Chapter Eight

Stepping out of the office, Lin Wu received surprised looks from many colleagues along the way.

As she reached the door, a senior attorney asked, "Do you have a meeting with a client tonight?"

Except in special circumstances, Lin Wu had never left the firm after six o'clock in the evening. Consequently, her colleagues, accustomed to working overtime, were quite shocked that she was leaving so early today.

Lin Wu gave a soft hum and smiled, saying, "Yes."

A future client is a client nonetheless.

The familiar attorney chuckled and said softly, "I wish you all the best."

Lin Wu smiled gracefully, "I'll take your kind words, Attorney Gao."

"..."

Upon reaching the underground garage, as Lin Wu walked toward her car, she glanced inadvertently to the other side and spotted a familiar vehicle.

Why hadn't Chen Zhuo left yet? He couldn't possibly be waiting for her, could he?

The thought crossed her mind for a second before Lin Wu pushed it down.

As she got into her car, her phone screen lit up.

She lowered her lashes and opened the message from the person in the other car: "Attorney Lin, let's go."

Lin Wu replied: "...I know the way."

Even if she didn't, there was GPS now.

Chen Zhuo: "I see, I overthought it."

These words made Lin Wu pause; she held her phone, distracted for a moment.

A while later, hearing the engine start nearby, she finally lowered her head and replied: "Lead the way, Mr. Chen."

At this hour, many cars were leaving the office building, so the fact that Lin Wu and Chen Zhuo were pulling out one after the other did not attract anyone's attention.

It was rush hour, and the roads were slightly congested.

Lin Wu followed Chen Zhuo's car at a leisurely pace. While waiting at a red light, she even found time to reply to two messages from He Jiayun.

-

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the private restaurant.

Lin Wu arrived two minutes after Chen Zhuo. By the time she pulled her car into the courtyard parking lot and finished gathering her things to get out, Chen Zhuo was standing under a tree waiting for her.

The wind outside was strong, blowing his short, dark hair into a mess. A few strands fell across his forehead, making his sharp, handsome features look even more profound and defined.

Those long, narrow eyes, usually hidden behind thin lenses during the day, were fixed on her. As Lin Wu looked up and their eyes met from a distance, her heart skipped a beat.

After a long pause, she asked, trying to find something to say, "Why are you standing here?"

Chen Zhuo raised an eyebrow, shifted his gaze away from her, and curled his lips faintly, "Waiting for you."

Lin Wu froze, suddenly speechless.

She knew that by "waiting for you," Chen Zhuo meant they had agreed to discuss business. Since they had arrived together, it was only natural to go in together.

But their relationship was not just a potential professional collaboration; there was that layer of ambiguous connection between them. With that relationship in play, it was easy for his words to make one overthink.

After a few silent seconds, Lin Wu gave a vague "Oh," and said, "Let's go in, Mr. Chen."

She used the formal title to remind herself, and to remind him.

Understanding her meaning, Chen Zhuo tugged at the corner of his lips, "After you, Attorney Lin."

The courtyard of the private restaurant was quite large, featuring a standard yet distinctly Chinese-style design.

Two vintage lanterns hung at the entrance. Inside, a pebble path wound through, flanked by lush, dense trees. Further ahead were rockeries, flowing water, and mist spraying into the air.

As the clear, crisp sound of a guzheng reached her ears, Lin Wu turned her head to see staff members in Hanfu performing in a nearby pavilion.

Passing the pavilion, the two entered a private room diagonally opposite.

After they sat down, Chen Zhuo gestured for the waiter to give her the menu, "Ladies first."

Lin Wu took the heavy menu and did not stand on ceremony. She flipped through it and ordered two dishes she liked.

Chen Zhuo: "Is that enough?"

Lin Wu: "Mr. Chen, you can take care of the rest."

Chen Zhuo nodded and added a meat dish and a soup.

After ordering, the waiter poured them tea and stepped out. The room fell into immediate silence.

A moment later, unable to bear it, Lin Wu opened the conversation, "Mr. Chen, what would you like to consult—"

Before she could finish, Chen Zhuo interrupted, "No rush."

