First-Class Lawyer

Once back at Fa Wang District, Fitz was invited into Gu Yans house for the very first time.

This young lady, whose lifes calling was to be an actress, stood in the doorway with her shoes in hand, beginning her award acceptance speech. Id like to thank Southcross and the countless perverts and scumbags across the years. Had I known that I could steal into the resident hotties (lv cao) house by winning his sympathy, I would have splayed myself to the door and bawled my heart out when doing house calls after moving next-door. Who knows. Maybe I could have set foot in here five years earlier.

Gu Yan, I would have phoned the mental hospital and moved out.

Fitz,

Professor Yan was more than happy to pour gasoline on the fire; he asked Fitz right in Lawyer Gus face, What do they call it? Green grass (lv cao)? Because his face is green as grass?

Lawyer Gu looked flatly at a certain ungrateful bastard throwing him to the wolves.

Our law firm (lv suo) hottie (cao), otherwise known as green grass (lv cao), said Fitz.

Yan Suizhi nodded. Oh, sounds about right.

Sounds about right my ass.

Gu Yanrefusedto entertain them.

Apologies, I dont have ladies slippers. Gu Yan took out a new pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet, hanging them over.

Wah! I actually have slippers that Lawyer Gu personally handed over in my hands. Miss Fitz, not yet scratching her itch for acting, continued to exult.

Yan Suizhi watched on, leaning against the cabinet, the corners of his lips never dropping.

Gu Yans head was pounding.

I think I need to iron something out. I dont believe Ive ever said anything about shutting people out? he said.

Theres no smoke without fire. Where did I hear this rumour from, then? Fitz asserted.

Correct me if Im wrong, but the first ones to spread this rumourwereyou and Joe. Lawyer Gu deadpanned, I thank you for that.

How can that be? Even if it was us, it must have been because your poker face game is too strong. In all the years that youve lived here, who have you invited over to have fun?

Smiling, Yan Suizhi exposed him, No one. The bed in the guest room isnt even out of the plastic.

Fitz, There you have it!

Gu Yan,

Lawyer Gu stonily pulled up the door control panel.

Beep.

The door automatically closed, very gently bunting Fitz, this young missy, into the house, then latching shut with a click.

As for the other one, who was leaning against the cabinet, unable to be buntedhe could only manually invite him to the living room.

Owing to how keyed up Miss Fitz was, any mood of going home to sleep eluded her. So, they simply gave her a run-down of the present situation, as well as the evidence collected thus far and what they were still missing

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She even smoothly changed the address in a heartbeat.

Thats what I thought! How can a typical intern be so powerful that Gu will make exception after exception for him! Fitz said, It did cross my mind, actually, but it felt quite ridiculous to me, so I never quite dared to believe it.

Gu Yan thought that her incredulity was directed to the deans resurrection and was about to speakonly to hear the young missy carry on, I still remember his first day at the office. You told me to render the intern his salary and have him get lost.

Yan Suizhi echoed, I remember it all too well.

Gu Yan,

Totally, right. Same here. How did a cheeky student like you not get expelled?

Yan Suizhi, Im very generous; see, hasnt he smoothly graduated?

Gu Yan,

Despite not being a former student, Fitz was still a natural at toadying up to him. Super generous. If it were me, Id definitely have held him back two years and refused to sign off his thesis. Does being handsome give him free lease to be so imprudent? Puh-lease, itll never work on the dean.

Yan Suizhi coughed, this time not partaking in the crosstalk.

Based on the present reality, it did work

Fitz was forced to conclude in the sudden silence. Anyway, it felt ridiculous to me because it astounds me that you actually havent been punished for your transgressions. If I were to censor out the names and post this online, the comment section would be unanimousyour teacher must really love you.

Professor Yan hummed, acquiescing. Then, he favoured Gu Yan with a half-smile, looking at him. Hear that?

Lawyer Gus gaze flashed. His eyebrows knit and he took a sip of coffee, replying with a stoic face, Well discuss this later.

Fitz,

Erm thats not what I meant!

She scanned the interior of the villa again, her gaze touching on the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, as well as the little grove of lamp pines outside the glass windows every little detail falling within her field of vision.

There were many possible relationships that people who lived under the same roof could havefamily, friends, partners, housemates, and so on.

It might not be obvious from the outside, but it was once stepping in.

For every corner, every trace of homeliness would inadvertently disclose the intimacy between the two occupants.

If she hadnt seen these traces, it would have been difficult for her to picture what Gu Yan or Yan Suizhi were like in their own private space, let alone cohabitation.

After all, they were both people who held others at a distance.

This was truly a bit inexplicable.

Once again, Miss Fitz exemplified the unspoken understanding between friends.

After glancing around, she raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips with an air of knowing, yet didnt broach the topic. When it really came down to it, she instead boxed her gossipy nature away.

Because

How was this fodder for speculation and gossip? It was practically presenting to her the model answer to copy from!

They talked for a long time afterwards, and when Fitz found out about the current situation, she listed all her gains from over the years.

For example, Southcross ingoing and outgoing accounts, its relationship with certain business tycoons and people of influence, and specific individuals suspicious activities.

