DF Chapter 2

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“Huh?” Sure enough, it was specially made with xylitol. Who could be so thoughtful? On the table, there were also a few jars of nuts: walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts. Each glass jar had a sticky note with elegant handwriting, saying, “Three a day.”

Zhen Yi returned the plate to her grandfather and asked, “Who was that person just now?” Her grandfather had long since retired, so it couldn’t have been one of his students. Plus, the man had been abroad for many years.

Her grandfather scratched his head. “Recommended by Professor Su.”

Professor Su was a colleague of her grandfather’s, specializing in medicine, while her grandfather was a well-known philosopher in academic circles. Even in retirement, younger scholars frequently sought his advice.

She remembered years ago, back in the tree-lined Shen City, he had told her he was going abroad to study medicine. But now it seemed he had gone into philosophy instead? Thinking about it, his cool, detached personality did seem to fit that. Their first meeting was twelve years ago, their parting eight years ago. Time flies.

Zhen Yi scooped a small piece of the brownie with a spoon. Xylitol flavored? Trust him to come up with that. As she poked at the dark-colored cake, she suddenly thought about the years she spent chasing after him. She remembered reading Wuthering Heights and thinking about how, even after twenty years, Catherine turned into a ghost to return to Heathcliff’s side on a stormy night. At the time, she thought she could be as devoted as Catherine. But as she grew older, she realized—how many men love as crazily as Heathcliff?

A girl grows up, and she learns what reality is. She learns that youth is fleeting, especially for a young woman, and she should enjoy it while it lasts.

Memories of the past flashed by. Zhen Yi raised an eyebrow. Her only regret was that such a beautiful face couldn’t belong to her. As the self-proclaimed president of the “Appearance Appreciation Club,” she felt a pang of sorrow. She laughed at her own silliness, nudged her grandfather’s arm, and joked, “Hey, old man, if you ever come across a young, ridiculously handsome guy, introduce him to your granddaughter. Let’s keep the good stuff in the family!”

Her grandfather ignored her, obediently eating his cake. Zhen Yi pouted and glared at him.

All these years, she had never pursued another guy like she had him.

She still remembered how she had once followed him with her hands behind her back, earnestly saying, “Yan Ge, lend me something.”

He looked at her coolly, his gaze asking, “What?”

“A kiss!” she grinned mischievously.

“…”

“Don’t leave… Don’t worry, I’ll return it. Hey, don’t run! Do you really think you can escape?”

Later, Zhen Yi had arranged to meet her university classmate, Si Gui, for dessert. The two of them had joined the police force together after graduation, but Zhen Yi quit after a few months to go back to graduate school. Several years later, Si Gui had fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a detective.

Si Gui had grown up in the northwest, known for her northern forthrightness and boldness. Even Zhen Yi, who liked to call herself the ultimate boss, would sometimes sweetly call Si Gui her “darling.”

Si Gui had long since resigned herself to the nickname that everyone used, but today, she decided to protest. “Zhen, I want to change my name.”

“Your name and your life have been going strong for 24 years,” Zhen Yi consoled, not too sincerely, while ordering a bowl of mango pomelo sago and another of mango tapioca. When she noticed Si Gui squinting at her in dissatisfaction, she quickly put on a more sincere expression. “Think about it. My name is Zhen Yi, but I’m actually totally fake.”

Si Gui’s mouth twitched. “That’s true.”

Zhen Yi hurried to pay the bill before Si Gui could. Still caught up in her name dilemma, Si Gui muttered, “Zhen, I really want to change my name. At the police station, all those guys keep calling me Si (like ‘little servant’). I was supposed to be the flower of the force.”

“Tell them to stop using your last name and just call you by your first name.”

Si Gui’s face darkened. “So you want the men to call me Xiao Gui (which sounds like ‘little ghost’)?”

“Then how about picking an English name—Rose?”

“Rose? More like ‘Roast’!”

Zhen Yi burst into laughter. Knowing she’d been teased, Si Gui kicked her hard under the table.

“My mom liked roses, so she named me Si Gui. She could have just named me Si Mei,” Si Gui said regretfully.

“You want the rookies at the police station to call you Si Mei (which sounds like ‘junior sister’)?”

Si Gui’s expression turned to ash, and she slammed her forehead against the table. “Am I really that unlucky? No matter what, it sounds wrong! I must’ve been born for a thesis titled The Importance of Names”.

Zhen Yi laughed so hard she couldn’t stop.

Seeing her like that, Si Gui finally let out a silent sigh of relief. The case with Tang Shang and Lin Ziyi had weighed on Zhen Yi for too long. After Tang Shang’s suicide, Si Gui had worried about Zhen Yi’s emotional state, so she had probed today before finally getting to the point. “How have you been feeling lately?”

