I want you in my future.

Life remained largely the same as before, with the only noticeable change being that Wen Dai was subtly avoiding Chen Sizhe.

Fate seemed to be on her side, and for a long time there were no legal cases that needed to be handled. Chen Sizhe became completely absorbed in his legal career, and it seemed that everyone had returned to the life before they started working together.

They were never from the same world, and they weren't on the same path.

Wen Dai, sprawled on the sofa, stared blankly at the ceiling, occasionally tearing off bits of bread from the bread she held in her hand with her teeth.

As Qian Yan gradually emerged from her grief, she was no longer the same as before. She washed the clothes and hung them out to dry, then returned and sat down beside Wen Dai. She glanced at the bread Wen Dai was holding and her lecturing instincts kicked in: "Eat less of this kind of bread. It's full of sugar, which is bad for your health and skin. What are you thinking about?"

Wen Dai didn't take the lecture seriously. When the last question came up, she trembled her eyelashes a few times and opened her mouth blankly: "A woman with no education and not much money and a man with money, good looks, education and talent, are not a good match, right? The former did not graduate from high school and can only show her a junior high school diploma. The latter is a returnee from overseas and has reached a position that others would have to sit in at the age of thirty or forty at a young age."

Qian Yan straightened her posture, adopting the posture of a listener, and gazed intently into Wen Dai's eyes. After Wen Dai finished speaking, she said softly, "You mean Mr. Chen, right?"

She paused, her instinctive urge to deny it was forcefully stopped by Wen Dai, and she nodded.

Qian Yan smiled gently, her crow's feet crinkling at the corners of her eyes. Although the wrinkles on her cheeks remained, they exuded a mature gentleness, making Wen Dai realize at that moment that the years she had lived longer than her had not been wasted.

"In my opinion, you're no less than Mr. Chen in any way. I didn't say it out loud, but I've always thought you two are a perfect match. Girl, besides not being able to compare with him in terms of education and family background, is there anything else you lack compared to him?"

Wen Dai knew that Qian Yan's purpose was to guide her to find her own strengths and regain her confidence, but after thinking for a moment, she humbly said, "I may not be as good-looking as him."

“Appearance is the least important thing. As long as you’re not extremely ugly, and you have compatible personalities and similar material conditions, that’s enough. Besides, you’re so beautiful—you and Mr. Chen are a perfect match.” Qian Yan encouraged her patiently.

After a brief pause, her lips parted hesitantly and said, "Besides, it's not that you don't want a higher education. If your family hadn't had that accident when you were young, you would have been a perfect match for Mr. Chen, and you wouldn't have ended up without even a high school diploma."

"But there are many other people in this world who don't have the privileged family background I had when I was a child. Some come from ordinary families, or even poorer ones, but they also face their own life's calamities. The present outcome is what truly matters; the past is the past."

Wen Dai scratched her hair, then put the bread into her mouth again. As she chewed, her brows furrowed unconsciously.

Looking at the person leaning back on the sofa, frowning in deep thought, Qian Yan's gaze drifted from Wen Dai's pretty face, her heart filled with doubt, wondering how such a beautiful girl could not be interested in her.

She reached out and gently patted Wen Dai's thigh, sighing:

"Hey, girl, why are you so conflicted? The most important thing in a relationship is that two people like each other. If two people don't like each other, then it's okay to worry about things that are beyond your control. Living together definitely depends on a combination of factors, but character and personality are often very important factors. In my opinion, you're already good enough."

Qian Yan's words of comfort had no effect on Wen Dai. She continued to try every means to avoid Chen Sizhe, even refusing invitations from Chen Wenkang and Qi Ya to visit her home. All their WeChat communications were related to official business. Their next meeting was during a court hearing.

Autumn has finally arrived, though the temperature is still like summer.

Chen Sizhe picked her up from the courthouse, and the eerie silence they shared in the car continued outside.

"You've been very busy lately?" It was Chen Sizhe who broke the silence, which was quite strange.

