After hanging up the phone, Lin Wu stood still for a few seconds, slipped her phone back into her pocket, naturally touched her still-burning ear, then hugged the pile of things and entered the elevator to go upstairs and head home.
Once she got home, Lin Wu first changed into a more comfortable set of loungewear, then tied her hair up and went straight into the study. She really did have work to do and didn’t have time to linger outside for too long.
After reading through the legal document Zhao Yuxin had submitted, Lin Wu gave her some revision suggestions, then went on to organize materials for another ongoing case she was handling.
The case involved equity encroachment by a listed company—not particularly complicated, but it required sorting through a large volume of documents.
She spent the entire morning integrating and organizing materials.
It wasn’t until her phone rang again that she finally lifted her head from work and looked at the caller ID—
It was He Jiayun.
Lin Wu raised an eyebrow slightly and quickly answered. “Hey, Jiayun.”
“Wu Wu, are you at home?” He Jiayun’s voice sounded a little down.
Lin Wu replied, “Yeah, what’s wrong?”
“Then I’ll come over to find you,” He Jiayun said softly. “I’ll tell you when we meet.”
Before Lin Wu could say anything more, the action-oriented He Jiayun had already hung up.
“…”
Lin Wu was stunned for a few seconds before letting out a helpless sigh.
At the same time, a message from Chen Zhuo came in: 「How’s work going?」
Lin Wu hesitated for a few seconds, then simply dialed his number.
“Lawyer Lin.” The call was picked up after just one ring. Chen Zhuo’s low, slow voice came through the line. “What’s wrong? Haven’t finished handling things yet?”
Lin Wu stayed silent, not quite sure how to start.
“Why aren’t you speaking?” Chen Zhuo asked.
Lin Wu pressed her lips together, thought for a few seconds, and said, “Do you mind if I bring a friend along to bum a meal?”
“Hm?” Chen Zhuo didn’t immediately follow her train of thought. His tone was slightly uncertain. “Friend?”
Lin Wu: “…Yeah, my friend Jiayun. You’ve met her before—she’s also a partner at our firm.”
He Jiayun had suddenly said she was coming over, and it was almost lunchtime. Lin Wu couldn’t possibly leave her alone, but she had already promised Chen Zhuo first—she didn’t want to stand him up again.
After thinking it over, the only workable solution seemed to be bringing He Jiayun along to eat at his place.
There was a brief silence on Chen Zhuo’s end.
Lin Wu fell quiet too, opened her mouth, and started, “Sorry, I know this request—”
Before she could finish, Chen Zhuo smiled faintly. “Does your friend have any food restrictions?”
Lin Wu was stunned for a second, then answered, “She can’t eat anything too spicy. Other than that, she’s fine.”
Chen Zhuo gave a low “mm.” “When are you planning to come over?”
“Once Jiayun gets here, we’ll head over,” Lin Wu said. “About half an hour.”
Chen Zhuo: “Okay.”
After they agreed, they hung up.
Twenty minutes later, He Jiayun arrived at Lin Wu’s door.
The two of them looked at each other. Seeing He Jiayun’s red-rimmed eyes, Lin Wu frowned. “What happened?”
“I had a fight with my dad,” He Jiayun said as she walked inside, puffed up with anger. “I’m planning to run away from home.”
Lin Wu let out an “ah,” blinked, and said, “But… you don’t even live at home anyway?”
He Jiayun choked, shot her an annoyed look, and declared with righteous indignation, “That house was a gift from him too. I’m not staying there anymore.”
“…”
This wasn’t the first time Lin Wu had dealt with this kind of situation. She said calmly, unfazed, “Li Xiang’s place wasn’t paid for by your dad. Why don’t you run away to his place instead?”
“?”
He Jiayun had actually considered it, but if her dad found out she was staying at Li Xiang’s, he’d feel even more convinced that this was all she was capable of.
Running away from home only felt safe if it was just to the neighbor’s place.
But that wasn’t the point right now.
He Jiayun suddenly became very alert and looked at Lin Wu. “There’s something off about you.”
Lin Wu: “What’s off?”
He Jiayun turned her head and scanned Lin Wu up and down. “In the past, whenever I ran away from home, you would happily take me in and never even suggest I go to Li Xiang’s place. But today it feels like you’re not that thrilled about me coming over.”
She had to admit—the young miss had quite sharp instincts.
Lin Wu was speechless for a second. “That’s not it.”
She raised her hand. “Let me explain. I’m not unwelcome to you running away from home and staying with me. I’m super welcoming and happy about it. It’s just that—”
He Jiayun leaned in close, eyes wide. “Just that what?”
