"Hey, what's your name?"
"Xu Lin. Double 'Xu,' double 'Lin.'"
"Okay. So, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Excuse me, what did you just ask me?"
Xu Lin wondered if he'd heard wrong. He had just gotten in the car, barely seated, and she was already asking if he had a girlfriend?
"No."
"Hmm, didn't date anyone in college?"
"No, because of... some reasons."
"By the way, did you graduate from Linshui High School?"
"Yes, I did. I was from Class 3."
"Class 3..."
As soon as Xu Lin finished his sentence, he noticed the beautiful officer sitting in front of him suddenly go quiet.
"Do you know... Su Qingwan?"
"Yes, she was my teacher."
"She's my best friend, sigh..."
"Sorry, Officer Qin."
"It's okay, it's okay. Just... people are so fragile sometimes."
Qin Yunhe felt a bit stifled, so she slowed the car down and eventually pulled over by the roadside. Xu Lin, sensing the sadness in her voice, finally gathered his courage and gently patted her back a few times.
"Xu Lin, do I turn right at your apartment complex?"
"Yes. You can take your time. There's no rush."
"No worries, it's fine."
At that moment, Xu Lin's phone rang. He had no choice but to answer the call and heard his mom's voice on the other end.
"Mom, what's up?"
"Can you head to the train station to pick up your cousin Xue?"
"Cousin Xue? Do I even have a cousin like that?"
"Just go. I'll explain when you're back."
"Fine."
Confused, Xu Lin hung up the phone and opened WeChat to call a ride to the train station.
"Officer Qin, I need to head to the train station. I'll just get a ride there. You should head home and rest."
"I'll drop you off instead."
"That's too much trouble for you. You've already gone out of your way for me."
"It's really no trouble. I'd like to look around a bit anyway."
"Alright then."
Since she insisted, Xu Lin couldn't refuse her kindness and nodded. Qin Yunhe started the electric car again, taking him toward the station.
The high-speed rail station was a bit far from the city center, so it took them about ten minutes to get close. Along the way, they chatted about various topics, with Xu Lin mainly trying to lift her spirits.
But being a police officer, her mindset was strong. Before long, the conversation shifted, and it felt like she was interrogating him, just like a suspect.
Still, Xu Lin didn't mind. Being questioned by a beautiful woman wasn't too bad, he thought. After all, beauty changes everything. If he could marry someone as stunning as her, life would be great.
Unfortunately, he knew he wasn't capable of marrying someone like that. Sure, he had 5 million yuan, but in the grand scheme of things, that wasn't much for someone with real potential.
"So, you're here to pick up your cousin?"
"Yeah, I don't even know her. My mom just sent me here. Once I meet her, I'll call a ride to head back."
"Yeah, my little car couldn't fit three people anyway."
When they arrived at the small square below the train station, Qin Yunhe found a parking spot and led Xu Lin up the stairs.
"Let me help you. Look at you like this; your cousin will come down before you even make it up."
"Thanks again."
"Don't mention it. Even if you weren't someone who acted bravely, as an ordinary person, I'd still help."
With Qin Yunhe supporting him, Xu Lin managed to get up onto the platform and spotted a bench nearby. She helped him over to the bench, and they sat down.
"Have some water. I can still smell a bit of alcohol on you."
"Haha, I had a few drinks with some high school classmates I haven't seen in almost four years."
"Well, good friends should make time to catch up. As we get busier with work and life, people naturally drift apart."
"Yeah, and your job must make that even harder, Sister Qin."
"Mm-hmm. That's why I've been so busy I don't even have time to find a boyfriend."
"Haha, with how you look, how could you not?"
"So, you're saying my standards are too high?"
"That depends on what you're looking for," Xu Lin said with a chuckle.
"True. I do have a thing for good looks, but you pass the test."
"…" That line hit him straight on, leaving Xu Lin, the introverted nerd, completely at a loss for words.
"Relax, don't be so nervous. What's your family situation like? Care to share?"
"Um… Sister Qin, are we on a blind date or something?"
