The Divorce Lawyer Is Very Hard To Flirt With - Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Missing Her

Cai Ya’s schedule was packed. After the court hearing, she didn’t join everyone for a meal and rushed straight to the airport, only chatting briefly with Ying Zhi’an on the phone: “See you at the seminar later.”

It was only then that Song Xidan realized Ying Zhi’an would be traveling next week.

The invitation was sent directly to Ying Zhi’an’s phone. It was for the semi-annual seminar of the Law Society, and Ying Zhi’an, as a relatively well-known lawyer in the field of marital law and wealth planning in China, was invited to attend in Hong Kong.

Ying Zhi’an had Song Xidan help book the flight while she revised her speech. This industry summit brought together famous lawyers, judges, trust experts, and psychologists, and she needed to deliver a keynote speech on “Complex Equity Division and Hidden Asset Tracing in Cross-Border Divorce.”

An hour before her departure, she was still in the office, quickly going over the final details of her speech with Luo Qingcheng, ensuring every argument regarding offshore asset disclosure orders and asset freezing was flawless.

Luo Qingcheng rubbed his sparse hair and concluded, “It’s good, very comprehensive. Take a break and head off.”

Song Xidan stood nearby, performing the final check of the documents needed for the trip. Her movements were swift, but her eyes occasionally darted towards Ying Zhi’an.

Ying Zhi’an was intensely focused on her laptop, emanating a sense of calm and authority honed from dealing with the most intimate and sharp human conflicts.

“Alright, that’s all for now,” Ying Zhi’an closed her laptop. “Actually, it would have been better if I could express the latest judgment concerning family trust piercing directly in English, but my English is too poor, so I can only use a translated script.”

“I told you long ago to relearn English from elementary school when you had time, but then again, the domestic market is enough for you; no need to expand to foreign markets. Your schedule seems quite packed this time. Why don’t you bring Little Song? Having an assistant would make things easier for you.”

Upon hearing her name, Song Xidan looked eagerly at Ying Zhi’an. God knew how much she wanted to go with Ying Zhi’an.

While she felt anxious, the desire to be close to the person she liked was an uncontrollable instinct. Moreover, Ying Zhi’an had given her enough security, making her feel that as long as she got her career on track, love would follow.

Ying Zhi’an glanced at Song Xidan and gave a gentle smile. “Xidan needs to study for the exam, so I won’t take you with me this time.”

The first half of the sentence answered Luo Qingcheng, but the second half felt like an intimate explanation to Song Xidan.

Song Xidan was momentarily stunned, and the next second, her ears turned red, fortunately hidden by her hair.

Ying Zhi’an checked the time, took her brief-case, and checked its contents. “I’m leaving. Study hard.”

“Okay, Sister Zhi’an,” Song Xidan walked her to the law firm door. “How many days will you be gone this time?”

Song Xidan couldn’t help but ask softly, her tone carrying an undetected reluctance.

“Three days. I’ll be back as soon as the conference is over,” Ying Zhi’an put on her elegantly tailored light gray suit jacket, appearing very gentle. Perhaps she didn’t even realize that when she was with Song Xidan, she was like a sword master who had put away her sharp blade, reverting to warmth and amiability.

“Then… Sister Zhi’an, have a safe trip.”

The elevator door slowly opened. Ying Zhi’an stepped inside and waved at Song Xidan. Just as the door was about to close, she suddenly spoke again, her voice passing through the narrowing gap, clear and concise: “For the bar exam review, don’t stay up too late.”

The door closed completely. Song Xidan stood rooted to the spot, feeling empty inside, yet a hint of sweetness arose from that final caring remark.

A smile involuntarily spread across her face, making it even sweeter.

Just then, Zhu Yun came up in the elevator after collecting a package. As the door opened, she saw Song Xidan’s expression. Zhu Yun frowned. “What are you doing? Standing by the door being lovesick?”

Song Xidan gave an awkward laugh. “Nothing. Sister Yun, do you want to study together this weekend?”

Zhu Yun nodded. “Sure, sure. I don’t have a date anyway. The exam is next weekend, so I should really hold Buddha’s feet now. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and all my random multiple-choice answers will be correct!”

The seminar schedule was indeed very tight.

After her plane landed, Ying Zhi’an found a restaurant to have a quick drink with Cai Ya, and after that, there were no more relaxed moments.

The conference agenda was packed, and compared to the previous training, Ying Zhi’an took notes very seriously this time.

