Qi Xi no longer remembered how she had managed to sit through the rest of the graduation ceremony as if she were on pins and needles. Even that evening, after she had officially graduated and left the university, she still felt somewhat dazed about how she had spent the previous few hours.
Zhao Yiran sat opposite Qi Xi. This girl had been Qi Xi’s roommate and close classmate for four years. She had always believed in the doctrine of moderation. Her grades were forever comfortably above average; she had scraped through the judicial exam by the narrowest of margins; she did not have Qi Xi’s competitiveness at all. Even her job choice was perfectly conventional: she had taken the civil service exam, successfully secured a position, and now only had to graduate before she would soon begin working at the court.
Yet now, because of Qi Xi’s passionate speech, this farewell meal between the two of them had no sadness at all. Zhao Yiran was even rather excited.
“Qi Xi, I just saw another link going around with the video of your graduation ceremony speech!”
Qi Xi took a sip of juice with an expression of utter despair.
“Where’s the link? Send it to me.”
“You’re going to report it and get the post deleted again?”
“What else can I do? Wait for Gu Yan to sue me for infringing his right to reputation?” The moment Qi Xi thought of this mess, her head hurt. “My brain must have been flooded. I acted impulsively and made a huge mistake. I’m willing to pay any price to eliminate the impact, take full responsibility, and make amends.”
In fact, after the incident, Qi Xi had wanted to find Gu Yan and apologise. But who knew that after the graduation ceremony, Gu Yan had disappeared. She could not find him, so she could only apologise to him on WeChat. In the end, after writing a long message and sending it, she waited for ages without receiving any reply…
And because she had no way to apologise to Gu Yan in person, Qi Xi, furious, had gone to block the true culprit, Zhang Jialiang. Yet when faced with her questioning, that weirdo Zhang Jialiang had even spoken with righteous confidence.
“Why did I put the confession letter inside the practice book and ask Gu Yan to bring it to you? Because I’m a shy and introverted person. I’ve liked you for too long. I was even afraid to confess to you face-to-face. I was afraid that if I looked at you one more time, my heart would beat too fast. That day, I happened to see the practice book you’d left in the library, so I came up with this romantic and classical method of writing a love letter. Then Gu Yan happened to pass by, so I asked him to bring it to you. Isn’t that how it happens in films? If the feelings of young boys and girls are conveyed too directly, it isn’t romantic anymore. There always has to be an intermediary to pass the message…”
“As for the signature, I’m a pretty humorous person. I was just joking with you and keeping you in suspense, making your emotions feel like they were on a roller coaster. You’d think it was Gu Yan confessing and feel disappointed, then finally turn it over and realise it was me, the person you also like. That way, you’d feel the wild joy of regaining something you thought you’d lost…”
Wild joy, my foot! Only a ghost would like you! Even liking Gu Yan would be better than liking a weirdo like you!
Even now, thinking back on it, Qi Xi still felt furious.
Zhao Yiran patted Qi Xi sympathetically.
“To be honest, Gu Yan merely not replying to you already shows that he has very good self-restraint. If it were an ordinary person, they might have beaten you up.”
“He probably wouldn’t beat me.” Qi Xi said with lingering fear, “Doesn’t he practise Muay Thai? If one punch came down and he didn’t control his strength properly, and he beat me into a second-degree minor injury, that would be enough for sentencing under intentional injury. Then it would become a criminal case, and once he became a lawyer in the future, his licence could be revoked…”
“…”
Although she said that, Qi Xi also knew that Gu Yan’s self-restraint was truly astonishingly good.
She had posted real-name statements and apology letters on the school forum and Weibo, but it was easy to start a rumour and exhausting to refute one. Very soon, the posts sank, and they did not attract much attention at all. But when she thought of how many people had been at the graduation ceremony that day…
She really had committed an unforgivable capital offence against Gu Yan. Whatever Gu Yan wanted to do was fine. Even if he sued her, it would be reasonable. Qi Xi was willing to bear all legal consequences.
