Chapter 34 Qiao Yanyu finally decided to go see He Zhao first, regardless of whether she went or not…

Qiao Yanyu ultimately decided to see He Zhao first. Whether she went or not, she should discuss it with He Zhao and let him know in advance. Besides, regardless of whether she went or not, she wanted to see He Zhao first before making a decision.

With this in mind, Qiao Yanyu's expression was inevitably different from usual when she met He Zhao that evening.

He Zhao saw it at a glance.

Although they hadn't spent many days together, how could He Zhao not know what kind of person Qiao Yanyu was? It was because she cared, because she was infatuated, and because Qiao Yanyu was particularly easy to understand, that He Zhao quickly figured out Qiao Yanyu's personality.

She is a straightforward and decisive person. Generally speaking, she makes decisions very quickly, no matter what she wants to do or say. However, today, Qiao Yanyu's face showed some hesitation, with a feeling of being stammering.

He Zhao was genuinely curious about what was wrong with Qiao Yanyu. However, He Zhao wasn't in a hurry. Sometimes she was a little mischievous, and she wanted to leave Qiao Yanyu waiting to see how anxious her older sister Qiao would get. So, she set up a table and, pretending not to notice Qiao Yanyu's dilemma, invited her to sit down.

Qiao Yanyu was unaware that He Zhao had seen through her inner turmoil. She pretended to be nonchalant and sat down next to He Zhao.

Qiao Yanyu didn't sleep today. Even when He Zhao persuaded her to take a nap, she tossed and turned on the table, unable to fall asleep.

In He Zhao's eyes, Qiao Yanyu was quite adorable.

Qiao Yanyu usually falls asleep quickly when she lies down, but today her head kept turning and making noises, and she wasn't sitting very still. The chairs she gave herself and Qiao Yanyu were more expensive than the ones for the guests, but they weren't of poor quality either, because Qiao Yanyu wasn't sitting still and inevitably made some creaking noises.

He Zhao noticed her restless appearance and decided to ask Qiao Yanyu a question. She had just opened her mouth to say, "Sister Qiao, is there something you want to tell me?"

Qiao Yanyu also looked at He Zhao, her eyes still showing some hesitation. However, Qiao Yanyu's personality wouldn't allow her to hesitate for too long, and she was already preparing to speak. But sometimes, she would be disturbed by certain ghosts.

The Mud Demon is here.

It arrived exceptionally early today, wearing a cape and hood custom-made by Qiao Yanyu and carrying a trident DIYed by He Zhao. Its movement was faster than usual, and because of the speed, coupled with the night wind, its cape billowed behind it, making it look quite like a little devil from an animated film as it walked over.

The Mud Demon was still holding up its trident, looking particularly ostentatious, with the trident's tip pointing upwards. It strode to the front of the stall, then slunk onto a stool. It wasn't in a hurry to eat; instead, it stood on the stool, holding the trident, and circled around, showing off its attire.

It seems quite proud of itself.

Neither He Zhao nor Qiao Yanyu were in the mood to appreciate its attire. One was preoccupied with something, a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind, unsure where to begin; the other had finally waited for the other to speak, only to have it all ruined by the Mud Demon. At that moment, she really wanted to kick the Mud Demon back.

But the Mud Demon is a guest after all, and since we're already here, we can't just ignore it.

What are you having for dinner today? Extra spicy rice?

He Zhao did it on purpose, deliberately bringing up the extra-spicy version that had made the Mud Demon shed muddy tears yesterday. Naturally, when she mentioned it, the Mud Demon stiffened. However, today, the Mud Demon didn't dare argue with He Zhao, fearing she would serve him the extra-spicy version again.

The Mud Demon snorted and said, "Don't make it extra spicy, just the regular kind is fine."

It seems even the most stubborn person can't resist extra-spicy rice. He Zhao mimicked the mud ghost's "humph" and served it regular rice. While the mud ghost ate, she looked at Qiao Yanyu, seemingly waiting for him to speak.

With the Mud Demon in front of her, Qiao Yanyu kept her mouth shut and didn't say a word.

At that moment, He Zhao understood that it had nothing to do with ghosts, only with her. Her mind started racing, trying to figure out what they wanted to say. She even made some bold guesses: Could it be that Qiao Yanyu suddenly had a change of heart, her heart blossomed, and she fell in love with her, turning it into a mutual unrequited love?

However, she only thought about it, knowing that the chances were slim.

He Zhao had been mentally calculating when the Mud Ghost would finish eating. Her guests weren't particularly fast eaters, but they weren't dawdling either. About fifteen minutes passed, and the Mud Ghost finished. However, those fifteen minutes had been incredibly long for both He Zhao and Qiao Yanyu, who kept thinking: "Why hasn't this guy finished eating yet?"

