"Is it still about the divorce case?"

"Um."

"Are you free now? Where should we go for dinner?"

When he asked me, I remembered that we had made plans to have lunch yesterday.

"Or, whichever is more convenient?"

He chuckled, "Okay, the usual place then."

The nearest, familiar spot is the rooftop garden across from my company.

After hanging up the phone, I quickly tidied myself up.

I didn't sleep well last night, and my complexion is a bit dull, with particularly noticeable dark circles under my eyes.

I could only quickly put on some light makeup to make myself look a little more presentable before rushing out the door.

This time, I finally arrived before Su Shenglin.

To save time, I took pictures of several meal packages and sent them to him so he could choose one; I would order first.

I sat in my usual spot, and Su Shenglin saw me as soon as he arrived.

As he approached, the waiter brought over a set meal.

"See, timing is everything. You can sit down and eat right away," I said with a smile.

Su Shenglin smiled gently and praised, "You made excellent arrangements."

The waiter put down the set meal, and I reached out and pushed his portion over a bit to straighten it.

"What happened to your hand?" he suddenly asked, his smile instantly vanishing.

I was taken aback when I saw the bruise on the back of my hand. I quickly withdrew my hand and hid it in my sleeve. "It's nothing. Let's eat."

I don't want him to know what happened last night.

But he's already seen it, so he's not so easily fooled anymore.

"Hold out your hand, let me see." He became slightly serious, gestured with one hand towards me, and his tone changed.

That undeniably powerful aura made my hands, hidden under the table, involuntarily curl up.

"It's really nothing, I just accidentally bumped into it when I closed the door last night." I was still trying to cover it up.

But he simply got up, walked across the small square table between us, and sat down next to me.

I was startled and quickly moved aside to make way.

Without saying a word, Su Shenglin grabbed my hand, pulled it out and looked at it. His brows furrowed and his eyes darkened.

“What about the other hand?” he asked, looking at me.

I swallowed hard and had no choice but to reach out with my other hand.

He held my hand, and as our bodies touched, my heart pounded wildly.

"Can closing a door injure both hands at the same time?" Su Shenglin seemed oblivious to my odd behavior, and asked in a deep voice with suspicion.

Since I couldn't hide it any longer, I had no choice but to tell the truth: "Gu Yanqing drank too much last night and came to see me. We got into a fight, and it ended up at the police station..."

"He attacked you?" Su Shenglin's face darkened with anger, and his tone carried a dangerous undertone.

I didn't know what I was thinking at that moment, so I remained silent for a moment and then nodded.

There's a kind of mentality that's like a little girl who's been bullied outside, but keeps trying to be strong until someone comes along and she finally dares to show her hurt and fear.

I looked at him longingly, thinking that I shouldn't cause him any trouble, but also hoping that he might be able to help me get out of this misery as soon as possible.

Sure enough, after I nodded, his expression instantly became more serious. He then took out his phone, looked through his contacts, and asked me, "When is your divorce hearing?"

"Thursday," I answered, then suddenly my mind snapped back to reality.

"Su Shenglin!" I quickly pressed down his hand, shook my head with a slight frown, "Don't interfere in this matter. Gu Yanqing already suspects that there's something between you and me. If you get involved and he finds out, it will damage your reputation."

He turned to look at me, his deep, captivating eyes scrutinizing me. After a moment, he asked, "Are you afraid of what others will think about us?"

"..." My heart pounded even harder, and I was so flustered that I didn't dare to look at him.

What does that mean?

Is it about time to break through that barrier?

My face was burning hot, and my mind was a complete mess. I forced myself to calm down for several seconds before saying, "Your family background and status are special. Don't get involved in this kind of scandal. Otherwise, it will not only affect your reputation but also implicate your Su family."

I cannot bear such a responsibility, and I would feel even more ashamed of Madam Su's kindness.

Su Shenglin's expression softened slightly, and his tone became gentler: "You're overthinking it. This little thing won't affect me."

"No, it's better to be careful." I withdrew my hand from his arm, turned to look at the food on the table, and smiled. "Let's eat first, it'll get cold soon."

Su Shenglin stared at me, but did not get up to leave.

After a moment, he spoke again: "Jiang Wan, I—"

"Hey, this steak is really good, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, you should try it!" I interrupted him the moment he opened his mouth, afraid that he would reveal his feelings directly.

Su Shenglin's expression changed, and he fell silent.

He's so smart, he must know what I meant by interrupting him.

Some things are best left unsaid; saying them out loud will only make things awkward for both parties and strain the relationship.