Neither Xia Yinuo nor Fan Mi had expected that the cousin Ke Dinghao spoke of would be the same person they had encountered once before. Compared to the languid, casual woman at the elevator, Song Nian’s current image was much more spirited and professional.
Despite her surprise, Xia Yinuo quickly extended her hand. "So you are Lawyer Song. Hello."
Song Nian squeezed Xia Yinuo’s hand but looked up at the ceiling with a sigh. "I thought you’d at least recognize my voice from our phone call. As soon as my morning trial ended, I rushed over without even changing my clothes. To think I’d have to introduce myself before you remembered me—it’s a bit heartbreaking, really!"
Xia Yinuo felt a bit embarrassed. "I’m truly sorry... What would you like to drink, Lawyer Song?" As she spoke, she discreetly withdrew her hand.
"A latte, thank you." Song Nian scanned the coffee shop with great interest, remarking, "I suppose this is what they mean by 'life is full of chance encounters'!"
Fan Mi couldn't help but mutter, "Heh, more like 'enemies are bound to meet'!"
Song Nian didn't seem to mind at all. Her long fingers tapped rhythmically on the table. "I’d met you and the little curly-haired girl before and only knew you were the owner of this cafe. Later, I heard a friend mention you several times. Tsk, I really didn't expect you to be Ah Hao’s senior and colleague as well."
Xia Yinuo accurately caught the keyword in Song Nian’s animated speech. "A friend?"
Song Nian pursed her lips. "Mhm! Yes, I’m an acquaintance of Lin Zhengyang, the owner of the bookstore across from you."
Fan Mi chimed in again, "What do you mean 'acquaintance'? You mean 'lover,' don't you?"
Upon hearing this, Song Nian let out three hearty, carefree laughs, neither confirming nor denying the claim. "You’ve got a sharp eye! But let me finish my story first. We were talking about Boss Lin, right? Well, one afternoon during a torrential downpour, Boss Lin was sitting by her bookstore window, lost in thought—you know how literary types are. She just happened to see Boss Xia come out of the coffee shop to give a passing homeless man an umbrella and a bag of bread. It really warmed her heart. In Boss Lin’s flowery, sentimental words, she probably hoped that rain would fill the reservoirs as well as every parched soul."
Seeing Xia Yinuo’s slightly startled expression, Song Nian continued, "You aren't at the cafe often, are you? So Boss Lin thought you were a student working part-time. Later, she heard you scratched her car and even went out of your way to apologize. Hahaha, you really are an interesting person. Though, parking around here truly is a nightmare."
Xia Yinuo served the latte with both hands and spoke honestly, "That did happen. But when I went to see Boss Lin before, she didn't mention any of this."
Song Nian stirred her coffee and looked up with a devious smile. "How could that black-bellied profiteer tell you those things?" After speaking, Song Nian took a sip of coffee, nodded in approval, and continued to look around contentedly.
Fan Mi couldn't help but grumble inwardly—*Please, didn't you just say you were acquaintances with Boss Lin? You didn't even deny that your relationship was extraordinary, yet now you're throwing her under the bus.*
Xia Yinuo had to admit Ke Dinghao was right; Lawyer Song was indeed an unpredictable person. Maintaining her usual politeness, Xia Yinuo said, "That is quite a coincidence. Speaking of which, my younger sister works at the same law firm as you."
Song Nian asked casually, "Is that so? What’s her name?"
Xia Yinuo replied, "Her name is Li Mu."
Song Nian: "Oh... Li Mu? Don't know her."
Xia Yinuo: "She only recently started working."
Fan Mi couldn't stand it anymore. "Alright! Why don't we talk about the serious business first?"
Song Nian arched an eyebrow, looking perfectly composed. "Little curly-haired girl, you really are impatient!"
Fan Mi couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Xia Yinuo turned around, took a piece of white paper and a photograph from the cabinet behind the bar, and handed them to Song Nian. "Lawyer Song, I’d like to ask you to investigate this person. His name is Jiang Yang. This is all the information I have on him; it's all written on the paper."
