Chapter 82 Kissing is the touching of two souls at the tips of their tongues

After the trial ended, Deng Ming and Lu Jian left one after another, full of satisfaction and success.

Although she had been mentally prepared, upon learning this judgment result Lin Fengjuan still couldn’t help shedding tears. Yet just as she was about to cry out loud, she was interrupted by Cheng Yao’s pat.

In this trial Cheng Yao had not had any outstanding performance—she even looked wooden and proceeded step by step. Only now did Lin Fengjuan discover that her eyes were bright and confident, her tone calm and composed. “Don’t cry. As long as everything you told me is true information and Hanhan is truly Lu Jian’s child, then in the second instance we can win this case.”

“Second instance?”

“Mm.”

Lin Fengjuan was very puzzled. “But in the face of these pieces of evidence in the first instance I’ve already lost. Appealing to the second instance again—what meaning does it have? The judge won’t suddenly change the judgment to let me win either…”

“No.” Cheng Yao smiled. “In the second instance we will have the new evidence of a paternity test report.”

“A paternity test report of Lu Jian and Hanhan?” Lin Fengjuan was completely confused. “But… but Lu Jian fundamentally disagreed to undergo a paternity test! He even went so far as to find an unscrupulous hospital and doctor to forge medical records of his azoospermia in order not to be tested, so that even appraisal couldn’t find the forgery. What other way do we still have to make him do a paternity test? The court also can’t forcibly compel him to do it…”

Cheng Yao pointed at the empty black-tea can that Lu Jian had thrown into the trash can not far from the defendant’s seat after drinking. “That is our new evidence.”

It was also at this time that Judge Meng walked over. She nodded at Cheng Yao. “The people from the appraisal institute have already arrived. Let them come in to collect the evidence.”

Cheng Yao nodded. Not long after, staff from a professional independent third-party appraisal institution entered the courtroom. Then, wearing gloves, they took the canned black tea that Lu Jian had discarded after drinking from the trash can and, according to procedure, placed it into an evidence bag.

This staff member from the appraisal institute smiled at Cheng Yao. “Lawyer Cheng, leave the rest to us. The paternity test report will come out in about a week. At that time we will notify you of the result.”

Saliva contains oral epithelial cells of a person, and these cells contain DNA. Therefore the saliva left on the mouth of the black-tea can that Lu Jian had finished drinking could completely be used for parent-child relationship identification.

“Thank you!” Cheng Yao sincerely breathed a sigh of relief. Then she turned her head to look at Judge Meng. “Also thank you very much, Judge Meng. Thank you for approving my application to retrieve the courtroom trial surveillance, so that I could complete the evidence chain and confirm from the surveillance that this bottle of canned black tea was indeed drunk and discarded by Lu Jian, thereby allowing the third-party appraisal institution to conduct an identification of the parent-child relationship between Lu Jian and Hanhan.”

Judge Meng smiled. “This is what I should do.”

After speaking, Judge Meng organized the materials and was preparing to leave when she saw Deng Ming and Lu Jian push the door open again and walk back into the courtroom.

Lu Jian’s face was a bit suspicious and uncomprehending, yet Deng Ming’s face looked much uglier. He looked at Judge Meng. “Judge Meng, I was just preparing to leave, but I seemed to see an appraisal insti…”

Very quickly Deng Ming knew that he no longer needed to ask this question, because behind Cheng Yao he saw a staff member from an appraisal institution that he also recognized, and in the other party’s hand was precisely the evidence bag containing the canned black tea…

Deng Ming almost reflexively glared at Cheng Yao. Yet this time Cheng Yao was already too lazy to pretend any longer. She did not retreat, nor was she timid and submissive. She only met his gaze with clear eyes, neither humble nor arrogant, holding her head high and chest out.

Lu Jian still hadn’t completely reacted, but Deng Ming had already figured everything out. His eyes were almost about to split as he ground his teeth. “Cheng Yao, you set me up.”

The wheel of fortune turns. Now it was finally Cheng Yao’s turn to smile. “How is this called setting up?” Cheng Yao swept a glance at Deng Ming. “At least I didn’t forge false evidence of my party’s azoospermia like you did. Legitimate and reasonable evidence collection—what fault do I have?”

