Chapter 153 Boyfriend

Chapter 153 Boyfriend

"Mom?"

Yue Lingchuan answered the call. Moments later, his brows furrowed slightly at whatever was said on the other end.

"No time for that."

He said tersely, his eyes downcast as he idly played with Shen Qingye's fingers, his hand hanging loosely by his side.

Lu Shangying snapped: "What do you mean, no time? Aren’t you just back for a meeting? The meeting’s over now, and you’re not leaving until tonight. What else could you possibly have to do? Don’t tell me you’re still working cases while you’re in the province?"

Yue Lingchuan sighed. "Mom..."

Lu Shangying cut him off: "None of that now! When you're in Pingjiang, fine, but now you’re right in town and still won’t come home? How long has it been since your dad, your grandpa, or I have seen you?"

Yue Lingchuan opened his mouth to speak, but Lu Shangying continued: "Alright, no more talking. Your older brother even made time today—just come back for a meal! Your grandpa misses you terribly after all this time."

She grumbled: "You impossible boy. If I don’t call you, you never think to call home yourself."

Yue Lingchuan stopped toying with Shen Qingye’s fingers.

Shen Qingye looked up at him, puzzled. Meeting her gaze, Yue Lingchuan had a thought and said into the phone, "Alright, I'm coming."

With that settled, Lu Shangying hung up.

Only after he put away his phone did Shen Qingye ask, "What’s wrong?"

Yue Lingchuan pulled her hand close, rubbing it gently as he murmured, "Mom wants me to go home for dinner."

Shen Qingye blinked. "But we just ate...?" Then she realized. "You didn’t tell your family you were back in the city?"

Yue Lingchuan grunted in acknowledgment. "I was planning to visit them later..." This was just a quick trip.

Taking in his mood, Shen Qingye couldn’t help but laugh softly. "You hardly ever visit—go see them."

Yue Lingchuan supposed he should.

Then, gazing at Shen Qingye’s lovely face, he suddenly said, "You—"

"Hmm?" Shen Qingye tilted her head. "What?"

Meeting his expectant eyes, realization struck her, and she blurted out, "Busted—you want me to come with you, don't you?"

Yue Lingchuan pouted, burying his face against her neck without a word.

That was exactly what he’d been thinking, but he also knew it was too soon—they were still new. There was no way Shen Qingye would agree to go home with him now.

He sulked against her, and Shen Qingye sighed helplessly, pulling him close. "It’s alright."

Her fingers combed through his hair as she tried to reason with him. "It's only dinner..." Why was he acting like they’d be apart for ages?

Yue Lingchuan burrowed into her neck, his lips brushing her skin intermittently as he mumbled, "If I go back, what about you?"

She shivered at the contact, a pleasant tingle spreading through her. She tilted her head slightly, amused. "I can take care of myself—what could possibly happen?"

"Besides, I went to university here. I know the city well."

Yue Lingchuan lifted his head, his face falling in clear disappointment.

Shen Qingye kept a straight face, ruffling his hair. "Go on, get going now. Any more delay and there won't be much time left."

Yue Lingchuan gazed at her without a word.

Shen Qingye paused mid-motion, strangely grasping what he wanted. Her fingers stilled briefly before her ears turned pink. She lifted her head and pecked his lips. "There, happy now?"

Only then did Yue Lingchuan break into a smile, bumping his forehead gently against hers. "I'll be back soon."

Shen Qingye patted his head but said, "No hurry—just be back before you go."

Having just gotten together with her, Yue Lingchuan wanted nothing more than to stick to her every second. Naturally, he wasn’t inclined to listen, stealing more kisses and hugs until Shen Qingye finally pushed him off.

Watching his figure gradually disappear, Shen Qingye exhaled softly, touching her slightly swollen lips with her fingers. Her ears turned pink, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Who knew that such a composed and sharp man would turn into such a clingy child after falling in love?

Plopping down on the bed, going over everything that happened, Shen Qingye still found it all a little unbelievable.

Just like that… she was in a relationship?

Grabbing the blanket, Shen Qingye rolled around on the bed before gazing up at the ceiling, her eyes crinkling into smiles.

Truth be told, it felt pretty great.

·

The upscale villa neighborhood.

Hearing noise outside, Lu Shangying immediately turned her head. "Is that Lingchuan back?"

Yue Jianshan set down the newspaper. "I’ll go check."

Her father-in-law barely looked up. "What’s there to check? It’s not like he’s forgotten the way home."

Yue Jianshan hesitated mid-step while Grandpa Yue gave his son a look. "Always so talkative."

The man promptly shut up, and Sister-in-law Yue, witnessing this, lowered her head to hide a chuckle.

"Dad, Mom, Grandpa!" In the brief moment of delay, Yue Lingchuan had already stepped inside, calling out cheerfully, "Big bro and sis-in-law are here too."

Yue Jianshan smiled. "We came just to see you, Mr. Busy."

Yue Lingchuan replied, "Me? Busy? Compared to you?"

His father snorted. "At least you still have some self-awareness."

