Back at the police station, Xue Rui had noticed that Chen Shen was special.

Even though he was just a traffic police captain, his reputation within the bureau was surprisingly high.

From veterans to rookies, everyone knew him and greeted him warmly.

And now, this "Sweeping Monk" of a man was treating him to a meal... all for his daughter.

The two sat in silence for a long while.

Chen Shen spoke first. "Tingting is a lot like her mother."

Xue Rui glanced over in surprise. ’Could being so fixated on romance be hereditary?’ he thought.

’In that case, I’d better stay far away. That’s terrifying.’

"I... I owe my wife," Chen Shen continued. "This is the first time she’s ever asked me for anything."

There was a significant age gap between Chen Shen and his wife, Zhang Qian.

Furthermore, back then, his financial situation wasn’t good, and he had just been injured. Zhang Qian’s family was completely against the match.

But Zhang Qian defied everyone, shouldered all the pressure, endured her relatives’ gossip, and married him...

A flicker of tenderness warmed Chen Shen’s eyes at the memory.

Xue Rui shook his head. He wasn’t like Officer Chen.

’For Officer Chen to command such respect, he had to be a workaholic, which probably meant he was clueless about romance.’

’As a police officer, he was calm and steady. That temperament was the perfect complement for a romance-obsessed wife who had him wrapped around her finger.’

"Uncle Chen, I have no intention of transferring schools," Xue Rui said, his refusal blunt.

Chen Shen nodded. He had expected as much.

He had never expected this to go smoothly.

But successful or not, he had to treat Xue Rui to a meal to give him a heads-up.

After all, if Xue Rui wouldn’t transfer, his only option was to give in to Chen Tingting’s demand and transfer his own daughter to Hedong Second Middle School.

And knowing his daughter’s personality, she would surely cling to Xue Rui every single day...

"Eat up." Chen Shen smiled, a sense of relief washing over him.

At the very least, after spending some time with Xue Rui, he could see the boy was sensible and good-natured—far more mature than others his age.

That being the case, he had nothing more to worry about.

"I’m full, Uncle Chen. I have some things to do this afternoon, and I can’t take these leftovers with me. You should pack them up for Auntie and Tingting," Xue Rui said, signaling for the "actor" he had arranged in advance.

"Time to pay, is it? I’ll get it." Chen Shen pulled out a thick wad of cash.

"Hello, sir. We’re having a special promotion—smash a golden egg," a waitress said, wheeling in a small cart laden with them.

Xue Rui gestured to the waitress, indicating that Chen Shen should be the one to smash it.

Xue Rui’s assessment of Chen Shen as a father was mediocre; the man couldn’t even get a handle on his own daughter.

But as a police officer, Chen Shen had his utmost respect.

Xue Rui knew exactly the kind of clientele a high-end restaurant like this attracted.

Midway through the meal, Chen Shen had left to use the restroom, apparently unaware that the private room had its own attached washroom...

All signs pointed to one thing: a man of Chen Shen’s stature was dining at his family’s restaurant for the very first time. It was a rare occurrence indeed.

That was why Xue Rui couldn’t possibly let him pay the bill.

Every single one of those golden eggs was stuffed with a slip of paper reading: "On the House."

No matter which egg Chen Shen smashed, the result would be the same.

Chen Shen smiled, not refusing. He’d seen this kind of promotion before.

Many restaurants offered a "smash the golden egg" game when it was time to pay. They were usually stuffed with a bit of cash to make customers feel like they’d gotten a deal.

He casually smashed one. Inside was a slip of paper. He picked it up and, to his surprise, saw the words "On the House."

"Wow! Sir, you’re incredibly lucky!" the waitress exclaimed, covering her mouth in a perfect picture of astonishment.

’So convincing,’ Xue Rui thought. ’This girl’s acting could put the pretty-boy idols of the next decade to shame.’

’She must have rehearsed that line for a while.’ 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"How come I’ve never won that?" Xue Rui muttered, putting on a small act for Chen Shen.

After all, the man was a former criminal investigator; there was no telling if his professional instincts had faded.

Chen Shen was surprised, too. He’d had his money ready, only to end up with a free meal.

"Go get some takeout boxes and pack all this up," Xue Rui instructed the waitress.

In truth, the food was almost untouched. Xue Rui had only picked at a few of the side dishes for show.

"Leaving now? I can give you a ride."

"No need, I’m just going nearby."

