The appearance of the Dating Cheat Device system, apart from causing Ying Zhi’an a bit of initial panic, has had almost no effect since.
It is said that summer makes everyone restless, causing friction in families. Those who thought they could tolerate things found they couldn’t anymore, so Ying Zhi’an had even more work.
Busy earning money, the matter of the strange system was forgotten.
The only thing to worry about was the score above Song Xidan’s head. Therefore, in addition to handing over the matter of Zhu Yun, Ying Zhi’an also generously provided her with several other case sources.
As for herself, she filled her schedule with business trips to attend court hearings in other provinces.
Avoiding communication, Ying Zhi’an believed, was the best way to cool down a young person.
So when Zhu Yun called her, she was in the distant south of the country, handing tissues to her client.
The client was still sobbing, showing no signs of being able to express herself normally.
Ying Zhi’an patted the client’s shoulder. “Take a moment to calm down. We’ll continue talking later.”
Before leaving, Ying Zhi’an placed a whole packet of tissues beside the client, then retreated to a quiet corner.
“I had something to attend to,” Ying Zhi’an said, looking at the intense sun shining on the coconut groves. The dampness from the rainy season seemed to have been baked dry. “What’s up?”
“Their family is causing a scene. Fang Ying and her husband fought over the child and ended up at the police station. After that, I don’t know what they said to each other, but Fang Ying’s husband made a 33-page PowerPoint presentation and exposed the Fang family online, saying they have a hereditary disease but concealed it to deceive him into marriage.” Zhu Yun’s voice sounded listless. Fang Ying was her former sister-in-law, whom she had introduced to Ying Zhi’an.
“Someone did what you wanted to do for you.” Ying Zhi’an had long anticipated this, or rather, she and Song Xidan had played a part in accelerating it.
“Yeah. If this were a murder mystery game, I’d have the highest-ranking identity in the whole room. Many friends told me not to get married. As you instructed, I also casually mentioned that we hadn’t registered our marriage, and they all turned around and advised me that a blessed woman doesn’t enter an unfortunate home. Moreover, no one is paying attention to my engagement anymore because of this whole mess.”
“Isn’t that great? Why do you sound unhappy?”
Separated by a great distance, Zhu Yun sighed faintly. “Zhi’an, you really know me. I am indeed unhappy. The moment I learned of their misfortune, I truly felt the satisfaction of revenge, but that feeling quickly disappeared, replaced by a sense of distress.”
“Distress for whom?”
“For myself, and also for Fang Ying’s child. She is still so young, but her parents are tearing each other apart so terribly, and the repercussions are so vast. If she really has to live with Fang Ying, I’m afraid she will be affected by the gossip and rumors.” Zhu Yun sighed again. “Actually, I feel now that I don’t hate the Fang family that much anymore. And because I might have hurt that child, I feel like I’ve done something wrong.”
Zhu Yun was a very simple person. She had not suffered any setbacks since childhood. The pain of dysfunctional families often seen online was completely absent in her life. She grew up in a loving family, and her greatest pain after growing up was probably failing the bar exam repeatedly. However, as the only daughter of a wealthy local family, she had no need to earn money to support the family. Therefore, before meeting her former fiancé, she lived an extremely easy and carefree life.
Such a person was not malicious but clearly lacked high emotional intelligence.
What she said at this moment was heartfelt, but in front of Ying Zhi’an, who was the actual operator helping her, it sounded a bit too much like a “green tea bitch.” Ying Zhi’an had been her colleague for many years and naturally understood Zhu Yun’s simplicity, so she wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she comforted her: “You also study law. There’s a quote in The Struggle for Law: ‘Anyone who witnesses the wanton infringement of rights and feels indignant and morally outraged possesses a deep sense of the concept of right. This feeling of anger is a powerful moral resistance against the profanation of right, the most beautiful and inspiring testimony produced by the sense of justice.'”
“But in reality, none of my legal rights were infringed upon.”
“Rights need to be defended, not just material interests. Your moral existence and personality are equally important. Many actions in this world are ultimately meaningless. Even the choices we make now might ultimately result in greater losses than gains. But if we don’t fight for ourselves, it is not actively embracing harmony; it is merely numb, weary morality. Zhu Yun, moral rights are also a type of exercise of right.”
Ying Zhi’an said gently. She always had more patience to enlighten such simple, clean souls. “To return to the matter itself, you can rest assured about the child. Song Xidan called me yesterday. She met with the husband. The husband is sincere about the child, who has been living with him. In court, the judge, prioritizing the child’s healthy growth, will also tend not to disrupt the child’s established stable living environment. The husband has a significant advantage.”
Hearing this, Zhu Yun’s tone became a little lighter. “That’s good. Ah, I don’t want to deal with this anymore. I’m going to take a leave and travel. My parents gave me money to go out and relax. I plan to go abroad. Want to come with me?”