For some reason, Wen Dai gradually became too embarrassed to look Chen Sizhe in the eye. Feeling awkward, she hugged her arm and fidgeted with it. She turned her face away and looked around, then chuckled dryly and said, "If I were really busy, I would often ask you to help me with cases. Lately, I've only had some small things to deal with, so I'm not that busy. You're the one who's really busy, aren't you? You've been busy with your law firm's affairs, haven't you?"

He simply responded with an "Mm".

The bickering of the past has now turned into awkward and superficial small talk.

On their way to the courthouse, the two men were preoccupied with their own thoughts, while He Shaoyang, Cui Lin, and Qian Yan chatted leisurely.

The suspects didn't even get a chance to flee abroad. In court, Wen Dai finally saw the people who had hurt her parents.

The men were all overweight to varying degrees, and the bald patches on their heads seemed to be a standard feature. The air of materialism they had cultivated still remained despite their long-term supervision, but their dark circles and lifeless eyes revealed the psychological torment they had endured.

The opposing defense lawyer's purpose was clearly not to clear their name, after all, the evidence was conclusive and complete. Although they tried to help those people reduce their punishment, with a lawyer like Chen Sizhe who was known for his sharp tongue, it was hopeless.

Throughout the entire process, Wen Dai maintained a stable emotional state. With Chen Sizhe as her agent, she indeed had nothing to worry about.

China adopts a two-instance final judgment system, but in cases like this, it's likely these people won't have the opportunity to appeal for a reversal of the verdict.

"Qian Fei is suspected of intentional homicide... Peng Zheng is suspected of embezzlement and abuse of power..."

Even the judicial personnel from that time did not escape trial for the crime of bending the law for personal gain. Sun Ping and Qian Fei were sentenced to death, while Long Fangqi and Peng Zheng were both sentenced to life imprisonment. He Shaoyang, however, performed meritorious service to atone for his crime, and it was a major meritorious service. Although he also could not escape legal punishment, he was granted medical parole because he was seriously ill and about to die.

In fact, Wen Dai had already prepared for a long battle. After all, it was not impossible for those people to want to request a retrial to buy time. Even if they fell from power, their connections would not. So she was quite surprised when they did not show any inclination to appeal again.

As she walked out of the courthouse, the invisible burden on her shoulders and back vanished, but what remained empty was her heart.

Qian Yan smiled and looked at her.

The sun was bright today, shining goldenly across the world, as if to dispel the remaining darkness.

Before leaving, Qian Yan had already packed her luggage. She never had much stuff. She had emptyed her bags earlier than Wen Dai, when Qian Tong passed away.

Chen Sizhe helped Qian Yan take the luggage out of the trunk and hand it to her. Qian Yan guarded her luggage, her shoulders slumped under the weight of the bags. Her eyes, which had been dimmed by the sunlight, looked at Wen Dai, and the smile on her face was still there.

"Girl, you'll have to take good care of yourself from now on when you're living alone. I just helped you get rid of that bad eating habit, so don't let it recur. Your parents are watching over you, and they'll be worried about you."

"It's time to part ways. I wish you all the best, and may you be safe and happy in the future." The simplest of words. Qian Yan dragged her things back a few steps. She seemed not to see the tears in Wen Dai's eyes, or perhaps her own eyes were also filled with tears, making them blurry.

Wen Dai followed Qian Yan a few steps forward, took out a talisman from her pocket and stuffed it into Qian Yan's hand. She lowered her head and spoke with guilt and reluctance in her tone: "I have nothing to give you, and I don't have anything with me... I also want to wish you peace and happiness, Sister Qian Yan, I wish you can live your own life." The sob in her voice could not be hidden, and both she and Qian Yan could hear and feel it.

But no one pointed it out.

Separation always brings tears.

After seeing Qian Yan off and bidding farewell to Cui Lin, only she and Chen Sizhe remained in the same spot.

In court, those people were fined a considerable amount, and Chen Sizhe also tried his best to get compensation from them for Wen Dai, even though Wen Dai did not ask him for it.

"What are your plans for the future?" He asked as he walked slowly alongside her toward the car.

“That’s settled then… I plan to renovate the house in Changhai District first. I can’t bear to sell the house I’m living in now in Feng’an District. I’ve lived here for many years, and it records my growth.” She pretended to be relieved, swinging her arms and raising her chin as she walked alongside him.

