Nan Zhan actually didn’t know what kind of feelings he had towards Jian Si. Being ntally sharp but emotionally foolish, he felt that his feelings were out of habit for Jian Si. If one gets used to soone, naturally they want to monopolize her and make her get used to him as well.
The inexplicable behaviors he exhibited before now had an explanation: wanting to keep her close was why he fought with her for Zhengzheng’s custody, thinking that once Zhengzheng was taken, it would be easy to pull her along too.
Having this realization, Nan Zhan suddenly felt very pleasant, his thin lips slightly lifted, and he unexpectedly whistled.
Jian Si stuffed a peeled shrimp into Zhengzheng’s little mouth: "Let’s eat."
At the dinner table, the family of three was very harmonious.
It had been a long ti since Nan Zhan had tasted her cooking; it still had the familiar taste, especially the lotus root slices, which were just as good as Aunt Xian’s.
After finishing a bowl of rice, he pushed his bowl towards Jian Si.
He usually didn’t eat much, so Jian Si paused before taking the bowl, still sowhat uncertainly asking, "Another bowl?"
"Did you only cook three bowls of rice?"
"No, there’s enough rice." Jian Si got up to serve more rice.
"I don’t want to eat out at noon. Bring a lunchbox for ." Nan Zhan quickly finished another bowl, satisfied he put down his chopsticks, "I’ll write you a nu."
Jian Si frowned, "That doesn’t seem to be in my job description."
"You are an assistant, and the definition of an assistant’s job can be very broad. The most important thing is to ensure your superior has ample physical and ntal energy to deal with complex tasks. If I’m not well-fed, it will affect my work efficiency, it will...."
"Fine, you write the nu." Jian Si knew that discussing this with a lawyer was a waste of ti and that, ultimately, she could not escape the fate of bringing him lunch daily.
She even began to regret her sudden decision today.
After eating, Nan Zhan showed no intentions of leaving and continued to play Rubik’s Cube with Zhengzheng on the sofa.
Watching Zhengzheng play this boring ga every day was utterly uninteresting to Jian Si, but she enjoyed watching the father and son competing; both stern-faced, serious, and unyielding.
Zhengzheng was very competitive, insisting on winning a ga before stopping. Naturally, Nan Zhan wouldn’t let him win easily; he didn’t have such a habit. To him, Zhengzheng wasn’t just a kid that needed to be pacified like others. Doing so would only make him more defiant, counterproductively.
Perseverance pays off. In this silent father-son PK, Zhengzheng finally won a ga, albeit by a slight advantage, but it was encouraging for him.
"Alright, ti to sleep." Nan Zhan placed the Rubik’s Cube in his hand, turned his head, and saw that Jian Si had already fallen asleep holding a pillow.
Her small head leaned against the back of the sofa, her face under the light looking even more fair and delicate, like a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl brimming with collagen.
Zhengzheng: "I’m going to wash up. I’ll leave her to you."
Zhengzheng entered the bathroom, and Nan Zhan stared at the sleeping figure for a while before he got up and walked over, lifting her from the sofa with both arms.
She was really thin, easily lifted off the floor, her soft body nestled in his arms, her black hair brushing his arm like falling silk.
He carried her into the bedroom.
The bedroom was really tiny and even divided into two parts by a desk; her side was piled with various law books, so covered with clear slips. A thick notebook clamped a signing pen.
Nan Zhan laid her on the bed and as he withdrew his arms, he suddenly felt a bit reluctant, his fingertips trailed over her alabaster-like arms,
He suddenly rembered a night years ago, how soft and fiery it had been.
The sensation she gave him... was still fresh in his mory.
From the bathroom ca the sound of the toilet flushing, and Nan Zhan abruptly withdrew his hand.
He shifted his gaze away from her tranquil face to her desk.
He flipped open the book she was reading, "Principles of Criminal Law", inside which were so study cards with many questions—ones she hadn’t understood. Nan Zhan sat down on the chair, took the pen clamped in the book, and started to address each question.
He admitted, Jian Si had made significant progress. She had no legal background, but given her intelligence and eagerness to learn, her work these days was outstanding and seldom flawed. Sotis he wanted to scold her but could only find trivial reasons.
He liked it when she looked ek and obedient as he scolded her, yet beneath it, subtly unyielding,
"I’m going back." Nan Zhan closed the book.
"Can’t you not go back?" Zhengzheng swung his little legs, gazing at him pleadingly.