But Gu Yan had not.
Gu Yan had done nothing. He had not accepted her apology, had not scolded her, had not sued her, and had not even taken the initiative to clarify those rumours.
But would she still have the face to meet Gu Yan in the future?
Other than never wanting to see him again for the rest of her life, Qi Xi could not think of a better solution.
Perhaps extreme misfortune really did give way to fortune. After being unlucky to the absolute limit, Qi Xi finally hit rock bottom and rebounded once.
She had just taken another gloomy sip of juice when her phone gave a “ding,” signalling a new email.
Qi Xi glanced at it lifelessly. Then the large word “Congratulations” in the email subject line and the sender’s information suddenly made her adrenaline surge and her heart pound wildly.
It was an acceptance letter from Columbia Law School!
When Qi Xi finally clicked open the email with trembling hands and confirmed its contents, she could no longer hold back. She practically jumped out of her chair.
“Zhao Yiran, I got accepted into Columbia Law School’s JD programme!”
Only those in law school understood the value of a Columbia JD. Zhao Yiran’s eyes immediately lit up too.
“Oh my god! Qi Xi! You’re amazing! I told you, your LSAT score was insanely high, your GPA was high too, and you passed the domestic judicial exam. I told you that you’d definitely make it! Columbia University! You can go to New York!”
In American law school rankings, after Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, the next was Columbia Law School. And without outstanding relevant legal work experience or recommendations from especially influential figures in the industry, it was almost impossible for a fresh undergraduate law graduate to knock open the doors of those three top JD programmes.
Therefore, being accepted into Columbia Law School was already the best offer for Qi Xi.
And…
And if she went to America, she would not have to face Gu Yan anymore. After all, in the previous employment intention survey, Qi Xi remembered that Gu Yan had filled in that he would directly enter a law firm for employment.
However, when Qi Xi returned home full of hope for the future and told her father this earth-shattering good news, what she received was not congratulations or praise.
Not only was Qi Ruiming not happy, he could practically be described as flying into a rage.
“Didn’t we agree that after graduation, you’d take the civil service exam? You secretly took the LSAT? Secretly applied to schools?”
“But, Dad…”
“Didn’t you promise me you’d take the civil service exam and find a stable nine-to-five job? I know the civil service exam is like thousands of soldiers and horses trying to cross a single-plank bridge, but Dad doesn’t necessarily need you to get into the public security organs, procuratorate, or court. If you can’t pass, I know people at Rong City Daily. It wouldn’t be a problem for me to use some connections to get you in as an editor in the legal publications department. It’s usually very relaxed. You can revise while working, then fight again in next year’s civil service exam.”
It was the same old set of arguments again.
Qi Xi suppressed the hurt in her heart and argued with reason.
“But I want to be a lawyer. If I can graduate from Columbia Law School’s JD programme, whether I work in America or return to China, I’ll be more competitive when applying to law firms. My income won’t be bad either, and the employment platforms I can choose from will only be better…”
Qi Ruiming did not give Qi Xi the chance to finish. He interrupted her again, this time with a slightly earnest, well-meaning tone.
“Xixi, you’re just a girl. Girls don’t need to live such exhausting lives. Take it easy. Find a stable, respectable nine-to-five job. In the future, marry someone good. Your task later in life will be to raise the next generation and be a good wife. Look at your mother. She graduated from Rong University’s law school just like you and me. Isn’t her life now relaxed and happy? What’s bad about it?”
Qi Ruiming frowned deeply.
“As for becoming a lawyer, that’s something men do. Do you know how stressful law firm work is? Dad has been through it, and I truly don’t want you to live such an exhausting life. Look at how many top partners in law firms are women. Being a lawyer isn’t as simple as you think. You have to socialise, entertain clients, drink, build connections, and bring in business. Just look at how busy Dad is. You’re a girl. Do you really want that kind of life?”
He continued, patiently guiding her.