Hearing this and seeing that black-tea can sealed in the evidence bag, Lu Jian finally also realized something. That earlier expression of satisfaction and success of his vanished in an instant. Anxiety and panic crawled across his face. “Lawyer Deng, what’s going on?”

Deng Ming had no time to pay attention to Lu Jian. He blocked Judge Meng’s path. “Judge Meng, you directly allowed the opposing lawyer to use this kind of unclear examination material for appraisal. Isn’t the appraisal procedure illegal?” Deng Ming pressed aggressively. “Besides, you doing this violates the principle of neutrality of the judge and the court. It belongs to forcibly conducting a paternity test on my party.” At this point Deng Ming’s hypocritical mask was also gradually torn open. He stared at Judge Meng. “Aren’t you afraid of being exposed for this kind of behavior of favoring the opposing party? Nowadays online public opinion toward public officials like judges is not very friendly. Even if the judge did nothing wrong, public opinion may not necessarily stand on the side of the judge as a national public servant, let alone this kind of behavior of yours of disregarding fairness and justice and showing partiality to the other side!”

This series of words sounded righteous and forceful as if arguing on the basis of reason for his own party. Yet even Cheng Yao faintly heard a threat in Deng Ming’s wording—

If you recognize this appraisal, if you let it proceed smoothly, don’t blame me for using public opinion to pressure you…

“Deng Ming.” Judge Meng was still smiling gently, yet every sentence carried authority. “Your party Lu Jian drank this can of black tea during the trial and, according to his own will, freely disposed of it by throwing this can into the trash can. These behaviors were all done by himself. No one threatened, intimidated, or forced him. And these facts are all proven by the trial recordings. Therefore the examination material for the appraisal does not belong to an unclear source. I also did not violate the neutrality clause by forcing your party to undergo a paternity test. Lin Fengjuan and her lawyer also did not infringe upon your party’s personal freedom and other legal interests. The appraisal procedure is also completely legal.”

“As for the online public opinion you mentioned, we judges do not pursue those empty reputations hyped online. As long as every case is handled with a clear conscience, my work is done properly. As for whether we are attacked by public opinion that does not know the truth, we do not care.”

Judge Meng stared into Deng Ming’s eyes. Although she was a middle-aged woman of not particularly tall stature, at this moment her aura seemed like two meters eighty. “Lawyer Deng, I have known you for many years, but in the matter of handling cases there is no personal favor to speak of. You should understand this. Besides, at a time like this I suggest you should be more concerned about how you and your party should explain his azoospermia if the identification between Hanhan and Lu Jian shows the existence of a parent-child relationship. The crime of false evidence is a criminal offense.”

Lu Jian stared with disbelief, fixing his eyes on Lin Fengjuan and Cheng Yao. “No!! I don’t accept it!! It can’t be identified like this!! This is illegal!! I’ve already said I have azoospermia—this child can’t possibly be mine!!” He tried to pull at Judge Meng. “I’m getting married next month. Judge, do you know how important this marriage is to me and my family?!!”

Judge Meng pulled Lu Jian’s hand away in one motion. “If you truly have azoospermia, then this paternity test result won’t affect you eith…”

Yet before Judge Meng could finish speaking, the hysterical Lu Jian stepped over her and charged toward the staff of the appraisal institute, attempting to snatch the evidence bag containing the black-tea can from their hands.

The scene was in chaos. Lu Jian completely lost the earlier pride and leisure on his face. He became panicked and uneasy. After finally being restrained by the court police, his clothes were already disheveled, and his face still carried scratches from the struggle just now. He no longer had the previous high-and-mighty appearance in the least.

Judge Meng instructed the court police a few sentences, then adjusted her judge’s robe and calmly and solemnly walked out of the courtroom.

Lin Fengjuan endured her tears. Before Cheng Yao could even stop her, she rushed up and gave Lu Jian a resounding slap.

“This slap is for myself and Hanhan. The law is just. The law will not let off a shameless and underhanded person like you.”

Before Cheng Yao finally left with Lin Fengjuan, Deng Ming finally recovered his soul and said a sentence sinisterly from behind.

