Chapter 2

 Zhen Yi invited her college classmate Si Gui out to eat dessert together.

During their graduating year, the two of them had decided that they would enter the police force  together, but then Zhen Yi resigned after a few months of work to go back to graduate school. Meanwhile Si Gui, after a few years had achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a detective.

Si Gui grew up in the countryside of Northwest China. She embodied both the open and straightforward nature of the northern region and the simplicity and kindness of the countryside. She was a strong and independent woman. Even Zhen Yi, who claimed to be dominant, would occasionally call her "little devil" in a coquettish manner.

Calling her "little devil" became a nickname that everyone would involuntarily use. Si Gui knew that there was no way to change it, but today, she wanted to protest:

"Zhen, I want to change my name."

"Names are like dreams, the opposite of reality. You've lived safely for 24 years," Zhen Yi comforted casually. She ordered a mango sago dessert and a Xi Mi Lao1 . When she turned her head she saw Si Gui's squinting eyes and Zhen Yi immediately put on a sincere expression and said, "It's the opposite indeed. Look at me, my name is Zhen Yi 2, but in reality, I'm quite fake."

Si Gui's mouth twitched. "That's true."

After she finished ordering, Zhen Yi paid the bill in advance.

Si Gui was still focused on the topic of her name. "Zhen, I want to change my name. I'm constantly being called 'servant (si)' by a bunch of guys at the police station. I should be a beautiful flower in the police department."

"Tell them not to call you by your last name, but by your first name."

She frowned. "So you want those men to ambiguously call me kid (Gui) ? that changes the problem from a status issue to a style issue."

"How about choosing an English name?" Zhen Yi suggested, "Rose."

"Shredded Pork."

   Zhen Yi laughed out loud, and Si Cui knew she was being tricked so she kicked her hard under the table.

"My mom likes roses, so she named me Si Gui. She could have called me Si Mei." Si Gui sighed.

"You want those newly recruited boys in the police station to call you 'Sister Si'?" Zhen Yi smirked.

Si Gui's expression turned bleak, and she buried her forehead on the table. "Why is my name so unlucky? No matter what I'm called, it doesn't feel right! I was born to write a thesis on the importance of names."

Zhen Yi couldn't stop laughing.

Seeing her like this, Si Gui finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The case involving Tang Shang and Lin Zi Yi had been a burden on Zhen Yi for too long, especially after Tang Shang's suicide. Si Gui was afraid that she might be in a bad mood, so she decided to test the waters today and seeing that she was in good spirits she asked, "Are you doing okay emotionally lately?"

Zhen Yi understood naturally. "Hmm, still calm."

Si Gui encouraged her, "You're still amazing. You performed brilliantly in court, and this case made you famous. If it weren't for Tang Shang's sudden suicide, maybe the outcome would have been different."

Zhen Yi asked, "It was you guys who handled the case. Did she really commit suicide?"

"What are you suspicious of?"

"Nothing, just asking." She didn't think Tang Shang would go to such extremes. But what could she do with her limited understanding?

Si Gui asked, "There are rumors that you sold evidence and secured a private settlement fee of three million for the Song family?"

Zhen Yi raised an eyebrow. "Are you interrogating me, Miss Policewoman?"

Si Gui didn't pursue the question further. She couldn't comment on Zhen Yi's choices since she wasn't in her position.

She could probably guess what Zhen Yi had done in exchange for the settlement, which was probably what some officials in the system had hoped for. She didn't agree with it; she believed that punishing the wicked was necessary for society. However, she also knew how difficult this case had been due to the powerful backgrounds of the four defendants. She knew how Zhen Yi had endured over the past few months, sleeping only two hours a day, collecting evidence and finding witnesses, facing threats every day, supporting herself, and dealing with the emotionally unstable Tang Shang.

She definitely wanted to send those four people to prison more than anyone else, but in the end...

Meanwhile, Zhen Yi lowered her gaze, recalling the words of Tang Shang's younger sister, Tang Yu:

"What's the point of sending them to jail? Lawyer Zhen, can you sentence them to death? Can you let them die? No, right? Ten years? With their backgrounds, I doubt even three years would happen. Then the media will sensationalize our tragedy. What about our family's suffering ? What about my sister's death? Is it a joke, or maybe a farce? If that's the case, then let's consider my sister's death as a publicity stunt. Isn't that already what the netizens are saying? I would rather use the three million to compensate my parents. People are already dead, what's the point of having bullshit justice"

Also, don't tell me to bring them to justice in order to save others from harm, I'm not that noble. To be honest, I wish they gang-raped all the women in Imperial City. "

A lonesome smile escaped from Zhen Yi's lips.

When Si Cui saw her smile, she blamed herself for talking too much and changed the subject:. "Why didn't Yang Zi come?"

"She's catching up on sleep."

Yang Zi was Zhen Yi's high school classmate from her hometown. They came to the capital together for the college entrance examination and now worked at the same law firm.

With a mouthful of mango, Zhen Yi summarized a complex story of grievances and love, "Yang Zi is handling a divorce case. The husband had an affair and transferred assets, he’s claiming that just because his wife had no job she’s still not entitled to live off him. He thinks giving her tens of thousands as a breakup fee is already generous. They have a son, and the husband won't let him go, saying that the wife isn't capable of raising him. The wife doesn't want a divorce and cries every day, talking about how loving they were in the past. I heard it's been a fierce battle, and Yang Zi has become exhausted."

