Chapter 2
It had been about half an hour since the last call ended, but he hadn't taken his eyes off the phone screen. He clicked on the familiar avatar, but the circle of friends was only open for three days, and the cover showed her and that man holding hands. The ups and downs of his forty years were not as annoying as this scene.
The secretary studied her boss's expression, feeling a sense of foreboding that a storm was about to break out. After waiting for a long time, she heard him chuckle, "Your temper hasn't changed at all."
"ah?"
"Nothing. Zhao Liangguo's company can file for bankruptcy now. I'm going to borrow a few people from Shensong Law Firm."
The girl back then was really becoming more and more successful. When he met Chen Huanong, she was still a clever and ambitious girl, with a gleam in her fox eyes, proud and forbearing. She clearly didn't want to toast Zhao Liangguo, but she still took a deep breath, put on a flattering smile and walked forward. There was never a shortage of young and pretty girls at the wine table, but what was lacking was a hot pepper like Chen Huanong who had a certain amount of pride and could lower her head to be both good and evil. Men are all the same in character, and they covet what they can't get. Zhao Liangguo held her wrist and said, "Little girl, if you find the law firm too tiring in the future, you can come to our company as a consultant. The salary and benefits are negotiable." The hot pepper calmly withdrew her wrist, smiling coquettishly and said, "Boss Zhao is really too enthusiastic. Our directors are all here. You can't poach people in front of me. Besides, I'm your company's consultant now."
The 26-year-old girl did not cry, make a fuss or blush when faced with such a thing. Instead, she was able to remain calm and composed, and resolve the situation half-threatening and half-coaxing, which really made him feel enlightened.
Two months ago, Chen Huanong agreed to meet him privately. From the moment they met, the atmosphere was filled with hostility. Now she was a lawyer who didn't need anyone's support. With her aura fully unleashed, she became even more arrogant and domineering. "If you hurt him one point, I will hurt myself three points. If you hurt him five points, I will hurt myself seven points. If you hurt him seven points, I will hurt myself ten points. But every time I hurt someone, you must follow suit. That's how you show your love for me, right?"
He'd also considered that if his little girl could find someone more doting than he was, he could let her go. A real relationship between them would inevitably be fraught with controversy, and he couldn't bear to see her caught up in public opinion. This little girl, whom he'd held so close to his heart, had chosen someone even more indifferent than she was. He'd watched her lonely and arduous climb to the top, believing that soon, the coldness of human feelings and the hardships of life would bring her back. He'd waited for five years, until his patience ran out.
His past with Chen Huanong was neither a secret nor a secret. Even if it wasn't a secret, few people knew about it. Those who knew the truth didn't dare to speak out for his sake. All he had to do was let it slip so others would have the courage to gossip about it. Within two weeks of Tang Chengting hearing this rumor, he had already mailed the divorce agreement to Shen Song. He wasn't surprised by the outcome, but rather by the other party's speed and decisiveness. This fact also made him realize how much Chen Huanong held in Tang Chengting's heart, and he secretly hoped that Chen Huanong herself would also see the situation clearly.
"Hello, who are you looking for? Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist said, her typical professional smile smirking. He was wearing a white suit with a champagne-colored silk shirt underneath. He wasn't wearing a frumpy miniskirt, but rather wide-leg pants with slits down to the calf. He was wearing gradient sunglasses, a bold yet restrained look, fashionable yet appropriate. The receptionist finally remembered Chen Huanong, the lawyer at Shensong who appeared every Friday night on the local legal public channel. "Lawyer Chen, right? Are you here today to discuss bankruptcy reorganization with the Legal Department?"
"No," Chen Huanong took off his sunglasses and signed his name on the visitor registration, "I'm looking for Mr. Zhao."
"Which Mr. Zhao?"
"Zhao Liangguo's company is about to go bankrupt. Which Mr. Zhao is still here? What's the matter? Zhao Liangqi is also going to step down?" The receptionist was so frightened that her smile froze. However, the instigator was indifferent and walked straight towards the elevator dedicated to high-rise buildings.