“Cheng Yao, truly a biting dog doesn’t bark. This time I underestimated the enemy and was walked over by your dog-shit luck. But don’t think that winning me in this case means you can rest easy.” Deng Ming’s voice was shadowy. He ground his teeth word by word. “Just wait.”

“Deng Ming, that I can defeat you in this case means that in other cases in the future I will also defeat you one by one. I will let you know that what I rely on is not luck. A shyster like you who uses underhanded methods may be able to be in the limelight for a while, but in the end you do not deserve to stand in the same courtroom as professional legal people.” Cheng Yao’s gaze was like a torch as she straightened her spine. “I will tear off the painted skin of your so-called ‘undefeated myth of the legal industry’s conscience’ bit by bit, all of it.”

This time, even if the paternity test report could directly slap Lu Jian’s azoospermia medical records in the face, Cheng Yao could basically be certain that Deng Ming would without hesitation push the entire pot of forging evidence onto Lu Jian and claim that he himself was likewise a victim who did not know about Lu Jian’s forgery. Even the outcome of losing the lawsuit could be pushed by saying it was because Lu Jian deceived him and did not provide the true situation, causing him to misjudge this case and choose the wrong way of responding to the suit.

Yet no matter what, she had found life in a desperate situation and forcibly made this case take a dramatic turn.

Lin Fengjuan was also immersed in ecstasy and shock. She glanced at Cheng Yao and, as if unable to believe it, confirmed again and again. “Lawyer Cheng, is it… is it that I can win this lawsuit?! I can prove that Hanhan is Lu Jian’s child?”

Cheng Yao nodded. “Mm. As long as Hanhan is indeed born of Lu Jian, then Lu Jian can’t run.” She smiled apologetically at Lin Fengjuan. “Sorry. For fear that Deng Ming would see the problem, I didn’t give you prior notice, because that way your expression wouldn’t be so certain as to make them suspicious.”

Lin Fengjuan’s eyes held tears. She kept shaking her head. “No, you don’t need to apologize to me, Lawyer Cheng. It should be me who thanks you. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for being able to take this legal aid case. Thank you for not looking down on me, for not evaluating me in your heart or despising the wrong things I did, letting me experience that kind of respect a lawyer has for a client, letting me throughout the entire process of the case feel more comfortable in my heart. And what I should thank the most is that you withstood the pressure and fought for an opportunity for Hanhan.”

After speaking, without even giving Cheng Yao a chance to react, she actually plopped down on her knees in front of Cheng Yao. “Lawyer Cheng, after Hanhan’s illness is cured, the first person I’ll bring him to see is you. Thank you!”

Cheng Yao almost immediately stretched out her hand wanting to help Lin Fengjuan up. “The paternity test report hasn’t come out yet. The second instance of the case hasn’t started yet either. You’re thanking me too early. Besides, I’ve already said that no matter what kind of case it is, as long as it’s my client it’s equally important. I only did what I should do.”

Under Cheng Yao’s insistence Lin Fengjuan finally stood up. Yet the heartfelt gratitude in her eyes was genuine.

“Lawyer Cheng, I not only need to thank you but should even more apologize to you. It was I myself who was preconceived and felt that because you are young and also a girl you must not be professional.” Lin Fengjuan said shamefacedly. “In my heart at the time I still felt that someone who would come take this kind of unpaid legal aid case definitely wouldn’t be any good lawyer. My this kind of legal aid case is nothing more than the surface article the country wants to use to publicize helping vulnerable groups—nothing more than going through the motions. It definitely couldn’t be won. So for a time I didn’t actively cooperate with you very much…”

These words of Lin Fengjuan’s—Cheng Yao naturally understood them. Only from the very beginning, regarding these prejudices of hers, Cheng Yao had never opened her mouth to correct them, because for many things, no matter how many words of explanation one speaks, they are not as persuasive as actual actions.

“I’m not the best lawyer. There are plenty of lawyers more outstanding than me. Besides lawyers, many judges also enforce the law impartially and are upright and unyielding—just like Judge Meng. Even though she actually knows Deng Ming privately, in handling the case she is not partial in the least.” Cheng Yao smiled at Lin Fengjuan. “Have a bit more confidence in our country’s legal system and framework. Also have a bit more patience. Although it’s not the best, it will keep becoming better.”

