Déjame mirarte a los ojos

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Let me look at you

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Chapter One: Han Shu's Mirror

Han Shu's ideal scenario is this: a leisurely morning, waking up naturally in his own bed, stretching his limbs, sipping a homemade lemon tea, and enjoying a honeycomb cake from the old-fashioned bakery on the corner downstairs—that's the perfect breakfast. He can even catch up on the news while eating. Music is optional, but his favorite tune will always be playing on his player. Before leaving, he'll change into his favorite slightly worn casual clothes for a date he's looking forward to but not too excited about. He'll open the door to find the weather neither sunny nor rainy, neither cold nor hot, with a clear sky, fresh air, and ideally a slight breeze. All the work and life issues will have been perfectly resolved, and he can do what he wants when he gets home in the evening, without having to rush to work the next day…

At this moment, he stood near the flowerbed in Times Square, the commercial district of G City. Everything was perfect, though not quite reaching his ideal, but not far off. Besides the weather and his favorite team winning the game, there were countless other reasons to be in high spirits. Yesterday, Friday, he won his case in court. The notoriously cunning defendant finally faced justice. Even the chief prosecutor said he had indeed won brilliantly, maintaining his record of the highest win rate in the Chengnan District People's Procuratorate over the past ten years. This could be seen as a perfect ending to his work experience in Chengnan District, because according to reliable sources, his promotion order had officially reached the Municipal Procuratorate, and a further advancement in his career was a certainty.

Last night, Han Shu's colleagues and friends celebrated with him, and the four of them drank four bottles of vodka. Surprisingly, he didn't have a headache when he woke up this morning. The weather was as good as he had hoped, with nothing to complain about. Even when he parked his car in the underground parking lot of the square, he found the perfect spot. So, although his girlfriend was twenty-five minutes late, it wasn't enough to dampen his good mood.

Four or five young women, who looked like college students, walked past him, chattering and laughing, their eyes constantly glancing at him. Han Shu looked up and returned their smiles, but the girls blushed with embarrassment and ran away, pushing and shoving each other. He hummed a song that only he could hear, one hand in his pocket, the other casually picking at the faded azalea blossoms in the flowerbed. These flowers didn't fall off naturally after they faded; they withered and remained on the branches, consuming the plant's nutrients and detracting from its ornamental value.

Just as he picked the seventeenth flower, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Han Shu's good mood, like a mirror, cracked for the first time under this heavy blow.

Han Shu took a few deep breaths, turned around, and sure enough, saw that familiar smiling face. He originally wanted to say, "I prefer saying 'Hi' to Iron Palm as a greeting." But after thinking about it, he decided against it and just smiled and said, "You finally arrived. I don't know who said on the phone that the person who arrives late has to treat everyone to dinner."

Zhu Xiaobei, with an air of magnanimity, stood on tiptoe, hooked his arm around Han Shu's shoulder, and said, "What's a dinner invitation? We're like brothers, aren't we? Sorry, I was delayed while changing clothes. Did you keep me waiting?"

Han Shu clearly felt a little awkward with Zhu Xiaobei's arm around his shoulder. He coughed, moved his shoulder slightly, and broke free from her grasp, saying as she wished, "It didn't take long."

Zhu Xiaobei had been waiting for these words. She never liked people who were late, and since she was late today, she felt quite guilty. So she successfully shed her guilt and said, "I knew you wouldn't be here long."

“Yes, it’s only thirty-seven minutes. Usually, thirty-seven minutes is enough time for me to finish a twentyprofessional report, and if I’m quick, I can even finish a court hearing. Of course, waiting for you is only fair…” Han Shu looked at Zhu Xiaobei’s dejected expression with a half-smile, his gaze inadvertently shifting downwards until he finally saw her attire clearly. Han Shu’s mirror shattered with a loud crash, revealing an even deeper crack. “You, you… Zhu Xiaobei, what are you wearing!”