Song Nian glanced at it. The paper listed Jiang Yang’s workplace and phone number. The top of the photo was printed with "C University School of Medicine, Clinical Medicine Major, Class of XX," and the bottom right had a date. It was clearly a class photo from their university days. Song Nian recognized Xia Yinuo in the middle immediately and was not stingy with her praise: "Boss Xia is as young and beautiful as ever!"
Xia Yinuo felt a bit awkward and pointed to a head in the photo. "This group photo is the only picture I have of Jiang Yang. The fourth person from the right in the back row—that’s him."
Song Nian nodded and casually tucked away the paper and photo. "Got it. Target locked."
Xia Yinuo said seriously, "Lawyer Song, this matter is quite urgent. I hope to have a result within ten days. Of course, the prerequisite is that no laws are broken."
Song Nian couldn't help but laugh and asked in a low voice, "In Boss Xia’s heart, am I the kind of person who would cross the line?"
Xia Yinuo felt bashful. "I didn't mean it like that..."
Having had enough of the joking, Song Nian pulled back her smile. "Boss Xia, please rest easy. I am a legal professional myself. I know exactly what can and cannot be done."
Xia Yinuo: "That’s good."
Song Nian raised an eyebrow. "However, as per protocol, I want to know: why are you investigating this person?"
Xia Yinuo was visibly stunned. Fan Mi quickly stepped forward like a protective cub. "This is the client’s privacy. You shouldn't interfere, right?"
Song Nian spread her hands. "My principle is to find the truth. But I also need to know if I’m helping a good person or a bad person, right? This is about basic trust between people. If both parties can't be honest, I’m afraid I’ll be powerless to help."
Fan Mi was fuming. "You..."
Song Nian quickly cut her off. "Me, what?"
Fan Mi countered sharply, "Do you think yours is the only private investigation firm in C City?!"
Song Nian remained unfazed. "Of course not!"
Fan Mi was bristling now. "Then why are you acting so self-righteous? If it weren't for Xiao Ke’s sake, I would have already..."
Seeing the tension escalate, Xia Yinuo quickly stopped Fan Mi. "It’s okay, I can tell Lawyer Song."
Fan Mi couldn't help but raise her voice. "Xiao Bao!"
Some customers were already looking over. Xia Yinuo instinctively glanced at Liang Juejun, who happened to be looking back at her.
Xia Yinuo took a breath and tried to keep her tone as calm as possible. "Alright, it’s like this. Jiang Yang is a pharmaceutical representative, and my mother happens to be a doctor at the C University Affiliated Hospital. He tried to bribe my mother to sell a batch of his company’s drugs, and naturally, he was rejected. So, he took surreptitious photos of me and my girlfriend to blackmail me... Does Lawyer Song understand now?"
"Oh..." Song Nian nodded meaningfully. "I understand. I know what to do. Now, are there any other questions?"
Xia Yinuo’s cheeks flushed slightly. "None for now."
Fan Mi cleared her throat. "Ahem, well, I do have one question. I wonder how Lawyer Song charges? Is it a legal consultation fee or a private investigator’s fee? We wouldn't want the matter to go unresolved while the bill ends up being quite substantial."
Song Nian propped her chin on one hand and smiled. "Actually, I rarely take cases for the detective agency. Usually, I’m just a technical consultant. Occasionally, I’ll pick an interesting case to investigate just for the fun of it. My colleagues are just so professional, after all! But since this is Boss Xia’s request, I will personally investigate! As for the fee... for Ah Hao’s sake, I should give Boss Xia a fifty percent discount. But for the sake of Boss Xia herself, all fees are waived!"
Xia Yinuo immediately protested, "How can we do that? You’re running a business."
Song Nian waved her hand. "Don't be polite with me. Just consider it a favor you owe me!"
Xia Yinuo was about to say no, but Song Nian stopped her again. "Trust me, Boss Xia, a favor from you is worth the price." She winked at Xia Yinuo.
