Bonus Secured

At around three in the afternoon, the Hongyun City Public Security Bureau held a simple award ceremony for Lin Yuan in the conference hall.

By the time he finished receiving the award, it was already sunset, so Lin Yuan freeloaded another meal at the bureau's cafeteria.

Fifty thousand yuan, five heavy stacks of cash, put Lin Yuan in an excellent mood. With this money, plus the roughly sixty thousand yuan he still had on him, his net worth instantly broke into five figures.

It was not much, but it was enough to cover household expenses for the next few months.

Lin Yuan hummed a little tune as he walked out of the police station. He was just about to head home when, to his surprise, he saw a familiar figure at the intersection ahead.

It was Han Shuyu, riding a pink little electric scooter.

Without a word, Lin Yuan immediately turned around and walked in the other direction.

But he had only taken a few steps when he was called to a stop.

"Lin Yuan, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"

As soon as the words fell, Han Shuyu had already ridden the little electric scooter in front of Lin Yuan and blocked his way.

"Shuyu, what a coincidence. Isn't your home over that way?"

"I just got off work, I'm hungry, and I was planning to get something to eat."

"Oh, okay. Then go eat. I just ate at the bureau and was about to go home."

"Why do I get the feeling you're avoiding me like the plague? What, afraid I'll steal your money?"

Han Shuyu glanced at the canvas bag he was carrying.

"Not at all, not at all. I'm just in a hurry to get home and tell my mom the good news that I was commended."

"It's not that urgent. You can tell her anytime. Come on, keep me company while I eat."

"Grandma, can I refuse?" Lin Yuan said with a bitter smile.

"No!"

With that, she got off the little electric scooter, stood on tiptoe, and put the pink helmet printed with cartoon characters onto Lin Yuan's head.

Lin Yuan only felt a faint, elegant scent of hair drift over. He could not say what it smelled like, only that it was very pleasant, making him unconsciously take two deep breaths.

"If I wear a helmet like this, do I still get to keep any dignity?"

"Not at all, it's very cute. Hurry up, this girl is hungry."

"Han Shuyu, do you know what you look like right now?"

"Like what?"

"A female hooligan!"

Han Shuyu smiled brightly. "Yes, I'm a female hooligan. I specialize in teasing innocent young men like you."

"Fine, just my luck."

Lin Yuan straddled the scooter. With his build, the little electric scooter was honestly a bit tiny.

Han Shuyu looped her arm through his and lifted her leg to get on.

The two of them were pressed close together, letting Lin Yuan clearly feel the unique softness of a woman's body.

"Let's go." Han Shuyu raised her right hand and pointed forward, looking exactly like a little girl.

"Where do you want to eat?"

"Let's have beef soup. The place on Chaoyang North Road."

That beef soup shop could be considered an old local brand. Back when he was still in high school, he had gone there many times.

Lin Yuan twisted the handle, and the little electric scooter shot forward with a whoosh.

At that, Han Shuyu instinctively wrapped her arms around Lin Yuan.

"Lin Yuan, why does your body feel like stone?"

"A man's got to be a little hard, no?"

The sudden dirty joke made Han Shuyu's face flush red.

"Hooligan!"

"Just now, I wonder who was the one calling herself a hooligan. Besides, what did I even say?"

"You're talking dirty!"

"What part was dirty? Saying I'm hard is dirty? Your own mind is filthy, and you're blaming me?"

"I... I... Anyway, you're dirty. Stop making excuses."

"I'm yellow because I'm Asian. Of course I'm yellow. You're white, so go be white, okay?"

"You're African. You're black all over."

"You're Martian. You're on fire all over."

"You're from the moon. You're covered in craters."

The two of them bickered the whole way, and Han Shuyu, sitting in the back, practically laughed the entire ride.

"All right, we're here."

But Han Shuyu still seemed unsatisfied. "Come on, say it. What am I?"

Lin Yuan stopped the bike, took off his helmet, and looked at her. "Aren't you childish?"

"Come on, say it. What am I?" Han Shuyu tugged on Lin Yuan's arm and wheedled.

"You're a devil muscle man."

"Pah, you're the devil muscle man. I'm clearly a delicate little princess. So, come on—'Princess, please dismount.'"

"Then my dear little princess, you can just sit there. I'm going in."

With that, Lin Yuan hung his helmet on the bike, put down the stand, and immediately slipped into the beef soup shop.

Han Shuyu glared at his back, huffing in anger.

But she still got off decisively, stomped her foot hard on the ground, and followed him inside.

"Boss, two bowls of beef soup."

"Coming right up."

"Do you want anything else?" Lin Yuan asked.

Han Shuyu folded her arms in front of her chest and pouted. "I'm already full from being mad at you."

Soon, two bowls of beef soup were brought to the table.

"Want me to grate some ginger into yours?"

