Lin Wu’s pupils contracted sharply. Her breathing froze. A sudden wave of numbness prickled across the back of her hand. She stared wide-eyed at the man standing calm and unruffled in front of her—steady as a mountain—and nearly dropped the water bottle she was holding.
As if sensing her reaction, Chen Zhuo lowered his gaze slightly. His brows and eyes dipped in that refined, handsome way of his.
“Attorney Lin, hold it steady.”
“…”
Lin Wu swallowed a breath of air that got stuck in her throat, unable to vent it. She forced down the words “You’re the one who started it” that were burning on her tongue. With a faint smile, she gritted her teeth and said,
“Thank you for the reminder, President Chen.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle he had handed her, turned her back to them, and tilted her head back to take a large gulp.
By the time she finished drinking, the elevator had reached the basement level.
At this point Lin Wu no longer cared that Chen Zhuo was a cooperating party of the law firm and that she should politely let them exit first. Without looking back, she strode straight out.
In the quiet underground parking garage, Chen Zhuo and the others lagged a few steps behind her. They could clearly hear the rapid tap-tap-tap of her high heels against the concrete—like she was venting some emotion with every step.
The sound of her footsteps grew farther and farther away.
The two groups headed in different directions.
Once inside her car, Lin Wu didn’t start the engine right away.
She opened her phone, first searched for navigation to the hospital where Xu Yanran was, then finally looked at the new WeChat message that had popped up at the top of her screen.
Chen Zhuo: 「Attorney Lin, you still haven’t answered my question.」
He was referring to the message he had sent earlier—the one Lin Wu hadn’t replied to yet.
Reading it again, the scene from last night flashed vividly in Lin Wu’s mind.
She choked slightly, forcefully deleted the image from her head, and replied expressionlessly:
「President Chen is a little too confident in himself.」
Chen Zhuo: 「?」
Lin Wu: 「Literal meaning. Think about it carefully, President Chen. I’m about to drive.」
Chen Zhuo went silent. He raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, deciding not to argue with her for now:
「Drive slowly. Going to see a friend or a client?」
Lin Wu didn’t answer directly. She only said:
「Anyway, it’s not me seeing a doctor.」
After sending that message, Lin Wu ignored whatever else Chen Zhuo might send and drove off.
When she arrived at Shencheng Third Hospital, she lowered her head and messaged Xu Yanran:
「Outpatient or general surgery?」
A short while later Xu Yanran replied:
「Outpatient.」
She immediately shared her location. Lin Wu followed the map directions forward.
When she reached the outpatient area, Xu Yanran was just having her wound treated.
There was blood on her arm, and half her face was swollen. Seeing this, Lin Wu frowned deeply.
“How did it get this bad?”
“You’re here,” Xu Yanran lifted her eyes slightly and mumbled through the pain, “Wait for me a bit.”
Lin Wu turned her head toward the assistant standing nearby holding Xu Yanran’s things.
“…Did you guys get into a fight?”
The assistant’s eyes were red-rimmed. She sighed and said,
“The husband barged into Attorney Xu’s office and started smashing things. Attorney Xu tried to protect the client and blocked a glass cup on the desk with her arm—that’s how she got cut.”
“…” Lin Wu was speechless. “And the face?”
“When he saw Attorney Xu was injured, the husband—whether he was scared or angry—no one knows—he raised his hand to hit the client again. Attorney Xu pulled the client out of the way, and the slap landed on her face instead.” The assistant’s voice cracked as she spoke.
She hadn’t been Xu Yanran’s assistant for long. This was the first time she had encountered something like this, and it had frightened her to tears.
Lin Wu: “…”
She took a deep breath, utterly speechless.
“Is the firm’s security just for decoration?”
The assistant didn’t dare respond. Xu Yanran gave her a small smile.
“It was an accident. Don’t worry—”
Before she could finish, the doctor who was treating her wound—wearing a mask and keeping his eyes lowered—suddenly spoke. His voice was cool and clear.
“Don’t move.”
His tone wasn’t particularly harsh, yet it carried an undeniable pressure that brooked no argument.
Xu Yanran instantly went quiet. She blinked lightly.
