"Do you remember that person called Director Su?"
She sat up properly and spoke earnestly.
"Director Su Minghua?"
Chen Ziming also sat up, feigning thought for a moment before speaking softly.
"He is my father, or rather, my stepfather."
As if after another moment of private contemplation, she finally mustered the courage to say this.
A deliberately feigned surprise flashed in the man's eyes.
Su Yue did not notice.
Next, she told him a story almost identical to the one Su Minghua had told.
It was nothing more than feeling that her stepfather had stolen her mother's love, disciplined her too strictly, and interfered with her studies.
In a fit of pique, she had a big argument with him and never wanted to go home again.
She did not mention her biological father.
Chen Ziming listened attentively and did not expose the obvious loopholes.
"That's how it is. So even though I have a home, I can't go back. Even though I have parents, I don't want to see them."
Her eyes were red as she concluded softly.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached out, took her hand, and with a smile said:
"That's perfect. You can come home with me for the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Su Yue visibly froze for a moment.
She had thought Chen Ziming would ask more questions, but instead, he was taking her home?
"Yueyue," seeing her confusion, his expression turned serious:
"I told you, no matter who my parents are, I am me. The same applies to you. I won't proactively inquire about your parents' affairs, but I will do whatever you want me to do, alright?"
The meaning was as clear as it could be.
What mattered to him was always her. Since he could see she didn't like her stepfather, he wouldn't pay too much attention.
Su Yue vaguely felt that Chen Ziming always seemed to know what she needed.
She finally felt relieved and nodded gently.
Then she leaned forward and kissed him first.
...
On the day of the debate competition finals.
Chen Ziming called early in the morning. Su Yue was preparing with her teammates. Upon seeing the incoming call, she found a corner to answer it.
"I can't make it today. Something came up at work." As soon as the call connected, his slightly deep voice sounded.
Su Yue's heart sank, but fortunately.
"Okay, then you be busy." She was about to hang up, eager to return and prepare with everyone.
"Yueyue," he heard her urgency and chuckled before saying, "Perform well. I'll watch the recording."
"Mhm, bye-bye." Su Yue saw her teammates waving at her and quickly said goodbye, hanging up the phone.
The debate competition finals lasted for two full weeks.
During this period, Su Yue had no time to chat with Chen Ziming, and she stayed at school on weekends.
However, he also seemed very busy and rarely contacted her.
Their team was capable and fought their way to the final round.
There were only four teams left, competing for the top three spots.
The day before the grand finals began, Chen Ziming still showed up.
When he called Su Yue, she was visibly stunned for a moment.
"Have you forgotten about me, your boyfriend?" he asked with a somewhat helpless smile.
"No..." Su Yue guiltily denied it, quickly tidied herself up, and went downstairs.
Chen Ziming was waiting at the entrance of the dormitory building.
He seemed to have just slipped away from work, still wearing his police uniform shirt, though the weather had turned cooler, and he had changed to long sleeves.
She was used to seeing him regularly and had gotten used to his good looks.
Now, after some time, Su Yue felt that he had become even more handsome.
Perhaps long-sleeved shirts were inherently more formal and restrained than short-sleeved ones, making him appear somewhat unapproachable.
But she wasn't a stranger.
She still drew hushed discussions from passing girls, which she was accustomed to. She ran up to him, looked up at him, and flashed a sweet smile:
"You finally have time to see me?"
This implied she was subtly chiding him for not contacting her recently.
Unexpectedly, the man felt no shame. Instead, he smiled faintly, ruffled her hair, and said:
"It's good that I can come to see you. We aren't that familiar with each other."