Hearing her answer, Lin Feifei and He Jiayun quickly exchanged a glance.
Both of them were surprised. When Lin Wu answered the question about “something happy,” she actually mentioned Chen Zhuo’s name.
Chen Zhuo made her very happy.
Chen Zhuo himself was the “thing” that made her happy.
Originally, Lin Wu hadn’t really wanted to say his name.
But she also knew very clearly that when facing Lin Feifei, it was best to be honest. On the way here she had struggled with it for a long time, but in the end she still told them his name.
“Did he do something especially special that made you happy,” Lin Feifei asked very clearly, “or is it just seeing him as a person that makes you happy?”
Lin Feifei already knew about the existence of someone named Chen Zhuo. Lin Wu had no secrets in front of He Jiayun, and likewise had none in front of Lin Feifei, her psychologist. Though in Lin Feifei’s case, she had figured it out on her own at the very beginning.
Before she met Chen Zhuo and started “dating” him, Lin Wu’s mental state and sleep were in very bad shape.
Almost every week—as long as there wasn’t some earth-shattering crisis she had to handle—He Jiayun would drag her to Lin Feifei’s place for psychological counseling and, conveniently, to sleep for a while.
The three of them were university alumni, but Lin Feifei hadn’t been especially close to Lin Wu or He Jiayun at first.
They weren’t in the same major. It was only by chance that Lin Feifei learned about Lin Wu’s situation and volunteered to become her psychologist. Over time, the three of them gradually grew familiar with each other.
Lin Wu froze for a second, then lifted her eyes to look at Lin Feifei.
“Is there a difference between the two?”
Lin Feifei: “The fact that you’re asking that means you already know where the difference lies.”
Lin Wu didn’t speak.
Lin Feifei lowered her gaze and simply looked at her like that.
After a long while, He Jiayun, who was sitting to the side, spoke up.
“Should I step out first?”
She was worried that Lin Wu didn’t want to dissect her own psychology in front of her. They were close friends, but after all, she wasn’t a psychologist.
“…No need,” Lin Wu reacted first. She looked at her and said, “I don’t mind you being here.”
Having He Jiayun beside her actually gave her more courage.
After a brief silence, Lin Wu openly admitted,
“Both.”
At first, the feeling wasn’t very obvious. In the beginning, Lin Wu was drawn to Chen Zhuo for two simple reasons: his voice was pleasant, and he was good-looking. She was purely a voice-con and face-con.
Later, after they met more often and she got to know him better, Lin Wu had to admit that Chen Zhuo’s attentiveness and gentleness often made her heart feel warm, almost feverish.
She just hadn’t wanted to admit it.
Lin Wu had never wanted their relationship to cross the boundary. Inside the boundary felt like a very safe zone for her; what might happen outside it, she wasn’t sure. So she subconsciously avoided and resisted it.
Like someone who had just learned to swim.
The shallow end is safe—people instinctively stay there. The deep end feels too dangerous and too risky for a beginner.
They don’t dare take that crucial step into deeper water.
Lin Wu wasn’t an adventurer.
She was exactly that person who had only just learned to swim—or perhaps hadn’t even fully learned yet. She only wanted to stay in the shallow area where she felt safe. Even moving forward one small step made her afraid that something uncontrollable might happen.
Lin Feifei raised her eyes, paused for a moment, then said,
“Can you tell me in more detail about the most special thing he’s done for you recently?”
“…” Lin Wu gave a soft hum, opened her mouth, and said, “He… last week was my birthday. He probably flew back specifically to celebrate it with me.”
He Jiayun: “?”
She froze, eyes widening as she stared at Lin Wu.
“How did I not know about this?”
Lin Wu blinked.
“I was going to tell you at lunch.”
She just hadn’t figured out how to say it yet.
Noticing Lin Wu’s slight embarrassment, Lin Feifei quickly spoke up.
“Family members, please don’t interrupt the doctor-patient conversation.”
He Jiayun: “…”
She silently swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue. She thought maybe she really should step out—listening to secrets here and then having to keep her mouth shut without asking follow-up questions was actual torture for her.
Even though that’s what she thought, He Jiayun ultimately didn’t leave.
Lin Feifei and Lin Wu’s conversation continued. She listened quietly, occasionally glancing sideways to observe the subtle changes in Lin Wu’s expression.
When Lin Wu talked about many things, she was calm.
Only when she mentioned Chen Zhuo did she show noticeably stronger emotional fluctuations.
He Jiayun watched and couldn’t help but wonder—
Was this a good thing or a bad thing?
