14. I heard that the Chu laws are quite elaborate!

Xiao Yu and Mu Jia met at a bar in the city center.

The bar has just opened, with tasteful decor and a considerable size. It's closed to the public tonight, reserved for a semi-private party among friends.

As soon as she entered, she heard a cacophony of voices and music. Everywhere she looked, there were men and women dressed in bright red and green, their hair flowing and fragrant, creating a lively scene.

Perfect timing, she needed a bit of excitement tonight.

Before she could even look around, Xiao Yu came up to her and led her to the bar to get a drink.

A young man came over to greet them, and Xiao Yu introduced him to the two of them, saying that the man was the owner of the bar and also his good friend from his time studying abroad.

Mu Jia was initially surprised. Although she knew he usually made many friends, she really didn't expect that he would have so many friends in Pinghai.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the boss asked her with a smile for her contact information, and she smiled back and readily handed over her phone.

Then Xiao Yu introduced her to a group of new friends.

After chatting and laughing for a while, and downing several cocktails, Mu Jia took her glass and went up to the rooftop on the second floor.

There are many bars, Western restaurants and other entertainment venues in the area. The second floor has a good view, allowing you to catch a glimpse of the brightly lit corner of the city center.

Sherry with ice has a smoother texture, and one sip brings a refreshing coolness that soothes every part of your body.

Just then, in the cool night breeze, someone suddenly stood beside her.

The next second, a suit jacket, smelling of perfume, was gently draped over her shoulders.

Xiao Yu looked at her and suddenly smiled slyly.

"why are you laughing?"

"Do your family think you don't drink much?" He noticed last night that there was juice in her glass during dinner.

Mu Jia looked at him, paused for a moment, not expecting him to have seen through her, and then laughed, "Yes, they think I'm still a delicate flower in a greenhouse who can only drink juice."

Those who do her kind of work are said to be project managers stationed in other locations.

But in reality, over 90% of jobs in the world are essentially just sales. Therefore, she's always accompanied clients, both domestic and international, and over the years, she's developed a considerable alcohol tolerance.

"How was the dog walk this afternoon?" Xiao Yu suddenly asked again.

"It's fine." Mu Jia appeared nonchalant, but her heart suddenly skipped a beat as she recalled some inexplicably chaotic events from the afternoon. She instinctively changed the subject, "Are you really going to stay in Pinghai for a while?"

“Yes.” The young man nodded casually. “I’ve already booked a long-term hotel in Golden Bay, not far from your home.”

Mu Jia glanced at him; he certainly had money and could do whatever he wanted.

"You're not going back because of things at home?" She hesitated for a moment before asking.

The man put down his glass and looked at her with some surprise. They had become very close over the past six months, but he had only mentioned his family situation to her briefly.

Half-siblings, power struggles, secrets of a wealthy family... When a family business grows big, it's all just a bunch of trivial matters, sordid and annoying, there's really nothing to talk about.

But what Mu Jia wanted to say wasn't those things. Through a faint scent of wine, he heard her say, "I think that many times, what traps us isn't the situation itself, but our emotions."

He looked at her, and seeing her smile, he continued, "So Pinghai is fine too. As long as you're happy and at ease, it doesn't matter where you are."

Xiao Yu continued to stare at her. Mu Jia was just like that: bright but not scorching; intimate but without losing her sense of boundaries; insightful but without making people feel insincere.

He suddenly realized that she seemed to be wearing only light makeup tonight. He had long noticed that when she wore light makeup or no makeup at all, her natural features were more prominent, and she always looked more vibrant.

Of course, she looks good when she's wearing makeup too.

Just like when he first met her.

That time, it was also in a bar abroad. She was alone, and several foreign men came over to chat her up. She didn't seem to care much and just casually responded to a few words.

Suddenly someone handed him a lit cigarette.

Xiao Yu noticed that she was staring at the smoke, and her beautiful brows furrowed slightly.

I figured it was because the little girl didn't know how to smoke. I was about to step in to help her out when I saw her take the cigarette and take a light puff.

The white mist rose slowly, as if it had come to life in an instant, making the girl's small face appear vivid and hazy.

Yet it possesses a captivating allure of extreme contrast.

Then, she smiled, a smoke drifting onto the other person's face as she exhaled. She said in Spanish, "Gracias, pero dejame en paz, por fa." (Thank you, but please allow me some peace and quiet.)

“Jiajia,” Xiao Yu suddenly put down his wine and looked at her, “has anyone ever told you that you’re very self-centered?”