After seeing Lin Fengjuan off and walking out of the courtroom, Cheng Yao suddenly realized that more than an hour had already passed. And in this more than an hour, because of the high mental tension, she hadn’t drunk a single drop of water. Only now did she feel somewhat parched and unbearable.

Just as she wanted to go to the automatic vending machine to buy water, a hand held out a bottle of Evian in front of her.

“I checked. There’s no Evian in this court’s automatic vending machine.”

Standing in front of Cheng Yao was none other than the tall, long-legged, impeccably suited Qian Heng. He handed the Evian to the dazed Cheng Yao. “So I went to the 7-Eleven across the street to buy the Evian.”

Cheng Yao blankly looked at the water in her hands. The high-intensity trial just now had already exhausted her energy. Her head was dizzy as she recalled—wasn’t Qian Heng supposed to still be in City B? How had he already returned? How had he come here?

Qian Heng looked at Cheng Yao yet furrowed his brows. Then he took the Evian from Cheng Yao’s hands in one motion, smoothly unscrewed the bottle cap for her, and then handed it back to Cheng Yao. His tone was somewhat helpless. His voice was still quite high and cold, yet the tone was not cold. “Even unscrewing a bottle cap has to be done by the boyfriend.” Qian Heng lightly glanced at Cheng Yao. “Spoiled.”

Only at this time did Cheng Yao react. After taking the Evian and drinking, she stared into Qian Heng’s eyes. “Was it that you still weren’t at ease with me taking a case for the first time, so you specially rushed back from City B?”

“No.” Qian Heng subconsciously turned his head and denied. “Hmph. Last time because I took a certain someone’s sentence seriously and specially rushed back from City B, I only then discovered that for women, words like ‘I miss you’ and ‘I love you’ are almost the same as ‘Have you eaten?’—only a polite greeting.”

Qian Heng raised his head and looked into the distance. “Would I, Qian Heng, fall into the same pit twice?” He snorted. “I’m here simply by coincidence. The case in City B has already ended. This morning because of another case that happened to also be in session at this court, I hurriedly flew over from City B…”

“Boss.” Cheng Yao interrupted Qian Heng. She suddenly became a bit mischievous. “First turn your head over, then look into my eyes. Then tell me—what case did you come to court for, which judge is presiding, and in which courtroom number?”

“…”

Qian Heng hadn’t expected that the way he had previously questioned Cheng Yao would be used by Cheng Yao on himself again. His ears were a bit red. His expression somewhat unnaturally swept a glance at Cheng Yao as he said fiercely on the outside and weak on the inside, “As a subordinate you’re ordering me around now?”

As a result the moment the words left his mouth, Cheng Yao bounced into his arms and then domineeringly used her hands to turn his face. Her hands lightly circled his neck, half her body hanging on Qian Heng as she forced him to face her directly.

“Look into my eyes and say again why you came to the court.” Cheng Yao’s eyes were bright. She looked steadily at Qian Heng, not allowing him to escape. In the posture of being in Qian Heng’s arms she lightly stood on tiptoe and leaned close to his ear. “You called me wrong. It’s not Boss—it’s boyfriend.”

Qian Heng only felt that the ear of his that was surrounded by Cheng Yao’s breath rapidly rose in temperature, hot enough to almost burn.

And the gaze with which Cheng Yao stared at him also made him unable to refuse.

Under Cheng Yao’s unyielding stare, Qian Heng finally turned his gaze away. “I worked overtime and urgently finished the case in City B. I rushed back on the three a.m. flight. Previously… I had people inquire. Deng Ming held the advantage in this case. Just now I heard that the first-instance judgment was that Deng Ming won. I felt that at a time like this you would need me.” Qian Heng’s voice was measured and deliberate, carrying a bit of deliberately suppressed calm, yet the faint concern in the trailing sound still couldn’t help revealing itself.

Some affection, even if one wants to work hard to hold it back, will still be discovered.

