That evening, the two finally nestled together and chatted as they had before.
"Tomorrow is Friday, you have classes in the afternoon, right?" Chen Ziming asked softly, looking down.
Su Yue nodded and hummed in agreement.
"I'll go to the station tomorrow morning and pick you up in the afternoon," he said, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek.
"Okay," she replied with a smile, though her mind was elsewhere.
Meng Hualan had called her again yesterday, mentioning his birthday and her previous difficult request.
Su Yue had already decided how to respond, but now that he had recovered, she felt a wave of hesitation.
Direct persuasion rarely touched people's hearts. After much thought, she decided to approach it from a different angle.
"When you face those fierce criminals, are you afraid?" she asked softly.
He was silent for a moment, his voice dropping. "To be honest, yes, I am."
"Besides this time, have there been other very dangerous moments?" Her eyes began to water.
Chen Ziming was surprised by her question and reaction, but being so perceptive, he immediately understood she was worried about similar incidents happening again in the future.
However, this was a promise he dared not make.
He lowered his gaze, avoiding her eyes, gathering the courage to reply, "There have been, but none as dangerous as this."
The implication was that such dangerous situations were unlikely to occur.
Her tears flowed uncontrollably. She turned over, propping herself up, the cool teardrops falling directly onto his shoulder.
"Please don't cry. I'll be careful," he said with a somewhat pained and helpless smile, reaching out to wipe away her tears.
Su Yue admitted she was being a little selfish at that moment, trying to force him to compromise in this way.
She was merely setting the mood.
"But what if one day, you can't be careful anymore?" she asked, her face a mask of helplessness.
The air grew quiet.
He continued to avoid her gaze, seemingly lost in thought. Su Yue began to feel alarmed, fearing he might relapse into the darkness of their previous days.
Wanting to say something to change the subject, she opened her mouth. Just then, he looked at her with clear, determined eyes, and his deep voice emerged from his thin lips:
"Yueyue, if that day ever comes, consider it my debt to you. Then you can go and be a daughter to my parents. They will love you very much."
Su Yue had never expected such an answer. All her expressions and words froze. The tears in her eyes gradually dried.
She had never intended to compete with his ideals and beliefs, but hearing such words filled her with immense dread.
He was so open and sincere that she felt ashamed of her own intentions.
What else could she persuade him to do, or rather, what could she change?
Seeing her stunned expression, Chen Ziming's heart softened. His handsome fingers touched her cheek, and a familiar smile curved his lips.
"Your ideal is to be a reporter. You've also bravely faced the darkness. Don't you understand how I feel?"
This question instantly enlightened Su Yue.
Her eyes, which had been filled with shock, gradually lit up, and a knowing smile graced her beautiful face.
They were fundamentally the same kind of people.
The kind who persisted even when it seemed impossible.
He was the one with a happy life, and she was the one who grew up wild amidst hardship.
Their kind of people never shied away from danger.
Nor were they ever content with mediocrity and pleasure.
Was there still a need to persuade?
No.
She only needed to hold his hand and support each other as they walked forward.
Fearless of the darkness, moving towards the light.
...
The next morning, Chen Ziming went to the Yuluo Street Police Station.
The officers were surprised to see him but dared not ask too many questions. They greeted him warmly and inquired about his recovery.
The station chief, however, called him into his office and carefully asked about his physical and psychological recovery.
Upon learning he was well, the station chief was greatly relieved. Then, as if remembering something, he glanced towards the door and lowered his voice to ask:
"Your girlfriend's surname is Su, right?"
Chen Ziming looked puzzled but said nothing more, giving a soft hum in response.