I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

"Meeting the parents the day after tomorrow afternoon."

Lu Zhixia spoke of it casually.

After returning to his dormitory at No. 7, Lin Ye stared at the ceiling for half the night, pondering.

He had even ventured into the underground tombs of Qingshan, so logically he shouldn't feel any pressure meeting two ordinary elders.

But the ancient tomb wouldn't ask him how much his monthly salary was, nor would it suddenly ask, "When are you planning to get married?"

The next morning, Lin Ye took his leave application to the training area.

Cheng Fang glanced at it.

"Are you asking for leave to go out?"

"right."

"Private arrangements?"

"Um."

Cheng placed it on the tablet and tapped it a few times.

"Approved."

Lin Ye's prepared explanations for the journey suddenly became useless.

"That was so satisfying?"

Cheng Fang looked up at him.

"You haven't had a day off in the first half of the month, so you have one day left to take in lieu of a day off. Group Two also doesn't have any fieldwork assignments these two days, so the training will be postponed by one day."

He handed the tablet back to him.

"Same as always, be back at the team before 10 PM. You cannot leave Beijing, do not remove your wristband, and keep your encrypted phone accessible."

Lin Ye took the tablet.

"Captain Cheng, are you being unusually agreeable today?"

"You can withdraw."

"No, no need."

Lin Ye signed immediately.

"I think this arrangement is very reasonable."

Tang Zhi, who was standing next to her, looked up.

"What do you need two days for?"

"Do a friend a favor."

"Male or female?"

"Is this related to work?"

"no."

Tang Zhi put down the protective gear in her hand, her eyes lighting up.

That's why I want to know.

Xu Mian sat to the side holding the record board and quietly glanced over.

Qin Zhao unscrewed the water bottle, pretending not to care, but his ears were perked up.

Lin Ye mumbled, "I'll buy clothes and get my hair done while I'm at it."

Tang Zhi looked him up and down a few times.

"That's it? You hired two days specifically for this?"

Lin Ye felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"Please inform me in advance if you need to buy clothes or get your hair done."

Tang Zhi clapped her hands.

"You want to meet my parents?"

The training area fell silent for a moment.

Xu Mian stopped writing.

Qin Zhao also raised his eyes.

Lin Ye was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped, and he remained silent for two seconds.

"You used to work in criminal investigation?"

Tang Zhi laughed immediately.

"Are you really meeting the parents? Whose parents are they?"

"A friend."

Qin Zhao said calmly, "Fake boyfriend."

Lin Ye looked at him.

How did you know?

Qin Zhao glanced at him.

"You don't seem like a real boyfriend."

"What aspects of me don't resemble it?"

"It doesn't resemble any of them."

Tang Zhi laughed so hard she lay face down on the table.

Xu Mian lowered her head, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

Lin Ye turned to Cheng Fang.

"Team Leader Cheng, your team members are psychologically attacking a newcomer, and you're not going to do anything about it?"

Cheng Fang put away the training records.

"Private matters should be resolved by oneself."

Finished talking and left.

No one in the entire second group was willing to stand on Lin Ye's side.

At 10 a.m., he arrived at the mall address sent by Lu Zhixia on time.

Lu Zhixia was already waiting for him on the first floor.

She wasn't wearing her usual more formal clothes today; instead, she wore a thin off-white sweater with a dark long skirt, and her hair was loosely tied back.

She's lost that coldness she had when she was working, and she looks much gentler now.

Lin Ye walked over.

Lu Zhixia looked him up and down.

Black training jacket, gray sweatpants, old sneakers, and hair that hadn't been properly trimmed in half a month, with a small messy patch on the forehead.

She remained silent for a few seconds.

Lin Ye felt a little uncomfortable being stared at.

"Teacher Lu, what does that look mean?"

"Assess the workload."

"Very big?"

"It's bigger than I expected."

Lin Ye looked down at himself.

"I think it's alright, at least it's clean."

"Being clean is not enough to meet my parents."

"Then what do we rely on?"

Lu Zhixia turned and walked into the mall.

"First, make yourself look like someone with a proper job."