Fan Mi: "Fine! You said it yourself, you better not regret it!"
Song Nian: "Don't worry, little curly-haired girl. Is that all then?"
Fan Mi: "One last question."
Song Nian: "Since you’re asking so directly, I’ll have to answer directly: I’ve really never loved you..."
Fan Mi: "Stop being so narcissistic!"
Song Nian: "You really have no sense of humor. Go ahead, ask!"
Fan Mi: "Why did you become a private investigator?"
Song Nian: "That doesn't seem relevant to the case, does it?"
Fan Mi: "How do I know if the person we’re trusting is honest and reliable? What if you’re a fraud?"
"Because I like *Detective Conan*!" With that, the great Lawyer Song actually struck Conan’s classic pose from the opening credits. "There is only one truth!"
Fan Mi was momentarily speechless, looking at Song Nian as if she were a monster. It truly was impossible to win an argument with an eloquent lawyer; one could never hope to get the last word.
Xia Yinuo was caught between laughter and tears by their bickering. She wondered privately: *Why isn't our Mu Mu this sharp-tongued?*
Song Nian calmly straightened her sleeves. "Alright, leave this matter to me with peace of mind. I have some personal business to attend to, so I must be going."
Since things had reached this point, Xia Yinuo followed suit. "Then I’ll leave it in your hands, Lawyer Song."
"It is my honor to be of service," Song Nian said with a grin. She took a business card case from her bag, fumbled with it for a while, and finally pulled one out to hand to Xia Yinuo. "You can contact me anytime, whether it's business or not."
Xia Yinuo accepted it with both hands. "Alright."
"Oh, right," Song Nian stood up, pointed toward Liang Juejun sitting in the corner, and leaned into Xia Yinuo’s ear. "Your girlfriend is very beautiful!"
Xia Yinuo was startled, then smiled softly. "Thank you!"
Song Nian gave a knowing smile, waved at Fan Mi, and walked away with a flourish.
The moment Song Nian left the shop, Fan Mi switched to rant mode. "What kind of person is that? She’s practically a rogue!"
"I think she’s quite impressive. My Senior was sitting all the way over there, and she managed to guess who she was."
"Duh! Your eyes kept drifting over there every two seconds, and Professor Liang was smiling at you so affectionately. Anyone with half a brain could see it!"
"Ahem! Is that so? But Xiao Ke did say his sister is an upright and good person. Some people are just like that—they might speak a bit bluntly, but their hearts aren't bad."
Fan Mi jumped up, her curly hair bouncing along with her emotions. "He’s her brother, of course he’d say that! Besides, look at her—where is she 'upright' or 'straight'? She’s glib and silver-tongued! She had a whole stack of cards in that case and didn't even know which one to give; it’s obvious she swaps identities all the time to swindle people! And look at her camera bag—I don't even need to open it to know it’s full of high-end candid photography gear. Candid shots are a desecration of the art of photography! And what was that 'Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger' nonsense? I should have said 'Little Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms'!"
Xia Yinuo burst out laughing. "Alright, calm down."
Fan Mi continued indignantly, "Fine, setting all that aside. Flirting with you so brazenly in broad daylight—is that appropriate?! Professor Liang was right there! And I was right here!!"
Xia Yinuo clutched her stomach. "It’s rare to see your moral compass so properly aligned!"
Fan Mi’s eyes welled up. "My moral compass has always been aligned, okay?!"
"Yes, yes, you’re the most upright!" Xia Yinuo smoothed down Fan Mi’s bristling hair to comfort her. "But honestly, we have to trust Lawyer Song."
The little firecracker’s voice immediately dropped. "It’s not that I don't trust her! After all, with things as they are, we have to see if she can bring a turning point. I just don't like her nonchalant attitude and the way she makes fun of my hair!"
"Hahaha, next time you should introduce yourself properly. Like this: 'Hello Lawyer Song, my name is Fan Da Mi, please take care of me.'"
"Are you looking for a fight? Don't think I won't hit you just because Professor Liang is sitting over there!"