Yan Suizhi didnt speak much on this night. At first he would poke fun at Gu Yan with her from time to time, but later he spent most of the time listening with his chin resting on his hand.

Having noticed this, Gu Yan probed him about it a few times, but he simply pulled over a cushion to incline against on his side, adjusting to a more relaxed and refined posture, then said, Go on, Im listening. Its all useful to us. I was a bit too sleepy to want to talk much. If I really cant hold out, Ill head up to rest on my own.

Having just been informed about Yan Suizhis physical status, Fitz wore her worry on her face, but Yan Suizhi waved it away. Its not a big deal. Lin Yuan has been working after hours at Spring Ivy to straighten this out. Hell find a way.

Thus far, Professor Yan had yet to fail in pacifying others when he really put his mind to it.

He always had myriad ways to make his arguments compelling, furthermore, he always looked so unconcerned that it easily induced the delusion that everything was going to be okay, even if the sky caved in.

Fitz studied his expression and, finding that he seemed well, carried on with what she was saying.

The evidence that she had collected over the years was mostly confined to Southcross Law Firm, but it was enough to bring down a whole lot.

Gu Yan initially wanted her to provide a definitive list of everyone involved, but the young missy bluntly expressed, What do you need a name list for! Im a walking name list! I think my opinion of them is obvious enoughwhoever I dont like has shady stuff going on. People that I like are in the clear. Its that simple.

Gu Yan considered it by her logic. If Im not mistaken, your daily greeting to almost everyone is so-and-so, youre so charming, or so-and-so, if you stopped doing this then Id love you even more. I suggest that you give me a more objective metric instead.

Fitz, Must you repeat my words with such a deadpan face? You make my warm words sound like debt collection. Also, when you said charming and whatnot, did you have to peek at the dean? Are you that afraid that Im starving, trying to shove me some dog food for supper?

Gu Yan was certainly not the type to openly flaunt his affections. At this, he stilled. Did I?

Yeah, you glanced over twice. Fitz held up two fingers, pointing towards her own eyes then lifting her chin at Yan Suizhi. I have eyes.

Because you say those words to him the most, said Gu Yan sedately.

Dont bother forcing out an explanation. Although Im a true blue bachelorette, Ive seen the world. A crafty glint entered her eyes. It was basically a conditioned reflex, dont you think, Dean?

She originally wanted to pull Yan Suizhi into another round of poking fun at Gu Yan, yet discovered that Yan Suizhi, who had his eyes hooded just now, had quietly fallen asleep. Under the warm lighting, his skin seemed softly glossed in porcelain white, and his lashes appeared dark and dense, shadows fanning under his eyes.

It could be cognitive bias speaking, or it could be the angle. But after finding out Yan Suizhis identity, Fitz felt that the person sleeping under the glow of the floor lamp seemed to resemble the photo decorating Maze Universitys wall even more now.

The countenance was more and more alike. He was handsome, charming even when asleep.

Fitz subconsciously lowered her voice.

She looked up at the wall clock and said, Oh my, Look at the time! Forget it, even the dean has fallen asleep. I should head back too, lest I get too excited to keep my voice down and accidentally rouse him. You should rest soon, too. Ill be off now.

Gu Yan rose to his feet as well.

He bent at the waist to brush aside a few stray strands of hair, then turned his head, saying to Fitz, Its late. Ill send you back.

Isnt it just a few paces away? If anyone hears this, theyll break a spleen laughing. Miss Fitz waved him off, striding to the doorway.

She changed into her shoes and opened the door. Already one foot out, she couldnt help but turn her head back to say to Gu Yan, By the way, didnt you guys say before that you needed me to provide evidence and testimony in court? The thought scared me a little, which is why I havent made a move yet after so many years in the firm. But now, Im really looking forward to that moment. We count as good friends, right, Gu?

Yes. Gu Yans answer was steady and straightforward.

Then from now on, Ive got someone watching my back. I feel invincible! Fitz laughed up and shooed him, Hurry up and go to bed. Goodnight, to you and the dean.

However, this night was doomed not to be restful.

Fitz was still too excited to sleep, so she wasnt in a hurry to head back after leaving Gu Yans house. Instead, she strolled along the well-lit pedestrian paths in the garden, enjoying the quiet in the late night.

The security in the city gardens was excellent. Not far away, a few people on duty could be seen moving and chatting inside the guardhouse.

As she finished her third lap and was about to head in, the door to Gu Yans house abruptly opened.

Her head swivelled around at the sound, and the sight startled her.

Gu Yan was striding out with a man in his arms, and his matte black hovercar started up all of a sudden, whirring out of the garage before halting at the door.

Oh heavens, whats wrong?! Fitz hurriedly jogged over. What happened to the dean? Wasnt he alright just now? Did he faint, did he fall ill?

In Gu Yans arms was Yan Suizhi, who was not long ago nodding off with a chin propped on his handyet at this moment had a tight furrow between his brows, lifelessly slumped in Gu Yans embrace.

He appeared extremely uncomfortable but had seemingly fallen into deep slumber, unresponsive to external disturbance.

Gu Yans complexion had never ever looked so godawful to Fitz.

He didnt even hear what Fitz had just said. In a low rasp, he responded without answering her question, Im going to the hospital.