Zhao Liangqi hadn't expected Chen Huanong to come so quietly. He was already preparing to leave for Zhao Liangguo's factory when he received the call from the front desk. He immediately notified his secretary to change his schedule and postponed his lunch. Just as he had finished explaining the situation, Chen Huanong appeared in his office. She had the same cold expression as he remembered, a look of anger.
"What does Mr. Zhao want?"
"Come back to me, he's not the right one for you."
"He's not suitable for me, but you, a divorced and widowed old man, are the right one for me?"
"Huahua, if he's sincere to you, I won't mention this matter again."
"Mr. Zhao, I think you got one thing wrong. He didn't choose me, I chose him." So even if he has a thousand faults and feels uncomfortable, I will not let go. He just wants to stay by my side. Even if this person has never loved me, that is my choice.
After Chen Huanong left, Zhao Liangqi began to reminisce about their past. From the moment he met Chen Huanong, he thought he had a good eye for people. Chen Huanong was beautiful, intelligent, young, ambitious, good at managing herself, and very good at judging the situation. She was not beautiful in the sense of a vase, but like a living flower, living a beautiful life that was also refreshing. Chen Huanong's attraction to him was undoubtedly the most uncontrollable thing in his life, and ultimately he had no control over it.
Chen Huanong was alone in this city, with no one to rely on. He was less than thirty years old, but with financial power in his hands, he was just the right person for her. He seemingly unintentionally blocked her drink at the table, quietly introduced her to clients at work, and let Xu Huaisong crack some inappropriate jokes. It was natural for Chen Huanong to be by his side, and she, Chen Huanong, just went along with it. Chen Huanong's intelligence pleased him, and he praised her abilities. Zhao Liangqi liked to associate with smart people, and he doted on Chen Huanong more and more, to the point of crossing the line.
He forgot his identity, but someone did not forget that when his wife met Chen Huanong as Mrs. Zhao, he was far away abroad on vacation with his son. What happened that day, no one knew except the two parties involved. When he came back, Chen Huanong was no longer in the apartment. She had cleared the apartment of all traces of her presence, not even a hair was left. But Chen Huanong did not block him, but answered his call as usual, and began with a respectful greeting, "Hello, Mr. Zhao." Zhao Liangqi suddenly felt a little flustered. He thought Chen Huanong was no different from those who were obsessed with getting promoted. On that day, he suddenly realized that perhaps he had not really understood this person.
Xu Huaisong knew the general situation. Half a month later, he called to inform him that all cooperation with the Zhao family had been transferred to other people. Zhao Liangguo was constantly making small moves behind the scenes, intending to suppress him. Chen Huanong's request was that Mr. Zhao should not interfere. Without Zhao Liangqi's support, Chen Huanong was like a fledgling with broken wings, constrained by many obstacles. He acquiesced to Zhao Liangguo's small moves, and in a sense, he was even suspected of fueling the flames. He secretly wondered how much pressure the girl would have to endure to return to his side.
The young woman didn't live up to his wish. More than a year later, she announced her marriage. Rumors circulated that the wedding was very low-key, that the Chen family elders didn't particularly like their son-in-law, that they'd been childless for several years, and that their marriage was in name only... Every once in a while, his secretary would casually report some information about Chen Huanong. He and his first wife had agreed to a divorce four years earlier, with the child going to their mother and half of their property. He wasn't an unfeeling person. His first wife had been a college classmate of his, sharing joys and sorrows for over a decade, and he wouldn't give her anything less than what she deserved. Before Chen Huanong, he'd never done anything out of line, nor had he considered divorce. After Chen Huanong, he felt guilty, and a thought lingered in his heart. Looking back, there was no way back. Divorce became the best way to make amends.
He had never seen Chen Huanong hold on to something so sharply and stubbornly. Based on his understanding of Chen Huanong, the divorce agreement was delivered to Chen Huanong almost in a public manner. With everyone in Shensong knowing about it, for someone as proud as Chen Huanong, divorce was definitely a foregone conclusion.
This analysis wasn't just Zhao Liangqi's. When Tang Chengting approached Zhang Xingyan to discuss divorce, Zhang Xingyan patted his chest and said, "Your wife is a very proud person. If you do this, it's like slapping her in the face. With her temper, not only will she divorce you, but she'll make you lose everything."
"Not really. Huanong is a kind person."
