Chapter 80: CH 80

Chapter 80 – Engagement Banquet (2)

Fu Zhihuan lifted his eyes and looked at Xie Yanchi in front of him.  Then he humphed and said calmly.  “I know.”

“Actually, I don’t believe in promises.  Very often promises made today may change tomorrow but I hope you won’t do it.”

Xie Yanchi snorted softly, leaned against the table, and lowered his eyes lazily.

A long time later, only then did he raise his eyes and his voice was very low.

“And if you dare to do anything wrong to her, I’ll do my utmost best to take you down with me.”

Fu Zhihuan looked at him calmly and his eyes which usually lacked emotions in the past had turned more serious now.

A long time later, he spat out a word with great solemnity.  “Okay.”

Both of them were perceptive people without the need for any twists and turns and do not need any impassioned speeches.

“Alright, I won’t hold you up any longer.”

Xie Yanchi laughed lazily and straightened up.  Then he yawned slowly and waved his hand.

“Go and look for Wen Ruan, it’ll save her from searching for you all over the place later.”

Fu Zhihuan smiled and nodded.  “Okay.”

Then he closed his eyes and slowly called out.  “Thank you, elder cousin brother.”

“…..”  The words made goosebumps rise all over Xie Yanchi’s body.

It was the first time he felt so unhappy when someone called him ‘elder brother’.

He narrowed his eyes at Fu Zhihuan.  A long time later, he gritted his teeth and laughed with a hint of about to watch a good show in his tone.

“Sure, when you see the gift that elder brother has given you, remember to thank me again.”

……Gift?

***☆☆☆***

When Fu Zhihuan found Wen Ruan, she was sitting in the chair listening to her earphones with her head lowered.

The corners of her lips were slightly curled up and the two shallow dimples were particularly clear.

“Is it the gift that Xie Yanchi sent you?”

Fu Zhihuan sat down in front of her and remembered what Xie Yanchi told him just now.  He asked casually.  “What is it?”

When Wen Ruan heard his voice, she raised her head.

She cleared her throat and asked tentatively as the smile in her eyes deepened.

“Do you really want to know?”

When he noticed her smile, Fu Zhihuan felt that something was wrong.

Sure enough, the next second, Wen Ruan simply unplugged the earphones and turned the volume to the maximum……..

First, it was Fu Zhihuan’s voice…….

~ Is Wen Ruan with you?

~ I want to pick up the little girl from your place to take her home.

……Isn’t this the f**king recording of the call he made to Xie Yanchi on the day Wen Ruan ran away?

Following that Xie Yanchi’s voice came on…….

~ Let me ask you…….since you’re burdened with so many things, what is Wen Ruan’s position in your heart?

In the recording, Fu Zhihuan did not hesitate and said solemnly word by word.

~ She will always be in front of me.

Then the recording was cut off.

The recording file had a title as well……..‘Fu Zhihuan’s Search – Episode 1’.

Wen Ruan was moved.

“From the sincerity in your voice and the forbearance in your tone when you suppressed your pain, I could sense your true feelings!”

Fu Zhihuan:  “……Thank you.”

Not very moved.

He lowered his eyes and his attention was drawn to the title of ‘Fu Zhihuan’s Search – Episode 1’

…….Awesome.

And there’s a second episode as well?

The next second, Xie Yanchi’s message suddenly popped out.

~ Pay 10,000 yuan to listen to Episode 2.

“……”  Fu Zhihuan was silent for a while.

How did Xie Yanchi develop this rotten habit of saving recordings at random?

However, at this moment, Wen Ruan folded her arms happily, lifted her chin proudly, and looked as if she had finally won a round.

“Speak, when did you start to have feelings for me?”

He laughed dumbly, reached out his hand to pinch her face, and caressed her chin.  He thought for a while and then replied.

“Ten years ago……..”

“Who are you deceiving?”  Wen Ruan turned her head away angrily, walked to the side, and said sullenly.