“I’m a lawyer. I’m very busy. Many times I have no way to give you the kind of boyfriend-who-accompanies-all-day romance that other little girls want. I may also not have that much romance. But no matter how busy I am, as long as there’s a possibility you need me, I hope I myself am there.” Qian Heng’s voice was somewhat unnaturally hoarse. This time he finally turned his gaze back and also looked at Cheng Yao. “This is the first case you truly independently handled in the real sense. As the boss I should let go and let you do it. But as the boyfriend, I want to accompany you by your side.”

This time Qian Heng stretched out his hand and embraced the Cheng Yao in his arms. He lowered his head and leaned close to her face, nose tip against her nose tip. “I now know why so many people who have been through it advise not to start an office romance.”

“Why?!” Cheng Yao couldn’t help widening her eyes. “Do you regret it?”

“No, I don’t regret it.” Qian Heng bent down and kissed Cheng Yao’s cheek. “I only just discovered that an office romance does indeed make a person become unprofessional.” His expression was still composed, only his ears began to turn slightly red again. “I began thinking I could do it very well—even if it was an office romance, public and private could still be clearly separated. Only now do I discover I can’t do it.”

Cheng Yao’s heart violently fluttered. She covered her chest and felt she needed to calm down a bit, so she buried her face in Qian Heng’s coat. Yet once she did so, what lingered at the tip of her nose was all Qian Heng’s scent. It was a scent of sandalwood mixed with rue—faint, like mist, yet just right. Keeping people at a thousand miles’ distance, yet carrying a kind of unattainable sexiness. The top note was the coldness of cedar, yet at the end of that coldness the base note was an indescribable gentleness—gentleness that belonged only to Cheng Yao.

Smelling this scent, her face still wrapped in the temperature of Qian Heng’s body on his coat, Cheng Yao only felt that not only had she failed to calm down—her heart beat even faster.

Yet the instigator remained completely unaware. His voice was light. “Sorry. I couldn’t hold back.” The arm with which Qian Heng held Cheng Yao tightened slightly. His chin lightly rested against Cheng Yao’s head. “As long as I see you, it’s hard to remember to separate my identity as boss from my identity as boyfriend.”

Cheng Yao burrowed a bit more into Qian Heng’s coat. She laughed muffledly. “There’s a sentence I must return to you. Qian Heng, I know my charm is great. Holding back is very hard, but please restrain yourself.”

“…”

Qian Heng kept a taut face, somewhat unnatural. “If you don’t like it this way, I can restr…”

“I like it.”

After speaking, Cheng Yao maintained the posture of hanging on Qian Heng’s neck and looked into his eyes. “Everything you’ve done for me—I like it all very much.”

This time, as expected, Qian Heng’s other ear also began to turn red.

Yet on the surface he was still that cold appearance of strangers not to approach. He cleared his throat. “If you want to kiss me…”

Cheng Yao didn’t speak. She only continued looking at him with puppy-like wet eyes.

This kind of gaze made Qian Heng unable to finish the later words. He stopped, used one hand to cover Cheng Yao’s eyes, then bent down.

Cheng Yao had her eyes covered by Qian Heng like this without any warning. Then she heard his completely serious voice—

“Forget it. You looking at me with this kind of gaze means you want me to kiss you. I’ll just satisfy you.”

Before Cheng Yao could react, Qian Heng’s breath carrying the sandalwood scent with a cedar quality was already close at hand. His moist, warm lips invaded, forcefully prying open Cheng Yao’s lips and tongue. The darkness intensified the sensitivity of the other senses. Cheng Yao only felt that all the sensations of her whole body concentrated on the lips that touched Qian Heng’s—scorching, soft and agile, moist, full of the most primitive hormones.

No wonder people always say that kissing is the touching of two people’s souls at the tips of the tongues.

Without needing any words, just this one passionate kiss made Cheng Yao feel she already knew Qian Heng’s impatience and restraint.

In the marriage court, those who passed by were all people whose marriages had problems and who had generated legal disputes. It seemed that the entire corridor was filled with hostility, suspicion, and resentment. Not far away outside a courtroom there was even a man and a woman fiercely accusing and quarreling with each other. Only Cheng Yao was in Qian Heng’s arms, kissing each other.