on mу рlatе—how could I nоt be full? Мy stomaсh is prаctiсаlly bursting. But thе food herе rеаllу is deliciоus.
Меng Yuсhuan stoоd up аnd pickеd up his jaсket from thе back of thе сhаir. “Let’s gо, thеn.”
Shu Miao immеdiatеlу rose frоm her seаt, grabbеd hеr bаg, and fоllowed Мeng Yuchuаn оut оf the private room.
At the stаirсase, Meng Yuсhuаn once аgаin motioned for her to go first. Shu Miao complied.
On the way out, Shu Miao kept looking around, hoping to find the man from earlier so she could ask where to pay. But by the time they reached the entrance, she still hadn’t seen him.
Meng Yuchuan led her straight to the parking lot.
Shu Miao called out from behind him, “County Magistrate Meng?”
Meng Yuchuan stopped and turned to look at her.
Shu Miao stood still, her expression slightly uneasy. “Um…”
As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward the entrance.
Meng Yuchuan immediately understood what she meant. He raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled. “Let’s go first.”
Shu Miao hesitated, but Meng Yuchuan stepped forward and gently but firmly took her by the arm.
Like a child, Shu Miao obediently let him lead her to the parking lot.
When they reached the car, Meng Yuchuan, ever the gentleman, opened the passenger door for her as usual.
A complex look flashed in Shu Miao’s eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she got in.
As the car drove out of the farmhouse courtyard, Shu Miao couldn’t help but speak up softly. “County Magistrate Meng, didn’t we agree that I would treat you today?”
Meng Yuchuan replied with a teasing tone, “That’s right. You treated, and I paid. Perfectly reasonable.”
Shu Miao was momentarily at a loss for words. Her face flushed and paled alternately, her expression shifting rapidly.
She fiddled absently with the strap of her bag, wrestling with herself internally before finally deciding to speak. “County Magistrate Meng, I’m really sorry for troubling you again and again.”
After saying this, she stole a glance at Meng Yuchuan’s expression. Everything seemed normal.
Seeing that he didn’t respond, Shu Miao fell silent, staring blankly at the cartoon charm on her bag, her eyes darting around.
She couldn’t help but overthink. It was already improper enough to have Meng Yuchuan drive her home repeatedly, and now she had let him pay. No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t feel right.
How could she repay this favor?
She pondered for a long time but couldn’t come up with an answer. In the end, she decided to let things take their natural course.
After all, he insisted on paying. She had offered to treat him, but he refused. It wasn’t like she could argue with him in public.
He was the county magistrate, and she was just a low-level staff member. No matter what, she had to listen to him.
She’d just have to find another opportunity to treat him back later.
With this thought, Shu Miao felt much more at ease.
“Are you in a relationship?”
Meng Yuchuan’s question came out of the blue.
Shu Miao was surprised but answered truthfully. “No.”
She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she thought she saw a flicker of delight and relief on Meng Yuchuan’s face.
Shu Miao was no stranger to this question. Many people had asked her the same thing when she first joined the unit.
But hearing it from Meng Yuchuan felt… off.
Does the county magistrate gossip too?
Shu Miao couldn’t help but wonder what Meng Yuchuan’s partner was like. Probably someone equally outstanding, someone who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
But she didn’t have the courage to pry into her superior’s private life. One wrong move could offend someone and cost her her job.
No matter how curious she was, she would never ask.”Have you ever thought about what kind of person you’re looking for?”
Meng Yuchuan suddenly asked another question, which stumped Shu Miao. She hadn’t even considered this herself and had no answer.
After thinking for a moment, she replied, “I haven’t really thought about it yet. I’ll just go with the flow.”
Meng Yuchuan didn’t respond, and the car fell silent once again.
Seeing that they were almost at her neighborhood, Shu Miao gradually relaxed.
As usual, the car drove into the underground parking garage. Shu Miao politely thanked Meng Yuchuan and prepared to open the door and get out.
Just as her hand touched the door handle, Meng Yuchuan called out to her.
Shu Miao stopped her movement and turned back. “County Magistrate Meng, is there something else?”
Meng Yuchuan rested his left arm on the car window and casually touched the steering wheel with his right hand. “Yes.”
Seeing this, Shu Miao wasn’t in a hurry to get out. She sat up straight, waiting for him to continue.
“How about considering me?”
A sentence neither too heavy nor too light, seemingly out of nowhere.
Shu Miao felt her mind buzzing, completely unable to comprehend what he was saying. Her eyes widened in shock.
Her face was filled with astonishment and disbelief. “County Magistrate Meng, what do you mean by that?”
Meng Yuchuan turned his head, looked directly at her, and leaned in slightly closer. His dark eyes seemed to shimmer with starlight, carrying a deep affection within them, his gaze both intense and gentle.
His lips parted slightly, and he spoke each word clearly and slowly. “I said, since you’re not in a relationship yet, how about considering me?”
Shu Miao was now certain her ears weren’t playing tricks on her—she had heard every word clearly.
Meng Yuchuan wanted her to consider him?
!!!
Her mind was in chaos, her pupils contracting and dilating rapidly. Waves of shock surged within her, her face alternating between red and pale, unsure whether it was from shyness or fright.
Meng Yuchuan had been observing her reaction, not missing a single change, a faint smile still lingering at the corner of his mouth.
Shu Miao tightly clutched her bag, trying her best to suppress the overwhelming shock inside her.
She forced a polite yet awkward smile, doing her utmost to keep her voice steady. “County Magistrate Meng, you… you must be joking, right?”
Meng Yuchuan leaned in even closer, causing Shu Miao to instinctively retreat a little.
Meng Yuchuan chuckled softly, completely unfazed by her evasive action.
His gaze was as gentle as water, his voice soft and tender. “You don’t need to answer me right away. Go back and think about it first.”
His tone sounded reassuring, with a hint of indulgence.
Shu Miao’s brows furrowed even tighter, her heart already in complete disarray.
Biting her lower lip, she tried to remain composed. “County Magistrate Meng, I think…”
“Alright, it’s getting late. Go back and rest first. You must be tired after today.”
Without giving Shu Miao a chance to continue, Meng Yuchuan directly cut her off, as if he already knew what she was about to say.
Without waiting for her response, he opened the car door, got out, walked to the passenger side, and opened the door for Shu Miao.
His face still wore a gentle, gentlemanly smile. “Alright, get out now. Go back, take a shower, and have a comfortable sleep.”
After saying this, he gently ruffled the top of her head with his large hand. Shu Miao felt a warm touch that lasted only a second before it was gone.
Seeing that although Meng Yuchuan was smiling, there was an unyielding firmness and determination in his eyes, Shu Miao had no choice but to swallow the words she was about to say. She obediently got out of the car.She walked straight into the elevator, forgetting even to observe proper etiquette and bid Meng Yuchuan farewell.
Seeing her walk into the elevator in a daze, Meng Yuchuan’s gaze grew even gentler.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he thought to himself that the little girl was probably frightened.
And indeed, she had just graduated, was so young, and had never been in a relationship before. Suddenly being confessed to—and by someone of his status—was undoubtedly difficult to accept all at once.
But it was fine. He would give her time to think it over properly, until she made the right choice.