“Ten years ago I was still in high school and not acquainted with you.”

It was quiet for a few seconds and then he laughed.  Fu Zhihuan stepped forward to hug her from behind and rested his chin on her head.

“Then shall I put it another way?”

Wen Ruan snorted softly.  “What other way?”

Fu Zhihuan thought for a while then leaned down with a smile and said in a low and bewitching husky voice.

He said……..

“From the moment I met you.”

***☆☆☆***

Although the preparations for the engagement banquet were hindered by many problems, everything went smoothly after it started.

However, before the engagement ring was successfully put in place, there was still a tiny interlude.

Due to the timing and sequence that were not controlled well enough, the host was a little nervous.  When he tried to liven up the atmosphere, he smiled and said.

“I heard that this is the second engagement banquet for Mr. Fu and Miss Wen.”

As soon as the words were said, the lively atmosphere immediately fell into silence.

A sore spot was touched.

Most of the people present were aware of this matter and were part of the earlier group of guests.  They were very clear about the matter between the couple.

A few months ago, Wen Ruan was still passionately insulting her fiancé and even released the rumors that she would rather marry the little brother of the stinky tofu stall and even threw away the engagement ring.

So how can this kind of matter be admitted in public?

However, just when the atmosphere was about to drop to freezing point, Fu Zhihuan calmly took over the microphone and said lightly with his eyebrows raised.

“That’s right.”

An uproar erupted.

He actually admitted it!

However, the next second Fu Zhihuan lowered his eyes and said slowly.

“That was the most arrogant and regretful decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

And now thinking about it, there’s a feeling of fear.

Fear that..….if he hadn’t met Wen Ruan at the train station that day, the ending would have been completely different. ……

If there were not so many coincidences, perhaps he would never know what he had missed in his life……..

Wen Ruan was stunned for a moment when she heard the words and turned around to look at him.

Their eyes met.

The corners of his lips relaxed, his eyes showed a smile and his dark eyes were full of tenderness.

“Thank you for coming to my side.”

Once upon a time, his life was shrouded in nightmares of the past while all the thorns and vines kept climbing up, strangling his throat, and cutting sharply into his skin.

The darkness would slowly make one get accustomed to staying in its cage and then it would slowly erode one’s body little by little.

It was until one day, a light suddenly seem to shine through a gap.

Then the thorns retreated and the darkness dissipated.

She was that light that broke through the clouds.

***☆☆☆***

When Wen Ruan moved into Fu Zhihuan’s apartment once again, the first thing she did was to get Earl sterilized.

After performing a ‘life and death parting’ drama at the doctor’s place, Wen Ruan was in a good mood.  She even shared the photos of Earl after it was anesthetized and its funny look.

Wen Ruan was satisfied.

Even if you’re a cat, you can’t snatch my man!

And I’m super vengeful too!

A month later, the trial on Qin Wan’s case that was taken up by Wen Ruan earlier on started on schedule.

The case was indeed very complicated and because it happened a long time ago, so it was extremely difficult for the plaintiff.

Furthermore, it was the first trial that Wen Ruan participated in after a three-year lapse.

Wen Ruan was very nervous the day before the trial.

Throughout the night she walked around from the second floor to the first floor then from the living room to the kitchen, and from the kitchen to the bathroom.

And she tried various methods to de-stress.

Such as reading, practicing calligraphy, yoga, and playing King of Glory.

But none of the methods worked.

Not a single sentence could be absorbed into her mind and the calligraphy she wrote was similar to a worm crawling.

Do not even speak about King of Glory for she was angered by her teammates and her life was almost shortened.

Finally, Wen Ruan gave up the struggle and nestled in Fu Zhihuan’s arms miserably to seek comfort.

“Is there no other simple and effortless way to relax one’s body and mind?”

Fu Zhihuan rubbed his chin.  “Actually, there is…….”

Her eyes lit up.  “What way?”

