Chapter 2

The plane circled several times at an altitude of 10,000 meters before finally landing gracefully on the runway. The landing gear made contact with the ground with a "bang," waking Li Ye from a deep sleep. His soft, short hair was a mess, pressed down by the pillow and eye mask.

She removed her blindfold, rubbed her eyes, and looked at the person next to her with a hazy expression, as if she didn't know where she was.

This project took half a year and was full of twists and turns. In order to speed up the progress, Li Ye personally went to Xining to be stationed on-site and spent several weeks getting all the details sorted out. Yesterday, all the contracts were finally signed.

The client's CEO arrived in Xining the day before yesterday, and the contract was successfully signed yesterday, with everything settled. The CEO was very pleased and, as a reward, announced that everyone would rest in Xining for two days before returning to Haixi, and he also extended a warm invitation to Li Ye to join them.

Li Ye knew she wasn't so lucky; Hai Xi had a lot of things waiting for her. After politely declining the client's offer, she booked a flight for 7 a.m. the next day. She had barely slept a full night in the past two weeks, so as soon as she boarded the plane, she put on an eye mask and desperately tried to catch up on sleep, forgetting all about who was around her, when the plane took off, and where it was.

She slept until she got off the plane. Her seat was by the window, and she had to wait for the passengers in the two rows outside to leave before she could get out. She turned her head, moved her shoulders, and stood up.

The girl sitting next to me was taking her luggage from the overhead rack, and because she wasn't tall enough, she seemed to be struggling. Li Ye, who is 1.79 meters tall, almost bumped into the overhead rack when he stood up, but he easily lifted his arm and took the luggage out for her, gently placing it on his seat.

"Uh, thank you!" This person had been sleeping the whole way, not saying a word, and had a cold demeanor. Turns out, he was quite tall when he stood up. She didn't dare look up at Li Ye and thanked him softly.

"You're welcome, it was nothing." Hearing Li Ye's deep, resonant voice, the girl finally looked up, her face instantly turning red. She thought to herself, "This person has a face that looks like he can't do any other job except be a star. Could I have run into a celebrity?" She racked her brains for familiar stars who often appeared on screen, but she still couldn't remember who this person was.

"Little girl, stop staring at them. You've been looking for a while now, it's time to go," the elderly ladies sitting in the aisle row reminded the little girl with a smile.

Li Ye was used to this situation, but after the old lady said that, he felt a little embarrassed.

"Uh, um, I mean, have you ever acted in any plays?" the little girl asked timidly.

Li Ye flashed her signature smile; more than one person had asked her this question.

"No, being an actor is so difficult, I could never be an actor."

"Are you going to Haixi to visit a friend? I just heard you say something like 'late...what, I'll be back in Haixi soon, wait for me'..."

Li Ye was startled. What you think about during the day, you dream about at night. She never expected to talk in her sleep on the plane and be overheard by a stranger. She suddenly remembered her dream: a pitch-black sky, torrential rain, the piercing sound of engines, and screams coming from nowhere—a hazy, collage-like image appearing in her bizarre dream.

Only that tearful face that haunted her dreams seemed so close.

However, she knew that person was now far away. Even though the distance was so great, even though so many years had passed, the thought still brought a pang of sorrow to her heart, as if a piece of flesh was missing. A piercing pain would instantly travel from her left chest to her brain, making her head buzz.

"Uh, no, I live in Haicheng. Besides, my friends don't live in Haicheng either." As she spoke, she felt a pang of anxiety: Wanyi, I know you will never wait for me again.

After hearing this, the girl took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. "Can I add you on WeChat?"

"Thank you, but I don't add strangers on WeChat." Li Ye said casually with a smile, his refusal straightforward.

Although promoting oneself is part of a lawyer's job, she never adds people on WeChat indiscriminately, and she's not the kind of lawyer who casts a wide net and contacts everyone she meets. Good lawyers have their own standards and requirements.

"Let's go, almost everyone's left. Hurry home and study hard," Li Ye said.

She helped the old lady and the little girl with all their luggage, and because of their delay, almost everyone else had left. Most people were in a hurry, busy making a living, and didn't notice this little incident.

The little girl's wish was not fulfilled, but Li Ye's attitude was gentle and his tone was calm. She was not unhappy, just a little regretful, and reluctantly took her luggage and walked forward.

The old lady had seen it all; she waved her hand dismissively and said, "I'm leaving now, see you again someday!"

Li Ye dragged half a suitcase full of documents and original contracts to the covered bridge. The cold air rushed in from outside, completely waking her up.

She quickly crossed the covered bridge. This time she was lucky; she didn't have to take the miniature train or walk two kilometers. After entering and turning left, she soon arrived at the lobby. The lobby was spacious and bright, bustling with people, and warm as spring.

Once there, Li Ye took out her phone and opened WeChat. A barrage of messages flooded in until the little red dot stopped displaying numbers. Before she could even open it, a call came in, and Xiao Chenyue's name appeared prominently on the screen.

Oh well, what's meant to happen will happen eventually.