"No, no. Just chatting and getting to know each other better. Isn't that a good thing? Besides, I'm single, and you're single too."
She pulled out her phone and showed him a QR code. Xu Lin, feeling both nervous and excited, quickly added her as a contact. He initially thought she was just teasing him, but now it seemed like this big sister might actually be serious. Should he try to seize this opportunity?
"Honestly, it's not like I'm in a rush, but I'm already 30. I can't keep putting it off."
"But you should still be careful, Sister Qin Don't end up with some scumbag."
"Are you a scumbag?"
"Definitely not. I just took a shower today and put on brand-new clothes."
"Haha, well, then I'm the scumbag today. I've been working all day and haven't even had time to shower."
"But you're serving the people, so you have my respect!"
"Mm, I'm proud of my job. Oh, right, I just remembered—I need to head over to my dad's place today. I should get going."
"No problem at all. You've already helped me so much."
"Keep in touch."
"Will do."
As Xu Lin watched her walk away briskly, he couldn't help but smile at her retreating figure.
"Today, I ended up getting the WeChat contacts of two beautiful women…"
But then he wondered if his hopelessly low emotional intelligence would even let him stay friends with them, let alone anything more. One step at a time, he thought.
Turning his head, his gaze landed on a light-up advertisement nearby, featuring a stunning face.
"Chu Qingchan… The superstar? She's endorsing Dami smartphones? Speaking of which, I've been meaning to replace my phone. I've got a bit of extra money now…"
He suddenly remembered how, just last year, he'd dreamed about marrying a celebrity someday. For a fleeting moment, he imagined Chu Qingchan. But then reality struck. Someone like her could earn 5 million yuan in a single day. Meanwhile, he'd be lucky to double his 5 million over a lifetime. He could only dream.
"But wow, she's unbelievably beautiful… I can't believe such beauty exists in the world."
Leaning back on the bench, Xu Lin watched as streams of people came out of the station. His mind wandered to his cousin. What would she look like?
He pulled out his phone, ready to call his mom, but just then, he noticed a woman in a cream-colored trench coat walking out of the station.
She walked a few steps before suddenly stopping, crouching down to inspect her suitcase.
"Looks like the wheels are stuck," Xu Lin thought to himself, realizing she might've gotten the suitcase caught in a drain cover—a common issue in this area.
No one nearby stepped in to help, so Xu Lin sighed, stood up, and limped his way over to her, wincing with each step.
When he got close, the woman glanced up at him.
"Let me help you."
"Thank you."
The woman's slightly hoarse voice broke the silence. Xu Lin immediately crouched down and started adjusting the wheels of her suitcase.
After about half a minute, she finally managed to free the suitcase. Xu Lin stood up, ready to head back.
"Wash your hands."
"Alright."
She handed him a bottle of water, and as Xu Lin took it, he felt a sudden dampness on his face.
"Huh?"
Looking up, he saw the dim sky above him beginning to release countless droplets.
"It's raining!?"
Xu Lin quickly started limping back toward the bench under a small eave. But the rain came so fast that his T-shirt was already soaked halfway through. Just as he was about to get completely drenched, the rain above his head abruptly stopped.
He looked up and saw a patch of black above him. Turning around, he saw the woman, standing behind him, holding an umbrella over his head.
"Your leg is injured?"
"Yeah... just a little."
"Let's head over there together."
"Alright, thank you."
"I should be the one thanking you."
The two of them made their way to the bench beneath the advertisement board and sat down.
Xu Lin noticed that her hair had gotten a little wet as well, and he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.
"You should've just used the umbrella for yourself."
"It's fine. My mask… it's wet too. I'll have to take it off. But keep it a secret, alright?"
"Huh?"
The next second, she slowly removed her mask. Xu Lin stared at her face, stunned, and instinctively glanced back at the advertisement board.
"This… you're…"
The woman's ethereal, almost fairy-like face was cold, but she managed to squeeze out a faint smile and said softly:
"Hello, my name is Chu Qingchan."