Chapter 75: What should I do if I think my boyfriend is so cute and I want to kiss him?

Fortunately Cheng Yao didn’t have much free time to immerse herself in the blushing, heart-racing emotions.

She received a call from Li Mengting.

“Yaoyao, I’ve been sued.” Li Mengting was somewhat at a loss. “Now someone is chasing me for a debt of one million. This… what do I do?”

Cheng Yao didn’t say much. Matters involving legal disputes could mostly not be explained clearly over the phone. She hung up and immediately rushed to the hotel where Li Mengting was staying.

The matter wasn’t complicated if one said it was complicated. Back then, in order to jointly fund the purchase of the house with Li Mengting, Zhang Hao had borrowed one million from a friend who ran a factory. They agreed to repay it in half a year. Now the half-year time was up, but that friend had urged repayment multiple times, yet Zhang Hao ignored it.

“So now he can’t find Zhang Hao and is suing you to demand the money from you?” Cheng Yao furrowed her brows. “But isn’t your marriage certificate fake? Then there doesn’t exist marital joint debt.”

Li Mengting lowered her head, extremely regretful. “No, it’s not because of that.” She said shamefully, “Back then the IOU for the one million Zhang Hao borrowed from him—I signed my name on it. He is a friend from Zhang Hao’s hometown and usually isn’t in City A. That day he happened to come to City A. The other party’s meaning was that we write him an IOU and then transfer the money to us. As it happened Zhang Hao was on a business trip and only I was there, so I treated him to a meal, wrote him an IOU, and the signature was only my name alone.”

Li Mengting looked almost about to cry. “At the time I didn’t think that much. I felt Zhang Hao and I were one family, so signing an IOU for him was fine. As a result now Zhang Hao uses the reason that the IOU wasn’t signed by him to make the other party go after me for the money, completely playing dead. The other party had no way to collect the debt, so simply went all the way and sued me in court.”

Cheng Yao didn’t express an opinion. She only stretched out her hand toward Li Mengting. “The other party’s lawsuit materials were mailed to you by the court, right? Let me take a look.”

Li Mengting then handed a small stack of materials to Cheng Yao.

She had clearly been beaten down badly by these successive events. The mindset she had finally adjusted had completely collapsed. She could only smile bitterly. “Is this the revenge for me muddling through university for four years without properly studying law? Not only was I sued for infringement, because of the cohabitation relationship I can’t divide joint property, the house is also very likely to be awarded to the other party because my contribution ratio is small, and now I even have to bear the debt for the other party…”

Li Mengting was quite anxious. “But Yaoyao, this debt—the court shouldn’t rule that it’s mine, right? This one million was directly transferred to Zhang Hao’s account by the other party. I never handled it at all. I only signed a name on the IOU.”

Cheng Yao roughly flipped through the lawsuit documents, yet still remained very calm. “Of Zhang Hao’s two million house payment, one million was borrowed from this friend, right?”

Li Mengting nodded. “Yes.”

“Then Zhang Hao’s account number—was it Zhang Hao himself who gave it to his friend?”

Li Mengting said uncomprehendingly, “Yes.”

“Think carefully. Did you, for example, also verify Zhang Hao’s account number, or have any interaction with that friend who lent the money regarding this sum?” Cheng Yao was very urgent. “Think carefully. Any communication with this person who lent the money—think about all of it.”

Li Mengting directly opened her phone and showed Cheng Yao the WeChat chat records. “At the time Zhang Hao was on a business trip. In order to have me receive this friend, he created a group. The three of us were all in it. After the other party got the IOU I wrote, he asked for Zhang Hao’s account number in the group. Zhang Hao then directly sent his own bank card number in the group. But back then when Zhang Hao borrowed money from him it was all by direct phone calls, so I also have no evidence.”

Cheng Yao hurriedly took the phone and looked.

Zhang Hao and that friend who lent the money didn’t have much idle talk. One asked for the account number, the other gave the account number. It was Li Mengting who, because of her lively nature, occasionally chatted a few sentences in the group.

Cheng Yao tightly furrowed her brows and frantically flipped through the chat records. Finally she found what she wanted to find.

After Zhang Hao gave his bank card number, Li Mengting bounced out and said a sentence: “It’s the card number above. Thank you!”

At this point Cheng Yao’s brows finally relaxed.

Li Mengting was still frowning and analyzing. “I’ve also looked at this lawsuit material. He only provided that IOU. Although he also provided the transfer record, the transfer wasn’t to my account. Zhang Hao and I happened by coincidence not to truly get the certificate and have no marital relationship, so naturally it doesn’t count as joint debt either. This loan dispute of his—he can’t win, right?”

