Friday.
Su Yue went to Baili Qing's office early in the morning, obtained a pass there, and then accompanied her.
Chen Ziming didn't nag this time.
He just said lightly, focus on your studies and don't get distracted.
Chen Kang'an sat next to the person in the middle.
First, there was the leader's speech, and he was the second speaker.
Su Yue's heart had calmed down considerably, but she still looked at the people on stage with some excitement.
She wore glasses, so she could see very clearly.
After Secretary Chen finished his speech, the reporters started asking questions. When it was Baili Qing's turn, the aloof secretary seemed to let his gaze linger on her face for two seconds inadvertently.
Her heart instantly leaped into her throat, and her mind went blank.
Fortunately, he began to answer Baili Qing's question. The brief pause was just her imagination.
But even a casual glance was enough to make her heart pound for a long time. It wasn't until the meeting ended and she got into the car that she recovered somewhat.
"Nervous?" Baili Qing asked her with a smile.
She nodded honestly.
"The first time I met someone like that, I was much more nervous than you. Take your time."
Baili Qing preferred to drive herself, so she didn't go with the main group from the station.
At this moment, as she spoke, she freed one hand, held the girl's hand, and gently soothed her.
"Thank you, Teacher Baili." Su Yue's heart settled a lot.
The car stopped in front of a coffee shop, which was a friend's shop. Su Yue planned to continue writing her thesis from here.
However, before getting out of the car, Baili Qing suddenly called out to her.
"Yueyue, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."
Her voice was gentle, and her eyes showed concern.
"Please tell me." Su Yue paused with her hand on the car door, looking at her with some confusion.
Baili Qing seemed to hesitate again, then finally sighed softly and asked,
"Later, your stepfather... didn't hurt you, did he?"
Su Yue's hands instantly clenched into fists, and her whole body froze.
Baili Qing was startled and quickly patted her back, lowering her voice:
"You don't have to say it if you don't want to. I'm just a little worried..."
Unexpectedly, the girl took a deep breath, forced a smile, and slowly said:
"No."
"Really?" Baili Qing was still uneasy.
"Really. It was my first time, with Chen Ziming."
This sufficiently obvious answer finally made Baili Qing relax. A sincere and relaxed smile then appeared on her face, and her voice carried a hint of excitement:
"That's good, that's good. I've always wanted to ask but never had the chance. I'm most afraid of things like this happening. Fortunately, you protected yourself and grew into such an outstanding young woman."
She paused, seemingly thinking, and then said:
"Chen Ziming is definitely a very reliable choice for a partner. If you're with him, your stepfather definitely wouldn't dare to touch you again."
Su Yue's heart was in such a turmoil that she hastily interrupted her: "Teacher Baili, I need to go write my thesis quickly."
"Oh, go ahead. We'll forget about this conversation today. If there are good opportunities later, I'll bring you along again, okay?"
Baili Qing realized the girl didn't want to talk about it anymore and quickly ended the conversation.
Su Yue's mind was a mess. Out of politeness, she instinctively agreed, said goodbye to Baili Qing, then picked up her bag, got out of the car, and slowly walked towards the coffee shop.
She had never explicitly told Baili Qing about Su Minghua's admiration for her.
But Baili Qing had already guessed it.
This was a tacit secret between the two of them.
Now, it had finally been revealed.
She could understand Baili Qing's feelings. After all, they had been out of touch for so many years, and she cared so much about protecting vulnerable girls, so she would naturally worry.
But for Su Yue, being told so clearly was indeed a significant shock.
It was like you had been trying to bury the bad fruits all along.
But you discovered that someone had witnessed the entire process long ago.
How absurd and ridiculous.
What was even more startling was that Baili Qing seemed to have inadvertently revealed her purpose for approaching Chen Ziming.