In Shi Zhi’s impression, Fu Yuchu had always been mature and stable. Although he was occasionally sharp-tongued and frequently sarcastic, there was no denying that the man always provided a sense of professionalism and reassurance.
This likely had to do with Fu Yuchu’s usual attire. He was always in a suit, dressed impeccably. His hair was managed with meticulous care, and a pair of rimless glasses masked the sharp keenness in the depths of his eyes, giving him the air of a highly educated, scholarly intellectual. Because of his profession, people often forgot his actual age.
Shi Zhi remembered Xiang Jing once mentioning that Fu Yuchu had skipped a grade in elementary school, finished his university credits a year early, and went to Stanford as an exchange student for two years during his master’s program. He was only 23 when he graduated.
During his exchange, he interned at a New York firm and insisted on returning to China after graduation despite the firm’s efforts to keep him. If not for the required years of practice, a lawyer of Fu Yuchu’s caliber would have become a partner long ago. After returning, Fu Yuchu rejected offers from several major firms and instead took a stake in Zheng·Jue, which was just a personal studio at the time. Over the past few years, Fu Yuchu’s presence had significantly boosted the firm’s reputation in the industry.
But Fu Yuchu was only 27 this year, just four years older than Shi Zhi.
Shi Zhi watched Fu Yuchu as he approached, feeling a bit dazed. He was dressed differently today: a pair of black cargo pants hugged his legs, making them look even longer; his top was a zip-up hoodie over a dark T-shirt—a very “boy-next-door” look. He had switched to gold-rimmed glasses today, making him look a bit gentler than usual.
Shi Zhi recalled the Fu Yuchu of that night, without glasses. His features were exceptionally handsome, his eyes long but not narrow, his eyelids thin, his eyelashes thick, and his facial contours deep. When he looked over with a slight squint, one couldn’t help but fall into his gaze.
Shi Zhi fidgeted with his fingers. Looking at the man in this unusual attire, he finally felt like he was meeting a peer rather than an experienced, seasoned lawyer.
Shi Zhi then shifted his gaze to the person walking beside Fu Yuchu—it was a very beautiful woman with bright, dignified features. Standing with Fu Yuchu, they looked like a perfect, talented match.
He felt an inexplicable touch of gloom in his heart.
Shi Zhi had been too presumptuous; he had never considered whether the Fu Yuchu he had slept with was single. If the woman beside him was his partner, then Shi Zhi had inadvertently hurt her. His own relationship had been destroyed by a “third party,” and now he had become one in someone else’s relationship.
Shi Zhi turned his gaze back to Fu Yuchu. He wondered if Fu Yuchu had confessed to his partner, and if she would choose to forgive him. What would he say? That he was drunk and caught up in the moment? Or would he keep everything hidden so tightly that his partner had no idea?
While feeling guilty, Shi Zhi also felt a bit of resentment toward Fu Yuchu. That night, Shi Zhi had been controlled by desire and couldn’t think too far ahead; he only thought that since he had already broken up with Xu Yining, there was nothing wrong with a single Shi Zhi sleeping with someone else. But he had forgotten to ask if his partner was also single.
But Fu Yuchu had been sober and conscious. To sleep with someone while knowing he had a partner… he hadn’t expected this dignified-looking lawyer to do something so immoral in private.
“Are you all here for the exhibition too?” Amidst his swirling thoughts, the two had already reached Shi Zhi and her friend. Fu Yuchu looked to be in a very good mood as he greeted them with a smile.
Fu Yumeng: “Yeah, I’m accompanying Zhi. I didn’t expect to run into you, Attorney Fu. What a coincidence.”
Shi Zhi didn’t speak, giving Fu Yuchu a quiet, sideways glance. Fu Yuchu raised an eyebrow. Shi Zhi’s eyes were very clean; he always wore his likes and dislikes on his face. Right now, Fu Yuchu saw guilt, resentment, and… blame in those beautiful, clear eyes.
Fu Yuchu could understand the guilt; the boy should feel guilty toward him. But where did the resentment and blame come from?
“Yuchu, aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Hearing the beautiful woman speak, Shi Zhi instinctively buried his head even lower. Fu Yuchu suddenly understood, and a smile involuntarily reached his eyes. He curved his lips and said, “Sis, these are my friends, Shi Zhi and Fu Yumeng.” He then said to the girls, “This is my cousin, Hang Chen.”
So it’s his cousin, not his partner? So he didn’t become a third party in someone else’s relationship? So he didn’t hurt any other innocent people?
Shi Zhi stole a glance at Fu Yuchu, and as soon as he looked up, he was caught red-handed. The man’s eyes were full of teasing and understanding, as if he had seen right through Shi Zhi’s uncharitable mental deductions.
Shi Zhi: “…”
“Ah, so it’s your cousin! You’re really beautiful, Sis.” Fu Yumeng felt Fu Yuchu was being a real pal by introducing them as “friends” rather than “clients.” Since he was being a pal, her praise was sincere.
Hearing Fu Yuchu’s introduction, Hang Chen gave him a look of great interest, suppressing the surprise in her heart. She said with a smile, “Thank you, Ms. Fu is also very beautiful.”
Fu Yumeng was naturally friendly and said with a grin, “Just call me Yumeng; all my friends call me that.”
“Alright, Yumeng. If you don’t mind, you can follow Yuchu’s lead and call me Sis.”
Shi Zhi: “…” Fu Yuchu: “?”
“Is your friend here yet?” Fu Yuchu gave Hang Chen a cool look, his words carrying an underlying meaning.
Thinking of her non-existent friend, Hang Chen looked at her phone with great solemnity to play along with her cousin. “Eh? She’s waiting for me at the coffee shop. You all go in first; I’ll go find her.”