-

Lin Wu paused slightly, and seeing his calm demeanor, she kindly reminded him, "Mr. Chen, you only have twenty minutes."

"..." Hearing this, Chen Zhuo lifted his eyelids to look at her, "Attorney Lin."

Lin Wu: "Yes?"

"I only paid for twenty minutes for now, but that doesn't mean I only need twenty minutes," Chen Zhuo told her.

He had the money to pay for extra time.

Lin Wu: "..."

She choked slightly. Just as she was about to say something else, Chen Zhuo suddenly asked, "Or does Attorney Lin have another date later and is in a rush?"

Seeing Chen Zhuo's slightly triumphant expression, Lin Wu really wanted to say yes.

But she didn't, and she couldn't even invent one.

Speechless for a few seconds, Lin Wu chose to lower her head and drink her tea.

Chen Zhuo stared at her profile, suppressing the smile rising in his eyes.

He covered his mouth with a cough and asked casually, "Have you been here before?"

Lin Wu answered honestly, "A few times."

This restaurant was close to where she lived, and the flavors were to her liking. Whenever He Jiayun invited her out to eat, she almost always booked a table here.

Lin Wu didn't come often herself; the prices were too high, and one meal would make her wallet ache for a week.

As she finished speaking, she looked at Chen Zhuo, "You must come here often, Mr. Chen."

Judging by how familiar he seemed earlier, Lin Wu guessed this wasn't his first time.

Chen Zhuo nodded, giving the exact same answer as her: "I've been here a few times."

The only regret was that every time he came, he stayed in the private rooms, never visiting the main hall or enjoying the scenery in the outdoor pavilion.

The two chatted idly, and the dishes they ordered arrived one after another.

Chen Zhuo had told Lin Wu on WeChat that he liked to talk while eating, but in reality, he didn't like to speak much during meals. He ate with an elegance that could even be described as pleasing to the eye.

Lin Wu didn't like to talk while eating either; meals were one of the few times she could truly relax.

She was used to emptying her mind while dining, keeping it quiet.

They maintained a tacit silence.

When they were almost finished, Lin Wu set down her chopsticks.

Chen Zhuo was still eating. Lin Wu lifted her eyes slightly, shifting her gaze toward him—

The man was still in his crisp suit today, but after entering the private room, he had taken off the jacket. The cuffs of his white shirt were neatly folded up to his forearms, revealing sleek, muscular lines and a delicate watch on his wrist.

The skin on the back of his hands was thin, and when he exerted slight pressure, the veins stood out clearly, combined with long, distinct fingers—it had an indescribable allure.

Suddenly, Lin Wu remembered the fire those hands had ignited within her.

In an instant, Lin Wu felt thirsty.

"Don't plan on sleeping tonight?" Chen Zhuo, who had been focused on his meal, spoke out of the blue as Lin Wu picked up her teacup again.

Lin Wu's expression faltered. Meeting his refined face, she pretended to be calm and lowered her lashes, "I've developed an immunity to both tea and coffee."

Having been a lawyer for so many years, she had long since become immune to the stimulating effects of caffeine.

She kept drinking it now purely out of habit, having developed a dependency on them.

Chen Zhuo: "..."

He smiled helplessly, knowing he shouldn't say more, but he couldn't help but add, "Try to drink less."

Lin Wu sipped the tea at her lips, giving a vague agreement, "I know."

With the meal finished, it was time to get to the main point of the evening.

Chen Zhuo did have a case to consult Lin Wu about, but it wasn't particularly urgent, nor was it something so sensitive that it required a private meeting.

But since he had asked, Lin Wu answered seriously.

A financial fraud scandal had erupted within Fengxing Investment Bank. Although the company had done its best to suppress the heat and it hadn't caused much of a stir in the industry, the root cause needed to be addressed.

The managing director responsible for the incident had already been dismissed.

It was precisely because of this mess that Chen Zhuo had come to the branch to take over, preventing further errors.

During the morning meeting, although Lin Wu had been distracted, she had caught the gist of it.

Therefore, she was well-prepared for the questions Chen Zhuo asked, and she answered them with ease.

