Chapter 23: Cheng Yao, your thoughts are heading in a dangerous direction

With Qian Heng’s attitude finally clear, Cheng Yao felt her heart settle. To express her apology, she went all out and cooked a massive seafood feast.

This time, she really spared no expense—fresh, plump mantis shrimp, giant ocean crabs, juicy clams… Buy, buy, buy! No hesitation! No holding back!

“You should drizzle some lemon juice on this—it’ll help remove the fishy taste.”

“Yes, yes, boss! Whatever you say! I’ll improve next time!”

Cheng Yao earnestly pulled out a notebook and quickly jotted it down. When dealing with the boss, enthusiasm was key!

“I prefer grilled squid.”

“Got it, got it! I’ll buy an oven right away! Order placed already!”

Words were meaningless—what mattered was letting the boss see immediate action!

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

“R esd’v zkjl sdksdp.”

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Xdl xwpv yzoyup cl alyeu vs alpszhl vbl cspp’p vaswczlp—ds xyvvla bso pxyzz, lhld kq kv’p fwpv y rklnl sq sdksd!

“Gb.” Ckyd Tldt tzydnle yv bkp qkdtlap yde qasodle. “Mblpl nayc nzyop yal ralvvu pbyar.”

Ekvbswv blpkvyvksd, Ubldt Zys tayccle vbl nayc. “Jspp, usw fwpv alzym! R’zz pblzz kv qsa usw. Tso nswze uswa bydep cl eskdt pwnb y xldkyz vypj? Mbyv oswze cl yd kdfwpvknl vs vbl dyvwayz saela!”

Mbl cspp xwpv lmrlakldnl 360-eltall, yzz-ldnsxryppkdt, vsr-vkla plahknl!

Fs qya, Ckyd Tldt byed’v xldvksdle ydu rwdkpbxldv qsa bla xkpvyjl. Ubldt Zys oyp ellrzu xshle yde elnkele vs zyu sd vbl qzyvvlau. “Rv’p kd vkxlp sq byaepbkr vbyv vawl qllzkdtp yal alhlyzle. Jspp, vbydj usw qsa clkdt xu pblzvla kd vbl pvsax ewakdt xu xspv blzrzlpp xsxldv. Ms ldnswaytl xl, usw eked’v pnsze xl cwv kdpvlye twkele xl, vlynbkdt xl hyzwyczl zlppsdp. Zsw yal zkjl y xsdwxldvyz clynsd kd xu zkql, kzzwxkdyvkdt vbl ryvb qsaoyae—”

“Zsw nsrkle vbyv qasx y Usxxwdkpv Vyavu xlxclapbkr yrrzknyvksd, eked’v usw?”

Cheng Yao immediately shook her head. “No way! How could I?! These are my heartfelt words!”

“Alright, then send me a Word document with all your heartfelt words.”

“No problem! I can write 10,000 words!”

Qian Heng leaned back, looking at her with amusement. “Then write 10,000 words.”

Bless the internet! Cheng Yao thought. Tonight, I’ll just throw something together—Ctrl C, Ctrl V!

Just as she was about to nod enthusiastically, Qian Heng added, “I’ll run a plagiarism check. If the similarity rate is over 10%, you’ll rewrite it.”

!!!

“But, Boss… even A University’s law school thesis defense allows a 15% plagiarism rate…”

“Aren’t these all your original, heartfelt words? If they’re completely genuine, what are you afraid of?”

“…”

By now, Qian Heng had finished eating. He wiped his mouth elegantly and glanced at Cheng Yao. “Cheng Yao, don’t think feeding me seafood means you’re off the hook. The mistakes you made at work—your punishment will not be spared.”

“…”

He smiled faintly. “No rush. I’ll deal with Bai Xingmeng first—then I’ll deal with you.”

***

That night, with Qian Heng around, Cheng Yao felt more at ease than ever. She trusted him—if he said there was no problem, then there really was no problem.

But her optimism didn’t last long.

After taking Megatron out for a walk, she returned to find a new notification on Weibo.