When the Mud Ghost finally finished eating and was about to pay, He Zhao didn't sit in his seat as usual. Instead, he stood up, snatched the ten yuan ghost money from the Mud Ghost's hand, and picked up the clean bowl and chopsticks, saying, "It was delicious. I'll come again next time. Thank you for your patronage."

"I..." The Mud Demon didn't actually intend to leave so soon, but He Zhao's actions were too fast, so fast that it didn't have time to react. It got off the stool in a daze and then left alone.

After the mud ghost left, silence fell between the two again. He Zhao didn't urge Qiao Yanyu, nor did she utter a sound; she didn't even take her phone out of her pocket. This action, however, exerted invisible pressure on Qiao Yanyu, letting her know that He Zhao was waiting for her to explain.

Qiao Yanyu's personality destined her to not last long. After thinking about her words, she spoke: "He Zhao, the director asked me to come today and assigned me a temporary task. I will be gone for about five days. During this time, other colleagues will take over and come here to protect you."

Hearing this, He Zhao became somewhat displeased. He Zhao wasn't someone who could stay in the same space with others for an extended period, even if that space was relatively spacious. He certainly couldn't bear to sit with someone under a small heater and chat occasionally.

The reason she was so good to Qiao Yanyu and so close to her was because she genuinely liked her. At first, it was just because of her appearance; for the first time, she clearly realized that her orientation was towards a woman as dashing and spirited as Qiao Yanyu. But later, even after only a few days together, He Zhao couldn't help but fall in love with Qiao Yanyu's personality.

Decisive, direct, and dashing. Qiao Yanyu had no hidden agendas; her thoughts were all on the surface. He Zhao didn't need to rack his brains to guess what she was thinking, nor did he need to wonder if she had ulterior motives towards him.

It was precisely because he got along so naturally with Qiao Yanyu that He Zhao gradually began to consider her, and even bought her a small heater so that she wouldn't get cold while taking a nap.

As a rich girl, He Zhao's personality is actually quite difficult to deal with. She sometimes secretly wants to see others make a fool of themselves, and sometimes she even wants to do bad things. People like her simply can't get along with others.

But He Zhao also knew that Qiao Yanyu's statement likely meant she hadn't made up her mind yet, otherwise she wouldn't have looked so conflicted after saying those words. If she hadn't said what was bothering her, she would have felt relieved afterward.

Qiao Yanyu is saying these things now because she's waiting for his consent. If he shows resistance... will she not go? This question arose in He Zhao's mind.

She voiced her question: "Sister Qiao, I just got along well with you. If it were someone else, I would feel very uncomfortable." She lowered her head slightly, and her long eyelashes cast a shadow on her face under the dim light of the warm yellow chandelier above. At this moment, He Zhao looked fragile and uneasy.

"And I really feel that only you can protect me. Do you... really have to go?"

He Zhao knew she was incredibly manipulative. But she was just a little rascal, wanting to further invade Qiao Yanyu's heart and subtly test her place within it. After saying this, she didn't rush to look at Qiao Yanyu's expression, because she knew—Qiao Yanyu couldn't hide anything.

As expected, after He Zhao said those words, Qiao Yanyu was clearly shaken, and she quickly responded: "No, actually, the director and I haven't finalized anything yet. She's also asking for my consent, and I replied that I need to consider it..."

He Zhao's ears perked up the moment Qiao Yanyu spoke. She spoke with a hint of anxiety, clearly not wanting He Zhao to misunderstand or feel uncomfortable.

Knowing this, He Zhao felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She knew that Qiao Yanyu definitely had feelings for her. Whether he only saw her as an ordinary citizen who needed protection, or as a friend, he couldn't let her go.

Sometimes Reiko is too easy to please. Even if Crush has feelings for her, even if it's just pure friendship, she'll think: "I'm different after all, hehe."

Knowing this, Qiao Yanyu's final decision about whether to go or not was no longer important to He Zhao. Moreover, being apart for a short time might even create a feeling of "absence makes the heart grow fonder." Of course, this was probably only felt by He Zhao.

More importantly, He Zhao knew that work was extremely important to Qiao Yanyu. The fact that the bureau chief had arranged this job for her proved its importance and suitability for her. If he suggested not letting Qiao Yanyu leave, she would likely still refuse the bureau chief because she couldn't bear to leave him.

However, given Qiao Yanyu's strong sense of responsibility, it's inevitable that during the follow-up review, she might think: "If only I had gone too." If the person replacing Qiao Yanyu isn't competent and something goes wrong, Qiao Yanyu might regret it even more.

He Zhao took a deep breath and asked Qiao Yanyu seriously, "Sister Qiao, is the job you're going to do dangerous?"

Qiao Yanyu would never lie in a place like this, so she answered directly: "No job is without danger."

He Zhao pursed his lips and continued to ask, "You, actually, also really want to go, don't you?"