0059 The Imperial Principle
This Spring Festival, Qu Zhong ultimately went home to celebrate the New Year alone.
She had planned to stay home for two or three days before returning to Shanghai, but Qu Wanfeng wouldn't allow it. He hadn't been home for two years, and now that she was finally back, he insisted that she stay a few more days before leaving.
Qu Zhong couldn't refuse, so she had to agree. During this time, many relatives came to her house to pay New Year's visits. As soon as they saw Qu Zhong, they grabbed her hand and enthusiastically offered to introduce her to potential partners.
Qu Zhong remained silent with a smile throughout.
Qu Wanfeng, who had been worrying about this for several years, finally stepped forward this year and cheerfully stopped him, saying, "He has a boyfriend."
The relative seemed unconvinced and made some remarks that left Qu Zhong speechless: "Even if you have a boyfriend, you can still look around more. You won't be at a disadvantage if you compare."
As she spoke, she actually took out her phone and scrolled through the photos in her album to Qu Zhong, one by one, as if showing her dishes with clearly marked prices, letting her choose the one with the best value for money.
Qu Zhong was speechless for a moment, wondering where she got so many men. Even in the identification records of a criminal case, you wouldn't see so many photos at once.
Thinking about it more deeply sends chills down my spine. If she can show these people's photos to her, then wouldn't her own photos also be shown to others and judged?
Qu Zhong suppressed her temper and politely declined, saying, "Really, there's no need, Aunt. My boyfriend and I have a very stable relationship."
Whether the aunt genuinely didn't understand or was pretending, she remained persistent, adopting the air of an experienced person and lecturing: "Girl, marriage is different from dating. Love alone isn't enough; you also need a financial foundation."
As she spoke, her hand stopped on a photograph, which she deliberately enlarged so that Qu Zhong could see the details of the person's features clearly. "Look at this one. Although his education level isn't as high as yours, his family owns two apartments in Shanghai..."
Qu Zhong, having exhausted her patience, directly used Lin Qianqian's set of words, as sharp as could be: "Aunt, I'm a graduate student from H University. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to introduce me to someone from a third-tier university? Besides, even if his family owns a house, it's not something he bought himself. But I'm different. I'll become a great lawyer in the future, and I can afford to buy these two houses myself."
“Most importantly,” she said bluntly, showing no mercy, “the people you showed me are no match for my boyfriend. I really can’t stand them.”
Her ungrateful attitude, coupled with her seemingly logical explanation, caused her aunt's face to turn pale and then red, her tone becoming shrill as she insisted on getting to the bottom of things: "What school did your boyfriend graduate from? What does he do for a living? How come he's so infatuated with you?"
When Qu Zhong casually mentioned F University and the prosecutor, her cousin finally shut up, feeling embarrassed.
Education and profession are not the foundation for love, and Qu Zhong was not with Zhai because of these. However, bringing up these two points is still very useful in dealing with relatives like her cousin.
After all, everyone in the country knows how prestigious F University is. And ordinary people naturally hold prosecutors and judges in high esteem, so they can't find fault with it.
Qu Zhong had finally managed to see one cousin off, but she felt that countless more cousins might come to visit, and the thought gave her a headache. So, she made an excuse about a law firm dinner party and bought a standing ticket to rush back to Shanghai overnight.
What she said wasn't wrong. Every year on the first day after the Spring Festival holiday, Guanzheng Law Firm holds a dinner party called the "opening banquet".
Before the start of the work-opening banquet, Qu Zhong's master, who is also the director of Guan Zheng, Xu Tianlin, will take the stage to give a speech. The speech is nothing more than a year-end summary and a positive outlook for the future.
Then comes the usual business dinner party routine: juniors toasting their seniors, exchanging drinks, laughing and joking around.
However, Guanzheng's opening banquet has always had an anticipated tradition: the master gives red envelopes to the apprentices.
It's a very solemn ceremony. A small red envelope represents the passing of the torch and the succession of two generations of legal professionals.
Qu Zhong's favorite part was this segment because her master was incredibly generous.
After the dinner party ended this year, the other colleagues gathered in twos and threes outside the restaurant to head to the subway station. Xu Yanru asked Qu Zhong which line she was taking, and Qu Zhong smiled and shook her head, saying, "My boyfriend is picking me up."
The single guys in the office immediately exclaimed "Huh?" and said that they hadn't eaten enough at the store, but they were fed a lot of dog food after leaving the store.
After everyone left, Qu Zhong stood alone at the door for a while, and soon saw Zhai Shi appear on the other side of the road.
