Seafood Restaurant

"Chishui Seafood Restaurant—the atmosphere there is great!" Mei Tingyu said.

Tong Haojing had been here for so long, yet he had never actually eaten at Chishui Seafood Restaurant. What surprised him was that Mei Tingyu, despite not having been here long herself, was already so familiar with the customs and local life of the west side of the city. From the bottom of his heart, Tong Haojing admired Mei Tingyu even more for being capable, successful, and refined.

Walking ahead, Tong Haojing was just about to hail a taxi when the hazard lights of a black Audi sedan parked downstairs flashed a few times with a chirping sound. Mei Tingyu said, "Take my car."

Tong Haojing could hardly believe his eyes. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Mei Tingyu to own a car. He could not help exclaiming, "You're really capable, really capable!"

Mei Tingyu sat in the driver's seat, chatting and laughing as though she were deliberately showing off her driving skills. Tong Haojing could barely stay steady in his seat, swaying from side to side and occasionally brushing against Mei Tingyu's skin. It felt as though he had been electrocuted, and his mind went blank.

Mei Tingyu suddenly said, "Come by the company when you have time. If you're interested, you can join us too!" As they spoke, a tall building rose before them. On the left side of the third floor, several large red characters reading Chishui Seafood Restaurant came into view. Mei Tingyu said, "We're here. I'll park the car. Wait a moment."

Only then did Tong Haojing notice that Chishui Seafood Restaurant was actually not far from West City Hotel. He simply had never come here to spend money before.

The two went up to the third floor. Mei Tingyu had the server arrange a private room called "Dragon and Phoenix Present Auspiciousness," then ordered several of the best dishes. Perhaps she wanted to broaden Tong Haojing's horizons, or perhaps she wanted to show her sincerity. Her feelings were complicated, but wanting to put on a good showing before Tong Haojing was genuine.

Before coming, Mei Tingyu had already made up her mind to drink the finest liquor—the highest-grade refined baijiu in Tangdu City. No banquet was complete without alcohol. Without it, some things would be difficult for her to say. Good liquor, taken in moderation, could lift the mood; she had learned that long ago. She believed this time would be no exception, and that they would surely open their hearts to each other and reveal their truest selves.

Several large platters of seafood covered the table: abalone, prawns, and things Tong Haojing had never even seen before. Mei Tingyu's practiced movements made him envious, while his manner of eating amused her slightly. She gave him a few pointers, leaving Tong Haojing embarrassed and ill at ease.

Mei Tingyu poured the liquor into large wine glasses. Everything she did kept surprising him. Amid his admiration and astonishment, Tong Haojing began having vague, inexplicable thoughts. Yet those thoughts seemed to arise from nothing. He sensed that Mei Tingyu must be hiding something in her heart or about herself; it was the instinctive professional sensitivity he had developed as a police officer. Still, he doubted his own feelings, because he did not believe that anything could be wrong with the woman from his dreams, nor did he want Mei Tingyu to have anything incompatible with society.

Tong Haojing raised his glass, and the two clinked them loudly and crisply. He kept serving food to Mei Tingyu, and a blush rose to her cheeks. She felt happy. It was a sincerity she had not felt in a long time, like sparks lighting up the shadows in her heart. She swore to forget everything from the past, to forget hatred. She did not want Tong Haojing to become her sacrifice. She wanted to begin a new romantic life with him. She even thought that after continuing her "career" for a while longer, she would quit, get back on the right path, and live like an ordinary person. Everything she was doing now had a concealed side to it. Perhaps one day, even the deepest secret would be discovered by Tong Haojing. She did not dare imagine what the outcome would be.

Mei Tingyu took a fierce gulp, as though she had a thousand words in her heart that she had to get out. Tong Haojing urged her worriedly, "Drink less. Moderation is enough!" But he did not know how much she could hold. In Tong Haojing's mind, girls were most beautiful when they were reserved and drank only a little.

When close friends met, a thousand cups were too few. The bottle of refined baijiu was nearly empty, and Tong Haojing was already a little drunk. Aside from her flushed face, Mei Tingyu showed no sign of discomfort. Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, Tong Haojing rushed to pay the bill, but Mei Tingyu beat him to it. She took Tong Haojing by the hand and led him downstairs to get the car, with no sense of propriety between men and women at all. Tong Haojing immediately stopped her. Mei Tingyu said, "I'll have someone drive us. To Longteng Residential Community."

The two sat briefly in the lounge. A middle-aged man in his thirties got out of a taxi and walked straight up to Mei Tingyu. "Manager Mei, the keys."

