Chapter 105: The Love Restriction Order

You all said chapter 104 was already out, and I didn’t want to upset you, so here’s chapter 105. Brothers and sisters, since I’ve been so considerate, why not cast a vote for me?

———

“Xiaoxue, be honest with your father. What exactly is your relationship with that Li Mu?”

After much hesitation, Su Weimin finally asked the question.

In truth, hesitation was never part of his nature. But facing his daughter, whom he had always been proud of and trusted deeply, and seeing that brat Li Mu act out twice, he felt a torment he couldn’t shake. Not asking would only make him worry more; asking might hurt his daughter’s pride.

In the end, he decided that protecting his daughter from harm by outsiders was more important than preserving her pride.

Su Yingxue had long anticipated this question and answered seriously, “He’s just a classmate.”

“Just classmates? Is it really that simple?” Su Weimin still found it hard to believe.

She nodded. “Really, it’s just classmates. We learn to drive together, eat together. On one hand, we get along well; on the other, since we’ll be classmates in Yanjing, it’s good to look out for each other.”

Su Weimin sighed in relief and nodded. “Your father believes you, but you still need to be cautious with boys nowadays. Don’t let them deceive you.”

Su Yingxue gave a bitter smile. “Dad, your daughter isn’t stupid! Besides, he never said he was pursuing me.”

“Of course,” Su Weimin chuckled. “You may not have attended police academy, but I’ve always thought you have a knack for seeing things more clearly and calmly than most your age. So I trust you to handle yourself well. As for Li Mu, the fact he’s not chasing you shows he’s got some self-awareness…”

“Dad…” Su Yingxue sighed helplessly. “I’m already an adult, and I’m about to leave for school. You need to adjust your mindset. Just because you’re a policeman doesn’t mean everyone outside is bad.”

“Not everyone is bad, but bad people do exist. So you still need to stay vigilant.”

Her mother, Fang Min, had just finished stir-frying a dish and had been eavesdropping from the kitchen. Her husband had told her about their daughter last night, and she had been more anxious than he was. Originally, when they planned to talk to Xiaoxue, Fang Min had volunteered to do it, but Su Weimin knew his wife’s temper was easily flared, so he took on the task himself.

Listening to Su Weimin’s hesitant words, Fang Min thought, “He usually talks well, so why can’t he just say it straight? It’s just about not letting our daughter date early. Why beat around the bush like a woman?”

So Fang Min stepped out of the kitchen and said to Su Yingxue in the living room, “Xiaoxue, what your parents mean is simple: your studies come first. You absolutely cannot start dating too early. Don’t think that once you get into university, you’re free. This is just the beginning of your journey. You want to study in America, right? Getting into top schools like Wharton or Harvard is much tougher than Renmin University. You have to stay sharp, understand?”

Su Yingxue calmly replied, “Mom, I understand what you’re saying, and I’m really not dating anyone now. But if I do find someone I like in the future, do I just have to miss out?”

Fang Min asked, “You just turned eighteen. Do you really know what liking someone means? You’re at the classic age of puppy love. Even if you think it’s liking, it’s just an illusion.”

“Maybe I’ll know when I’m twenty? Would that still be too early? Or still an illusion?”

Fang Min waved her hand decisively. “No, not even at twenty! Unless you get into a top graduate program—then you can date.”

Su Yingxue shook her head helplessly. “The future is unknown. I’m leaving in just over an hour. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

“All right, all right. Has my wife finished making the soup? When it’s ready, let’s eat. After dinner, we still have to take Xiaoxue to the station.”

Su Weimin felt they shouldn’t keep pressing the issue. Although their daughter rarely rebelled, he understood the principle of excess causing counter-reactions. These things had to rely on her own awareness; just hinting was enough. Saying too much would backfire.

Fang Min glanced at Su Yingxue, intending to warn her further but ultimately gave up. She told Su Weimin, “Come help me serve the soup.”

“All right,” Su Weimin quickly got up and followed her into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Fang Min tugged at Su Weimin’s sleeve and whispered in his ear, “Say something to Yuehua. Ask her to keep a close eye on Xiaoxue in Yanjing. If she shows any sign of puppy love, she needs to tell us immediately.”

Su Weimin nodded. “Yuehua dotes on Xiaoxue like a niece. She’ll take care of it without being told.”

Fang Min frowned slightly and sighed. “Still, I want to make sure. I can’t relax otherwise.”

———

When Su Yingxue boarded the train, her parents escorted her to the carriage door, their faces filled with deep reluctance. Having a child leave thousands of kilometers away to study was a bittersweet moment for parents; Su Yingxue’s parents were no exception.

The sternness Su Weimin had cultivated over years as a police officer was long gone. Watching his precious daughter about to journey far to Yanjing, his eyes grew moist, and a faint redness rimmed his eyelids.

Su Yingxue held her father’s hand gently, reassuring him, “Dad, don’t worry. I’ll be back during the National Day holiday.”

Su Weimin sighed, “That’s still more than a month away.”

