Chapter 65 Coincidence is not a dream, he really came.
The continuous rain for over a week finally seemed to stop in the middle of the night, and the sky cleared up.
The sun, which had been holding back for too long, was now free from the obstruction of dark clouds and poured down with intense heat, drying the moisture off the asphalt road and the plane tree leaves.
At ten o'clock in the morning, the sun was high in the sky, and people were coming and going on the street. However, the Manye Art Studio, which always opened very early, was dark inside with its lights off.
The inner room was quiet, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner. A ray of sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains and fell on the small bed beside it.
Through the tiny dust particles floating in the air, a person was curled up on the bed, motionless, sleeping soundly.
"—Wait, why is this door locked from the outside?"
A sound came from outside the gate, followed by a clanging sound from the U-lock and the doorknob.
The visitor took out a key, unlocked the door, and entered, muttering softly, "Didn't Tingbao stay in the studio last night?...
"...Huh? Why is the air conditioner still on? Listen, baby—?"
The person in bed was finally startled by the shouts. They stretched out a hand from under the covers, slowly pulled back the blankets, and revealed a face still half asleep.
"Tingbao?" Jiang Chu opened the door to the inner room, poked her head out, and said in surprise, "Hey, you're here?"
".....Hmm?" Mu Tingyu could barely open her eyes and responded in a daze.
"Still asleep?" Jiang Chu pushed the door open and walked in. "Why was the front door locked from the outside? Did you come in through the back door?"
"..." Mu Tingyu lay on the bed for two seconds, half asleep, then suddenly sat up abruptly. "...Huh?"
"What? Are you still half asleep?"
"......."
With her hair disheveled, Mu Tingyu subconsciously looked around.
Jiang Chu asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"
Her throat was incredibly dry from the hangover, and Mu Tingyu opened her mouth, her voice hoarse: "...What time is it now?"
“It’s past ten o’clock, isn’t it?” Jiang Chu sat down by her bedside. “Hey, did you drink last night? I saw two bottles on the table, and one of them isn’t finished yet.”
"I drank it."
Mu Tingyu subconsciously agreed, staring blankly at her pajamas and the water glass on the bedside table.
last night......
She did drink last night, but... she seemed to have a dream too...
That dream was so real, so real, that she's still a little dazed.
In her dream, she was sitting at the door crying when Xing Ze suddenly appeared in front of her. He looked at her horribly grotesque crying face, then carried her into the room, poured her hot water, changed her into overnight sleeping pants, and then put her in pajamas. After that, he held her and rubbed her stomach until she fell asleep.
She even went on a drunken rampage in her dream, clinging to him and refusing to let go, almost hanging on him, and kissing his face with saliva; she can still recall that feeling now.
“............”
She threw off the covers and got out of bed. She got up too suddenly and her steps were unsteady. She staggered after taking two steps.
"Hey, slow down!" Jiang Chu said worriedly, helping her up. "How much did you drink? A bottle and a half?"
"More or less..."
She casually agreed, walked to the door, and looked out at the clean floor and neatly arranged easels.
"........"
How could she remember that there were paintings she had knocked down and an empty wine bottle scattered here?
Her heart was pounding. Fighting off her hangover headache, she quickly grabbed Jiang Chu and asked, "You...you just said the door was locked from the outside?"
“Yes,” Jiang Chu said, “The U-lock is on the outside. Did you know you couldn’t get up, so you locked it on the outside?”
"......."
It's not a dream.
Mu Tingyu told herself this in her heart.
Her heartbeat gradually quickened until it vibrated in her ears, making a loud rumbling sound.
—It wasn't a dream, Xing Ze really came!
The moment she realized it, she suddenly trembled.
Where are the others? Have they left?
She hurried outside and looked through the glass of the gate. The black car that she remembered across the street was gone, and the area under the lush sycamore trees was empty.
"......."
"What's wrong?" Jiang Chu, who had been supporting her all the way, noticed her pale face and quickly asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Mu Tingyu was breathing rapidly, her lips were pale, and she subconsciously shook her head.
"Why did you drink so much? Now you're the one feeling unwell. Wait, I'll go make you some hangover soup. Luckily, there are two pears in the fridge."