In less than twenty minutes, the business was concluded.

-

As the meal drew to a close, Lin Wu got up to go to the restroom.

The restroom was outside the room; she asked the staff at the door and headed that way.

Reaching the entrance, someone was coming out.

Lin Wu, head bowed, didn't pay much attention.

It wasn't until a strange voice entered her ears that she stopped and shifted her gaze to the other person.

When she saw her, Lin Wu froze involuntarily.

She hadn't expected to run into an "acquaintance" here.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize me?" The person had a small, round face, eyes clear and bright, innocent and pure. She looked at Lin Wu with a smile, glancing down at her own clothes, "I shouldn't have changed that much, should I?"

Lin Wu lowered her eyes, forcing a reluctant smile, "No, I'm just surprised."

Sun Nian'an laughed to herself, seemingly in a good mood, "I didn't expect to run into you here either."

She bit her lip slightly and asked in a low voice, "Are you working here in Shencheng?"

Lin Wu gave a curt hum, her attitude cold.

"I am too..." Sun Nian'an took out her phone and looked at her, "I just started university here this year, and I'm still very unfamiliar with the place."

Saying this, she looked at Lin Wu with a pitiful expression, "Could I add you as a contact, please?"

Lin Wu didn't move, neither saying yes nor no.

They stood in a stalemate for a few seconds. Sun Nian'an bit her lip and said cautiously, "Sister... did you hear what I said?"

Lin Wu snapped back to reality. Looking at the phone in her hand, she exhaled softly and refused tactfully, "I don't have my phone with me."

Sun Nian'an let out an "Ah," and pressed on, "Don't you remember your WeChat ID?"

Lin Wu wanted to say she didn't, but she knew deep down that many things had nothing to do with Sun Nian'an.

She paused, then helplessly said, "I'll tell it to you."

Sun Nian'an smiled brightly, "Okay, go ahead."

Lin Wu recited her phone number, and Sun Nian'an added her. Before leaving, she made sure to remind her, "Sister, remember to accept my request."

Lin Wu didn't respond.

-

When she returned to the room from the restroom, Chen Zhuo wasn't waiting inside; instead, he was standing at the door.

Their eyes met. Lin Wu was confused, "Why did you come out?"

Chen Zhuo said nothing, just looking at her with an intense gaze.

A moment later, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Wu didn't overthink it: "What?"

Chen Zhuo watched her, his brows slightly furrowed, "...That's what I should be asking you."

His lawyer hadn't been herself since coming back from the restroom.

Lin Wu paused, surprised by Chen Zhuo's sharpness.

She opened her mouth and feigned indifference, "I'm fine, Mr. Chen is overthinking it."

To avoid further questioning, Lin Wu abruptly changed the subject, "Mr. Chen, should we get going?"

Chen Zhuo paused, looking at her calm, static profile, and lowered his gaze, "Let's go."

Lin Wu nodded.

They went back into the room to gather their things and left, walking toward where they had parked.

Before getting into her car, Lin Wu said to Chen Zhuo, "Goodbye, Mr. Chen."

Chen Zhuo didn't reply.

Opening the car door and sitting inside, Lin Wu didn't start the engine immediately. She took her phone out of her bag, opened WeChat, and clicked into the friend request list, staring blankly at the cute avatar at the top of the new requests—

Accept or reject?

Lin Wu was uncertain.

Just as she was hesitating, someone knocked on the window.

Lin Wu rolled it down and looked at the person who had returned. Her tone carried a hint of impatience she hadn't even noticed, "Mr. Chen, is there something else?"

Chen Zhuo didn't hold it against her. Standing tall beside her car, he gazed at her deeply, his voice light and slow as he extended an invitation, "Lin Wu, would you like a drink tonight?"

Lin Wu was stunned. Looking up into his eyes, her heart fluttered, "What kind of drink?"

Chen Zhuo lowered his eyes, enticing her, "What kind of drink would Attorney Lin like to have?"

He threw the question back to her.

Lin Wu was silent for a moment, her long lashes trembling, and her voice became very soft, "I'd like to drink vodka tonight."