Chapter 86 A trip is a trip, but we can’t neglect what needs to be done.

Dinner ended in a lively atmosphere. Several newcomers at the firm were experiencing team-building for the first time, and some were even going abroad for the first time. Looking at everything in Japan, they all found it fresh and interesting.

Ever since arriving in Japan, Qian Heng naturally stayed together with Wu Jun and the other several partners, chatting about this year’s business and plans for next year, while young lawyers, assistant lawyers, and interns like Cheng Yao gathered in another place making small talk. Although it was not stated explicitly, between bosses and subordinates the boundary was still naturally clear. Cheng Yao couldn’t hold back and secretly glanced at Qian Heng several times in the gaps of the idle chat. Yet every time she could precisely collide gazes with Qian Heng, who was likewise looking at her.

No one else knew, but she was actually dating Qian Heng. This feeling was truly secret and beautiful.

And when everyone finished dinner and set out toward the Gion Yasaka Hall, Wu Jun and the group of partners naturally, as bosses, overtook the rest of the crowd and led the way in front. Only Qian Heng deliberately slowed his pace.

He slowly fell behind and passed by Cheng Yao’s side.

“Cheng Yao, has that property division agreement from before been revised?”

Looking at the completely serious Qian Heng in front of her, Cheng Yao was a bit slow to react. “Eh?”

When recently had he had her revise a property division agreement?

Qian Heng leaned his head over and lowered his voice. “Later before entering the hall, find an excuse to fall behind and go in together with me.”

“Hm?”

Clearly speaking of private matters, Qian Heng’s face was still businesslike and completely serious, so that the other colleagues passing by along the way fundamentally could not imagine he was not speaking of official business.

“In the performance hall of the Gion Yasaka Hall the seats are not assigned. With a ticket you go straight in and sit wherever there’s an empty seat. You go in together with me and sit together.”

“Qian Heng, we’re already out traveling—how can you still not let Cheng Yao go and still be following up on work?” Wu Jun walking in front turned back and called toward Qian Heng. “Hurry and catch up. Let your little assistant lawyer off.”

Qian Heng swept a glance at Wu Jun, looked at Cheng Yao a couple more times, raised his voice, and completely seriously warned, “Tonight after watching the performance just go back and work overtime for me. Travel is travel—the work that should be done also can’t fall behind.”

“…”

Cheng Yao watched as Qian Heng finished speaking and then, once again with the air of a boss, walked over to Wu Jun’s side.

Qian Heng’s acting skills were too skilled, causing the colleagues to all express deep sympathy toward Cheng Yao for suffering this unexpected calamity.

Especially Bao Rui, who comforted her quite a bit. “Seeing that Qian Par is this ruthless even toward you, I’m at ease. Turns out I’m not alone.”

“…”

Cheng Yao truly feared that when Bao Rui learned the truth he would perform an on-the-spot death.

Qian Heng could keep a completely proper and serious face, yet those low words of his were like scattering a spark onto Cheng Yao’s heart. Carrying a small flutter and joy, yet having to carefully and cautiously not leak any clue that would let people see the signs, on the way to the Gion Yasaka Hall she could only endure, absentmindedly listening to the colleagues chatting.

And just as Qian Heng had said, the performance tickets of the Gion Yasaka Hall were not assigned seats. After entering the performance hall it was free seating. Cheng Yao found an excuse of going to the restroom and deliberately branched off from Tan Ying and the others. Yet she unfortunately ran into a European-American tour group and was suddenly surrounded by this group of Europeans and Americans. Just as Cheng Yao was anxiously searching for Qian Heng, a hand stretched out from the crowd and firmly held hers.

“Finally shook off Wu Jun and them.” Qian Heng laughed softly and bent down to kiss Cheng Yao’s ear. “Let’s go.”

Under the cover of this European-American group the two mixed into the crowd and entered the performance hall. Qian Heng led Cheng Yao all the way. The performance had already started by this time. Inside the hall besides the stage lights everything was already extinguished. The two found a seat whose surroundings were still empty and sat down.