“Xu Jun’s family accepts media interview, confirms that Xu Jun never had the chance to communicate with Bai Xingmeng in person—all negotiations were blocked by a lawyer with the surname Cheng.”

Cheng Yao’s heart skipped a beat as she quickly clicked on the interview video.

“I’m Xu Jun’s older brother. Our family was shocked and devastated by my brother’s sudden death. If he had been able to communicate properly with Bai Xingmeng, if he had known that reconciliation was still possible, he wouldn’t have felt so hopeless. Maybe… maybe my brother’s tragedy wouldn’t have happened at all. I just want to ask this Lawyer Cheng—does your conscience not hurt? For what personal gain did you stop my brother from talking to his ex-wife?”

Cheng Yao could no longer hear the rest of his words. Her hands and feet felt ice-cold, and a numb tingling spread over her scalp.

The situation had spiraled completely out of her control, and she had no evidence to prove her innocence.

Xu Jun’s family’s interview and public accusations pushed the already high-profile suicide case to an explosive peak.

The fire spread quickly. Soon, someone managed to connect “Lawyer Cheng” from Junheng Law Firm to her real identity, and her name—along with her phone number—was doxxed online.

Fifteen minutes later, her phone began vibrating like crazy.

A flood of harassing messages and calls poured in.

Just one glance at the screen flashing with new notifications made it impossible for her to remain calm.

The insults were brutal—curses were the least of it. Some messages contained words so vile that they were beyond comprehension.

She thought she would cry. But when the moment came, she couldn’t. Her mind was blank, filled only with shame and humiliation—so overwhelming that tears refused to fall.

She didn’t even remember when Qian Heng entered her room. That part of her memory felt like something she wanted to erase. She was lost in a daze.

“Cheng Yao, stop looking at your phone.”

Just then, her phone rang again—another call, followed by another, an endless barrage.

Without hesitation, Qian Heng reached over and snatched her phone away. He rejected the call, turned off the device, and pocketed it in one smooth motion.

Megatron, excited by the new arrival, wagged its tongue and tried to pounce on Qian Heng.

His entire body visibly stiffened.

It was only then that Cheng Yao remembered—he was afraid of dogs.

Yet despite that, he had still come into her room and taken her phone away.

“Megatron,” Cheng Yao called softly, pulling the dog closer to her.

Qian Heng finally relaxed a little.

He stood there, towering over her, looking down at her hollow expression.

He didn’t offer any words of comfort.

Instead, his voice remained flat, emotionless.

“Want to go get a drink?”

Cheng Yao had no idea why she nodded to Qian Heng. Before she even realized it, she was already at “Comet” with him.

Comet was an exclusive, high-end lounge bar—quiet, elegant, and tastefully designed with a minimalist yet refined decor. Soft piano music drifted through the space.

“A Long Island Iced Tea! I’m not leaving until I’m drunk!”

Tonight, all Cheng Yao wanted was to drown herself in alcohol, to numb the humiliation and helplessness she felt.

“A non-alcoholic cocktail for her,” Qian Heng ordered.

Cheng Yao was about to protest, but one sharp glance from him shut her up.

“Cheng Yao, your alcohol tolerance is terrible, and your behavior when drunk is even worse.”

She lowered her head, feeling miserable. “But today is different.”

“Alcohol won’t solve anything—it’ll only make things worse,” Qian Heng scoffed. “Think about what happened last time you got drunk. Do I need to remind you of the compensation list I gave you?”

“Then why bring me to a bar? Might as well have stayed home.”

“There’s a dog at home. There isn’t one here.”

“…”

Even in her current miserable state, Cheng Yao almost laughed. This was so typical of Qian Heng. She had actually thought he was trying to take her out for a change of scenery, to help her feel better.

Despite forbidding her from drinking, Qian Heng ordered himself a mojito.

As Cheng Yao stared absentmindedly at his drink, he spoke again.

“Cheng Yao, I didn’t bring you here to drown your sorrows. I need you to listen to what I’m about to say—with a clear mind.”