Lin Ye followed.

"My current job is very legitimate."

Lu Zhixia glanced at the black bracelet on his wrist.

"But I can't say."

Lin Ye remained silent.

At the first store, Lu Zhixia chose a dark suit for him.

Lin Ye changed and stood in front of the mirror for two seconds.

The shop assistant had a big smile on his face.

"The gentleman looks very formal in this suit; he has the air of a true professional."

Lin Ye tugged at his collar.

"Doesn't it look like someone selling insurance?"

Lu Zhixia looked at it carefully for a few seconds.

"picture."

The shop assistant almost couldn't keep up the smile.

The second outfit was too light-colored, and Lin Ye shook his head as soon as he put it on.

"This won't work."

Lu Zhixia asked, "What's wrong?"

"Looks too young."

"You're not that old to begin with."

"I've been going through a lot lately."

Lu Zhixia looked at him.

"Being weathered doesn't mean you have to dress like an old man who has retired early."

Finally, she chose a dark gray short jacket, paired with a white shirt and tailored black trousers.

Lin Ye changed and came out, standing in front of the mirror, and calmed himself down first.

It's not as formal as a suit, nor as casual as training clothes.

The two weeks of training didn't completely transform him, but it did correct his previously loose posture considerably. His shoulders and back straightened, and although his hair was still messy, he looked much more energetic.

He was already quite good-looking.

Really.

I just didn't have much money before, and I didn't care about my clothes. I would wear the same coat for several seasons, wearing whatever was cheap and durable.

He has the air of an emperor.

Now that he's changed his clothes, even he feels a little unfamiliar with them.

"Is this me?"

Lu Zhixia stood behind him.

"It's you."

"How come I didn't know I could dress like this?"

"Because you used to be lazy."

"What I used to call 'simple'"

"What you used to do was called being casual."

Lin Ye looked in the mirror again.

"Teacher Lu, is it so hard to give a compliment?"

Lu Zhixia's gaze lingered on him for a few seconds.

"It looks pretty good."

Lin Ye had only asked the question casually.

Upon actually hearing those words, I paused for a moment.

Lu Zhixia had already lowered her head to straighten his cuffs.

"It's a little longer here."

She was very close.

My fingers brushed lightly across his wrist, touching the edge of the black bracelet.

Lin Ye looked down at her.

From this angle, you can see her drooping eyelashes and a strand of hair that wasn't tied up properly by her ear.

Lu Zhixia looked up.

"Don't move."

Lin Ye did not move as expected.

She tucked the cuffs in a little and straightened his shirt collar.

The movements were taken too seriously.

Lin Ye looked at it for a while, then suddenly said, "I didn't expect Teacher Lu to be so good at picking out clothes."

"What kind of person am I in your eyes?"

"They can appraise antiques, read documents, and even use their eyes to make people admit their mistakes."

"When did I ever make someone mistake me for someone else?"

"You don't need to say anything."

Lin Ye said, "One look is enough."

Lu Zhixia looked up at him.

Lin Ye immediately added, "Like now."

She ignored him and handed the clothes to the shop assistant.

Lin Ye paused when he saw the price tag.

"Did they add an extra zero to the price?"

"no."

"It's just one meal, is it really necessary to buy something so expensive?"

"You can wear it again later."

"I usually wear training clothes."

There will always be times when you need to meet people.

Lu Zhixia took out her phone to pay.

Lin Ye reached out and blocked it.

"I'll do it myself."

"I asked you for help."

"That doesn't mean you have to pay for everything."

The two remained locked in a stalemate for a few seconds.

Finally, Lu Zhixia put her phone away.

"You pay for the clothes, I'll pay for the haircut."

Why?

"I requested the hairstyle change."

Lin Ye felt that this logic was a bit forced.

If I continue to compete with Lu Zhixia, the final result will probably be the same.

"OK."

He took out his phone to pay the bill.

"I recently learned something."

"What?"

"Don't argue with the people who make the rules."

That's how Cheng Fang is.

Lu Zhixia seems to be the same way.

After buying the clothes, the two went to the hair salon upstairs.

