The Divorce Lawyer Is Very Hard To Flirt With - Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Then Let Her Be the One to Confess!

In the reception room, Zhang Zhang sat elegantly, maintaining perfect posture, all for the sake of meeting Ying Zhi’an’s first love interest with decorum!

That’s Ying Zhi’an’s first love interest! It was truly intriguing.

Therefore, the moment Song Xidan walked in, Zhang Zhang’s eyes began a subtle assessment.

Hmm, she’s quite good-looking. She certainly looks younger than Zhi’an, but her complexion…

Zhang Zhang frowned slightly. This young lady’s face was as pale as paper, her eyes were vacant, and her steps seemed unsteady. This mental state was quite unsettling!

Could it be that the non-party-going Ying Zhi’an has fallen for someone who likes to party?

“Hello, Ms. Zhang. I am Song Xidan from Lawyer Ying’s team. Lawyer Ying is currently occupied, so I will first take down the basic details of your situation,” Song Xidan tried to keep her voice level.

Zhang Zhang nodded slightly, maintaining polite distance: “Hello, Lawyer Song.”

She deliberately used the title “Lawyer,” but Song Xidan clearly didn’t notice the scrutiny behind it.

The consultation began.

Zhang Zhang briefly described a fabricated dispute, not intending to seek genuine advice but feeling compelled to test Song Xidan’s professional competence given her state.

The issues involved in the improvised dispute were not complicated, mostly concerning the common definition of breach of contract liability.

However, Song Xidan’s performance made Zhang Zhang frown even deeper.

When Zhang Zhang asked about a standard clause in the contract, Song Xidan’s explanation was hesitant, even somewhat incoherent.

Having been Ying Zhi’an’s close friend for so many years and married to a lawyer for a long time, Zhang Zhang was not completely ignorant of the law. She clearly noticed Song Xidan’s issues and felt increasingly speechless.

She thought for a moment and deliberately threw out a slightly more complex practical question. Song Xidan still showed no brilliance, completely failing to answer the question, her eyes wandering, clearly indicating her mind was elsewhere.

Zhang Zhang’s brows furrowed further.

This is the person who shook Ying Zhi’an’s iron resolve? She looks like an ordinary, even slightly dull, little intern whose basic professional competence is currently offline?

And this state—listless, with no sign of youthful vigor.

“Lawyer Song?” Zhang Zhang couldn’t help but prompt her, a hint of displeasure entering her voice. “My question is, if I demand liquidated damages based on a 2% monthly interest rate according to the contract, and the judge doesn’t support it, even if the judge ultimately orders the other party to return the principal, will I still bear the litigation costs? Also, is pre-litigation asset preservation necessary in my situation? And are the preservation fees covered in this type of case?”

Song Xidan snapped out of her daze, a flash of panic crossing her face. She opened her mouth, trying to organize her thoughts, but her mind was blank. All the well-known knowledge points seemed to have vanished.

“This…” She stammered for a long time but couldn’t give a clear and accurate answer.

Zhang Zhang watched her distraught appearance, barely maintaining her professional demeanor. The doubt about Ying Zhi’an’s judgment rapidly ballooned into wordless frustration.

Her initial curiosity and anticipation completely evaporated, leaving only disappointment.

How could a person like this be worthy of standing next to her excellent, almost perfect best friend?

The consultation ended abruptly.

Song Xidan, her face pale, faintly said, “I’m sorry, Ms. Zhang, please wait for Lawyer Ying to return for a detailed discussion,” and practically fled the meeting room, leaving behind a flustered and helpless figure.

Zhang Zhang watched her retreating back and slowly sighed. She couldn’t help but take out her phone and send Ying Zhi’an a WeChat message: When did your taste become so bad? Zhi’an, are you sure you feel right about her? Is she really worthy of you?

Ying Zhi’an, who was currently communicating with her client, saw Zhang Zhang’s message and her brows instantly knitted together, her heart sinking.

Connecting this with the previous WeChat message where Zhang Zhang had inquired about her whereabouts, Ying Zhi’an immediately realized that Zhang Zhang must have come to the law firm.