He laughed, reached out his hand to grab her wrist, and pulled her up.

He held her waist tightly with one hand and guided her to sit on his lap.

His other hand supported the back of her small head so she could lift her face and then he leaned over to kiss her.

A kiss that was demanding and warm.

He kissed her until her eyes gleamed and her chest heaved before he released her.

Fu Zhihuan let out a soft laugh, raised his thumb to rub her delicate lips, and asked in a husky voice.

“What do you say?”

“…….”

Wen Ruan leaned against Fu Zhihuan’s shoulder.  Her whole body softened and she had lost all the strength to scold him.

A long time later, she sniffled aggrievedly.  “It can be deduced…….”

“Um?”

Wen Ruan choked and said.  “That you love my body but not my soul!”

“……”

***☆☆☆***

Although she was very nervous before the trial began, Wen Ruan was able to relax as soon as she was inside the courtroom and her performance was steady.

The verdict was handed down very quickly and as expected, the plaintiff won.

The case attracted a lot of attention from the public.  After the news was reported, numerous media outlets wanted to interview Wen Ruan but everyone was rejected.

Whatever she wanted to say had been made clear on Weibo a long time ago and it was pointless to stir up the heat again.

Because every interview conducted would undoubtedly affect Qin Wan and her family.

However, the only program that was not rejected was a documentary interview to be broadcasted on a local station.

This decision was made by the law firm for publicity when Wen Ruan first arrived in Jiang City because when she went on the program ‘Human Observation’, it had unexpectedly exploded.

The contract was signed long ago, so it could not be rejected and the station was repeatedly reminded not to mention the recent case.

It was not until the day of the recording that Wen Ruan suddenly remembered that the other guest in the interview was He Ziqin.

To make up for the previous losses, He Ziqin had spent many days on Weibo and made a lot of effort to save her reputation.

However, marketing is still useful after all.

After a long period of constant brainwashing, finally, He Ziqin was once again supported by a group of young netizens and was given the gimmicky name of ‘Lawyer Sister of Justice’.

However, Wen Ruan was not too concerned about it.

After all, she and He Ziqin did not have any grudges and they were in different fields.  They were not even considered competitors and at best, they could only be called love rivals.

But now that she had successfully upgraded in the relationship, this love rival is no longer worthy of her concern.

During the interview, the host’s questions were very deep and conformed to the set guidelines and Wen Ruan dealt with them very easily.

He Ziqin had also received the draft questions in advance and replied very smoothly.

However, just as the show was about to end, the host suddenly laughed and randomly threw out a question on the spot.

“So, do both of you believe that the existence of lawyers is to maintain justice?”

Wen Ruan was stunned momentarily.

But He Ziqin replied very quickly.  “Of course, I’ve always believed in that.”

The host nodded and upon noticing that Wen Ruan did not answer, he smiled and gave her a questioning look.

Wen Ruan thought for a while and then asked.  “What is considered justice?”

The host was a little startled.  “Perhaps, it’s fairness……..or doing the right thing.”

Wen Ruan laughed.

“That means justice is not an exact definition.  The concept of ‘right’ is different in everyone’s heart, so the scales for evaluating justice are also different.  Isn’t it correct to put it this way?”

The host was startled by the question and after thinking for a while, he nodded.  “If that’s the case, then the existence of lawyers is definitely not to maintain justice.”

Wen Ruan replied in a warm tone but every word spoken was firm.

“Mankind spent a very long time changing from a primitive society to a society that is ruled by laws.  We as lawyers uphold the laws but not ambiguous justice.”

The host became thoughtful and after a long silence, the host suddenly laughed softly and said very seriously.  “Thank you.”

After the show recording ended, Wen Ruan waited for Fu Zhihuan to pick her up and in the meantime, she went to the restroom to touch up her lipstick.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered, she saw He Ziqin leaning against the basin with an unhappy expression and smoking a cigarette.

