Chapter 17
When people are busy, the days go by quickly.
Wen Ying stood by the window, looking at the frozen water stains outside, unconsciously listening to Yao Fangzhou's chatter.
"Wen Lu, Wen Ying!" Yao Fangzhou said with a dry mouth, "Did you hear what I said?"
"Hmm?" She finally came back to her senses and pulled her eyes back from the window. "I heard it. Three-story building, one deposit and two payments."
Yao Fangzhou looked at her expectantly: "What do you think?"
Wen Ying nodded and moved to sit on the single sofa opposite Yao Fangzhou: "I have no objection, but I want an office facing south."
Yao Fangzhou was very generous: "We have our own law firm, so of course we have the final say. I'll take you to see the house after it's signed, and Lawyer Wen will choose first."
The phone vibrated in my hand. It was a WeChat message from Shen Li: "I'm working overtime at the hospital tonight, so I won't be here early."
Wen Ying looked down at the tiny words on the screen, and her heart softened. Is this what it feels like to be needed? Wen Ying wondered.
The husband who comes home late reports his itinerary to his wife because he knows that his wife will miss him.
This is the bond between people, a sweet bond.
It was as if in the vast and confused loneliness, there was a rope tied to Wen Ying's body, making her suddenly realize that she was not alone, and that there was someone who cared about her waiting and concern.
Wen Ying: "Okay"
Yao Fangzhou was very dissatisfied and knocked on the polished glass of the coffee table. "Wen Ying, could you please pay attention? I'm discussing important matters about our law firm with you."
Wen Ying put away her phone, a smile still lingering on the corner of her lips.
Yao Fangzhou rolled his eyes and said, "If you have anything to say to Old Shen, you can go home and talk. Don't take up my precious time."
Wen Ying laughed twice, then became serious: "You say."
"What's a good name for our law firm?" Yao Fangzhou asked. "I've been thinking about it for several days, but I can't come up with anything."
Wen Ying also felt a headache: "I have more difficult things to deal with. You can take care of this small matter for me."
At this point, Yao Fangzhou's eyes sparkled. He chuckled, "What a fate! Who would have thought Mrs. Zhou's attorney would be Zheng Di? You two are destined for a long, long time together. The trial is sure to be exciting. I just wonder if Old Shen will be there to watch."
Wen Yingchao leaned back on the sofa, covering his forehead with his hands. "If I had known that Mrs. Zhou would ask Zheng Di to come, I don't think I would have taken on Zhou Boyu's case."
Yao Fangzhou's face darkened. "Backing off when faced with difficulty isn't the Wen Lawyer I know. When the Jiangcheng branch was first established, it was struggling, and you were the one who braved the odds. Now it's just a small-time Zheng Di, what's there to be afraid of? Are your concerns about the courtroom or outside of it?"
Wen Ying kicked him: "I was just joking, but you took it seriously."
Yao Fangzhou resumed his playful smile and smoothed his slicked-back hair. "Last week, I played golf with Zhou Boyu. He has great confidence in you."
"Great minds think alike," Wen Ying raised an eyebrow, "I have great confidence in myself, too."
"What did Old Shen say?"
Wen Ying stood up: "I didn't tell him."
Yao Fangzhou felt it was a pity: "I really want to see what expression he would have."
"You should leave, Lawyer Yao. I am currently handling the most expensive divorce case in the history of Min City. My time is more valuable than yours." She unceremoniously opened the office door to show him away.
Yao Fangzhou stood up, straightened his suit, and acted like a gentleman: "Then I wish you success. I will definitely attend the class when I have time."
"I don't really welcome you." She smiled and pushed Yao Fangzhou out of the office.
Zheng Di, this is so funny. Who would have thought that Guan Qianqian would ask Zheng Di to defend her.
Wen Ying looked at the three piles of materials on the ground, and then calculated the court opening time, and suddenly felt overwhelmed.
Never mind who he was. Cases had to go to court, and lawyers had to defend their cases. Regardless of who the other party was, Wen Ying always demanded she do her best.
------
It was almost midnight when Chen Li got home. The water outside was freezing. As soon as he opened the door, the heat wave from the heater swept over him.
He took off his coat in the cloakroom. The thick navy blue down jacket was as heavy as a piece of iron.
The heating this year was really too hot. Chen Li rubbed the hair on the back of his head. The old house had been re-laid with floor heating pipes later, and the materials were solid. Even when it was below zero outside in winter, the temperature inside the house remained above 27 degrees Celsius.
Chen Li came out of the cloakroom and walked through the entrance into the living room, only to notice a dimly lit floor lamp in the corner. The room was quiet; Wen Ying had already gone to bed.
Chen Li went to turn off the light. There was a sticky note stuck to the lampshade. On it was a note written by Wen Ying: "There is porridge on the stove."
Shen Li walked into the kitchen quietly. Sure enough, there was a thick clay pot on the stove. He opened the lid and found that it was still warm. It was Shen Li's favorite scallop and mushroom porridge.
It seems that Wen Ying was eating out in the evening and packed some of his favorite porridge for him.
Chen Li took a bowl and filled it with porridge. He stood alone by the stove, holding the bowl in the dark, and drank the warm and fragrant porridge mouthful by mouthful.
The hot porridge fills my stomach and intestines, and my heart is also filled.
Chen Li washed the dishes and went to bed, his heart heavy with a deep sense of satisfaction and tranquility.