“Okay.”
Lin Wu caught Xu Yanran’s reaction and couldn’t help glancing at the doctor again. He was facing sideways to her, mask on, so she couldn’t see his full face clearly. But from the half-profile visible and the aura he gave off, his overall appearance and demeanor seemed quite good.
At the very least, he couldn’t possibly be ugly.
Sensing something, Lin Wu shifted her gaze back to Xu Yanran.
Xu Yanran was staring fixedly at the doctor and hadn’t noticed Lin Wu watching her at all.
“…”
Twenty minutes later, Xu Yanran’s wound was finally treated.
The doctor stood up and instructed,
“Keep your arm out of water for the next few days. Change the dressing once a day…”
Xu Yanran nodded obediently. After he finished, she asked,
“Can I come back to the hospital to have the dressing changed?”
“…” The doctor paused for a second, then looked at her with cool, indifferent eyes.
“If you have someone at home, a family member can help change it.”
Xu Yanran didn’t even think.
“I live alone. No one at home.”
The assistant beside her and Lin Wu: “…”
The doctor: “…”
Even the doctor seemed momentarily stunned by her words. After several seconds of silence he said,
“You can come here.”
If a patient insisted on paying to come back to the hospital, they couldn’t exactly refuse too bluntly.
After giving a few more instructions, the doctor who had treated Xu Yanran’s wound called out toward the hallway.
A nurse hurried over.
“Dr. Tan.”
The man named Dr. Tan gave a slight nod.
“All done. I’ll head back now. When Qiao finishes, have him call me.”
The nurse nodded.
“Okay, Dr. Tan. Thank you.”
“Uh…” Xu Yanran still hadn’t managed to speak before the man turned and left without the slightest reluctance.
The nurse didn’t notice anything unusual about Xu Yanran. She picked up the form beside her and said,
“Ms. Xu, this is the payment slip. After you pay, go straight to the pharmacy to get your medicine.”
Xu Yanran took it, sounding a little dejected.
“Okay, thank you.”
She let out a soft sigh, hesitated while looking at the nurse in front of her, then couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Sis, the doctor just now—”
The nurse was writing something and looked up at her.
“Which one?”
“The one who treated my wound,” Xu Yanran said directly.
“You mean Dr. Tan?” The nurse looked at her, paused for a few seconds, then said,
“Dr. Tan isn’t from our outpatient department. He just came over to find a colleague and saw we were swamped, so he helped treat your wound.”
Xu Yanran nodded.
“Which department is he from?”
The nurse suddenly became alert. She gave Xu Yanran another look before saying,
“You don’t stand a chance.”
Xu Yanran: “…”
After leaving the outpatient area, Xu Yanran’s assistant went to queue up and collect the medicine.
Lin Wu and Xu Yanran walked to a resting area on the side to wait.
Lin Wu poured her a cup of warm water.
“Have some water.”
Xu Yanran took it and drank with some difficulty. She looked at the person in front of her with resentful eyes.
“Am I not good-looking?”
Lin Wu was stunned.
“You’re kidding, right?”
Xu Yanran: “You don’t understand.”
“I really don’t,” Lin Wu said. “You came to the hospital for treatment, and somehow you ended up falling for the doctor.”
Xu Yanran let out an “Aiyo.”
“Love sometimes hits you just like that—out of nowhere.”
“…And this is already love?” Lin Wu looked dumbfounded. “Did you even get a clear look at his face?”
Xu Yanran: “Of course.”
She told Lin Wu that before treating her wound, Dr. Tan hadn’t been wearing a mask. She had seen his entire face clearly and knew exactly how good-looking he was.
Lin Wu was curious.
“How good-looking?”
“…Hard to describe,” Xu Yanran suddenly found herself at a loss for words. “Better-looking than any client I’ve ever seen.”
Lin Wu choked slightly.
“The clients you see… most of them aren’t exactly great-looking, are they?”
Xu Yanran shot her a sideways glance.
“Don’t trash-talk my golden goose daddies.”
Lin Wu made an OK gesture.
“Please continue.”
Xu Yanran shrugged.
