DF Chapter 1
In K City, April brought constant drizzle. It was the afternoon class break, and students dashed across the campus, holding their books and backpacks over their heads to shield from the rain.
Zhen Yi stepped into a puddle as she hurried to the big tree at the alley entrance, raising her head to see tender green buds sprouting from the branches and the vast northern sky above.
At the end of the alley stood a small building from the late Qing and early Republic era, with white cherry blossoms blooming in the courtyard, petals scattered all around. It was serene and elegant, like a hidden paradise, contrasting with the surrounding academic buildings.
A spring breeze brushed through the treetops, causing raindrops to fall from the leaves. One icy drop slipped down her neck, making Zhen Yi shiver. She dashed through the rain and sprinted into the small building at the alley’s end.
The wooden door creaked as she entered. Inside, most of the furniture was old wood, giving the place a warm and cozy feel.
The old-fashioned radio was playing the news: “A week after the victim Tang’s suicide in the Lin Ziyi rape case, the Lanting District People’s Court has ruled there is insufficient evidence and dismissed the rape charges against Lin Ziyi and the other three accused. Yesterday, the victim’s family announced they would accept the court’s decision. This case, which has dragged on for three months…”
Zhen Yi took off her jacket, shaking off the petals and raindrops, and noticed the window was open, letting rainwater in. She quickly grabbed the hook to pull the wooden window shut and locked the latch.
The house was only occupied by her grandfather, who had once been a philosophy professor at K University. He had spent his life immersed in research and had never cared much for mundane things like appearances. Forget about closing windows; he even needed reminders for his three meals a day. Nowadays, people would describe him as an intelligent but scatterbrained old man.
Zhen Yi had been so busy these past four months that she hadn’t had time to visit her grandfather. Her cousin, who had married into a wealthy family years ago, had hired a nanny, Sister Zhang, to take care of him. But today, Sister Zhang had taken the day off, so Zhen Yi had come to check on him.
The clock on the wall pointed to 2:30 PM, which meant her grandfather’s afternoon nap should be over. Just as she was about to head upstairs, she noticed a delicate paper box on the mahogany chair—it was sent from the United States. She remembered then that her sister, who worked on Wall Street, had sent her a gift to celebrate the conclusion of her first major case. It really was a big case, one that many lawyers might not encounter even once in their careers.
Zhen Yi opened the paper box. Inside was a backless, diamond-studded short dress, with layers of white tulle overlaid by a window lattice design. It was quite stunning. Her thoughtful sister had even matched it with a handbag and high heels.
The phone in the living room rang, and she picked it up, holding it between her ear and shoulder. “Hello?”
The person on the other end seemed a bit surprised and paused before speaking slowly, “Is this the Zhen residence?” The man’s voice was low and gentle, and Zhen Yi instinctively felt as though a string in her heart had been plucked by the sound. Zhen residence? The name sounded so refined and old-fashioned. But then again, her grandfather had come from a family of scholars, with students all over the world, so calling it the Zhen residence wasn’t pretentious at all.
As she wondered about it, the man on the other end didn’t seem in a rush. He waited calmly and patiently, without a trace of anxiety.
In the silence, all she could hear was the sound of raindrops hitting the banana leaves outside the wooden window.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Zhen Yi quickly put down the dress and took the phone properly in her hand. “Yes, this is the Zhen residence. Who are you looking for?”
“I made an appointment to visit Professor Zhen at three o’clock. Is the professor home?”
“He’s here.”
“Thank you.” he replied gracefully and hung up the phone.
Her grandfather came downstairs, dressed in a wrinkled cotton robe, his white hair messy like a disheveled scholar from the late Qing Dynasty. Zhen Yi told him someone was coming to visit, and after much effort, she managed to comb his hair, but she couldn’t convince him to change his clothes. In the end, she settled for ironing the robe he was wearing.
Outside, the rain continued to fall softly, and the low hum of the radio filled the room: “…In the courtroom, prosecutor Yin Duo and victim’s lawyer Zhen Yi skillfully dismantled the defendants’ arguments during a surprise cross-examination, leaving them defenseless. Legal experts believe Lin Ziyi and the other three defendants will face a minimum sentence of ten years. However, during the second trial, the defense presented strong evidence that the victim Tang was a sex worker, and Tang, unable to bear the pressure, later jumped to her death…”
Click! Zhen Yi expressionlessly turned off the radio.
