When the WeChat ringtone sounded for the third time, a man's deep, seductive "Hello" came through the receiver.
His voice is deep and magnetic, as soft and gentle as silk, giving people a pleasant and alluring auditory feast.
It's hard to imagine how alluring that voice would be during intimate moments...
"Judge Shen, it's me, Jiang Yuan. Did you see the list? I promised you I'd treat you to dinner after I got ashore, but I didn't know..."
Before Chu Yuan could finish speaking, the other end hummed in agreement and asked, "Tomorrow is National Day, a full seven-day holiday. Is your plan just to ask me out for a meal?"
The word "appointment" immediately imbued this simple and pure invitation with an inexplicable ambiguity.
Chu Yuan opened her mouth, her voice cautious and careful, "It doesn't make much difference to me whether it's National Day or not. But if Judge Shen is busy, I can come after National Day..."
"I'm not busy." Shen Xizhou stared at the browser page and leaned back.
If Chu Yuan could see this, she would recognize it, because it was the page displaying the list of court clerks.
Shen Xizhou's gaze lingered on a name, silently and intently, and that two-character name, without a doubt, was Chu Yuan.
He didn't expect the little girl to actually pass the exam.
It's not that I think she's incompetent, but rather that I haven't transitioned her from the "person involved" category to the "colleague" category yet.
But if we have a meal together, things should get much better?
With this thought in mind, Shen Xizhou listened quietly to the soft breathing on the other end of the line for a while before Chu Yuan tentatively asked again, "So, Judge Shen, do you agree?"
Shen Xizhou closed the page, his tone revealing nothing unusual, "Okay. Once you've decided, just send me the location."
After he finished speaking, the call was cut off.
Chu Yuan stared blankly at the phone for a few seconds, then cleverly started passing the buck.
[Judge Shen, I haven't eaten out in a long time, and I don't know which restaurants are good. Do you have any recommendations?]
After sending the message, I waited a few seconds and then sent another one: [Judge Shen, I have a favor to ask, could we eat at a cheaper place?]
Chu Yuan felt that this was more in line with the original owner's character setting: simple and naive, with a tragic past, but she had forgotten the pain once the wound healed, and had a strong will to survive like a cactus in the desert.
Who wouldn't like a young, beautiful, positive, cute, simple girl with a touch of melancholy?
Sure enough, it didn't take long for Shen Xizhou to willingly take over the ball: [Come to this spot, the shop isn't big, but it's a private kitchen with really good food.]
Chu Yuan: [Okay [Happy]]
But she didn't believe that someone of Shen Xizhou's stature would prefer cheap, home-style dishes.
Fortunately, she wasn't really a country bumpkin, so she just went ahead and did it. Although she didn't have much money, she could still afford a private meal.
When Chu Yuan received the menu, she had to admit that she was being conservative.
Just an organic vegetable dish, 188?
So, this meal, assuming two people and four dishes, would cost at least 1000.
This is without ordering any drinks.
However, she didn't order anything. Shen Xizhou, who was standing next to her, knew everything on the menu like the back of his hand, even without it. He glanced at Chu Yuan and asked, "Can you drink alcohol? Fruit wine, not too strong."
Chu Yuan twitched the corner of her mouth. "Judge Shen, you should know that I don't like people who are heavy drinkers..."
As Chu Yuan, she loves wine, but who doesn't love soda?
But as Jiang Yuan, a helpless wife who has been abused by her alcoholic husband for a long time, it's no wonder she likes the taste of alcohol!
Shen Xizhou seemed to understand and nodded, "Okay, then no need for that, Uncle Yang. Cook the beef normally, not according to my usual taste."
"Okay, Mr. Shen, it's rare that you would bring a girl to my restaurant."
The middle-aged man named Uncle Yang wore a blue apron and looked like both a chef and a boss. His kind eyes crinkled into a smile that seemed to hold a profound meaning.
Shen Xizhou just smiled and didn't respond to the question.
He took the tableware from in front of Chu Yuan and wiped it with a hot towel that had just been steamed, saying as he did so, "Uncle Yang used to be a drug dealer. He spent more than ten years in prison for drug trafficking. After he got out, he couldn't find a suitable job, so he opened this private restaurant. Yes, you guessed right, I was the one who tried his case."
Chu Yuan couldn't help but show surprise. This is possible?
Shouldn't criminals harbor deep resentment towards the judges who sentenced them?
Many people, even after being released from prison, remain resentful and seek revenge against the judges who handled their cases.
Chu Yuan was puzzled as to how Shen Xizhou could become friends with Uncle Yang, and her gossipy nature was burning brightly.
However, Shen Xizhou did not give him any indication.
He meticulously wiped and set out both of their plates, as if he were performing a sacred task.
The dishes were served shortly afterward.
The two enjoyed the meal to the fullest, and Chu Yuan took the opportunity to learn about Shen Xizhou's hobbies and interests.
However, his leisure life can be described as almost monotonous.
Work - Read - Sleep - Morning Run, the cycle repeats itself.
Chu Yuan thought this might be a perfunctory excuse because he didn't want to talk about it in depth. It wasn't until a few months later, when their relationship progressed rapidly, that Chu Yuan realized he was telling the truth!
Back to the present, after the two finished their meal, Chu Yuan offered to pay, but Uncle Yang came out with a smile, holding a spoon, and said, "Young lady, why are you paying? Mr. Shen never has to pay when he eats here."
"Huh? Why?" Chu Yuan turned around, looking at Shen Xizhou in surprise, her expression questioning.
Shen Xizhou stood up, picked up his coat, and said, "Let's go."
Chu Yuan, "..."
The two walked into the courtyard and realized that it had started raining sometime earlier. It was a light rain, but it was quite annoying.
Chu Yuan subconsciously stood on tiptoe and placed her hands on Shen Xizhou's head. "Judge Shen, it's raining, but I checked the weather forecast when I went out, and it didn't say it would rain!"
Shen Xizhou watched her silly actions, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up. He took two steps back and took out a black, non-folding umbrella from the bamboo basket on the side.
"I'll take it and take you home." As he said this, the man deftly opened his umbrella, stood in the rain, and said calmly, "Come on over, so you won't get wet."
Chu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly. She felt that these words were full of protective meaning, but she was also afraid that she was just overthinking it.
Shen Xizhou arrived by car, so the two not only shared an umbrella but also shared the cramped space inside the car, creating an increasingly intimate atmosphere.
At the entrance of the residential compound, Shen Xizhou, as gentlemanly as before, held the door open for Chu Yuan. However, there was never a shortage of mischievous kids, and this time they forced their way in from Chu Yuan's right side. As a result, Chu Yuan instinctively leaned to the left, just in time to be close to Shen Xizhou's chest, and at the same time, her hand touched a certain rhythmic softness—
****
I'm on vacation now, so I didn't have any drafts saved up. I'll be working on 2 days a week for now, and I'll go back and resume writing on the 6th.
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