Vоlumе 1 Chaрtеr 9: Рhоnе Call
Thе nеxt daу, as soоn аs Shu Мiао аrrived аt thе оffiсe, Jiang Qing lоoked at her with а gоssipу ехрrеssion.
Еаgеrly, she аskеd, “Hоw was yestеrdaу? How did it go?”
Shu Мiaо turned оn hеr comрuter: “Just the usual, nоrmаl wоrk.”
Jiаng Qing continuеd, “Did thеу аssign you аny tаsks?”
“Coрying files.”
Shu Мiao nоticed that Jiаng Qing didn’t sееm to knоw аbout Lin Xiaоmin and thе оthers returning еarly.
Shе didn’t bring it up еithеr—bеtter tо avoid unnеcessаrу trоuble.
After that, the two of them wеnt аbout their own work.
Whilе wоrking, Shu Miao nоtiсed another friend request pop up on her computer.
She thought to herself that quite a few people had been adding her these past two days.
Opening it, she saw a message from the other person: “Hello, I’m Hu Weijie. My aunt gave me your contact information.”
Aunt?
Shu Miao suddenly remembered—this was the sought-after match her mother had mentioned.
Feeling completely indifferent, she accepted the friend request.
As soon as she accepted, a message came through: “Hello [smiley face], I’m Hu Weijie. Are you Shu Miao?”
“Yes, hello.”
Hu Weijie: “My aunt said you work at the Broadcasting and Television Center?”
Shu Miao typed two words: “That’s right.”
Hu Weijie replied instantly: “That’s close to me. I work at the courthouse.”
Shu Miao: “Yes, not far.”
Hu Weijie asked another question: “Are you usually busy with work?”
Shu Miao found the conversation rather dull but politely replied, “Not too bad, not too busy.”
…
Hu Weijie continued chatting with her, but Shu Miao only answered without asking questions, remaining entirely passive.
Hu Weijie didn’t seem to mind her aloofness and remained enthusiastic.
Shu Miao made an excuse, saying she had work to do. The other person didn’t press further and simply said he’d like to take her out for a meal sometime.
Shu Miao neither agreed nor refused. If she refused, her mother’s barrage of phone calls would surely follow.
In the afternoon, Liu Kangming called Shu Miao upstairs again, beaming with a smile.
Shu Miao felt a bit uneasy—he looked like a smiling tiger.
Liu Kangming spoke cheerfully, his tone tinged with pride: “Xiao Shu, you performed very well yesterday accompanying County Magistrate Meng on the inspection.”
“County Magistrate Meng even called today specifically to praise you.”
Shu Miao was stunned.
Liu Kangming glanced at her: “Xiao Shu, you’re young, well-educated—your future is bright.”
Shu Miao forced a smile, though inwardly she felt uneasy.
She hadn’t done anything—just copied some files and even had Meng Yuchuan personally drive her home.
She never expected Meng Yuchuan to call and praise her. She felt undeserving; if anyone deserved praise, it should be Lin Xiaomin and Cheng Tao.
She could only stand there awkwardly, smiling without saying a word.
After praising her, Liu Kangming’s expression turned serious. He cleared his throat: “County Magistrate Meng has an event to attend tomorrow and is worried he might be too busy to handle everything. He wants to borrow some help from our department.”
Shu Miao’s heart sank. Borrowing help again—from the sound of it, she was about to be assigned again.
Liu Kangming observed Shu Miao’s expression, but she showed no reaction.
He continued analyzing: “Xiao Shu, the county magistrate personally called me to request your help. This shows he values you and values our entire Broadcasting and Television Center.”
“If you do a good job helping out, you’ll certainly benefit in the future.”Shu Miao inwardly refused. She didn’t have grand ambitions or lofty ideals—all she wanted was to work steadily and peacefully.
This opportunity to perform in front of the county magistrate was something she didn’t want either.
But she understood in her heart that when Liu Kangming called her over, it wasn’t to ask for her opinion but to inform her.
