On Friday afternoon, Shen Chuo, armed with a complete set of evidence materials, made another trip to the Jinling Law Firm.

By the time he arrived, it was almost five o’clock. After registering at the front desk, an assistant came to escort him inside.

The assistant opened the door to the office, and Shen Chuo walked in, only to be stunned. The person behind the desk making a phone call was none other than Pei Tingyue.

“Professor Shen, please have a seat on the sofa and wait for a moment,” the assistant politely invited him, pouring a cup of tea for him.

Shen Chuo regained his composure and was about to ask where the previous lawyer, Chen, was, but hesitated and decided against it.

After the assistant led him into the office and closed the door, Shen Chuo sat down on the sofa while Pei Tingyue continued his phone call, glancing at him briefly.

Shen Chuo picked up the teacup and calmly sipped his tea.

Pei Tingyue’s gaze shifted away as he continued his phone conversation.

“Of course, it’s not loan fraud; it’s just a regular loan dispute. This case is still in the civil court; who says it will definitely be transferred to the prosecutor’s office?”

“Knowing the legal articles is useless. It’s all about convincing the judge in court.”

“Why are you panicking? Just continue with what you’re doing. Don’t let a few words scare you. Rest assured, the bank can’t do anything to you.”

…

…

“There’s no need to waste time on this labor dispute lawsuit. You won’t win, settle it privately.”

“I see your company’s financial situation is chaotic. Since he is the business manager of the company, did all the money he previously collected go into the company’s account properly, or did he put it excessively into his personal account?”

“Just because it’s always been done doesn’t mean it’s okay. If you don’t acknowledge it and he does, then it’s not. From a larger perspective, this is suspected embezzlement, and he can be held criminally liable.”

…

…

“No need to keep entangling with him over these matters. Your contract has problems, and contract fraud is enough to put him in jail.”

“Just report it to the police. Whether he has the capacity to fulfill the contract, whether there has been actual performance, and whether he can ultimately be convicted are not your concerns.”

“What you’re concerned about isn’t really this contract anyway. When he’s taken away for investigation by the public security, he won’t have time to cause trouble for you anymore. You’ll have plenty of time to solve other problems.”

…

…

Pei Tingyue dealt with one phone call after another in a nonchalant tone, dismissing people with a few words.

Shen Chuo patiently waited, feeling somewhat absurd.

He didn’t know what other lawyers were like, but Pei Tingyue completely subverted his inherent impression of this profession.

—In his hands, the law was merely a tool to achieve his goals; the truth didn’t matter at all.

When Pei Tingyue finished a call and came over, Shen Chuo couldn’t help but ask, “Is this how all lawyers work?”

Pei Tingyue casually poured himself a cup of coffee. “What’s up?”

“Don’t you care about the truth? Can you just lie without batting an eye?”

Pei Tingyue stood in front of the coffee table, lightly tapping the handle of his coffee cup, and looked down at Shen Chuo on the sofa, not answering immediately.

Shen Chuo felt uncomfortable under his gaze. “Forget it if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“Professor Shen,” Pei Tingyue spoke up, “are you a bit naive? What do you think the truth really is?”

Shen Chuo frowned involuntarily. “Weren’t you just teaching people to manipulate the law, evade responsibility, and deal with others?”

“What’s wrong with handling matters for others?” Pei Tingyue countered, “As for the rest, who violates the law and who commits a crime, you’re not a judge, and neither am I. It’s not up to you or me to judge or define. There are plenty of cases where someone has committed murder but can escape punishment due to lack of evidence. You think they committed murder, but legally, they can’t be convicted. Is that not unfair and unjust? But this is procedural justice itself.”

Shen Chuo was at a loss for words. “You’re a lawyer; I can’t argue with you.”

“But you’re right,” Pei Tingyue’s tone softened, “being able to lie with conviction, to distort right and wrong, and still be able to convince a judge in court is a skill in itself. The truth has no meaning to me. I only care about the result I want.”

“What if the result you want goes against the general moral standards of society?”

“What does it have to do with me?” Pei Tingyue replied indifferently, “As long as the law doesn’t say ‘no,’ what responsibility do I have to bear?”

Shen Chuo didn’t want to continue the conversation and asked him, “Where is Lawyer Chen? I came to deliver the documents and scheduled to meet him in the office.”

“He went out for business in the afternoon,” Pei Tingyue said, taking a sip of his coffee, “You can leave the documents here, and I’ll have someone give them to him later.”

Shen Chuo took out the copied evidence materials, and Pei Tingyue watched his movements before suddenly asking, “Are you here today to decide to continue entrusting Lawyer Chen to handle your case? Have you considered my proposal from the other day?”

Shen Chuo felt a bit awkward. If Pei Tingyue had suggested being his bed partner like before, he could have refused directly, but now this person was talking about pursuing him.

“I thought you were joking.”

“I wasn’t.”

“…You don’t have to do this,” Shen Chuo hesitated, “I’m nothing special.”

“Fair enough, but you’re not bad either.”

Shen Chuo suddenly didn’t want to talk anymore.

Pei Tingyue noticed his subtle expression and set down his coffee cup, with a hint of a smile in his voice, “Do you want to hear something nice? Should I praise you?”

“No need,” Shen Chuo stood up, “I’m leaving. You continue working.”

Just as he turned around, Pei Tingyue grabbed him. “Don’t leave so quickly every time. Let’s go somewhere together in a moment.”

“Where?”

“Don’t worry; I won’t sell you,” Pei Tingyue said, “Consider it a chance for you to repay a favor.”

Before leaving, Pei Tingyue’s assistant came in with some documents, and he had some matters to attend to.

