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"Mashuer! Coffee!"

"Mashuer! The photocopier is jammed!"

"Front desk! Has my package arrived?"

Amidst the shouts and calls, Ma Shuer mechanically moved through the law firm's corridors, her high heels clicking rapidly on the marble floor.

Her notebook was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous tasks—booking meeting rooms, ordering lunch, sending and receiving packages…

There was not a single document or document related to the law.

"Attorney Liu, here's your coffee." Ma Shuer gently placed the paper cup on the desk.

The middle-aged female lawyer didn't even look up: "Too much sugar. Soak it again."

"..." Ma Shuer's fingers tightened slightly, her nails digging into her palm.

Three months ago, this lawyer Liu respectfully addressed her as "Lawyer Ma," but now he doesn't even give her a second glance.

"Okay! I'll make it again." She heard her own calm voice.

In the break room, Ma Shuer stared at the rising steam from the coffee machine, her eyes burning.

The mirror reflected her haggard face—her once exquisite makeup had been simplified to the most basic foundation, and her designer suits had been replaced with basic items on sale at the mall.

What stung her most was the extinguished light in her eyes, the confident radiance of an elite lawyer.

My phone vibrated; it was a message from Suning: "What do you want to eat tonight?"

Five simple words, yet they made Ma Shuer's lips unconsciously curl into a smile.

She quickly replied: "Anything is fine, as long as it's something you made."

As she got off work, Ma Shuer dragged her tired body through the door and was immediately enveloped by an enticing aroma.

In the kitchen, Su Ning was wearing an apron and stir-frying something, while Ma Jimu sat at the dining table doing his homework.

"You're back?" Su Ning turned to her and smiled. "Wash your hands and eat. I made your favorite steamed sea bass today."

Ma Shuer suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

She quickly walked behind Su Ning, rested her forehead against his broad back, and took a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" Su Ning turned around and looked at her after turning off the small fire.

Ma Shuer shook her head and buried her face in his chest: "Let me hug you for a while."

Su Ning gently wrapped his arms around her, his fingers stroking her tense back: "Are you very tired today?"

“Hmm.” Ma Shu’er’s voice was muffled. “I acted as a babysitter for the entire firm’s staff for eight hours.”

Su Ning rested his chin on the top of her head: "Should we quit?"

“No.” Ma Shuer looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. “Jobs are hard to find these days, and besides…”

She glanced at her son, who was focused on his homework, and said, "Medical expenses, living expenses..."

Su Ning cupped her face and wiped away the dark circles under her eyes with her thumb: "It will get better! Ji Mo will soon not need to take medicine anymore, and I'll cover her living expenses too."

"Yes, it's so good to have you! You're even paying me to be your nanny."

"It's because you're so alluring at night! Looks like I'll have to take care of you for the rest of my life."

"Hmph! I'll show you what I'm made of tonight."

"Go eat first! You can only challenge me after you've eaten your fill."

At the dinner table, Ma Jiming excitedly recounted funny stories from school, with Su Ning occasionally chiming in to make the child laugh heartily.

Ma Shuer watched this scene quietly, and the dull pain in her chest gradually dissipated.

For a fleeting moment, she felt as if this was the life she was meant to have.

A complete family, a man to rely on, and a healthy and happy child.

In the stillness of the night, Ma Jimu quickly fell asleep.

Ma Shuer curled up in Su Ning's arms, finally letting her emotions that had been suppressed all day burst forth.

“They actually made me sort through case files from the past ten years,” her voice trembled. “Those were cases I handled myself, and now they want me to learn them all over again like an intern…”

Su Ning's fingers ran through her hair as he listened quietly.

“The most ridiculous thing is that today a customer recognized me and asked me why I was at the front desk…” Ma Shuer choked up a bit, “I could only say that I had been temporarily reassigned.”

Su Ning kissed the top of her head: "Do you still remember the first case you took on?"

Ma Shuer was taken aback: "Of course! It's a case of migrant workers demanding unpaid wages. I stayed up for three nights straight..."

Was it difficult back then?

“It was much harder than this,” Ma Shuer smiled unconsciously. “I had just graduated and didn’t know anything…”

“But you won.” Su Ning’s voice was deep and firm. “Ma Shu’er, you are never someone who can be defeated.”

Ma Shuer looked up at him, and in the dim light of the bedside lamp, Su Ning's features appeared particularly resolute.

She suddenly rolled over and pinned him down, kissing him eagerly.

At this moment, she needed to confirm in the most direct way that she was still alive and that someone still cared about her.

Then Suning brought in Ma Shuer again...

……

On a weekend morning, Ma Shuer was dragged out of bed by Suning.

"Where are you going so early?" she asked sleepily.

Suning smiled mysteriously: "I'll take you somewhere."

An hour later, the three of them stood in the lobby of the notary office.

Ma Shuer looked at Suning taking a number with a puzzled expression: "Do you need a notarized document?"

"Yes, I need to ask you about something." Su Ning pulled her down to sit. "By the way, my friend has a contract dispute..."

He began to describe a fictitious legal problem in detail, his voice deliberately raised a few decibels.

