0040 Public Disclosure and Credibility
Upon arriving at the procuratorate, the two parted ways. Qu Zhong went to the duty room on the first floor, while Zhai went to the office of the third business department.
Qu Zhong ultimately didn't take his meal card. The reason was that as soon as they stepped into the procuratorate, Qu Zhong saw a group of people coming out of the elevator, chatting and laughing. When asked, Zhai said they were all colleagues who had just finished breakfast in the cafeteria on the second floor.
Qu Zhong felt a chill run down her spine: "Is lunch going to be like this too?"
Zhai assumed she was afraid of queuing or finding it noisy: "If you go at 11 o'clock, there should be very few people."
Based on his observations over the past few years, most of his colleagues like to go to the cafeteria together around 11:30.
Qu Zhong shook her head: "Maybe we should just forget it. I don't want to eat with so many people."
“How could I let you eat with so many people?” Zhai thought to himself, “It’s clearly just the two of them eating together. There are plenty of seats inside.”
Qu Zhong said something that might make her feel: "I would feel uncomfortable."
After they finished speaking, they both fell silent. Zhai stared at her for a while, then went upstairs without saying anything more.
When she arrived at the duty room, Qu Zhong felt she should send him a message to explain. She just felt she didn't belong here, in this system where she couldn't even buy a cup of coffee herself.
If she were to go out to eat with a group of indigenous people, she, as an outsider, would feel uncomfortable. It wasn't because she wanted to keep her distance from him in front of his colleagues; in his own words, it was to avoid suspicion.
She had already typed out the message, but after thinking about it, she decided not to send it.
Is that really not what you meant? It seems like you did.
Their relationship began like a cocktail of unknown ingredients, impossible to reveal to the world. But Zhai had already confessed his feelings to her, indicating that he wanted to end this ambiguous relationship and pull her out of that gray area where light and darkness met.
Although he didn't give her a deadline, she remained silent, unwilling to even have a meal with him in public, yet she continued to happily sleep with him. What did that mean?
Will he think, like Lin Qianqian, that she's raising fish?
The more I think about it, the more annoyed I become.
Fortunately, it's the end of the year, and the procuratorate has a lot of cases, requiring Qu Zhong's witness and signature. She can temporarily put these things aside while she's busy.
Qu Zhong's shift was almost over, and she hadn't received any messages from Zhai Shi on WeChat. She was already packing her things to leave.
Just then, someone knocked on the door of the duty room.
She thought it was another person coming to confess and plead guilty, but when she opened the door, it turned out to be the little girl from the coffee shop.
The young girl was carrying a white plate filled with food, which looked quite heavy. She handed it to Qu Zhong, saying, "Attorney Qu, please take this. I'll go get the other one."
After placing the plate in Qu Zhong's hands, she ran out again and quickly brought back an identical plate, still filled to the brim, with each compartment being different.
Qu Zhong looked completely bewildered: "What's this?"
A smile appeared on the little girl's signature dimples: "Prosecutor Zhai asked me to get it this morning; he's probably still in court."
Upon hearing the name "Prosecutor Zhai" from her, Qu Zhong's face flushed red: "Oh... thank you."
The girl had an expression that said, "No need to say more, I understand." She said, "Enjoy your meal, I should go upstairs to eat now."
After she left, Qu Zhong rubbed his temples, picked up his chopsticks, but couldn't bring himself to take the first bite.
What's wrong with him? He's the one who went upstairs without saying a word, and he's also the one who had so many groceries brought to her.
He must have been angered by what she said that morning, but he still specially arranged for someone to bring her lunch. He really knew how to be flexible and know when to back down.
Qu Zhong smiled faintly, and before starting to eat, she took out her phone, snapped a picture of the plate full of delicious food, and posted it on her WeChat Moments.
The C District Court and the C District Procuratorate are both located on Changsheng Road, very close to each other, less than a five-minute walk apart.
It was almost 11:30 when Zhai left the courtroom. As he walked back, he turned on his phone and texted Qu Zhong: "Did you like the food?"
I was going to ask her if she had eaten enough, but then I remembered that he had someone bring her seven or eight dishes, more than enough to feed a piglet.
He had already gone to the office to change out of his uniform, but he still hadn't received Qu Zhong's reply.
Zhai switched to another app, intending to call her directly. Suddenly, he noticed a red dot appearing in his Moments. Clicking on it revealed Qu Zhong's WeChat profile picture.
He clicked on it, and after reading it, he immediately stood up from his chair.
Luckily, there's no one else in the office right now, otherwise his colleagues would probably think there's something wrong with him.
A prosecutor making such a fuss and shouting is utterly disrespectful.
This isn't his fault. He saw a picture posted by Qu Zhong: two plates filled with food.
