Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Jin Wanyi poked her head out to peer at the end of the tree-lined path and asked dubiously, “Is it really guarded? Are you trying to fool me?”

“When did I ever try to fool you?!” Yin Shixiong appeared insulted and puffed out his chest to exclaim, “I am a righteous person who never lies to people. How can you question my morals?”

“Sorry, sorry!” I didn’t mean that.” Jin Wanyi was so flustered her cheeks turned red. “Of course I believe you, but…” Before she could even finish the sentence, gentle laughter sounded from not far away. The voice was like the tiny silver bells on the the lattice work of silk potpourri pouches; it was indescribably sweet. Jin Wanyi couldn’t help looking in the direction of the laughter. Adjacent to them was a beautiful young girl wearing a soft yellow silk blouse, a white wool A-line skirt, and black tall boots. She wore a backpack and also towed a small LV suitcase as she cutely stood underneath the evergreen tree and smiled at them. Her huge eyes were curved and bright .

“Hey? Are you Gu Nianzhi?” Ji Wanyi recognized her right away. “Has your injury healed?” She surveyed Gu Nianzhi from head to toe and found her appearance to be energetic, with skin so milky it glowed with rosiness. Her eyes were bright and hair so dark and glossy that she didn’t appear like she had ever suffered serious injury.

Gu Nianzhi nodded. “Hello, Lawyer Jin. Are you here to see Brother Xiong? I’m sorry, he has to take me back to school first. Or do you want to come with us?”

Jin Yanyi had only come there to personally see Gu Nianzhi. She had accepted Xu Piaohong’s case and one of the main charges had to do with causing serious injury to Gu Nianzhi’s spine. Ever since Gu Nianzhi had the conflict with Xu Piaohong and her mother at the warehouse supermarket, the Xu’s hadn’t seen Gu Nianzhi. So Xu Piaohong was still insisting that Gu Nianzhi faked injury and would not be convinced even if Jin Wanyi obtained Gu Nianzhi’s X-rays as well as the orthopaedic surgeons’ medical note on her ankle dislocation. When it came to getting such clients, Jin Wanyi was troubled too. But since Xu Piaohong was her client, she must have her best interests in mind and take her personal views out of it. This was her professional creed. Now that Jin Wanyi was meeting Gu Nianzhi in person, she was also starting to have some doubts. Circling around the young girl twice, Jin Wanyi looked like she wanted to speak, but wasn’t sure what to say.

Gu Nianzhi understood what she was thinking and graciously stuck out her previously dislocated ankle, “It was this ankle that was dislocated. Thankfully the surgeon was skilled and reconnected it very well. Also, here,” She turned around so her back faced Jin Wanyi, “My spine was hurting so much those few days that I couldn’t even sit straight and had to lie down. We did X-rays and an MRI. What else does Lawyer Jin want to ask about?”

Jin Wanyi didn’t think that Gu Nianzhi would have read her mind so thoroughly and answered nervously, “I just wanted to see for myself. Are you really ok now?”

Gu Nianzhi glanced at Yin Shixiong with a smile and saw his noncommittal look. She turned back to Jin Wanyi and spread her palms. “This I don’t know. Injury to the bone isn’t visible anyway. It doesn’t hurt now, but I don’t know it it’ll lapse in the future.”

This made sense. Gu Nianzhi had all the medical documentation and had recovered now. But it couldn’t be said that any future problems were not be Xu Piaohong’s fault. That wasn’t how lawsuits worked.

Jin Wanyi nodded. “Ok then, I’ll go with you. My client is still in custody and the hearings won’t begin for another two weeks. I wanted to discuss with Mss Gu if we could settle this outside of court?”

Settlements outside of court meant circumventing legal procedures, but civil litigation and public apology was unavoidable. In most cases, a settlement outside of court was possible as long as it didn’t involve a fatality or bodily harm. However, Gu Nianzhi had indeed suffered bodily harm and if it weren’t for her luck and resources, she might have been paralyzed for the rest of her life. So of course she wouldn’t agree under these circumstances. But considering Yin Shixiong’s feelings, Gu Nianzhi didn’t want to burn all the bridges with Jin Wanyi. She only answered vaguely, “This incident is too complicated so I can’t answer you at this point. I’m sorry, Lawyer Jin but I really do have to rush to school now.”

It was getting dark out and Gu Nianzhi wanted to return to her dorm before the sun set completely. Yin Shixiong made a call to ask someone to drive a Hummer SUV over to drive Gu Nianzhi to campus. Jin Wanyi didn’t hesitate to follow inside and sat with Gu Nianzhi in the back row.

