Chapter Twenty-Six: Shuttlecock
Cheng Shi and Lin Yu's dinner ended at 10:15. Both of them were both excited and exhausted after nearly three hours of complaining and venting. Lin Yu accompanied Cheng Shi to wait for a designated driver by the roadside, during which time they received a call from Jiang Chuan who was coming to pick them up.
Jiang Chuan and Lin Yu had been together for less than two months, and Jiang Chuan hadn't even had a chance to introduce him to his friends, including Cheng Shi, although Lin Yu could count his friends in Shanghai on one hand.
When Jiang Chuan arrived, Cheng Shi's designated driver had been waiting with her on the roadside for more than ten minutes, just to catch a glimpse of Lin Yu's boyfriend. The black BMW was parked on the side of the road with its hazard lights flashing. He opened the door, leaned out, walked to the two of them, and took the bag from Lin Yu's hand.
He was dressed the same as when we met in the afternoon, but after working overtime until now, he looked slightly tired, and it was difficult to discern his appearance under the cover of the hazy night.
Cheng Shi waved generously at Jiang Chuan. "Attorney Jiang is quite mysterious!"
Jiang Chuan smiled politely at Cheng Shi, accepting her good-natured teasing. "Next time, I'll treat you to dinner!"
Cheng Shi subtly sized up Jiang Chuan, then winked at Lin Yu with a satisfied and smug look, leaving the two of them alone. "It's settled then, no consultation fees for chatting with Attorney Jiang!"
Jiang Chuan smiled modestly. "Miss Cheng is too kind. Banban's friends are my friends."
Lin Yu called out to Cheng Shi, who was turning to leave. "Has President Zhao left? Where are you staying tonight?"
“This has been going on for several days now. I didn’t tell you before you went on your business trip.” Cheng Shi turned to the side upon hearing this, his long, bouncy, wavy hair being tossed behind him.
“I’ve packed up all his stuff and thrown it in the trash, and I’ve changed the locks too, so don’t worry! He has a family to support, so he values his life more than I do.” With that, Cheng Shi waved his car keys and turned to walk towards the Porsche not far away.
Lin Yu was aware of her alcohol tolerance, so when she went on a date with Cheng Shi, she mostly ordered drinks to liven up the conversation and didn't drink much. But she was already slightly tipsy, with a faint blush on her cheeks.
Jiang Chuan drove fast and steadily, the car weaving through the river-crossing tunnel. Light and shadow streamed through the car window, falling rapidly and intermittently onto him like dominoes, casting a compassionate and bewildered look over his silent profile, like a god descending to earth to save all living beings.
Lin Yu had to admit that this was a visually stunning spectacle that sparked the imagination. At this moment, Christina Perri's deep voice should be introduced to enhance Jiang Chuan's subtle and understated sensuality.
His slender fingers rested on the steering wheel with a gentle yet firm touch. Every turn and lane change felt like a tender, languid caress, stroking the texture of the leather, or perhaps brushing against Lin Yu's back.
Lin Yu's gaze lingered unabashedly on Jiang Chuan's exposed skin as he began to recount how he had fallen for him in the first place. He realized he was a genuine sucker for good looks, and from their first encounter, he had been irresistibly drawn to Jiang Chuan's appearance.
Lin Yu followed Jiang Chuan back to his downtown residence. After taking off his shoes and coat, he hugged Jiang Chuan from behind, resting his cheek against Jiang Chuan's wool sweater and rubbing it back and forth, feeling the clear and firm muscle texture like a cat.
"Do you know why Cheng Shi wanted to see me today?"
Jiang Chuan took his keys and phone out of his pocket and placed them in the entryway. He turned around and returned the hug, supporting her waist and resting his chin on the top of Lin Yu's head. "Her boyfriend cheated on her?"
Lin Yu looked up in disbelief, her back arching dramatically backward. She placed her hands on Jiang Chuan's chest, slipped one leg between his, and put all her weight on Jiang Chuan's wrists, which were tucked around her lower back.
"How do you know? Don't tell me it's just a lawyer's keen intuition."
Jiang Chuan looked at Lin Yu's slightly tipsy state, her black hair cascading down like a waterfall, scratching the back of his hand, and smiling as he placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "It's not hard to guess from your conversation."
Lin Yu led Jiang Chuan back two steps and pressed him against the wall, briefly describing Cheng Shi's situation to Jiang Chuan. Jiang Chuan's expression remained unchanged throughout, as if the story was so ordinary that it couldn't stir any emotion in him.
"So, her demand is to keep the money?"