“I’ll wait for you outside,” Shen Chuo volunteered.

Pei Tingyue checked his watch. “Just ten minutes. There’s a coffee shop downstairs. You can wait for me there.”

Shen Chuo was somewhat reluctant, but since things had progressed this far, he could only agree.

As he descended the stairs, he bumped into Zhang Tong, who had just returned from outside. Zhang Tong was also curious about his situation and pulled him into the courtyard downstairs. “Senior Brother, are you here to deliver documents today? What’s going on? Why did Lawyer Chen take the initiative to take your case?”

Shen Chuo casually replied, “It was introduced by other friends. Anyway, let’s give it a try. It’s best if we can get the house, and if not, at least get the down payment back.”

“Have you decided to entrust Lawyer Chen then?”

“Can I still back out after signing the agreement?” Shen Chuo sighed. He did want to back out, but he couldn’t afford to waste the legal fees for nothing, so he had to accept the current situation.

“No need to back out,” Zhang Tong said, “You’ve clearly lucked out.”

“Yeah,” Shen Chuo didn’t want to dwell on these matters.

Zhang Tong changed the subject, “I went home a few days ago, and it seems my dad has found a new blind date for you. Did he tell you?”

“No,” Shen Chuo felt a headache coming on. “Forget about it; I’ll handle it myself.”

“I’m not worried about you, but you…”

Before Zhang Tong could finish speaking, Shen Chuo’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and said to Zhang Tong, “I have something to attend to. I’ll head back first,” then walked away to answer the call.

“Where are you?” It was Pei Tingyue’s voice on the other end of the line.

“I’m waiting for you outside the industrial park,” Shen Chuo said.

“Wait there.”

Shen Chuo stood on the roadside outside the park for a few minutes. Pei Tingyue’s car pulled out, and he quickly opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.

“Didn’t I tell you to wait for me at the coffee shop?” Pei Tingyue’s gaze fixed on Shen Chuo’s face. “Did you specially come outside to avoid being seen by acquaintances that know you’re associated with me?”

“No, I just don’t like coffee,” Shen Chuo said calmly.

Pei Tingyue smirked and stepped on the gas.

“Where are we going?” Shen Chuo asked.

“To a friend’s house for dinner.”

“Your friend’s house?” Shen Chuo was puzzled. “Why are we going to your friend’s house?”

“No particular reason, it’s just a meal. Someone else is inviting me, and you’re coming with me,” Pei Tingyue said, not giving Shen Chuo a chance to object.

“…,” Shen Chuo felt it was all very strange.

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled into an underground parking lot in the commercial district.

“Get out, we can’t go empty-handed when visiting someone’s home for dinner. Let’s buy something,” Pei Tingyue said, pushing open the car door.

Shen Chuo felt even more disconnected from the situation. He didn’t even know whether Pei Tingyue’s friend was male or female, let alone their name. Following Pei Tingyue to freeload a meal felt very strange.

But Pei Tingyue had made up his mind to take him along.

Pei Tingyue went to pick out a bottle of wine as a gift while Shen Chuo stood silently by, offering no input.

“Aren’t you going to give any input?” Pei Tingyue turned back and gestured to him with his eyes.

“No.”

He didn’t want to give any input, nor did he have any to give.

“Take your time picking. I’ll wait for you outside,” Shen Chuo said.

Shen Chuo walked out. Outside the shop was a sunken plaza in this commercial center, bustling with people, especially during the dusky hours when the twilight was descending.

As he gazed at the fountain ahead, lost in thought, he heard someone calling his name.

“Shen Chuo.”

Amidst the cacophony of music, flowing water, and people’s chatter, Shen Chuo didn’t immediately react.

The voice called again, “Shen Chuo.”

His gaze slowly shifted, following the sound. The person emerged from behind the fountain and entered his field of vision. The features went from a blur to gradually clear.

Memories, long dormant, surged unexpectedly.

“Shen Chuo, it’s really you.”

The man stood before him, his expression complex, hesitating for a long time before speaking. “Long time no see.”

“…Zhuang He?”

“It’s me.”

When Pei Tingyue came out after buying the gifts, still wearing his Bluetooth earphones and on a call, his casual glance fell forward, causing him to pause slightly.

Shen Chuo was standing not far away, talking to someone.

—His face was obscured, and Pei Tingyue couldn’t see his expression from the side. But his profile looked tense, as if frozen in place, indicating that his emotions were being stirred by someone.

Pei Tingyue narrowed his eyes slightly and said to the person on the phone, “I’ll talk to you later. See you in a bit.”

“When did you return to the country?” Shen Chuo asked, trying to steady his voice.

“I came to Huai City last month. What about you? Have you been here all along?”

“I’ve been studying and working here.”

Before the other person could say more, a young man approached from behind Zhuang He, complaining, “Why did you come here? I was looking for you in Zone C for half the day.”

Shen Chuo’s intended words halted. The young man belatedly realized Shen Chuo’s presence and curiously asked the man beside him, “Do you two know each other?”

“He’s Shen Chuo,” the man’s expression slightly uneasy, introduced them, “We were high school classmates and…friends.”

“Shen Chuo,” Pei Tingyue hung up the phone and called to him, then motioned to him with a nod when Shen Chuo turned around, indicating to him, “Let’s go.”

Shen Chuo instinctively turned around. The man behind him blurted out, “Shen Chuo, who is he? Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Pei Tingyue glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye, sizing him up. —A good-looking tall man, but that was about it.

Shen Chuo pursed his lips, not really wanting to say anything.

Pei Tingyue calmly changed his tone, “Baby, let’s go.”