The rain had stopped, so she reopened the wooden windows, propping them open one by one with wooden frames. After tidying the house, making sure everything was clean and bright, and brewing tea for her grandfather’s guest, she finally headed upstairs, clutching the dress.
The dress fit perfectly, and wearing it made her feel light and graceful. In a good mood, she took off the short dress but suddenly heard her grandfather shouting, “Flood!”
Zhen Yi grabbed a shirt and rushed downstairs to find her grandfather had spilled hot water all over the table. Steam billowed up from the surface. She immediately grabbed the coat hanging on the nearby rack and used it to block the flow of water, keeping it from reaching her grandfather’s feet.
“Don’t worry, old man, it’s all good now!” she teased him playfully, trying to comfort him. But then she heard someone quietly closing the door behind her. The sound was so light and careful, as if the person didn’t want to draw attention, but the old wooden door still made a sound.
Having rushed down from upstairs, Zhen Yi’s outfit was a bit messy, but not to the point of being inappropriate. The way the door was closed made the situation more awkward.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable, she went back upstairs. Not long after, her grandfather called from downstairs, “Yi’er, the guest is leaving.”
Zhen Yi stubbornly refused to go see him off. With a pout, she raised her voice reluctantly, “Goodbye!” The guest didn’t respond.
Once he was gone, she came downstairs to find the floor already wiped clean. Surprised, she thought to herself—her grandfather didn’t even know where the mop was. It must have been the guest who had cleaned up, worried that the old man might slip and fall. The table had also been wiped down, and there was an overcoat in the trash bin.
Suddenly, a thought struck Zhen Yi. Had she used the guest’s coat to mop up the water? She retrieved it, only to find it was a custom-made Zegna coat.
Zhen Yi let out a cry of despair and, clutching the coat, rushed out the door like a whirlwind.
At the alley entrance, a black Porsche was parked, with someone respectfully holding a black umbrella for the man about to get into the car. He was impeccably dressed in a suit, bending over to enter the car.
“Wait a moment!” Zhen Yi ran over, splashing through the puddles, mud and water flying everywhere.
The man straightened up and slightly tilted his head but didn’t turn around.
Whether it was the car or the person, passing students couldn’t help but glance their way.
Standing behind him, Zhen Yi realized how tall he was. His back faced her, and his perfectly tailored suit showed not a single crease. The person holding the umbrella glanced at her, his expression cold and distant.
Raindrops fell from the leaves overhead, hitting the umbrella with a soft patter. Standing just outside the umbrella’s protection, Zhen Yi shrank her neck and said in a calm, composed voice, “I accidentally used your coat to block the water. How about I wash it and return it to you?”
“No need.” he replied mildly, bending over to get into the car. But before he did, he paused slightly and said, “Professor Zhen’s guidance is far more valuable than a coat.”
Guidance? From her grandfather? In his current state?
Zhen Yi was puzzled, but she was the type to go with the flow. Since he said it didn’t matter, she wasn’t going to dwell on it. She turned to leave but caught a glimpse of his handsome, refined profile.
It was as if a cherry blossom petal from a nearby tree had blown into the air. She stood there in a daze for a moment.
“Yan Ge?” she asked, somewhat uncertain, stepping forward with his coat in her arms. When she got a closer look, she smiled brightly, “Long time no see.”
“Sorry, I don’t remember you.” he said, then turned and got into the car.
She knew he had a poor memory for people and didn’t mind. In fact, she was happy to see him again after all these years. “You forgot? I’m Zhen…”
Before she could finish, the man holding the umbrella closed the car door. All Zhen Yi caught was a glimpse of his sharp jawline—very pale.
Watching the car drive away, Zhen Yi shrugged indifferently. It had been eight years since they last met. Given his detached personality, it was only natural for him to have completely forgotten her. Back in high school, she would’ve shamelessly teased him, saying something like: “Hey, remember me? I’m the girl who had a crush on you!” just to see his ears turn red in embarrassment. But she wasn’t as wild as she used to be, and he was still as indifferent to her as ever, not even bothering with a simple greeting.
Returning to the house, Zhen Yi found her grandfather sitting at the table, happily eating a walnut brownie.
She snatched the plate away, glaring at him dramatically. “You stubborn old man, how many times do I have to tell you not to eat sweets at your age?”
Her grandfather held onto his fork, looking pitiful. “It’s sugar-free.”