The Divorce Lawyer Is Very Hard To Flirt With - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Concession

As the hot dishes arrived, Ying Zhi’an felt her thoughts become a little more normal.

She recalled the rather harsh words she’d spoken during her mental confusion. Turning her fingers, she picked up a shrimp and placed it on Hu Fei’s plate. “This is the signature dish here. The ingredients are very fresh. You should try it.”

Hu Fei immediately raised that lively and vibrant smile, like a sunflower blossoming towards the sun. “That’s wonderful! I’ll certainly give it a good try!”

As the shrimp entered her mouth, she instantly praised it: “It really is delicious. Aren’t you eating? I’ve already put on gloves, let me peel some for you!”

“No, no, as long as you like it.” Ying Zhi’an quickly refused. “I’m on a vegetarian diet recently. I’ll just eat some vegetables.”

“Vegetarian? Why is that?”

“Uh…” Ying Zhi’an had simply used it as a casual excuse, but seeing Hu Fei’s sincere gaze, she bit the bullet and answered, “I ate too much meat and fish the past few days, and my stomach isn’t feeling well. I’ll stick to a vegetarian diet for a few days.”

“I see,” Hu Fei smiled and nodded, then began to show concern for Ying Zhi’an’s health again. “Are you feeling better now?”

Ying Zhi’an replied concisely, but she noticed in detail that Hu Fei did not eat another bite of shrimp.

This confusion lingered until the meal was nearly over, when Ying Zhi’an finally couldn’t help but ask, “Hu Fei, are you allergic to shrimp?”

Hu Fei was momentarily stunned. “How did you know?”

So it was true… Ying Zhi’an sighed. “Then why did you eat it?”

“But you peeled it for me.” When Hu Fei said this, her eyes sparkled with unrestrained affection.

At this moment, Ying Zhi’an suddenly realized that this was truly what love was like; even without speaking, affection would dance in the eyes.

And none of this was intentional on the part of the eyes’ owner.

The owner of those eyes hadn’t even realized it, still claiming to be calm, restrained, and proper…

Is this… love?

Ying Zhi’an felt somewhat lost. What was there about her that deserved Hu Fei’s affection?

Ying Zhi’an’s thoughts were too chaotic tonight, so much so that in her confusion, she almost blurted out, “Hu Fei, what do you like…”

What do you like about me… Fortunately, her reason returned, and the latter half of the sentence was swallowed back.

Her abrupt stop, however, left Hu Fei a little confused. “What are you saying? What do I like?”

Ying Zhi’an nodded. “Yes, do you like the food tonight?”

“It’s great! I love it!” Hu Fei still wore that dazzling smile, as if in that moment she had nothing more to be dissatisfied with. All happiness could be concretized into any word exchanged that evening. “The weather’s been hot lately, and my appetite hasn’t been great, but tonight it’s super good! Maybe it’s because I’m eating with you, Zhi’an! By the way, you posted a moment on your feed before. I just happened to drink coffee at a really good artisanal coffee shop a few days ago. When can I take you there?”

A moment on her feed? (A reference to WeChat Moments)

Ying Zhi’an didn’t remember posting about it. It wasn’t until she had dropped Hu Fei home and was sitting in her car that she scrolled through her Moments and found a photo she had taken of the view from a high-speed train window about two months ago while traveling for work. There was a cup of coffee in the corner of that photo.

She had only recently developed a coffee habit. Sometimes the high frequency of business trips and heavy workload forced her to rely on coffee for energy.

Yet, Hu Fei had noticed such a minute detail.

In Ying Zhi’an’s generally peaceful life, there was a person quietly paying attention and mindful of everything about her.

This high level of attention made Ying Zhi’an feel somewhat uneasy and overwhelmed.

The most important thing was that she seriously considered the possibility between her and Hu Fei and realized that she wasn’t opposed to being with a woman. She even thought having a female partner didn’t seem like a bad thing, but Hu Fei…

She didn’t have any special feelings for Hu Fei!

Ever since that sinister light was adjusted to the lowest setting, those moments of bizarre infatuation had stopped, and Ying Zhi’an’s state of being “possessed” was over.

Hu Fei, wearing the undeniable “100” above her head, was leading Ying Zhi’an into another world.

The adult world seems very resistant to uninvited love, and Ying Zhi’an was no exception.

Or rather, she just felt too much pressure. Facing such a weighty affection, did a person as reluctant to give as she really deserve it?

Ying Zhi’an pondered this question the entire time she drove.

She thought she might like women. She even thought about reaching out to stroke Hu Fei’s hair when the latter smiled at her with contentment, and she even felt that holding such a gentle, sweet girl in her arms would probably be one of the beautiful things in the world.

But… she was, after all, confronting her sexual orientation for the first time.

“So, do you feel anything when you look at me?” Zhang Zhang blinked her eyes.

Ying Zhi’an sat at Zhang Zhang’s home, looking at her all-too-familiar best friend, and calmly shook her head. “Your hair needs to be washed.”