No wonder he was surprised. Zhu Xiaobei, who usually dressed in a neutral and casual style, was wearing a skirt today, which was unusual for her. Fine, a skirt is a skirt, a skirt can show a woman's gentleness, but, but! Her black striped blazer and matching pencil skirt, along with her black stiletto heels, made Han Shu have to use a lot of effort to control his somewhat distorted expression.

"Is there a problem?" Zhu Xiaobei tugged at her skirt awkwardly, seemingly unsure of her unconventional attire. Han Shu and Zhu Xiaobei had known each other for six months and had been dating for two months. When they were together, Han Shu was always impeccably dressed, while Zhu Xiaobei was always in a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Their matchmaker, Zhu Xiaobei's good friend Zheng Wei, had repeatedly reminded Xiaobei privately, "Han Shu is a very particular person, very detail-oriented. Can't you dress up a bit? Don't look like a construction worker next to him." Although Zhu Xiaobei looked herself over and didn't see any resemblance to a construction worker, after several dates, she did realize that her attire was far too casual compared to Han Shu's. Since she had decided to pursue a serious relationship, she felt she needed to consider his feelings, so she took Zheng Wei's advice and wore her only dress to her date with Han Shu this Saturday morning. Because she hadn't worn high heels for many years, it took Zhu Xiaobei twice as long to walk from her dormitory to the bus stop, which was why she was late.

Zhu Xiaobei believed her formal attire was sufficient to demonstrate her sincerity, but Han Shu, standing before her today, wore a striped polo shirt, adorned with a bee motif, jeans, and Vans sneakers. He'd also switched to a sporty watch, carried a large crossbody bag, and even sported black-rimmed glasses. This guy had good looks; nearing thirty, he convincingly dressed as a college student. However, once again, the two of them were utterly mismatched.

"Damn it, why aren't you wearing a suit and tie today?" Zhu Xiaobei felt a surge of frustration.

Han Shu's smile was a little stiff. "Because I usually just got off work or finished court, but today I'm here to go shopping. Also, can you please not say 'damn' in front of me?"

"I swear I'll never wear this shabby outfit again. This is what it means to put in effort for nothing." Zhu Xiaobei said, waving his hand.

Han Shu comforted himself, thinking that she had meant well, and then smiled and patted her shoulder, "Alright, your mother's outfit is not bad."

"Damn, this is mine—"

"I told you not to say that word."

"Hey, Han Shu, you look pretty presentable all over, not bad, not bad."

I took that as a compliment.

"Of course I'm praising you, but I've heard that if a man is too particular, he's probably gay..."

"I have also heard that it refers to the act of deliberately fabricating and spreading fictitious facts to denigrate another person's personality and damage their reputation, which can constitute the crime of defamation. If the circumstances are serious, the offender may be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention, public surveillance, or deprivation of political rights."

The two walked into the mall, chatting away. Han Shu mentioned that he had replaced all the bed sheets at home, and Zhu Xiaobei volunteered to help him choose with her "excellent" eye. This was also the first weekend date for the new couple.

Han Shu met Zhu Xiaobei at the wedding of his former colleague and friend. He was the best man, and Zhu Xiaobei was the bridesmaid—a relationship supposedly most likely to spark a romance. However, Han Shu didn't experience any sparks that day; instead, he broke out in a cold sweat. He had never seen such a fierce female PhD; she was practically a female hooligan. They say refined scoundrels, but Zhu Xiaobei wasn't even remotely refined. At the time, he was engaged, and his only hope was to avoid this ordeal on his own wedding day. Unexpectedly, three months before the wedding, he and his fiancée parted ways. Lin Jing's bride, Zheng Wei, insisted on comforting his wounded heart, and so she proudly introduced Zhu Xiaobei.

Zhu Xiaobei had just returned to G City from Xinjiang. Han Shu had no idea why she had gone so far to pursue her doctorate, or why she had returned before receiving her degree. He didn't refuse this arranged marriage primarily out of boredom, and secondly, because he didn't want to offend Lin Jing and her husband. So, with the attitude that "existence is its own justification," they went out a few times. Unexpectedly, after several encounters, he and Zhu Xiaobei hit it off immediately, practically ready to become sworn brothers.