"Enough!" Grandpa Yue glared at him. "Lingchuan rarely comes back."

His usually stern expression softened slightly as he looked at his youngest grandson. "Dinner’s ready—just waiting for you."

Yue Lingchuan stepped forward to support the old man. "That’s why Grandpa’s my favorite."

Lu Shangying couldn’t resist adding, "If you know he cares, why don’t you visit more often? Were you really gonna skip seeing us this time?"

"You work just an hour away—can’t even spare a visit?"

Helping his grandfather sit down, Yue Lingchuan said, "Work’s been crazy lately, but I was planning to come back in a couple of days when I had time off to spend with you all."

Lu Shangying huffed. "Too busy for even a meal? You’re less than an hour’s drive from your office. I’d get it if you were in Pingjiang, but you’re in the provincial capital now—what, are there cases here that need your attention too?"

"No," Yue Lingchuan replied. "Not because of work."

Lu Shangying pressed, "If not work, then what could you possibly be busy with?"

With an unmistakable air of smugness, Yue Lingchuan drawled, "Too busy dating."

As soon as he said this, everyone at the table froze mid-bite, even Grandpa looked surprised.

Yue's sister-in-law gasped, "Lingchuan's in a relationship?"

Lu Shangying’s eyes widened before she quickly figured it out. "Is it that girl from the Shen family?"

Yue Lingchuan set down his chopsticks, leaning back in his chair looking utterly pleased with himself. "Yes."

"Oh wow!" Lu Shangying was so overjoyed she could barely speak, immediately rising to hover by her youngest son. "Since when? Why didn’t you tell me?"

His father chimed in, "If you’re dating, why not bring the girl home to meet us?"

Yue Lingchuan grinned. "We just made it official this morning. It’s still early. I’d love to bring her, but I’m afraid she’d be too shy."

"Oh my goodness, this is just—just—" Lu Shangying clapped her hands, her smile never fading.

Her older son was different. Though he’d married late, at least he'd dated a few times before, all under her watchful eye. He wasn’t opposed to marriage—just hadn’t met the right one—so she wasn't too concerned. But Yue Lingchuan was another story. He'd never shown interest in girls growing up, and with his demanding job keeping him away, she'd really worried he might never settle down.

During her visit to Pingjiang, she’d noticed her oblivious son’s interest in that girl, but after so many years of nothing, she hadn’t dared hope much. She’d even wondered if her clueless boy would ever succeed and had considered coaching him later.

Yet in just this short time apart, he'd given her such wonderful news. How could she not be bubbling with excitement?

"You silly kid! If you’d told me earlier, I wouldn’t have called you back. You just got together, and you left her alone? Where are you staying now? A hotel? Is she by herself?"

Lu Shangying was practically brimming with excitement.

Yue Lingchuan put an arm around his mother, chuckling. "Relax. She went to university here—she knows her way around. My teammates are around too. She’ll be fine."

Lu Shangying kept saying, "Good, good." Even his father’s expression softened slightly as he grumbled, "At your age, to finally be dating—do it right. Spend time with her, don’t just bury yourself in work. She might think you don’t care..."

For once, Lu Shangying didn’t argue with her husband, nodding fervently. "Yes, yes, exactly. Dating isn’t like being single. You’ve got to take care of her, spend time together, don’t be cheap when you're out—don’t let her think you’re stingy..."

For most families, a son dating would be happy news, but not necessarily a big deal. After all, who knew how things would turn out? It wasn’t like the old days where one courtship meant marriage. But Lu Shangying knew her son. This rare interest of his—if nothing went wrong, this girl was likely the one.

And she was genuinely worried. Her son had never dated before. What if he says something wrong and upsets her? In the end, he’d be the one heartbroken. Hence the earnest advice.

Yue Lingchuan laughed. "Don’t worry, I’m not a kid."

The old master, watching quietly, finally spoke. "He's pushing thirty. If he can’t figure out dating by now, he’s wasted all these years."

Then, unable to resist, he asked, "Which family is she from? What’s her name? How old? What does she do?"

Yue Lingchuan obliged patiently. "Her name is Qingye—Shen Qingye. Dad might know—she’s Shen Linyue’s daughter. Twenty-three, just graduated last year. She's a detective too, at the Municipal Bureau where I work."

This revelation stunned everyone except Lu Shangying.

"A female detective?" Yue's sister-in-law gasped.

His father’s brows furrowed. "Also a detective?"

At first, hearing Shen Linyue’s name, he’d assumed the girl was in business like her mother. But a detective?

Grandfather Yue was also surprised, but then he thought about it—given his youngest grandson's temperament, most girls wouldn’t impress him. It wasn’t surprising that the one he finally chose was a colleague.

"Both of them are detectives..." Yue’s father said with disapproval. He was never happy about his son becoming a detective in the first place, and now his future daughter-in-law was one too...

But Lu Shangying said, "Oh, what’s wrong with being a detective? Working together means they can have each other’s backs."

In the past, she might have hoped for her son to find a girl with a stable, easy job. But after all these years, she’d given up on being choosy—as long as it was a girl!