“Right now, you’re just like Lord Ye who claimed to love dragons but was terrified when he saw a real one. Once you really become a lawyer, you’ll hate the job after entering the profession. Besides, women are naturally weaker than men in legal logic and reasoning. Look at yourself. In your four years at law school, when did you ever beat that classmate of yours, what was his name, Gu Yan? Weren’t you always one step beneath him? It was like that at school, and once you enter society and the workplace, it will only be more so.”
“There are plenty of outstanding male lawyers out there, far more than the ones you met at school. Your personality is too competitive and not soft enough. Once you enter a law firm, with your mindset, it will only make your strong personality even stronger. Your future married life won’t be happy. Dad is doing this for your own good…”
After mixing persuasion with pressure, Qi Ruiming finally revealed what he truly wanted to say.
“In any case, if you want to go to America, I won’t pay for it.”
But back then, he had clearly promised that as long as she got into Columbia Law School’s JD programme, he would pay her tuition!
“But Dad, you promised before…”
“First, girls don’t need to study that much. Your undergraduate degree is already enough. Second, I don’t have that much money. For a JD in America, just the annual tuition is already huge. Columbia University is also in New York, and you know the cost of living in New York. Dad doesn’t have that kind of money. Lawyers don’t earn as much as you imagine either. Dad doesn’t have it easy. Even this late at night, I still have case materials to prepare.”
Qi Ruiming’s attitude was firm. After he finished speaking, he glanced somewhat angrily at Qi Xi’s mother, Xi Wen, who was standing to the side.
“You deal with your daughter! She’s a girl and still so ignorant!”
…
Qi Xi finally understood. In truth, from the very beginning, Qi Ruiming had never intended to pay for her to study in America. The reason he had agreed so readily back then was because he had thought there was no way Qi Xi would ever get accepted into Columbia’s JD programme.
But…
Although her father was not an especially successful lawyer, he was still a junior partner at a small firm. His income could support the tuition. She was also an only child, with no other underage siblings who needed money spent on them.
Qi Xi’s heart was filled with grievance and pain. After Qi Ruiming left, she began pouring out her hurt to her mother, Xi Wen.
“He just looks down on girls. If I were a son and got into Columbia’s JD programme, he’d sell everything he owned to send me there.”
Xi Wen’s voice was gentle and helpless.
“Xixi, don’t argue with your father. He’s under a lot of pressure at work too. Blame your mother for being useless. If I had a job too, your father wouldn’t be so tired, and there would be money to support your studies. But what your father said also makes sense. For a girl, living a stable and peaceful life is a blessing.”
Qi Xi slammed the door shut and threw herself onto her bed, no longer wanting to listen to these stale clichés from her parents.
Most top American law schools were private, with expensive tuition. For an international student like Qi Xi, being accepted was already something to be grateful for. How could she still hope for a scholarship? And unlike American students, she could not apply for student loans in the same way.
Her father’s attitude made Qi Xi give up completely.
Her dream of pursuing a JD was probably going to be shattered.
…
**
“So, you received such an amazing offer, but you really can’t go?”
Qi Xi had spent two weeks recovering at home before she finally managed to barely accept this painful reality and arranged to have a meal with Zhao Yiran.
Facing Zhao Yiran’s question, Qi Xi nodded listlessly.
“If you don’t have money, you don’t have a say.”
“Then what are you going to do? Go to the legal publications editorial department your dad arranged for you?”
“I’m not going.” Qi Xi looked unyielding. She was someone who refused to admit defeat. “I urgently sent out résumés, and now I’ve received an offer from Jinghe Law Firm. In any case, I refuse to let my dad get his way. He doesn’t think I’m suited to being a lawyer, so I insist on becoming one. I was able to receive an offer from Columbia University right after graduating from undergrad. If I work for another two years and make my résumé look even better, maybe I can apply to an even better school by then. If he won’t pay, I’ll save money and support myself.”
Zhao Yiran looked impressed.
