Song Shuyao was dressed in an off-white women’s suit, wearing five-centimeter stiletto heels. Her long black hair was tied back with a hair tie, and she carried a briefcase—every bit the image of a professional woman.
Facing the reporters’ barrage of questions, she responded calmly,
“Mr. Fu and I separated on peaceful terms. We parted ways simply due to personality differences—there was no third party involved. I ask that everyone refrain from making wild speculations.”
Su Yi held out her phone for Lin Qing to see. Lin Qing glanced at the interview clip of Song Shuyao.
Despite the pressure of the interview, Song Shuyao appeared composed, not showing a trace of sadness. She was completely different from the emotional woman Lin Qing had encountered outside the restroom a few days ago.
Su Yi muttered,
“Why break up when everything was going so well? They were about to get engaged and now it’s all off. I bet both families’ company stocks will take a dive today.”
Lin Qing took a few bites of her greens and replied,
“Things are complicated in elite families. A lot of arranged marriages end with each party living their own life, just keeping up appearances. As for whether there’s real love? That’s another story.”
From her perspective, this breakup was most likely initiated by Fu Sinian. She could tell these past few days—he never truly loved Song Shuyao. To him, she was just a suitable match. If he had genuinely cared, one incident wouldn’t have caused the end of the engagement.
She recalled that night at Jinxiu Manor, when Fu Sinian had told her seriously that the engagement had been called off.
The memory left her feeling uneasy and distracted.
She couldn’t figure him out. Was he using her as an excuse to break off the engagement, or did he really have some other motive?
Song Shuyao’s calm, measured voice continued in the video, catching Lin Qing’s attention again. She looked once more at the screen.
“Calling off the engagement will not affect the relationship between our two families. Mr. Fu and I may not become husband and wife, but we will not become enemies. We’ll maintain a good friendship moving forward.”
With that, the interview ended, and she left in her car.
Her poised and unflappable demeanor in front of the media impressed Lin Qing.
She sighed,
“Song Shuyao’s really got self-control. To face the press so composed right after a breakup… if it were me, with my hot-headed personality, I probably couldn’t pull that off.”
Su Yi clicked her tongue in disagreement,
“She’s used to dealing with the media—it’s second nature to her. Everyone has their strengths. You’re a top name in the legal world. Why sell yourself short?”
Lin Qing smiled,
“That’s not selling myself short—it’s just being honest.”
She knew her own limits.
Handling the media wasn’t one of her skills.
Nor did she have any desire to develop it.
__________
That afternoon, while Lin Qing was reviewing documents, Jiang Muhong suddenly called her into the office.
“Professor Jiang, you asked for me?”
“Lin Qing, someone from President Fu’s team at Ruifeng Group came by earlier. They said there’s a project, and they specifically want you to take it on.”
The moment Lin Qing heard it was a project from Fu Sinian’s company, she didn’t even pause to think. She rejected it outright:
“Professor Jiang, I already have a backlog of projects. If I take on another one, I’m afraid I won’t be able to manage. Why not assign it to another lawyer?”
Her swift refusal left Jiang Muhong puzzled.
The Fu family—being the wealthiest in Nancheng—and any project under their group was something most lawyers dreamed of landing. Yet Lin Qing declined without hesitation.
Jiang Muhong tried to persuade her:
“Lin Qing, I’ve always intended for you to take over for me eventually. Over the years, you’ve handled many corporate cases, but this is the first time a major conglomerate like this has personally named you as the legal consultant. If you can successfully manage this project, it will solidify your standing at Huading.
Non-litigation lawyers are different from litigators—it’s all about connections. Building a good relationship with the Fu family will be beneficial for your future career. I hope you’ll think about it—for your own sake.”
Lin Qing had been mentored and promoted by Jiang Muhong. She was the professor’s most promising protégé, and Jiang had high hopes for her. She didn’t want to see Lin Qing give up such a significant opportunity.
Faced with her mentor’s continued urging, Lin Qing looked down at the project proposal in her hands. After hesitating a moment, she said:
“Professor Jiang, let me think about it a little more before giving you an answer.”
Jiang Muhong didn’t press her.
“Alright, but give me your decision by tomorrow at the latest.”
Lin Qing nodded in agreement.
_________
Lin Qing returned to her office with the documents in hand and sat there thinking for a long time.
