Chapter 131 Officer Lu, are you hungry?
"It's alright. It's all thanks to that knife-wielding criminal who suddenly went berserk in the hospital that he drew all the attention." Su Xiaonuan said with a touch of dry humor.
Due to the urgency of the case, and the fact that the victim "A Zhe" was still in critical condition and his life was hanging in the balance, Qin Haoran immediately gathered a few people together and made a brief statement.
"Based on the forensic report, it can be basically determined that the poisoning incident is unrelated to the curry pork chop rice sold by Su Xiaonuan. The prohibited drug components detected in the victim's body are the root cause of the poisoning. Su Xiaonuan, you have been cleared of suspicion!" Qin Haoran looked at Su Xiaonuan with certainty.
Su Xiaonuan's tense shoulders finally relaxed completely, and she nodded gently: "Thank you."
“However,” Qin Haoran changed the subject, “according to procedure, you will also need to cooperate in making a detailed statement, carefully recalling and recording your process of setting up your stall today, the suspicious people you saw, and especially the purchase of that ‘A Zhe Movie Commentary’ item. This will form a more complete chain of evidence and ensure that nothing goes wrong.”
“No problem, I’ll cooperate.” Su Xiaonuan readily agreed.
By the time Su Xiaonuan finished giving her statement and completing all the follow-up procedures, the clock on the wall had already struck eight o'clock in the evening. Outside the window, the lights were already dim.
The intense mental strain and constant travel caused Su Xiaonuan to feel a strong hunger pang, her stomach feeling terribly empty.
She remembered the fresh ingredients she hadn't used up that day in her stall cart parked in the backyard of the police station.
"I'm hungry," she said, rubbing her stomach. She looked at An Ran, Qin Haoran, and Qin Haochu, who was standing silently to the side but hadn't left. "I'm planning to make some curry pork chop rice for dinner. Do you want to eat with me?"
An Ran immediately raised her hand, her eyes sparkling: "Yes! Of course I want it! I'm starving!"
Qin Haoran made no attempt to hide his eagerness, nodding repeatedly: "Great! I've been craving Xiao Nuan's cooking!"
Qin Haochu hesitated for a moment, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and said in a polite but distant tone, "This...isn't that too much trouble?"
But under An Ran's glance and Su Xiaonuan's frank gaze, he still nodded slightly, "...Then I'll trouble you."
Su Xiaonuan smiled, turned and left the office to prepare dinner at the stall in the backyard.
As soon as I stepped out of the back door of the office building, I saw a familiar, tall figure leaning against the wall.
Lu Zheng stood there, a cigarette between his fingers, the crimson flame flickering in the deep night.
He was dressed casually, his black jacket outlining his broad and upright shoulders and back, and he was shrouded in a light layer of smoke and a lingering sense of fatigue.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Lu Zheng paused, subconsciously stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in the sand table on top of the nearby trash can, and turned around.
Upon seeing that it was Su Xiaonuan, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashed across his cold face.
The night and lamplight cast deep shadows on his angular profile. He turned to the side, one hand in his pocket, the other hand awkwardly supporting the back of his neck.
This small gesture inexplicably softened his cold and aloof demeanor, even revealing a hint of... barely perceptible unease.
Looking at his appearance, Su Xiaonuan felt a slight, inexplicable flutter in her heart, as if she had been tickled by the tip of a feather.
Her eyebrows curved slightly without her noticing, but she didn't say anything. She simply walked naturally toward her little stall cart, which still emitted a warm light even in the night.
She opened the car door and expertly checked the ingredients and cooking utensils.
In the quiet night, only the faint sound of the evening breeze could be heard.
In the end, Su Xiaonuan spoke first, her voice exceptionally clear and soft in the silence, with a touch of casualness: "Officer Lu, are you hungry?"
Lu Zheng seemed surprised by her sudden question. He paused for a moment, then pursed his hard lips, his Adam's apple bobbing almost imperceptibly as he uttered a low, monosyllabic sound: "...Hmm."
He was indeed hungry; he had been busy all this time and hadn't even had dinner yet.
Su Xiaonuan smiled and, while turning on the electric stove to preheat it, asked again without turning her head, "Do you want spicy food?"
"Yes, I can eat it." Lu Zheng's answer was still brief.
Then, silence fell between them again.
The only sounds from the food stall were the soft clanging of pots and pans and the subtle sizzling of the oil as it heated up.
Su Xiaonuan started washing the carrots and potatoes, preparing to cut them into chunks.
Just then, she felt a tall shadow loom over her. Lu Zheng had somehow walked up to the stall. He watched Su Xiaonuan's busy back and the way she seemed to be struggling to reach the items. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly spoke in a low voice, which seemed a little softer than usual: "...Do you need any help?"
Although he was asking a question, he had already very naturally reached out and taken the broccoli and several plates that Su Xiaonuan had just taken out of the refrigerator. He walked to the sink next to it, rolled up his sleeves, and began to wash the vegetables with slightly clumsy but very serious movements.
Seeing his "saying one thing but doing another" attitude, Su Xiaonuan couldn't help but chuckle and said softly, "Thank you, Officer Lu."
Lu Zheng paused almost imperceptibly while rinsing. He didn't turn around or say anything, but a faint blush seemed to appear on his ears under the light, which he then deliberately concealed by turning his head away.
Then, a strange understanding and silence settled between the two.
Su Xiaonuan focused on cooking, heating the oil in a pan, stir-frying onions, adding curry powder to release their aroma, and simmering a rich soup. Meanwhile, she slid breadcrumb-coated pork chops into the oil, making an enticing sizzling sound.
The rich aroma of curry and the crispy, savory scent of fried pork chops filled the air once more, filling this small backyard corner with a warm, homey atmosphere.
Lu Zheng quietly assisted from the side, handing over plates and taking the washed vegetables. Although he didn't talk much and his movements weren't very skilled, every action revealed a clumsy earnestness.
He would occasionally glance at Su Xiaonuan's focused profile, watching her petite figure in a cartoon apron, wielding a ladle in front of the stove. The cold, hard look in her deep, sharp eyes would melt away little by little without her realizing it, replaced by a complex emotion that even she herself was unaware of.
Soon, five steaming, fragrant curry pork chop rice dishes were ready.
Su Xiaonuan carefully packed them into the insulated box and returned to Qin Haoran's office with Lu Zheng.
As they pushed open the door, Qin Haoran, An Ran, and Qin Haochu, who were discussing the case in hushed tones, all looked up at the same time.
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