The hairdresser looked at Lin Ye's hair and said it didn't need major changes, just a trim to shorten it and bring out the outline.

Lin Ye sat down in the chair.

"Don't make it too complicated, I don't have time to maintain it every day."

Lu Zhixia sat next to him, flipping through magazines.

"He doesn't know how to take care of it."

The barber chuckled, "Your girlfriend knows you pretty well."

The air fell silent for a moment.

Lin Ye looked at Lu Zhixia in the mirror.

She looked up, and their eyes met in the mirror.

Lu Zhixia did not explain.

Lin Ye didn't explain either.

The barber lowered his head and continued cutting hair, clearly taking their silence as consent.

Halfway through cutting, Lin Ye opened his mouth.

"I'm still in my internship."

The barber didn't understand.

"What?"

"fine."

Lu Zhixia put down the magazine.

"Speak less."

"receive."

After her hair was fixed, Lin Ye stood in front of the mirror for a while.

The hairstyle wasn't anything too extravagant; it was just that the messy edges were trimmed and the hair in front was cut short to reveal the eyebrows and eyes.

Wearing the clothes I just bought, I looked clean and neat.

It's like he's become a completely different person.

It just finally revealed its original form.

Lin Ye touched his hair.

"Am I getting the short end of the stick?"

Lu Zhixia asked, "What did you lose?"

"If I had known I was this handsome, I should have made money off my looks before."

You're overthinking it.

"Who just said it looked good?"

"The clothes are nice."

Lin Ye noticed that Lu Zhixia seemed to be in a good mood today.

She wouldn't normally be so patient as to chatter with him.

In the afternoon, the two found a quiet coffee shop on the top floor of the mall.

Lu Zhixia took a folded piece of paper out of her bag and pushed it in front of Lin Ye.

There are more than a dozen items listed above.

Birthday, food preferences, daily habits, parents' jobs and personalities.

Below that are the dates when the two met, when they started dating, and the location of their first date.

Lin Ye finished reading and looked up.

"A fake boyfriend needs to take a closed-book exam?"

"My dad will ask."

Lin Ye leaned back in his chair.

"That sounds like a warning of danger."

Lu Zhixia tapped the piece of paper.

"Make a note of it first."

The location where the two met doesn't need to be made up.

It's in Qingcheng.

As for when they officially became a couple, it says it was a month ago.

"A month ago, we weren't in the same city."

"Long distance".

"They asked me what I did for a living?"

"It's related to the safety of cultural relics. I was just transferred to the capital, so the specifics are confidential."

This doesn't count as lying.

Lin Ye continued reading.

"Our first date, in Qingcheng Old Street?"

"We did go there together."

Lin Ye nodded.

"It's well-reasoned and based on evidence, a mix of truth and fiction, which is definitely more reliable than making things up on the spot."

He quickly remembered Lu Zhixia's birthday.

As I read on, I realized that even though I've known her for so long, I never knew she liked osmanthus-flavored desserts, hated noisy places, and occasionally fed stray cats.

"The last one? How come I didn't know that?"

There are many things you don't know.

"for example?"

Lu Zhixia picked up her coffee.

"For example, I'm not as boring as you think."

Lin Ye looked at her.

"I don't find you boring."

Lu Zhixia raised her eyes slightly.

Lin Ye lowered his head and continued reading the paper.

"I just feel that your lifestyle is quite regular."

"You were just about to say it was old-fashioned."

"no."

"You paused."

I'm organizing my thoughts.

Lu Zhixia took the paper away.

"Begin the inspection."

She asked several questions in a row, and Lin Ye answered them all correctly.

Until she asked, "What's my least favorite food?"

"coriander?"

"I'll eat it."

"Animal offal?"

"Occasionally."

"Something too sweet?"

"That's the flavor, not the specific food."

Lin Ye glanced at the paper in her hand.

Lu Zhixia turned the paper over.

"Don't look."

"Teacher Lu, this is beyond the syllabus."

"It's written on the paper."

Lin Ye thought for a long time.

"Durian?"

"Houttuynia cordata".

"I won't eat this either."

"You can say that tomorrow."

