The Divorce Lawyer Is Very Hard To Flirt With - Chapter 91

Chapter 91: Non-Verbal Intimate Contact (Second Update)

The dinner was held at a private dining restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere.

However, the atmosphere in the private room was subtle.

Zhu Yun and Luo Qingcheng arrived almost one after the other, but deliberately maintained a distance.

Luo Qingcheng, being an old hand, was used to putting on airs. So, as soon as he sat down, he began commenting on the restaurant’s decor, appearing no different from his usual self.

However, the fact that he consistently avoided eye contact with Zhu Yun revealed his discomfort, making him seem a little constrained.

Zhu Yun, who was terrible at lying, was restless, her eyes darting around, desperately drinking water.

Song Xidan, sitting beside her, was flustered helping to pour the water.

Ying Zhi’an, on the other hand, was calm, acting as if nothing was amiss, and began ordering. Most of the dishes she ordered were Song Xidan and Zhu Yun’s favorites.

The four of them engaged in a peaceful chat, with the bar exam as the main topic.

It wasn’t until everyone had taken a few bites of the hot food that Ying Zhi’an slowly put down her teacup, her gaze turning to Luo Qingcheng, her tone relaxed as if making small talk: “Director Luo, going to the exam hall entrance personally to care for a subordinate today—that’s truly empathetic towards employees.”

What Ying Zhi’an said was technically correct, but her unhurried tone made it sound like she was saying, “Director Luo also personally comes here to defecate,” so to speak.

Luo Qingcheng’s chopsticks, mid-air, froze.

Zhu Yun choked on a sip of water, coughing until her face was crimson.

Luo Qingcheng, who had seen grander spectacles, maintained his poker face, continuing to pick up food, his tone flat: “I was passing by and saw that Zhu Yun seemed a little hypoglycemic, so I asked. Lawyer Ying must have mistaken something.”

“Oh, is that so?” Ying Zhi’an’s gaze shifted to Zhu Yun. “Zhu Yun, were you hypoglycemic? Are you feeling better now? Director Luo is really attentive.”

Zhu Yun’s scalp prickled. She could only laugh awkwardly: “Ah? Ah! Yes, yes, yes! A little dizzy, thanks to the director’s concern! I’m all better now, all better! Thank you, Director! Thank you, Zhi’an, for your concern! Eat, everyone, eat!”

Neither of them was willing to admit anything. It seemed their relationship wasn’t very deep, perhaps just beginning. Ying Zhi’an mused internally and stopped pressing, smiling knowingly, “That’s good. It must be fate.”

Luo Qingcheng chuckled: “Zhi’an also cares a lot about her subordinates, so why shouldn’t I?”

Ying Zhi’an and Luo Qingcheng had a good relationship, but they usually didn’t talk about personal matters. Hearing Luo Qingcheng’s comment, Ying Zhi’an lightly chuckled in response: “Then my intentions aren’t pure, and Comrade Luo’s intentions aren’t pure either?”

Song Xidan, who had been eating and watching the show, suddenly froze.

Sister Zhi’an… is this!

However, Luo Qingcheng clearly didn’t realize Ying Zhi’an’s sexual orientation and still thought she was teasing him. He simply replied: “We are all good colleagues. Saying such things makes us outsiders. Come, eat, eat!”

“Eat,” Ying Zhi’an, seizing the opportunity, also picked up the last piece of pork rib and placed it on Song Xidan’s plate. “It’s their specialty. I saw you ate one piece.”

Song Xidan was still dazed by the previous remark, only subconsciously nodding: “Thank you, Sister Zhi’an.”

After the meal, Luo Qingcheng, citing “it’s on the way,” practically dragged Zhu Yun, who wanted to talk more with Song Xidan, away quickly.

Ying Zhi’an drove Song Xidan home.

In the car, Song Xidan finally couldn’t restrain her curiosity and quietly asked: “Sister Zhi’an, Sister Yun and Director Luo…?”

Ying Zhi’an wore a knowing smile, her tone carrying a hint of ambiguous teasing: “Who knows? Maybe it’s still beyond collegiality and below love. Before, Luo Qingcheng and Zhu Yun were constantly at loggerheads, especially Zhu Yun, who couldn’t stand Luo Qingcheng’s way of doing things. I didn’t expect that ‘dislike’ and ‘like’ aren’t absolute opposites.”