“What else is there to say? He’s just really good-looking. His eye tails droop—like puppy eyes. You know what puppy eyes are, right?”
Lin Wu: “…Not really.”
Xu Yanran: “The kind that look pitiful and innocent at first glance. Very much like a little dog’s expression.”
“…”
Watching her get so excited explaining and analyzing, Lin Wu couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.
“Attorney Xu.”
Xu Yanran: “Hm?”
“You’re not seriously in love at first sight with that doctor just now, are you?” Lin Wu asked.
Xu Yanran let out an “Ah,” thought for a moment, then said,
“Not exactly love at first sight.”
Lin Wu raised an eyebrow.
Xu Yanran lowered her voice.
“It’s lust at first sight.”
Lin Wu: “…”
For a moment, she really didn’t know what to say.
They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. Just as they were about to continue the topic, the assistant came back with the medicine.
Xu Yanran took the bag, turned to her assistant, and instructed,
“You go back to the firm first. Finish up the tasks I gave you. I’ll head back later.”
The assistant nodded.
“Okay, Attorney Xu.”
She looked at Lin Wu.
“Goodbye, Attorney Lin.”
Lin Wu nodded.
“Goodbye.”
After parting with the assistant, the two of them left the hospital.
Once they were in Lin Wu’s car, Xu Yanran suddenly realized something.
“I should’ve checked the hospital announcement board just now.”
Lin Wu didn’t understand.
“Checked for what?”
“To see which department Dr. Tan belongs to,” Xu Yanran said, full of enthusiasm.
Lin Wu could tell she was genuinely interested. She spoke softly,
“You can probably find it on the official website too.”
But Shencheng Third Hospital was huge, with a long history and a large staff. Searching by last name alone would be somewhat difficult.
Xu Yanran: “You’re right. I’ll check when I get back to the firm later.”
Lin Wu gave a helpless little laugh.
“Then I wish you good luck.”
“Definitely needed.”
After leaving the hospital, it still wasn’t quite lunchtime yet.
Lin Wu searched around and chose a coffee shop with a comfortable atmosphere.
“What would you like to drink?” Lin Wu asked once they were seated.
Xu Yanran: “Coffee’s fine. I still have to go back to the firm later.”
Lin Wu nodded.
They ordered two coffees. Almost at the same time, both of them fell into quiet thought.
After a while, Xu Yanran spoke directly.
“If Sun Qisheng really does come to Shencheng, what are you planning to do?”
Lin Wu lifted her eyes. For once, her face showed genuine confusion.
“I don’t know.”
Xu Yanran pressed her lips together, visibly angry.
“How could he suddenly get transferred to Shencheng? Wasn’t he doing really well in Licheng?”
“People always move toward better opportunities,” Lin Wu said. Then something occurred to her. “And… his younger sister is studying here.”
Xu Yanran: “Younger sister?”
She looked at Lin Wu in surprise.
“Your half-sister from the same mother?”
Lin Wu nodded.
After a silent moment, Xu Yanran asked,
“Does your sister know about… those things?”
Lin Wu cradled the warm coffee cup in her hands.
“She probably doesn’t.”
Sun Nian’an was nearly ten years younger than her. She shouldn’t know about what happened back then.
Xu Yanran nodded. After another quiet pause she asked,
“If Sun Qisheng shows up in front of you, do you think you can stay calm?”
“…Okay,” Lin Wu said with a small smile. “Don’t underestimate me.”
Xu Yanran: “I’m not underestimating you. I just don’t want you to have to think about those unhappy things again.”
“I know,” Lin Wu replied, smiling faintly as she lowered her eyes. “But sooner or later, I have to face them.”
She knew very well: if she kept running away forever, the past would always keep her trapped.
Xu Yanran gave a soft hum and reached over to squeeze her hand.
“If you need anything, come to me. Flipping a case is difficult, but if we team up, it’s not completely hopeless.”
Lin Wu gave a shallow smile, lifted her coffee cup, and gently clinked it against Xu Yanran’s.
“Okay.”
After talking for a while longer about Sun Qisheng, Lin Wu and Xu Yanran caught up on recent events.