"Alright, alright, I know you would."
"But... actually, I quite like *Detective Conan* too..."
"..."
By late September, the summer heat had dissipated, and the air grew thick with autumn. After a night of drizzling rain, the chill became even more pronounced. The long, scorching summer had ended, and people on the streets began to don coats.
Those ten days felt exceptionally long. As Xia Yinuo was preparing to leave work, she ran into Gu Yizhi and Zhou Gaige at the office door.
Gu Yizhi glanced at Xia Yinuo. In just two short months, the fledgling Xia Yinuo had earned unanimous praise throughout the company. More importantly, the favor of her superiors and the affection of her subordinates hadn't changed her in the slightest. Xia Yinuo was still that junior sister who had made such a deep impression during their first meeting; it was clear Gu Yizhi hadn't misjudged her.
Seeing that Xia Yinuo looked a bit tired, Gu Yizhi asked with a smile, "Has the R&D department been especially exhausting lately? Why do you look so haggard, Junior?"
The CEO’s assistant stepped forward to add a jab, "Ooh, it looks like you have dark circles!"
Xia Yinuo smiled gently. "Work is fine, I can handle it. I just didn't sleep well last night."
The assistant’s teasing was quite sharp, regardless of the boss’s presence. "Something on your mind? Eighty percent chance it’s a matter of the heart!"
Gu Yizhi arched an eyebrow, looking intrigued.
Xia Yinuo was caught between laughter and tears. "It’s just some family matters."
Gu Yizhi patted Xia Yinuo’s shoulder. "Make sure to rest well outside of work. If necessary, you can take some leave."
Xia Yinuo nodded obediently and waved goodbye to the two of them.
That evening, Liang Juejun had made a special dinner, and the two of them went to bed early after finishing their chores. In the middle of the night, Liang Juejun woke up to find the spot beside her empty. The alarm clock pointed to three in the morning. The house was silent, without a sound. Liang Juejun’s sleepiness vanished instantly; she draped a thin blanket over her shoulders and walked out of the bedroom.
The desk lamp in the study was glowing warmly. Xia Yinuo sat with her back to the door, buried in the velvet sofa. That sofa was a new addition Xia Yinuo had brought when she moved in; the little thing was particularly fond of it.
Liang Juejun felt a bit dazed. Leaning against the doorframe, she quietly watched her lover, who was lost in thought amidst the faint light that heralded the approaching dawn.
After a long while, a thin blanket was draped over Xia Yinuo’s shoulders. She turned her head and saw Liang Juejun standing behind her.
Xia Yinuo immediately broke into a smile. "Why are you up?" She shifted slightly on the sofa, gesturing for Liang Juejun to sit down.
Liang Juejun answered softly, "I woke up and found you gone."
Xia Yinuo pulled the blanket over Liang Juejun as well. "I’m always here."
"I know." Liang Juejun reached out, her fingertips brushing through Xia Yinuo’s silky hair. "What are you doing?"
"Quietly capturing my inner heart!" Xia Yinuo closed the book in her hand. her tone was childish and sweet, making Liang Juejun breathe a sigh of relief.
Liang Juejun ruffled Xia Yinuo’s head and smiled. "What are you reading?"
"Here, *The Collected Works of Wang Xiaobo*." Xia Yinuo turned the cover to show Liang Juejun. "Shall I read a passage to you?"
Liang Juejun: "Alright."
Xia Yinuo sat cross-legged and read with great earnestness: "As long as we can be together, we can find anything. Perhaps a lack of courage is the only obstacle to reaching a beautiful state. See how well-suited I am for you. My courage plus your courage should be enough to deal with this world. To raise our voices to the world—I wouldn't dare do it alone, but with you, I dare."
Liang Juejun wrapped one arm around Xia Yinuo, her other hand resting on the back of her neck. She gently rubbed the skin of Xia Yinuo’s neck like one would stroke a kitten. Her tenderness was so profound it seemed it could turn to water, and she called out with heartache and doting affection, "Xiao Bao..."
***