Song Xidan nodded thoughtfully.

Ying Zhi’an glanced at Song Xidan’s curious look, finding it rather endearing, and added: “I think they look like one is willing to hit, and the other is willing to take it. We don’t need to worry about them. Let’s just wait and see what happens.”

The car slowly stopped downstairs at Song Xidan’s apartment complex.

The night was hazy. The car cabin was dimly lit, with only the faint glow from the dashboard illuminating Ying Zhi’an’s perfect profile.

Ying Zhi’an turned to look at Song Xidan, her gaze very focused, carrying an emotion Song Xidan couldn’t quite decipher, and slowly, gently leaned towards her.

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet and subtle.

Song Xidan’s heart rate abruptly went out of control, pounding against her chest. Her cheeks instantly flushed.

“Zh… Zhi’an…”

She murmured, full of affection, as if calling her lover.

Her body, usually extremely agile, was now seemingly nailed to the passenger seat, only watching Ying Zhi’an’s face getting closer and closer.

Sister Zhi’an’s skin is so fine, without even acne scars or visible pores. Her perky nose bridge, her light-colored lips…

“Sis?”

Song Xidan could almost feel the other person’s warm breath. Her mind went blank, and she subconsciously closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling nervously.

However, the expected touch did not fall.

Only a soft “click” sound was heard—the sound of the seatbelt buckle being released.

Song Xidan abruptly opened her eyes!

She met Ying Zhi’an’s eyes, which were very close and held a faint smile.

“We’re here,” Ying Zhi’an’s voice was friendly and gentle, carrying a hint of subtle teasing. “You must be tired from the exam today. Go up and rest early. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning, and we’ll go send off Yu Juanmei.”

She was just leaning over to help her unfasten her seatbelt!

Song Xidan’s face instantly turned so red it could bleed. She was so embarrassed she wanted to find a crack in the floor to crawl into.

She fumbled to grab her bag, stammering an incoherent farewell: “Oh… O-okay… okay! Thank you, Sister Zhi’an! Goodbye! Drive safe!”

She then quickly got out of the car and rushed into the stairwell without looking back.

It wasn’t until Song Xidan’s figure completely vanished at the stairwell entrance that the relaxed smile on Ying Zhi’an’s face slowly faded.

She didn’t drive away immediately but sat alone in the driver’s seat. Only her own heartbeat was noticeably clear and rapid.

Thump, thump, thump! Like a drumbeat!

Just now, when Song Xidan closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, like a lingering butterfly. The sight of the young woman waiting for something was so defenseless, filled with complete trust and a hint of innocent temptation!

Ying Zhi’an’s heart was stirred like a stone dropped into a lake, creating ripples. The undercurrent was far more turbulent than she had let on.

In that moment, she had indeed… felt a surge of impulse.

It wasn’t just Song Xidan who was immersed in that quiet ambiguity.

Ying Zhi’an had also completely lost her usual calm rhythm.

It was just that, like Luo Qingcheng, she was adept at “pretending.”

—Heart rate increased to 112 beats/min. Cortisol level slightly elevated. Dopamine and norepinephrine secretion significantly increased. The previous 7.3 seconds were the optimal window for non-verbal intimate contact. User chose the non-optimal solution.

The Love Cheat Device reappeared, interrupting the lingering emotional high.

A wave of irritation welled up in Ying Zhi’an.

She had been annoyed with this system for quite some time. If it hadn’t saved Zhang Zhang’s life, she truly wouldn’t want to interact with it at all.

—Shut up. She just finished her exam, her emotions are unstable. If she passed the objective test, the subjective test is next week. Establishing an ambiguous relationship during her busy and chaotic time is what you call the optimal solution?

—Appropriate physical contact is conducive to rapidly upgrading the intimacy level. The user’s chosen target’s expected value and cooperativeness are high. The user is retreating. Your retreat behavior does not comply with the efficiency principle and may lead the target to misjudge, assuming you lack interest, which increases the difficulty of subsequent conquest.

The system continued to output its logic unswervingly.

However, it no longer mentioned the destined person after the failure with Song Moqiu.

—System, if you were a person, you wouldn’t be one.

Ying Zhi’an cursed and didn’t bother to argue with its perspective.

She only said one last thing: —A living person is not a case to be conquered or a project to be optimized! Emotions are not a program; they don’t require your so-called ‘optimal solution’ and ‘efficiency’!

