Chapter 1

Author’s Note:

This time, I'm writing a story about a lawyer and a psychiatrist, as well as a love story about two people who meet again after 12 years.

The protagonist of this story will be someone who lives their life in vibrant colors, and the supporting female characters are independent and live wonderful individuals. If you like it, let's discuss it together.

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In April, rain suddenly began to fall steadily from the sky.

It happened during the afternoon class, and so students were rushing around the campus with their textbooks and backpacks.

Zhen Yi stepped in a puddle and quickly ran to the big tree at the end of the alley, looking up at the tender green buds and the vast northern sky.

At the end of the alley stood a small building from the late Qing Dynasty in the Republic of China. The courtyard was filled with blooming white cherry blossoms, The flurry of falling petals made the building look serene and elegant, it seemed to be a hidden paradise, especially when contrasting it with the modern campus buildings that surrounded it.

The spring breeze rustled through the treetops, and raindrops trickled down between the leaves, before splashing onto Zhen Yi's neck, sending a shiver down her spine. She quickly dashed into the rain, rushing to the small building at the end of the alley.

The wooden door creaked open, revealing an interior adorned with old wooden furniture, giving off a warm and cozy atmosphere.

From the old-fashioned radio, a broadcaster read the news in a low voice: "One week after Tang Shang, the plaintiff in Lin Ziyi's case, committed suicide by cutting her wrist at home, the Beicheng District People's Court found that the evidence was insufficient and dismissed Tang Shang's lawsuit against Lin Ziyi and four others. Yesterday, the plaintiff stated that they would obey the judgment and would not appeal. The case involving the gang-rape of a model by a second-generation official has lasted for three months..."

Zhen Yi took off her scarf and coat, shaking off the petals and raindrops off her clothes. She noticed that the window was open, allowing rainwater to pour in, so she hurriedly hooked it with a latch to secure it shut.

Her grandfather lived in this old house alone. He was an old professor from the Philosophy Department of Imperial City University, who was always immersed in his research and paid no attention to trivial matters such as closing the windows. He even needed reminders for daily meals, making him a highly intelligent but absent-minded old child, in today's terms.

Zhen Yi had been busy for the past four months and hadn't had time to visit her grandfather. Her cousin, who had married into a wealthy family, had hired a nanny named Zhang to take care of him. Today, Mrs. Zhang asked for leave, so Zhen Yi came over instead.

The grandfather clock pointed to half past two, indicating that it was time for her grandfather to wake up from his nap.

Zhen Yi prepared to go upstairs but noticed a delicate box placed on the mahogany chair, sent from the United States. She suddenly remembered that her sister, who lived on Wall Street, had sent a gift to congratulate her on the conclusion of her first big case.

Indeed, It was a big case, so big in fact that many of her fellow lawyers will never encounter such a case in their lifetime.

Zhen Yi opened the box to find a diamond-studded backless skirt, fluffy white tulle, with a window-cut design on top. It was truly stunning. Her thoughtful sister had also prepared a handbag, accessories, and high heels to match. Each item was quite expensive.

The phone started ringing in the living room, since she held the skirt in her hand she took the phone, and pinned it to her ear by tilting her head to the side: "Hello?"

On the other end, there seemed to be a slight surprise, followed by a low and gentle voice saying, "Zhen Manor?"

The man's voice was very pleasant, deep and warm, and Zhen Yi felt that there was a string in her heart that was being plucked by his voice.

Zhen Manor? The address sounded too elegant and old-fashioned. But then she thought that her grandfather came from an intellectual family, with descendants scattered all over the world, so calling it "Zhen Manor" was not overly pretentious or sentimental.

As she stood there wondering, the man on the other end remained calm and composed, quietly waiting.

In the tranquility, only the sound of rain hitting the banana leaves outside could be heard.

Zhen Yi snapped back to attention, quickly put down the clothes, and held the phone securely. "This is the Zhen family. May I ask who's calling?"

"I have an appointment with Professor Zhen. Is he at home?"

"He is."

"Thank you." He expressed his gratitude gracefully and then hung up.

Her grandfather came downstairs, wearing a wrinkled cotton robe, with disheveled white hair, resembling a sloppy scholar from the late Qing Dynasty. Zhen Yi informed him that someone was visiting and began to tidy up his hair, but despite her earnest advice, she couldn't convince him to change his clothes. In the end, she just ironed his robe quickly.

