“No, it has nothing to do with you — it’s just me…” Su Man had no idea how to explain it. The more she tried, the more tongue-tied she felt, so she simply shut her mouth and drove in sullen silence.

The road was wide and quiet at this late hour, bathed in the cold white light of the street lamps.

The car remained silent.

Lu Yuwen wisely said nothing, not wanting to add to the awkwardness.

But the longer Su Man thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. Lu Yuwen had just saved her father, and the attitude she’d shown just now — it was as though she’d deliberately given him the cold shoulder.

And yet she genuinely wanted to express her gratitude.

Su Man muttered in a low voice, “It’s only temporary.”

Lu Yuwen: “Hm?”

Su Man kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead, her face taut. “Traffic officer… it’s only temporary. I originally wanted to be a detective, but my parents thought it was too dangerous and transferred me to traffic behind my back. Someday, though, I’m definitely going to transfer back.”

Lu Yuwen nodded with understanding. “I see.”

Once the floodgates opened, the rest of the words came naturally. She continued: “I always wanted to be a detective — they supported that at first. But after I graduated, I don’t know what changed. They started putting up all kinds of obstacles. They said my personality was too impulsive, that I wasn’t suited for it, and insisted I go into traffic first to temper my temperament. They also said that if I could handle the traffic job well, they’d consider helping me transfer back…”

Lu Yuwen listened quietly, and in his mind he surmised that Su Man’s family probably had some degree of influence. Otherwise, even an unremarkable post within the system wouldn’t be something you could just transfer into or out of on a whim.

After pouring out that long string of words, Su Man felt considerably better — at least the atmosphere was no longer so strained.

“What do you do, Mr. Lu?” she asked casually.

“Food and beverage,” Lu Yuwen answered warmly. “You can just call me Lu Yuwen.”

Su Man gave a small nod. “Alright then, call me Su Man too. All this ‘Mr.’ and ‘Miss’ business sounds so awkward.”

Then she asked: “Is the restaurant industry very tiring?”

*Looking for someone in Pekalongan today / Singleflirt*

“In the early stages, yes — very tiring. But once you find the right management people to share the burden, it eases up a bit.” Lu Yuwen paused, then smiled. “Still, no matter how tiring it gets, it can’t compare to those who serve the public. Traffic officers and detectives are professions worthy of great respect.”

Su Man felt a warm sweetness bloom in her chest upon hearing this. Even if he was just being polite, she felt her aspirations had been affirmed.

So she said cheerfully, “I’m not afraid of hard work. I love what I do!”

As she said it, her eyes were bright, and her face held a vibrancy she didn’t always show — though it was late and they were driving through the night, she seemed to be facing the sun, radiating an uplifting, luminous energy.

Lu Yuwen looked at her and was momentarily transfixed.

A moment later, he spoke gently. “Being able to do what you love — no matter how exhausting, that’s a kind of happiness.”

“Exactly!” Su Man resonated deeply.

The SUV drove on.

The two of them chatted in a leisurely, unhurried way.

Su Man found that Lu Yuwen had an exceptionally agreeable personality — talking with him brought an inexplicable sense of ease. Whatever the topic, he could follow along, and there was never any worry of awkward silence or causing offense.

The truth was, she had a mild social anxiety. Her family always said she had a bad temper and spoke without thinking, that she was prone to offending people — and unfortunately, the people her family associated with were all rather distinguished, which made her afraid to say much at social gatherings.

But talking to Lu Yuwen felt easy and comfortable.

Before she knew it, she had laid everything bare — her age, her hobbies, her family, her home address, and even the fact that she had a childhood sweetheart.

“He’s incredibly smart,” Su Man said, talking about Li Li. “He’s the youngest PhD at the research institute. When I couldn’t do my homework as a kid, I’d get him to write it for me. Then he skipped a grade and stopped writing it for me… Tomorrow he’s attending a commendation ceremony — that event only comes around every few years…”

Lu Yuwen listened quietly.

—