Jiang Chu let go of her, then turned and went into the small kitchen, still grumbling.
Mu Tingyu paints day and night, and when inspiration strikes, she can sit for three days straight, so she often stays here. The outer studio is used for visits and receptions, while the inner room is a room with a toilet and a kitchen.
The kitchen is long and narrow, only big enough for one person to stand in, but it's enough for Mu Tingyu to cook for herself, and she always keeps some ingredients on hand.
"Huh—?" Jiang Chu's voice rang out from the kitchen.
She called out in confusion, "Tingbao, why is something cooking in the pot?"
"......."
Mu Tingyu was feeling dizzy and disoriented. Upon hearing this, she seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly walked into the kitchen.
Jiang Chuzheng lifted the pot lid to look, then lowered his head to sniff: "Hey, isn't this hangover soup? When did you cook it? It's still warm, just right to drink."
"......."
Mu Tingyu stood blankly at the door.
Jiang Chu was busy ladling soup into bowls and didn't notice anything unusual about her.
As she ladled the soup, she commented, "Where did you find this hangover soup recipe? Why did you put in ginger and lemon? How can it taste good?"
...It definitely won't taste good.
As Mu Tingyu pondered this, she slowly took the bowl Jiang Chu handed her, picked up the spoon, and scooped a mouthful into her mouth.
The spicy and slightly sour taste spread in my mouth, the flavor was a bit strange, and it also had a familiar, faint sweetness of honey.
As expected... it doesn't taste good at all.
Her nose tingled, and tears instantly fell into the bowl, splashing up tiny droplets.
Jiang Chu was shocked: "What happened? Did you cry because it tasted so bad? Oh dear, don't drink it anymore. Throw this culinary disaster away, I'll cook you something new..."
"No need." Mu Tingyu wiped away her tears, her voice slightly nasal. "I'll just drink this."
Under Jiang Chu's bewildered gaze, she slowly finished the bowl of soup, sip by sip.
......
-
......
With a click, the conference room door opened, and a group of people walked out.
The leaders were older, dressed in simple Zhongshan suits. One of them turned his head and spoke to a tall young man next to him. Behind them followed a group of young people carrying notebooks and pens, yet maintaining a respectful distance.
The middle-aged man who was speaking with his head turned to the side waved his hand behind him halfway through his sentence: "Xiao Meng, come here."
Someone in the crowd immediately responded and stepped forward.
"This is one of the more efficient kids I work with," the man said with a smile. "Xiao Xing, you can mentor him and let him learn something."
The young man named Xiao Meng immediately bowed slightly: "Hello, Teacher Xing, I am Meng Yu."
Hello. Xing Ze.
Meng Yu grasped the outstretched hand with some trepidation.
The middle-aged man smiled and patted Xing Ze on the shoulder: "You've become much more composed since you came back, which is a good thing."
Xing Ze lowered his eyes and said calmly, "Teacher Fu, I'm sorry to have troubled you."
"We've become too distant," the middle-aged man joked. "Didn't we used to call him Uncle Fu?"
“Now that you have the title, you're perfectly qualified to be called ‘teacher,’” another person chimed in with a laugh. “Besides, wasn’t Xiao Xing trained by you?”
The middle-aged man laughed heartily: "More than that! I watched him grow up."
"Xiao Xing looks so haggard. Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Xing Ze replied, "I went to bed a little late."
“Young man, don’t overwork yourself. Health is the most important thing. We old guys are just waiting for you to step up so we can retire.” One of them smiled and winked at him.
The leaders also laughed.
Xing Ze nodded in agreement.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself." The only middle-aged woman with short hair in the middle patted him. "That accident wasn't your fault. You took too much responsibility. That old guy Xing Fangbai always puts you down. Don't listen to him too much. It's good that you're willing to come back."
"Yes, Aunt Cui."
"Look at you, you're acting like you're not close to me anymore. Why do you call Cui Ping 'Aunt Cui'?"
"Ha ha ha ha......"
The group walked forward laughing, while Meng Yu stood still and watched them leave.
Only after they had completely disappeared did the group of young people dare to surround them.