For a mont, Nan Zhan’s heart softened, he pointed to the narrow bed: "But I have nowhere to sleep."
Zhengzheng scratched his head, it seed to be true, they had made the room more spacious,
Zhengzheng waved his hand slightly disappointed: "Goodbye."
Nan Zhan returned to his own room across the hall, not feeling sleepy, casually turning on the TV.
The boring TV drama, clichéd storyline, his thoughts were not on it at all,
Even with the air conditioning on, the sumr evening still felt sultry; he loosened the collar of his shirt and got up to take a shower.
～
Jian Si got up early in the morning, cooked two dishes, and packed them into a lunchbox, the rest she placed in the fridge.
For her, cooking was not botherso, as she had to prepare lunch for Zhengzheng every morning anyway. One more person just ant cooking a bit more rice, and since the food he liked wasn’t expensive, she could easily afford it.
Nan Zhan was at the courthouse in the morning, while Jian Si was alone in the office organizing docunts.
By noon, Nan Zhan had still not returned.
Jian Si was processing the docunts to be taken to the courthouse in the afternoon, keeping an eye on the ti while glancing at the lunchbox beside her.
By half-past twelve, Jian Si had finished the docunts, assuming that Nan Zhan wouldn’t return, she picked up the lunchbox to eat lunch.
～
The courthouse.
Nan Zhan ca out of the visitors’ room, bumping into a staff mber.
The person said, "Lawyer Nan, the Dean asks you to visit her office."
Nan Zhan looked at his watch and nodded.
In Helan Ying’s eyes, if there were unfinished tasks, als could be postponed; it had almost beco a habit for her to only eat once a day.
Hearing a knock, she didn’t stop working and said, "Co in."
"You wanted to see ?" Nan Zhan approached her desk.
"Yes." Helan Ying finally put down her pen. Dressed in a black suit and sitting in a large leather chair, she looked very capable, "Nan, give an explanation."
She threw a docunt on the desk.
Nan Zhan didn’t even take a glance and said, "There is nothing to explain, I have decided to take this case."
Helan Ying’s eyebrows trembled violently, the seasoned professional in her could not resist slamming the table, "Do you know the impact of this case? It has already sparked public outrage. Taking it now is putting yourself at the eye of the storm, even making yourself a target of hatred, you are destroying your own future."
"Dean He, you are worried too much. I am a lawyer; as long as my client trusts , and as long as I am interested in this case, I will take it. I do not care about prospects or reputation," Nan Zhan said indifferently, as if he had anticipated Helan Ying would seek him out.
"Don’t talk to about clients; I know money is not important to you, and besides, you never took this type of case before. What is the real reason?"
Nan Zhan quietly looked at her for a while, then suddenly curved his lips: "No comnt."
Helan Ying was so infuriated that she could only watch as Nan Zhan briskly walked away from her sight.
She massaged her hair, feeling helpless.
She was a decisive and powerful woman, absolute in her words, yet she always felt powerless in educating her son.
She couldn’t control him, nor persuade him; he always did as he pleased, and would not even consider a third of her words.
Helan Ying picked up her phone and quickly found a number.
"Is that Bingbing? This is Helan Ying."
"Aunt Helan," Gao Ruobing sweetly greeted, "I was wondering why I saw two magpies perched on the branch in front of the door today, it turns out Aunt Helan was thinking about ."
Helan Ying chuckled: "How’s it going with Nan?"
Speaking of Nan Zhan, Gao Ruobing felt choked up inside, but naturally, she wouldn’t ntion the humiliating affair of being driven away by Nan Zhan.
"Aunt Helan, I think you should discuss with my mom to annul the marriage arrangent between our families."
"Why?" Helan Ying’s frown deepened, "Did he mistreat you?"
Gao Ruobing sighed, "Nan’s heart isn’t with , whatever I do seems pretentious, only drawing his cold looks."
"His heart isn’t with you, what does that an?"
"Aunt Helan, don’t you know? He’s entangled with a poor girl nad Jian Si, and even placed her in his office as an assistant. You should rember Jian Si. She’s the one who caused trouble at the barbecue restaurant, got arrested, and rember, her uncle is a particularly strange serial killer, her parents died early; she’s utterly uneducated, impolite, and uncouth. I don’t understand what Nan sees in her."
Helan Ying put down the phone, her face growing increasingly ugly; she stopped doing her work, grabbed her coat, and rushed out of the office.
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