The beef soup in Hongyun County was different from northern beef soup. It used raw beef coated in starch and cooked directly in the pot, but no spices were added. It counted as a unique method in their local region.

So in every beef soup shop around here, each table would have scallions and ginger, along with a small dish of prepared chili sauce.

Diners added them according to their own tastes. The main point was the original flavor.

"Do you want it or not?"

"No."

"What about scallions?"

"Yes."

After fixing it up, Lin Yuan placed the beef soup in front of Han Shuyu, but she still looked huffy.

"My lady, are you eating or not?"

Han Shuyu turned her head away and refused to even look at him.

Lin Yuan had no choice but to test the waters. "Princess, please eat?"

Only then did Han Shuyu fail to hold back and burst out laughing. It turned out that ever since she sat down, she had been putting on an act, just waiting for Lin Yuan to say those words.

"All right. Since you're so sincere, this princess will take a tiny bite or two."

"Six!"

Women really were born actresses.

At this moment, Lin Yuan could be considered to have thoroughly experienced that.

"Lin Yuan, I want to drink rice wine," Han Shuyu suddenly said when she was halfway through eating.

"Then drink. How much do you want?"

Han Shuyu licked her lips and sneakily held up one finger.

"Boss, one bowl of rice wine."

Before long, a server in the shop brought over a bowl and a pot of wine and set them on the table.

"Pour as much as you want to drink. We'll settle the bill at the end."

Lin Yuan poured Han Shuyu a bowl.

"You're not drinking?"

"I still have to ride your little e-bike later."

"Then I'll drink by myself."

Han Shuyu lowered her head and took a small sip.

"Is it good?"

"It's good." Han Shuyu nodded hard.

Their rice wine was made by fermenting glutinous rice. It was a type of sweet wine, but compared with the rice wine from western Hunan, it had a stronger wine flavor and was not like sugar water.

The "newly brewed wine with green ants" written by Bai Juyi in ancient times referred to this kind of rice wine, and the "green ants" were the glutinous rice grains floating on top of it.

"Didn't expect that. You even crave wine. Confess honestly—are you a little drunkard in secret?"

Lin Yuan had only just finished speaking when Han Shuyu's whole face turned bright red, as if she had spent a long time warming herself in front of a furnace, flushed all over.

"Hehe, it's sweet, that's why. It tastes good."

Lin Yuan looked at her unfocused eyes, and his face immediately darkened.

Seeing her swaying on her feet, he quickly stepped forward and held her up.

"Good grief, if you can't drink, then don't drink. What kind of person gets drunk after one sip?"

"Nonsense. I'm not drunk."

"..."

"Where's my alcohol? Lin Yuan, did you see my alcohol?"

"..."

"Boss, the bill!"

Rainbow Bay Residential Area, Unit 2, fifth floor.

Lin Yuan took a key from Han Shuyu's bag, opened the door, and helped her inside.

"Lin Yuan, where is this?"

"Your home."

"No, that's not right. This isn't my home. My home isn't like this. There are lots of people at my home. My dad, my mom."

Listening to her mumble those words, Lin Yuan, for some reason, actually felt a little sorry for her.

Han Shuyu's mother had left when she was very young.

Her dad had been transferred to another county when she was in high school. Although he often came back, it still wasn't the same.

Lin Yuan set her down on the sofa and poured her a glass of warm water.

"Want some water?"

"Feed me, and I'll drink."

Han Shuyu sat on the sofa, eyes hazy, grinning foolishly as she spoke to Lin Yuan.

"Fine, fine, fine. You're drunk, so you're the boss."

Lin Yuan brought the glass to Han Shuyu's mouth. Han Shuyu stuck out her soft pink tongue and licked it, then gulped down two mouthfuls.

"Lin Yuan, I want to watch TV. SpongeBob SquarePants."

"Watch, watch, watch."

Lin Yuan turned on the TV and put on SpongeBob SquarePants for her.

"Lin Yuan, I want my Hello Kitty pillow."

"Okay, I'll get it."

"Lin Yuan, I want to eat an apple."

"Okay, I'll peel one."

"Lin Yuan, I want soda."

"Okay, I'll get it for you."

Back and forth, Lin Yuan was ordered around every which way, until Han Shuyu finally fell asleep in a daze on the sofa.

Lin Yuan went to her room, got a blanket, and covered her with it.

He looked at his watch. Ten o'clock. Not too late.

Should he go home, or stay here?

Lin Yuan sank into thought.

Just as he was hesitating, Han Shuyu rolled over, curled up slightly, hugged the plush toy in her arms, and murmured softly, "Lin Yuan, you're so good to me."

"Forget it, forget it. I'll make do here for another night. I have to go to the police station again tomorrow morning anyway."

But where was he supposed to sleep tonight?

The sofa had been taken by this little madam. Was he supposed to sleep in her room?