Zhu Xiaobei may seem a bit roguish and give off a carefree vibe, but she is actually a very sentimental person. She is more open-minded and generous than many girls, and she is also quite sensitive. She is also good-looking. In addition, the two have similar family backgrounds, educational backgrounds, and work conditions, and they both plan to find someone to marry. Therefore, they both feel that the other is a good partner.

So, one day two months ago, Han Shu and Zhu Xiaobei made an appointment to play badminton together. During the break, both of them were covered in sweat. Han Shu handed Zhu Xiaobei some water and said, "I can't take it anymore. I'm going to die if my mom and dad keep nagging me like this."

Zhu Xiaobei scoffed, "What are yours compared to my tigress? At 27, my mother still scolds me in front of everyone, both acquaintances and strangers, for not having a single male mosquito around me, making a complete disgrace to the Zhu family. I feel like dying. I was doing just fine in Xinjiang, but then my mother showed up and gave me two choices: go back to the Northeast or find her a good son-in-law. Without a second thought, I packed my bags and came here. I lied to my mother, saying that men from the South are easy to hook, otherwise she wouldn't let me go..."

Han Shu realized that confiding his misfortunes to Zhu Xiaobei was a complete mistake. She was the type of person who, if you told her "I have a headache," would reply, "A headache is nothing, I have a tumor in my brain." However, besides feeling a pang of sympathy for Han Shu, Zhu Xiaobei's painful memories also sparked a certain inspiration within him. So he smiled slightly and said, "Zhu Xiaobei, how about... I make do for a bit?"

Zhu Xiaobei paused for 0.1 seconds, then patted Han Shu's shoulder forcefully, "Then you'll get off easy."

And so began their "romantic life." Han Shu had been busy with a rather tricky case recently, and Zhu Xiaobei had just become a teaching assistant in the Mechanical Engineering Department of G University. They were both very busy. Their so-called dates were nothing more than going out for dinner together after get off work. The only time they went to see a movie, Han Shu was called away by a business phone call less than five minutes into the movie, leaving Zhu Xiaobei half asleep for the remaining 85 minutes in the theater. Strictly speaking, this Saturday was the first time they had a serious date.

Just as they reached the mall entrance, they heard an argument. Han Shu and Zhu Xiaobei looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged couple arguing. The man was trying to leave, but the woman was clinging to his sleeve, crying and saying, "Where are you going to die? Don't you care about your family?" The argument escalated as they pushed and shoved each other, and they started fighting in public. The man, naturally stronger, nearly pushed the woman to the ground several times, drawing stares from passersby.

"I can't stand it." Zhu Xiaobei was getting angry. She glanced at Han Shu, who remained calm and indifferent, but his hand was tightly gripping hers, clearly subconsciously resisting her meddlesome impulse.

For Han Shu, years of experience in the procuratorate had brought him to witness countless instances of feuding couples who fought like mortal enemies. When he first entered society, he too was fiercely opposed to injustice, unable to bear seeing the vulnerable bullied, and eager to uphold justice. However, his intervention turned the couple's feud into an internal conflict, with the couple uniting to deal with meddling individuals and organizations. The best solution for such situations is to let the people resolve their internal conflicts themselves.

Zhu Xiaobei knew something about Han Shu's thoughts. She told herself, "Why did I have to get involved in this mess?" Just as she stepped into the mall entrance, a crisp "slap" rang out. She turned around abruptly and saw that the man, enraged, had slapped his wife hard across the face. The woman fell sideways like a rag doll.

"Damn! This is outrageous!"

Before Han Shu could speak, Zhu Xiaobei rushed towards the center of the trouble like a rocket launched from Shenzhou VI. She first helped the woman up, and then angrily berated the man, "Have you no shame? Using your wife as a punching bag? What kind of skill is it to bully women? I de

……