Yue’s father muttered, "Then when they get married, both of them will be busy all the time. Who’ll manage the home?"

Yue Lingchuan just smiled without responding, clearly his mind was made up.

Grandfather Yue looked at him thoughtfully before saying, "Young folks are bound to be busy. Might as well date a coworker—at least they’ll see each other often."

He glanced at his son. "You and Shangying weren’t police officers, but when you were young, didn’t you hardly see each other? Didn’t Jianshan and Lingchuan grow up under my care?"

Yue’s father fell silent—mostly because arguing was pointless.

He may be respected elsewhere, but at home, neither his father nor his sons listened to him.

"I didn’t say anything against it..."

He sighed. "I know Director Shen—she’s a good person, sharp in business. Her daughter must be impressive too."

He shoved rice into his mouth. "If you want to make it serious, then go ahead."

Sister-in-law Yue exchanged a glance with her husband, both holding back laughs.

"That’s right, make it serious. See if you can bring her home for the New Year." She smiled. "You’re no spring chicken. Mom’s been worrying about you for years—let’s see if you can make her happy in the next couple of years."

Yue Lingchuan replied cheerfully, "Then I’ll have to work hard."

The whole family laughed, the mood cheerful. After the meal, Yue Lingchuan accompanied his grandfather to the study as usual, chatting until his usual naptime before leaving.

Afterward, he didn’t rush back. Instead, he sat in the living room with his parents and siblings, chatting until around three before announcing his departure.

Though Lu Shangying was still reluctant, this time she was reassured and overjoyed. She went on and on, telling him to be good to her, and only let him go after he promised.

...

By the time Yue Lingchuan returned to the hotel, it was almost four. Standing outside Shen Qingye’s door, he raised his hand to knock but hesitated, worried she might be resting. In the end, he turned back to his own room.

After packing up and idling around for a while, he finally knocked on Shen Qingye’s door when it was time to leave.

Shen Qingye had a feeling. Groggy, she was roused by the knocking and opened the door to find Yue Lingchuan standing there.

The man smiled at her, his eyes tender and steady on her face. Shen Qingye tightened her grip on the door, but hearing Wei Zhengyi’s loud voice outside, she restrained herself, lowering her eyes. "I’ll get ready soon."

The girl had just woken up, her hair slightly messy, looking very different from usual. Yue Lingchuan yearned, but with colleagues around, he couldn’t do anything. He just cleared his throat and nodded.

Once ready, the group set off naturally for the return trip. The car was as lively as ever, with Wei Zhengyi and Luo Kaiyang joking around endlessly. Shen Qingye just smiled, occasionally meeting Yue Lingchuan’s eyes in the rearview mirror before casually looking away—nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

They weren’t deliberately hiding it, but suddenly announcing "we’re together" felt awkward. Plus, given their boss-subordinate dynamic, it was easier to act naturally. Whether the others noticed... well, that was up to them.

By the time they returned to Pingjiang, it was past six. The group didn’t linger at the station, heading straight home.

As usual, Yue Lingchuan insisted on seeing her back.

Their cars stopped one after another outside the villa. Shen Qingye brushed her fingers over his palm and smiled helplessly. "I’m going in."

Yue Lingchuan's grip tightened briefly before letting go with obvious reluctance, saying, "I'll come see you tomorrow?" Tomorrow was Saturday.

Shen Qingye paused. "Sorry, can't."

She smiled. "I have to go to Uncle Gao's for dinner tomorrow."

Yue Lingchuan's face fell even more, and he grumbled, "Then the day after? Surely that works?"

Seeing how clingy he was being, Shen Qingye's eyes crinkled with amusement, and she finally agreed with a soft "Okay."

That seemed to satisfy Yue Lingchuan—barely. He lowered his head to hug her again, refusing to let go.

Shen Qingye let him cling a bit longer before they finally parted.

·

After entering the house, only Aunt Chen was in the kitchen cooking—Shen Linyue hadn't returned yet.

Shen Qingye went upstairs first to wash up and changed into loungewear. Thinking about the day's events and Shen Linyue, she felt that while their colleagues could wait, her mother was another matter—she couldn't keep it from her.

So when Shen Linyue returned, she was met with Shen Qingye bouncing over eagerly:

"Mom~"

Shen Linyue halted mid-step, frowning slightly as she scrutinized her from head to toe. "What's gotten into you?"

Shen Qingye's smile stiffened. "What?"

"You're acting weird," Shen Linyue tossed her bag onto the sofa, crossing her arms as she eyed her sidelong. "Spill it—what's up?"

Shen Qingye pouted. "Can't I just miss you?"

"Oh?" Shen Linyue feigned surprise. "When you were on a case for days without coming back, I didn't see you missing me. Now you're gone one day, and suddenly you're thinking of me?"

Shen Qingye was speechless.

She snuggled up to her mom, wrapping her arms around her while fluttering her eyelashes, mumbling, "Well... it's not really a big deal."

Shen Linyue watched her leisurely.

Shen Qingye said, "I'm seeing someone."