Finally, Xue Rui bid farewell to Chen Shen, declining the offer of a ride in the police car.

Chen Shen sat alone in the private room. His intuition was screaming that something about that whole exchange had been off.

It wasn’t Xue Rui, but the waitress... her body language had been a bit too staged.

He took off his long-sleeved shirt, revealing the police uniform underneath, and walked over to the waitress who was still packing the leftovers.

"Who is Xue Rui?" Chen Shen’s gaze was piercing.

A middle-aged cop naturally projects an intimidating aura without even trying to be angry.

Add to that the way Chen Shen was staring her down, and it felt exactly like an interrogation.

The waitress shivered. ’Did I just lie to a cop?’ she thought in panic.

"Officer, sir, I just work here! It was all the boss’s son’s idea! If you have to arrest someone, arrest him!"

The girl’s face was a mask of panic as she waved her hands frantically.

She had no idea what trouble Xue Rui had stirred up this time to have the police investigating, but she certainly didn’t want to get dragged into it.

"That kid." Chen Shen shook his head, a wry smile on his face.

’No wonder Xue Rui was so familiar with the place,’ he thought. ’His family owns it.’

"It’s nothing serious. My daughter and Xue Rui are classmates. I just happened to see him today and we had a meal together," Chen Shen added, clarifying the situation.

"Oh... you scared me to death..." The girl breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest.

Chen Shen went to the front desk, intending to settle the bill anyway. However, the receptionist told him the bill had already been closed out; accepting payment now would just mess up their accounting.

In fact, as Xue Rui headed downstairs, he had a sudden thought: he might have underestimated Officer Chen.

That’s why he had specifically instructed the staff not to accept any payment for the table under any circumstances.

Chen Shen argued with the receptionist for a while, but they steadfastly refused his money.

With a helpless expression, he gave up. Since Xue Rui had been so thorough and left him no way out, he might as well save the money.

Chen Shen drove home.

It was only a little past noon, not quite lunchtime. He and Xue Rui had eaten early.

He opened the door, his hands full of bags, large and small, all containing takeout boxes.

"Honey, don’t worry about lunch! I brought food home."

Chen Shen laid everything out on the dining table.

Zhang Qian, who was wearing an apron and just about to start cooking for her husband, felt her heart leap with joy at the sight.

’Today is the anniversary of our first kiss,’ she thought happily. ’He remembered!’

But when she noticed the fancy takeout boxes and the thick stack of cash on the table, her face immediately fell.

"Old Chen!" Zhang Qian snapped, looking at her husband with a wounded expression.

"Who is she? Is she younger and prettier than me?"

Her husband never frequented such expensive places. She felt that he had changed, and tears welled in her eyes.

A man didn’t just change like this unless another woman was involved.

Chen Shen was completely baffled. ’Where is this coming from?’

"And this money! Haven’t I told you? As long as our family is together, I don’t need material things."

"If you get thrown in jail, what will Tingting and I do?! Take it back to whoever gave it to you!"

Zhang Qian shoved the money back into Chen Shen’s hand and began pushing him toward the door.

"Wow! So much good food!" Chen Tingting bounced out of her room and snatched a shrimp.

"Yummy! There’s dessert, too..."

Chen Tingting paid no mind to their bickering. They’d make up by tonight anyway. Her only job was to eat.

"Honey, what are you talking about? Xue Rui gave us the food. The money is just my salary. I was going to pay for the meal, but I didn’t get the chance..."

Chen Shen hastily explained, terrified of any further misunderstanding.

"Xue Rui?" Chen Tingting’s ears perked up instantly.

"That’s right. I met with him today."

...

The three of them held an impromptu family meeting over the food, discussing the matter of Chen Tingting and Xue Rui.

"Honey... I think our daughter... might not be good enough for him."

Chen Shen ventured, fully prepared for a scolding.

But he couldn’t speak against his conscience. After meeting the boy today, he felt the gap between his daughter and Xue Rui was simply too wide.

It wasn’t a gap in family resources, but one of individual character.

However, the tirade he’d been bracing for never came.

Zhang Qian twisted Chen Tingting’s ear. "All you do is eat! If you don’t step up your game, a great guy like that will be snatched away by someone else!"

’A boy who could satisfy even my husband must be truly outstanding,’ Zhang Qian thought.

"Who says I’m not trying?" Chen Tingting shot back.

"Dad! Did you take care of the transfer yet?"

Chen Shen: "..."