Chapter 16 Chapter 16
When Shen Yuan and his group returned to the villa, they only saw Wen Ying sitting on the sofa with her feet up and reading a notebook.
Shen Yuan's face flushed with vigor and vitality: "Where's my brother?"
Wen Ying shrugged helplessly. "He's probably almost in Min City now." She explained, "There was a sudden change in a case, and he needs to go back to handle it."
Yu Jiaran smelled a faint smell of medicine, and seeing her feet curled up, he was a little worried: "Is your foot injured?"
Wen Ying pulled up a section of her trouser leg, revealing a plaster on her ankle: "It's just a flesh wound, nothing serious." She saw a bit of disappointment on Shen Yuan's face, "Jia Ran and I will probably need to deal with work soon, so you guys can have fun and pretend we don't exist."
Wen Ying originally wanted to comfort Shen Yuan, but she didn't expect her words to come true. Within half an hour, Zhou Boyu called.
Wen Ying had to do her best to meet the financial sponsor's instructions. She and Yu Jiaran, each with a laptop, stayed on the third floor for two whole days.
Zhou Boyu's voice was especially clear in the darkness, more humane than in the daytime. "I'm so sorry, Wen Lu, did I mess up your vacation?" He exhaled again, as if smoking a cigarette. "It's just that I have too much money, and I don't want Guan Qianqian to take a dime more."
Wen Ying rubbed his brows, his eyes a little sore: "Mr. Zhou is too polite. You paid for my invitation, so there is no need to apologize."
Zhou Boyu laughed. "Wen Lu, I suggest you relax a little once in a while and stop being so rigid. If I didn't know your age, I would have doubted whether you were already in your fifties."
Wen Ying leaned back on the sofa, her ankles feeling a little numb but not painful.
"Am I really that boring?" She finished her work and tried to relax quickly. "I think I might be a qualified lawyer, but I wouldn't be a qualified friend." Wen Ying added, "Of course, I will strictly abide by professional ethics and will not discuss social etiquette with my clients. I will remain completely rational and calm, so as not to let down the real money Mr. Zhou paid. You can rest assured on this."
Zhou Boyu sighed twice. "Don't make a big deal out of it. I'm not one of those hard-hearted people. Maintaining a certain amount of personal feelings outside of work will become a lubricant for work. What do you think, Wen Lu?"
Wen Ying keenly sensed the hidden meaning behind Zhou Boyu's words. She opened her eyes, sat up straight, and laughed, "Only after we win the case will I have a chance to discuss other matters with you. If we lose, I don't think Mr. Zhou will want me as a friend."
"My choice of you means I trust you," Zhou Boyu said. "I trust people I employ, and I don't employ people I doubt. I have this broad mindset, so please trust me."
Wen Ying tried to bring the conversation back to the lawsuit: "Tomorrow morning we will formally submit the complaint to the court, and then we will wait for the court to formally accept the case. When the other party's lawyer contacts us to exchange defense materials, we will contact you as soon as possible."
Zhou Boyu teased her, "Guan Qianqian will definitely spare no effort and spend a lot of money to hire a lawyer to defend her. Wen Lu, maybe you should have some sense of crisis."
Wen Ying spoke frankly, "I've already thought about this before meeting you. For me, the biggest challenge in this defense lies with the opposing lawyer. Mr. Zhou, I'd like to trouble you. If you hear any news about the opposing lawyer, please let me know immediately so I know who I'll be facing."
"Shouldn't news spread quickly in your legal circle?"
Wen Ying smiled: "Yes, it's very fast, but I think Ms. Guan's words might be faster than the news."
Zhou Boyu laughed out loud: "You already know her well enough."
"I'm really studying the materials carefully," Wen Ying said, wanting to end the conversation. "It's getting late, Mr. Zhou, please go to bed."
There was a slight sound of wind in Zhou Boyu's microphone: "I'm in Paris, and it's still daytime here."
Wen Ying covered her forehead and closed her eyes dejectedly: "No wonder you are so energetic, it's already past three in the morning here."
Zhou Boyu was in a good mood. "It's my fault that you didn't get your beauty sleep. Don't worry, Wen Lu, I'm not a stingy person. I will definitely give you compensation when I return to China."
Wen Ying refused repeatedly: "It's a matter of business, Mr. Zhou. If you don't abide by the rules in the contract, I don't know how to defend you."
Zhou Boyu stopped arguing with her: "Goodbye, Wen Lu. I'll contact you when I return to China."
Wen Ying breathed a sigh of relief: "Goodbye, Mr. Zhou, I wish you a happy life in Paris."
Yu Jiaran had already fallen asleep on the long sofa near the balcony, with his computer still on. His head was tilted in the curve of the pillow, and he was sleeping soundly.
Wen Ying tiptoed over to turn off the computer for her, turned off the light next to her, and took a blanket from the side to cover her.
Wen Ying was also very tired.
She was the lead attorney, and many things required her to make her own decisions. Yu Jiaran had already fallen into a deep sleep just by assisting, and Wen Ying forced herself not to close her eyes, fearing that she would fall asleep immediately if she did.
She went into the bedroom and lay down on the cold bed.
The phone was silent, and the words "Happy Birthday" remained at midnight. Chen Li did not reply.
Wen Ying stared at the words "Happy Birthday" for a long time, and finally turned off her phone silently, turned off the night light and plunged herself into darkness.
