Qin Siling was livid. "What do you mean by ’the Qin family’s meager assets?’"
Feng Mian chuckled again and said, "Besides, the timing doesn’t work out. I’ve taken on another case, so I apologize, Miss Qin."
Qin Siling gritted her teeth and asked, "May I ask what case Mr. Feng has taken?"
"It’s a business secret! However, I can reveal that it’s also a divorce case. A certain unscrupulous businessman wants to divorce his wife and leave her penniless, and I’m representing the wife." Feng Mian smiled. "Out of human kindness, I’m doing it for free."
Upon hearing this, Qin Siling leaned in slightly, her voice carrying a suggestive undertone as she asked, "Mr. Feng, perhaps we could arrange a time to talk properly?"
Feng Mian glanced at her, clearly understanding, and then said very formally, "I don’t engage in special relationships with my clients, especially married women."
He then said, even more seriously, "I prefer girls under 22."
Qin Siling was furious. How dare he turn her down when a woman of her status was willing to stoop to such pretense?
So, Qin Siling regained her composure and said with a faint smile, "Beicheng has other famous divorce lawyers. If Mr. Feng doesn’t wish to take the case, I won’t insist. To each his own." Google seaʀᴄh 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝙣𝙚𝙩
With that, she put on her sunglasses and left.
Getting into the car, Qin Siling made a call to Qin Han to inform him of the situation.
Qin Han was deeply worried, but Qin Siling reassured him, "Don’t worry, Dad. There are plenty of competent lawyers in Beicheng. I’ll pay a handsome sum to hire the second best."
After a pause, she added, "He’s also very capable. As long as he doesn’t have to go up against Feng Mian, he should be able to handle it."
Qin Han felt reassured. Afterward, Qin Siling held a meeting with the Qin family, old and young. They finalized their choice of lawyer and arranged for them to come to Beicheng on a selected date to gather information.
Old Master Qin shrewdly inquired, "How are things with Wang Keru?"
"All quiet," Qin Han said calmly.
Old Master Qin sneered, "What kind of major move could a mere woman like her make? We can rest easy when Si Lan is handling things. If Si Lan says that lawyer is formidable, then he must be exceptionally so."
Shen Wanqing was also present. She asked softly, "What if Wang Keru hires Feng Mian?"
"Absolutely impossible!" Qin Siling declared confidently. "Feng Mian is very busy with major cases. He wouldn’t have time for Wang Keru’s affairs. Besides, she doesn’t have the connections to know Feng Mian."
Shen Wanqing didn’t utter another word.
She now had no standing or say in the Qin family. Qin Siyuan had grown much colder towards her; he was no longer... close to her and would often get up in the middle of the night to smoke.
She knew his phone contained photos of Gu Anxi. She had always known he was thinking about Gu Anxi, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit it.
Shen Wanqing missed the days before Gu Anxi returned, when Qin Siyuan was kind to her, and so was the Qin family...
In the middle of the night, Shen Wanqing woke up. As usual, Qin Siyuan was not beside her.
She smelled a hint of smoke and knew he was up smoking again. So, she wrapped a robe around herself and went out to the balcony. "Siyuan, why aren’t you sleeping?"
Qin Siyuan turned his head. "Can’t sleep."
Shen Wanqing leaned against him and asked very softly, "Do you not want me anymore?"
Qin Siyuan took a drag from his cigarette and was silent for a moment before saying, "We’ll get married after graduation."
Regardless of his reasons for being with Shen Wanqing, they had come this far. As a man, Qin Siyuan had to take responsibility, even though he knew that Old Master Qin and Qin Han no longer cared much for Shen Wanqing.
Shen Wanqing pursed her lips and asked carefully, "Can we get engaged first?"
This was truly demeaning!
To think back to her 20th birthday, when the Qin family had valued and cherished her so much. Scarcely a month had passed, and things were completely different.
Qin Siyuan gave a faint smile. "If you want to get engaged, then let’s get engaged."
If he couldn’t be with the girl he liked, then marrying anyone else was the same.
Hearing this, Shen Wanqing felt somewhat reassured. She gently leaned against him. "Siyuan, Uncle Qin will win the lawsuit, right? And you’ll keep your position at the school, won’t you... Everything will be alright, won’t it..."
Qin Siyuan remained silent. He quietly finished his cigarette and then said in a low voice, "Let’s get some sleep."
「The next day was Wednesday.」
Qing University held a mock exam, and just like the previous time, the teachers eagerly graded the papers on the same day.
Qin Siyuan ranked first in basic subjects for his entire year.
Gu Anxi also ranked first in basic subjects for her entire year.
The whole school was abuzz.
Last time, Gu Anxi had only ranked 28th in her year; this time, she was directly first.
The total score for the five fourth-year subjects was 620 points. Qin Siyuan scored 608 points, which was already extremely impressive.
The total score for the five second-year subjects was 620 points. Gu Anxi scored a perfect 620 points—a top student among top students.
The school was buzzing again, with everyone guessing how many points Gu Anxi would score if she took the fourth-year exams!