"Oh my God, Tang Chengting, you can't be so protective of your wife. You know what our colleagues say about her. If you say this to others, you will be beaten."
"How do you rate it?"
"There are all sorts of theories, but the bottom line is that he's a greedy person who will do anything for money."
Tang Chengting put down his wine glass and turned to Zhang Xingyan, "Does that violate the law?"
"Of course not, at least not from what we've seen on the surface. She specializes in criminal cases, and you know how complex they are. The distinction between guilt and innocence is so subtle. She's always been quite tricky in her handling of cases, so the procuratorate is always troubled by her. But she's been much more restrained in the past two years, and has started specializing in large-scale civil cases."
"Then your assessment is not accurate. She is simply exercising her right to be a lawyer."
"Is this the attitude a person getting a divorce should have? I heard you went to pick her up a few days ago?" Zhang Xingyan felt that he was getting more and more confused about Tang Chengting. Five years ago, Tang Chengting suddenly got married to Chen Huanong, which shocked everyone. No one expected that Chen Huanong could still win Tang Chengting after all these years. After all, it was very difficult to be friendly with Tang Chengting and get along with him for a long time. Speaking of this, Zhang Xingyan still admired Chen Huanong very much. At the beginning, they were all speculating how long their marriage would last. They speculated about divorce every year, but it never happened. When everyone thought that they were almost stable, Tang Chengting asked him to draft a divorce agreement. "I'm really curious, what is your reason for divorce? Did Chen Huanong cheat on you? That's impossible. If she lost her infatuation with you, she should have just abandoned you."
"Hasn't my divorce always been what you expected? Why are you asking so many questions?"
Just as Qin Huai looked down on Tang Chengting, Zhang Xingyan disapproved of Chen Huanong and Tang Chengting being together. Although Tang Chengting was awkward and difficult to get along with, he was also very frank, but Chen Huanong was different. Zhang Xingyan had seen Chen Huanong in her innocent days, so he could naturally judge the Chen Huanong of today. His earliest memory of Chen Huanong was probably the first day they were assigned to classes. She sat in the seat behind Tang Chengting, half of her body slumped over the table, while a boy tugged at her ponytail and swung her around. After a minute or so, Chen Huanong slowly straightened up, a harmless smile on her chubby face. Then she quickly picked up an Oxford dictionary and smashed it into the boy's stomach. The two of them quarreled like elementary school students for a long time, while Tang Chengting rolled his eyes in disgust. In the years that followed, Chen Huanong was always a playful little chubby girl, innocent and carefree, except for the occasional tears brought to her eyes by Tang Chengting.
Chen Huanong, who reappeared with Tang Chengting, was a completely different person. She toasted everyone with a smile, acting appropriately and knowing how to relax and show some composure. She gave Tang Chengting enough respect without feeling inferior. Zhang Xingyan, watching from the side, saw a deep smile and aloofness in her eyes. She was clearly an insider, yet an outsider. In short, she was hypocritical.
"I always feel that Chen Huanong is too dull and calm now. It makes me feel like she has no heart. You've lived with her for such a long time, don't you think she's very different now?"
Tang Chengting fell into silence. What was Chen Huanong like in the past? It was so long ago that he couldn't remember clearly. A young girl in her early twenties cried to him because of her emotional intelligence, and he was obviously fed up with it but still patiently comforted her; she participated in various club activities and social gatherings all day long, and was impetuous wherever she went, and never wanted to restrain her temper; she naggled to him about the trivialities of life every day, and even if he despised her, she would still come forward with a flattering face. He used to joke that Chen Huanong should be more reserved, because there are no girls as proactive as you. At that time, Chen Huanong stiffened his neck and said, "It depends on the person. If you are taciturn and I am silent, then there is no hope for us." He continued to reply rudely, "You are a chatterbox and there is no hope for us." Chen Huanong said without showing any weakness, "One should be content with what one has, Tang Chengting, I am the only one who can tolerate someone like you." He rolled his eyes several times to express his disdain. How could Tang Chengting, who had always been raised at the top of the pyramid, look down on Chen Huanong, who in his eyes was noisy and unambitious? He not only wanted distant places and poetry, but also a bright future. He privately believed that Chen Huanong could not catch up with him, and he had no intention of stopping.
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