Cheng Yao tossed the phone back to Li Mengting. “He can’t win. The evidence isn’t complete enough.” She smiled slyly at Li Mengting. “So we need to supplement the evidence for the other party and let him win.”

“Ah?”

“Right now the other party has an IOU signed by you and the flow record of one million transferred to Zhang Hao’s account.” Cheng Yao subconsciously tapped the tabletop with her finger. “Then we only need to take a screenshot of the earlier chat records and provide it to the court to form an evidence chain. In the group chat of you three people, when Zhang Hao gave the account number, you were not only aware—you also said ‘it’s the card number above.’ This one sentence can prove that you approved the other party transferring the one million loan to a third-party account. Combined with that IOU you signed, it can be completely understood as: after you borrowed money in your own name, you had the other party transfer it into a third-party account authorized by you. This loan is still yours.”

Li Mengting looked blank. “But why do we have to acknowledge this loan? If we truly acknowledge it, I will definitely lose this lawsuit and will be required to repay the other party one million plus interest. Although afterward I can sue Zhang Hao again to demand he repay me this money, the difficulty of that lawsuit will be even greater. The most feared is that even if I win the lawsuit Zhang Hao still won’t give the money, and compulsory enforcement may not necessarily be enforceable either. Besides, I never truly received the money. If Zhang Hao plays dead and refuses to give it no matter what, won’t I just shoulder a debt of one million for nothing…”

“No. There’s no need for that.” Cheng Yao smiled. “Zhang Hao truly won’t die if he doesn’t seek death. He calculated every organ and instead left a flaw. He thought this way he could cleverly dump the responsibility of repaying the one million onto your head and himself escape unscathed like a golden cicada shedding its shell. In reality he was lifting a rock only to smash his own foot.”

Cheng Yao met Li Mengting’s puzzled gaze and said seriously and confidently, “Your house—I have a way to help you get it. Our case has a turning point!”

Although the one-million loan dispute and Li Mengting and Zhang Hao’s lawsuit for dividing the property seemed completely unrelated, one link locked with another. The originally Olympiad-difficulty problem of Li Mengting dividing the property was, with Zhang Hao’s operation, suddenly turned into a free-point question.

“As long as you lose the one-million loan dispute, then this one million will be confirmed by the court as your loan. And of Zhang Hao’s house payment, there is this one million, which means this house payment is not Zhang Hao’s. In actuality this one million of house payment was still borrowed by you in your own name—equivalent to contributed by you—only that the flow went through Zhang Hao’s account. Various pieces of evidence plus the losing judgment of that loan dispute at that time can all prove that this one million is your loan and your contribution. Then adding your previous 1.5 million of house payment, it equals that your full contribution to this house reaches 2.5 million, while Zhang Hao, after deducting that one million, has a full contribution of only 1.5 million.”

At this point in Cheng Yao’s speaking, Li Mengting’s eyes also lit up. She finally understood Cheng Yao’s meaning. “That is to say, once the court rules that I lose the loan dispute, it equals using legal compulsory force to instead help me confirm the evidence in the property division case! Evidence that I contributed 2.5 million, far greater than Zhang Hao’s contribution!”

Cheng Yao smiled and nodded. “Correct.”

Once Li Mengting’s contribution ratio reached 2.5 million and immediately occupied the majority of this house, then according to the principle of prioritizing the higher contribution ratio, when the court divided this property Li Mengting would occupy the advantage. At the same time, plus the fact that she was still pregnant, and further considering actual living needs, she absolutely occupied even more advantage. Speaking this way, no matter how the judge considered it, this house would be awarded to Li Mengting, while Zhang Hao could only receive corresponding cash according to the co-ownership share.

Li Mengting naturally also figured out this point. Her entire person became excited. “Truly light at the end of the tunnel! I believe in the law again!”

This time the conviction in Li Mengting’s voice finally came from the heart. “Yaoyao, Lawyer Qian was right. The law protects the vigilant people who can make the law serve themselves. If it weren’t for you immediately realizing that this loan could conversely be used to prove my contribution ratio, I would probably still have been foolishly not knowing how to use this point to turn defeat into victory.”

That this case could take such a dramatic turn also made Cheng Yao excited for Li Mengting inside. Only beyond the excitement there was also some lingering fear. “If it weren’t for Zhang Hao being so selfish and greedy as to make this muddle-headed move, based on the previous evidence this house might not necessarily have been awarded to you either.”