No matter how unwilling she was, she could only grit her teeth and accept it, not showing the slightest hint of dissatisfaction on her face.
“Director Liu, since County Magistrate Meng and you trust me, I will definitely not let you down.”
Liu Kangming was very satisfied with her response, showing an approving look. “Good, I’m relieved you think that way.”
“Your abilities have not gone unnoticed by County Magistrate Meng and me.”
“You don’t need to come to the office tomorrow. County Magistrate Meng will send a car to pick you up directly.”
Shu Miao clenched her sleeve, suppressing her emotions as she spoke calmly. “Alright, I understand.”
Returning to the office, Shu Miao looked dejected and slumped over her desk.
Jiang Qing had just returned from the archives and, seeing her like this, was curious. “Xiao Shu, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Resting her chin on her hands on the desk, Shu Miao looked worried and honestly explained the situation.
After listening, Jiang Qing was also shocked, but more than that, she was excited.
“County Magistrate Meng is asking you to help again? It seems you performed very well last time.”
“You left a good impression on him. That’s great, really great.”
Shu Miao felt listless, and even her voice sounded weak. “Sister Jiang, you don’t understand. When I’m around County Magistrate Meng, I don’t even dare to breathe too loudly.”
“A whole day like that is exhausting. It’s just too uncomfortable.”
Jiang Qing took a sip of tea and comforted her. “The first time is unfamiliar, the second time you’ll get used to it. Besides, it’s not your first time going out with him, so don’t be afraid.”
“You performed very well last time, so I’m sure you’ll do just fine this time too.”
“Since County Magistrate Meng is asking you to help again, he must be very satisfied with your work performance.”
“You don’t need to worry too much. Just do your job well, stay observant, and be quick-witted.”
Shu Miao nodded, thinking to herself that this was the only way. No matter what, she would have to brace herself and go through with it.
That night, while lying in bed playing on her phone, Hu Weijie sent a message asking what she was doing.
Feeling annoyed, Shu Miao didn’t reply and simply ignored it.
Just as she was scrolling through funny videos, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID—it said “County Magistrate Meng.”
Shu Miao was so startled that she immediately sat up straight in bed, holding her phone as if it were a hot potato.
If she answered, what would she say? If she didn’t answer, what if she offended Meng Yuchuan?
Finally, she let out a long sigh and swiped to answer.
“Hello? County Magistrate Meng?”
“Are you asleep?” A deep, magnetic voice came through the phone.
Shu Miao remained sitting upright, as if Meng Yuchuan were right in front of her.
She gently patted her chest to calm her nerves. “Not yet, I was just about to sleep.”
Meng Yuchuan continued, “Director Liu has already told you about tomorrow’s arrangements, right?”
“Yes, he has.”
At that moment, Meng Yuchuan was leaning back in his study chair, completely relaxed, with a slight smile on his lips and a look of contentment in his eyes.
“I’ll send a car to pick you up at 8:30 tomorrow morning. Just go straight to the parking lot.”
“Alright.”
Meng Yuchuan paused for a moment, falling silent.
Shu Miao twisted a strand of her hair with her fingers and tentatively asked, “County Magistrate Meng?”
“Hmm?”
Meng Yuchuan responded softly, his voice carrying a hint of laziness.
“Is there anything else you need?”Meng Yuchuan said calmly, “Nothing else.”
Shu Miao inwardly complained: If there’s nothing else, why don’t you just hang up? Sitting here without saying a word.
After a while, Meng Yuchuan still remained silent. Shu Miao couldn’t stand it any longer and took the initiative to break the silence.
“County Magistrate Meng, if there’s nothing else, shall I hang up first?”
Meng Yuchuan replied lazily, “Mm, rest early. Good night.”
His deep, seductive voice carried a hint of allure, making Shu Miao’s heart tremble.
“Alright, good night.”
After saying this, they both hung up. Shu Miao let out a heavy sigh, feeling as if she had narrowly escaped a disaster.