That's not the point; the point is the caption she used:
"Feeding from my boyfriend"
The two words in the middle made Zhai's heart race. So much joy welled up inside her; sitting or standing wasn't enough, she needed to run to release it all.
He ran out into the hallway and dialed her number.
Thinking to myself: Answer it quickly, answer it quickly. I can't just send such a message and then leave him hanging. That would be too cunning.
Fortunately, she answered quickly.
Zhai needed to ask clearly: "What do you mean?"
His words were brimming with undisguised excitement, as contagious as bacteria; otherwise, why would Qu Zhong on the other end of the phone have been laughing along, saying, "The literal meaning"?
She agrees that he should be her boyfriend.
Zhai went down the stairs, but his voice didn't become unsteady: "Are you still in the yard?"
"No, I've finished eating and am now taking the subway."
"Wait for me a moment."
Qu Zhong was taken aback: "Huh? What do you want to do?"
Fearing she might disobey and leave, Zhai Shi's steps quickened, and his tone became increasingly urgent: "Wait for me, don't go, I'll be out soon."
Qu Zhong hadn't gone far; Zhai saw her as soon as he stepped out the door.
He walked towards her in two quick steps and soon stood in front of her.
"I look really silly standing here on the side of the road like this—"
Before she could finish speaking, Zhai Shi hugged her tightly.
He must have run all the way here, otherwise his heart wouldn't be beating so fast. Qu Zhong felt as if he were hearing the resounding beat of drums, which lingered for a long time.
She suddenly couldn't bear to finish her insincere complaint.
They embraced quietly for a few seconds, then Qu Zhong heard a pleasant voice coming from above. She guessed Zhai was probably laughing, and he asked her to confirm, "You're not lying to me, are you?"
Qu Zhong raised her chin and tapped his shoulder, instinctively retorting, "If I said I was just kidding, would you arrest me as a fraudster?"
Her reactions always easily amused Zhai Shi. He freed one hand and gently ruffled her soft hair, as if he were performing a signing and stamping ceremony to signify its validity: "Whether it's true or not, you can't go back on your word. You posted it on your WeChat Moments, which has already established its credibility."
Exclusive, exclusive, everyone knows.
What the hell? Public disclosure and credibility? Does she own luxury cars and real estate?
Qu Zhong desperately suppressed the smile on her face; her heart was already like melted ice cream, overflowing with sugar, yet she still twisted her shoulders in protest: "Oh. Still not letting go? Do you like doing this in public?"
Zhai laughed again, realizing she was teasing him about the questions he'd asked her in the courtroom restroom. But he didn't let go; instead, he held her even tighter: "Let's hold each other a little longer."
Being controlled by others, there was really nothing Qu Zhong could do but reach out and wrap her arms tightly around his waist.
The sun overhead was slowly shifting, and the wind, warmed by the heat, blew over, making Qu Zhong squint his eyes into slits in comfort.
I just want to waste my time like this.
For a fleeting moment, a thought of lacking ambition crossed her mind.
After a quiet hug, Qu Zhong reminded him again, "If you don't let me go back, the boss will treat me as absent without leave." When she said the word "absent without leave," she poked his back twice with her finger to show the seriousness of the situation.
Zhai finally let go of her, and said reluctantly, "I'll come find you after get off work."
Qu Zhong pouted: "I can't guarantee when I'll get off work."
I worked a shift at the procuratorate today, and the planned archiving progress has been slowed down again. I might have to work overtime.
Zhai looked puzzled, having wanted to ask this for a long time: "Why don't you work an eight-hour workday?"
Qu Zhong exclaimed "Huh!" and reached out to pinch his cheek: "Prosecutor Zhai is really out of touch with reality. How many companies in the country have an eight-hour workday?"
Then she delivered a witty and accurate critique: "Do you know that a law firm is just a group of people who know the most about labor law getting together to do the things that are least compliant with labor laws?"
He didn't know; Zhai was incapable of thinking about anything right now. He grabbed her fingers and whispered, "When can I see you again?"
They look even more pitiful than the defendants who were wrongfully imprisoned.
Qu Zhong couldn't take it anymore and gave a compromise: "Six o'clock, send me a message when it arrives."
The next second, Qu Zhong felt sunlight shining on her face, warm and comforting. But it didn't seem to be sunlight; it was Zhai Shi's coaxed smile: "Mmm."
Oops.
Zhai Shi, Zhai Shi, who's been poisoned by the love-struck virus, is truly unbearable to look at.
Qu Zhong waved to him, "I'm really leaving."
He stood motionless, his clear, bright eyes filled with a sense of anticipation.
Qu Zhong caught on to it, understood it, and knew that if she didn't satisfy him, she wouldn't be able to leave.
So she tiptoed and quickly kissed his rosy lips.
Huh, it was just a light touch, and his ear visibly turned red...
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