When it was her turn to speak, she started with case studies, her logic rigorous, and her strategies clear, especially her insights into the practical operations of cross-border asset tracing, which garnered intense interest from many peers.

So, during the lunch break, she was surrounded by lawyers and family wealth management experts from different regions, entering a forced social dinner to exchange experiences and discuss cooperation.

Watching her being ushered away, Cai Ya socialized while pulling out her phone and sending Ying Zhi’an a message—You’re hot stuff!

Ying Zhi’an quickly replied—I feel like a man on pins and needles! (Implies feeling awkward or uncomfortable despite the attention.)

By the time the social dinner ended, it was already 1:00 PM.

Ying Zhi’an returned to her hotel room for a brief rest. She took off her high heels but didn’t completely relax, instead opening her computer to handle the details of several cases.

Fortunately, her efficiency was extremely high, and she finished quickly. Only then did she completely relax, leaning gently back against the chair. The short moment of quiet made her feel a touch of fatigue.

Outside the window was the bustling cityscape of Hong Kong, but her thoughts drifted back home.

She picked up her phone and subconsciously opened WeChat, finding the chat box with Song Xidan.

The conversation stopped at Song Xidan’s “Have a safe trip” and a little “cheering” emoji before her departure.

That emoji is so cute, a soft, sticky rice ball-like little person holding a sign and dancing.

Ying Zhi’an couldn’t help but smile when she saw the emoji.

Her finger unconsciously scrolled up, and she read every message Song Xidan had sent very carefully again.

She missed Song Xidan.

She missed her a lot.

This was the first time Ying Zhi’an realized what missing someone felt like.

Ying Zhi’an’s fingertip lingered on the screen for a moment.

She remembered Song Xidan studying hard at the bus stop, the lamp in the law firm office burning late into the night, the bright smile Song Xidan gave her, and also her painful native family and her youthful, unrestrained demeanor when they first met.

It turned out that missing someone was so primal and pure.

On a whim, she opened her phone map and searched. She discovered that a temple in Hong Kong known for its strong incense and efficacy in wishes for studies and career, the Man Mo Temple, was not too far from her hotel.

Ying Zhi’an planned out her schedule for the next day. The gala dinner was too close to the afternoon session, leaving almost no time, but she seemed to be able to squeeze in a small window before the last special session started tomorrow morning.

The next morning, before Cai Ya was awake, and while other fellow lawyers were still enjoying breakfast and discussing cases, Ying Zhi’an already appeared at the incense-filled temple.

Some devotees had arrived even earlier than her. She moved among the pious worshippers, her posture tall, her pace fast, forming a subtle contrast with the surrounding tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.

She followed the procedure, offered incense, and silently made a wish in her heart.

Then, she walked to the place where amulets were available, her eyes scanning the various functional pouches, precisely locating the “Academic Progress” category.

She carefully selected two exquisite pouches embroidered with the characters “Success in Examinations” and “Bright Future,” and without hesitation, paid a generous amount of donation money before carefully placing the academic charms into her handbag.

Having completed all this, she checked the time, not daring to delay any longer, turned, and quickly left the temple, heading to the summit venue.

When she appeared at the final seminar session, she had already changed into an elegant professional suit, her makeup was meticulous, and her expression was calm and focused, transforming back into the highly educated elite lawyer she was.

No one knew that the hustle and sincerity squeezed out of her busy schedule lay quietly in her handbag.

Meanwhile, Song Xidan, who was being missed by Ying Zhi’an, was immersed in busy and tense exam preparation.

Outside of work at the law firm, all of Song Xidan’s fragmented time was used to devour the thick bar exam textbooks and past paper collections.

Zhu Yun, typically the type to cram at the last minute, also joined the study group.

Unlike Song Xidan’s systematic review, pre-exam anxiety drove Zhu Yun to clutch a pile of brand-new materials and colorful highlighters, desperately trying to create a miracle at the final moment.

This evening, only the two of them were in the law firm. Zhu Yun was tearing her hair out over a past paper question, muttering, “I remember I must have taken the exam that year, right? Why do I have absolutely no memory of this question?! Do I really not have a talent for law?! Should I really change careers?!”

Song Xidan was completely unaffected by Zhu Yun’s grumbling, immersed in her world of criminal law, the tip of her pen scratching softly across the paper.

The door was gently pushed open.

Both looked up subconsciously and were stunned.

Ying Zhi’an, dust-covered from just getting off the plane, stood at the door, holding two seemingly exquisite amulets. The pouches were light blue silk.

