Chapter 134

Chapter 134: There's Someone I Like Chutang replied, "Of course. If Xueluo recommended you, I'm completely at ease." Lu Shuci felt a twinge of disappointment. It seemed she really didn't remember him. Lu Shuci smiled softly and took out his phone, saying to Ruan Chutang, "Let's add each other on WeChat first. We can set up a time to discuss the details later." "Sure." Chutang opened WeChat, scanned the QR code, and added Lu Shuci as a contact. Zhou Xueluo gently stirred her coffee and said with a smile, "Tangtang, don't underestimate Lu Shuci just because he's only been practicing for a little over three years. I heard from my brother that he's already a well-known top lawyer in the intellectual property field. Several of my brother's company's IP-related cases were handled by Lu Shuci, and he's never lost a single one." Chutang was slightly surprised and turned her gaze back to Lu Shuci's face. "Lawyer Lu is that impressive?" Typically, a lawyer who has been practicing for just over three years is only barely out of the novice stage, still in the phase of accumulating experience. Those renowned lawyers in the industry usually have practiced for seven or eight years, or even over a decade. Lu Shuci graduated in the same year as her, and in just over three years of practice, he had already become a famous lawyer in the intellectual property field. He was indeed exceptionally outstanding. Chutang was very ambitious and deeply passionate about the legal profession. Her goal was to become a renowned top-tier lawyer in the industry. Meeting an accomplished peer like Lu Shuci, Chutang felt genuine admiration. If at first she had no interest in this man whatsoever. Now, she admitted that she had developed a measure of appreciation and respect for him. Chutang smiled and said with sincere praise, "I didn't expect Lawyer Lu to be so young and accomplished. It's an honor to partner with you." Lu Shuci was gentle as jade, his voice soft and warm. "Lawyer Ruan flatters me." Chen Yuanyuan muttered to herself on the side, "A perfect match! They're absolutely perfect for each other!" Zhou Xueluo couldn't help but laugh and nudged her with her elbow, whispering, "What nonsense are you talking about?" "I'm just stating the facts. Don't you think they're a perfect match? Both are lawyers, they have common topics to talk about, and they're a handsome man and a beautiful woman. I'm honestly starting to ship them." Ruan Chutang said awkwardly to Lu Shuci, "My friend likes to joke around. Please don't mind her." Lu Shuci smiled warmly, the demeanor of a modest gentleman perfectly embodied in him. "I don't mind." The group chatted for a while longer. Mostly, it was Chen Yuanyuan who kept finding topics to talk about with Lu Shuci. From college life to post-graduation experiences, Chen Yuanyuan chatted with great relish. Finally, Chen Yuanyuan asked Lu Shuci with a serious expression, "By the way, why didn't you accept my confession back in college?" Lu Shuci instinctively glanced at Ruan Chutang, who was currently chatting with Zhou Xueluo about the latest fashion shows and hadn't noticed the topic he and Chen Yuanyuan were discussing at all. Chen Yuanyuan was also quite thick-skinned and didn't notice the look Lu Shuci had cast toward Ruan Chutang. Lu Shuci quickly averted his gaze and smiled with a hint of distance but still politely. "I already had someone I liked back then." Chen Yuanyuan was surprised. "Huh? You had someone you liked? Who was it?" Lu Shuci lowered his eyes and smiled without answering. Seeing that he wouldn't answer, Chen Yuanyuan suddenly thought of something and gasped, covering her mouth. "Wait... you're not... gay, are you?" "Cough, cough—" Lu Shuci hadn't expected Chen Yuanyuan to come to such a misunderstanding. The coffee he had just swallowed suddenly caught in his throat, causing him to cough a couple of times. Ruan Chutang heard the words "gay" and turned her head in surprise to look at them. "What gay? Lawyer Lu, are you..." She trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. "No, no." Lu Shuci quickly waved his hands in denial. "My sexual orientation is perfectly normal." Chen