She looked up and unexpectedly met his gaze.

The bar’s dim lighting cast a warm, golden glow, stretching his silhouette across the space. At that moment, Cheng Yao suddenly noticed something—several women nearby were discreetly watching Qian Heng.

No matter where he went, he was always the center of attention.

His looks were sharp and striking, the kind of handsomeness that carried an edge. Some people were good-looking in a gentle, approachable way, but Qian Heng’s features had an aggressive, almost intimidating charm. Paired with his commanding aura, he exuded a presence that was impossible to ignore.

The city’s neon lights reflected in his eyes, making them look like miniature versions of the dazzling skyline outside.

Qian Heng really did have a mesmerizing pair of eyes.

Especially when he looked at you seriously—at that moment, his eyes contained only your reflection, creating an illusion of deep affection.

“Lawyer Qian, Cheng Yao.”

Just as Cheng Yao was slightly lost in thought, a male voice interrupted her.

She looked up and saw Gu Beiqing walking toward them, his figure illuminated by the bar’s lights.

She instinctively turned to Qian Heng. “What a coincidence?”

Qian Heng let out a scoff. “Haven’t you heard? There’s no such thing as coincidence—only carefully planned encounters.”

“Then…”

“I invited Gu Beiqing here.”

Cheng Yao was stunned. Didn’t Qian Heng dislike Gu Beiqing? Why would he actively ask him out for drinks?

Gu Beiqing, for his part, wasn’t particularly fond of Qian Heng either. When they both sat down at the bar, the atmosphere remained distant and polite at best.

“I came tonight because Lawyer Qian said he wanted to talk about Cheng Yao’s situation with me.”

Qian Heng wasn’t fazed by Gu Beiqing’s bluntness. He simply smiled slightly and replied, “Do you really think I’d want to see you if it weren’t for Cheng Yao?”

“…”

The situation felt oddly… delicate. Cheng Yao was momentarily confused—it almost looked like some kind of dramatic love-hate relationship between two bitter rivals.

Just as her imagination started to run wild, Qian Heng shot her a cold look.

“Cheng Yao, judging by your expression right now, I’d say your thoughts are heading in a dangerous direction.”

“…”

“As opposing lawyers in Bai Xingmeng’s post-divorce asset redistribution case, I invited you here today,” Qian Heng turned to Gu Beiqing, “to ask you to share what you, as Xu Jun’s attorney, know about their marriage.”

Qian Heng’s tone was firm but composed. “I’m not asking you to disclose confidential case details—I have no interest in that. I just want you to analyze their marriage from your own professional perspective.”

Gu Beiqing seemed taken aback by the request. But under Qian Heng’s unrelenting gaze, he hesitated and ultimately didn’t refuse. When he brought up Xu Jun, a trace of regret crossed his face.

“I didn’t expect him… not to make it through.”

He took a sip of his martini. “Xu Jun had been suffering from severe depression for a long time. Medication kept it somewhat stable, but toward the end of the settlement negotiations, I could already see his emotions becoming unstable. I just never expected…”

Cheng Yao was shocked. “But Xu Jun always seemed so outgoing and talkative. He didn’t look like someone with depression at all.”

“I only learned this after meeting him,” Gu Beiqing sighed. “Not all depression looks the same. There’s something called ‘smiling depression’—on the surface, the person appears cheerful and sociable, but when they’re alone, the depressive tendencies become overwhelming. Xu Jun struggled with severe insomnia because of it, which made his condition worse in a vicious cycle.”

“I… I had no idea,” Cheng Yao murmured, feeling an ache in her heart. “I didn’t know he had depression at all.”

Gu Beiqing exhaled softly. “Cheng Yao, I know that with Xu Jun’s death, both public opinion and your own conscience are making you feel responsible, like you somehow pushed him toward this outcome. But that’s not the case. The responsibility lies with Bai Xingmeng.”

“Because Bai Xingmeng knew about Xu Jun’s severe depression all along.”