Zhen Yi understood. “Still calm.”

Si Gui encouraged her, “You were brilliant in court. This case made you famous. If Tang Shang hadn’t committed suicide, the outcome might’ve been different.”

“Since you closed the case, was it really suicide?” Zhen Yi asked.

“What are you suspecting?”

“Nothing, just asking casually.” Zhen Yi didn’t believe Tang Shang would’ve ended her life, but there was nothing she could do to change what had happened.

Si Gui hesitated before saying, “There are rumors going around that you sold evidence to get Tang’s family a 3-million-yuan settlement.”

Zhen Yi raised an eyebrow. “Are you interrogating me, Officer?”

Si Gui didn’t press further. She wasn’t in Zhen Yi’s position, so she couldn’t judge her choices. During that time, Zhen Yi, acting as Tang Shang’s lawyer, had worked even harder than the prosecution team. Si Gui had a hunch about what Zhen Yi might’ve done to make things happen, which was probably what certain people in the system had wanted. While Si Gui didn’t agree, believing that punishing evil was necessary for society, she knew how hard the case had been due to the powerful backgrounds of the four defendants. The prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence, and the pressure fell on Zhen Yi. Si Gui knew how Zhen Yi had struggled for months—sleeping only two hours a night, running around to gather evidence and find witnesses, facing threats every day, all while trying to support the emotionally unstable Tang Shang. No one wanted to see those four locked up more than Zhen Yi. But in the end…

Zhen Yi lowered her eyes, remembering what Tang Shang’s younger sister, Tang Yu, had said: “What’s the point of prison? Can you get the death penalty, Lawyer Zhen? Can you make them die? No, right? Ten years? With their backgrounds, I’d be surprised if they served even three. And then the media will turn our tragedy into entertainment again. What does our family’s pain matter? What does my sister’s death matter? A joke? A farce? If that’s what it is, then my sister’s death was just a publicity stunt. Isn’t that what people online are saying? I’d rather take the 3 million and give it to my parents. She’s dead. What’s the point of justice? Don’t talk to me about bringing them to justice so that others won’t get hurt. I’m not that noble.”

Zhen Yi let out a faint, lonely smile without realizing it.

Si Gui noticed and blamed herself for bringing up the topic. She quickly changed the subject. “Why didn’t Yang Zi come today?”

“She’s catching up on sleep.” Yang Zi was Zhen Yi’s high school classmate from Shen City. They had come to K City together for the university entrance exams, and now Yang Zi worked at a law firm.

Zhen Yi, munching on mango, summarized the drama in a few sentences. “Yang Zi’s handling a divorce case. The husband had an affair and hid assets. He says his wife has no right to ask for money because she’s a housewife who lived off him. He even says the breakup fee he’s offering is generous. They have a son, and the husband won’t let her have him, claiming she can’t afford to raise him. The wife doesn’t want the divorce and cries about how much they used to love each other. I hear it’s a complete mess. Poor Yang Zi is so stressed her chest has gotten smaller.”

Si Gui chuckled sympathetically and nodded. “I’ve seen women at times like that, full of pity and complaints. I bet they’re pouring it all on Yang Zi. She’s probably lost all hope for humanity by now.”

Zhen Yi glared at her. “Yang Zi is the husband’s lawyer.”

“….” Si Gui rolled her eyes.

“That’s why I say if women don’t learn to be independent and strong, they become dependent on men and lose their power. They’re doomed. Look at her. She can’t even afford a good lawyer to fight her case.” Zhen Yi finished off her mango pomelo sago, then moved on to the tapioca while mumbling, “What’s the point of talking about the past? No matter how painful it was, the people listening won’t really feel your pain. To them, it’s just another story. There’s a phrase, time heals all wounds, and it’s practically tailor-made for men.”

Si Gui raised an eyebrow, sensing something. “Oh, come on, beautiful. Which young master broke your heart?”

Zhen Yi grinned. “I’ve only ever broken hearts, never had mine broken.”

Si Gui giggled.

“Lawyer Zhen?” A voice called from behind. It was a tall, slim woman, wearing sunglasses, with an air of grace and elegance.

“Song Yī?”

Si Gui looked up, surprised. The actress Song Yi? Like Tang Shang, Song Yi had started as a model. Unlike Tang Shang, Song Yi’s career had taken off, and she had become a rising star on screen thanks to her impressive acting skills. If it weren’t for how high-end this mall was, it would’ve been swarming with fans.

Although she and Tang Shang didn’t get along, Song Yi had been a witness in Tang Shang’s case, though people accused her of using it for publicity.

Song Yi smiled beautifully and opened her handbag. “Lawyer Zhen, let me pay the bill.”

“It’s already paid.”