Fang Min nudged her husband with an elbow and pouted, “Neither your daughter nor I cried. Why are you, a grown man, crying?”

Su Weimin hurriedly denied, “You’re being unreasonable. When did I cry?”

“Your eyes are red, yet you say you didn’t cry.” Fang Min rolled her eyes and said to Su Yingxue, “Xingxue, get on the train quickly. If you keep talking, your dad might just burst into tears right in front of you.”

Su Yingxue smiled softly and coaxed her father, “Dad, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of myself.”

Su Weimin nodded. Fang Min added, “Not just take care of yourself, but study hard. And remember, no dating.”

Su Yingxue looked resigned. “Got it. I’m getting on now. You two should head back.”

Su Weimin and Fang Min watched their daughter, luggage in hand, board the train. When she found her sleeper berth and the train slowly pulled away, the couple did not leave immediately but waited until the train was out of sight before turning to exit through the underground passage.

Outside the station, Fang Min frowned deeply. “That Li Mu—he’s like a ticking time bomb in my mind. What if our daughter gets too close to him? Once they’re in Yanjing, far from home, what then?”

Su Weimin replied helplessly, “Worrying won’t solve anything. You said it yourself, Yanjing is far away. It comes down to Xiaoxue’s own awareness. Besides, we can rely on Yuehua to keep an eye out.”

Though uneasy, Fang Min knew her limits and switched topics. “How are things with your work? What’s Director Du’s plan?”

Su Weimin lowered his voice. “Old Du wants to take down Old Li. When he leaves at the end of the year, I’ll step up. When he gets to the provincial bureau, he’ll take me to meet Director Liu—it’s basically aligning with the right faction.”

Fang Min was surprised. “Old Li has been entrenched in Haizhou’s police system for years. Can this outsider Du really do anything to him?”

Su Weimin nodded. “It was unlikely, but someone’s been stirring trouble around Wu Dong. Old Li is now on the defensive. It’s only a matter of time before the evidence points to him.”

Fang Min was even more astonished. “Who dares stir up trouble involving Wu Dong and Old Li?”

Su Weimin gave an awkward smile. “No idea. It all appeared online, and the propaganda is overwhelming. The craziest part is they instantly knew all the key details about Wu Dong’s hit-and-run case. It’s like they have eyes everywhere. Director Du is curious and wants me to follow the online chatter to find out who’s behind it.”

Fang Min raised an eyebrow. “Be careful. Don’t stir things up and end up being used.”

“Relax,” Su Weimin smiled. “I know my limits. Director Du isn’t asking me to find anything concrete. His focus is on Old Li now; I’m just biding my time. I don’t want to get involved with these mysterious players.”

Fang Min smiled faintly. “Actually, we should thank whoever’s behind this. If they hadn’t targeted Wu Dong and Old Li, Director Du probably wouldn’t have made a move against Old Li.”

“Exactly. Du has long resented Old Li but was always passive. Without the Wu Dong incident, he’d have no leverage.”

“Now that he does, he’s thinking of removing Old Li. Once Old Li’s out, the chief position will open up. That’s a favor for you, and he might recruit you. It’s a win-win for him.”

———

Two days later, Li Mu picked up a batch of photos from the studio taken during the day he went to Happy Valley with Xiao Hao and his female classmate.

He flipped through them casually. Not bad. Though he wasn’t skilled at photography, both kids were handsome and comfortable in front of the camera, so the pictures turned out quite good.

After collecting the photos, Li Mu called Xiao Hao’s grandmother to tell her he’d pick Xiao Hao up that evening and take him out to eat.

With the school registration looming, Li Mu was genuinely concerned about his young cousin. The boy was young but very clever, so Li Mu knew he could only guide him, not force him.

When Xiao Hao heard his cousin was coming to take him out to dinner, he excitedly waited early at the community gate. Li Mu arrived carrying a top-of-the-line Li Ning backpack—three hundred yuan, the most expensive model in the Li Ning store—given as a back-to-school gift for Xiao Hao.

Xiao Hao didn’t realize the backpack was a gift. He peered over Li Mu’s shoulder for a long time and exclaimed, “Bro, this backpack is really cool!”

Li Mu smiled. “Nike or Adidas packs look even better.”

“What’s Nike?” Xiao Hao asked curiously.

Li Mu smiled slightly but didn’t explain. Instead, he asked, “Do you like it?”

“Yeah! When I go to college, I’ll ask my mom to buy me one too,” Xiao Hao said seriously.

Li Mu took off the backpack and placed it in Xiao Hao’s arms. “It’s yours. You’ve got to know there’s more to life than chasing girls all day.”

Xiao Hao hugged the bag, stunned. “Bro, is this really for me?”

“Yeah,” Li Mu nodded. “Your photos with your girlfriend are all inside. Be careful not to let your parents find out, or they might break your legs for dating so young.”

Whether Xiao Hao took the warning to heart or not, he held the backpack with tears in his eyes. “Bro, you’re really good to me.”

Li Mu ruffled his hair. “Since you know I care about you, you better listen to what I say.”