Growing Fond of You, Mr Nian

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

She spoke with such honesty. Luosang wasn’t put off by the fact that she liked Nian Junting, too. “How was that your fault? Huang Haoyun and the translator did you dirty. It’s not your fault that you can’t read Japanese.”

“No, we are still Shengting’s legal consultants, after all. Anything that goes wrong with the contracts is our fault. If word got out, our reputation would be badly affected,” An Lan said.

“Lawyer An, if… there is an audio recording of the conversation between Zeng Lijuan and Yi Jingxi when they struck up a deal, would it be a good enough piece of evidence?” Luosang asked with hesitation.

An Lan was stunned for a second, and then she nodded her head vigorously. “If we have the recording and a witness, a witness who can testify against Yi Jingxi’s feud with your family, we might have a chance.”

“We still need a witness?”

“Yeah, we need a believable motive. I know Mr. Nian has been closing in on the Yi Group. When Yi Jingxi loses his footing, he won’t be able to find a good defense counsel. That will be our best time to act.”

An Lan looked at her with excitement. “Do you have any news of the recording? When Mr. Nian found out about Zeng Lijuan’s boyfriend, we suspected that he had incriminating evidence against Yi Jingxi. We were so frustrated when he got his hands on the boyfriend before we had a chance to talk to him.”

“The recording is not with Yi Jingxi, it’s with Jiang Qifei,” Luosang told An Lan simply. “I wasn’t sure how helpful that recording would be, so I had to come to consult you first.”

“You trust me that much?” An Lan was shocked. “You’re not worried that I will tell Mr. Nian?”

Luosang smiled. “You are a lawyer. You must want to win this case, since you took it on. If you can overturn the ruling on this case, you will become the talk of the town. You will be standing on the pinnacle of your career if we win, Lawyer An.”

“Miss Xu, you are quite the sly one.” An Lan turned and smiled. “You’re telling me all this because you’re worried that he won’t continue to ask me to take on this case when you guys break up?”

“That is one of the reasons. Another reason I’m talking to you is that I hope that you will find an opportunity to tell him the truth once I break up with him. Jiang Qifei said that she would only give me the recording after three months. I’m not sure who is supporting her, so I must fulfill her conditions. Three months apart is a long time for both me and him. When she lowers her guard, Nian Junting could investigate her and find out how she got hold of the evidence in the first place. When she hands the recording over to me, that’s when we wrap things up and make her pay the price of doing something so despicable.”

“Why don’t you ask Nian Xi or Xiao Si to do you the favor instead, since it matters so much to you?” An Lan was confused. “We’re just working partners, after all, not even friends.”

“Because they need to be conned as well to achieve the best effect. You’re different. We can work together because we’re not friends. When I get the evidence, you can win the lawsuit and gain wealth, reputation, and honor. It’s a good deal for you, too.”

“Alright, what about the witness?” An Lan nodded. “Without a witness, it will be difficult to pin down a motive for Yi Jingxi’s actions.”

“Zeng Zhun, Kashiwa.” Luosang’s lips were quivering. “Zeng Zhun is Yi Jingxi’s personal assistant. What else can be more convincing than that? Kashiwa is his old classmate and a close friend.”

An Lan shook her head. “Maybe Kashiwa, but Zeng Zhun…”

“I’ve encountered Zeng Zhun a few times. He’s not a bad person, and he doesn’t agree with the things that Yi Jingxi does. I’ve been seeing news of Yi Jingxi lately. Zeng Zhun isn’t following him around anymore.”

An Lan sputtered. “Well, but that won’t be enough, right?”

“So, we need Junting to sow discord between them. It shouldn’t be too difficult for him. Everyone in the Yi Group is switching jobs now. Yi Jingxi will be at his most paranoid.”

“Are you sure Nian Junting will still help you?” An Lan raised her brows.

“I’m not sure.” Luosang shrugged. “But if he won’t help me, I’ll figure something out myself. I’m talking about our partnership today.”

“Sure, I won’t lose anything, anyway.” An Lan nodded and shook her hand.

…

At the Tianhu Villa.

The evening hues painted the sky, and Nian Junting came home from work. He walked in to see Sister Lan watching television in the living room. He frowned. “It’s so late. Why haven’t you made dinner yet?”

“Sang is cooking in the kitchen. She won’t let me chip in and chased me out,” Sister Lan said indignantly as she pointed at the closed-off kitchen.

Nian Junting was gleeful immediately. He walked over and pushed the door open to see Luosang making fish head tofu stew. The sweetness of the seafood filled the air with an enticing aroma. “Yum, smells so good.” Nian Junting hugged her from behind and buried his face in her neck.

“Yeah, I just showered and washed my hair.” Luosang was about to touch his face when she realized that she hadn’t washed her hands yet after touching the tofu.

“I’m talking about the fish, not you.” Nian Junting hummed lightly. “Don’t be so full of yourself.”

Luosang put down her hand slowly. She wanted to smack him with the spatula.

Nian Junting glanced at the countertop. It was filled with his favorite dishes. “Luo, why are you treating me so nice? It’s not even my birthday yet. Are you going someplace for your job?”

“No, I just thought you must be tired after all you’ve done for my dad. I wanted to treat you to something special to thank you.” Luosang looked at him coyly.

“I should be helping our dad. It’s just that I haven’t been making much progress.” Nian Junting hugged her and mumbled, “It’s so strange that the trail seemed to stop here. I just can’t seem to find any further evidence. If we really can’t figure things out, let’s bail your father out on account of medical treatment outside. We can diagnose him with a psychiatric problem, and he might feel better staying outside the prison.”

“Won’t that be against your principles?” Luosang panicked and said, “I asked before, my dad’s illness is because of his low morale. He won’t qualify for bail.”

“I can’t help it. I’m willing to bend my principles for my woman.” Nian Junting’s arms were still around her. He looked down at her youthful and beautiful face.

Luosang looked up at him for a while and shook her head. “No, I don’t want that. You have your own principles. I don’t want you to make an exception for me. You’ve already done enough for me.”

“But…”

“Junting, my father wants to clear his name,” Luosang said. “He is the most worried about my mother’s opinion of him when she finds out about what happened to him. He can’t bear the thought of her despising or mocking him.”

Nian Junting remarked, “Your dad is still troubled about love matters even at such an old age.”

Luosang rolled her eyes at him. “I know. You won’t like me anymore when you’re old. I guess you won’t be troubled by relationship matters, then.”