“Qi Xi, do you know how infuriating you are? Either it’s an offer from Columbia University or an offer from Jinghe Law Firm. From your mouth, it sounds as casual as going out to buy a bunch of spring onions. As expected, top students really can do whatever they want.”
Jinghe Law Firm was a very good boutique firm in Rong City, and the competition was intense. Being hired by Jinghe was also good news. But Qi Xi suddenly could not help feeling anxious.
“Gu Yan won’t also be at Jinghe, right?”
“No, no, don’t worry.” Zhao Yiran lowered her voice. “According to the latest news I heard before, Gu Yan suddenly decided before graduation that he was going to America for further study and didn’t plan to work in China anymore. Before, you were also planning to go to America, and I was afraid it would stress you out, so I never told you.”
Qi Xi felt a little guilty.
“Is it because I slandered him so badly at the graduation ceremony, so he wants to leave this heart-breaking country?”
“No. I heard that before the graduation ceremony, he had already temporarily changed his mind and decided to go abroad.”
There was actually such good news?!
Qi Xi’s gloomy heart suddenly felt as if the clouds had parted and the sun had appeared.
“Heaven is helping me! Then with things like this, he’ll go to America and I’ll stay in China. From now on, we’ll each mind our own business, and we won’t have to see each other again for the rest of our lives!”
Although she felt somewhat envious and jealous that Gu Yan could go abroad for further study, Qi Xi quickly pulled herself together.
After all, she had committed a monstrous offence against Gu Yan. For this creditor of hers to cross the ocean and leave, there was nothing bad about it for her.
Holding on to this sense of relief, Qi Xi soon reported for work at Jinghe Law Firm.
**
“Because your job application came in quite late, although your résumé is excellent in every aspect, the teams under the other senior partners have already filled their spots. So we’ve assigned you to one of our female partners who was only recently promoted, Gu Xuehan.”
As HR led Qi Xi around the firm, they thoughtfully explained, “But Partner Gu is very young and driven. She’s the youngest person in the firm to be promoted to partner, and she has just formed her team. So if you work hard under her, you’ll become one of the core members of the team in the future. Partner Gu will meet and chat with you shortly.”
Qi Xi had looked up Gu Xuehan’s information online. She was also a top student who had graduated from Rong University’s law school. Her speed of promotion to partner could practically be described as unprecedented. She was beautiful and capable, clearly the image of a decisive, strong career woman. Although she had only just been promoted to partner, in her first year as partner, her revenue generation was already the highest in the entire firm. Several legal industry forums were very optimistic about her, believing that she might become the strongest rising star at Jinghe.
“I saw on many forums that people call Lawyer Gu the new-generation goddess of the legal world,” Qi Xi said with some longing. “Working under her, I’m sure I’ll learn a lot of new things.”
Perhaps because the atmosphere at Jinghe was overly serious, Qi Xi’s slightly flattering praise made the HR colleague pause for a moment. The other person looked at Qi Xi with a complicated expression.
“The people calling her a goddess definitely aren’t from Jinghe. But following her, you’ll definitely learn a lot. That much is true.”
“Go in.”
At the HR colleague’s words, Qi Xi straightened her appearance. Without time to think too deeply, she finally walked into Gu Xuehan’s office with nervous anticipation.
Then she received a powerful visual shock.
Gu Xuehan was even more beautiful than in the photo on the law firm’s official website. She wore a high-end suit, and looked calm yet elegant. Perhaps because Gu Xuehan was her senior from the same department, Qi Xi felt that there was something vaguely familiar in her features, giving her a natural sense of closeness.
No wonder people at Jinghe did not call Gu Xuehan a goddess. Qi Xi felt that the other woman’s looks and aura could not be fully described or reached by the mere word “goddess.”
When Gu Xuehan saw Qi Xi’s face, she also seemed a little surprised. She smiled.
“It seems my team should be the best-looking one in the whole firm. Qi Xi, welcome to Jinghe.”