Mei Tingyu immediately introduced them. "Brother Zhou, this is my classmate, police officer Tong Haojing!"

Brother Zhou's body trembled slightly, as though he were highly sensitive to something. He deliberately turned back to look at Tong Haojing, his expression extremely unnatural.

Tong Haojing noticed it as well. He gave Mei Tingyu a faint smile and said, "It's fine for him to drive."

Ten minutes later, the car entered the residential community. Mei Tingyu and Tong Haojing got out. Brother Zhou said, "Manager Mei, should I wait for you, or..." Before he could finish, Mei Tingyu said, "Drive the car away. Pick me up tomorrow!"

The moment Tong Haojing got out of the car, he was stunned by the surroundings. The distinctive bougainvillea delighted the eye. Beneath the lush trees lay carpets of grass, while artificial rockeries in several ponds were washed by trickling spring water. This place was simply paradise on earth. With the alcohol still in him, Tong Haojing felt thoroughly intoxicated. Poetry welled up in his heart, but he did not dare show off before Mei Tingyu.

Mei Tingyu's purple high heels clicked along the bluestone path through the community. Her distinctive feminine allure left Tong Haojing a little drunk, almost lightheaded. In this beautiful residential community, it seemed as though only the two of them existed. He thought how pleasant it would be to own an apartment in a place like this. But with his current circumstances and income, buying a home was easier said than done. And Mei Tingyu was now about to show him her private room—she had a home, a car, and a career. How could a small-time police officer like him compare with her? Tong Haojing suddenly felt inferior. He even began to worry faintly that he was no longer worthy of Mei Tingyu. Perhaps all his earlier thoughts had been one-sided fantasies, unrealistic dreams. An inexplicable sense of inferiority rose within him.

Mei Tingyu led Tong Haojing inside. At a glance, he saw that the place was spacious, decorated in a European style, with exquisite furniture. He was dumbfounded, as though he had stepped into heaven on earth. Once again, he gave her a thumbs-up. "You're so capable."

Mei Tingyu felt delighted inside. Hearing the man she liked praise her again and again made her feel almost as though she were floating on air. The joy on her face came in wave after wave, and she completely lowered her guard around Tong Haojing. But at that moment, the alcohol caught up with her and she could no longer control herself. Before she even had time to make tea, she rushed straight into the bathroom. The drain gurgled loudly as she vomited.

Tong Haojing sat on the sofa in the living room, at a loss. Caught in an awkward dilemma, he took out his phone to hide his embarrassment and curiously photographed the exquisite furniture in the living room, including the coffee table, sofa, TV wall, and more. He wanted to preserve everything here and take it back to admire in his little room.

When Mei Tingyu came out of the bathroom, she immediately spotted several sheets of paper on the coffee table. Swiftly, she snatched them into her hand and said somewhat nervously, "Sorry, the place is a little messy."

In truth, Tong Haojing had noticed that the entire apartment was fairly neat and clean. Mei Tingyu's words left him puzzled. His professional instincts made strange thoughts surface in his mind. They were only a few sheets of paper, so why had she reacted so nervously?

Tong Haojing said, "It's this clean and tidy, and you call it messy? If you saw my little room, where would that leave me? How could I show my face?"

Pretending nothing was wrong, Tong Haojing looked through each of Mei Tingyu's rooms. The layout was sensible, and in his eyes, Mei Tingyu's home was truly quite nice. He began to envy her. Over the past few years, although Mei Tingyu had spoken of her hardships, she had ultimately come through them. She could be considered a successful, strong career woman who had made it working away from home.

Mei Tingyu mentioned her father, Uncle Mumu, to Tong Haojing. She said that their parents' generation had worked hard all their lives without ever enjoying city life, and that it was unfilial of her as a daughter. She said that after some time, she would bring Uncle Mumu to the city so he could live a few leisurely days.

After hearing this, Tong Haojing not only praised Mei Tingyu as a good daughter and said he should learn from her, but also felt deeply ashamed inside. He was a grown man and a police officer, yet he had neither a car nor a home, and his mother still had to worry about so many things for him. Bringing his mother to live in the city was even more out of the question. Tong Haojing shook his head and sighed. "These days, it's better to have daughters. The era of women flourishing while men decline is really taking off."

Tong Haojing realized that staying in Mei Tingyu's home was indeed somewhat inappropriate and inconvenient. Using work at the station as an excuse, he proposed leaving, and Mei Tingyu had no choice but to agree.

Mei Tingyu looked reluctant to part with him. Standing by the window, she silently watched Tong Haojing leave the residential community, only turning back after he had disappeared from sight.