Being able to see light at the end of the tunnel was purely because of luck.

Many words Cheng Yao didn’t say further, but she hoped Li Mengting could understand.

Handing over fate and one’s own rights and interests to luck is a completely unpredictable matter. Relying on being able to escape from desperate situations like this every time is also unrealistic.

The falls she took in relationships—Li Mengting probably had plenty of feelings about them. Only regarding the falls she took in law and in protecting herself, it was unknown whether she could also reflect in the same way.

Cheng Yao knew that whether as a friend or as a lawyer, she had no standing at a time like this to criticize or lecture Li Mengting. Some things could only be experienced by oneself. What she could do was do her own work well, protect Li Mengting’s rights and interests, stand by her side, and accompany her through this most difficult period.

“I’ll contact this party who is currently suing you in the loan dispute and also communicate with him, tell him to notarize the chat record screenshots and submit them as new evidence.” Cheng Yao returned to work mode. “At the same time I’ll sue Zhang Hao demanding property division, and strive so that when the property division case is filed and goes to trial, we can exactly obtain the losing judgment of the loan dispute. This way, with both approaches, we strive to help you win the house in the shortest time.”

Li Mengting once again showed a smile. She nodded forcefully.

And before Cheng Yao prepared to take her leave, Li Mengting called her again.

“Yaoyao.” She was a bit shy. “Those review materials you prepared for the judicial exam back then—do you still have them?”

“Hm?”

“I… I want to review for the judicial exam.” Li Mengting bit her lip. “I’m pregnant now and also can’t go look for work. It’s perfect that I’m idle at home every day. What you said is right—it’s not that a pregnant woman can’t do anything. I also looked online a few days ago. Quite a few successful women, even while pregnant, can complete a lot of work and never relax the requirements on themselves just because they’re pregnant. I’m far inferior to them. They’re all working hard, so I should work even harder.”

Cheng Yao paused, then was truly happy. She nodded. “I have them. I have all those materials. I’ll bring them over for you tomorrow.”

Li Mengting smiled as if relieved of a heavy burden. “I’ve thought it through now. Even if I’ve lost some things and suffered some blows now, I’m still young. My own decisions must be paid for by myself.” She touched her protruding belly. “Since I’ve decided to bring these two little lives into this world, I should take on the responsibility. I’m going to raise these two children alone. How can I not work hard?”

Cheng Yao forcefully gripped Li Mengting’s hand. “Don’t worry. Everything will get better. These two little ones still have me as their godmother!”

Li Mengting also tightly gripped Cheng Yao’s hand. “There are still several months until next year’s judicial exam. I’m preparing to go for it. After I give birth and finish the confinement period, I’ll return to the workplace.” She glanced at Cheng Yao and said seriously, “I want to be like you—become a female lawyer. Able to protect myself, and also able to protect the people I love, and still have an income that can support myself and the children.”

At the end Li Mengting’s eye corners carried a bit of tearfulness. She was still herself, only the look in her eyes was already completely different from the girl by Suling Lake who had attempted to seek death. From her eyes Cheng Yao saw determination and goals.

“Yaoyao, thank you.” Li Mengting solemnly expressed her thanks. She paused. “Also thank Lawyer Qian. He’s not some toxic tumor of the industry. He’s a very, very good person. I’m extremely grateful for that lecture of his that scolded me awake back then. Bitter medicine is hard to swallow, but only this way can it cure the illness.”

“You two not only helped me fight for legitimate rights and interests—you also changed my life.”

Even after Cheng Yao returned to the office building where Junheng was located, her face and both hands were still burning. Li Mengting’s final solemn words still lingered in her mind.

Her heart was filled with emotion and strong professional pride.

In life, there had never been a time with such enormous sense of achievement. Not even when receiving large bonuses.

Qian Heng was right. Every profession has its unique mission.

Lawyers also have one.

As a link in the legal operating system, besides helping the legal order run soundly, Cheng Yao thought, the mission of every legal professional is not merely resolving individual case disputes, but should be spreading legal faith to society.

Previously she had not understood what kind of feeling the “faith in the law” that Qian Heng spoke of was. Only today did she finally grasp this sentence in a dazed way.

Cheng Yao’s heart was mixed with excitement, agitation, and pride. By the time she reacted, she had already dialed Qian Heng’s number.

She wanted to tell him. Wanted to tell him first.

