“Really?” Yi Chen paused, his voice tinged with sarcasm. Then, without warning, he lowered his head, his cold lips grazing hers for the briefest moment before pulling away. His deep, unreadable eyes locked onto hers, holding her captive. In a low voice, he murmured, “Mosheng, I am sober. Always. I see myself clearly—I am sinking.”

—

“You seem distracted today,” Xiang Heng suddenly remarked as they discussed a complex case.

Yi Chen looked up at him calmly.”I think my suggestion is reasonable.”

“It’s not just reasonable—it’s excellent.” Xiang Heng leaned back slightly.

“But you’re still distracted.”Yi Chen exhaled, tossing the pen in his hand aside.

“Alright. What do you want to ask?”

Xiang Heng smirked, amused by his uncharacteristic impatience. “Our junior sister Zhao is back, isn’t she?”

Yi Chen raised an eyebrow. “How do you know?” Was it that obvious?

“I saw her downstairs the other day,” Xiang Heng explained.

“She’s changed a lot.”Quite a lot. Yi Chen fell silent.

Just then, Lao Yuan pushed open the door and called out, “Hey! The alliance invited us to dinner tonight. You have to come.”

The United Law Firm and Yuan Xianghe were among the four largest firms in City A. Though they often opposed each other in court, they maintained a good relationship outside of it. Lao Yuan had recently done them a favor, so he was hosting a banquet at Deyue Building.

Of course, the United Group had its own agenda. Everyone knew that their Xu Pili had long been interested in He Yichen. Tonight’s dinner was bound to be entertaining—Xu Pili was relentless in her advances, and He Yichen had always been skilled at keeping his distance. Lao Yuan was already looking forward to the spectacle.

—

Deyue Building stood in the heart of the city, its neon lights glowing as night fell. Inside, the wine flowed freely, and the room buzzed with laughter as Lao Yuan and the lawyers from United chatted animatedly.Seated by the window, Xiang Heng listened absentmindedly, his gaze wandering outside. The city shimmered with lights, and the streets bustled with activity.

Then, something caught his eye.

“Hey, Lao Xiang, what are you staring at?” Lawyer Li leaned over, following his gaze. Across the street, a woman stood taking photos. She had shoulder-length hair, a loose light blue shirt, and jeans, with several cameras of different sizes hanging from her shoulder.

“Is she your type?” Lawyer Li asked playfully. Her face wasn’t visible, but she looked young, perhaps a student.

Not his type.

Xiang Heng turned back just in time to see Xu Pili trying persistently to engage Yi Chen in conversation, while Yi Chen remained polite yet distant.

If that woman outside was who he thought she was…

Well, things were about to get interesting.

“Yi Chen,” Xiang Heng called, gesturing toward the window.

Instantly, not just Yi Chen but everyone at the table turned to look.

At first, they weren’t sure what they were supposed to see. But Yi Chen’s sharp eyes quickly found Zhao Mosheng among the crowd. Setting down his wine glass, he stood up. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

The others nearly pressed their faces against the glass in curiosity.