He Ziqin had spent a long time preparing in advance for the interview and it was all because of the host’s last impromptu question that wasted all her efforts and became someone’s armor at her expense.

Wen Ruan threw a glance at her but was not prepared to greet her.

She slowly unscrewed the lipstick cap and applied a thin layer of lipstick on her lips.  After pressing her lips lightly together, she recapped the lipstick and turned around to leave.

And at this moment, He Ziqin’s leisurely voice sounded…….

“The way you’re offering yourself, aren’t you afraid that he will get tired of you one day?”

Upon hearing the words, Wen Ruan paused for a while then turned her head around to look at He Ziqin.

He Ziqin snorted coldly and glanced at the ring on Wen Ruan’s hand.

“……”

Wen Ruan pursed her lower lip and suddenly felt amused.  She snorted then raised her eyes and slowly spat out two words.

“No wonder…….”

“No wonder what?!”  He Ziqin said fiercely as if she had swallowed gunpowder.

Wen Ruan narrowed her eyes and said with a smile.

“You and Fu Zhihuan have been college mates for four years…….no wonder he is still unaware of your existence.”

He Ziquin’s face turned pale.  “What do you mean?”

“The meaning is…….”  Wen Ruan said lightly.  “You really don’t deserve other people’s efforts in remembering your name.”

After speaking, Wen Ruan turned to leave.

He Ziqin acted like her tail was stepped on and shouted sharply.

“Give me a clear explanation!”

Wen Ruan felt a little annoyed.

She feels laziest when she has to deal with this kind of woman.

A woman whose heart is higher than the sky and feels that her life is more fragile than paper, and expects others to cradle her with both hands……..

Wen Ruan frowned and before she could speak, she heard a clear and light voice.

“Ruan Ruan, come over here.”

When she raised her eyes she realized Fu Zhihuan was leaning against the door in the corridor and it was unknown when he had arrived.

He was frowning slightly and there were some fine glitters of cold lights in his eyes.  His gaze rested on He Ziqin for a second before he moved his eyes away coldly.

Wen Ruan walked to him and stuffed her cold hands into his sleeves.

“When did you arrive?”

Fu Zhihuan held her hands naturally and stuffed them into his pockets.  “Quite a while.”

Wen Ruan laughed.  “Let’s go.”

“Mm……”  Fu Zhihuan responded and walked a few steps forward.  Suddenly, he stopped as if he remembered something and then turned to look thoughtfully at He Ziqin for a while.

“What’s your name?”

He Ziqin was stunned for a moment.  Just as she was about to answer, Fu Zhihuan interrupted abruptly.

“Forget it, it’s not important.”

He chuckled softly and lifted his eyebrows slightly.  “I just wanted to tell you……”

“I am the one clinging to her.”

Today, Fu Zhihuan worked hard to show support for his wife.

He Ziquin looked at the back views of the two people as they left.  There was a feeling of discomfort in her heart and her legs were nailed to the spot as if they could not move.

A long time later, she inhaled deeply, twisted the cigarette butt in her hand, and threw it into the trash bin at the side.  Then she turned on the faucet and placed her hands under the running water.

The gushing sounds of water stirred her heart into a chaotic mess.

For some unknown reason, He Ziqin suddenly recalled the time when they were in college.

They studied in two different colleges and the only chance they could meet was whenever the school’s student council held a general meeting.

Fu Zhihuan was always the one who controlled the meeting.  He would sit there without saying a word and hold an uncapped pen in his hand.  Then he would look up coldly and just by sweeping a glance over the group of student leaders who were forever nagging and complaining, they would fall into complete silence.

Thinking about it, the nickname ‘Flower of the High Mountains’ seemed to have started from that time.

At that time, this person could even smile and bend down with great gentleness and patience to help a little girl button up her collar.

He Ziqin suddenly felt that the provocation at that time was a complete joke.

Perhaps, Fu Zhihuan did not have a cold personality.

But kept all his tenderness for just one person.