Qi Xi unconsciously sat up straighter. Having entered the workplace straight from university, she was still somewhat nervous.
“Although I have quite a heavy workload, my goal for the team is to keep it small and elite. Previously, most of my projects were completed in cooperation with lawyers at the firm who didn’t have fixed supervising lawyers. This time, since I’m forming my own team, I want to personally mentor two newcomers, treating you as my own people. Aside from you, there’s also a male newcomer. He’s my younger brother. But you can rest assured that in terms of work and income distribution, I absolutely won’t show favouritism…”
So her future team colleague was the boss’s younger brother?
Then she really had to build a good relationship with him!
Qi Xi’s mind was already racing with thoughts on how to get closer to the other person when she heard Gu Xuehan continue—
“My younger brother should be your classmate. You both graduated from Rong University’s law school this year.”
A classmate was good. Her relationships with all the male students in her class had been fine, except for Zhang Jialiang and Gu Yan. But Zhang Jialiang had gone back to his hometown to work, and as for Gu Yan, he had gone abroad.
Gu Xuehan’s younger brother—was he her cousin or her biological younger brother? If his surname was also Gu, then was it Gu Cheng or Gu Yimin?
Qi Xi had decent relationships with both of them. At the very least, they were normal classmate relationships, and she had never made enemies of them.
Qi Xi’s heart settled. Working on the same team as an old classmate, she now felt confident that her future workplace life would be quite pleasant.
“For the next few days, you can get used to the environment first, finish your onboarding procedures, and then handle a small case as a warm-up. My younger brother has gone to the court to file a case. By the time he returns, it should be about time. I’ll treat you and him to a simple welcome meal.”
Gu Xuehan took a sip of water, then looked at Qi Xi, her posture still elegant.
“Regarding your warm-up case, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
Qi Xi immediately became serious.
“I wouldn’t dare say you’re asking me for advice. Please go ahead.”
“You don’t need to be nervous. It’s just a private matter.” Gu Xuehan smiled. “Since you and my younger brother went to the same university, do you know who slandered and defamed him at the graduation ceremony?”
“…”
Qi Xi froze.
Was it what she thought it meant…
She stared at Gu Xuehan, dazedly feeling that she might need to be sent for emergency treatment.
Gu Xuehan lowered her head and took a sip of water, not noticing Qi Xi’s stiffness. Her voice was chilly.
“As his older sister, and also as a lawyer, I must defend my own younger brother’s rights.”
At this point, Gu Xuehan glanced at Qi Xi again, her red lips parting lightly.
“I forgot to mention, my younger brother is Gu Yan. In other words, your future teammate. Are you familiar with him?”
“…”
Qi Xi was certain that she could now be declared beyond saving and dragged straight out for cremation.
Gu Yan?!
Wasn’t Gu Yan supposed to have gone abroad?!
Before Qi Xi had time to digest her emotions, she heard the elegant, aloof Gu Xuehan say calmly:
“Now, go investigate that girl’s name, ID number, and contact number.”
“This is the first task I’m assigning you—due diligence. I heard quite a few people recorded videos at the time, but by the time I wanted to watch them, they’d all been reported and deleted. You’ll be responsible for finding those video materials and preserving the evidence.”
Gu Xuehan’s personality was straightforward and decisive. She quickly finished giving the first task she had assigned.
“This will be your first case. Consider it a warm-up.”
“…”
Aside from forcing a smile, Qi Xi no longer knew what expression to make.
It was also at this moment that the office door was pushed open, and a face Qi Xi had thought she would never need to see again in this lifetime appeared at the doorway.
“The case has already been filed. Also, the client in the other small loan contract dispute said the meeting this afternoon needs to be rescheduled…”
“Gu Yan, you came at just the right time. Let me introduce you to the other member of the team. She’s also your classmate, Qi Xi.”
“…”
Qi Xi’s inner state could only be described as wanting to cry but having no tears.
At this moment, she really was…
Enemies were bound to meet; might as well take a stroll down the road to the underworld.
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