TSDT - 6

The first workday after the long holiday, even the gentle morning breeze seemed to drain and wither a person.

Autumn had arrived.

Seasonal changes were always so annoying. Dry to death.

A little past seven, Jiang Ying yawned and emerged from the subway station.

Today, she had to go to the court to file cases. Several cases had piled up, and there was no way to get a spot before the holidays. She woke up early today, vowing to arrive before the court opened and be among the first in line.

From their law firm to the court, she had to take the subway and then a bus. The subway exit was a bustling commercial area. Jiang Ying saw that it was still early and decided to grab a coffee to revive herself.

On the first floor of a business building was a coffee and dessert shop. Pushing open the door, the sweet aroma of baked cakes filled her nostrils. Jiang Ying had already eaten breakfast and only intended to buy coffee, but the rich baking scent was too tempting.

Only three or four types of pastries were on the shelf, but the lingering aroma didn’t seem to come from them. Jiang Ying asked, “What’s baking right now? It smells so good.”

The owner was a beautiful young woman with neatly tied, slightly curly long hair and a good demeanor. She smiled and said, “It’s apple tart. It will be ready in two or three minutes, would you like one?”

Jiang Ying: “Yes, one please. And a cappuccino.”

Jiang Ying waited a short while, then received a hot apple tart and coffee. A sip of the rich cappuccino went down her throat, refreshing her. Her skin, dried by the autumn wind, seemed to regain some elasticity.

As she walked out, she lowered her head, sniffing the apple tart, wanting to take a bite, but afraid it was too hot.

At the door, someone happened to enter, pushed the door open, and politely held it for her.

Jiang Ying quietly thanked him and quickly moved past. The person happened to step further inside, unable to dodge, and they brushed lightly against each other. Something must have snagged, as the strap of her free briefcases, given by the law firm, snapped and fell miserably to the ground.

“Sorry.” A low, slightly hoarse voice.

The person politely bent down to pick up the briefcase and handed it to her. The worn and faded printed lettering looked particularly shabby in contrast to that clearly-veined hand. For a moment, they stared at each other.

Meng Jingshu also seemed to have fallen victim to the relentless grip of work. His eyes were bloodshot, his chin had a hint of stubble, looking somewhat disheveled. Paired with his overly stern features when expressionless, he looked a bit fierce.

He was indeed quite uncomfortable. A bug appeared in a company product update, and as the boss, he had spent two days and two nights working overtime with the software department. Now that the problem was mostly resolved, he was about to go downstairs to buy a coffee to clear his head when he ran into this woman.

Lately, because of her, had he been saying “sorry” too many times?

Meng Jingshu looked at her indifferently.

Jiang Ying pursed her lips, took the briefcase, muttered a low “thank you,” and quickly ran off.

?

Meng Jingshu stared at her retreating back, his brows tightly furrowed.

She just ran off?

What was that? Fleeing in panic?

…

Or did he look too fierce?

________________________________________

Shufeng Technology.

Meng Jingshu had a meeting with Wei Zhanfeng. After it ended, back in his office, Assistant Liu came in to report on project progress and informed Meng Jingshu that he needed to go out in the afternoon to handle a parking space issue for Meng Jingshu’s residence.

When they were processing the property documents some time ago, they discovered that his parking space had been mortgaged by the property management, and the ownership was not actually in his hands. After many fruitless negotiations with the property management, they contacted other owners who had similar experiences and decided to jointly file a lawsuit.

Meng Jingshu never handled these trivial matters; Assistant Liu always took care of them.

Meng Jingshu acknowledged it. He hadn’t slept for almost 48 hours and was about to go home to rest. He draped his jacket over his arm and casually asked, “Which law firm did you schedule?”

Assistant Liu: “Weihe.”

Meng Jingshu looked up: “Weihe Law Firm?”

Assistant Liu: “Yes.”

Meng Jingshu: “I’ll go too.”

Assistant Liu: “???”

At 3:30 PM, Jiang Ying was buried in checking a statement of claim when her mentor, Wu Shuting, called her away, saying there was a new case.

On the way to the guest room, Wu Shuting said, “I know you have things on your hands, but this isn’t a very complicated case. You’ll just be a bit busier during this time.”

Jiang Ying: “Okay.”

“However, this client specifically requested you to be in charge.” Wu Shuting’s tone changed, and her gaze held some deeper meaning. “Young girls, you need to know how to protect yourselves. Call Zheng Yifeng along if necessary.”

There had been unpleasant experiences before, where clients, upon seeing young, pretty girls, would use ambiguous language at the dinner table and try to get Jiang Ying to drink. If it weren’t for Zheng Yifeng, a male colleague from the same period, she might have been taken advantage of.

Jiang Ying whispered, “Understood, thank you, mentor.”

She was on guard, feeling a bit nervous even as she pushed open the door.

Holding her breath, she was about to put on a polite fake smile when she was struck by the man’s noble sitting posture on the sofa.

Her smile froze at the corners of her mouth.

Nervousness turned into absurdity.

Wu Shuting’s tone was formal: “Mr. Meng, Mr. Liu, this is my apprentice, Lawyer Jiang Ying.”

Jiang Ying regained her composure and smiled faintly: “Hello.”

Meng Jingshu nodded, giving her a mild glance.