Outside, the rain was still drizzling, and the FM radio was playing in a low tone: "...In the courtroom, during the unexpected cross-examination, the plaintiff's lawyer, Zhen Yi, skillfully refuted the testimonies of the defendants, leaving them defenseless. Legal experts analyzed that Lin Ziyi and the other four defendants would be sentenced to a minimum of ten years in prison. However, during the second trial, the defendants' lawyer presented compelling evidence showing that the plaintiff, Tang Shang, was a sex worker. Subsequently, Tang Shang, unable to bear the pressure, committed suicide by jumping off a building..."

"Snap!" Zhen Yi turned off the radio expressionlessly.

When the rain stopped, she reopened the wooden windows, supporting each pane with a wooden frame. After cleaning the house and making the windows spotless, she brewed some tea in the study to welcome guests. Only then did she take her clothes upstairs.

The clothes were tailor-made and elegant, so Zhen Yi was in a good mood and thanked her sister through MSN. 

She took off the short skirt when she suddenly heard her grandfather shouting downstairs:

" Water ! Water !"

Zhen Yi hurriedly rushed downstairs, that was when she realized that she had forgotten to turn off the iron. Smoke was billowing from the tablecloth, and sparks were flying everywhere. Her grandfather, who was usually slow in trivial matters, had taken a small teacup the size of his thumb and splashed tea on the table.

She grabbed the glass water tank on the coffee table and poured it on the table. Then she grabbed the coat hanging on the coat hook, and started frantically patting out the smoke and flames, to suppress the fire. She ran to the kitchen and brought a basin of water, finally she was able to extinguish the fire on the table.

"Don't worry, old man, everything is fine now!" She playfully reassured her grandfather.

 

It was at that moment that she heard someone closing the door behind her, very gently and slowly, as if they didn't want to attract attention. However, the old wooden door made a sound, betraying their action.

When she was running downstairs, her clothes were left in a disheveled state, but she still hadn't reached the point of being "indecent to the eyes".

This situation was incredibly embarrassing.

With a displeased expression, Zhen Yi went upstairs. After a while, she heard her grandfather shouting downstairs, "Yi'er, the guest is leaving."

Zhen Yi refused to go and see them off. She pouted her mouth and reluctantly shouted, "Goodbye!"

The other party didn't answer.

After the person left, she came out, and saw that the water stains on the floor had been cleaned. She was surprised because her grandfather didn't even know where the mop was. It seemed like it was the guest that had cleaned it, they were probably worried that the old man might accidentally step on it and slip.

The table was also wiped clean, and there was a coat in the trash can.

Zhen Yi had a sudden realization. Did she use the guest's windbreaker to put out a fire? She took it out and looked at it. It was a Zegna Haute Couture. She actually used the guest's windbreaker worth more than one hundred thousand to wipe things and put out the fire, and then poured water on it?

Zhen Yi wailed and carefully inspected the windbreaker. It was half wet and was covered in soot, it also had a few small holes burned into it. Holding the men's windbreaker in her arms, she rushed out the door as if she was flying.

A black Porsche was parked at the entrance of the alley, and someone was holding a black umbrella for the guest respectfully. The man, impeccably dressed in a suit, seemed to be bending down, about to get into the car.

"Please wait a moment!" She ran quickly, kicking and splashing in the puddles, causing mud and water to fly around.

He straightened up, slightly turned his head, but didn't look back at her.

Whether it was because of the car or because of her, passing students glanced in their direction.

She ran behind him and noticed that he was tall, with a well-tailored suit that had no wrinkles. The person holding the umbrella beside him gave Zhen Yi a cold look.

As the spring breeze blew, raindrops fell from the tree leaves, making a splattering sound on the umbrella surface. Zhen Yi stood outside the umbrella, suddenly shrank her neck, and spoke with a confident tone, "I accidentally used your windbreaker to put out a fire earlier. I don't know where to go to make amends."

"No need," he said indifferently, bowing to get into the car, but then he paused, "Professor Zhen's guidance is far more valuable than a piece of clothing."

Can grandpa still teach in his current mental state?

