The movie was genuinely good.

When the protagonist chased down criminals, she clenched her fists in suspense. When the protagonist was framed and wrongfully accused, she ground her teeth in fury. When the protagonist finally brought the criminals to justice, she hadn’t even had a chance to exhale before the protagonist was targeted in retaliation by shadowy forces — gravely wounded and hospitalized, his fate unknown. Su Man’s heart lurched up and down, her entire expression heavy with tension.

Lu Yuwen had long since checked out of the plot.

He lounged lazily against the sofa, head tilted, studying the subtle, moment-to-moment changes in the woman beside him —

The tightly knitted brows, the elegant bridge of her nose, the faintly pressed red lips… Because she was so absorbed, the line of her jaw was slightly taut, her spine straight with it, presenting the curves of her figure more fully before his eyes.

This was a healthy, beautiful body — not an ounce of excess fat, yet not gauntly thin either. Whether it was her thick, fluffy dark hair or her full, rosy lips, everything about her proclaimed that the body’s owner was young and healthy, vigorous with vitality.

Lu Yuwen thought that perhaps he had been ill for too long, so long that something inside him had also fallen ill — because looking at her like this, brimming with life and health, he couldn’t help but feel a stirring within, a little… captivated.

At that moment, the film had just finished a tense action sequence, and Su Man’s focus relaxed slightly.

Though she was usually oblivious, her instincts were sometimes unusually sharp — like right now, when she immediately sensed the man’s gaze on her from behind.

Su Man turned to look at him, her eyes as good as asking: *Why are you looking at me instead of the movie?*

Lu Yuwen smiled and deliberately ignored the question in her eyes. “You’d really be well-suited for criminal investigation work,” he said.

Su Man blinked, the corners of her mouth curving up involuntarily, a little pleased. “Why do you say that?”

“Your capacity for empathy is very strong.” Lu Yuwen smiled faintly. “Criminal investigation is exhausting and bitter work. Years of exposure to crime at its lowest levels gradually numbs people. Without strong empathy, it’s easy to grow arrogant — to look down on perpetrators and resent victims alike, to become blind to the suffering of ordinary people… But you wouldn’t be like that.”

His tone was unhurried and soft, giving Su Man the sensation of being treated with genuine sincerity.

Not perfunctory, not empty flattery — but earnest, heartfelt friendly counsel:

“Don’t sell yourself short. Compared to a sharp mind or nimble reflexes, you possess a quality that many people lack. A heart that hates evil and loves justice is more important than anything else. As for your other shortcomings, you can learn and grow over time — and your parents must surely be proud of you.”

Lu Yuwen looked at her, his dark eyes warm and tranquil. “Su Man, you really are remarkable.”

Su Man stared at him, heat slowly rising in her cheeks, the tips of her ears burning hot…

After a dazed moment, she turned back with an embarrassed little laugh, eyes fixed on the television screen, heart beating erratically of its own accord. “You… you’re so good with words… Every compliment I’ve ever received in my entire life, all of them added together, doesn’t come close to what you alone said today.”

The man behind her let out a low laugh, his voice carrying a faint huskiness, like a feather grazing lightly past her ear.

Su Man rather unconvincingly touched her ear, then covered the gesture by brushing her hair back. Her ear grew even hotter. How strange.

The man laughed and said, “I don’t believe that. You must have been praised and encouraged all the time when you were little, weren’t you?”

“How did you know?” Su Man was startled, and turned to look at him again.

When she was small, she’d lived in the military compound with her grandparents, spoiled so thoroughly she feared nothing under heaven. Even if she got into a fight with the boys outside, her grandfather would give her a thumbs-up and praise her for holding her own. Because her backing was so strong, even though her grades were mediocre, she had never once felt inferior about herself.

Lu Yuwen said, “Your character is very resilient, and very optimistic. Only children raised with encouragement turn out that way. Your family loves you very much.”

Su Man was genuinely impressed by Lu Yuwen’s perceptiveness. She looked at him and murmured, “You’re incredible…”

A phone ringtone suddenly went off, interrupting their conversation.

Su Man picked up her phone. The caller was Li Li.

—