“You better have a matter of extreme urgency.”
With just that one sentence, Song Xidan sobered up, her mind becoming instantly clear.
She belatedly realized that, Oh, I like Ying Zhi’an!
Immediately followed by extreme nervousness, “Sis… Sister Zhi’an… I… I… I…”
Zhu Yun, sitting next to her, spat out a mouthful of wine. “Ying Zhi’an?!”
Although the bar environment was very noisy, Zhu Yun was close enough to Song Xidan to clearly hear Ying Zhi’an’s cold chuckle. “A bar? Did you drink too much and dial the wrong number? Hmm?”
Song Xidan quickly denied it. “No, I’m…” On second thought, playing games in this kind of nightclub and then waking someone up with a heartfelt confession over the phone would be even more reckless. It would be better to say she misdialed because of the alcohol.
Thinking this, Song Xidan stopped speaking.
Zhu Yun also realized what was happening and quickly leaned in to cover for her. “Zhi’an, it’s me, Zhu Yun. I brought Xiao Song here. We didn’t come to play. I saw the husband of one of my case clients entering a booth here with a woman.”
Zhu Yun found an excuse so naturally that Song Xidan’s eyes widened. Zhu Yun winked at her, signaling her to relax.
But the grumpy Ying Zhi’an, mainly focusing on indiscriminate verbal attacks, neither believed nor disbelieved her. She pressed, “So?”
Zhu Yun, who had often run into Luo Qingcheng while being late, had long mastered the art of making excuses. Her voice didn’t waver at all; it was very calm. “So I asked Xiao Song to call you for advice. Should I go over and take a picture? Or record a video?”
Ying Zhi’an chuckled coldly again, but for Zhu Yun’s sake, she pressed her temple to temper her anger. “In a contested divorce, the court grants or denies the divorce based on whether the marital relationship has indeed broken down. Unless it involves bigamy, domestic violence, or separation for two years. Therefore, even if you capture a photo of them sleeping together, it only proves the man’s infidelity, and infidelity is not a statutory ground for divorce.”
“Oh, I see. I understand. Then there’s no problem. You should go to sleep early.” Zhu Yun sounded cheerful.
“Zhu Yun, you should read the statutes more, not jump around in nightclubs.” Ying Zhi’an then recalled Zhu Yun’s recent messy breakup and immediately shifted her target. “Song Xidan, the bar exam is only a few months away. Do you have time for this? You’re so young, and you dare to go anywhere.”
Song Xidan sensed Ying Zhi’an’s disapproval and quickly explained, “Sister Zhi’an, I was wrong. I will study hard.”
“You don’t need to report that to me. Is that all? I’m hanging up.”
Ying Zhi’an didn’t wait for Song Xidan’s reply. She hung up and turned over in her air-conditioned duvet, falling back asleep.
This indiscriminate attack eased her anger a bit, allowing her to resume “counting sheep” and fall back asleep peacefully.
Don’t lose sleep! Don’t lose sleep! Don’t lose sleep! Ying Zhi’an silently chanted three times. Tomorrow, she had to accompany her client for a tough fight, and she couldn’t afford to be listless!
On the other end of the line, Song Xidan and Zhu Yun exchanged glances.
Zhu Yun pointed at Song Xidan’s phone and struggled to speak. “The ‘like’ you talked about… is it the kind of like we think it is?”
Song Xidan nodded solemnly, completely honest and fearless.
Zhu Yun gasped and quickly took the glass of wine Sister Qian offered her to steady her nerves.
Sister Qian also handed a drink to Song Xidan. “I know Ying Zhi’an. You have quite unique taste.”
The small, puppy-like boy next to Sister Qian exclaimed in disbelief, “A girl?”
Sister Qian shot him a dagger-like look. “What? What era are we in? What’s so surprising about that? Come on, everyone stop staring at Xiao Song and let’s continue the game.”
Zhu Yun had recovered. She immediately pulled Song Xidan away from the booth to a slightly quieter corner and asked, “Real? Fake?”
Song Xidan nodded with certainty. “Yes, I like Sister Zhi’an.”
Zhu Yun caught on. “You little girl, did you just realize you like Zhi’an?”
Song Xidan’s round, puppy-dog eyes were instantly filled with joy. “Sister Yun, I’ve never liked anyone before. Maybe if you hadn’t prompted me, I wouldn’t have discovered that I like Ying Zhi’an. Thank you!”
Zhu Yun felt like she had been stabbed in the chest and immediately grabbed the wall. “No, don’t scare me. I can’t take credit for such a huge thing, nor can I shoulder such a big responsibility. First of all, a girl liking a girl already takes a lot of courage. But you like Zhi’an? What do you like about her? Look at how calm and sharp she was on the phone. Are you sure you like her?”
“Yes!” Song Xidan nodded firmly. “Sister Yun, I’m not as young and clueless as you think. I know, and I’m sure, I like Sister Zhi’an.”
“What do you like about her? Do you like her heart of stone when she’s working?”
“Yes!” Song Xidan smiled.