One had to say Bao Rui had spoken the truth. Apart from the kabuki performance at the beginning, arts like the tea ceremony and flower arrangement that required settling the mind to appreciate were indeed not suitable for performance on a large stage.

“Actually what Bao Rui said isn’t completely wrong…” Cheng Yao recalled Bao Rui working overtime in the hotel and felt quite a bit of sympathy.

“It’s not wrong.” Qian Heng leaned close to Cheng Yao’s ear in a low voice. “Originally tonight there was no itinerary. We prepared to let everyone rest well. But I thought about it and specially arranged to add this.”

Qian Heng’s warm airflow lingered by Cheng Yao’s ear. She only felt her ears were a bit burning. “Why?”

“So I can hold hands with you openly and uprightly like this.” Under the dim yellow light one couldn’t clearly see the expression on Qian Heng’s face, yet that twisted feeling of both wanting to express grandly and wanting to be reserved appeared again in his voice. He glanced at Cheng Yao as if wanting to work hard to restrain himself, yet ultimately, as if unable to hold back, self-abandonedly said, “I don’t want the second team-building that I specially organized for you to end up with me not even having the chance to hold your hand the entire way. Then wouldn’t the money I spent inviting the whole firm to travel be wasted? And I also wasted finding so many big third wheels?”

“Eh?”

“Even temporary beach carnival amusement parks like the one in City B felt good.” Qian Heng lowered his gaze. “I specially brought you out to see the world and look at Osaka’s Universal Studios.”

Qian Heng turned his gaze away and stared at the actor on stage who was performing kyogen for a while. Just when Cheng Yao thought he didn’t want to continue this topic and was preparing to throw himself into watching the performance, she once again heard Qian Heng’s light voice—

“We’ve specially avoided those third wheels from the firm and finally managed to be alone with me. Don’t you have anything you want to do to me?”

Qian Heng’s voice was somewhat unnaturally reserved. Yet even if he wanted to disguise and restrain, the thick grievance and hinting meaning inside was only short of having subtitles printed on his own face.

After holding hands the two’s five fingers remained interlocked and their hands had not separated. Cheng Yao was a bit shy. She subconsciously tightly grasped Qian Heng’s hand.

“Idiot.”

As a result this action clearly did not please or satisfy Qian Heng. He glanced at Cheng Yao. “How did I, Qian Heng, find such a slow girlfriend?”

His expression was a bit helpless, yet more of it was indulgence. Before Cheng Yao could react, Qian Heng’s lips covered hers.

On the stage it seemed the performance had reached a climax, yet Cheng Yao and Qian Heng both had no heart to watch. The two drew close together and passionately kissed under the cover of the darkness and the music.

Until the performance ended, the temperature on Cheng Yao’s lips and face still had not receded. To avoid suspicion, when the audience dispersed she deliberately separated from Qian Heng again. The two returned to the cold boss-subordinate relationship mode. If it weren’t that Qian Heng’s face was also a bit red, on these two people’s faces there was simply not the slightest clue of the beautiful romance just now.

Only this feeling that no one else knew yet they loved each other was like a secret rose blooming in the heart, belonging only to each other.

Mixed among the law firm colleagues, on the return journey Qian Heng once again walked together with Wu Jun and several partners and had no chance to say another word to Cheng Yao. Yet some affection and care—those gazes that followed, that tacit knowing when to stop, one action, one looking back—had already been silence superior to sound.

Some feelings do not need to be spoken.

Although she did not walk shoulder to shoulder with Qian Heng, Cheng Yao felt her whole person was as if surrounded by Qian Heng—at ease and warm.

After returning to the hotel, some colleagues rested in the hotel. Some still had unfinished interest and went together to the nearby Nishiki Market for a late-night snack. Still others directly ran to drugstores for big shopping.

Cheng Yao declined Tan Ying’s invitation to go for a late-night snack together. The family trust case that Qian Heng had just assigned to her—Cheng Yao had only looked through half the materials. This case had a very large subject amount and also represented Qian Heng’s trust and affirmation. No matter what, Cheng Yao had to do it well.

