Chapter 13: Smiling on the face, but MMP in the heart

Because of Qian Heng’s arrival, the previously lively atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.

Bao Rui nervously tried to lighten the mood. “Qian Par, you never come to these kinds of gatherings. What brought you here today?”

Qian Heng let out a cold snort through his nose. “The plumbing at home broke. I came out to find a plumber.”

“……”

Cheng Yao was speechless, but Bao Rui, unaware of the deeper meaning behind Qian Heng’s words, eagerly interpreted them in the most flattering way possible. “Oh, I see! Your plumbing broke, so you went out to find someone to fix it, and since you were already out, you decided to check in on us and join the gathering. Even with your busy schedule, you still think of us. Come on, everyone, let’s raise a glass to Qian Par!”

Unfortunately, Qian Heng had no interest in giving face. “I don’t drink. I’m driving.”

Li Chengxuan, who had just recovered from his earlier embarrassment, enthusiastically chimed in. “Get a designated driver, Qian Heng! Come on, it’s rare to have a chance to drink with you. Just one glass!”

“My car is expensive.”

Li Chengxuan didn’t get it. “So?”

Qian Heng pursed his lips. “I’m afraid the driver will get ideas and try to rob and kill me.”

“……”

Qian Heng completely ignored the way he had once again single-handedly destroyed the mood. He took a sip of tea, looked around, and said, “Why is no one talking?”

“……” My dude, with you here, who dares to talk?

“You people are quiet enough at work, and now you’re this silent even at a gathering?” Qian Heng pondered for a moment. “Since we’re already done eating, we should play a little game to liven things up.”

“I heard Truth or Dare is quite popular?”

As soon as he said this, a few younger colleagues perked up, ready to respond enthusiastically.

Unfortunately… youth was still too naive…

Qian Heng continued, “But I think Truth or Dare is a bit outdated. Let’s just play Dare. No Truth.”

Tan Ying got excited. “No problem, Qian Par!”

Li Minglei was also eager. “Dares are more fun anyway!”

“Since you’re all so enthusiastic, then it’s decided.” Qian Heng smiled slightly. “We’ll play Dare—Recite the Law .”

???

Qian Heng ignored the bewildered and constipated expressions around him. He picked up an empty beer bottle from the table and continued, “I’ll go first and spin this bottle. The person the bottom of the bottle points to will ask a question, for example, ‘Article 32, Clause 2 of the Marriage Law.’ The person the top of the bottle points to must answer. If they can’t answer within three minutes, they’ll be fined 50 yuan. That 50 will go into our department’s next gathering fund.”

QIAN HENG!! ARE YOU THE DEVIL?! What kind of death game is this?!

Yet, Qian Heng showed no regard for the pained expressions around him. He reached out his elegant hand and spun the bottle of doom.

Cheng Yao, desperate, quickly spoke up. “Wait a second!”

Qian Heng raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“Boss, isn’t this a bit inappropriate? If we do this… wouldn’t it count as illegal gambling?”

Qian Heng snorted. “The crime of gambling refers to gathering people for gambling or making a living from gambling with the intent of profit. The key factor is having a profit motive. Are we doing this for profit? Cheng Yao, was your criminal law class taught by your PE teacher?”

“……”

“Alright, the bottle has stopped. Let’s begin.”

First round—bottle bottom pointed at Tan Ying, bottle top pointed at Bao Rui.

Tan Ying glanced at Bao Rui and tried to pick an easy one. “Article 5 of the Marriage Law.”

Bao Rui visibly sighed in relief and recited smoothly, “Marriage must be based on the complete voluntary consent of both the man and the woman. No party may force the other, and no third party may interfere.”

….

Round after round, everyone developed a sense of camaraderie, like fellow sufferers stranded in the same boat. They showed each other mercy at first, letting small mistakes slide. But there were only so many easy-to-remember articles in the Marriage Law. Once those were exhausted, they had no choice but to move on to the harder ones…

“Article 29 of the Marriage Law?”