After a moment of internal struggle, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to the person who was working overtime at the law firm:
「Help me look into someone.」
Li Xiang: 「Man or woman?」
He Jiayun: 「Man.」
Li Xiang: 「?」
He Jiayun: 「Chen Zhuo from Fengxing. Do you know anything about him?」
Li Xiang: 「Not helping.」
He Jiayun: 「…It’s not for me!」
Li Xiang: 「Then who is it for?」
He Jiayun thought for a second, her eyes darting cleverly as she replied very astutely:
「It’s for the law firm.」
She definitely couldn’t tell Li Xiang she was asking for Lin Wu’s sake—even though Lin Wu hadn’t actually asked her to.
But given the current situation, He Jiayun felt it was necessary to understand exactly what kind of person Chen Zhuo was before she could feel at ease.
Before this, Lin Wu and Chen Zhuo had only met once a week—every Friday.
There had been no issues with their physical health, so she hadn’t needed to worry about anything else. But things were different now. If the two of them were going to take things further, He Jiayun had to know whether this man was reliable or not.
Lin Wu had no family to consider these things for her, so He Jiayun felt it was her responsibility to step up.
Li Xiang: 「The He-named partner boss who comes to the law firm four or five times a month, every single time bringing food for Lin Wu—may I ask what exactly you need to investigate Chen Zhuo for, on behalf of the firm?」
He Jiayun: 「…Don’t get sarcastic with me.」
Li Xiang: 「I’m busy.」
He Jiayun: 「Just help me ask around, pretty please, Li Xiang.」
Seeing that message, Li Xiang: “…”
For some reason, he could almost hear the exact tone of He Jiayun’s voice saying those words in his head.
He Jiayun: 「Li Xiang, Li Xiang.」
Li Xiang was speechless. He raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
「Which aspects?」
He Jiayun: 「Everything. From how many girlfriends he’s had, all the way up to… his personal background, family circumstances.」
Li Xiang: 「Are you looking for a matchmaking prospect?」
He Jiayun: 「What matchmaking prospect? Do I need to go on blind dates?」
Li Xiang: 「It’ll take some time.」
He Jiayun: 「A few hours?」
Li Xiang: 「…A day.」
He Jiayun: 「Fine, then send me his information tomorrow.」
Li Xiang: 「Mm. What are you doing right now?」
He Jiayun: 「Accompanying Wu Wu to see her psychologist.」
Li Xiang: 「What after that?」
He Jiayun: 「Shopping and eating.」
Li Xiang: 「Not coming to the firm?」
He Jiayun: 「Wu Wu isn’t working overtime today. What would I go to the firm for?」
After sending that message, Li Xiang didn’t reply.
He Jiayun was used to it. She calmly slipped her phone back into her bag.
“…”
Lin Wu’s therapy session wasn’t very long.
At first He Jiayun stayed in the counseling room, but later she stepped out. She didn’t mind being present when Chen Zhuo was mentioned, but for other topics, it wasn’t appropriate for her to stay.
In some matters, He Jiayun was actually very measured and respectful of boundaries.
A little after four in the afternoon, Lin Wu slowly opened her eyes.
She closed them again briefly to gather herself, then stood up and walked toward Lin Feifei, who was sitting in the office chair.
“Did I have a nightmare?”
Lin Feifei handed her a tissue.
Lin Wu took it, gave a soft hum, and gently wiped away the tears that had naturally flowed from the corners of her eyes. In a quiet voice she said,
“I did dream about that person, but it was very brief.”
Lin Feifei nodded.
“How did you manage to break free from the dream this time?”
“A new character appeared in my dream,” Lin Wu said.
Lin Feifei was surprised. She lifted her eyes to look at her.
“Chen Zhuo?”
Lin Wu shook her head.
“I didn’t see the other person’s face clearly.”
She only knew that the figure appeared at the entrance of the alley, backlit, and called her name.
In that moment, her heart suddenly felt steady.
She dragged her exhausted body toward the mouth of the alley. After taking just two steps forward, the other person came to meet her and supported her, holding her up.
Unfortunately, in the dream, Lin Wu never clearly saw that person’s face.
Lin Feifei understood. She noted down the progress of this session, then looked up at her.
“Wu Wu.”
Lin Wu: “Hm?”
“This time your condition is much better than the last time you came. I think part of it is because of that person named Chen Zhuo, but a much larger part is because you’ve become a little stronger again. Your willpower has always been quite firm. Those things can’t trap you forever. Don’t be afraid.”
Lin Wu gave a faint, hollow smile.
“I know.”
“Mm,” Lin Feifei said, writing out a prescription for her. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Have the nightmares been happening more frequently lately?”
Lin Wu frowned slightly, recalling.