"Hey, Senior Brother Meng, what was that accident Professor Cui was talking about?" a bold boy asked quietly.
Meng Yu shook his head: "Let's not discuss these things in the courtyard."
He pursed his lips, and someone who knew the story leaned over and whispered to him, "You remember the gymnasium collapse at Hangzhou No. 12 Middle School that year?"
"Huh? The one where more than a dozen students died..."
"Shh! Be quiet." The man interrupted him nervously, "Just that."
"But... wasn't that because the construction company was operating illegally and in violation of regulations?"
"There was nothing we could do. Teacher Xing was in charge overall. It caused quite a stir back then. Many parents held up banners at the school gate demanding an explanation. In the end, the administrative office had to step in to calm things down..."
The young man frowned: "Isn't this an undeserved disaster...?"
"Sigh. Someone always has to bear the pressure. In the end, the construction company was also sentenced very harshly; they said they hired lawyers from Tiancheng..."
"Alright, that's enough with the brief conversation." Meng Yu stood behind them with his arms crossed, urging them calmly, "Are the blueprints all finished?"
The two boys shrank back, quickly responded, and hurried towards the office.
......
-
......
There was a knocking sound at the door.
Xing Ze sat at his desk, took off his glasses wearily, and rubbed his temples.
"Enter."
Meng Yu pushed open the door, took the blueprints in his hand, walked to the desk, and handed them over somewhat nervously.
"Professor Xing, please take a look."
Xing Ze reached out and took it. Meng Yu stood at his desk, secretly glancing at the newly appointed leader.
The man in front of me was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows. His face was expressionless, and he always had a serious and focused look.
"That's what a naturally gifted player is like," Meng Yu thought to himself.
I spend almost every day in the hospital from morning till night, sometimes even working overtime until midnight. I have no idea what the word "tired" means; I work even harder than the interns who are at the bottom of the rankings.
For someone of his rank, there's really no need for him to be like this, but he's strict with others and just as strict with himself. He's been out of the workforce for so many years and probably hasn't had the chance to get involved in anything professional, but his adaptability is incredibly strong. He's only been back at the institute for a few days, and what he's produced is already something that I'm willing to call "teacher."
It can't compare.
But today, he seemed unusually tired, as if he hadn't slept all night.
Xing Ze casually rested one hand on the desk, while examining a piece of paper in the other. After reading it, he circled a few marks on it with a pen and handed it back to the person in front of him.
"Make more changes. Ask me if you don't understand anything."
Meng Yu quickly responded, took the sketch, and studied the red circles. He was about to speak.
Suddenly, the phone lying to the side vibrated, the screen lit up, and it displayed "Chen Jiadong".
Meng Yu glanced at it accidentally, then quickly looked away and said tactfully, "Teacher Xing, I'll come back later."
"Um."
The office door closed, and Xing Ze reached out to answer the phone.
A lazy voice came from the other end of the phone: "I've sent the information to your email."
His furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and as he stood up and walked to the French windows, he replied, "Okay, thank you for your hard work."
"—Hey, all you said was 'thank you for your hard work'? Where's my pay?"
He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the glass curtain wall of the building across the street: "Which bottle do you want?"
"You really want me to choose?" Chen Jiadong thought for a moment and then casually said, "I won't ask for too much... I think that bottle of '85 Romanée-Conti looks pretty good, what do you think?"
"......."
Xing Ze said without changing his expression, "The old man took that bottle, and there's another one from 2004."
"?"
Chen Jiadong said disdainfully, "Do you think I believe that?"
"Didn't you tell me to pick whatever I wanted? In the end, I still couldn't bear to part with any of them."
"......."
"Fine, 04 it is, 04 is fine."
He knew when to stop, chuckled, and then suddenly spoke mysteriously, "Hey, since you've been so agreeable, I found you a little extra. Why don't you... open it and take a look now?"
Xing Ze raised an eyebrow, walked back to the table, stood up, bent down, opened his email on the computer, and then opened the latest email.
"How about it?"
"........"
After watching for a while, the person on the other end finally spoke, "Wasn't it amazing?"