Jiang Ying tried her best to avoid eye contact with him, not letting her emotions affect her work.

Fortunately, Meng Jingshu remained almost entirely silent during the conversation, with Assistant Liu doing all the talking. As they discussed the case, Jiang Ying’s discomfort lessened significantly.

Wu Shuting left early due to other commitments. Towards the end of the discussion, Jiang Ying and Assistant Liu were confirming details.

Jiang Ying: “By tomorrow at the latest, I’ll send you the power of attorney, statement of claim, and registration forms. Please distribute them to all the owners then. This is my phone number and WeChat, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.”

Assistant Liu exchanged numbers with her, pushed up his glasses, and said, “It’s like this, President Meng is very concerned about this matter. Could Lawyer Jiang please also add his contact information for easier communication?”

So, this is where he was waiting for her.

Jiang Ying smiled restrainedly: “Of course.”

A WeChat verification message popped up, and Meng Jingshu, who had been silent throughout, suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

He looked at her, his eyes saying: Didn’t you say no contact? What about now?

His pride and triumph were self-evident.

Jiang Ying secretly bit her lip.

After three years, this person reappeared in her chat list.

They were at daggers drawn.

He was laughing at her, as she had lost this round.

But she suddenly felt like crying.

________________________________________

Assistant Liu felt that his job difficulty had recently increased, mainly because the types of tasks he handled had expanded, and the new ones were baffling.

For example, they had already scheduled a meeting with the experienced Lawyer Wu, but then backtracked and requested a new lawyer.

For example, it was perfectly normal for a client to ask for the law firm’s contact information, yet he was specifically instructed to guide her into proactively adding the boss’s WeChat.

And for another example—

“Is losing an argument really that upsetting?”

A question, stripped of its context, came from the boss’s mouth. Assistant Liu, who was driving, had to divert his attention to consider whether he needed to answer.

However, Meng Jingshu said nothing further after that remark, seemingly talking to himself, and Assistant Liu breathed a sigh of relief.

At a red light, the dark sedan slowly stopped in traffic to wait.

Meng Jingshu, who had been looking out the window, retracted his gaze and asked him again, “Assistant Liu, did my attitude seem very bad today? Very scary?”

No matter how much he tried to soften his tone, the confusion in it was still audible.

Assistant Liu’s mind raced, and he cautiously replied, “No, it was about the same as usual...”

Meng Jingshu was very perceptive: “Just say what you mean.”

Assistant Liu: “If you want to make amends with Lawyer Jiang, should I order flowers from a florist?”

Rather than coldly mocking her when she added your WeChat.

Meng Jingshu: “Why would I make amends with her?”

Assistant Liu closed his mouth and started the car, deciding to speak less and focus on driving.

Meng Jingshu added after a while, “For work, just follow normal procedures. Don’t give her preferential treatment.”

Assistant Liu: “Understood, President Meng.”

________________________________________

Jiang Ying was like a busy little bee, going home to continue working overtime.

She drank a cup of yogurt, feeling a bit cold, and went to the closet to find socks to wear. Before she could sit back down in her chair, she heard a WeChat notification. She opened it and saw that avatar, pausing for a moment.

“Send the materials by tomorrow at the latest?”

“What time tomorrow?”

This person must be deliberately trying to provoke her, right?

What did he have to be dissatisfied with?

Jiang Ying didn’t rush to reply. Instead, she opened other chat windows. She wrote materials in between sending messages, working overtime calmly.

The person on the other end probably lost patience and sent another question mark.

The accusatory tone was strong, forming a stark contrast with the meaning conveyed by the avatar.

His avatar hadn’t changed since university. It was a photo he took during a trip to Iceland in his freshman year. Under the orange-red sunset, he stood on the vast snowy ground, behind him stretching snow-capped mountains. The nearest peak was covered in snow, and below it, the white of the ice and the original black of the mountain body alternated, mottled. Low, pointed cabins were nestled at the foot of the mountain, looking desolate yet tranquil amidst the snow. The young man stood straight, hands in his pockets, at the intersection of the mountain’s extended base and the horizon. Shot against the light, only the fiery light, the dark, cold mountains and snow, and a long, dim silhouette of a person were visible. The contrast between cold and warm, light and dark, created an immense sense of loneliness; it was too empty, even the footprints on the snowy ground were only his.

When Jiang Ying first saw this photo, she secretly searched online for various tourist attractions in Iceland. Comparing them one by one, she found the background’s location. It was Snæfellsjökull, which, according to Journey to the Center of the Earth, was the entrance to the center of the Earth.

She didn’t know why, but when she read that sentence, her whole body trembled. After that, she couldn’t control herself and wanted to chat with him. She asked if he was cold, if he had soaked in hot springs, what good food there was, if he had seen the aurora... She racked her brain, just wanting to talk to him.

How did he reply?

She couldn’t remember...

But at least it was friendly and harmonious, right?

Jiang Ying was a little distracted, her efficiency low. It wasn’t until she got a clear answer from someone else that she finally replied to Meng Jingshu.

Her phone vibrated softly a few times by her pillow. Meng Jingshu opened his eyes, squinting, to look at WeChat.

“Confirmed with Assistant Liu, any time tomorrow is fine. President Meng, rest assured, I will complete it as soon as possible!”

…

“Damn it...”