A strange feeling quietly took root in her heart. Lin Zhou picked up her phone and sent Ye Qianqian a message:
“Qianqian, now that you’ve already graduated from university, there are some things I feel I need to emphasize again. There has never been any emotional entanglement between Chairman Feng and me. We were never together. From now on, you can call me by my name, or you can call me Sister Lin Zhou, but please don’t call me ‘Little Mom’ anymore. Chairman Feng will have his own wife in the future, and I will also get married.”
Lin Zhou looked up and thanked Huang Xiaowen. “You reminded me at exactly the right time. I’ve already sent her a message.”
The worry on Huang Xiaowen’s face finally cleared. “Assistant Lin, thank goodness you’re not confused.”
Lin Zhou was amused by her reaction. There were not many people in Hefeng who genuinely cared about her. Her gratitude toward Huang Xiaowen came from the heart.
With the heavy weight lifted from her chest, Huang Xiaowen stood up, ready to return to work.
Still, whenever she thought of Ye Qianqian, Huang Xiaowen felt somewhat uncomfortable.
All of a sudden, she felt that this Second Miss was a bit annoying.
Before, it could be excused as youth and ignorance. But now that she had already graduated from university, continuing to use immaturity as an excuse didn’t sit very well anymore.
Lin Zhou and Huang Xiaowen left the office together. Feng Yunni’s matter was urgent, and Lin Zhou needed to go see President Gu.
This was the first time since returning to the company that Lin Zhou had initiative stepped into Gu Minxuan’s office. “President Gu, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
Gu Minxuan smiled faintly. “Go ahead.”
“Isn’t the film and television investment company almost fully prepared? Could we arrange for someone to evaluate Director Xu Feng’s upcoming film, Past Events?” Lin Zhou spoke earnestly and was especially polite.
“You’re very optimistic about this film?” Gu Minxuan asked.
“Director Xu Feng’s works have always been reliable.” She wasn’t telling the whole truth. The main reason was that Feng Yunni wanted to act in it. She had weighed it carefully. If she told the truth, Gu Minxuan would probably think she’d lost her mind, risking the company’s profits just to please a young lady.
“I’ll arrange for someone to try making contact,” Gu Minxuan said, glancing at the time. “It’s time to get off work. Let’s go together. My classmate has reserved a table at Xifeng Garden. You haven’t forgotten what you promised me, have you, Assistant Lin?”
“How could I?” Lin Zhou replied, effectively agreeing. Since Gu Minxuan was being so accommodating, she naturally agreed readily.
Gu Minxuan may have had some thoughts about her at the beginning, and his approach had made her uncomfortable. But they were all adults. Her rejection had been very clear, and Gu Minxuan could naturally see it.
Recently, Gu Minxuan no longer followed her on runs. They didn’t necessarily run into each other even after work. That showed he already knew when to retreat.
Adults had adult rules. Just like her own assertiveness, everyone pretended nothing had happened. When it was time to exchange pleasantries, they still put on the appropriate act.
What Lin Zhou never expected was that the person Gu Minxuan wanted her to meet was Qin Cheng.
Qin Cheng. Lin Zhou knew him. He was Lawyer Cheng’s boss, a young and accomplished lawyer. He specialized in criminal cases and was particularly skilled at defense. Several death penalty cases had been argued by Qin Cheng into life imprisonment.
Although life imprisonment and the death penalty differed by only a matter of life and death, the difference was enormous. A death sentence meant the end. Life imprisonment, after reform, might be reduced, and there could even be a chance of getting out someday.
Some of this Lin Zhou had heard from Lawyer Cheng, and some she had looked up privately.
She had always paid close attention to Lawyer Cheng’s work. Whether his superiors were easy to get along with, how his colleagues were, she would even help smooth things over on the side.
Whenever she went on business trips, she never forgot to bring back nice things for him to give to his colleagues. After all, extra courtesy never hurts. Relationships were maintained through these small details.
Yet Lawyer Cheng seemed not to notice any of this.
If he had ever carefully observed Lin Zhou, he would have realized that although she was highly career-driven, she was deeply attentive to everything related to him.
Lin Zhou loved Lawyer Cheng, deeply and completely. Her love was always expressed in details, never in sweet words.
She had once believed that Lawyer Cheng loved her too.
They had met through friends in their freshman year of university. One was the belle of the finance department, the other the heartthrob of the law department. They were also from the same city, and their interactions gradually increased.
Lawyer Cheng pursued Lin Zhou for four years and still couldn’t win her over while they were in school. The reason was simple. Lin Zhou was very rational. She had no illusions about fairy-tale romance. What she wanted was a lifetime of mutual support through hardship. University life was too smooth, too easy. College love was like flowers in a greenhouse, too fragile, easily destroyed by wind and rain. She didn’t want to start a relationship that had no outcome.
A year after graduation, Lawyer Cheng still hadn’t given up pursuing her. When Lin Zhou’s father was diagnosed with cancer, he even took over a month of leave and returned to her hometown to help care for him.
Lin Zhou had been deeply moved. It wasn’t that she valued work over her parents during her career’s upward phase. She clearly understood that her father was the pillar of the family. Once that pillar fell, Lin Zhou alone had to support the household. Cancer treatment was extremely expensive. If she didn’t seize her job opportunities, not only would treatment be impossible, even basic living expenses for the family of three would become a problem.
After setbacks at work and hardships in life, the two of them finally came together.
Lin Zhou had always believed she was good at judging people. After knowing Lawyer Cheng for more than ten years, after so many years of interaction and understanding, she had still been betrayed right at the final step.
They were supposed to get married next month.
Lin Zhou tried her best not to dwell on the memories. When she saw Qin Cheng, she still smiled appropriately, pretending not to know him.
Gu Minxuan introduced the two of them. After they sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries, they had the server bring the dishes.
“Miss Lin is young and accomplished. I’ve long wanted to meet you, but never had the chance. It just so happened that Minxuan came over from Shanghai, and Miss Lin works at the same company, so I asked him to help arrange this gathering. It’s a bit abrupt. I hope Miss Lin doesn’t mind.”
Qin Cheng was polite and refined, scholarly in manner. If she hadn’t seen it herself, it would have been hard to imagine that such a gentle man was a criminal defense lawyer.
“Not at all. I’m very glad to meet Lawyer Qin,” Lin Zhou replied with a smile. She guessed that Qin Cheng must have had some purpose in asking her out, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
The dishes were served one after another, all signature dishes from Xifeng Garden. They looked exquisite, used quality ingredients, and were far from cheap.
If he merely wanted to get to know her, there was no need to order all the most expensive dishes at Xifeng Garden. Lin Zhou thought to herself. Qin Cheng’s desire to connect with her must serve some purpose, or perhaps he needed something from her.
“Lawyer Qin, you’re from the south. Was it hard to adapt after coming north? The climate here is quite dry, not as humid as the south,” Lin Zhou deliberately made small talk. If Qin Cheng didn’t bring it up himself, she wouldn’t ask.
“I studied at B University. I’ve been here for more than ten years already, so I’m used to life here. Minxuan, on the other hand, hasn’t been in Jingcheng for long. His adaptability is impressive. Look at his skin. Even in his thirties, it’s as smooth as someone in their twenties.”