“Not especially often, and when they do happen, they’re usually quite short.”
She pressed her lips together for a second.
“But there was one day when I had nightmares the entire night.”
Lin Feifei looked up.
“That was the day I ran into Sun Nian’an.” Lin Wu answered honestly.
Lin Feifei: “Sun Nian’an?”
“The half-sister from the same mother, different father,” Lin Wu explained.
Lin Feifei suddenly understood. She let out a soft sigh.
“Stay away from her in the future.”
Lin Wu gave a small, faint smile.
“Okay.”
After leaving Lin Feifei’s place, He Jiayun was still worried about Lin Wu’s state and took the initiative to drive.
It wasn’t too early or too late. He Jiayun suggested,
“How about we get a massage first, then go eat?”
Lin Wu nodded.
“Up to you.”
“…”
After the relaxing massage and dinner, plus two hours of shopping that burned off most of the dinner calories, He Jiayun first drove Lin Wu home, then took her car back to her own place—she’d have someone deliver it tomorrow.
When they reached the parking lot, before Lin Wu got out, He Jiayun turned to look at her, hesitating.
“Wu Wu.”
Lin Wu unbuckled her seatbelt.
“What do you want to say?”
He Jiayun paused for a moment, then said,
“We have to learn to get closer… to accept the things and people that make us happy.”
Hearing the deeper meaning behind her words, Lin Wu went quiet.
“I—”
“Let me finish first,” He Jiayun interrupted gently. “I know what you’re worried about, and I understand what you’re afraid of. But what if? I hope you can follow the truest feeling deep inside your heart. I’m not asking you to take the initiative and do anything big. I just hope that when something—or someone—happy comes into your life, you won’t resist it so much. You know what I mean.”
Lin Wu did understand exactly what He Jiayun was saying.
She lowered her lashes, fingers still holding the seatbelt, and stayed silent for a long time before finally speaking.
“He’s coming back to the country on Wednesday. If I go to pick him up at the airport… would that be a little too abrupt?”
He Jiayun didn’t react for a second.
“Who?”
Then her eyes widened in sudden realization and delight.
“Abrupt? How is that abrupt at all? If you’re really worried about it seeming abrupt, just say you were dropping me off for an overseas trip and—wow, what a coincidence—you ran into him.”
Lin Wu was completely defeated by the very reasonable excuse He Jiayun had come up with so quickly. She let out a soft laugh.
“…I’ll think about it some more.”
He Jiayun nodded.
“Take your time. You can always do it next time too.”
Lin Wu: “Okay.”
After parting ways with He Jiayun and getting home, Lin Wu took a shower and slipped into her study.
She opened her laptop, sat in the office chair, stared blankly into space for a while, then finally started working on the tasks at hand.
The weekend passed very quickly.
Monday morning was Xianghe Law Firm’s weekly meeting. After the meeting ended and she returned to her office, Yu Xinzhi came over to discuss the Fengxing case with her.
On Tuesday, Lin Wu and Yu Xinzhi went to Fengxing again together and held a short meeting with the legal department.
When they were leaving, she deliberately lagged a few steps behind her colleagues and casually asked the Fengxing employee walking out with her,
“Your President Chen still hasn’t come back yet?”
The colleague from the legal department smiled and said,
“Yeah, things at headquarters are a bit complicated, but President Chen should be back in the next couple of days.”
Lin Wu nodded and didn’t ask anything more.
Back at the firm, Lin Wu asked Zhao Yuxin to organize the meeting notes, then got up and wandered over to the pantry.
It was a busy Tuesday—there were no colleagues lingering in the pantry to chat.
Lin Wu poured herself a cup of warm water and returned to her office.
That evening, as soon as Lin Wu got home from work, she saw a message from Chen Zhuo:
「Attorney Lin.」
Lin Wu: 「What can President Chen instruct me with?」
Chen Zhuo: 「You went to Fengxing for a meeting this afternoon?」
Reading the message, Lin Wu thought to herself: Of course the boss already knows and is just pretending to ask.
She replied slowly:
「Yes. Does President Chen want an update on the progress?」
Chen Zhuo: 「Is it convenient?」
Lin Wu: 「It’s convenient. Give me a few minutes.」
Chen Zhuo: 「Let’s talk online. You handle your own things first.」
Ten minutes later, now changed into comfortable home clothes, Lin Wu slipped into the study, opened a video call, and remotely reported to Chen Zhuo on the progress of their case discussions.
Chen Zhuo occasionally threw in a question—sharp and tricky ones.
Fortunately, Lin Wu was well prepared and answered smoothly.