“I already have plans for lunch today,” Lin Wu said.
He Jiayun paused, then slowly let out an “ohhh.” “Then go ahead to your appointment. Don’t worry about me. I’ll just order some takeout later, eat, and then go sleep.”
“You don’t have to order takeout,” Lin Wu looked at her. “I can bring you along to bum the meal—as long as you don’t mind.”
He Jiayun tilted her head. “I’m not some socially anxious little girl. Why would I mind?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she asked, “Who did you make plans with?”
Lin Wu: “…Chen Zhuo.”
He Jiayun: “…”
She froze for three full seconds before saying in disbelief, “Why didn’t you say so earlier? If you’d told me, I would’ve come later.”
Lin Wu laughed. “We’re just having lunch together.”
She reached out and flicked He Jiayun lightly on the forehead. “He doesn’t mind if I bring you. It’s just that I’m going to his place, so I wanted to give you a heads-up.”
He Jiayun was dumbfounded. She stayed quiet for a moment, then stared straight at Lin Wu.
Lin Wu was puzzled. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
He Jiayun: “You two have already progressed this far?”
How did she not know anything about it?
Lin Wu: “Today is the first time.”
He Jiayun dragged out a long, teasing “ohhh.” “Really?”
When have I ever lied to you?
“Yeah, that’s true.” He Jiayun nodded. At the end she asked, “Chen Zhuo really doesn’t mind me, the third wheel, coming over to eat?”
Lin Wu was speechless. “We’re not even dating. What kind of third wheel are you?”
“Whether I count or not isn’t up to you.” He Jiayun refuted her, then confirmed again, “I’m coming to bum a meal—are you sure Chen Zhuo won’t add me to his assassination list?”
Lin Wu laughed lightly and gave her a reasonable analysis. “Murder is against the law. He probably wouldn’t dare kill someone in front of a lawyer, right?”
He Jiayun: “He wouldn’t dare in front of a cop, maybe. But you’re just a lawyer with no strength to truss a chicken—what’s stopping him?”
Lin Wu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She poked He Jiayun’s shoulder. “So are you coming or not?”
“Of course I’m coming,” He Jiayun raised an eyebrow, looking at Lin Wu meaningfully. She clasped her hands behind her back and said, “I’m going to do some reconnaissance.”
“Reconnaissance of what?”
“Not telling you.” He Jiayun kept her mysterious. “Are we going now? Where does he live?”
Lin Wu didn’t answer that question directly either—she kept it mysterious too. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Ten minutes later, after following Lin Wu across the zebra crossing and arriving at the compound directly opposite Lin Wu’s, He Jiayun let out a soft “wow” when she saw Chen Zhuo standing off to the side of the entrance, waiting for them.
“You two really have some incredible fate.”
Lin Wu was quite surprised too.
As they spoke, the two of them walked up to Chen Zhuo.
Chen Zhuo lifted his eyes and glanced at Lin Wu first, then turned his head toward He Jiayun beside her. “Miss He.”
He Jiayun nodded, feeling a little embarrassed. “President Chen, sorry for intruding.”
Chen Zhuo spoke gently. “Miss He, you’re too polite.”
He shifted his gaze to Lin Wu. “You’re Lin Wu’s friend. It’s only right.”
Hearing that, He Jiayun smiled brightly and raised an eyebrow, then looked toward Lin Wu.
Lin Wu didn’t want to speak.
After a simple exchange of greetings, Chen Zhuo led the two of them inside.
The compound where Chen Zhuo lived was superior in every aspect compared to Lin Wu’s. Although Lin Wu’s compound was already quite good, it still fell slightly short when compared to Chen Zhuo’s.
Chen Zhuo’s compound was the upscale wealthy area of this district—garden villas throughout, one household per elevator, and every unit was generously sized.
A couple of years ago when Lin Wu was looking to buy a place, He Jiayun had suggested she buy here and even offered to pay more than half, or just gift her a unit outright. Lin Wu had refused.
She wasn’t short of earning power herself—she hadn’t fallen on such hard times that she needed her best friend to buy her a house.
After being rejected, He Jiayun had sulked for quite a while.
In the end, Lin Wu had coaxed her by saying that if one day she didn’t want to be a lawyer anymore, He Jiayun could take care of her. Only then had He Jiayun been satisfied.
The buildings here weren’t very tall—only six floors.
Chen Zhuo lived on the fifth floor.
That was a little unexpected for Lin Wu. She had assumed someone in business like Chen Zhuo would be more superstitious and would usually prefer the sixth floor.
There were two brand-new pairs of slippers placed at the entrance.
Lin Wu and He Jiayun changed into them before walking further inside.