Mu Jia's eyes widened slightly as she looked at him.

Seeing the man smile, she explained, "It's not the self-centered self, but the self that is insightful and carefree, the self that understands itself very well."

He was right. Among her acquaintances and friends, she often heard people describe her as having a "high sense of self-worth, strong sense of agency, and clear-headed self-consistency."

Furthermore, these comments are usually made by girls, and they are often accompanied by varying degrees of envy.

But Mu Jia's pupils widened slightly, and she tilted her head. "Really?"

She had to admit that although similar words were not unfamiliar, it was still a strange feeling to be told that she was self-centered by this unrestrained playboy.

The young man nodded firmly.

"It probably depends on the situation and the person you're dealing with."

"What do you mean by 'depending on the situation and the object'?"

"It's nothing." Mu Jia smiled, then turned the conversation to him, "Has anyone ever told you that you're good at providing emotional value?"

"Yes," Xiao Yu answered directly, his smiling eyes looking at her again, "You too."

“Alright! To the value of emotions!” Mu Jia raised her glass and clinked it with his.

After the first session ended, it was not yet ten o'clock, and Xiao Yu naturally invited her to the second session.

She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head: "No, I have a meeting with the project team in Mexico first thing tomorrow morning."

"Jiajia," Xiao Yu looked at her with a hint of helplessness, "Aren't you pushing yourself a little too hard?"

Seeing that the girl opposite him didn't say anything, but just gave him a noncommittal pout, he realized that she was not saying anything.

But he had to admit that when they were discussing cooperation, whenever a problem arose, she would not say a word and would just keep her head down and solve the problem, just like that fleeting glimpse of her in the smoke when they first met.

It's just as captivating.

Lu Siming waited for Chu Chiyi downstairs at the law firm.

The clock in the lobby had already passed nine o'clock in the evening when the other party finally arrived.

"Old Chu!"

Chu Chiyi met his gaze, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He glanced at the manila envelope in Chu Chiyi's hand and asked, "Wasn't this contract something you were supposed to leave at the front desk?"

Lu Siming didn't reply, but just laughed and scolded, "Where did you go this afternoon? You didn't answer my calls! Ke'er asked me to ask you when you're free to meet her colleague. You're not doing this on purpose just to avoid a blind date, are you?"

Chu Chiyi's eyes flashed for a rare moment, then returned to normal. "No, I went out to meet a client this afternoon."

"Hey, Attorney Chu!" Lu Siming said, speechless. "It's the weekend!"

"Really?" Chu Chiyi glanced at him, unconcerned. "It's true they worked overtime, but I didn't ask them to come; it was Teacher Han. Besides, our department's rule has always been that if you work overtime on the weekend, you can apply for compensatory time off at any time next week, and I will always approve it."

"Oh, it seems I misunderstood you, Chu Lu." Lu Siming hooked his neck and continued to tease, "So you're not a skinflint, are you?"

"What?"

When his gaze met Chu Chiyi's, Lu Siming suddenly hesitated for some reason.

He scrutinized the man's expression, but his mind couldn't help but recall some "earth-shattering revelations" he had heard here a few hours earlier.

He was about to hand the documents to the front desk when he heard several girls chatting and swiping their employee badges to clock out.

"I never imagined that a big firm like Liheng would have such an exploitative overtime culture..." The girl's voice sounded very young, probably a junior assistant lawyer or intern who had just started working.

Lu Siming had no intention of eavesdropping on other people's gossip, but when he unexpectedly heard a familiar name, he couldn't help but pause and keep his ears open.

The next second, the girl suddenly sighed, "But come to think of it, every time I see Chu Lu walking by from afar, I feel like this class doesn't seem so agonizing anymore..."

Lu Siming paused for a moment, when he suddenly heard the teasing and joking voices of several other young women.

"Oh my, look at you, acting like a little fangirl!"

"No, don't you guys really think Lawyer Chu is exceptionally handsome? Sometimes I even think it's a bit of a waste for him to be a lawyer, given his looks..."

"That's true! He was the one who interviewed me, and the first time I saw him, I was absolutely horrified! How could a law firm have such a beauty?!"

Lu Siming listened for a few more minutes, but didn't hear anything particularly interesting, so he withdrew his attention and prepared to put down the documents and leave.

Just then, someone suddenly shoved a big piece of melon into his mouth. "Chu Lu is good, but haven't you heard? He's quite the womanizer. I heard he changes girlfriends every few days."

"What?! Really?!"

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