In the past she still would feel that as long as she worked seriously during the eight hours of work, once quitting time arrived it was clearly demarcated leisure time, and watching TV dramas in the evening was also fine. Nowadays, although she had progressed a lot compared to the past, she instead realized the preciousness of time.

Wanting to become a successful lawyer like Qian Heng—time needed to be used by wishing one could split even one minute. Without thinking, at this time Qian Heng must also be handling work affairs. Outstanding as he was he was still working hard—then how could she herself slack off?

Only mental thinking probably consumed a lot of energy. Cheng Yao concentrated on looking at the materials for an hour and began to feel empty in her stomach. Ultimately she couldn’t hold back the hunger and decided to go downstairs to the nearby 7-Eleven to buy some rice balls to pad her stomach.

The hotel they were staying at this time had an elegant Japanese-style small garden. From the lobby one had to go around this garden to reach the hotel’s main entrance. Japanese gardens emphasize shifting scenery with every step, creating a tranquil atmosphere full of Zen. Therefore there were numerous stone landscapes and dense vegetation, and it really had a feeling of a winding path leading to a secluded spot. This garden was not small and had numerous forked paths. Walking in it gave a strong sense of privacy. Even if one could hear the light voices of others nearby separated by stone and tree scenery, one could not see people, avoiding awkwardness and allowing guests more private experience.

In the evening the hotel’s garden was quiet and still. The ancient Japanese stone lanterns gave off dim yellow and ambiguous light. Everything was extremely tranquil. Therefore even very light sounds were amplified very clearly. Cheng Yao had not walked long when behind the stone scenery beside her she heard a familiar voice.

“Ai, I’m dead, I’m dead. This time I bought myself into bankruptcy again. How come none of you stopped me? I already said that the moment I see drugstores I can’t stay calm…”

This voice was clearly Colleague Li Meng from the firm.

Then Wang Lu spoke. “Forget it. Didn’t everyone buy so much together? Bankrupt together, hahaha.”

“Not really. Didn’t Cheng Yao not come? She didn’t go with us shopping maniacs and cleverly guarded her wallet.”

Just as Cheng Yao wanted to open her mouth and call out to the group from Junheng, she heard Li Meng open her mouth again. Yet this time her tone was extremely subtle. “Cheng Yao? Cheng Yao and us women who only know how to desperately shop are not the same type at all. Isn’t she still staying in the hotel looking at case materials?”

Wang Lu didn’t understand and praised, “She’s so serious!”

Li Meng lightly laughed. “You people can’t possibly think she is truly looking at case materials in the hotel, right?”

“Ah?”

Li Meng sighed with the weight of one who had been through it. “Wang Lu ah, you’re still young. If you mixed in the workplace a few more years like me you’d understand. So many colleagues went out for late-night snacks and shopping, and only she said she wanted to look at cases and not go. Think about it—doesn’t this leave an especially deep impression on the firm’s big partners? Feeling this newcomer is especially sensible and especially progressive?”

“…”

“I previously jumped from the legal affairs of a state-owned enterprise to Junheng. These kinds of things I saw plenty of in my previous unit. You bury your head and work diligently without a sound—the leaders may not necessarily see it. But if you know how to handle matters like Cheng Yao and know how to perform yourself at critical moments, whether or not you are truly looking at cases in the hotel at night, as long as you make the leaders feel you are looking, you’ve succeeded halfway. In the end it’s always these people who know how to handle matters who get promoted fast. Those diligent old oxen instead have no chance to stand out.”

Wang Lu defended Cheng Yao. “Cheng Yao isn’t this kind of person. She’s truly quite serious. Before the plane for this team-building took off she was still buried in replying to clients’ emails. She also made several phone calls back and forth to clients, afraid that during her time abroad she might not necessarily be able to contact them in time, and first explained to the clients the situations the case might encounter and the response measures…”

Li Meng, however, didn’t buy it. “Learn a bit. You people are still too pure. Do you know? Recently Qian Par gave her a family trust case with a subject amount of 2.3 billion and even let her take the lead with Qian Par sitting in. Feel that.”