She waved to him, then stared at him intently, waiting for him to come up to her.
Zhai was delayed in finding a parking space. Looking at her face, which was slightly flushed from the wind, he asked, "Have you been waiting for a long time?"
Whether it was because she had a couple more drinks, because she received a large red envelope, or because Zhai was standing right in front of her, whatever the reason, it was enough to make Qu Zhong smile brightly.
She took two steps forward and placed herself inside Zhai's open coat, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him: "No, I just came out."
It was rare for her to throw herself into his arms like that in public. Zhai's hands froze in mid-air for a few seconds before he smiled and came down to hug her tightly.
He brought his nose close to the top of her head and gently sniffed twice: "Have you been drinking?"
Qu Zhong pressed half of her face close to his heart and admitted, "Um... I drank a little red wine."
After saying that, she suddenly raised her head and patted the bulging pocket on the side of her coat with one hand, looking just like a winner who had just won a competition. "I got two red envelopes for the start of the workday today!"
"One copy goes to the director, who is also my mentor, and another to Attorney Su. You know Attorney Su, he was the lead lawyer in Duan Ningqi's case."
Zhai knew, of course. Not only did he know, but he had also called him without any sense of propriety, just to find out where Qu Zhong was.
Zhai chuckled and pinched her cheek: "You're this happy with just two servings?"
“Otherwise,” Qu Zhong pouted, looking quite excited, “everyone else only gets one.”
Zhai studied her for a few seconds, then smiled meaningfully: "We can have one more."
Qu Zhong blinked: "Hmm?"
He let go of her hand, then pulled a bank card directly from his pocket and placed it in her hand: "The password is your six-digit birthday. Swipe it however you like."
Qu Zhong slightly opened her mouth: "Really?"
Zhai solemnly instructed, "Put this in your pocket carefully; it's all I have."
Good heavens... this is much more substantial than the red envelope in her pocket.
Qu Zhong held the card between her index and middle fingers, tilted her head and smiled at him, "Prosecutor Zhai, have you thought this through? If I put it in my pocket, it'll be the same as confiscating all your property. Don't regret it in the middle of the night and cry under the covers."
Zhai was amused by the scene she described, and showed her pearly white teeth to assure her: "Yes, I've thought it through, I've thought it through very clearly."
Qu Zhong laughed along, then teased him, "Aren't you afraid I'll max out your card and run away?"
Zhai said he wasn't afraid, but after thinking for a moment, he added, "Even if you really do that, I'll accept it."
How could he be so foolish? Qu Zhong suppressed her smile and reminded him, "What you're doing is completely against the rules."
Zhai frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled: "Why do we need to comply with regulations? You're not a risk to me."
Okay, I'll wait here.
Qu Zhong pinched his nose: "Still holding a grudge?"
Zhai seized the opportunity to grab her hand and wouldn't let go.
Qu Zhong stared at him, following up on his previous question, and asked, "Then tell me, what am I?"
Motor vehicles whizzed past like schools of fish, while the subway lines 3 and 4 rumbled overhead. Private vehicles and the city's light rail, noisy yet orderly, together created the city's background music.
Zhai, however, seemed to have entered a silent mode for a while, seriously considering the question Qu Zhong had asked him—what was she to him?
After a long silence, looking into her eyes, which shone like stars, he uttered these four words:
"The principle of legality in criminal law" applies.
"You are subject to the principle of legality in criminal law."
The principle of legality in criminal law, like the principle of good faith in civil law, is undoubtedly the supreme principle in criminal law.
The most important principle.
So he was saying that she was his most important principle, sacred and inviolable.
"Oh..." Qu Zhong couldn't help but smile after hearing his answer, but as always, she pressed on, "So I'm insignificant?"
Zhai chuckled: "And you're talking about me? You don't hold grudges?"
Qu Zhong let out a giggle and pinched his cheek, insisting that he repeat himself: "So am I unimportant?"
Zhai took her hand in his, then kissed the back of it, his gaze bright and sincere as he looked down at her: "It's not insignificant, it's crucial."
A chilly evening breeze, neon streetlights, bustling traffic... At this moment, everything they could find about this city was witnessing his vow.
"Qu Zhong, believe it or not, as long as I am still a prosecutor, I will never forget these four words."
Qu Zhong thought she must be feeling the effects of the alcohol, otherwise why would her head be so dizzy and her eyes so hot? These were all signs of being drunk.
She laughed and shook off his hand, not waiting a moment longer before snuggling back into his embrace. Her lips found his beating heart, and she whispered, "I believe you."
She has always believed.
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