They chatted until noon, had lunch together, and only then went back to their respective law firms.
Less than half an hour after returning to the office, Yu Xinzhi came over to tell Lin Wu that Sun Qisheng’s transfer to Shencheng was real. He was joining a well-known firm in the city called Min’an Law Firm—and it seemed he was coming in as a partner.
“Min’an Law Firm?” Lin Wu confirmed with Yu Xinzhi.
Yu Xinzhi nodded.
“Yes. One of my classmates works there. He said the news was only confirmed in the last few days.”
Lin Wu zoned out for a second.
“Okay. Thank you, Attorney Yu.”
Yu Xinzhi smiled.
“No problem.”
After Yu Xinzhi left, Lin Wu sat in her office chair in a long, dazed silence.
It wasn’t until Zhao Yuxin came in to report on work that Lin Wu finally pulled her wandering thoughts back and forced herself to focus on the tasks at hand.
When you’re busy, time flies.
By the time Lin Wu finished wrapping up her current work, it was already nine o’clock at night.
She was just about to pack up and leave when the phone screen on the side lit up with a new message.
Lin Wu opened it. It was from Chen Zhuo:
「Off work yet?」
Lin Wu stared at the message for a few seconds before replying:
「President Chen, we’re not meeting tonight.」
The message had barely gone through when Chen Zhuo sent a photo:
「You left something behind.」
Lin Wu looked—it was the pink lipstick she hadn’t been able to find that morning.
She went momentarily speechless, then typed back:
「Just keep it with you for now, President Chen. I’m not in a hurry to use it.」
Chen Zhuo: “…”
Staring at her reply, he raised a hand to lightly pinch the bridge of his nose. Then he directly called her.
“Hello, who is this?” Lin Wu asked, pretending not to know.
Chen Zhuo’s clear, cool voice came through the receiver.
“Still haven’t left?”
Hearing this, Lin Wu thought to herself: He’s the one pretending to ask.
“No. And neither have you, President Chen?”
Chen Zhuo raised an eyebrow.
“How do you know I haven’t left?”
Lin Wu: “I can do math.”
Chen Zhuo’s brows lifted slightly in faint surprise.
“Really?”
“What?” Lin Wu caught the surprise in his tone. “President Chen doesn’t believe me?”
Chen Zhuo let out a soft laugh.
“I believe you.”
How could he not?
Lin Wu: “…”
He didn’t argue with her attitude, which left her suddenly unsure how to continue.
Both of them fell into a tacit silence, listening to each other’s breathing through the phone.
After a few seconds, Chen Zhuo toyed with the pink lipstick in his hand and spoke softly,
“You really aren’t in a hurry to use it?”
Lin Wu paused. She wanted to say yes, she wasn’t.
But the words reached her lips and she hesitated.
A moment later, Chen Zhuo got the answer he had been waiting for.
“I’m about to head downstairs.”
Chen Zhuo’s lips curved. His voice slowed and gentled as he said one last sentence:
“Attorney Lin, see you in a bit.”
After hanging up, Lin Wu rubbed her ear, hurriedly stuffed the documents on her desk into her bag, grabbed it, and left.
At the elevator waiting area, she glanced up slightly, looked at the numbered elevators in front of her, and stared at the floor display to calculate.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated again.
Chen Zhuo: 「Elevator 6.」
Lin Wu pressed her lips together, turned off the screen, and silently moved to stand in front of elevator number 6.
Half a minute later, the doors opened.
The first thing Lin Wu saw was a pair of black Oxford shoes. Her gaze traveled upward: matching black suit trousers, a suit jacket, and a finely textured waistcoat shirt.
She hadn’t looked closely when he left this morning. Only now did she notice—Chen Zhuo was dressed very formally today.
A three-piece suit: shirt, waistcoat, jacket, paired with a deep blue tie. Handsome, cold, and austere, he carried the unmistakable aura of someone in power.
The elevator doors slowly closed.
Lin Wu withdrew her gaze and turned around, standing with her back to the person in the corner.
Suddenly, a short cough sounded inside the elevator.
