Chapter 09 Chapter 9
"First?" Chen Li immediately grasped the key to Wen Ying's words. He chuckled, "Just 'first'? Do I still need a probation period?"
The people passing by the pavilion had gone far away, and the surroundings returned to silence.
Wen Ying gathered her thoughts. "Family-wise, your parents have always believed we're a loving couple, and a hasty divorce wouldn't be acceptable to them. Personally, our ancestral home is about to be demolished, and Wen Lei might be somewhat hesitant to have you by my side. Also, professionally, I'm considering setting up a law firm with Yao Fangzhou, and that's going to be very demanding on my time and energy. So, at this stage, I don't have the energy to deal with the divorce. Even if the divorce process is simpler than for most couples, I don't want to consider it right now."
Shen Li seemed to be walking, and Wen Ying could hear his breathing suddenly becoming faster.
Wen Ying had another reason that she didn't say - she didn't want to admit that she would lose to Zheng Di, whether in career or love.
After a few seconds, the microphone became quiet and no noise could be heard.
Shen Li's voice echoed softly, "Wen Ying, our work requires calmness and rationality, but I hope you can be less rational when considering the issues between us."
Wen Ying emphasized: "What I'm talking about are objective facts. Even if you think only based on your emotions, these facts still exist," she said. "Don't try to cover your ears and steal the bell."
Chen Li was helpless and asked her, "You mean, if these objective factors that restrict our divorce disappeared, you would divorce me without hesitation? I just want to ask, if we put aside the objective factors and only look at subjective feelings, you won't have any attachment to me? Just a little bit."
Wen Ying paused for a few breaths. "Perhaps it's because I never thought you liked me before, so I never felt loved by you. Chen Li, the marriage I want is one where two people love each other and regard each other as the only one. If one party backs off or has other ideas, I think I will leave this relationship without hesitation."
She lowered her voice. "I was the product of a sudden surge of hormones between a young man and woman. When the passion faded, they treated me like a piece of trash. I lost my adoptive mother when I was six, and my adoptive father, who loved me dearly, also left when I was twenty-four. From then on, I had no relatives in this world. I thought, if you didn't love me, even if I loved you, I would never continue to live with you. Because I want to love myself well. No one else will love me anymore."
"So, Chen Li," Wen Ying let out a long breath, a light white mist covering her vision, "If you really like me, please let me feel your love, let me know that I am not alone in this world."
Shen Li listened to her words carefully, his tone filled with care and determination: "I will."
------
Wen Ying only realized after she hung up that Yao Fangzhou had called her twice during that time. She knew it must be Zhou Boyu, and Wen Ying couldn't help but quicken her pace.
When he pushed open the door to the private room, he saw Yao Fangzhou chatting and laughing with a middle-aged man. The man was leaning towards the door, and when he noticed Wen Ying coming in, he turned his head to look at her.
Wen Ying had learned about Zhou Boyu's information in advance. He was just over 40 years old this year, but judging from his appearance, Wen Ying could believe that he was in his thirties.
Yao Fangzhou stood up and introduced himself to Zhou Boyu, "This is my junior sister, Lawyer Wen Ying. Lawyer Wen is young and promising, a graduate from the fourth department of the fifth academy. She specializes in marriage and inheritance cases, and she was practically unstoppable in Jiangcheng."
Yao Fangzhou's introduction was of course exaggerated, and Wen Ying believed that Zhou Boyu must have heard it, because she saw Zhou Boyu smile to himself while lowering his head to put down the teacup.
Yao Fangzhou then introduced Wen Ying: "Mr. Zhou, the boss of Bosheng Group."
Wen Ying extended her hand: "Mr. Zhou, nice to meet you."
Zhou Boyu then stood up, looked at Wen Ying, and shook her hand casually, "Hello, Wen Lu."