But why would she have such a bad impression of Song Xidan?

Ying Zhi’an suddenly remembered that today was the day the Subjective Test results were released!

Could she have failed? This thought flashed through Ying Zhi’an’s mind.

She slowly stood up: “My apologies, let’s pause for a moment. I need to use the restroom.”

The client, who was already overwhelmed by the mass of information Ying Zhi’an had just discussed, immediately nodded.

Before leaving the conference room, Ying Zhi’an assigned the client a task as if giving homework: “The marital joint debt we just discussed does not include the bank loan you didn’t sign for. You need to seriously consider the debt related to that. I’ll continue discussing the division plan when I return.”

The client, who had just pulled out their phone to take a break, immediately nodded.

Ying Zhi’an left the conference room and headed towards the office area.

She immediately spotted Song Xidan sitting blankly at her desk. She was staring fixedly at her phone screen, her eyes red, but she was stubbornly biting her lip, refusing to let the tears fall.

Ying Zhi’an’s heart sank. She was about to walk over and comfort her.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yun burst out like a cannonball, “BAM!” The office door swung open, her face showing unbelievable euphoria. Waving her phone, her voice echoed throughout the entire office: “I passed! I passed! Oh my God! I barely scraped by! I’m certified now, ahhhhh! Little Song! How about you?!”

Her whoop of joy was particularly jarring in the office area.

Cheering as she went, she rushed over to Song Xidan’s desk, wanting to share her joy, but then she abruptly met Song Xidan’s empty eyes.

Zhu Yun’s smile instantly froze on her face. The atmosphere became awkward.

“Xidan… I…” Zhu Yun was flustered, wishing she could swallow her words.

Song Xidan, however, had already snapped back. She blinked quickly a few times, pursed her lips tightly, and then, a clear smile actually appeared on her face. “Congratulations, Sister Yun.”

Her voice was slightly hoarse but surprisingly steady. “That’s really wonderful.”

Zhu Yun was still at a loss: “Xidan, I… you…”

“It’s nothing,” Song Xidan shook her head, interrupting her. The smile remained on her face. “I failed. It’s my own fault for not studying well enough. Go share the good news with everyone else. Don’t worry about me. Oh, it’s time to clock out. I have something on tonight, so I’ll be leaving first.”

As she spoke, she slowly stood up and calmly began tidying her desk, putting pens back into the holder one by one and closing her scattered documents. Her movements were methodical, as if she were simply preparing to leave for the day.

Ying Zhi’an stood silently in the doorway, watching her.

No crying, no breakdown, not even a single complaint. This excessive calmness and restraint pained Ying Zhi’an more than hysterical sobbing would have.

She understood Song Xidan well. This young woman was fiercely suppressing all her disappointment and pain, using every ounce of strength to maintain her composure.

Just as Song Xidan finished tidying up, picked up her bag, and said a quiet, humble “I’m heading back now” to Zhu Yun before turning to leave, Ying Zhi’an walked over.

Ying Zhi’an did not say empty words like “Don’t be sad” or “You have a second chance at the Subjective Test.” Instead, as Song Xidan passed her, she reached out very naturally and gently placed her hand on Song Xidan’s back.

It wasn’t a hug.

It was just a touch carrying warmth.

“Be careful on your way,” Ying Zhi’an’s voice was very low, audible only to the two of them. “Send me a message when you get home.”

This simple gesture and ordinary advice, without any forced comforting, were like a subtle light, instantly penetrating the hard shell Song Xidan had painstakingly constructed.

Her nose suddenly stung, and the tears she had been desperately holding back threatened to spill over. She quickly lowered her head, mumbled a vague “Mhm,” and quickened her pace, leaving the law firm.

Zhu Yun watched Song Xidan’s retreating back, then looked at the solemn Ying Zhi’an, scratching her head in annoyance: “Zhi’an, I… how could this happen? I passed. I thought the Ministry of Justice just handed out passes this year and pulled me through, but how could Little Song, who studied so hard, fail? I did the wrong thing just now! I really didn’t expect it!”