Past the entryway was an extremely spacious and bright living room. On the far side were floor-to-ceiling windows that were fully enclosed, offering a view of Shencheng’s river scenery. On the other side was an open balcony with some green plants faintly visible.
Lin Wu looked around and quite liked the renovation style—steady and restrained, low-key luxury, with black and white interwoven.
She knew Chen Zhuo had good taste, but she hadn’t expected his home to be decorated so elegantly and sophisticatedly.
“Sit first,” Chen Zhuo said. “There are still two more dishes—almost ready.”
With that, he first poured two glasses of warm water for his guests, told them to “make themselves at home,” and then went back into the kitchen.
“…”
After watching Chen Zhuo disappear into the kitchen, He Jiayun finally reacted. “Chen Zhuo is personally cooking?”
She had assumed he had ordered food from some private chef or restaurant and invited Lin Wu over to eat.
Lin Wu: “…Yeah, didn’t I mention that just now?”
He Jiayun gave her a sideways glance. “No. He actually cooks.”
She was genuinely surprised. “That’s really rare.”
Lin Wu thought about it. “Is it?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” He Jiayun asked her.
Lin Wu: “Li Xiang cooks too.”
Speak of the devil—Li Xiang’s call came in right then.
Seeing Li Xiang’s name on the screen, He Jiayun gave a light humph. “He’s definitely calling to persuade me to apologize to my dad.”
Lin Wu pondered. “Not necessarily.”
He Jiayun: “Anyway, if he tries to lecture me, I’m blocking him later.”
“I support you,” Lin Wu said.
He Jiayun gave an “mm-hmm,” then pointed toward the balcony. “I’m going to take the call. You go help President Chen in the kitchen.”
Lin Wu had originally wanted to say that Chen Zhuo probably didn’t need her help, but after thinking for a second, she obediently headed toward the kitchen.
“President Chen, need any help?”
Hearing her voice, Chen Zhuo lifted his eyes to look at her. “Where’s Miss He?”
“She’s taking a call.” Mentioning He Jiayun, Lin Wu also looked up at him and said softly, “You really don’t mind?”
Chen Zhuo: “Hm?”
“…Me bringing someone to bum a meal,” Lin Wu explained. “If you feel uncomfortable about it, just say so.”
Chen Zhuo answered her: “I’m not uncomfortable.”
He wasn’t that petty.
The way he phrased it made Lin Wu catch a different implication. She looked at him suspiciously. “Then you—”
“But this meal,” Chen Zhuo said, “does it still count?”
Lin Wu was confused. “Count as what?”
Chen Zhuo looked at her, his meaning very clear—
This didn’t count as the two of them eating together. He wanted compensation.
Lin Wu froze for a second, then reacted.
Feeling the burning gaze Chen Zhuo had fixed on her, her lips moved slightly. “…You decide.”
Chen Zhuo raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
Lin Wu gave a soft “mm” and pressed her lips together. “I’m the one in the wrong here. I’ll let President Chen decide everything.”
Chen Zhuo: “I wouldn’t dare decide for you.”
He paused for a moment, then asked, “Will you come with me somewhere tomorrow?”
Lin Wu looked up in surprise. “Where?”
Chen Zhuo: “It’s a secret for now. Will you come, Lawyer Lin?”
“…”
Their eyes met. Lin Wu held his gaze for a second, then lowered her long lashes slightly. “Do I have the right to refuse?”
Chen Zhuo raised an eyebrow, his voice softening. “You do. But I hope you’ll say yes.”
In many things, Chen Zhuo was always respectful toward Lin Wu.
When he had already put it this way, refusing would really make her seem unreasonable and stubborn.
She lowered her eyes and smiled faintly. “I already said it earlier.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll follow President Chen’s arrangements.” Lin Wu lifted her gaze again, meeting his eyes openly and straightforwardly.
“…”
The two of them chatted for a few more sentences in the kitchen before Chen Zhuo gently ushered Lin Wu out.
The reason was simple: her presence in the kitchen would slow him down while cooking.
Lin Wu was momentarily speechless. She almost wanted to ask him—how could she possibly slow him down when she wasn’t even doing anything?
At most she was just standing there talking a little.
The words reached her lips, but she swallowed them back. She had a feeling that if she actually asked that question, the answer she got might be something she wasn’t ready to handle right now.
When she returned to the living room, He Jiayun had just finished her phone call.
“Why didn’t you go help in the kitchen?”
“President Chen doesn’t need my help,” Lin Wu answered honestly.
He Jiayun blinked, then said very sincerely, “Chen Zhuo is actually pretty impressive.”
Lin Wu—who had already tasted his cooking before—nodded. “He really can cook.”