"How so?"

"Because I'm not eating, you're not eating either."

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"They do sound like a couple."

He looked at Lu Zhixia.

"Do you remember my birthday and my hobbies?"

Lu Zhixia directly told him his birthday.

He also mentioned what he likes to eat and what he doesn't like, that he drinks coffee without sugar but prefers to buy sweet breakfasts.

Lin Ye's smile slowly faded.

"How do you know so much?"

"Having known each other in Qingcheng for so long, it's not hard to observe."

Lu Zhixia lowered her head and drank her coffee, her expression very natural.

Remembering these things is just a matter of course.

But Lin Ye himself couldn't remember when he had said these things in front of her.

Lu Zhixia put down her cup.

"There are two more questions."

She looked at the black bracelet on Lin Ye's wrist.

"We can't pick this, right?"

"cannot."

"If my parents ask, I'll say it's a health monitoring device issued by my workplace. You've been participating in closed training recently, and your physical data needs to be kept on file."

Lin Ye nodded.

"Reasonable."

"And there are titles."

"What's your name?"

"You can't call me Teacher Lu tomorrow."

"Is her name Lu Zhixia?"

"It's like taking attendance."

Lin Ye tried calling out.

"Zhixia?"

Lu Zhixia's fingers, which were resting on the rim of the cup, paused slightly.

"Can."

Lin Ye called out again.

"Zhi Xia."

Without surnames, there's also the loss of that polite distance.

The way those two words came out of my mouth did feel quite different.

Lu Zhixia lowered her eyes.

"Be natural."

"I think it feels quite natural."

"Like completing a training program."

"I've gotten used to it recently."

Lin Ye looked at her.

Are there any other options?

Lu Zhixia remained silent for a few seconds.

"Sometimes my mom calls me Xiaxia."

Lin Ye's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"so?"

"If you're really pressed, you can call me that."

"Can I try it now?"

Lu Zhixia looked up at him.

"There are no special circumstances at the moment."

Lin Ye smiled and stopped teasing her.

When the two came out of the coffee shop, the mall was already crowded.

The elevator entrance is especially crowded.

Lu Zhixia walked ahead, and several people passed between the two of them. She turned around and grabbed Lin Ye's wrist.

"Don't get separated."

Lin Ye followed.

After walking a few steps, he looked down.

"Zhi Xia."

Lu Zhixia paused slightly.

"What's wrong?"

Couples generally don't hold hands.

She stopped.

People were coming and going, and the mall's loudspeaker was broadcasting promotional activities.

Lu Zhixia glanced at her hands.

It's like I'm only realizing now that this doesn't really seem like something a couple would do.

Her hand slowly moved down.

Her fingertips touched the back of Lin Ye's hand and paused for a moment.

Then she took his hand.

Neither of them spoke immediately.

Her hands were a little cold, and her grip wasn't very natural.

After a few seconds, Lu Zhixia asked, "Like this?"

Lin Ye looked ahead.

"Barely passing."

Lu Zhixia pinched him.

"Then you go by yourself."

Just as she was about to let go, Lin Ye grabbed her hand instead.

His movements were so fast that even he paused for a moment.

"The practice isn't over yet."

Lu Zhixia glanced at him but did not pull her hand back.

The two walked forward hand in hand.

It was a bit awkward at first.

After a while, no one mentioned letting go again.

Lin Ye looked down.

"Teacher Lu."

Lu Zhixia pointed out, "You called it the wrong name."

"Zhi Xia."

"Um."

She responded very softly.

Lin Ye suddenly felt a little confused.

It was clearly just to avoid being exposed tomorrow.

But after holding hands for a long time, even he himself became a little confused about whether this was training or something else.

Lu Zhixia's phone rang at that moment.

The caller ID only displays one character.

mom.

Lin Ye subconsciously loosened his grip a little.

Lu Zhixia did not let go.

She answered the phone.

"mom."

The person on the other end of the phone asked her where she was.

Lu Zhixia turned her head and glanced at Lin Ye.

The two of them were still holding hands.

She paused for half a second, her tone calm.

"I'm with him."