Lin Wu didn’t move. She faced the elevator doors squarely. Through the reflective silver surface, she could see Chen Zhuo straighten up from his previously relaxed posture and take one step to the side.
That single step startled Lin Wu so much that she immediately tilted her head back to look at the surveillance camera inside the elevator, then glared at the man behind her through the reflection.
Chen Zhuo: “…”
He was amused by her reaction. The corners of his lips lifted slightly. He took out his phone and typed:
「Attorney Lin, too cautious.」
Lin Wu replied expressionlessly:
「I’m a lawyer.」
As a professional lawyer, the first thing one must master is caution.
Chen Zhuo felt helpless.
Fortunately, the elevators in this financial center were faster than average.
In just a moment, they reached the basement level.
The two of them exited the elevator one after the other. Lin Wu turned around and held out her hand toward Chen Zhuo.
Chen Zhuo lifted his eyes and gave a small, private smile.
“What do you want?”
Lin Wu was concise:
“The lipstick.”
Chen Zhuo laughed softly. He took the lipstick out of his pocket but didn’t hand it over immediately.
“Just the lipstick?”
Lin Wu was puzzled.
“Did I leave anything else?”
Chen Zhuo gave a slight nod.
“What is it?” Lin Wu had absolutely no recollection.
Chen Zhuo: “Try to remember.”
Lin Wu seriously thought back for a moment.
“…I can’t remember. Just give it to me.”
“I didn’t bring it with me,” Chen Zhuo said. “It’s back at the apartment.”
“…”
Lin Wu paused. She stared straight at Chen Zhuo for a full half minute before slowly nodding.
“Okay. Then I’ll pick it up next week.”
Chen Zhuo choked.
After a brief silence, he gave a small, helpless smile and asked in a low voice,
“You really aren’t coming over tonight?”
“I…” Lin Wu was about to refuse outright. But when her eyes accidentally met Chen Zhuo’s clear, bright gaze as he looked at her, she suddenly found it hard to be ruthless. His eyes were deep and clear, like still pools—impossible to read his thoughts.
Yet whenever Lin Wu looked into them, she could often see—
What he was thinking, what he wanted, what he meant to express.
The underground parking lot on a Friday night was extremely quiet.
So quiet they could hear each other’s breathing.
The silence stretched for about half a minute before Lin Wu said,
“I still have some work left to finish.”
Chen Zhuo laughed, his tone carrying clear implication.
“It’s just to pick something up. It won’t take up too much of Attorney Lin’s work time.”
He had no intention of doing anything tonight.
Chen Zhuo wasn’t so inconsiderate of Lin Wu’s physical condition.
The two drove toward the apartment.
On the way, using the excuse that his own car had been sent for maintenance—and successfully hitching a ride in Lin Wu’s—Chen Zhuo suddenly noticed something and tilted his head.
“Pull over for a second.”
Lin Wu stepped on the brake.
“What’s wrong?”
“Need to buy something,” Chen Zhuo said.
Lin Wu pulled over to the side and didn’t ask what he was going to buy.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Chen Zhuo unbuckled his seatbelt and got out.
Lin Wu nodded, not asking further.
Watching Chen Zhuo’s retreating figure, Lin Wu turned her gaze elsewhere, her mind drifting.
Suddenly, the phone resting on the side of the steering wheel lit up. It was a video call from He Jiayun.
Lin Wu answered.
“What’s up?”
“Where are you?” He Jiayun looked toward her screen. “It’s so dark. I was asking if you were home from work yet.”
“In the car,” Lin Wu replied. “Why is it so noisy on your end?”
He Jiayun: “I’m at a bar.”
Lin Wu frowned.
“Don’t drink too much. You can’t handle a lot of alcohol.”
“I know,” He Jiayun said, not minding her nagging at all. “Do you want to come join us?”
After asking, she suddenly remembered.
“Oh, right—today’s Friday, isn’t it?”
Hearing her deliberately point it out, Lin Wu felt a little embarrassed.
She pressed her lips together lightly.
“Yeah… but I can still come.”
She and Chen Zhuo weren’t planning to do anything tonight anyway.
He Jiayun raised an eyebrow, suddenly curious.