Zhang Zhang pouted and habitually acted spoiled. “Oh, come on~ I’m discussing such an important matter with you. This concerns the rest of your life.”

“As if not liking women means I’d like men,” Ying Zhi’an scoffed.

“Speaking of which, if you really liked girls, we’ve known each other since childhood, and I was the prettiest girl in our class. Why wouldn’t you like me?”

“Can you not be so shallow? Even if I like women, it doesn’t mean I like every woman.”

“Well, there you go,” Zhang Zhang shrugged, stuffing another pillow behind her back to make her heavily pregnant body more comfortable. “That female friend you mentioned is probably not your type, so what’s the use if she likes you? You don’t like every woman you meet, right?”

At this point, Zhang Zhang sighed. “I was thinking that when you got married and had kids, we could arrange a baby match. Looks like there’s no hope for that. But don’t feel any psychological burden. Society is so diverse now; liking the same sex isn’t a big deal.”

Ying Zhi’an chuckled lightly. “What psychological burden could I have? Besides, I can have a child even if I’m single. Oh, what a mess, you’ve completely sidetracked me. You don’t look well. Go into your room and rest. I’ll clean up the kitchen and head out myself.”

Zhang Zhang’s belly was getting bigger, and she looked very tired. The usually energetic woman was also getting easily fatigued. Since they were close best friends, she didn’t stand on ceremony. “Okay, it’s just a few bowls from my meal in the kitchen anyway.”

Ying Zhi’an frowned. “Did Jiang Chao not come back to eat again?”

“He’s been working overtime recently to earn money for baby formula.”

Zhang Zhang yawned and went into the bedroom. After tidying the kitchen, Ying Zhi’an also gathered the trash to take it downstairs.

Just as she reached the entrance, she saw two people intertwined in the distance. Ying Zhi’an’s eyesight was excellent; she immediately recognized Jiang Chao. Her eyes instantly cooled.

“I’ve told you already, I’m just your representing lawyer. I have a family. My wife is about to give birth. Nothing can happen between us!”

“But you clearly like me. Otherwise, why would you help me so much? And I can feel it; you like me. You didn’t say it, but your eyes told me so.” The woman clinging to Jiang Chao looked pathetic, her red lips slightly parted, and her voice was soft, sweet, and cloying.

Ying Zhi’an heard this as she approached. She stepped forward and swung the trash bag onto their linked hands. The bag was kitchen waste, emitting a rotten smell. The woman shrieked and withdrew her hand.

“Zhi’an!” Jiang Chao was wearing a suit. He had the face of a Northern man, very masculine. To a stranger, he looked like a typical urban elite. But if his face hadn’t held that faint panic and slightly raised tone, Ying Zhi’an’s heart might have been calmer.

But Ying Zhi’an was a very keen person. Her professional nature magnified this trait to the fullest. She gave Jiang Chao an icy look, but her words were directed at the woman. “This man is married. I advise you to be sensible and maintain some decency. Otherwise…”

Ying Zhi’an looked like someone not to be messed with. When her face was cold, even her mentors, Cheng Qiyun and Wang Yu, didn’t dare to say much in front of her. Not to mention that when she spoke, her expression was grim. Under the streetlights, she looked like a… psychotic person ready to kill at any moment.

The woman didn’t dare to say another word and turned to leave.

“Zhi’an, I…”

In the next second, Ying Zhi’an’s gaze was truly murderous.

“Jiang Chao, have you been living too comfortably and are now seeking death?”

“No, she was clinging to me. She’s just an ordinary client.”

“Do you take me for a fool like Zhang Zhang?” Ying Zhi’an sneered. “The two of you were entangled at the entrance of your home. Did you reveal too much of your personal information, or did you eat dinner with her tonight? Besides, men and women are not of the same physical strength. If you truly had no ulterior motive, would you have let her hold onto you for so long?”

“I couldn’t just throw her off.”

“Why not? A light fall won’t even qualify as a minor injury. What are you afraid of? I think it’s because that woman is exactly your type, isn’t it? If you look closely, doesn’t she resemble Zhang Zhang a little?”

“I!…”

Ying Zhi’an’s barrage of sharp questions left Jiang Chao speechless.

“Hmph.”

Ying Zhi’an’s cold snort was carried far away by a sudden gust of wind.

The night deepened slightly, and dark clouds slowly rolled in, making the already dim corner of the street even gloomier.

The two were silent. Jiang Chao’s ability was not inferior to Ying Zhi’an’s. In fact, due to his gender advantage, his status in the industry was no lower than hers. As a senior lawyer with a certain social standing, his demeanor was usually more stable, so even when exposed by Ying Zhi’an at this moment, he did not appear flustered, choosing only to remain silent.

As lawyers, they both knew that silence was the most difficult evidence to refute.

But Ying Zhi’an’s gaze, like a sharp knife, flew towards Jiang Chao without hesitation.

Her presence was stronger, carrying a sense of oppression that suggested she would not stop until she achieved her goal.

Both knew that Ying Zhi’an was forcing a concession and a promise.