"Yes, I was also delayed because I hadn’t finished my work," the other person instinctively replied.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly realized!"
His eyes, sharp like a hawk’s, locked onto Chu River.
At the same time, a wave of shock surged in his heart—
After all the training he had undergone, such a slip-up should have been impossible!
Thinking about how relaxed he had become around strangers now, he couldn’t help but feel a bit restless.
Ignoring how his unrestrained behavior might have hurt the other person, Chu River casually said, "Escorting a convoy? You must be with the narcotics team; I smelled a bit of it on you already—"
A very faint trace, as if picked up in passing. Besides Chu River, probably no one else could detect it.
Fang Zhou’s expression became even more serious, as he tried hard to suppress the urge to sniff at his clothes.
With a deep gaze, he said, "I remember... you’re a community police officer?"
These days, does every community officer have such an impressive skill? Even better than a sniffer dog.
Chu River nodded: "What you’re handling was probably transferred from our bureau, didn’t Sister Hong Mei mention? I caught the guy—using my nose."
Yes, he had heard about it.
Such a magical opening had spread through the entire policing system.
Yet he inexplicably accepted the other person’s ability as a matter of course, without any doubt.
The atmosphere turned silent, save for the constant sound of Chu River cracking sunflower seeds.
After a while, Fang Zhou picked up the thread of the conversation that had been interrupted, and apologized sincerely again.
"Sorry, I currently have no plans to start a family."
The reason he came over was entirely due to pressure from his family.
His mom said that if he continued to refuse, she would keep writing to his superiors, suggesting they transfer him.
Whether it would succeed or not was one thing, but if she actually did it, that would be a headache.
Chu River was nonchalant: "I’m also not planning to find someone; I’m just curious since I’ve never been on a blind date."
The girl in front of him had such strong personal skills, yet was now acting like a curious child.
Fang Zhou, usually stern, felt a soft spot in his heart and became cheerful.
Although normally serious, when happy, he simply talked more.
"A blind date is just two people having a meal and chatting, nothing special."
"I totally get it!" Chu River swung her leg:
"But meeting you, I’m quite satisfied—let’s spar sometime, I really want to know your current skill level."
"I’ve been looking for you for a long time.
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The blind date meal ended with both feeling especially satisfied; Fang Zhou made it very clear that he felt no romantic feelings for the girl in front of him.
But for some reason, they seemed to have an extraordinary connection, and every move she made seemed natural to him.
He felt an innate protective instinct towards her, different from how he felt when helping anyone else.
The girl was nimble and quick-thinking, even more capable than he was, which made Fang Zhou feel even more at ease.
In his line of work, the more successful one becomes, the more they need to hide, so having someone by his side who is capable of protecting herself was the greatest comfort for him.
Because of this connection, when they parted, he even went out of his way to take her to try some traditional sugar-coated snacks from a well-known shop.
Seeing Chu River contentedly biting into the sugary coating on the snack, he couldn’t help but smile.
The small mole between his eyebrows became even more charming.
Fang Zhou returned home at night.
—There was no helping it; the girl had a sweet tooth, and the two couldn’t resist having another meal at a riverside farm-to-table restaurant before happily parting ways.
And this timing was precisely what parents would be most satisfied with.
"How was it, how was it? Was it an all-day date?"
His mother, who was watching TV, quickly inquired when she saw her son enter the house.
Fang Zhou thought for a moment and ultimately told the truth.
"It wasn’t a date; neither of us is interested in a romantic relationship, we’re not suitable."
Upon hearing this stock response, his mother’s brows started to knit, but the single son quickly added another sentence.
"However, we hit it off pretty well when we talked."
—Like co-workers and comrades who have a good understanding of each other.
Casually mentioning this, his mother’s expression softened, followed by gentle words:
"It’s fine, if you two get along, just keep chatting, I’m not forcing any feelings..."
She thought for a moment and couldn’t help but add, "What style does the girl like? Does your place in the city need a bit of redecorating?"
He knew right away his mom had the wrong idea.