—Reminder to the user, this system is bound to you. The ultimate goal is to assist you in achieving a healthy and harmonious intimate relationship. Refusing help will prolong your ‘learning’ process.

—As you said last time, if I fall in love, you only temporarily go offline. So, I’m genuinely not in a hurry to say goodbye to you right now. I trust my own judgment and pace and no longer need your help. You may withdraw.

—Confirming command. System entering standby mode.

The electronic voice in her head disappeared.

Ying Zhi’an sighed, leaned back in the chair, and raised her hand to rub her brow.

Before leaving, she looked in the direction Song Xidan had gone. The sound-activated light in the stairwell had already gone out, but Song Xidan’s scent seemed to still linger at her nose.

It was indeed a moment of attraction; it was indeed too out of control.

She thought.

But this feeling of being out of control is so unfamiliar yet so addictive!

The next day, Ying Zhi’an’s car appeared in the same spot again. After picking up Song Xidan, the two went to the station to send Yu Juanmei home.

At the station, Yu Juanmei’s emotions were much more stable than before.

Although sadness was still etched on her brows, her eyes were no longer filled with dead despair.

Her fighting spirit hadn’t completely dissipated, as she was an inherently resilient woman.

Yu Juanmei repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Ying Zhi’an: “Lawyer Ying, thank you so much, thank you, Lawyer Cai… If you hadn’t taken my case and spoken up for my daughter, we might have… might have been completely silenced. I know that many people are reluctant to touch this kind of case! And Lawyer Cai didn’t even accept my money in the end. How can I ever feel right about that…”

Ying Zhi’an’s tone was rational and calm: “Ms. Yu, please don’t say that. This case received high social attention. Although the process was difficult, Lawyer Cai also significantly enhanced her professional reputation and influence through this case. This is intangible wealth for a lawyer, far more valuable than a legal fee. Moreover, every person’s voice should be heard! Your most important task now is to take care of your health and strive to live well.”

Yu Juanmei listened, quietly wiping the corner of her eye, and nodded.

Just then, Song Xidan carefully pulled a scrapbook from her backpack and handed it to Yu Juanmei.

“Auntie Yu,” Song Xidan’s voice was soft and sincere. “This is a scrapbook I made last night. It contains all the relatively objective news reports about this case that I could find, and some articles written by legal experts discussing mental control and non-physical violence. In the back, I also printed many, many messages from strangers online for you—all words of encouragement and support. I made it in a hurry, so it’s a bit rough, and it might not be very useful, but I hope that if you ever feel sad in the future, looking at this will remind you that many, many people heard your voice and care about you.”

Yu Juanmei was stunned for a moment, taking the heavy book. Her rough fingers trembled as she opened it.

It was filled with glued-on clippings, printed articles, with Song Xidan’s neat handwriting making annotations and summaries beside them. The last dozens of pages were densely covered with printed screenshots of netizens’ comments, the words filled with warm encouragement and blessings.

Her tears instantly gushed out, falling in large drops onto the pages.

She tightly held the scrapbook to her chest, as if holding an infinitely precious treasure, choking up and unable to speak, only nodding repeatedly at Song Xidan.

In the bustling station, the woman from the countryside carried a woven bag but held the scrapbook tightly in her hands. She boarded the long-distance bus back to her hometown, looking back at them every step of the way.

Just before the bus pulled out, Yu Juanmei yelled out, “Thank you both!”

It was like the first time she met Ying Zhi’an and Song Xidan, when she cried out, “He killed my daughter!”

Yu Juanmei was not a fiery woman; she was usually silent and unwilling to speak, only quietly weeping in court, and speaking softly and timidly in private.

For such a person, every cry was a heartfelt effort.

Fortunately, her cries were heard by Ying Zhi’an.

Watching Yu Juanmei’s figure disappear into the crowd, Ying Zhi’an was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Song Xidan, whose eyes were also slightly red. Her gaze was filled with appreciation, relief, and genuine affection.

“Xidan,” she said very seriously, “You will definitely become a very good lawyer in the future.”

Not only because of her hard work, but because she possessed a pure heart, one that truly understood suffering and was willing to use the most clumsy yet warmest way to comfort people.

This empathy and proactive spirit were beautiful qualities that legal statutes could not teach.

Song Xidan’s cheeks felt warm from the praise, but her heart felt as bright as if sunlight had shone into it.