------
Wen Ying applied for a recess with a serious expression.
She stood up from the defense seat and met Zheng Di's smug smile not far away.
Wen Ying said nothing, but just lowered his head and followed Zhou Boyu out of the courtroom quickly.
The corridor was dark and deserted. Wen Ying's disguised expression in court crumbled, and anxiety leaked from her eyes. "Mr. Zhou, I think you need to explain to me what's going on with that transfer details and the surveillance video outside the villa door that the other party just produced?"
Zhou Boyu frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize this was a trap set by Guan Qianqian." He lowered his head and cursed, "She's learned her lesson. She dared to plot against me."
Wen Ying interrupted him: "Now is not the time for you to vent your anger. If venting your anger works, I can help you do it."
Zhou Boyu's face was grim, filled with anger and a hint of embarrassment. He touched the tip of his nose, feeling a little uneasy. "That night, Guan Qianqian suddenly came to see me. It was so cold outside, and she was wearing very little clothing. It's not gentlemanly to leave a woman out in the cold wind, especially since she's still nominally my wife..."
Wen Ying raised her hand: "The recess time is limited, you need to get to the point."
"The point is," Zhou Boyu took a deep breath, "she was crying a lot, saying she needed some money for an emergency. She said... uh, she said she was tricked into acting as a guarantor for someone else, and now she can't contact the other party. The debt collector has a shady background, and they threatened Guan Qianqian that if the money wasn't paid, the news would get out, which would be shameful for Bosheng."
This method was too old-fashioned. Wen Ying pinched the bridge of her nose helplessly.
Zhou Boyu also felt a little insecure: "Of course I didn't want to help her, but she kept crying, and it upset me. She said that if I helped her this time, she wouldn't continue to make things difficult for me about the divorce. Later, I thought, it's just a small amount of money, even if it means spending it to buy myself some peace of mind, so I transferred the money to her."
Wen Ying was helpless and looked up at him: "What's with that kiss in the surveillance video?"
"I saw her off, and she was still crying, saying she was possessed by a ghost and felt very sorry for me. I called a car for her, and when I saw her off to the car, she suddenly hugged me and asked if I could say goodbye to her properly."
Zhou Boyu's teeth itched with rage at this point. "I was helpless. I just kissed her goodbye out of courtesy. I didn't expect Guan Qianqian to get the villa's surveillance footage and just intercepted that clip as proof of our lingering feelings." He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Check everyone in my villa and find out who took Guan Qianqian's money. I want to find out who is so greedy that they would work for Guan Qianqian while taking my money."
The cruelty in his eyes disappeared completely when he turned to Wen Ying, like a child who had done something wrong: "I've caused you trouble, Wen Lu."
Wen Ying felt exhausted. "You've caused me so much trouble. Mr. Zhou, I've reminded you many times not to interact with anyone of the opposite sex until all the formalities are completed. And to inform me promptly of any major events."
Zhou Boyu shrugged: "Guan Qianqian is not considered the opposite sex in my eyes."
Wen Ying glared at him, her eyes wet like a deer's.
Zhou Boyu was defeated: "I was careless, it's my fault. What should we do now?"
"They used the transfer records and the video of you kissing to prove that your relationship wasn't broken," Wen Ying sighed. "I originally thought their lawyers would just grit their teeth and fight to get more money for Ms. Guan, but I didn't expect their goal was to prevent your divorce. I misjudged this as well."
She looked at Zhou Boyu and said, "The court will most likely rule against the divorce. If you insist on getting a divorce, you can appeal. Mr. Zhou, I admit I made mistakes and lack experience. If you want to change lawyers, I have no objection at all."
Zhou Boyu was surprised: "Why do you think I want to change lawyers?" He comforted her, "This is not your problem, it's Guan Qianqian who is too cunning. You see, I was right, she is indeed a very difficult woman to deal with."
He said solemnly: "I will learn from this lesson. If I appeal, I will do everything you say."
Wen Ying felt the burden on her shoulders was heavy: "Since you trust me, I will work hard to help you obtain the most reasonable rights and interests."
Zhou Boyu's divorce lawsuit was of huge value and the court attached great importance to it. After the court session, Wen Ying specifically found the judge, who made it clear that the case would be expedited.
Sure enough, 20 days after the court closed, Wen Ying received the court's first-instance judgment: "Divorce is not allowed."
It was near Christmas, and Wen Ying was standing in the corridor when he received Zhou Boyu's call, looking down at the magnificently decorated Christmas tree downstairs.
"Mr. Zhou," she turned and returned to the office, "the result is just as we expected."
Zhou Boyu's tone was tense: "Guan Qianqian actually asked the judge to allow her to have children? We've been married for more than ten years, and she's always told me she doesn't like children."
Wen Ying said, "This was one of the main reasons the court refused to grant the divorce. One was your money transfers and videos; the court concluded that your relationship had not broken down. Another was the desire to have children. The court considered Ms. Guan's age to be a disadvantaged party in terms of reproductive rights, so they refused to grant the divorce. If you truly want a divorce, I suggest you provide evidence of Ms. Guan's miscarriage."
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
Wen Ying advised him, "I know this will embarrass you, but Mr. Zhou, we've requested a closed trial, which will preserve your dignity to the greatest extent possible. I'm only offering this advice from a lawyer's perspective. Whether or not to use it is your choice, and I respect your decision."
Zhou Boyu sighed: "Let me think about it."
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