Ying Zhi’an withdrew her gaze and looked at Zhu Yun, her voice calm: “It’s not your fault. Joy is hard to hide; it’s only human nature.”

She paused, then looked at the other colleagues who were lingering, sensing the gossip: “Stop standing around. Zhu Yun passing is great news and worth celebrating. It’s time to clock out, isn’t it? If you’re not going home, are you waiting for Zhu Yun to treat you?”

Zhu Yun knew Ying Zhi’an was trying to lighten the mood and immediately played along: “I’m not treating anyone! My tuition fees for all these years were already high enough! I’m outta here! I’m leaving!”

As soon as Zhu Yun left, the colleagues also dispersed one after another.

Ying Zhi’an didn’t wait around and immediately returned to the conference room.

Everything else had to wait until she finished with this client.

…

A little over an hour later, Ying Zhi’an sent off the emotionally charged client, her face still displaying that reassuring stability and professionalism. She appeared to have everything under control, which greatly calmed the client.

In reality, however, her straight spine subtly relaxed only after the client’s figure disappeared into the elevator.

Returning to the empty office, she walked straight to Song Xidan’s desk.

The girl’s workspace was tidy to an extreme. She stared at the darkened computer screen for a moment.

She knew how hard Song Xidan had worked—the lamps burning late into the night, the mistake book whose pages were dog-eared from frequent use, those eyes always filled with a thirst for knowledge and a hint of anxiety!

She knew this failure must have been a huge blow to her.

And that secret agreement about “confessing after passing”—was it like a carefully buried seed, whose sprout was killed by this sudden frost, becoming a regret that could not be fulfilled and would never be mentioned again?

No, Ying Zhi’an denied it in her heart.

It shouldn’t just be a regret.

She fully understood that she couldn’t just stand still and wait.

Wait for time to heal the wound? Wait for the girl to piece together her shattered courage again?

That was too passive, and unfair.

Their relationship, perhaps, should not start with one side’s nervous confession. It should have always been a mutual, pre-meditated confirmation.

“I’ve changed my mind, System.”

Ying Zhi’an said this in her mind, like a notification to the Love Cheating Device.

The Love Cheating Device replied: Are you going to actively approach her, User?

“Yes. I won’t wait for her to ‘get over it,’ nor will I wait for that elusive ‘right moment.’ I will actively approach her and tell her that life is short, nothing else matters, and that I’ve been ready all along. Whether you pass the exam or not, whether you are brilliant or dim at this moment, my confirmed feelings are right here.”

Ying Zhi’an recalled Zhang Zhang’s previous suggestion.

She went to a handmade silver jewelry studio.

The studio was filled with the distinct smell of metal and wax molds. Guided by the owner, she donned a leather apron and sat down at the workbench, looking like the most focused student.

Ying Zhi’an was mentally a bit exhausted, but she chose a piece of simple, pure silver with a soft texture, using a file to slowly grind away the sharp edges and sandpaper to repeatedly polish it until the ring showed a gentle, reserved luster.

Sweat dampened the stray hairs on her forehead, and her fingers ached slightly from prolonged exertion, but the more she worked, the less tired she felt. Every mark of grinding was telling the story of the feelings she couldn’t easily voice.

This feeling wasn’t bad at all!

Finally, when it came to engraving the inner band, she hesitated for a long time.

The studio owner suggested: “Many customers engrave the initials of their names.”

Using an extremely fine engraving tool, she carefully carved the initials of their two names, “X.D & Z.A,” and a simple, clean-lined design she created herself—it looked like the wings of two birds nestled together, yet also like a small, sturdy shield.

She wanted to protect that girl, and she wanted to fly side-by-side with her.

It took almost the entire evening. Ying Zhi’an looked at the pair of finished, shimmering silver rings in her palm. Although exhaustion was creeping up again, her cool, elegant features were now colored with an unprecedented tenderness and determination.

Then let her be the one to confess!