QTIMP -Chapter 12 Character Persona – Greedy (Part 12)

Instead, she opened one of the lunchboxes and took out the buns she had stashed in the space before. Inside the box, the meat and vegetables were perfectly balanced. The long-craved pig’s trotters melted in her mouth—soft, fragrant, and utterly mouthwatering, almost like they could swallow her tongue whole.

Even the braised tofu, potato slices, and seaweed in the mix left a lingering aftertaste. A bun that would normally fill a child’s head was completely devoured by Si Qiu.

If it weren’t for her rebellious stomach, none of the braised meat in that box would have been left. But this extreme sense of satisfaction brought her immense joy, both physically and mentally.

After finishing, she opened the doors and windows, placed the other box on Director Li’s desk, and began tidying up.

Before she could finish, she saw Director Li walk in. Normally, the director didn’t come this early!

Si Qiu called out, holding a cloth, “Good morning, Director!”

Director Li looked startled, her mind caught up in her worries. She nodded slowly at her greeting. “Ah, ah… good, good.”

Looking at Si Qiu’s fair little face, she couldn’t help but sigh. Her own daughter was a year older than this girl—how was it that she still caused so much worry?

“Aunt Li, I got up early this morning and bought some braised foods from the state-run restaurant. I set some aside for you on your desk—you can try them later.”

As she spoke, Director Li opened the door, and the aroma of the braised food wafted out. “Mmm, smells delicious. Did you eat already? If not, eat it in here.”

“Hehe, Aunt Li, I just finished eating.”

“Then come in and chat with me.” She hadn’t eaten in the morning because she was annoyed, and the smell of the braised food made her a bit hungry, but seeing this girl made her want to talk.

“Alright, I’ll pour some water and come over. Should I get two more buns from the cafeteria for you?”

“Sure, here’s money and meal tickets.”

Si Qiu didn’t refuse and took them. After all, it was the police department’s cafeteria—they were just borrowing it for convenience.

The main reason she rarely ate there was that the cooking quality was about the same as her own skills—sometimes she couldn’t finish it.

She brought back a bun just as Director Li finished washing her hands, wiped them, sat behind the desk, and opened the lunchbox.

“Oh! There’s meat and vegetables too—how abundant! Mmm, if my Xiao Xue were this easy to handle, I’d feel fulfilled even if I died right now.”

“Oh, didn’t Sister Xiao Xue say she wanted to repeat a year? She hasn’t come to see me recently—is she studying at home?” Si Qiu wasn’t trying to pry; she could tell Director Li wanted to chat.

“Yes, that’s what we initially agreed on—she’s indeed studying at home. But who would have guessed, in just a few days, she suddenly said she wanted to find a job. Finding a job is fine, though I think if she repeated a year, she would definitely get in. But I’m not that authoritarian. The problem is, I discovered she wants to work because she’s in a relationship and plans to get married.”

At this point, Director Li bit into a bun fiercely, as if trying to chew up Xiao Xue’s boyfriend.

Director Li and her ex-husband were both old revolutionaries. After they separated, her ex remarried a woman 15 years younger than her. Li Qingxue was conceived after the separation, which is why she took her mother’s surname. Li Qingxue also had four older brothers—one died young, one sacrificed, and the remaining two were still in the military.

So Li Qingxue lived with Director Li, and their mother-daughter relationship had always been close. Now all this chaos over a man… no wonder Director Li wanted to chew him up.

“What kind of person is he? How did they meet? How long have they known each other? I’ve never heard her mention him,” Si Qiu asked, curious.

“Sigh, that’s what worries me even more. The boy comes from a rural family with poor living conditions—that’s secondary. The main issue is they’ve only known each other for just over a week, apparently because of a ‘hero saves the beauty’ situation. This child knows nothing and wants to give up her future to marry him—it drives my teeth crazy.”

Her eyes reddened. “I secretly looked at the boy—he’s thin and wears glasses. They say he ‘saved her heroically.’ I even suspected she was being tricked. But when I say this, she accuses me of judging people by a small heart.” Director Li was genuinely upset, tears falling as she quickly wiped them away.

She took the last bite of the bun, closed the lunchbox, and Si Qiu quickly helped wipe the desk.

“And his character…” Si Qiu began but stopped midway. If his character were truly good, he wouldn’t demand Xiao Xue give up her future to marry him.

True care means giving the other person wings to fly together—not clipping them to keep them by your side.

“Character? If he were truly good, could he trick Xiao Xue into skipping the college entrance exam and giving him all her pocket money?”

Director Li grew more agitated as she spoke. Si Qiu quickly poured her half a glass of water.

“Well, like you said, it’s possible she’s being set up! After all, Xiao Xue is beautiful and comes from a good family—marrying her would save him 20 years of effort.”

At this, Director Li laughed. “You’re funny, child… but thinking about it, that’s true.”

“Then investigate properly. If it’s as we suspect, it’ll be easy to deal with.”

“How to deal with it? I’ve already laid it all out for her, but Xiao Xue just doesn’t believe me.” Talking about this, Director Li grew sad again.

After the divorce, she had poured most of her energy into work and her daughter. The older two kids were already grown—they didn’t need her much.

Now the child kept misunderstanding her intentions—it truly broke her heart.

“If he won her heart by a ‘hero saves the beauty’ scenario, we can recreate such a situation so Xiao Xue can see if this man really has the courage and ability. Also, since this man could target Xiao Xue, he must have targeted others before. Collect evidence, and if possible, let Xiao Xue witness his unscrupulous behavior. Better to let her be upset now than suffer in the future.”

At this, Director Li slammed the desk. “Qiu Qiu, you’re right! My second son just came back—let him handle it.”

Now that there was a way to resolve it, Director Li’s mood improved immediately. “It’s hot; the food won’t keep. I’ll take it home for Xiao Xue and her brother to try.”