Tang Yanqing couldn’t help but stop and squint his eyes.
On the other hand, Shi Nian, by the greenery, was unaware that Tang Yanqing was already nearby. She carefully observed the situation downstairs while talking to Huangfu Huazhang on her phone.
The previous scene during the court’s recess was quite awkward.
At that ti, she stood on the stairs, silently watching Huangfu Huazhang, surrounded by the dia.
She understood that with Huangfu Huazhang’s status, he could have easily called an aide to block the reporters for him. Xia Zuo, who always stayed by his side as both an assistant and a bodyguard, was quite intimidating. Plus, with his usual deanor, he could just stand there with a stern expression, and the dia would back off. However, he didn’t do any of that. Instead, after seeing her rush out of the courtroom first, he walked out slowly, with a kind look on his face—he used himself to attract the dia and acted as a human shield for her, allowing her to escape smoothly.
She felt a sense of gratitude towards him, so she watched him from afar, expertly using social skills to respond to the dia.
He didn’t say he liked it, nor did he say he didn’t. He just smiled and said, "What do you think?"
Such a response invited speculation, yet it was the smartest way to deal with the dia. And with his status and personality, the slightly professional dia wouldn’t dare to write recklessly, fearing legal trouble.
Just then, Tang Yanqing suddenly appeared silently like a ghost, standing on the stairs beside her. At the mont when Huangfu Huazhang looked up with a smile from the crowd towards her hiding place, Tang Yanqing, ghost-like, reached out to hold her shoulder...
At that mont, she was completely unprepared and could only stare blankly at Huangfu Huazhang’s eyes, while her shoulder was firmly grasped.
She had no ti to react, truly wishing she wasn’t present at the scene.
Huangfu Huazhang’s gaze lingered on her face and shoulder for a while, then turned away.
He no longer smiled at the dia afterward but put on a stern face. Although his tone remained polite, saying, "Sorry, I have more work and need to return to the company. We can chat another ti," his expression was cold, and he decisively pushed through the crowd’s encirclent, leaving somberly.
Even though the dia attempted to block his way, no one could hinder his steps further, and no one managed to get another word from him.
He left just as swiftly as he had arrived.
Shi Nian also felt a bit uncomfortable, so she turned to release Tang Yanqing’s arm and glared at him: "What are you doing? Isn’t there already enough dia here? Aren’t you afraid of being photographed?"
He awkwardly withdrew his hand, stuffed it into his pants pocket, raised his chin arrogantly: "Let them photograph . After all, I’m naturally good-looking and dare to face the dia caras even without makeup."
Shi Nian, initially feeling uncomfortable, was caught off guard by his words and couldn’t help but be amused.
It seed like a line from a star, who usually forbids photos without makeup, but he took it for himself.
She couldn’t help but glare at him: "Do you think you’re a star?"
He turned his head stubbornly to stare at her: "Then tell , which male star you like is more handso than ?"
Really, there’s no dealing with him... She was feeling awkward earlier, but now all those feelings had vanished. Yet she didn’t want him to be too proud, so she earnestly nodded: "It’s Er Shixiong, he’s a little more handso than you."
He was also sowhat taken aback, pretending to pinch her. Luckily, the court reconvened, and she bit her lip to hold back her laughter, blending into the crowd, entering the courtroom to escape his retaliation.
.
Back in the courtroom, she set her phone to silent mode.
The quietness of her phone contrasted sharply with the courtroom’s bustle, making her feel slightly guilty.
So, after the chief juror announced the verdict, amidst the rising cheer, she lowered her head to send Huangfu Huazhang a text, saying thank you.
Huangfu Huazhang responded imdiately, with a speed so astonishing it gave her the illusion he’d been waiting for her ssage; he even seed to have prepared his reply, just waiting for her to send sothing so he could hit the reply button instantly.
He sent two text ssages.
In the first ssage, he said: "Of course we would win. Congratulate An Cheng for ."
In the second, he said: "Between you and , ’thank you’ is always redundant. Nian, protecting you is what I ought to do."
She finished reading and was stunned.
Stunned amidst the courtroom’s jubilation.
Was she surprised? Astonished, yes, but honestly, not surprised.
Then she saw An Cheng and Jian get up and run towards her. She had no choice but to stand up and catch An Cheng.
She shared the first ssage’s content with An Cheng, but quietly kept the second ssage to herself.
Then she slipped away, weaving through to the second floor. After pondering over it, realizing she couldn’t pretend she hadn’t received those two ssages, she called to express her gratitude.