“…” Zhang Yang grimaced in pain and pulled out his wallet.

Before long, they had finished going through the Marriage Law and moved on to the Inheritance Law. Everyone still had smiles on their faces, but deep down, they were undoubtedly cursing up a storm. One by one, they were forced to “generously” open their wallets and make their sacrifices.

Soon, a pile of money had accumulated on the table…

The lawyers from Junheng were too embarrassed to go after their own colleagues, so under Qian Heng’s oppressive rule, they turned their attacks on the lawyers and partners from other firms.

Li Chengxuan, unfortunately, bore the brunt of it, having already contributed nearly a thousand yuan.

“I just remembered something urgent. You guys go ahead and keep playing—I have to leave first.”

Before long, he pretended to take a call, made up an excuse, and slipped away as fast as he could.

The other lawyers from different firms quickly followed suit.

“I suddenly remembered I have an email from a client that needs urgent attention. Gotta go!”

“My wife is furious at home! She said if I don’t go back now, she’s divorcing me! Sorry, guys, I’m out!”

“I have something to take care of too—see you all later!”

In no time, all the external lawyers and partners had fled, leaving only the Junheng team to fight amongst themselves…

Cheng Yao had been secretly rejoicing that she had miraculously avoided being targeted by the bottle so far.

But, of course, good luck never lasts.

The moment she had that thought, the bottle’s mouth pointed directly at her…

She followed the bottle’s direction—only to see that the bottom was pointing straight at the ultimate boss, Qian Heng.

Still, it should be fine! Cheng Yao reassured herself. They had already gone through most of the Marriage and Inheritance Laws. The few articles that hadn’t been drawn yet—she had sneakily looked them up on her phone when she went to the restroom earlier. She could handle this!

Qian Heng looked at Cheng Yao and gave a dangerous smile. “Judicial Interpretation (I) of the Marriage Law, Article 7.”

Cheng Yao: ???

What happened to just the Marriage Law?! How did judicial interpretations get thrown in too?! Is this even legal?!

Unfortunately, no matter how much Cheng Yao wanted to protest, she simply couldn’t recall the answer. She struggled for a full minute before reluctantly pulling out her wallet.

But once she figured out Qian Heng’s pattern, Cheng Yao felt more at ease. She pretended to go to the restroom again and secretly looked up all the remaining judicial interpretations on her phone.

Not long after, it was Qian Heng’s turn to challenge Cheng Yao again.

This time, Cheng Yao was brimming with confidence.

Qian Heng, oh Qian Heng—no matter how fierce the winds blow from all directions, I shall remain unshaken!

Unfortunately, the road of trickery was always one step ahead…

“On August 27th this year, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee conducted its first review of the draft Civil Code, including amendments to the Inheritance Law. Based on the existing law, certain revisions were proposed regarding wills. What are these legal modifications?”

Cheng Yao was truly shocked. “This counts?!”

Qian Heng looked at her as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “As a family law attorney, shouldn’t you always stay updated on the latest legal developments in your field?”

“But this isn’t even part of the current law!” Cheng Yao protested. “The game rules clearly stated we’re supposed to recite existing legal provisions!”

Qian Heng casually swirled his teacup and flashed a grin. “Cheng Yao, I set the rules for this game. Don’t you know that the rulemaker always has the final right of interpretation?”

“…”

“If I say the current amendments count, then they count.”

Qian Heng spoke slowly and deliberately, taking a leisurely sip of tea afterward.

Cheng Yao stared at Qian Heng’s smug expression, absolutely seething with rage.

This was revenge. It had to be revenge! Just because she hadn’t gone home in time to fix his plumbing, her boss had hit her with this absurd move!

Yet under Qian Heng’s oppressive authority, there was nothing she could do. She could only grit her teeth and pull out another fifty yuan.