Not because he was the boss, but because he was her man.

Yet just as she heard the “beep” on the phone ring to the third sound, a hand from behind took her phone away.

Cheng Yao turned her head and only then saw that Qian Heng was standing right behind her. In one hand he was still holding a stack of case file materials, looking as if he had just returned from court and was preparing to go upstairs.

He hung up Cheng Yao’s call, returned the phone to Cheng Yao, and raised an eyebrow. “Why call? Can’t you just return to Junheng and come into the office to find me?”

Cheng Yao was a bit embarrassed. She honestly said, “Because the matter I want to talk about isn’t in the capacity of an employee… so if I want to separate public and private a bit more, calling you outside the firm is more appropriate. Saying these things in your office isn’t very good.”

Qian Heng furrowed his brows and said unhappily, “Are you an idiot? My office—you can come in whenever you want. What kind of rigid principle is this?”

Cheng Yao glanced at Qian Heng. “This principle was set by you.”

“…” Qian Heng cleared his throat. “Principles—sometimes one also has to be flexible.”

Facing Qian Heng now, for some reason, even standing normally under the office building with people coming and going and speaking like this, Cheng Yao couldn’t help blushing and feeling nervous. She always felt the entire world was staring at her and Qian Heng, afraid that the passing people would see the clues of the relationship between her and Qian Heng.

She glanced at Qian Heng. “How about we go to the Starbucks next door to talk? I still feel chatting in the office isn’t very good…”

After Cheng Yao finished speaking she felt a bit annoyed. Qian Heng didn’t drink Starbucks. Not only did he not drink it—he deeply detested the taste of Starbucks as well as the atmosphere inside Starbucks cafés.

As a result, contrary to her expectations, Qian Heng lightly “mm”ed, then walked straight toward Starbucks, and even turned his head to look at Cheng Yao strangely.

“Why are you still standing there in a daze? Do you want to make me, whose one minute is worth 166.666… yuan, wait for you?”

“…”

The atmosphere of Starbucks was indeed as always. No matter what time it was, there were still many people at this hour. Although Qian Heng walked in, throughout he kept his brows furrowed, his face written full of “reluctantly.” Cheng Yao hurriedly casually ordered herself a latte, while Qian Heng, who was used to freshly ground coffee and would absolutely never lower his taste, naturally looked down on Starbucks coffee. Cheng Yao thought about it and ordered him an Earl Grey tea.

To prevent colleagues from seeing and making any associations, Cheng Yao specially found a seat in a corner.

Regarding Li Mengting’s case, besides the loan dispute that could now turn this case around, Cheng Yao still had a lot she wanted to say. And most importantly, she wanted to properly thank Qian Heng.

“Thank you.”

As a result Qian Heng turned his head away. “Why thank me? This case was handled by you. A case with a subject amount of only a few million—I won’t waste my time on it. Don’t associate this kind of small case with me. If it gets out it will lower my style.”

He seemed unaccustomed to being thanked. Now facing Cheng Yao’s gaze, he was even more uncomfortable all over and wanted to forcefully deny it.

Truly awkward to the extreme.

Only Cheng Yao knew he wasn’t. Clearly saying he generated electricity for money, yet driving in the middle of the night and taking her across more than half the city to pull back the suicidal Li Mengting, settling her all the way; clearly able to turn a blind eye, yet still sharply pointing out Li Mengting’s problems regardless of whether it would offend people; seemingly not intervening in this case on the surface, yet secretly always paying attention. The moment Cheng Yao encountered a problem, Qian Heng almost immediately jumped out.

He was like a perfectly measured mentor who didn’t completely intervene and gave Cheng Yao the maximum freedom and independence. Yet when Cheng Yao was about to fall, only then would she discover that there had always been a pair of hands protecting behind her.

“Whether you admit it or not, you changed Li Mengting’s life.” Cheng Yao covered the latte with both hands. “This is the first time I’ve felt so proud and proud of myself as a lawyer. A lawyer, besides solving the client’s problems in legal professionalism, can originally also truly change a lot.” Cheng Yao informed Qian Heng of Li Mengting’s changes. “See, because of you, she not only walked out of the pain of being deceived and cheated on by Zhang Hao, but also immediately decided to work hard and struggle properly, become a vigilant person good at using the law, and not be a passive lazy person in life.”