Yuanyuan squinted at him with skepticism. "Then why won't you say who it is you like?" "I..." "What are you all chatting about, laughing so happily?" Lu Shuci had just opened his mouth when he was interrupted by a cold male voice. Chen Yuanyuan's spine went cold, and the smile on her face instantly froze. Qin Yan walked over, casually pulled out a chair, and sat down with a flourish, staring at Chen Yuanyuan with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Yuanyuan, since when did you get so close with Lu Shuci?" Chen Yuanyuan: "..." Why did this jealous man have to show up? "Brother..." Chen Yuanyuan instantly deflated, forcing an awkward smile. "I was just introducing a law firm partner to Tangtang." "Oh? Is that so?" Qin Yan cast a cool glance at Lu Shuci. Lu Shuci smiled politely. Qin Yan's tone was sour, a cold smirk curling at the corner of his lips. "Then why did I hear you asking him why he didn't accept your confession back in college?" Chen Yuanyuan was speechless. "I..." Ruan Chutang and Zhou Xueluo exchanged glances. They both felt that Qin Yan was acting strange today. But they couldn't quite put their finger on what was off. Chen Yuanyuan gave an awkward laugh. "You must have misheard." Then she pulled out her phone and fiddled with it for a moment, and suddenly a ringtone sounded. Chen Yuanyuan made a gesture of answering the phone. "Hello? Yes, it's me. What's wrong? Oh, right now? Okay, okay, I'll be right there." Chen Yuanyuan hung up with a serious expression, grabbed her bag, and stood up. "Um, something suddenly came up. I need to head out. You guys keep chatting. Bye, Xueluo, Tangtang." With that, Chen Yuanyuan hurriedly left. Looking at her retreating figure, it seemed like she was fleeing in panic. Chu Tang watched Chen Yuanyuan's back and said to Zhou Xueluo, "That ringtone of hers just now... wasn't that an alarm clock ringtone?" Zhou Xueluo: "Yes, you heard right, it was an alarm." Qin Yan gave Lu Shuci a meaningful look. "So she's into that kind of thing." Lu Shuci: "..." "You guys chat, I'm heading back too." Qin Yan stood up and left. After he was gone, Chu Tang leaned in and whispered to Zhou Xueluo, "Xueluo, I feel like something's off between Brother Qin Yan and Yuanyuan." "I think so too." ... Soon after, Qin Yan caught up with Chen Yuanyuan in the parking lot. "Running that fast—feeling guilty about something?" Qin Yan pulled Chen Yuanyuan into his arms and held her. Chen Yuanyuan pushed against him, her face tense. "Don't do this out here. What if Tangtang and the others see us?" Qin Yan curled his lips, a cold snort escaping his nose. "Are you afraid Tangtang will see, or afraid that man you like will see?" "What nonsense are you talking about?" Chen Yuanyuan glared at him. "The one I like is you." "I heard everything you said just now. In college, you liked Lu Shuci, huh?" Qin Yan wrapped one arm tightly around Chen Yuanyuan's waist while pinching her chin with the other. Chen Yuanyuan bit her lip and stammered, "I... who hasn't liked someone before... Can you honestly say you never liked anyone else in college?" Qin Yan let out a scoff. "I really have never liked anyone else." Chen Yuanyuan suddenly looked up at him, shock in her eyes. Qin Yan met her gaze directly and said with utter seriousness, "From beginning to end, I've only ever liked you." Chen Yuanyuan froze. "I... I'm still your first love?" "What else would you be?" Qin Yan lowered his head and kissed Chen Yuanyuan's lips. Tender and lingering, gentle and affectionate. "You ungrateful little thing." When the kiss ended, both of them were slightly breathless. A blush rose on Chen Yuanyuan's face, her eyes somewhat dazed. "Come to my place, yeah?" Qin Yan's fingers lightly brushed across Chen Yuanyuan's lips. Chen Yuanyuan softly hummed in agreement. Once they arrived at Qin Yan's private villa, the two indulged themselves without restraint. In the heat of passion, Qin Yan pinched Chen Yuanyuan's chin and asked, "Who do you like—me or Lu Shuci?" Chen Yuanyuan's eyes were seductive and hazy as she gasped in reply, "I like you. Only you." Hearing the answer he wanted, the man leaned down once more.