He Jiayun’s eyes lit up. “Then I’m definitely eating a lot later.”
About ten minutes later, lunch was ready.
Lin Wu got up to help bring the dishes out from the kitchen. Chen Zhuo had prepared five dishes and one soup: steamed hairy crab, braised fish, black pepper beef with king oyster mushrooms, chestnut pork ribs, blanched choy sum, and a very comforting clear stewed chicken soup—perfect for winter.
As soon as they reached the dining room, the rich aromas hit them.
Lin Wu already knew from last time that Chen Zhuo was good at cooking, but seeing the spread on the table now, she was completely in awe—
How could someone be this good at cooking?
“President Chen, do you mind if I take a photo?” He Jiayun asked.
Chen Zhuo: “Feel free.”
He Jiayun quickly pulled out her phone.
Lin Wu hesitated for two seconds, then also took out her phone and snapped one picture—to keep as a memory.
“Start with a bowl of soup,” Chen Zhuo said. He served a bowl to each of the two women. When he handed Lin Wu hers, he lowered his voice and reminded her, “It’s a bit hot. Blow on it first.”
Lin Wu: “Thank you.”
The dining table was rectangular, with an island counter nearby.
Lin Wu and He Jiayun sat on one side, Chen Zhuo sat alone on the other—directly across from Lin Wu.
After asking whether the two ladies wanted alcohol or soft drinks, Chen Zhuo even got up to fetch some fruit juice.
“Thank you, President Chen,” He Jiayun said, very aware of her role as the freeloader. “You two just talk among yourselves. Don’t mind me.”
Lin Wu: “…”
She glanced at the phone He Jiayun had set to the side. “It looks more like you don’t have time to mind us.”
He Jiayun weakly protested, “I do too.”
Lin Wu didn’t expose her. She just said lightly, “Eat first. Play on your phone after you finish eating.”
“Last sentence,” He Jiayun agreed.
As they spoke, she replied to Li Xiang, who had just received the photo of lunch she sent him. His question: 「Weren’t you going to Lin Wu’s place?」
He Jiayun: 「Yeah, but I came with her to her friend’s place to bum a meal.」
Li Xiang: 「Her friend?」
He Jiayun: 「Yep. Any problem?」
Li Xiang: 「No problem. Just a little surprised.」
He had never heard He Jiayun or Lin Wu mention that Lin Wu had a friend whose home she would go to for meals. And from one corner visible in the photo He Jiayun just sent, it seemed Lin Wu’s meal-bumming friend was male.
He Jiayun: 「Don’t be surprised yet. I’m about to eat.」
Li Xiang: 「You’re really planning to stay at Lin Wu’s tonight?」
He Jiayun: 「Of course.」
Li Xiang: 「Lin Wu has been very busy with work lately.」
He Jiayun: 「…I’m not going to disturb her work.」
Li Xiang: 「When you’re at her place, she’ll definitely be distracted taking care of you.」
He Jiayun couldn’t deny that.
It was true.
Even if she didn’t need Lin Wu to take care of her—even if Lin Wu didn’t have to worry about her at all—Lin Wu would still inevitably be distracted by her presence.
Thinking of this, He Jiayun suddenly felt a little melancholic—she didn’t even have a proper place to run away to anymore.
As if guessing what she was thinking, Li Xiang added: 「Eat first. We’ll talk about this after you finish lunch.」
He Jiayun: 「Okay.」
Meanwhile, Lin Wu and Chen Zhuo really did leave He Jiayun alone. The two of them focused on eating seriously.
Lin Wu drank more than half her bowl of chicken soup and felt her whole body warm and comfortable. She set the bowl down and began tasting the other dishes Chen Zhuo had made.
Lin Wu discovered that Chen Zhuo’s cooking skills were genuinely excellent. Last time at the apartment, he seemed to have held back a little. Today’s meal completely convinced her—he had her full admiration.
He Jiayun kept praising him too, saying his cooking was amazing and asking if he had ever taken professional lessons.
Chen Zhuo gave a faint smile. “Not really. I just like to experiment at home when I have time.”
Lin Wu looked at him, genuinely surprised. “You actually have free time?”
Logically speaking, Chen Zhuo should be extremely busy with work.
Chen Zhuo curved his lips. “If I want free time, I can always make it.”
Lin Wu was convinced.
This meal was enjoyed by all three of them.
After eating, Lin Wu took the initiative to offer to help clean up. Chen Zhuo agreed, but he didn’t actually let her do much—he only asked her to carry two plates into the kitchen, then told her to go rest.
After the meal, two single women didn’t feel it was appropriate to stay too long at a single man’s house.
