A dreamless night.
The next morning, Song Yunyi walked into the law firm with breakfast in her left hand, yawning.
At noon, she went out on an errand. After returning to the firm to print a few documents, she knocked on Lawyer He’s office door.
Tomorrow was the day of Chi Sheng’s trial, and they needed to go over the details with her one more time today.
Unexpectedly, Ren Jian’s voice came from inside: “Come in.”
Song Yunyi frowned slightly and pushed the door open.
The desk was covered with documents, and the coffee beside them was half-drunk—clearly they had been discussing for a while.
Song Yunyi stopped at the doorway: “Lawyer He, since you and Lawyer Ren aren’t done with your work yet, I’ll come back later.”
“No need.” Ren Jian sat in his chair, a mocking look on his face, and said slowly, “Just leave the materials here. I’ll be taking over the rest of the work, so you don’t need to follow up anymore.”
Song Yunyi looked at Lawyer He: “Is that true?”
Although she had been notified at the last minute to join this case, she had put a lot of effort into organizing these materials. If she was being replaced without a valid reason, she couldn’t accept it.
“If it’s because of yesterday, I apologize for that. But I told you before I left, and you agreed at the time. I haven’t missed a single piece of work that needed to be done. I need a valid reason for being replaced.”
Lawyer He’s expression wasn’t too pleasant either.
Ren Jian had somehow heard that the case Song Yunyi was working on involved the Feng family, and early this morning he had gone to the case assignment supervisor to have himself added to the case.
By seniority, Ren Jian was absolutely the stronger choice.
Song Yunyi had only been able to join because the client had asked for “a female lawyer of the same age to accompany her.” Now that the client was in much better condition, it made sense that a more professional lawyer was needed.
So Lawyer He said, “This was the supervisor’s decision. Just follow the arrangement.”
Song Yunyi wanted to say more, but Ren Jian stepped forward and snatched the materials from her hands.
He flipped through them casually, clicking his tongue in feigned admiration: “My, my, these materials are certainly thorough. Oh, and you even used a red pen for annotations. Don’t worry, we’ll definitely put them to good use.”
Song Yunyi stepped back a few paces to keep her distance and composed herself: “Understood, Lawyer He.”
When Chai Qin saw her return so quickly, without the materials she had just taken, she immediately sensed something was off.
“What happened? Weren’t you supposed to go with Lawyer He to meet the client?”
Song Yunyi turned on her computer and answered while typing: “Lawyer Ren took my spot.”
“What’s going on!” Chai Qin exclaimed angrily, then quickly covered her mouth and lowered her voice, “Don’t tell me the materials you stayed up all night organizing were taken by him too?”
Song Yunyi hummed in confirmation.
Chai Qin shot up from her seat instantly. Song Yunyi grabbed her arm with quick reflexes. “Hey, dear sister, calm down first.”
“I can’t calm down. Why should he get to do this? I heard this case gives you access to President Feng—that’s the young master of the Feng family. The resources that slip through his fingers would be enough to keep you comfortable for ten lifetimes!”
“If you can swallow this, I can’t. This absolutely cannot just be brushed aside!”
The door to Lawyer He’s office opened at that moment.
Song Yunyi quickly pulled her back into her chair and watched Lawyer Ren strut off like a triumphant fighting cock.
She withdrew her gaze, her apricot-colored eyes shimmering like glass: “Do you think Feng Cheng is some kind of saint? You’ve heard the rumors about him. Someone like Lawyer Ren, who’s got dollar signs in his eyes—what good does he think he’s going to get out of him?”
Chai Qin thought about it and realized that made sense. She immediately pressed her palms together and muttered: “Hopefully President Feng will use his hand to knock that bastard down a peg! President Feng, show your power. President Feng, show your power.”
Song Yunyi laughed: “Are you praying to a god or something?”
Chai Qin shot her a sideways glance: “Don’t tell me you don’t want the same?”
The two fell silent for a moment, then Chai Qin was the first to burst out laughing.
Song Yunyi reached out and poked her shoulder: “I’ll treat you to lunch. Consider it my apology for standing you up yesterday.”
“Then I’m going to bleed you dry!”
Song Yunyi nodded obediently.
In the end, it was the beauty-blinded Lawyer Chai who waved her hand grandly and declared she wanted to go to a food stall. Song Yunyi had to quickly pull her into a private kitchen restaurant instead.
This restaurant served authentic Cantonese cuisine. Song Yunyi had been here once before, so she knew her way around and ordered a few signature dishes, then let Chai Qin add whatever she wanted.
The food arrived quickly, a full table of dishes that looked and smelled delicious, whetting the appetite.
Song Yunyi used the serving chopsticks to pick a drumstick from the white-cut chicken and place it in her bowl, enthusiastically recommending: “Try this. The meat is especially tender. Apparently the recipe was developed by the owner himself.”
Chai Qin dutifully took a bite.
“How is it?”
Chai Qin didn’t answer, just kept her head down and ate with abandon, not even having time to nod.
While the atmosphere over there was full of laughter and cheer, over at Lawyer He’s, the mood was cold and suffocating.
An hour earlier.
Chi Sheng had called Lawyer He: “Don’t bother coming to Jinghu District later. I’ve booked a table at Xiajiangnan. We can talk over lunch.”
She had arrived early, and while waiting, she got bored and decided to bother Feng Cheng.
“Bro, I booked a restaurant near your company. Do you want to come over and grab a bite?”
A lazy male voice came through the phone: “Missy, I’m in a meeting.”
Chi Sheng felt a bit sheepish, and her admiration for Feng Cheng grew even more sincere. It was the middle of the day—he wasn’t eating, he was in a meeting?!
That was incredible.
A CEO who made big money like him, being disturbed by a rich second-generation layabout like her, was practically a crime.
“Then you go ahead and work, Bro. I’ll just have lunch with Ming Ju’s lawyer myself.”
Feng Cheng suddenly spoke up: “Who did you say you’re eating with?”
“Ming Ju’s lawyer, that’s Song Yunyi, and that other female lawyer whose last name I forgot.” Chi Sheng was someone who couldn’t keep things in, and the moment he asked, she spilled everything like beans tumbling out of a sack. “I chased the nanny at home away, and I felt a bit awkward facing them alone, so I thought I’d invite them out for lunch to liven things up a bit.”
Chi Sheng propped her chin on her hand, looking at today’s menu, and muttered, “Alright, Bro, you go back to your meeting. I won’t bother you anymore, so Mom doesn’t find out and scold me.”
In the conference room.
Feng Cheng closed the file, stood up, and brushed off the nonexistent dust on himself, saying slowly, “People eat grains and staples. I’m not solar-powered—I can’t just soak up the sun and be full. Send me the address.”
Chi Sheng wanted to say that he was the one who said he wasn’t coming first, so how was it her fault? But under Feng Cheng’s intimidating authority, she obediently handed over the address.
Feng Cheng walked out of the conference room: “Meeting adjourned.”
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then felt as if they’d been granted a pardon.
Today was the monthly summary meeting for all departments.
Feng Cheng’s standards were extremely strict—anyone who didn’t reach the level of excellence would be scolded indiscriminately by him.
The meeting had already been going on for nearly three hours, and several department directors had been berated into complete silence.
That phone call came at just the right time—the living demon king had finally left.