.
On the other end of the phone, Huangfu Huazhang chuckled, his laughter tinged with helplessness: "I’ve already said, between you and , ’thank you’ is a redundant phrase."
Shi Nian quietly took a breath: "No, Chairman, I insist."
Huangfu Huazhang could only quietly support his forehead: "...then, I’ll have to accept."
Shi Nian bit her lip: "But please don’t call ’Nian’."
"Oh?"
Huangfu Huazhang’s smile on his face slowly faded away, and he narrowed his eyes, "Why?"
Shi Nian held her breath, "Because ’Nian Nian’ is my nickna, only my Mom and Dad used to call that. And now... I’m sorry, I’m not used to being called that by strangers."
Huangfu Huazhang’s hand involuntarily clenched silently.
She wouldn’t allow him to call her that, but... Tang Yanqing clearly did.
But he could only hold it in and then try to laugh lightly in a calm manner, "But I’m not a stranger."
What he said made sense... considering the encounter back in those old houses, it’s been really over a decade of acquaintance by today.
"... But that kind of acquaintance back then doesn’t count as truly knowing each other, right? Chairman, I think ’knowing’ should be a mutual interaction process. But those photos, they are just your mories of from a one-sided perspective. From my point of view, you are still a stranger."
Huangfu Huazhang chuckled softly, "Nian, are you rejecting ?"
"Actually, I don’t know what you’re expressing, so there’s no rejection from , right?" Shi Nian subtly frowned and lowered her head.
Then Huangfu Huazhang took a deep breath, "It’s also my fault for being vague. Fine, I’ll be explicit: Nian, I am already pursuing you."
Shi Nian was stunned and before she could speak, her phone was snatched away, held high in the air.
Shi Nian couldn’t help but exclaim, looking up she t Tang Yanqing’s raised eyes, with a slightly angry look in his clear spring-like eyes.
At 188 centiters tall, with his arm raised, Shi Nian couldn’t reach even if she jumped.
On the other side of the phone, Huangfu Huazhang sensed sothing was wrong and anxiously asked, "What’s happening on your side?"
Shi Nian glared at Tang Yanqing, warning him to stay silent, then continued to jump to try and get her phone back.
But Tang Yanqing easily extended his left hand, pressing down on her head, effortlessly stopping her from jumping and keeping her firmly on the ground. Then he leisurely brought back the right hand that was held high, placing the phone against his ear.
With a proud smile, he slowly said, "... Cousin, I’m really sorry, you were a step late. I’ve already reserved this woman, I don’t plan to give her another chance to run away, and I certainly won’t give her up to anyone else."
.
Shi Nian was shocked upon hearing this, she mouthed at him, "Are－you－crazy－?"
He snorted lightly, yet laughed, lowering his eyes to gaze at her, also mouthing, "You－just－realized－?"
Then he said to the phone, "Cousin, lovesickness can be an illness, you know that, right?"
Seizing the opportunity while he was unprepared, Shi Nian snatched back the phone and urgently said to Huangfu Huazhang, "Sorry chairman, I have to hang up now, we can talk later."
Just as Shi Nian hurried to hang up the call, Huangfu Huazhang quickly added, "Yanqing, pursuit is different from marriage, it’s not about who cos first. I won’t change my mind because of your presence."
"Besides, if we really delve into who ca first, Yanqing, you are many years late. When she was 13, I had already decided to close my heart to other won and wait for her to grow up."
Tang Yanqing’s expression indeed changed.
Shi Nian had enough, she swiftly said to the phone, "Goodbye, chairman~" and resolutely hung up.
This situation felt so strange, she herself just got free from between Xiang Yuan and Tang Yanqing, how did she suddenly fall into a triangle with Huangfu Huazhang and Tang Yanqing?
She didn’t like this vying for attention, she just wanted to find soone to love sincerely for a lifeti.
So she pocketed her phone, looked back with annoyance at him, then turned and walked away.
Was the ga earlier fun? If he found it fun, then let him play by himself, she’s not accompanying him!
.
She was angry, even walking seed like she was stomping away in a huff.
He could only sigh, stride to catch up. He didn’t dare to directly grab her elbow, otherwise he might get slapped in public... So he could only put both hands in his pant pockets, trying to act cool, but in reality feeling sowhat awkward as he followed her.
"Hey, really mad now?"
－
[I’ll try to add more tomorrow~ Really feel like our Qing Guan’er didn’t have a presence in the trial process? Are you really sure? O(∩_∩)O~]
Thanks to the following dear readers:
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