Xing Ze's brows furrowed, and he stared at the screen without saying a word.
—The document prominently displayed a news report about a major multi-vehicle collision on an elevated highway.
Chen Jiadong's voice came through the receiver: "When I was investigating, I was wondering why the car would suddenly go out of control. The report said the road was slippery, but it clearly didn't rain that day, so what was there to make it slippery? I was a little suspicious and asked Duan Cheng for the case file. Hey, let me tell you, these old case files are really hard to find... Luckily, I found something."
"Other fluids were accidentally mixed into the brake fluid, causing the brakes to fail..." He sneered, "Wouldn't it be obvious if we compared fingerprints?"
"......."
“The previous cases… I guess they bribed people or something, they were very sloppy in their work.” Chen Jiadong sighed. “The statute of limitations hasn’t expired yet, so we should be able to keep her under control for decades. As for whether to keep her under control until she dies, that’s up to you.”
“…” Xing Ze said in a deep voice, “Thank you, Jia Dong.”
"Come over for drinks tonight," Chen Jiadong laughed. "Duan Cheng has been a great help; he's been asking to see you."
Xing Ze straightened up, looked up and sighed, and said, "...Not tonight."
"Are you busy again? Don't push yourself too hard, I'm telling you..."
“No,” he said indifferently, “Go back to sleep.”
Chen Jiadong: "...Huh?"
"I didn't sleep a wink last night."
Chen Jiadong: "...?"
"She wasn't feeling well, so I spent the whole night comforting her."
Chen Jiadong: "...Tsk."
Upon hearing the resentful "Get out!" from the phone, Xing Ze's brows finally relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
Chen Jiadong gritted his teeth: "They've made up so quickly??"
"not yet."
"...So what are you guys doing? What kind of romantic game are you playing?" Chen Jiadong got angrier and angrier. "Damn it, I've been working so hard to help you and I still have to eat your dog food? Don't you have any public spirit? Where's your manners? Where's your conscience?!"
Xing Ze smiled but remained silent. Then he heard him ask, "So what's your situation now? What are you waiting for if you don't make up?"
"No rush, let's wait until everything is settled." Xing Ze pressed his temples with his hand. "Otherwise, she'll keep thinking about running away."
"—Ha, looks like she doesn't trust you much either," Chen Jiadong said coolly. "What kind of boyfriend are you? You don't give her any sense of security at all?"
"......."
Chen Jiadong finally turned the tables and became spirited: "I heard from Xing En that she gave you 20,000 yuan and ran away overnight. Tsk tsk, the girl is really pitiful. She already has a hard time making a living, and she has to pay you money to date her... And you, how can you even ask her for 20,000 yuan? That's too stingy!"
“…” Xing Ze said coldly, “Hang up.”
Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Chen Jiadong burst into laughter, happily swirling his chair around.
Suddenly there was a knock on the office door. He forced himself to look presentable and cleared his throat: "Come in."
"Lawyer Chen."
He looked up, somewhat surprised: "Huh? Jiayun? What brings you here? Aren't you usually very busy?"
Jiang Jiayun, still holding the door open, got straight to the point: "There's a case that's a bit complicated, and I'd like to ask for your help."
Chen Jiadong raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "What case?"
Jiang Jiayun stepped aside, revealing the person behind her.
As he led the people inside, he introduced them, "This is Xiao Liao's junior. Her situation is a bit special, and the case involves many aspects, but overall it is still relatively easy to handle."
The girl who entered was wearing a white T-shirt and light blue jeans. Her hair was braided into a ponytail on the side. She wore no makeup, and although she looked a little tired, she was still bright and beautiful.
She walked in with a smile, her eyes crinkling as she greeted Chen Jiadong, who was sitting behind his desk: "Hello, Attorney Chen, I'm sorry to bother you."
“........”
Chen Jiadong was stunned for a moment, and then his gaze shifted to the computer screen, looking at the blue-background ID photo on the screen—the young girl in the photo was smiling brightly at the camera.
He shifted his gaze back to the girl's face.
"......."
Jiang Jiayun looked at him: "What's wrong, Lawyer Chen?"
"N-nothing." Chen Jiadong coughed as if to cover up his mistake, "Sit down."