Lin Yu nodded. "As far as I know, the biggest controversy is about that car. It was paid for in cash, and Cheng Shi planned to find a used car dealer to dispose of it."
Jiang Chuan shook his head noncommittally. "Whether it's sold or not is secondary; the key to protecting such a large donation is evidence and keeping a low profile."
"His ex-boyfriend is too busy to take care of himself right now, so he won't be stupid enough to commit suicide with his wife. Therefore, your friend is not in any immediate danger."
"But if we investigate further and trace the source of the funds, in the worst-case scenario the court will order the return of about 70%. Of course, everything is negotiable."
"For example?" Lin Yu's hand gently slid up and down along Jiang Chuan's spine. Jiang Chuan leaned slightly closer to her, his breath brushing against her lips as he spoke.
"For example, if her ex-boyfriend used premarital property, or if the source of the cash is untraceable, cash transactions are a valid defense in this situation. In addition, her lack of knowledge is a very advantageous point for her."
Jiang Chuan paused for a moment, then continued, "Therefore, she should first preserve evidence that she was unaware of, such as chat logs and testimonies, in case the other party files a lawsuit later."
"Then, make sure you have the car purchase contract and invoice in your possession, and that you are the one who signed them. Finally, prepare a year's worth of bank statements to prove that you have the ability to purchase a vehicle independently."
"And then?" Lin Yu pressed on.
"And then?" Jiang Chuan tilted his head and gently brushed his lips against Lin Yu's earlobe, then opened his mouth and bit it with his teeth.
Lin Yu felt a wet, tingling sensation, his legs felt unsteady and weak, and he felt like the filling of a cookie, stuck in the narrow gap created by the wall and Jiang Chuan, unable to move forward or backward.
"She needs to pay for what happens after that. Because Attorney Jiang has more important things to do."
Jiang Chuan's lips lingered on Lin Yu's neck, while his hand grasped and kneaded the soft flesh on Lin Yu's side. Lin Yu felt numb and itchy, and couldn't help but giggle, turning his head to search for Jiang Chuan's lips.
Jiang Chuan's lips have a distinct outline, with the peaks of his upper lip forming sharp angles, like a polished metal plate, giving off an aloof and cold white light when he is working.
But at this moment, in the unlit room, the moonlight shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows gave his lips a faint rosy hue, like cherries waiting to be picked. They felt soft and full when put in his mouth, overflowing with juice.
Lin Yu, still slightly tipsy from the kiss, passed his saliva, mixed with a trace of alcohol, to Jiang Chuan, catching his barely audible breaths and drawing him into the throes of passion.
In this kiss that was not so simple, Lin Yu closed his eyes and instinctively groped for Song Jiangchuan's tie, his fingers following the protruding Adam's apple to the first button of his shirt.
The iPhone in the entryway suddenly rang, its monotonous ringtone echoing in the empty living room. Jiang Chuan chose to ignore it, covering Lin Yu's ears with his hands and continuing the long kiss.
The phone rang urgently, and after the first ring, it persistently rang again after a few seconds, like a pair of invisible eyes lurking in the darkness, looking down on the kissing couple from a godlike perspective.
Lin Yu's interest was disturbed by this invisible third party. His expression returned to clarity, and he silently pushed Jiang Chuan's chest. Jiang Chuan buried his head back in Lin Yu's neck, took a deep sniff, resignedly let go of his hands, turned around, picked up the phone, and walked towards the balcony.
Lin Yu watched Jiang Chuan's back as he answered the phone across the balcony for a while, then straightened her disheveled clothes, went to the bar to get herself a glass of warm water, and while drinking, she took out her phone from her bag and began to check the messages she had missed.
Chen Guang's WeChat account was hidden at the end of countless low-priced flight subscriptions and Alipay energy check notifications, just like his awkward identity, hidden from view in Jiang Chuan's house.
Lin Yu initially didn't want to pay attention and almost swiped it away, but WeChat doesn't display read/unread status, which effectively protects users' basic rights, so why not take a look? She quickly and discreetly opened the message.
The emptied chat box was like a blank canvas. Chen Guang took a pair of scissors and cut a slit in it, forcibly stuffing in a monotonous picture. Apart from that, he left not a single word, which was completely unlike Chen Guang's style.
The picture is nothing special; it's a shuttlecock placed on a white writing desk, with a thin layer of dust floating on its red and yellow feathers, and the copper parts are rusty due to its age.
After Lin Yu opened it and examined it carefully, he vaguely remembered its origin.
......
Lin Yu is a complete klutz when it comes to sports, a trait she likely inherited from Lin Jianguo, whose mother was practically omnipotent in sports. Sometimes, she suspects that Lin Min might be hiding some special identity as an Olympic athlete.