“I don’t have time. My case schedule is completely full.”
“Cases are never finished, and money is never fully earned, Zhi’an. It seems like you haven’t taken a vacation in a long time. You were even working overtime during legal holidays. Don’t you go home to see your parents? Spend time with them?”
Ying Zhi’an chuckled lightly. “Should I read you the long message my mom just sent me this morning?”
“They’re worried about you when they pressure you to get married.”
“Of course, I know they are thinking about my well-being from their perspective.”
“That sounds strange coming from you.”
“People’s thinking is inseparable from their position, so they can only consider issues from their own angle.” Ying Zhi’an saw that Zhu Yun’s mood had eased and prepared to end the topic. However, she suddenly thought of Song Xidan and specifically instructed, “Don’t mention what I just said, or your feelings, to Song Xidan. She should be happy right now.”
“Got it. I’m really grateful to her too. I’ll find a time to treat both of you to a meal.”
“If you have any activities, invite her. She doesn’t have many other friends in this city,” Ying Zhi’an suddenly remembered. “You don’t need to treat both of us to dinner.”
Zhu Yun giggled. She was a person whose emotions came and went quickly. “Xiao Song is truly lucky to have you as her mentor. If you had mentored me from the start, I’d be a great lawyer by now too.”
Ying Zhi’an mercilessly exposed her. “Miss Zhu, get through the bar exam first.”
“I see Xiao Song is preparing too. I can ask her to be my study partner.”
“Mhm, that’s all for now. I need to go see my client.” Ying Zhi’an wasn’t concerned with these minor details.
“Zhi’an, it’s so good to have you~” Zhu Yun’s voice was sweet and sugary, immediately turning to flirtatious cooing.
Ying Zhi’an was amused by her. She hung up the phone, smoothed the curve of her lips, and then walked toward the crying client.
She loved the sense of value her work brought, just as Zhu Yun loved to have fun.
On the other side, Zhu Yun’s bad mood was soothed by Ying Zhi’an’s few words. Her good mood restored, she immediately invited Song Xidan out for dinner.
That evening, Song Xidan accepted the invitation, but over dinner, the two talked about the absent Ying Zhi’an.
“Xiao Song, you really are quite lucky. You wouldn’t believe how many colleagues envy you.”
“Envy me? For what?”
“Zhi’an is generous with cases. You are blessed without realizing it. With a mentor like Zhi’an, you can save a lot of trouble and endure much less hardship.” Sitting across from the younger Song Xidan, Zhu Yun also adopted a bit of the older person’s self-awareness. She picked up the serving chopsticks and put some food on Song Xidan’s plate. “Some intern lawyers, when it’s time for them to become full-time, their mentors don’t give them a quota. They’re always assigned peripheral tasks and never gain the ability to handle cases independently. Is it because they don’t work hard? It’s because the mentor is holding them back.”
Zhu Yun was naive, but having been at the law firm for a long time and getting along with everyone, many colleagues confided their true feelings to her. However, although she pointed out the problem, she ended with a light-hearted conclusion: “So, you are truly lucky.” This was also the weakness in her character.
Song Xidan nodded in agreement. “It is indeed a kind of luck to know Sister Zhi’an.” But her next sentence asked, “But what about the things you mentioned? Doesn’t Director Luo manage them?”
This was exactly where the two differed.
Director Luo referred to Luo Qingcheng. Zhu Yun was good-natured but particularly disliked Luo Qingcheng in the office, so she rolled her eyes. “He is so self-righteous. He says the firm provided the quotas, and there’s competition everywhere, so being selected through a differential selection process is normal. A grown man, and his name is Qingcheng [meaning ‘alluring city,’ often used for women’s beauty], but he’s not exactly devastatingly handsome.”
Song Xidan, however, said, “The firm giving quotas through a differential process is also done to inspire competition. Director Luo is right, given his position.”
Zhu Yun laughed when she heard this. “You say exactly the same thing as your mentor. You are truly worthy of being master and apprentice.”
Song Xidan’s eyes instantly brightened with joy at hearing this. She carefully pondered before asking, “Did Sister Zhi’an say that too?”
“She was talking about her parents constantly pressuring her to get married. But, I really haven’t seen Zhi’an date anyone.” Zhu Yun stroked her chin, seriously recalling. “No wonder other colleagues say she’s a strong woman. The first step to being a strong woman—severing emotional ties and locking away love!”
Song Xidan, however, thought of the female prosecutor with the lonely back that night. Zhu Yun’s words once again confirmed her guess: The reason Sister Zhi’an doesn’t have the kind of love people know about is that same-sex love is not blessed by society. So Sister Zhi’an likes women… then…
“What are you thinking? You’re smiling so sweetly.” Zhu Yun interrupted Song Xidan’s daydream.
Song Xidan shook her head, burying the secret deeper in her heart. “Nothing. I just think the food is really good.”