Qian Heng was clearly a bit surprised by this development. Then he pressed his lips together and looked at Cheng Yao. “We are lawyers. We only take responsibility for the results of the case, and do not take responsibility for other people’s lives. Cheng Yao, you…”

“It’s not like that.” Cheng Yao, however, interrupted him. “Taking good responsibility for the results of the case is naturally our proper job. But I feel that while a lawyer is professional, they should also have some of this kind of sentiment. When we resolve individual case disputes, we can also spread legal faith and change other people’s lives! Don’t you feel that if Li Mengting can stand up again and in the future pass the judicial exam and become a legal worker, it would be more meaningful than helping her win a set of property?”

Cheng Yao’s eyes were bright and completely focused. Being stared at by her like this, Qian Heng subconsciously turned his gaze away. Even though the two of them were already in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, suddenly being looked at by her like this, Qian Heng still couldn’t withstand it.

He cleared his throat and pretended to be composed. “I’ve already said it. I only generate electricity for money.”

“No. You also generate electricity for love.”

Qian Heng turned his head away. “I don’t care at all whether Li Mengting can pull herself together or not.”

“But you care about me.” Cheng Yao, however, didn’t let him go. She still used those seductive eyes to stare at Qian Heng’s profile. “You, whose one minute is equivalent to 166.666… yuan, wasted so much time accompanying me to handle Li Mengting’s matters. Isn’t that generating electricity for love? I’m not worth that much money…”

“Who told you you’re not worth money?”

Before Cheng Yao could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Qian Heng. She raised her head and only then discovered that Qian Heng had refocused the gaze he had just moved away onto herself. And the moment it contacted Cheng Yao’s gaze, his gaze lightly closed its leaves like a shy plant and immediately moved elsewhere. “You’re a lawyer of Junheng, a person I, Qian Heng, personally mentored.” His ears were slightly red, yet his tone was completely serious. “And also I, Qian Heng’s, girlfriend.” He glanced at Cheng Yao. “Who gave you the courage to allow you to feel you’re not worth money?”

He forced reasoning. “You’re very expensive, so me generating electricity for you is still generating electricity for money. Don’t get it wrong. There does not exist such a thing as me, Qian Heng, generating electricity for love.”

Cheng Yao couldn’t hold back and laughed.

Serious twisted logic—only Qian Heng could do it.

Only, so cute.

For some reason, in Cheng Yao’s mind there suddenly jumped out an emotional post she had seen a long time ago—

“What to do when I feel my boyfriend is so cute I want to kiss him?”

Is there even a need to say? Cheng Yao thought. Then just kiss him without hesitation!

The action-oriented Cheng Yao didn’t waste a single minute. She lightly kicked Qian Heng under the table with her foot, then lowered her voice and said sneakily, “Come closer for a moment.”

Qian Heng didn’t understand. He furrowed his brows and leaned his head close to Cheng Yao. “Hm?”

At such a close distance, one could clearly see Qian Heng’s long, dense lashes. Only then did Cheng Yao feel a bit nervous. The noisy sounds around her in Starbucks she seemed unable to hear. She only heard her own heart violently beating in her chest cavity.

Her face couldn’t help flushing. Only on the surface she still maintained meticulous composure. She looked at Qian Heng. “Do you want to taste Starbucks coffee?”

Qian Heng paused, then without question refused. “No, I don’t want to.”

“But I want to invite you to taste it.” Cheng Yao looked away. Her palms slightly sweated from nervousness. “Just one sip is fine.”

Qian Heng still furrowed his brows in refusal. “No, not even one sip. This kind of low-grade instant-coffee-like taste doesn’t match my sty—”

Before he could finish speaking, he was blocked by Cheng Yao’s suddenly kissing lips.

Only then did Qian Heng react to why Cheng Yao had just now so awkwardly and coyly tried to persuade him to only drink one sip of Starbucks coffee…

Because she had just taken a sip of latte like this, and then, carrying the coffee taste between her lips and teeth, kissed toward him.

Regarding her unauthorized behavior of the subordinate offending the superior, although Cheng Yao maintained composure on the surface, inside she was already so nervous her hands and feet were at a loss. This was the first time she had done this kind of thing. Although her action was decisive, it was ultimately inexperienced. This all-out kiss directly bumped into Qian Heng’s teeth.

She hurriedly escaped, face red, and apologized. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…”

As a result the final “to” hadn’t even been said when it terminated in Qian Heng’s lips and tongue.

He chased after and completed this unfinished kiss of Cheng Yao’s.

Tongue tips lightly touched. Between the lips and teeth there was still the rich aroma of coffee, as well as the sweet, cloying milk flavor that made one feel it was all sweet.