In school-organized table tennis, tennis, and swimming competitions, Lin Min's team always came in first place, and her home was filled with so many competition prizes, such as towels and bedding sets, that they couldn't fit in an entire cabinet. Lin Yu, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
She was afraid of water, often selectively ignored her opponent's serve, and had terrible cardiopulmonary function, panting like a broken accordion bellows when she ran. If her physical examination hadn't been normal, Lin Min would probably have suspected that she had some incurable disease.
All her hobbies were static: painting, reading, and writing in her diary, just like Lin Jianguo's. Lin Min often thought bitterly that blood ties were truly an overbearing and barbaric invader.
Therefore, after entering university, Lin Yu rejected all physical education classes, even though there were many options available. Judging by her academic abilities, she knew she would risk failing no matter which class she chose. Perhaps a compromise was to choose a teacher who was optimistic and compassionate.
Yao Fangfang's situation is completely different from Lin Yu's. She has a natural advantage in terms of figure, with a narrow waist and long legs, impeccable curves, and a slender and graceful neck like a swan. She also danced ballet for several years in middle school and can handle any physical education class with ease.
However, in order to take care of Lin Yu, or rather, under her persistent pleading and coaxing, the two of them eventually enrolled in the shuttlecock kicking course in the first semester of their junior year.
Lin Yu chose this course not because she is better at kicking shuttlecock than other sports. When she is in good condition, she has kicked it five times, which is her life record since junior high school and is unlikely to be broken unless something unexpected happens.
Because, until the day of the final exam, her class performance remained consistently around three points.
Yao Fangfang was amazed by her achievements and disdainfully performed various techniques such as stunt kicks and flower kicks in front of Lin Yu, looking like a circus performer. However, with her appearance, she should at least be able to go to the stage of a national-level circus.
"Honestly, it's just so-so. You won't pass the exam with these grades."
"Of course I know." Since the normal path was not working, Lin Yu turned his attention to his teachers.
The physical education teacher was a middle-aged man with an artistic flair. His long, fluffy black hair fell naturally over his shoulders, creating a striking contrast with his rugged appearance.
His thick beard almost covered half of his face, making him look like an unkempt artist at first glance, but his moist eyes were exceptionally bright, sparkling with surging passion.
Lin Yu could clearly read the teacher's gentleness and compassion in those eyes. She bit her lip, silently considering how to broach the subject. Perhaps the teacher would make an exception because of her perfect attendance.
After all, besides playing shuttlecock, attendance and the ten-minute jog at the beginning of each class also count towards the final grade. Sixty points is all I need, just passing is fine. But then I think about how the scholarship, so close yet so far, is about to slip through my fingers, and I'm incredibly conflicted.
Lin Yu's exam venue was an open-air tennis court near the newly built teaching building. There were no grocery stores or canteens nearby, and the newly built teaching building was not yet in use, so usually no one passed by except for students in class.
Just then, Chen Guang turned out from a side road, accompanied by Zheng Qi, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. The two had no classes scheduled for the morning and had gone to an internet cafe the day before to play games all night. They were now planning to take a shortcut back to their dorm to catch up on sleep.
As they took a shortcut past the field, Chen Guang's gaze was inadvertently drawn to the commotion inside, and he immediately spotted Lin Yu's clumsy figure in the crowd. His thin body swayed from side to side like a puppet, making his stiff shuttlecock kicking movements look particularly comical.
Chen Guang couldn't help but stop and lean against a tree on the perimeter of the court, observing with great interest her puppet-like movements, a mocking smile gradually creeping onto his lips.
Zheng Qi took a few steps and realized that Chen Guang hadn't followed. He turned around and saw Chen Guang leaning against a tree, staring at the tennis court with undisguised eagerness in his eyes.
He followed Chen Guang's gaze and quickly spotted Lin Yu's short, stunted figure. Zheng Qi stepped forward and put his arm around Chen Guang's shoulder. The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.
The sudden laughter startled Lin Yu. She turned around abruptly, the shuttlecock rolling to the ground. Lin Yu stared blankly at the two people who had fallen from the sky, a look of embarrassment and confusion flashing across her face.
"Seriously, are you really preparing for final exams? Are you sure you're not doing rehabilitation training?"
Chen Guang and Lin Yu were talking across the wire fence of the tennis court, while Chen Guang and Zheng Qi stood side by side, looking like relatives of prisoners visiting their inmates.
Lin Yu ignored Chen Guang's taunts. The tension of the upcoming exam and the shyness of seeing Zheng Qi up close again felt like a sharp blade about to cleave her in two.
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