"Apologies, Yu Lü is currently speaking with a client. Please wait a moment."
Five steps from the door, Aunt Fang and Wen Tingxue were stopped.
Just then, Qin Yu Fan arrived with takeout. Upon seeing Wen Tingxue, he paused, then said to the girl:
"You go ahead and eat, I'll handle this."
"Okay."
The girl left.
Qin Yu Fan's eyes twinkled, and he walked up to Wen Tingxue with a smile, "Long time no see, child. Do you still remember big brother?"
"I remember," the young girl replied with a sweet smile, "Brother Yu Fan, you're also eating so late?"
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Qin Yu Fan chuckled, "Lawyers are busy, and meal times are irregular."
"Aunt Fang, if you don't mind, I can deliver the meal. Why don't you go rest over there?" Qin Yu Fan said to Aunt Fang.
Aunt Fang glanced at Wen Tingxue and said nothing.
Qin Yu Fan understood and explained, "I'll take her to see how handsome my master is."
Only then did Aunt Fang hand over the food and Wen Tingxue to him.
...
Yu Xiuxiu's office faced south, with excellent lighting, and a massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the entire commercial district.
The style, however, was somewhat stark, with simple black, white, and gray tones, appearing exceptionally rational.
As Qin Yu Fan pushed the door open, Yu Xiuxiu was explaining legal knowledge to her client.
Her unpretentious demeanor, sharp analysis, and casually quoted legal statutes all showcased her professionalism and eloquence.
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Her smoky-grey professional suit further solidified her identity as an industry elite.
In that moment, Wen Tingxue almost didn't recognize her mother.
So confident, generous, and radiant, she was truly awe-inspiring.
The reception area was some distance from the door, and Yu Xiuxiu was completely immersed in her work, not noticing her daughter's arrival.
She certainly didn't expect her daughter to visit the law firm at this moment.
Therefore, she was quite displeased with Qin Yu Fan's interruption, her exquisitely made-up brows furrowing slightly.
The atmosphere in the office tensed a bit.
Qin Yu Fan pretended not to notice and said with a smile, "I was just afraid you'd forget to eat again. Please continue."
Yu Xiuxiu frowned and was about to scold him when she noticed her daughter out of the corner of her eye.
After a brief pause, Yu Xiuxiu stood up and apologized, "Please wait for me for ten minutes. Today's consultation will be complimentary."
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The client smiled and waved his hand, "With our relationship, how can I take advantage of you? Go ahead, I'll consider it a ten-minute break."
Qin Yu Fan said, "Perhaps I can keep you company?"
They were all acquaintances, otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen this moment to come in.
The client smiled, "Alright, then Attorney Yu, spend more time with your daughter. She's a beautiful young lady, just like you."
Yu Xiuxiu smiled gently, nodded apologetically, and then led her daughter to the rest area.
"Why did you suddenly come over?" Yu Xiuxiu asked. "Are you tired?"
Wen Tingxue shook her head and then got straight to the point, "Mom, are you going to resign?"
Yu Xiuxiu was silent for a few seconds, then nodded, "I have that thought."
Perhaps she was about to give up on her dream, and even her makeup and clothing seemed to have lost their vibrancy.
Wen Tingxue looked down at her mother's pointed-toe high heels, paired with wide-leg pants, which were both capable and stylish.
She shouldn't have stayed at home.
She was a professional woman known as Attorney Yu, and she shouldn't spend her life bearing her husband's surname.
Wen Tingxue clearly recalled everything she had seen.
She resisted her mother's sacrifice from the bottom of her heart.
"Mom..."
After a long silence, Wen Tingxue suddenly took Yu Xiuxiu's hand and said earnestly and seriously:
"If you are leaving the career you love for my sake, then I don't accept it.
"I don't need you to sacrifice your passion to facilitate my growth, Mom. Even if I don't understand the workplace.
"I know that reaching this point was not easy for you. Brother Yu Fan admires you so much, and your clients trust you implicitly.
"Even your boss desperately wants you to stay, and I do too.
"I want my mother to be happy, to be radiant, not like Mrs. Xie."