“The existing Inheritance Law outlines several forms of wills, including notarized wills, handwritten wills, dictated wills, recorded wills, and oral wills. It also establishes the principle that notarized wills take precedence, explicitly stating that ‘handwritten, dictated, recorded, and oral wills cannot revoke or alter a notarized will.’ The latest draft builds upon this by adding new formats such as printed and video wills, while also revising the validity rules by removing the provision that gives notarized wills superior legal effect,” Qian Heng explained, glancing around the room. “Everyone got that?”

“Got it, got it.”

“Qian Par* is truly Qian Par—his awareness of legal updates is unmatched! Hahaha!”

“I really need to learn from Qian Par!”

“Qian Par is mighty and wise! My role model!”

Cheng Yao glanced at her shameless, bootlicking colleagues. Clearly, everyone’s survival instincts were in overdrive in the presence of Qian Heng.

What started as a fun party game had somehow turned into a series of deadly legal quiz questions, a Qian Heng worship session, and an impromptu legal knowledge seminar…

An absolute farce.

In the end, under Qian Heng’s relentless assault, Cheng Yao lost a significant sum of money. But more than losing cash, she had a nagging feeling that Qian Heng had deliberately made her lose exactly 250 yuan.

Now, that number hung over her like an ironic joke, mocking her in broad daylight.

(*T/N: “Par” is an informal abbreviation for “Partner,” commonly used in legal and business settings to refer to senior partners.

In Chinese slang, “250” (二百五, èrbǎiwǔ) is used to describe someone who is foolish, clueless, or not very smart. It’s similar to calling someone an idiot, fool, or dimwit in English.)

Cheng Yao felt frustrated. She picked up her cup, ready to take a sip of tea, only to find it empty. Fortunately, Bao Rui had ordered some fruit wine earlier. Feeling curious, she decided to pour herself a glass.

To her surprise, the taste was quite pleasant—sweet, fruity, and fragrant. It didn’t taste like alcohol at all, more like a fruit juice. Finding it delicious, Cheng Yao poured herself another glass.

By the time Bao Rui noticed the two bright red patches on Cheng Yao’s cheeks, she had already downed more than half the bottle by herself in complete silence.

“Oh my god, Cheng Yao! How did you drink so much?!” Bao Rui was stunned. “I only ordered this to satisfy a craving! The alcohol content is 24%! That’s way stronger than regular beer or wine!” He looked at her with concern. “Are you okay?”

Cheng Yao could still hear Bao Rui’s voice and perceive the movements of the people around her. However, everything seemed to reach her brain just a beat too late. She felt a little dizzy, her face burning up, her whole body heating up. Logically, she knew she should still be upset about losing so much money to Qian Heng, but instead, she felt oddly lightheaded and euphoric.

Tan Ying cautiously tested the waters. “Boss, look at Cheng Yao—she’s clearly drunk. How about we call it a night?”

Li Minglei quickly chimed in, sensing an opportunity. “Yeah, yeah, Qian Par, Cheng Yao doesn’t look too well. Maybe we should wrap up and let her head home to rest?”

Qian Heng scanned the group, then finally nodded, his approval carrying the weight of an emperor granting his ministers permission to leave court.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. At last, the Grim Reaper Qian Heng had spared them…

Bao Rui, eager to escape, was already preparing to slip away. But before leaving, he still made sure to look out for Cheng Yao. “My leg’s not in great shape, so Tan Ying, why don’t you take Cheng Yao home?”

Just as Tan Ying reached out to support Cheng Yao, Qian Heng’s voice cut through the air.

“No need.” His tone was as cold and indifferent as ever. “It’s not safe for two women to be out alone. I’ll drive. It’s on my way, anyway.”

[Bonus Scene]

After marriage—

Qian Heng: Cheng Yao, let’s play Truth or Dare tonight. The dare is reciting legal provisions.

Cheng Yao: ?!!! What if I can’t recite them?

Qian Heng leaned in close to her ear. If you can’t recite them, then I get to decide what happens. And I can make the dare… whatever I want.

Cheng Yao’s face turned red in an instant…