“What’s up? You two aren’t meeting tonight?”
“We can skip it.” Lin Wu asked, “Are you at the bar alone, or with Li Xiang?”
He Jiayun: “With some other friends.”
Hearing that, Lin Wu immediately said,
“Then wait for me. I’ll come over if I get the chance later.”
He Jiayun: “Okay.”
Someone on the other end called He Jiayun over to drink. She hurriedly ended the call.
When Chen Zhuo returned, before he could even speak, Lin Wu turned her head.
“So what exactly did I leave at the apartment?”
“…Why?” Chen Zhuo handed her the iced pear drink he had just bought. “To soothe your throat.”
Lin Wu froze.
“…Thank you.”
She hadn’t even remembered that her voice was hoarse.
Chen Zhuo gave a soft hum and looked at her sideways.
“What were you about to say just now?”
“Is the thing at the apartment urgent?” Lin Wu asked. “I might need to go to a bar for a bit.”
Chen Zhuo: “Not urgent.”
He unbuckled the seatbelt he had just fastened.
“Get out first.”
Lin Wu: “Huh?”
Before she could react, Chen Zhuo had already walked around the front of the car and come to the driver’s side.
“Let’s switch seats,” Chen Zhuo said, looking at her.
Lin Wu understood.
“I can drive myself.”
Chen Zhuo: “I’ll drive.”
At certain moments, the cold, hard edge Chen Zhuo revealed could actually be quite intimidating.
Lin Wu glanced at the sharp, handsome outline of his side profile, didn’t struggle much, and switched seats with him.
Once they had swapped places, Chen Zhuo asked,
“Which bar?”
“We…” Lin Wu opened her mouth, looking a little embarrassed as she said, “The bar where we first met.”
Noticing her discomfort, Chen Zhuo’s lips curved slightly.
“You like going there a lot?”
“Not really. It’s just… safer for me.”
Chen Zhuo: “Safer?”
“I know the bar owner, and I’m familiar with the bartenders,” Lin Wu explained. “If anything happens, someone’s watching.”
Chen Zhuo: “…”
He nodded.
“A smart person’s choice.”
“And you?” Lin Wu rarely showed curiosity about Chen Zhuo’s affairs. “Why did you go there that day?”
“A few friends had some business to discuss there, so I went along,” Chen Zhuo said.
Back then, Chen Zhuo actually hadn’t wanted to go. He had just flown back from abroad that day and was exhausted, wanting nothing more than to sleep at home. But his good friend Meng Hui kept calling, saying he lacked confidence without Chen Zhuo there.
Chen Zhuo had no choice but to agree to accompany him.
On the way there, and even while they were talking business in the second-floor private room, he never imagined he would run into Lin Wu downstairs.
After the discussion ended, Meng Hui and the others suggested going down to the main bar area for a while to soak in the lively atmosphere.
Chen Zhuo had been about to refuse. But as he stepped out of the private room, his eyes landed on the woman sitting at the bar counter.
Lin Wu had been facing sideways, watching the performance on the stage with complete focus. Plenty of people around were staring at her, but she hadn’t noticed at all.
Every now and then, she would say a few words to the bartender.
In that instant, Chen Zhuo thought he was hallucinating.
He had never expected to encounter her there.
“…”
It wasn’t until he walked downstairs together with Meng Hui and the others—heading toward the booth—that Chen Zhuo finally came back to his senses and said,
“I’ll sit at the bar counter for a bit.”
When he went over, he had wanted to confirm one thing.
What he hadn’t expected even more was that Lin Wu would take the initiative to speak to him.
Of course, he had no intention of telling Lin Wu any of this right now.
Thinking back to that day, Chen Zhuo gave a small, satisfied smile.
“Lin Wu.”
Lin Wu: “What?”
Chen Zhuo turned his head to look at her and asked softly,
“Why did you suddenly—”
He didn’t finish the sentence. Lin Wu already understood.
Lin Wu let out a soft “Ah,” moved her lips, and for a moment didn’t know how to explain.
Suddenly, she remembered what Xu Yanran had said at the hospital earlier today.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Lin Wu told the truth.
“You’re good-looking.”