A vague feeling of sleepiness swept over him like a tide, but in just a moment, Wen Ying couldn't help but shiver, and as he moved his legs and feet, his mind suddenly became clear and the sleepiness disappeared completely.
She rolled over, somewhat helplessly forcing herself to close her eyes. Perhaps her brain was exhausted, but she was still thinking actively out of inertia. Even though her eyelids were heavy with blood, her mind remained clear. This torture was debilitating.
I don’t know how much time had passed, so long that Wen Ying had given up on falling asleep, when her cell phone suddenly vibrated under her pillow.
Alarm bells rang throughout her body. Wen Ying sat up almost instantly and reached for her phone. When she saw the caller ID read "Chen Li", she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hello. Chen Li?" She picked up the phone, feeling relieved that it wasn't Zhou Boyu.
Shen Li's voice sounded like an echo, with a slight noisy roar. "Are you still awake? I was just wondering whether to wake you up."
Wen Ying smoothed her hair. "Well, I was working on some materials until very late last night and couldn't sleep. Are you driving? Do you have something to talk to me about?"
Chen Li's breathing was clearly audible. After two breaths, the noise in the microphone suddenly quieted down, as if a car had been turned off. Wen Ying heard Chen Li say with a smile, "I'm outside. Do you want to come out? Let's go watch the sunrise."
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The car was not driving fast, circling leisurely on the winding mountain road.
The sky had turned gray, illuminating the faint blue stubble on Shen Li's chin and the red bloodshot in his eyes.
"You didn't sleep all night?" Wen Ying turned her head to look at him.
"I slept," he said. "I could have gotten here two hours earlier, but I was so sleepy that I just took a nap at the service area. Don't worry, I'm very energetic now."
Wen Ying muttered to herself, "Why did we have to drive back at night? It's very dangerous."
Chen Li said calmly, "It was almost one in the morning when I finished work. According to the schedule, I have a meeting with the police at three in the afternoon, which only leaves me with half a day. Anyway, I don't have anything else to do in the meantime, so I might as well come back and continue my vacation."
Wen Ying deliberately asked him: "Is Shen Jian rushing back for the holiday, or for me?"
Chen Li glanced at her sideways, his eyes sparkling. "Without you, I wouldn't have a vacation. Wen Lu, don't ask me questions when you already know the answer."
Wen Ying laughed to herself and turned to look at the scenery outside the window.
Below the winding mountain road lay the boundless sea. The waves roared, crashing against the rocks on the shore, creating a low whistling sound. The sun was about to rise, and the eastern sky was already alight with a faint light.
"We lay together in the boat, unaware that the sun had already risen in the east." Wen Ying looked at the distant sky and chuckled, then turned to look at Chen Li, "We are not in the boat, but in the carriage. Rounding it off, we are in the same situation as Su Shi."
Chen Li said, "It's just that Mr. Su was drunk and didn't know it was dawn. But we were still sober and could see the magnificent sunrise with our own eyes."
"The rising sun represents hope, and the future is unknown. Unlike dusk, when everything is set in stone," Wen Ying murmured. "Literati prefer dusk, but I prefer sunrise."
"I know." Shen Li said.
Wen Ying was surprised: "You know? How did you know?"
Wen Ying racked her brains but couldn't remember when she had told Chen Li that she loved watching the sunrise.
She really liked the sunrise, the sense of destiny and power that broke through the darkness.
During her three years in Jiangcheng, Wen Ying rented an apartment on a high floor. While confined at home, Wen Ying's days and nights were reversed, often sitting alone on the balcony, watching the sun break through the city skyline, its rays piercing the darkness.
The car was getting closer and closer to the top of the mountain. Shen Li drove steadily all the way up.
"I happened to see the yearbook you wrote for your classmates before the college entrance exam," he replied. "There was a question asking what was the one little thing you most wanted to do, and you wrote, 'Watch the sun rise from a mountaintop.' Minshi has no mountains, and Jiangcheng is the sea. And I've never had the chance to help you realize this little thing."
Shen Li glanced at her, a smile on his lips: "I hope it's not too late, not so late that you no longer love sunrise."
Wen Ying had already forgotten that she had ever written such a yearbook.
But fortunately, she still loves watching the sunrise, and this little thing she most wants to do has never been completed.
There is a flat open space on the top of the mountain with a simple watchtower built on it.
The car stopped and the east was getting brighter.
Chen Li and Wen Ying got out of the car, the sea breeze blowing in their ears, making their hair fly everywhere.
Chen Li took one of his coats from the back seat and wrapped it around Wen Ying. He pointed eastward and said, "The sun will be out soon. If you feel cold, you can sit in the car and watch."
Wen Ying shook her head: "Not really cold."
The two stood side by side, watching the white in the east gradually turn orange. The color became increasingly rich and magnificent, and neither of them spoke.
Golden light burst out, dyeing half the sky with color, and even the sea on the horizon, the blue waves were dotted with clusters of golden light.
The sun rose, so majestic, so resolute. Without dragging its feet, without hesitation, it burst through the coastline with power and destiny, piercing the eyes.
"Happy birthday, Shen Li." She smiled at him in the wind.
He held her to his chest, resting his chin on Wen Ying's hair: "I am very happy to hear this 'Happy Birthday' with my own ears. Thank you, Xiaoying, thank you for always being there."
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