The two sat down on the sofa. Chen Jiadong was so shocked that he stammered and didn't say anything. The room fell silent.
The girl placed her hands on her knees, looking somewhat reserved, and spoke first: "Hello, Lawyer Chen, I apologize for bothering you, my name is Mu Tingyu."
Chen Jiadong nodded slowly, thinking to himself, "Of course I know your name is Mu Tingyu."
“Here’s my situation,” she said. “Some time ago, my aunt, who is related to me by blood, tried to blackmail me into transferring money to her through online defamation. Because I run an art studio, this behavior has a greater negative impact on me… I consulted Attorney Jiang yesterday, and she said it could be classified as extortion, but the investigation period is too long, and she might take further actions to harm me. I don’t want to call the police rashly, but I also don’t want to continue being coerced by her… So I’m taking the liberty of asking Attorney Jiang to bring me up here so I can ask for your help.”
Chen Jiadong listened to her and nodded again.
Seeing that he remained silent and did not express his opinion, Mu Tingyu pursed her lips: "Um, regarding the reward..."
At this moment, Chen Lu, who appeared calm and composed, suddenly waved his hand, interrupting her.
He slowly said, "No problem, it's not difficult. I'll just let them know."
Mu Tingyu hadn't expected him to be so easy to talk to, and breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Then..."
As for your question about compensation...
A subtle hint of amusement flickered across Chen Jiadong's face.
—Just now, he suddenly came up with a brilliant idea.
"I have a charity gala to attend in a couple of days. Would you be my date?"
Mu Tingyu's face went blank for a moment.
"......"
She glanced at Jiang Jiayun instinctively, her eyes filled with shock.
What's going on?
Jiang Jiayun frowned in confusion: "Lawyer Chen..."
Chen Jiadong thought about it more and more and felt that the idea was brilliant, and smiled broadly: "Jiayun, aren't you going too? Why don't you come together?"
"........"
Jiang Jiayun knew his temperament well. Although he didn't know what he was up to, he knew that once this man had made up his mind, it was not open to discussion. So he turned his gaze to Mu Tingyu, meaning, "You decide for yourself."
Mu Tingyu received the signal and stammered, "Well, Lawyer Chen, how about we talk about money instead?"
"I don't lack money."
Chen Jiadong sat steadily behind his desk, his shirt crisp and well-fitting, casually unbuttoning one button: "Don't worry, Miss Mu, you don't need to do anything. You don't need to drink or socialize. You just need to accompany me."
"—You know, it's not easy to find a decent female companion these days."
"......."
She didn't know.
He continued to reassure her, "The banquet will be held in the main hall on the first floor of the Gan Palace. You can leave whenever you want."
Mu Tingyu didn't know where Gan Gong was either, so she continued to look hesitant.
"......"
"Miss Mu, please leave me your phone number and address, and I'll send a car to pick you up."
The man's tone left no room for argument, as if it had already been decided.
Before Mu Tingyu could react, without even saying a word, she felt as if she had been tricked and was quite bewildered.
But... Tiancheng is such a big law firm, and this person is its largest partner... they shouldn't do anything reckless, right? She's never attended a banquet like this before...
"As for the case, have Jiayun send me a copy later, and I'll take over. How about that?"
Chen Lu's attitude was incredibly kind; he even offered her a task. Since he'd said that, it would seem ungrateful of Mu Tingyu not to agree, especially since she genuinely wanted his help.
There's no such thing as a free lunch; it might just be a trap...
But now that she has made the decision, she cannot back down because of it.
As she pondered, she wrote down her address and phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to him.
Chen Jiadong accepted it politely.
Seeing that the matter had been settled, Jiang Jiayun stood up to take his leave and led Mu Tingyu out.
With a "click," the door slammed shut.
Chen Jiadong leaned back in his chair and looked at the four characters "Manye Art Studio" on the paper.
He chuckled, the light in his eyes almost impossible to conceal.
"Serves you right for showing off your love..."
He murmured excitedly.
"I've never seen you jump up and down like that before, it must be quite a sight..."
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Author's Note: I made some minor revisions...
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