At this the crowd indeed couldn’t hold back and let out envious exclamations. “Wow!! So happy!”

Li Meng’s tone was sour. “I came to Junheng half a year earlier than Cheng Yao. I specially resigned from the easy and stable legal affairs work at a state-owned enterprise to come to Junheng. On ordinary days when going to work I’m also diligent and conscientious. But look—to this day I don’t even have an opportunity to independently operate a case, let alone some big case with a subject amount of 2.3 billion yuan!”

Wang Lu comforted her. “Sister Li Meng, don’t be anxious. Your opportunity will definitely come soon too.”

“Being anxious is also useless. After all I don’t look as good as Cheng Yao.” Li Meng sighed, her tone lost. “Young little girls who know how to handle matters and also look good truly take advantage. Beautiful people are indeed much luckier than us ordinary people.”

Wang Lu on ordinary days had a good relationship with Cheng Yao. She still wanted to explain for Cheng Yao. Only the several interns who had just entered the firm beside Li Meng didn’t understand and were completely led by Li Meng and echoed her.

“Lawyer Cheng is truly beautiful. Secretly speaking, when I first entered Junheng and saw her for the first time I still thought she was a celebrity, thought she was a client of our firm. Truly good-looking—doesn’t even look like a lawyer. And she looks so young. If I were a client I wouldn’t even feel at ease handing a case to Lawyer Cheng to represent…”

Li Meng lightly hummed. “Her age is indeed young, and she only has an undergraduate degree. Our firm’s average education level is master’s. Besides, her undergraduate was only a 211, not even a 985. She also doesn’t have any very impressive work experience and even less has studied abroad. According to reason, on ordinary days with this kind of résumé our firm fundamentally wouldn’t recruit. As for why she was recruited, and moreover so luckily assigned to Qian Par, and now even obtained such a large case—you people think for yourselves.”

These several newly arrived interns had not had much contact with Cheng Yao herself. On ordinary days they only knew that Li Meng as a senior took good care of them. Therefore they almost without any critical thinking trusted Li Meng and accepted her viewpoint.

“Could it be a connection-holder or something? Like the family has quite a bit of background?”

“I so envy Lawyer Cheng. If I were half as good-looking as her, after the internship I would definitely be able to stay at Junheng.”

“If I looked this good, what would I still do as a lawyer for? I feel being a lawyer is so hard.”

“Then you don’t understand. I heard the clients our Junheng takes are all either rich or noble—the top of the social hierarchy. Lawyer Cheng might one day fall in love with some client and directly change from colleague to our party A client. My senior sister is at Dewei Law Firm. Their firm previously had a female lawyer who looked very good and also knew how to handle matters. In the end she married a rich client, successfully married into a wealthy family, and also had a family trust under her name. She transformed into an important client the firm has to rush to serve well.”

“…”

This group of people chattered and gossiped. Not long after, the topic changed from Cheng Yao to shopping and celebrities, and only then did they gradually walk farther and leave Cheng Yao.

Cheng Yao as this topic was perhaps only a very insignificant interlude among their many topics. Yet as the person of the topic herself, after Li Meng and the others left, Cheng Yao’s heart found it difficult not to be calm.

Only at this moment did Cheng Yao deeply realize the words Qian Heng had spoken.

People’s hearts are too complicated. Even at a law firm with the best atmosphere and the most harmonious colleagues, it still cannot stop human nature. Once contemporaries or even juniors have faster and better development than you, people always find it difficult to suppress the birth of some imbalance and complicated emotions.

Very few people can calmly accept reality or calm down to look at whether the other party truly has traits more outstanding than themselves. Li Meng’s reaction was almost the subconscious first reaction of many people. They cannot accept that a newcomer whose qualifications are not good enough and whose experience is not sufficient enough can truly in a short time surpass themselves. They cannot in the first moment find problems and make comparisons from themselves, but instead subconsciously attack the other party’s weaknesses and question the other party’s ability in order to obtain self-comfort and satisfaction.