When they had covered most of it, Chen Zhuo glanced at the time and suddenly said,
“I’m returning to the country tomorrow.”
Lin Wu froze for a second, then pressed her lips together.
“What time is your flight?”
Chen Zhuo: “A little after three in the afternoon.”
Lin Wu gave a soft “oh” and mentally calculated the time.
If the flight left New York a little after three in the afternoon and it was direct, he’d land the following evening.
Across the screen, Chen Zhuo watched the subtle shifts in Lin Wu’s expression.
“Lin Wu.”
Lin Wu lifted her eyes.
“Hm?”
“Are you working overtime the day after tomorrow?” Chen Zhuo asked.
Lin Wu looked at him; her long lashes trembled lightly.
“Not sure yet.”
Chen Zhuo nodded, then added,
“Roughly when will you know for sure?”
“…Why?” Lin Wu asked, even though she already knew.
Chen Zhuo gazed at her, the corner of his mouth curving silently in a slow, deliberate smile.
“Fengxing’s driver has been very busy lately. I was wondering if Attorney Lin could help pick someone up at the airport. What do you think?”
Lin Wu met his overly direct gaze; her eyes flickered slightly. She didn’t agree immediately, but she also didn’t refuse.
“I’ll have to check my schedule for the day after tomorrow.”
Chen Zhuo laughed softly.
“Alright. I’ll wait for Attorney Lin’s news.”
Lin Wu gave a small hum.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now?”
Chen Zhuo: “Good night.”
“…Good night.”
Thursday arrived in the blink of an eye.
When Lin Wu arrived at the office in the morning, she took the coffee Zhao Yuxin handed her, took a sip, then gave her a few tasks.
“We’ll head out around ten-something.”
Zhao Yuxin: “Where to?”
“To meet the client.”
Zhao Yuxin nodded and reported the day’s schedule to her.
“Oh, right, Attorney Lin—there’s a lawyers’ exchange meeting tonight. It’s being hosted by our firm and a few others. You’ll probably be going, right?”
She had always attended in the past.
Lin Wu lifted her eyes.
“Tonight?”
Zhao Yuxin nodded.
“Not going,” Lin Wu said. “I have something else.”
Zhao Yuxin looked surprised. She was about to point out that Lin Wu didn’t seem to have any other work scheduled for tonight.
But the words had barely reached her lips when Lin Wu lifted her eyes and glanced at her.
Zhao Yuxin immediately wilted.
“Okay, got it,” she said quickly.
After Zhao Yuxin left, Lin Wu felt a tiny pang of regret.
Was she being a little too impulsive?
Suddenly, the phone beside her vibrated.
It was a message from the person still on the plane:
「Working overtime?」
Lin Wu really wanted to reply that yes, she was.
She held the phone and hesitated for half a minute before typing:
「Not sure yet.」
Whether she’d have to work overtime or not wouldn’t be clear until she actually finished for the day.
The airport at night was bustling—bright lights everywhere, people coming and going in endless streams.
When Lin Wu reached the arrivals gate, Chen Zhuo’s flight still hadn’t landed. She watched the constant flow of passengers, her mind drifting—
How did she still end up coming here?
She stood at the exit, gaze unfocused, letting herself zone out.
After Chen Zhuo got off the plane, he deliberately checked his phone.
No missed calls, no unread messages from the person he wanted to hear from. He gave a helpless little laugh—not really surprised.
He pushed his luggage cart forward, weaving through the crowded terminal.
Just as he neared the exit, something made him pause. He suddenly lifted his eyes and saw her: a tall, familiar figure in a long black coat, a sleek black belt with a subtle luxury brand logo cinched at her waist, cheeks slightly pale from the wind.
The wind outside the terminal whipped through, lifting strands of Lin Wu’s hair.
She stood there straight and still, looking somehow both solitary and a little forlorn.
The wind was too strong—her hair blew completely across her face.
She raised a hand to tuck the strands behind her ear, then pulled out her phone to check the time. After estimating that Chen Zhuo should have already disembarked, she tapped open their chat window and typed:
「Have you gotten off the plane yet?」
She originally wanted to type “President Chen,” but after thinking about it, she deleted it.
Now that they had a working relationship, calling him “President Chen” felt overly formal.
The message had only been sent for a few seconds when a new one popped up in the chat box.
Chen Zhuo: 「Look up.」
Lin Wu instinctively raised her head and saw the man standing not far away, gazing straight at her.
Her lips parted slightly, but before she could make a sound, Chen Zhuo suddenly strode over, took hold of her arm—
And the next second, Lin Wu fell into a warm embrace, her cheek pressed against a chest that vibrated faintly with his heartbeat.