“Ah? Is Sis not going to watch the exhibition?” Fu Yumeng was a bit disappointed; she wanted to chat more with the beautiful older sister.
Hang Chen didn’t have time to speak before Fu Yuchu answered for her: “She’s not interested in this; she just stopped by to meet a friend.”
“That’s right, I’m not interested.” Hang Chen, who had traveled specifically from out of town to see the exhibition, spoke through gritted teeth. She then smiled at Fu Yumeng and said, “It was nice meeting you. Let’s have dinner together when we have time.”
Hang Chen left. As she walked away, she sent a series of messages to Fu Yuchu—
Chenchen: Where’s the ticket? How am I supposed to get in? Chenchen: Can I ‘run into’ you later? Chenchen: It’s not easy hearing you call me ‘Sis.’ Did the sun rise from the west today? Chenchen: Afraid he’d misunderstand? Who would’ve thought… you’re actually quite the considerate guy [mockery] Chenchen: Honestly, how far have things progressed? Chenchen: I didn’t expect you to like the ‘cute’ type. But cute is good; it complements you. You’re too much of a ‘fake-serious’ person. Chenchen: Actually, I don’t even have to go in. Just buy that ‘Green Mountains Beyond the Mountains’ piece for me. Chenchen: As thanks + compensation, it wouldn’t be too much to buy me another watch, right? Chenchen: [Image] Chenchen: The one in the picture. It’s not expensive, just 200,000 or 300,000. It’s pocket change for you. Don’t buy the wrong one [cute]. I still find it unbelievable so you can like people, and you actually have someone you like. Truly not easy.
The phone vibrated incessantly. Knowing who the messages were from, Fu Yuchu ignored them. He looked at the person who had been hiding on the side with a very low profile. “Going in?”
Fu Yumeng: “Sure, sure! Attorney Fu is coming with us?”
“Mm.”
“I really didn’t expect Attorney Fu to enjoy art exhibitions too.” While walking through the gallery after passing the lobby, Fu Yumeng looked at the works on the wall and sighed. “I don’t have any artistic cells; I can’t appreciate them. I’m mainly here to accompany Zhi.”
Fu Yuchu felt nothing for the exhibition; he had only come because Hang Chen had badgered him into it. He hadn’t expected an unexpected gain. He looked down and asked Shi Zhi, “You like Yu An?”
Shi Zhi: “…It’s the work I like.”
“Is that so?” Fu Yuchu watched Shi Zhi looking at the works on the wall with fascination and couldn’t help asking, “Have you considered buying one to take back?”
Shi Zhi shook his head. “No.” Yu An’s style had changed drastically over the past two years; it was no longer the style Shi Zhi liked.
“Zhi used to be obsessed with Yu An. He nearly fell off a mountain once just to go sketching with him.” Speaking of this, Fu Yumeng still felt a trace of lingering fear and indignation. She said, “It really benefited Xu Yining though. If not for that incident, Zhi wouldn’t have gotten together with that scumbag.”
Shi Zhi didn’t want to discuss this and bluntly changed the topic. “Teacher Yu An’s style has changed a lot these past few years.”
“So you don’t like him anymore?” Fu Yuchu pressed, his tone a bit sour. “So you came today to commemorate the past?”
Shi Zhi: “…”
Fu Yumeng gave Fu Yuchu a startled look. Something’s not right. Something is definitely not right. She looked at her friend’s dodging eyes, then at Fu Yuchu’s unreadable expression. Looking at the two equally handsome faces, she realized she had been overlooking something. At this moment, she had a bold guess.
Fu Yumeng gave a light cough and said casually, as if by chance, “Actually, Xu Yining wasn’t that bad. If not for him during that sketching trip, the one injured would have been Zhi. It’s normal for Zhi to have accepted his pursuit, and it’s normal for him to be conflicted or soft-hearted now.”
“What does Attorney Fu think?” Fu Yumeng looked at Fu Yuchu with an air of “waiting for the show.”
Sure enough, Fu Yuchu said expressionless, “Gratitude is not love. How far can a relationship built on gratitude actually go? Furthermore, cheating happens either zero times or countless times. Are you going to keep being soft-hearted based on that shred of ‘grateful’ affection?”
Fu Yumeng was laughing hysterically in her mind. It was a surprise, but thinking of the abnormal behavior of the two during their few meetings, it also felt perfectly logical.
“True, Attorney Fu makes a good point.” Fu Yumeng said with a grin, “A cheater absolutely cannot be forgiven. Out with the old, in with the new—the next one will be better.”
Fu Yuchu gave Fu Yumeng a look and admitted without any psychological burden: “Correct.” He then added: “I just didn’t expect Mr. Shi to like… to like this kind of style.”
Seeing the two chatting, Shi Zhi was happy to be left alone. He focused on looking at the paintings and didn’t pay attention to their conversation. Hearing his name mentioned now, he instinctively gave an “Mm”: “What?”
“I didn’t expect you to like this style,” Fu Yuchu said. “It doesn’t seem to match you.”
Well, you certainly have a good eye for that.
Shi Zhi didn’t answer, slowly browsing the works on both sides of the gallery, stopping to look from time to time. Although Yu An’s style had changed significantly, it was undeniable that his skill had improved greatly compared to three years ago; it was no wonder his works were being auctioned for high prices lately.
But Shi Zhi’s state of mind had changed; he would no longer follow blindly, nor would he settle for what he didn’t like or what wasn’t suitable. Viewing with an appreciative mindset now, he gradually became lost in the art.
At one point, he suddenly felt a jolt. He looked back and found Fu Yumeng was gone; only Fu Yuchu was standing beside him.