Seeing her deep in thought, Su Yi asked,
“What happened? You just went to see Attorney Jiang and came back looking so grim.”
“Did you take on another extremely difficult project?”
Lin Qing sighed,
“It’s not about whether it’s difficult or not. The issue is whether or not I should take it at all.”
“What project is it? Which company’s making it so hard for you to decide?”
“Ruifeng Group’s corporate acquisition and restructuring project. The goal is to acquire Dongxin Company before the end of the year.”
Su Yi exclaimed,
“Huh? But isn’t Dongxin your boss Fu Sinian’s uncle’s company?”
“So he’s trying to bring down his own uncle?”
Lin Qing nodded,
“That’s right. He’s out to crush him.”
Su Yi looked amazed.
“This kind of intense, drama-filled project and you’re thinking of turning it down? If it were me, I’d absolutely jump on it just to see how Fu Sinian plans to destroy a major company.”
“That’s your perspective, not mine.”
Lin Qing looked down at the file in her hands. It was only two or three pages long, mostly listing estimated timelines for acquiring Dongxin. The rest of the pages were blank.
The due diligence, transaction structuring, document drafting, and asset/financial evaluations of the target company—those would all be handled by their non-litigation legal team.
It really was an enticing project, the kind that stirred a lawyer’s ambition.
Torn between pros and cons, Lin Qing was still hesitating when Su Yi offered her opinion:
“Look, as a lawyer, you shouldn’t let personal grudges get in the way. Think from your heart, from your professional standpoint—ask yourself if this project is worth it.
And didn’t you say there’s no real bad blood between you and Fu Sinian? If that’s the case, then there’s really no reason to pass up such a great opportunity.”
Lin Qing thought it over.
“You… might have a point.”
She and Fu Sinian really didn’t have any major conflict. She just found him a bit irritating—and after that night they were tricked into sleeping together, things had just felt awkward ever since.
But rejecting such a high-quality project over that… really wasn’t worth it.
Her stance began to waver.
Then Su Yi added,
“Ruifeng is a massive group. If this project goes through, the legal fees alone will be astronomical. One of these big cases is worth ten smaller ones.”
“Legal fees?” Lin Qing perked up.
“Yeah. Ruifeng’s legal fees—bare minimum? Tens of millions.”
Lin Qing’s eyes lit up like a money-hungry gremlin.
She clapped her hands.
“You just reminded me! This one project could hit my entire annual target. If I wrap this up, I can coast for the rest of the year doing legal aid and chilling.”
Gritting her teeth, she made up her mind.
“Alright, I’ll take it. I’m not about to say no to money.”
With both Su Yi’s and Jiang Muhong’s persuasion, plus the tempting offer of Ruifeng’s massive legal fees, Lin Qing no longer hesitated.
An hour later, she knocked on Jiang Muhong’s office door again.
________
Huading Law Firm was very close to Ruifeng Group headquarters—only a 20-minute walk.
At 3:00 p.m., as scheduled, Lin Qing arrived at the company half an hour early.
It was her first time visiting Ruifeng’s main office.
The building’s exterior had a striking, modern architectural design. It towered into the sky, with over fifty floors. Inside, the layout of the office complex was minimalist yet grand—spacious and full of natural light.
Lin Qing didn’t know much about Ruifeng Group, only that it was a large multinational conglomerate. Its core businesses spanned across manufacturing, logistics, finance, energy, real estate, and more. It had its hands in many industries and generated enormous revenue.
She asked the front desk which floor Fu Sinian’s office was on, then took the elevator up to the 55th floor—the very top.
His secretary, Linda, led her to his office.
Curious, Lin Qing walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. When she looked down from such a height—over fifty floors—a wave of dizziness hit her.
From outside came Linda’s voice speaking to Fu Sinian:
“President Fu, Attorney Lin is here. She’s waiting in your office.”
“Alright, got it.”
Lin Qing steadied herself, trying to calm her nerves.
Just then, the office door opened.
The dappled sunlight filtered in through the glass, casting soft shadows across Fu Sinian’s face. The contours of his features were illuminated in a golden glow, making him look almost otherworldly—like a figure painted in a portrait.
For a moment, Lin Qing was stunned, frozen in place.
Fu Sinian noticed the slight pallor in her face and frowned with a trace of concern.
“Why do you look so pale? Are you sick?”