People who are too independent are particularly good at holding back tears, but there are always people who are good at tearing away their disguise.

Wen Dai's hand, which reached for the passenger door, was caught by Chen Sizhe. She instinctively raised her head, but in the next instant, she fell into a fragrant embrace.

The temperature was still summer, hot and stuffy. An embrace should have resulted in suffocation, but Wen Dai, nestled in Chen Sizhe's arms, inexplicably felt oxygen—oxygen even more abundant than before the embrace.

He said, "Cry if you want to."

Tears were already falling, but Wen Dai still forced a smile and said, "What? Are you going to comfort me again as a business partner? I really have to thank you, my partner, for being so dedicated, even providing me with clothes to wipe my tears and snot. Don't make me pay for it if it gets on you..."

"I won't make you pay."

He abruptly cut off her joke, his voice low and slow, yet serious: "I'm not comforting you as a business partner or collaborator, but as Chen Sizhe."

Her cheek was pressed against his chest, his heart pounding violently, making her dazed and unsure of who was causing her this flutter of the heart.

Chen Sizhe took a deep breath, his Adam's apple bobbing, while Wen Dai, in his arms, seemed to notice something and slowly raised her head.

As their eyes met, he whispered, "I'm the one who's secretly in love, and I'm also the one with ulterior motives; so, would you... be willing to be with me?"

In the past, to relax, I read a lot of romance novels. Wen Dai always thought that the phrase "fireworks exploded in my brain" was a nonsensical metaphor. Only now does she realize that it is not a metaphor at all, but a clear description of reality.

She raised her hand and placed it on Chen Sizhe's chest, took two steps back from his embrace, stared into his eyes trying to find any clues that he had played her, and asked with a doubtful tone, "Are you confessing your feelings? Chen Sizhe, you're not trying to set me up, are you?"

What was her pounding heart telling her? Wen Dai didn't want to understand too much; perhaps she should keep some nitroglycerin pills at home.

The panic in her eyes was too obvious, but Chen Sizhe did not give her a chance to escape; he chased after her as she retreated.

Approaching step by step, Chen Sizhe stood before her, bending down. Finally, Wen Dai no longer had to look up and had to face his nostrils.

She had never spoken her true feelings aloud before, such as how beautiful his eyes were. Wen Dai couldn't help but swallow, hoping the person in front of her wouldn't notice.

“It’s a confession, I like you. It’s not a trap.” He stared into her eyes, uttering each word almost slowly and deliberately, his deep voice softening her heart. “Wen Dai, I like you, I want to be with you. Marriage isn’t the ultimate goal; the goal is—I want you in my future.”

Is this really something a man nearing thirty who has never been in a relationship would say? For the first time, Wen Dai questioned the information she had sensed.

The sun was still blazing, but Wen Dai felt her heart burning even hotter. She prepared an answer in her chest, but her stomach churned first—

"Coo coo—"

Perhaps because they had spent so much time together, Wen Dai had truly lost the ability to be shy about her physical needs in front of him. She touched her stomach, her face showing no embarrassment, but just a slightly silly smile. "I'm hungry. How about we go get something to eat first and then talk about this?"

The location of the confession was indeed unusually bizarre, especially the entrance to the courthouse. Chen Sizhe probably realized this as well, pursed his lips, reached out to open the car door for Wen Dai and watched her get in before going around to the driver's seat.

Wen Dai keenly noticed that since he confessed his feelings, his attitude had completely changed. Now, he not only knew to open the car door for her, but he would also use his palm to block the top of the car when she got in.

Sure enough, what a dog of a man. He'll only stop being a dog when he wants to be a man.

Chen Sizhe, who was now a driver again, was unaware that the person next to him was secretly criticizing him. He drove to an elegant restaurant. When Wen Dai learned that Chen Sizhe had made an appointment, she realized that his confession was probably all set. As for Dongfeng, wasn't she Dongfeng?

The private room was separated from the main restaurant. The brightly colored roses, prepared by the restaurant, were eye-catching. There were so many that Wen Dai couldn't count them all, because she watched as the waiter brought over such a huge bouquet.

Most of the dishes served were to her liking... she realized it too late.