Chapter Twenty-Eight: Some Things Cannot Be Stopped Partway Through

Seeing the familiar number appear on his phone screen, Qu Tuotuo felt her heart suddenly race, leaving her feeling somewhat flustered.

After taking a deep breath, she tapped the answer icon on the screen.

"Hello?"

"What is it? Speak quickly; I'm eating."

Hearing Yu Dazhang's impatient tone, Qu Tuotuo immediately relaxed and retorted, "Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong?"

"Uh... I didn't mean it like that." Yu Dazhang decisively backed down.

Sensing that he was somewhat afraid of her, Qu Tuotuo couldn't help but regain her confidence.

"Where are you eating?"

"At home."

"How much have you eaten?"

What is this for? Why does she sound like a kindergarten teacher questioning a toddler... Yu Dazhang replied with forced patience:

"About half full."

His implication was: stop talking nonsense; it’s very rude to interrupt someone while they’re eating.

Unexpectedly, Qu Tuotuo didn't think in that direction at all.

Hearing that Yu Dazhang was only half-full, she happily said, "Then stop eating for now; save the other half of your stomach to eat with me."

"Impossible," Yu Dazhang refused point-blank. "Eating is just like that other thing; you can't stop in the middle."

Qu Tuotuo: ????

What is he talking about? What kind of "thing" is he talking about?

Just as she was about to ask for clarification, Yu Dazhang spoke first:

"I've been too busy these days. When things settle down in a while, I'll treat you to a meal."

"Really?" Qu Tuotuo felt like he was just brushing her off.

"It's just a meal; I wouldn't welsh on that," Yu Dazhang's voice grew muffled. "Don't worry, I promise to treat you to something good."

By the end of the sentence, Qu Tuotuo could barely hear him, but fortunately, she could guess what he was saying.

This jerk must be stuffing his face... She suppressed her anger and said, "It's a deal, then."

"Mm-hmm, alright, goodbye."

Hanging up the phone, Yu Dazhang continued to feast.

Beside him, Li Xuehe watched her son with gleaming eyes: "Who was that girl on the phone just now?"

She hadn't heard the content of the call clearly, but she had recognized the girl's voice.

Thinking that her son might be dating, she couldn't help but feel excited.

Yu Dazhang thought for a moment. It was a bit hard to explain, but since his mother had asked, he had to give some kind of answer:

"A friend who doesn't really count as a friend."

"What is that supposed to mean!" Li Xuehe reached out and took the meat dish away from in front of Yu Dazhang. "Speak properly."

Yu Dazhang reached for the dish with his chopsticks, but seeing his mother's firm stance, he had to explain:

"She's a victim from a previous case. She's been quite grateful to me ever since she was rescued. We're not that close; we just know each other."

Although he wasn't detailed, he wasn't lying. Generally speaking, that was exactly how it was.

"That doesn't sound right." Li Xuehe was not easily fooled. She stared at her son: "I heard you say you were going to treat her to a meal, and you even promised to take her somewhere good."

If a girl takes the initiative to contact you and you make plans to eat together, can that really be a casual acquaintance?

She was hoping her son would meet someone, after all, he was at the right age. As long as the woman was normal and could live a steady life, what else could she ask for? Considering her son's weight, he wasn't in a position to be picky.

"Mom..."

Yu Dazhang put down his chopsticks and looked at Li Xuehe earnestly: "Didn't you realize that was just polite talk? Let me tell you, her family background is completely different from ours."

In his previous life, Yu Dazhang was over thirty and had long passed the age of being hormone-driven. He felt deeply that "fairy tales are all lies." Furthermore, as a criminal investigator, he was more rational and composed than the average person.

But when Li Xuehe heard about a "good background," her interest only grew.

"Tell me the specifics. Does her family run a small business?"

Mom, your definition of "good background" is still stuck in the era of the "ten-thousand-yuan household"... Yu Dazhang sighed, forced to explain in more vivid terms.

"Her house is so big..." He made a stretching motion: "You know what a villa is? I'd estimate at least five stories. Luxury cars, a full-time chauffeur—well, let's not mention the chauffeur—anyway, they're rich, just plain rich."

Watching his exaggerated movements and listening to his hyperbolic tone, Li Xuehe already had a picture in her mind.

"So what if they're rich?" Li Xuehe straightened her back defiantly, a stubborn look on her face: "Our family isn't some gold-digging family. You young people should just date normally; if you're a good match, stay together; if not, then don't."

Wow, her resilience is quite strong... Yu Dazhang decided to make his mother give up once and for all. There was no other way; if he didn't make this clear today, he would inevitably be nagged by her later.

"Let me put it this way: if I treat her to one meal, it would cost as much as your and Dad's entire pension."

Li Xuehe: !!!!

"What kind of food could cost that much?"

Seeing his mother's stunned expression, Yu Dazhang knew he had achieved his goal. His mother had already given up; asking that was purely out of curiosity.

"You've lived in Songhai for so many years; is it really that strange for a single meal in this city to cost tens of thousands?"

"Well, I suppose that's true." Li Xuehe deflated.

She knew clearly that while her family couldn't afford such luxury, it didn't mean others couldn't. She had heard that for those wealthy families, the food budget alone was at least six figures a month. That didn't even include business entertainment. If she tried to calculate it all, Li Xuehe wouldn't even dare to imagine it for fear of her heart giving out.

So, it really is important for families to be of similar status. Did you think marrying into a rich family would be comfortable? Ha, when the time comes to actually get along, the way they look at you is like looking at a peasant uprising. Without a strong heart, one really couldn't withstand that kind of gaze.

...

The next day, at the Criminal Investigation Detachment conference room.

Yu Dazhang brought breakfast and handed it out to the task force members one by one.

"Master, here you go, your favorite beef buns."

Lü Zhongxin stretched, cracked his neck, and placed the coat he had been using as a blanket over the back of his chair before reaching for the breakfast Yu Dazhang handed him.

"I eat buns every morning for convenience, not because I love them."

He has a grudge against me... Yu Dazhang could hear the dissatisfaction in his master's tone. He was definitely blaming him for going home early yesterday. It seemed that everyone on the task force, except for him, had spent the night in the conference room.

"How far did the interrogation get last night?"

Yu Dazhang pretended not to notice, and as he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Lü Zhongxin's hand.

Lü Zhongxin was startled, feeling that something was off. He looked down to see that Yu Dazhang had already pulled his hand back, leaving a pack of cigarettes in his palm.

"Still grinding away," Lü Zhongxin said, placing the cigarettes on the table and taking a bite of the bun. After finishing the first one, he continued: "I estimate we'll have results within another day."

"High efficiency indeed," Yu Dazhang praised. This wasn't flattery, but his honest opinion. In his projections, this tug-of-war would have taken at least another two days. The reason the progress had accelerated was entirely due to the fact that Lü Zhongxin and the others had stayed up all night.

After waiting for a while, seeing that everyone had finished eating, Yu Dazhang stood up and said:

"Let me outline today's tasks."