"Hello, Ms. Xiao, yes, the plane just landed. I haven't eaten yet, now?" Li Ye was surprised. How did Xiao Chenyue end up in her office?

The person on the other end of the phone continued, "I'm waiting for you at the Japanese restaurant in the office building next door, room number 5. If you don't come, I'll go directly to your office."

That was a high-end Japanese restaurant that Li Ye frequented. The ambiance was elegant, the food exquisite, and even though the prices were higher than at ordinary restaurants, it was always packed with customers. It seemed that Xiao Chenyue had started preparing well in advance to secure a private room at this time.

Li Ye knew her style; this meant that today they had to see the real deal and there was absolutely no room for prevarication.

And that's how Jiang Yu and An Yue witnessed what happened.

"Sit down, Attorney Li. I've already ordered. Is there anything else you'd like to order?" Xiao Chenyue handed the menu to Li Ye.

"I won't order anymore. Mr. Xiao's choice is definitely the best. I won't embarrass myself by making an offer."

The private room wasn't large. Xiao Chenyue sat on the chair with a cold face. Her face was pretty, but her temperament was too sharp and her eyes were too critical, making people overlook her appearance and age.

In reality, she was about the same age as Li Ye, a native of Yuzhou, and came from a family that had been officials for three generations. However, she had no desire to enter the officialdom and went directly to Chengye Group after returning from studying abroad. The founder of Chengye Group was also from Yuzhou. However, she was indeed quite capable, and at a young age, she became the vice president of the group, which was not entirely due to her family background.

"The one-month deadline has passed. What do you have to say?" Xiao Chenyue was used to being arrogant and did not hold back when dealing with Li Ye.

“Mr. Xiao, this isn’t a business deal or a contract negotiation, where you can just sign if the conditions are right.” Li Ye said, both amused and exasperated.

"Haven't you heard what they've been saying about us? Since it's already spread like that, why not just make it true?" Xiao Chenyue said confidently.

Li Ye was inwardly groaning. Xiao Chenyue had been pampered and adored since childhood. Her work style was decisive and efficient, but she was too narrow-minded and unforgiving. She appeared sharp-tongued, mean, and arrogant, which made her lawyers avoid her whenever they saw her.

“President Xiao, we are all women. Your family is a prominent family in Yuzhou, and you are an only child. It’s not easy to explain this to us.” Li Ye said helplessly, even resorting to feudal traditions.

"I don't care about all that, I just want one word from you."

No one had ever made Xiao Chenyue wait so long. She hated dragging things out. Her past relationships, whether with men or women, were always clean and efficient. But with Li Ye, things had become so drawn out and unclear.

“Mr. Xiao, you have to think about me. I have a group of lawyers working for me. If someone finds something wrong with them and complains to Director Xiao, we’ll all be out of a job.”

Like drinking water, only the person drinking knows whether it's hot or cold. Xiao Chenyue's life has been too smooth; she simply couldn't imagine the concerns and struggles of others. Of course, the main reason is that Li Ye doesn't like her. If that weren't considered, Li Ye wouldn't be single now.

"Don't bring this up every time. You haven't even taken the first step, how do you know what will happen next? You have to give me an answer today, otherwise we're not friends anymore." Xiao Chenyue was also angry. She had already given Li Ye enough face, didn't this man appreciate it at all?

"Mr. Xiao, relationships aren't business transactions; you can't just say it or not. Otherwise, you can decide what to do." Li Ye was also angry, abandoning her usual gentle demeanor. She hadn't said anything even after being harassed for so long, but if Xiao Chenyue were a man, the evidence of this sexual harassment would be enough for a whole case file.

Li Ye was expecting Xiao Chenyue's furious outburst, but to his surprise, she remained silent. This puzzled Li Ye greatly.

"I understand. You mean this is unrequited love on my part, and you don't like me at all?"

Li Ye was utterly shocked. "Which eye of yours saw that I like you?!" Perhaps in Xiao Chenyue's eyes, no one in the world disliked her. A million thoughts raced through her mind.

"It's okay, we've found the crux of the problem. I'll make you fall in love with me. Let's eat first." Xiao Chenyue wasn't worried at all. She was determined that Li Ye would fall in love with her; it was just a matter of time.

Li Ye had thought he would have to say goodbye to Chengye Group after today, but he didn't expect this outcome. It's fine though; since Xiao Chenyue is confident and she won't lose clients, why not?

She had been busy since early this morning and hadn't had a hot meal yet. She was really hungry, so she picked up her chopsticks and started eating without any hesitation.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Chenyue revealed a rare smile. She liked Li Ye's clean, straightforward, and unpretentious style. Besides, who wouldn't want to have dinner with someone so good-looking?

After that conversation ended, the two discussed some business matters. Xiao Chenyue asked Li Ye about the legal issues surrounding the establishment of the new subsidiary, and Li Ye patiently answered her questions. Judging solely from business matters, Li Ye felt that Xiao Chenyue was reliable and competent.

In short, the meal turned out much better than Li Ye had expected.