Chapter 1: Reunion (Part 5)

She took out the tea leaves, lowering her head to conceal her emotions. Unlike him, she couldn’t remain indifferent, so she could only hide her excitement.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Thank you, but no need.” His voice was calm and distant. “I’ll just say a few words and leave.”

“You came to see me… How did you know I was here?”

He hesitated for a few seconds before answering, “Xiao Xiao. I’m her lawyer.”

“What’s the matter?”

His tone grew colder. “Miss Zhao, when you came to my office three days ago, you said you would return, but you never did. So, I had no choice but to come find you myself.”

Mo Sheng was caught off guard. She looked up and met his intense gaze. “How did you know…?” She hadn’t left her name—how could he be sure she was the one who returned the wallet?

“Ms. Zhao, I possess basic reasoning skills,” he said, sarcasm lacing his words.

Perhaps all lawyers had this so-called “basic reasoning ability.” Mo Sheng shifted her gaze to the wall.

“I was just returning the wallet. Now that you have it, there’s no need for you to come all the way here.”He Yichen’s eyes flickered.

“Besides returning the wallet, was there anything else you wanted to do?”Anything else? Mo Sheng hesitated.

“No, nothing.”

“Good.” A trace of disappointment flashed in his expression as he moved closer. “But I do.”

He took out a black wallet and placed it before her. “There was a photo inside. Ms. Zhao, do you know where it is?”

Of course, she knew. Mo Sheng lowered her gaze. “Really? I didn’t notice.”

“Oh? There was nothing in the wallet but money. Then, how did Miss Zhao know it belonged to me?”

She fell silent. She had almost forgotten—he was a lawyer, skilled in catching contradictions in people’s words. Lying to him would be futile.

He leaned in slightly. “Ms. Zhao, can you return the photo to me?”

Mo Sheng suddenly felt lost. What did he mean? He treated her like a stranger, yet he wanted her photo back.

“The person in the photo is me. Why should I give it to you?”

“Ms. Zhao,” he replied coolly, “I suggest you avoid discussing ownership rights with a lawyer.”

She felt defeated. She was no match for Yi Chen. “The photo isn’t here.”

“Give it to me tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, I have—”

“Ms. Zhao!” He Yichen cut her off. “I believe neither of us wants to prolong this unnecessary entanglement, so let’s just get it over with.”

Mo Sheng was momentarily stunned. “Why do you even want the photo?”

“Who knows?” His eyes darkened. “Maybe to remind myself of my foolish past.”

Foolish… Yes, how foolish. She had thought she was prepared for anything, but not for this.Yi Chen made the decision for her.

“I’ll come pick it up tomorrow. If you’re busy, you can have someone else pass it to me. Goodbye, Miss Zhao.”

He turned to leave, but just as he reached for the door handle, Mo Sheng spoke in a low voice, “Wait… I’ll bring it tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Yi Chen turned back, his face expressionless.

“Thank you for your cooperation. See you tomorrow.”

She stared blankly at his tall figure as he left. She had imagined their reunion countless times, but never had she thought it would be like this—not even a simple “long time no see.”

Foolish past…?

Mo Sheng stood before the mirror in her bedroom, studying the woman reflected in it.

If her short hair grew longer and was tied into a ponytail, if her tanned skin became fairer, if she could still smile brightly and without hesitation… If she could erase the sorrow in her eyes that had settled there over the past seven years and replace it with the youthful confidence she once had—then, maybe she would become the Zhao Mo Sheng who first met He Yichen in college.

“He Yichen, He Yichen…”

She didn’t know how their paths had crossed back then. Even Yi Chen had been bewildered. But somehow, she had stubbornly followed him around. Until one day, he finally lost his patience and asked her with a stern expression, “Zhao Mo Sheng, why do you keep following me?”

If it were her now, she would be mortified! But back then, she had been shameless. Looking at him with wide eyes, she had responded, “Yi Chen, are you stupid, or am I? You’re so smart, so it must be me. How frustrating—I’ve been chasing after you for so long, and you still don’t get it!”

She still remembered his stunned silence, how he had been left speechless for a long time. Later, when he brought up that moment, he would say—with both exasperation and amusement—that he had originally meant to make her feel embarrassed, but who would have thought she’d be so thick-skinned that she’d turn the tables on him instead?