He wore only a thin cashmere sweater and had a well-proportioned figure, without the greasy, bloated look of a middle-aged man. Zhou Boyu's rimless glasses reflected the light from the hallway, obscuring his deliberate gaze. Even so, Wen Ying let out a nervous breath.
Zhou Boyu sat down casually and stretched out his hand to signal them to sit down as well.
The well-trained waiters brought several plates of cold food, and another waiter wearing white gloves brought a bottle of red wine and asked Zhou Boyu in a low voice if he wanted to open it.
Zhou Boyu first looked at Wen Ying: "Wen Lu, do you want to drink?"
Wen Ying thought of Shen Li's somewhat stern face and shook her head: "Sorry, I have a stomach problem and can't drink."
Yao Fangzhou had worked with Zhou Boyu for a long time and knew that nothing he did was cheap, so he certainly wouldn't miss such a great opportunity. He cheerfully raised his glass and said, "Wen Lu is not worthy of this, so I'll do it for you."
The waiter was present, but no one spoke. After the waiter closed the door and left, Zhou Boyu spoke first: "I think Wen Lu should know why we met here today."
Wen Ying nodded: "Mr. Zhou wants to dissolve his marriage, and I happen to be able to help."
Zhou Boyu leaned back in his chair, his eyes searching and assessing. "The obstacle to a smooth divorce mainly comes from the division of property. Wen Lu should know that my divorce negotiations will probably become the most expensive divorce lawsuit in all of Min City."
Wen Ying calmly met his gaze. "I've already done a preliminary analysis. Mr. Zhou, please trust my professional ability and expertise. My defense should be the one that secures the greatest benefit for you in the entire Minshi legal community."
Zhou Boyu laughed heartily. "Lawyer Wen is very confident, which is a good thing for a lawyer." His smile faded. "Bosheng Group spends millions every year hiring a professional legal team to handle legal affairs. I met with Lawyer Wen today because I couldn't resist Lawyer Yao's lobbying. So, Lawyer Wen, how can you convince me that your abilities far surpass those of Bosheng's legal team?"
Wen Ying smiled, relaxed and natural. "If Mr. Zhou was willing to let the legal team handle your family affairs, you should have completed the divorce procedures by now."
She straightened up and moved slightly closer to Zhou Boyu, a shrewd glint in her eyes. "Mr. Zhou, the fact that you're willing to come here today means you've decided that I'm a better lawyer for this divorce case than your legal team."
Zhou Boyu smiled and looked at Yao Fangzhou: "Before I came here, I was worried that female lawyers might not be as logical as male lawyers. Now it seems that I was worrying too much."
Wen Ying raised her teacup. "My mentor once said that the life of law lies not only in logic but also in experience. As a divorce lawyer, I've handled countless divorce cases. As a female lawyer, I believe I understand your wife's thoughts better than a male lawyer."
Zhou Boyu raised his red wine glass and clinked it with hers. The light glass made a crisp clang. "Cheers to you, Wen Lu."
------
Downstairs in the hotel, Zhou Boyu said goodbye to them.
He and Yao Fangzhou drank a few glasses of red wine, still feeling refreshed, his jacket casually draped over his elbows. He smiled gently and said to Wen Ying, "Give me a few days to think about it."
Wen Ying nodded: "Of course, this is not a joke, Mr. Zhou can seriously consider it."
The designated driver Yao Fangzhou had called just arrived. Wen Ying politely asked Zhou Boyu, "How do you get there, Mr. Zhou?"
Yao Fangzhou laughed from the side. "This villa belongs to Mr. Zhou. He should be resting here tonight."
Wen Ying suddenly realized why there was no driver or car, only the assistant standing far away waiting.
Wen Ying and Yao Fangzhou got in the car, and Zhou Boyu personally opened the back door for her: "Goodbye, Wen Lu."
"Goodbye, Mr. Zhou."
As the car pulled out of the villa's gate, Wen Ying exhaled, her entire body drained of energy, and she slumped back in her seat. "My palms felt like they were raining," she said. "Even though Zhou Boyu didn't say anything, I just felt like he was difficult to get along with."