Si Gui chuckled and nodded sympathetically. "I've seen women in these situations, full of misery. Ah, it all gets dumped on Yang Zi. I guess she's heard enough and might lose hope in life."

Zhen Yi stared at her. "Yang Zi is the husband's lawyer."

"..." Si Gui rolled her eyes.

"All I'm saying is that a woman has to be independent and self-reliant, women who are dependent on men and lack agency are  destined for destruction. Look, even I can't afford a good lawyer if I wanted to file a lawsuit." Zhen Yi quickly finished her Yang Zhi Gan Lu and switched to Xi Mi Lao.

"You lawyers are black-hearted, but luckily I'm a police officer."

"You also ate my black-hearted money." Zhen Yi was quick and scooped a big spoonful of ice cream from Si Gui's bowl into her mouth.

This time, Si Gui didn't argue with her. "Last week, I handled a murder case where the female culprit was abandoned by a man. She confessed and started talking about their history together for four hours." she was still angry when talking about the part where he left her. "Listening to her venting all afternoon, I went insane."

"What's the point of talking about past events? Even if it's painful, the listener won't empathize. It's just a play for others. Are these women unaware that the phrase 'times have changed' is tailored specifically for men?"

Si Gui sensed something. "Hey, beauty, which young master hurt your heart?"

Zhen Yi sneered, "I've been hurting people's hearts all along, never been hurt."

Si Gui chuckled.

"Lawyer Zhen?" someone called her from behind. It was a tall and slender beauty wearing sunglasses, exuding elegance.

"Song Yi?"

Si Gui immediately looked up. Oh my! It's actress Song Yi?

Song Yi, like Tang Shang, started as a model. Tang Shang didn't have fame, but Song Yi did well due to her excellent acting skills and became a rising star on the screen. If it weren't for this upscale mall with no visitors, she would have been swarmed.

She and Tang Shang didn't get along, but in the Tang Shang case, she testified as Tang Shang's witness and was criticized for being a publicity stunt.

The famous actress Song Yi had a beautiful smile as she opened her handbag. "Lawyer Zhen, let me pay the bill."

"I've already paid."

"Then next time." Song Yi seemed eager to return the favor and said, "Lawyer Zhen, I've recommended you to many friends. If they encounter any trouble in the future, they'll think of you first."

Zhen Yi smiled back, not flattered and explained, "I don't handle civil and commercial cases. I specialize in criminal cases involving personal injury. If you or your friends ever get involved in murder, violence, rape, or similar matters, remember to find me."

"..."

Si Gui turned her head away, laughing so hard her shoulders shook.

"... Sure, next time... goodbye."

Zhen Yi didn't realize that she had just jinxed herself, nor did she expect her words to come true. That night, something happened.

Si Gui looked back at Song Yi. "Zhen, a big celebrity like that is so friendly to you. I'm curious, what kind of relationship do lawyers have with their clients?"

 "Dewy lovers." Zhen Yi thought for a moment.

"Short-term cases are like one-night stands; long-term ones are like men and mistresses, women and male dogs. Occasionally genuine, mostly pretense. It's all acting, each taking what they can get."

Si Gui was amused by her analogy, recalling it for a moment. "Wow, it's an accurate description."

"Zhen, who is your original spouse?"

"The law."

"Why?"

"Because we exploit the loopholes in the law."

"..."

Si Gui was used to her unconventional and provocative style, sneering, "You are a lawyer,yet wherever you go you always have an 'ex-boyfriend' who will pay for you with unresolved old love. How fortunate."

"Are you jealous of me?"

"Yes, I'm insanely jealous. Lawyer Zhen, Yang Zi said that you've never lost a case as a representative. Even this time, me and the online community believe that you still won."

"It's not that I'm skilled, it's just that I only take cases I can win." Zhen Yi admitted.

The head of the law firm, Bian Qian, was her grandfather's student, and he only assigned her cases that brought both fame and fortune, aiming to make her a "never tasted defeat" renowned lawyer. She was well aware of the favoritism and privileges she received along the way, and she felt no shame or guilt. Personal relationships are the same as intelligence and appearance; it's stupid not to utilize them.

Zhen Yi had  finished her two bowls, and there was still a large portion in Si Gui's bowl. She got up to find a restroom in the mall, pushed open the security door, passed the staircase, and walked along the empty corridor for nearly 50 meters before seeing a colorful stick figure at the end.

Zhen Yi grumbled internally, "The restroom is so secluded, it's really bird's shit3."

She glanced at the men's restroom and chuckled. Of course,the bird ...... Of course it can't shit ...... At this time, the door suddenly pulled open.

How could a pure young woman be staring and giggling at the men's restroom? She immediately tightened her expression, preparing to go to the restroom seriously.

But the person who came out of the men's restroom was someone she knew.

In just a few seconds, her expression went through countless changes.

1.Xi Mi Lao or taro sago is a classic Cantonese sweet soup dessert.

2. Zhen Yi means real intention or true meaning

3. (idiom); fig. god-forsaken; remote and desolate