"Shen Ting, was I too impulsive just now? Should I have spoken out during your discussion?"

After the other two left, Chu Yuan stood in front of Shen Xizhou's desk, head down, fidgeting with her fingers nervously.

Shen Xizhou had just sat down when he heard this and hummed in response. He swiveled his chair to face her, slightly raising his handsome face. "Why do you say that?"

Chu Yuan didn't look at him, staring down at the ground. "...I feel like Judge Zhu is quite angry. Won't this affect your relationship? If it makes it difficult to carry out our work in the future because of me, then I've made a big mistake!"

She admitted that her words were somewhat harsh, but when faced with the rational and self-possessed Shen Xizhou, only gentleness could overcome rigidity.

Tea Girl's innocent and naive nature is often the best way to break through his strong defenses.

Sure enough, Shen Xizhou stretched out his hand, secretly clenched his fist, and braced himself against the edge of the table. "What are you worrying about? Don't underestimate yourself. When we were your age, we were nothing either."

You are still young, and your future holds endless possibilities.

Besides, Judge Zhu wouldn't be so petty. He's often driven to anger by his own daughter. You're about the same age as her daughter, so why would he really hold a grudge against you?

Shen Xizhou's eyes and expressions were full of the tolerance and understanding that an elder has for a younger generation.

It seems that the person with such a big daughter is not Judge Zhu, but him.

Chu Yuan was speechless for a moment, then spoke softly, "Shen Ting, do you think I'm very young?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Xizhou raised his thick, slanted eyebrows slightly, as if to say, "Isn't this obvious?"

"Shen Ting, I'm not young anymore. Have you forgotten? I'm divorced." Chu Yuan didn't want to emphasize such a sad thing, but if she was always a junior in Shen Xizhou's eyes, how could she have children with him and complete her mission?

As a result, Wen Xu from Shenxi Prefecture said with a serious expression, "Divorce is just the least important social identity for you, and it has nothing to do with your age."

I should have told you before, let's leave the bad past behind and look forward.

Judge Li's suggestion today is correct. What you need to do now is not to dwell on the past, but to work hard.

I'll buy you a course later and register you for the bar exam. Then you can focus all your extra time on studying.

Shen Xizhou didn't know why he felt a little flustered. Could it be because of the little girl's overly affectionate gaze when she looked at him?

It made his heart race for no reason, feeling even more intense than when he was speaking to a 500-person conference with a thousand pairs of eyes staring at him.

He unconsciously looked away, avoiding Chu Yuan's wet, deer-like, clear, yet incredibly pitiful gaze.

Chu Yuan's lips moved slightly, then she suddenly turned to the side, as if she had been scolded and was crying, raising her hand to wipe her eyes.

This action, seen by Shen Xizhou, made him even more at a loss.

Was my tone too harsh?

But he didn't seem to say anything overly harsh.

It's just to make her more aware, cherish her youth, and not waste her energy on meaningless things.

Even if it's for him, it's the same.

Thinking this, Shen Xizhou suddenly got up, intending to open the door and send Chu Yuan out.

But as soon as he stood up and took two steps, a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

"Why are you deliberately creating distance between us? Judge Shen, actually... a large part of the reason I came to work as a judge and as a court clerk is because of you. I think I might have fallen for you."

Buzzing—

A string of firecrackers exploded in Shen Xizhou's mind!

His body was as stiff as a piece of wood.

Reaching out to pull Chu Yuan's hand away, reason, like a caged beast unleashed, made his scalp tingle. Instinctively, he rushed over and flung open the door. "Get out. I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said."

His gaze was fixed straight ahead, offering Chu Yuan no tenderness or room for maneuver.

But no one knew how shocked he was, how his barely suppressed impulse and joy were bursting forth.

But he couldn't.

The little girl was grateful to him, seeing him as a lifeline in her time of crisis. This was just a feeling of gratitude, and she was simply too young to understand.

She had no idea what she would have to give up by saying "I like you" to such a mature man.

She was just like a child, unable to resist liking colorful candies. To her, he was no different from the candy she longed for but could not have, which would soon be replaced by something else.

So when Chu Yuan called out to him softly, tears streaming down her face, Shen Xizhou closed his eyes and said in a cold voice for the second time, "Get out, leave my office, or I will immediately transfer you out of this department!"

Chu Yuan, "..."

You win.

Although I was angry that the wooden stake was indeed clueless, I had expected it, so it wasn't too hard to accept.

That's perfectly normal!

If Shen Xizhou were so easy to win over, the original owner wouldn't have been afraid to tell him she liked him until her death in her second life.

She's definitely better than the original owner; she's already taken the first step, so how far can the rest be?

"Okay, I can go."

Chu Yuan straightened her back, her long, white neck as proud and stubborn as a swan's. "However, Judge Shen, what I just said wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing; I was serious."

You say marital status has nothing to do with age, but I think love has nothing to do with age.

I like you because I like your calm and reliable nature, unlike Zhu Jicheng who only talks and doesn't take any real action.

Although I haven't known you for long, the time I've spent with you has made me feel cared for in every way, and I enjoy and am immersed in this relationship.

I'm 22 years old, I'm not a child anymore, I know what I want.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!