Some people like warmth and kindness, some people like gentle affection, and naturally, some people like a heart of stone. Song Xidan saw nothing wrong with that.
“I love working with Sister Zhi’an. Watching her seriously immerse herself in her work, and I sit across from her, watching her flip through case files. I follow her rhythm while flipping through my bar exam books. The whole office is very quiet, but I don’t feel awkward or constrained at all. I only feel incredibly safe being in the same room as Sister Zhi’an, and I feel a deep sense of peace.”
As Song Xidan spoke, she wore a bright and contented smile.
That quiet space brought Song Xidan peace and comfort. This was the calmness that came after her sense of security was fully replenished, a rare moment she had found since leaving the grasslands.
Zhu Yun looked at this young and beautiful face and belatedly realized that although Song Xidan had no work experience, she was only a few years younger than herself, and only about six years younger than Ying Zhi’an. It seemed entirely possible for the two to be together.
Wait! Zhu Yun! Is this about the age difference? Zhu Yun cursed herself in her mind, then felt mentally exhausted and simply gave up trying to figure out the problem.
She patted Song Xidan’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. Come on, let’s go drink.”
Song Xidan, however, treated Ying Zhi’an’s words as gospel and immediately refused. “Sister Yun, Sister Zhi’an doesn’t want me to stay here. I’m leaving first.”
Zhu Yun felt like her adopted daughter had turned into someone blinded by love, a love-struck fool who unconditionally obeyed Ying Zhi’an’s every word. She was instantly frustrated. “Zhi’an was just cranky. She’s not some old-fashioned person with a prejudice against bars!”
“I know, but I think it’s about time. I’ll go back, wash up, and sleep. I’ll get up early to study tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is the weekend!”
“Yes, it’s perfect to get up early to review business law.”
“Ah, you finished civil law?”
“Sister Yun, you haven’t finished civil law? We don’t have much time left.”
Mentioning the bar exam made Zhu Yun even more stressed, and she wanted to drink and indulge more, making her even less willing to let Song Xidan leave. She immediately tempted her. “You like Zhi’an, and you want to pursue her. You need to know what she likes. Do you know what sports she likes? Does she like small animals? What books does she like to read? Does she have a favorite celebrity or idol?”
Song Xidan shook her head.
“Exactly! You keep me company and drink, and I’ll tell you everything. One drink, one of Ying Zhi’an’s little preferences. It’s a good deal, right?”
“Okay, Sister Yun, you keep your word.”
Ying Zhi’an finally drifted off to sleep after counting over a hundred sheep, but her consciousness still seemed to float in mid-air; she wasn’t sleeping soundly. Just as her consciousness finally sank back into her body, she was once again awakened by the vibration of her phone.
Perhaps because she hadn’t fallen into deep sleep, she felt surprisingly calm this time. She looked at the phone—it was Song Xidan again.
Very good, her lips twitched. She took a deep breath. Considering her mentor Cheng Qiyun’s reputation, she answered the phone. “What is it now?”
The voice on the other end was not Song Xidan’s, but Zhu Yun’s, a little cautious and a little urgent. “Zhi’an, please don’t be angry… Emmm… I think I got Xiao Song drunk, so… she’s being a drunken mess right now. You might need to help a bit. Uh… don’t be angry!”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s rambling to everyone…” Zhu Yun sighed. “The last person who was this talkative was my elementary school teacher. I tried to take her home, but she refused to leave. Can you help me persuade her? Maybe she’ll listen to you.”
Ying Zhi’an was speechless. “Who am I to her? She’s drunk; how can she listen to me?”
She is the person she likes, the person she wants to have pure love with, Zhu Yun muttered silently in her heart, then handed the phone to Song Xidan’s ear. “Ying Zhi’an! Your Sister Zhi’an wants to talk to you!”
“Sister Zhi’an~” Song Xidan’s voice sounded a little airy, the end of her words rising as if she were flirting. Ying Zhi’an’s sleepiness immediately vanished. Although she hadn’t been colleagues with Song Xidan for long, Song Xidan usually spoke very formally. Her current state was definitely not right!
Ying Zhi’an was utterly speechless and could only try anything. “Song Xidan, listen to me, go home with Zhu Yun.”
“Okay~” Song Xidan replied flirtatiously again. “Then don’t hang up~ okay~”
Zhu Yun was jumping up and down excitedly beside her, as if watching an idol drama. “It actually worked! That’s amazing! She really is drunk!”
Ying Zhi’an’s head hurt from Zhu Yun’s noise. She got up, turned on the light, and resignedly leaned against the headboard, sighing. “Okay.”
“Mhm~”
After a while, Song Xidan, supported by Zhu Yun, was waiting for a car outside the bar. She flirted again. “Sister Zhi’an~ Sister Zhi’an~ Sister~ Are you still there~”
Ying Zhi’an was already shopping online with her phone, answering without emotion. “I am.”
She was meant to be an emotionless AI, but in the dead of night, she sounded like she had a hint of helpless indulgence.