Yin Shixiong sat in the front passenger seat and said to the driver, “We’re going to B University. Go through the south entrance to the post-grad dorms.” The Hummer SUV boomed to a start and left the Special Operations Base headquarters base to head towards B University.

On the way there, Jin Wanyi kept staring at Gu Nianzhi and thought of ways to talk to her. After a while, she finally spoke. “Miss Gu, your hands are so beautiful. What brand of hand cream do you use?” She even reached out to try to hold Gu Nianzhi’s hand.

Gu Nianzhi smiled at her and gave her hand graciously to Jin Wanyi to observe. “Lawyer Jin, what kind of material are you looking for? You can ask me directly, instead of approaching me with pleasantries.”

Jin Wanyi bit her lip for a some time but couldn’t bring herself to say it. She wanted nothing more but for Gu Nianzhi to take off her clothes so she could see her back. It didn’t take a genius to know that Gu Nianzhi wouldn’t agree, and there was also a formidable man sitting in the front. Jin Wanyi didn’t dare play her tricks again and changed the topic instead to plead for Xu Piaohong’s case.

“Miss Gu, was there a misunderstanding at the warehouse supermarket that day? My client is very sorry and deeply regrets what happened. Do you think you can overlook her immature rashness and give her a chance? Of course, there will be a reimbursement for your injuries and a formal apology as well. Must we take this to court?”

Gu Nianzhi quietly listened to Jin Wanyi and glanced at her coolly. “Lawyer Jin, we’ve already given her a chance. Did she not tell you that this is the second time she’s caused me trouble?”

“The second time?” Jin Wanyi’s eyes widened. “What other conflict happened between you two?!”

Gu Nianzhi told her about how Xu Piaohong had forcibly stopped Huo Shaoheng’s car on the Lunar New Year. “We didn’t do anything at the time and just let it go. We thought she would stop being so rash in the future but our kindness turned into misfortune. If we had taught her a lesson back then, she wouldn’t have taken it so far as to get even accustomed to doing things to me.”

Jin Wanyi’s mouth twitched from listening. She secretly thought that she would’ve never assumed that Xu Piaohong to be such a troublemaker. Actually, she did know whether this incident could be easily settled outside court. No matter how she looked at it, Gu Nianzhi didn’t look like she had been seriously injured, and that was why Jin Wanyi thought she should convince her to withdraw the charges and smoothly resolve the case.

Jin Wanyi refused to let Gu Nianzhi go until they arrived at her dorm building. Gu Nianzhi was in a rush to go up and humored her. “Actually it’s not up to me whether or not the charges are withdrawn. It’s the police that normally presse charges in these cases of bodily harm. I suggest that you go discuss with the prosecutor first.”

“Ok, then I’ll go talk to the prosecutor.” Jin Wanyi agreed to her suggestion and got out of the car with her. Standing in front of the car door, Jin Wanyi squinted at the newly renovated postgrad students’ dorm building and said with envy, “It’s pretty nice here! What floor are you on?”

Gu Nianzhi smiled but didn’t answer her before turning to wave at Yin Shixiong. “I’ll be going now, Brother Xiong.”She towed her small suitcase through the building entrance and went straight towards the elevators.

Jin Wanyi watched Gu Nianzhi get inside the elevator and turned to Yin Shixiong. “Please, can you take me back? My car is still parked near you guys.”

“How annoying.” Yin Shixiong huffed. “Lawyer Jin, that’s not somewhere you can park as you please. You don’t need to go back either. Your car has probably been towed away by now.” He wrote a phone number for her. “This is the number for the tow truck company. Call them to get your car back.” Yin Shiixong returned to the car and ordered the driver to go.

Jin Wanyi’s eyes dimmed at Yin Shixiong’s attitude and she glanced at the phone number before leaving B University.

…

Gu Nianzhi went back to her dorm room and Ma Qiqi stormed out of her room as soon as she opened the door. “Nianzhi? Nianzhi? Are you back now?!” She lunged to her with a giggle and Gu Nianzhi hastily stepped back with a smile. “I just recovered, so you need to stop. Stop right now!”

Ma Qiqi’s laughter was especially loud and the entire hallway could hear her. “Great! Great! You’re ok right? People kept saying you might be paralyzed!”

“Who?” Gu Nianzhi was curious. “Who cares about me that much?”

“Care about you?” Ma Qiqi’s giggles turned into snickers. “That person wished for you to be paralyzed forever!”

Gu Nianzhi set down her suitcase cheerfully and was just about to remove her boots when someone called her name loudly from behind, “Gu Nianzhi! You’re too cunning! Not only did you set me up, but my cousin too! What did I ever do to you?!”

Gu Nianzhi turned around to see an enraged Miao Yunxiao with her hands balled into fists and tears streaking down her face.