Cheng Yao had to admit that not publicly revealing the couple relationship with Qian Heng at the law firm was an extremely correct decision. Previously she hadn’t thought much. Only now did she realize that office romance, especially superior-subordinate romance, is indeed subtle and extremely dangerous.

If Li Meng and the others knew of her relationship with Qian Heng, what would they think? It was almost foreseeable.

Cheng Yao bought rice balls in a heavy mood. After eating them, however, she somehow had no mood to look at the case again. She couldn’t hold back and made a voice call to Qin Qin.

Qin Qin as a workplace old hand was not surprised by this development. “Office romance is just like this. Unless it ultimately reaches a positive result, once you break up, even if the two of you can still be friends after breaking up, other colleagues interacting with you will also feel it’s subtle.” She sighed. “Of course I hope your romance succeeds once and is harmonious and beautiful. But you also have to keep an eye out. Even if the two of you don’t break up, someone like you who’s dating the boss can’t possibly hide it from colleagues for a lifetime, right? When it’s discovered your situation will be even more subtle.”

Cheng Yao bit her lip and didn’t speak.

“You two not breaking up is a good thing from the emotional perspective. From the career perspective, for your boss it has no influence. But for you it’s not this matter. All the achievements you obtain in the workplace, your efforts, your ability, the nights you stay up, the bitterness and hardship you experience will all be overlooked. Your identity will very likely no longer be ‘outstanding young lawyer Cheng Yao’ and will instead be labeled ‘famous lawyer Qian Heng’s girlfriend Cheng Yao.’” Qin Qin paused. “I’m your friend. I of course know how much you yourself have paid to reach the step you are at today. But more people don’t know you and don’t understand you. There will be more and more people who feel that those future achievements of yours are all because you have your boss supporting you from behind. In the workplace you will because of this relationship find it more and more difficult to prove yourself…”

“Qin Qin, will it really become like this…”

Qin Qin sighed and restrained her emotions a bit. “Really. Don’t ask me why I know so deeply. Because this is what I’ve experienced.”

Cheng Yao’s heart was moved. She vaguely knew that Qin Qin’s previous relationship had hurt her heavily. She originally was not in public relations and marketing. Her previous work was finance-related. Originally when the prospects were excellent she chose to resign, thoroughly said goodbye to the finance industry, and jumped into the public relations field.

“Thank you for telling me.”

“Ai, between friends what is there to thank.” Qin Qin’s voice was a bit weathered. “When you asked me back then why I resigned I never told you. Now I can say it. It was just because I wanted to escape his label. I wanted everyone to know that all the achievements Qin Qin obtained were my own efforts. Without that man, in a completely different field I can still do well.”

“Only it’s a pity that at that time I was too young. Wholeheartedly wanting to break free of his great reputation and protection, too competitive, constantly wanting to prove myself, yet not considering his feelings. Ultimately I exhausted the feelings of the two people.” Even though Qin Qin’s this relationship was already a matter of half a year ago, speaking of it now she still couldn’t help sighing. “I’m saying it out hoping you don’t repeat my mistakes. Dating the boss and balancing feelings and career well is truly not an easy matter, Yaoyao.”

Cheng Yao knew she could not always rely on Qian Heng. These subtle colleague and interpersonal relationships naturally also could not be spoken of to Qian Heng, because once spoken of, if Qian Heng came to protect her, wouldn’t it even more verify the point that everything of hers was bestowed by Qian Heng?

“Qin Qin, do you say that I must become as strong and outstanding as Qian Heng so that when the relationship is finally made public no one will say I’m depending on him?”

“Mm. If you were also a female partner and dated him, of course people would say you two are a strong-strong alliance and evenly matched opponents. But now you’re a junior lawyer and also his subordinate, so what others say is subtle.”

After hanging up Qin Qin’s call, Cheng Yao’s heart was even more mixed with five flavors.

Whether for herself or for Qian Heng, it seemed she had to work even harder.