Once Chen Zhuo finished tidying up, the three of them chatted casually for a bit. Then Lin Wu and He Jiayun said goodbye to Chen Zhuo and left to go home.
As they walked out of Chen Zhuo’s compound, He Jiayun turned back to glance at the man who had escorted them to the entrance. She gently poked Lin Wu’s arm.
“Wu Wu.”
Lin Wu: “Just say it.”
He Jiayun thought seriously for a moment. “Chen Zhuo is really great.”
Lin Wu wasn’t surprised. She lowered her eyes and gave a soft “mm.” “I know.”
He Jiayun gave her a sideways look. “As long as you’re clear about it in your heart, I won’t say much more.”
Lin Wu smiled. “Okay.”
She linked arms with her. “You’re full now—want to go shopping?”
In the past, when the young miss He was unhappy, her way of venting was shopping and spending money.
“Not right now. Let’s go home and rest for a bit first. We can go tonight.”
“Alright,” Lin Wu agreed.
But that evening, after the two of them ate and finished strolling the streets, Li Xiang came over.
Under Li Xiang’s persuasion, He Jiayun decided to run away from home to a different place. Li Xiang had another apartment in the city center, and she decided to stay there for a while. That way, she wouldn’t disturb or delay Lin Wu’s work progress.
Of course, what He Jiayun didn’t know was that Lin Wu hadn’t scheduled any work for herself that Sunday.
The day before, she had promised Chen Zhuo that she would go out with him.
Lin Wu was a person who kept her word. Even though she had fleeting thoughts of backing out, she still put on makeup and left the house before the agreed time.
When she reached the compound entrance, Chen Zhuo was already leaning against his car, waiting.
Lin Wu walked over slowly. Chen Zhuo sensed her and lifted his eyes. When he saw how she was dressed, he slowly raised an eyebrow and silently curved the corner of his lips.
Lin Wu happened to glance up and met his deep, dark, gleaming eyes. For just a tiny moment, she felt a little embarrassed.
Her curled lashes fluttered. Pretending to be calm, she said, “President Chen seems to be in a very good mood today?”
“It is pretty good,” Chen Zhuo openly admitted. He lowered his gaze slightly and looked at her. “And Lawyer Lin?”
Lin Wu: “…Temporarily average.”
Chen Zhuo gave a low laugh. He turned sideways to open the car door for her. Then, as Lin Wu bent down to get in, he said unhurriedly,
“Like this.”
He paused. Right before closing the door for her, he added one more sentence:
“But Lawyer Lin looks very beautiful today.”
Lin Wu: “…”
Her cheeks heated up. Watching Chen Zhuo walk around the front of the car and open the driver’s door, she still hadn’t figured out what to say in response.
She couldn’t really deny that she had dressed up on purpose today.
Lin Wu usually wore business suits, trousers, or hip-hugging skirts in relatively plain colors—black, white, gray.
Fortunately, her figure was tall and slender, so even ordinary office wear looked distinctive and charming on her.
But today, she had dug out the outfit He Jiayun gave her for her birthday last year.
A pearl-white satin dress, with a camellia brooch pinned at the collar, layered under a long, light-colored coat. The overall look was vintage and elegant. When she moved, the satin skirt shimmered under the sunlight, adding a subtle touch of sensuality.
Her long, wavy hair—usually tied in a low ponytail—was left down today, cascading over her shoulders. Every gesture carried a soft, alluring charm.
“…”
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Chen Zhuo started the car and asked the person beside him.
Lin Wu sat on the already warmed seat, reached over to buckle her seatbelt, and asked knowingly, “Say what?”
Chen Zhuo laughed lightly. “Say whatever you want to say.”
He asked, “Did you have breakfast?”
“You already asked me that this morning,” Lin Wu reminded him very calmly.
Around seven o’clock, Chen Zhuo had messaged to ask if she was awake and what she wanted for breakfast.
Lin Wu had said she would eat at home, and he hadn’t pressed further.
Caught by her, Chen Zhuo didn’t feel awkward. He gave a soft “mm.” “My memory isn’t great in the morning.”
Lin Wu: “…”
She turned her head to look at him, her expression clearly saying: Do you think I believe that?
Chen Zhuo curved his lips and didn’t continue that topic. Instead, he lowered his eyes slightly and looked at the bag Lin Wu was holding—separate from her purse. “What’s that?”
Lin Wu looked down and only then remembered. “It’s for you.”
Chen Zhuo didn’t immediately react. “Hm?”
Lin Wu handed the bag to him. Her eyes flickered slightly, carrying a trace of embarrassment. “A thank-you gift for yesterday’s lunch.”