Yao Fangzhou lowered his head, scrolling through his phone. "You're right. He's difficult to get along with. But Zhou Boyu's difficulty is different from Yan Lu's. Yan Lu is strict and harsh, with a stern face everywhere he goes. He speaks in a cold and unkind manner and never listens to others properly. This difficulty is only on the surface, and you can be mentally prepared for it the moment you meet him. But Zhou Boyu is different. He appears gentle and humble, but his harshness is hidden in his bones. Who with such wealth and status would be easily fooled?"
"I'm kind of regretting meeting Zhou Boyu now," Wen Ying lamented. "With my qualifications, it's really hard to take on his case. What's more, he's a very difficult person to deal with."
Yao Fangzhou gave her a sympathetic look and said, "I haven't told you yet, Mrs. Zhou is even more difficult to deal with than Zhou Boyu."
Wen Ying felt a headache after hearing this. She raised her hand to stop Yao Fangzhou from saying, "It's not too late to talk about it after I actually take on this lawsuit. Talking about it now will only make me worry and unable to sleep tonight."
Yao Fangzhou drank and spoke without restraint: "Not being able to sleep is a good opportunity to improve the relationship between husband and wife. I suggest you work harder to tie Chen Li down firmly and don't let him have extra energy to think about other things."
The driver in front couldn't help but laugh. Wen Ying raised her foot and stepped on Yao Fangzhou's foot. Yao Fangzhou grimaced in pain and kept shouting "I was wrong, I was wrong".
The car arrived at the downstairs of Wen Ying's house and happened to meet Chen Li who was about to go upstairs.
Wen Ying got out of the car, and Yao Fangzhou stuck his head out of the window to greet Shen Li: "Hi, Lao Shen, long time no see."
Shen Li naturally took the bag from Wen Ying's hand: "It's been a long time since we last met. The last time we met was in April, during the Rong Heng money laundering case."
Shen Li hit a sore spot for Yao Fangzhou. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Prosecutor Shen! I was kind enough to introduce the case to your wife, blocked her drink, and even sent her home. Don't bring up such irrelevant issues!"
Wen Ying was curious: "What happened to the money laundering case?"
Yao Fangzhou interrupted Wen Ying's question: "It's still early. If you and your wife are bored, please do some exercises to strengthen your relationship. Don't talk about work or cases! Goodbye!"
The designated driver stepped on the accelerator and drove away with Yao Fangzhou, leaving the couple standing there with dark faces.
"What is the money laundering case?" Wen Ying asked Shen Li persistently.
Shen Liyun said calmly: "Oh, to put it simply, before the trial, he was determined to win, and after the trial, I pushed him to the ground and rubbed him."
He looked at her with a playful smile on his lips: "Didn't Yao Fangzhou say not to talk about work or cases?"
Thinking of Yao Fangzhou's last words, Wen Ying's face flushed. She turned away, not daring to look at Chen Li, and whispered to herself, "Yao Fangzhou's mouth should be sewn shut."
Chen Li naturally took her hand and went home: "Is everything going well?"
Chen Li's hands were very big, completely covering her hands. The wedding ring on his ring finger was cold and pricked her fingers. Wen Ying was surprised to realize that Chen Li seemed to have never taken the ring off since getting the marriage certificate.
"It's okay," Wen Ying said. "It's the divorce case of the boss of Bosheng Group. He said he needs to think about it for a while before giving me an answer. Besides this, I have something else to tell you."
Shen Li opened the door and let her go in first: "You go."
"Next week is the anniversary of my father's death. Are you free?"
Shen Li nodded: "I have already asked for leave in advance today."
Wen Ying breathed a sigh of relief: "That's great, it's good to have you with me."
Without further explanation, Shen Li could guess what was going on. He reassured Wen Ying, "Just follow me and don't worry about anything."
.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