Zhen Yi wondered, but she was always carefree. Since he said it wasn't worth mentioning, she didn't dwell on it either. She turned around to leave but caught a glimpse of his handsome profile.

It seemed as if cherry blossom petals were falling not far away, leaving her in a daze.

"Yan Ge?" she hesitated slightly, holding his coat and taking a step forward. After seeing him clearly, she smiled generously and said, "Long time no see."

"Sorry, I don't remember you," he said, folding his body to get into the car.

She knew he was quick to forget people, but she didn't mind. She was still happy to see him in this unfamiliar place. "You forgot, I'm Zhen..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the person holding the umbrella closed the car door, and Zhen Yi could only catch a glimpse of his well-defined jaw, which was very fair in complexion.

Zhen Yi watched the car drive away and shrugged nonchalantly.

It had been eight years since they parted ways, and with his indifferent personality, he should have forgotten her a long time ago. If she were as shameless as she was in middle school, she would have made some quick remarks, smiling and teasing him by saying “I'm the girl who fell fell in love with you  early on”, and his ears would have turned red with embarrassment

But she wasn't as crazy as before, and he was still as indifferent to her as ever, not even bothering to say hello.

Back in the house, her grandfather was sitting at the dining table, eating walnut brownies.

Zhen Yi rushed to grab the plate, pretending to be astonished. "You old man, you’re being disobedient. At this age, can you still eat sweet things?"

Grandpa held the fork and looked very aggrieved. "It's made with xylitol."

"Huh?"

Sure enough, it was made with special xylitol. Who would be so thoughtful?

There were also several cans of nuts on the table: walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts... Each jar was labeled with a neatly written sticky note that said "3 pieces per day".

Zhen Yi, as the granddaughter, felt ashamed. She handed the plate back to her grandfather and asked, "Who was that person just now?" Her grandfather had retired a long time ago, so it couldn't be one of his teachers. Besides, he had been abroad in his early years.

Grandpa scratched his head. "Recommended by Professor Su."

Professor Su and her grandfather were colleagues in the field of medicine. Her grandfather was renowned in the field of philosophy, and even after retiring, he was often bothered by younger generations seeking advice.

Zhen Yi remembered that year in the south, in the shade of green trees, he said he was going abroad to study medicine. Looking at him now, did he end up studying philosophy? Thinking about it, it really matched his bland, very bland, very bland personality.

Their first meeting was 12 years ago; 8 years ago they separated; time flies ah.

Zhen Yi took a spoon and cut a small piece of brownie. It had a xylitol flavor and was extremely bland. It was such a waste to turn a delicious and sweet brownie into this tasteless thing, he really came up with a strange idea.

She poked at the dark cake and suddenly remembered those years of chasing him, watching "Wuthering Heights", how after 20 years, Catherine had turned into a ghost, and still wanted to find Heathcliff in the stormy night.

At that time, she thought she could relate to Catherine's deep love. But gradually she realized, how many men would love to the point of madness like Heathcliff?

She wasn't the foolish girl she was back then. She had grown up and understood what reality was and what it meant for a young woman to enjoy her youth, especially her youthful appearance.

Old memories flashed by, and Zhen Yi raised an eyebrow, her only regret was that she couldn't use her beautiful face for herself. As the president of the beauty association, she felt heartbroken!

She laughed at her own antics and playfully hit Grandpa's arm. "Old man, if you ever see a handsome young man, introduce him to your granddaughter. Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders!"

Grandpa ignored her and obediently ate his cake.

Zhen Yi pouted and glared at him.

These years, she had never chased a boy like that ever again.

She still remembered following him with her hands behind her back, and seriously saying, "Yan Ge, lend me something."

He looked at her calmly, his eyes asking: What?

"A kiss! Just one kiss." She grinned.

"..."

"Don't go, don't go... Don't worry, I'll give it back to you... Hey, don't run away!... Hey, do you think you can escape?"

Thinking of the old days, Zhen Yi pinched her own cheek and laughed, "I really have thick skin."

Translator’s Note:

Hello, this is my first translation ever and I'm really excited to share this story with you. I really like this author so please if you can support them ^ _ ^ . I translated this story using mtl, so if you read Chinese and I've made a mistake somewhere or the wording should be different please do not hesitate to get in contact with me. 

Finally thanks for reading.