Although Wen Tingxue was young, she could discern certain things.
From the principal, to Wen Di, and then to the workplace, everyone addressed Yu Xiuxiu as Attorney Yu, not Mrs. Wen.
The difference was more than just three words.
Perhaps no one besides Yu Xiuxiu herself knew how much effort she had put in to gain everyone's recognition.
If, because of her, all of it were to vanish, she would feel guilty.
Yu Xiuxiu looked at her daughter in shock. She hadn't expected her daughter to say such things.
Having grown up in a small town and not exposed to much, she could easily see through the complexities of human relationships.
She had underestimated her daughter's abilities. Her daughter had just matured late, not that she was a delicate flower needing constant care.
Given time, she would surely grow into a towering tree.
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Yu Xiuxiu, with tears in her eyes, hugged her daughter. "Mom was being overly worried. How could my daughter, Yu Xiuxiu's daughter, be so weak."
In fact, thinking back, her daughter's ability to proactively complain was already a significant improvement.
Compared to when she first arrived in Jiangcheng, she had truly grown a lot.
Yu Xiuxiu felt she should give her daughter enough trust.
Trust her to soar on her own.
-
The moon hung high in the sky, dotted with stars.
The third floor of the Yu family residence was brightly lit.
Wen Tingxue finally finished her homework and stretched with a big yawn.
Her slender waist was revealed slightly, making her look alluring.
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Yu Wen Li happened to be sitting diagonally behind her, and he could see her with a single glance. His thoughts immediately became unsettled.
He simply stopped working and took a red pen to approach her.
"Finished?"
His well-defined fingers took the paper.
Wen Tingxue immediately became demure, "Should be all correct today."
Yu Wen Li bent over and stood by the desk. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow, "So confident?"
The young girl smiled and tilted her chin up, with an expression that seemed to say, "What do you think?"
Yu Wen Li flicked her nose with his finger. "If it's all correct, I'll treat you to candy."
Then—
The young girl looked at the mountain of candy piled in front of her, dumbfounded.
Soft, hard, milk, fruit, and even brittle candy – it was practically a candy gift package.
Yu Wen Li put her perfectly corrected homework into her bag and casually instructed:
"I have something to do tonight, I'll be back around eleven. Do these exercises first. If you have any questions, I'll help you when I get back."
He took a set of exercises from the drawer.
Wen Tingxue flipped through it briefly; it was more difficult than what she had done today.
"Oh."
The young girl nodded, instinctively wanting to ask where he was going, but swallowed the words.
Everyone has their own private space.
He probably just had something to do.
But for some reason, Wen Tingxue's mind drifted back to that phone call.
At eleven o'clock that night, Yu Wen Li returned on time, carrying the cool night air and a faint scent of alcohol.
Wen Tingxue sniffed and asked curiously, "Brother Yu, have you been drinking?"
Yu Wen Li nodded, "A little."
He then took her completed exercises and, after a moment, fell silent.
Wen Tingxue felt uneasy, "Did... did I get a lot wrong?"
Yu Wen Li tilted his head, his gaze falling from the edge of the exercises, and reassured her, "It's normal. You'll get better with more practice. However..."
The young girl's heart skipped a beat as he said, "Don't worry too much about next week's weekly exam."
Perhaps because he had prepared her, Wen Tingxue wasn't too upset when she actually received her weekly exam results.
She was just a little unhappy, especially when Yu Yahe scored second in the class and made sarcastic remarks. Annoying.
Since Monday's public reading of the self-criticism and apology, Wen Di had rearranged their seats.
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But even so, it couldn't stop Yu Yahe's passive-aggressive comments.
Xie Jin Yi, afraid of upsetting her, pulled her to the supermarket to buy some snacks.
Coincidentally, they saw Yu Wen Li, Chi Ze Rui He, and a group of others smoking at the supermarket entrance.
The moment their eyes met, Yu Wen Li extinguished the cigarette in his hand and walked up to her.
His fingertips, carrying a faint scent of tobacco, gently squeezed her cheek.
"What's wrong? Your little face is all wrinkled."