Ying Zhi’an clearly hadn’t expected Zhu Yun to be there, and a fleeting hint of embarrassment crossed her face. But she quickly regained her composure, her tone normal: “Still studying? It’s rare to see Zhu Yun so diligent.”

Zhu Yun was a scatterbrain and paid no attention to details, asking naively: “Did you just get off the plane? Aren’t you going home? Are you coming back to work? You’re such a workaholic!”

Ying Zhi’an walked over, her gaze primarily focused on Song Xidan. She placed one of the academic amulets next to Song Xidan’s open book, her voice lowered slightly: “I went to a place that’s supposedly very effective during the conference the other day. I got one for you… and Zhu Yun. Just for peace of mind.”

With that simple, understated sentence, no one would know the great lengths she had gone to.

Song Xidan looked at the suddenly appearing amulet. Her heart gave a sudden leap, and her cheeks instantly flushed. She whispered, “Thank you, Sister Zhi’an.”

Mainly, she hadn’t expected Ying Zhi’an to do something like this; it completely contradicted her usual image of prioritizing rationality.

Zhu Yun’s eyes widened instantly. “You used to look down on these things the most! When I wanted to go, you said it was just psychological comfort! Besides, you went for a conference, not a trip. And you remembered to get this? Thank you!”

Song Xidan’s heart was filled even more with a bittersweet flutter due to Zhu Yun’s words.

She looked at Ying Zhi’an, smiling like a satisfied puppy, “Sister Zhi’an! That’s so much trouble for you.”

Ying Zhi’an only found Song Xidan’s upturned face adorable. She couldn’t help but pat Song Xidan’s head. “It was on the way. No trouble.”

Even the carefree Zhu Yun now felt that something was amiss. Her gaze flicked back and forth between Ying Zhi’an and Song Xidan, filled with incredible, gossipy curiosity.

What is going on?! She distinctly remembered Song Xidan being frustrated just recently, saying she had “broken up” with Ying Zhi’an and needed to maintain distance.

What about “repeated knocking is rude” and “the door won’t open?” What happened? Did the two of you eat the door?

Zhu Yun smiled mischievously. “Lawyer Ying, you are too kind! Thinking of us poor little exam-takers! Why weren’t you ever this nice to me before? Are you thinking of us, or are you thinking of someone in particular?”

Ying Zhi’an coughed unnaturally. “You two continue. I won’t disturb you.”

With that, she turned and almost hurried out of the law firm, looking somewhat like she was fleeing!

As soon as the door closed, Zhu Yun immediately bounced over to Song Xidan, lowering her voice and excitedly asking: “Hey! What’s the deal?! Didn’t you say you broke it off? Didn’t you say you were keeping your distance? And now she’s delivering a token of affection?!”

She shook the amulet in her hand.

Song Xidan’s face was even redder. “What token of affection! It’s just encouragement! Don’t talk nonsense!”

“I’m talking nonsense?” Zhu Yun dramatically pointed at Song Xidan’s amulet. “I firmly believe yours is prettier! And yours is ‘Success in Examinations,’ which is so fitting. Mine, ‘Bright Future,’ probably means I’ll fail the bar exam and change careers, and my future will be good! And—and! The way Zhi’an looked at you just now, it was almost smoldering! Come on, spill it! What happened? Are you together? Did your wish come true?”

Song Xidan was overwhelmed by the questions and didn’t want to disclose Ying Zhi’an’s talk about “self-growth,” as that was too intimate. She could only vaguely say: “Don’t overthink it. I’m thinking that after I take the exam, after I pass both the objective and subjective tests, when I… am truly qualified to stand before her, I will tell her my feelings again.”

Song Xidan’s voice was soft but carried an unprecedented determination.

Zhu Yun gasped upon hearing this, covering Song Xidan’s mouth in horror: “Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! Song Xidan, you better quickly ‘ptooey’ that out! How dare you make such a prediction with the bar exam looming?! Do you know how many times I’ve failed?! This thing is cursed! You absolutely cannot say things like ‘If I pass, then this and that’! If you say it, you’re doomed!”

Song Xidan was amused by her reaction and pulled her hand away. “It’s not that exaggerated.”

“It is!” Zhu Yun said seriously. “You’re challenging the authority of the Bar Exam God! Hurry up and spit it out! Say ‘I’m just taking it casually, passing is up to fate’!”

Song Xidan laughed and shook her head, ignoring Zhu Yun’s “superstition,” but the resolve in her heart became even clearer.

Yes, she had to pass the bar exam, and then tell Ying Zhi’an very seriously that she really liked her, and could even say she loved her!