Ma Shuer immediately switched into professional mode and began to analyze the situation clearly and logically.

Soon, the waiting crowd was drawn to her professional explanation and gathered around.

"Madam, may I ask you about an inheritance issue?" an elderly woman asked timidly.

Mashuer nodded gently: "Tell me about it."

For the next two hours, Mashuer served as the notary office's temporary legal advisor.

She patiently answered every question, from labor disputes to divorce agreements, demonstrating her professional competence.

Tao Jun, standing in the corner, held up a camera and recorded everything. Of course, he was specially invited by Suning.

In the taxi on the way home, Ma Shuer was as excited as a child: "Oh my god! Fang Yuan, I haven't felt like this in so long! It's like...like rediscovering myself!"

Su Ning smiled and hugged her: "See! You were born to be a lawyer."

Ma Shuer suddenly realized something and narrowed her eyes: "Wait, did you do this on purpose today?"

"What do you mean, intentionally?" Su Ning feigned ignorance.

"You!" Ma Shuer punched him lightly, but couldn't help laughing. "But... I still want to thank you."

Three days later, Ma Shuer received a phone call from an unknown number.

"Is this Attorney Ma Shuer? I'm the director of the Justice Law Firm. I watched your video at the notary office... Would you be interested in coming for an interview with us?"

On the other end of the phone, Ma Shuer covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.

The interview went surprisingly smoothly.

As Mashu walked out of the law firm building, the setting sun shone brightly on her.

She took out her phone and dialed Suning's number with trembling fingers.

"I passed!" she almost shouted. "They offered me the position of deputy director!"

A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone: "I'm at the coffee shop across from you."

Ma Shuer looked up and saw Suning raising a glass to her through the glass window.

She rushed into the coffee shop, ignoring the stares of others, and threw herself into Su Ning's arms.

"How did you do that?" she asked in a low voice.

Su Ning stroked her long hair: "I didn't do anything, I just made the gold shine again."

That evening, Ma Shuer opened a bottle of red wine that she had treasured for many years.

After a few drinks, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glazed over as she straddled Su Ning's lap.

She traced her fingertips across his Adam's apple. "Fang Yuan, how can I repay you?"

Su Ning placed his palm on her lower back: "You already have an idea?"

Ma Shuer leaned down and whispered a few words in his ear, and Su Ning's eyes instantly darkened.

She laughed as he pushed her down onto the sofa, her shirt buttons popping open one by one...

After the passion subsided, Ma Shuer leaned against Su Ning's chest and suddenly asked, "Tao Jun said today...you have another daughter?"

Su Ning's body stiffened visibly for a moment: "Yes, call him Fang Ke."

"Where is she?"

“He went to live in the United States with his ex-wife, and they left secretly.” Su Ning’s voice was a little hoarse. “So we’ve rarely seen each other since the divorce.”

Ma Shuer looked up at him: "Do you miss her?"

Su Ning remained silent for a long time, so long that Ma Shuer thought he wouldn't answer.

Finally, he said softly, "I've already let it go."

Ma Shuer's heart suddenly softened completely.

She tried her best to imagine what Fang Ke looked like, and the scenes of this girl playing with Ma Jiming...

A complete family—this was a future she never dared to dream of.

She said softly, "Fang Yuan, when will you take me to meet Fang Ke?"

In the darkness, she felt Su Ning's arm tighten slightly.

He didn't answer, but Mashuer knew that this silence wasn't a rejection, but rather that the man hadn't truly accepted her.

She was willing to wait until he was ready.

……

At 7:30 in the morning, Ma Shuer stood in front of the wardrobe, her fingers wandering among a row of business suits that she hadn't worn in a long time.

She pulled out a dark blue suit jacket, then hesitated and put it back.

“This one looks good.” Su Ning’s voice came from behind him. He was holding an egg spatula and pointed to the gray plaid suit. “Professional yet approachable.”

Ma Shuer bit her lower lip: "I... I'm afraid if I dress too formally, my colleagues will think I'm putting on airs."

Su Ning approached and shoved the hot milk into her hand: "Attorney Ma, since when did you start caring about what other people think?"

He gently turned her shoulders so she faced the full-length mirror. "Look, this is the real you."

The woman in the mirror had slightly red eyes, but her back had already straightened unconsciously. Ma Shuer took a deep breath and accepted the suit: "You're right, I'm going to be a lawyer, not to curry favor with anyone."

At the dining table, Ma Jimu was wolfing down the bacon sandwich made by Suning.

"Mom looks so beautiful today!" the boy mumbled.

Ma Shuer ruffled her son's hair: "Uncle Su will take you to school today, and Mommy is going to report to her new company."

“I know!” Ma Jiming excitedly waved his fork. “Dad said you’re going to be a great lawyer! Just like before!”

Ma Shuer looked at Su Ning, who was frying a second egg, and a warm feeling welled up in her chest.

Over the past three weeks, this man has been helping her piece together her shattered confidence bit by bit.

"Here you go." Su Ning handed her the packed lunchbox. "It has your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs inside."

Ma Shuer took the lunchbox, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against Suning's palm.

In an instant, she made a decision, took a silver key from the keychain, and placed it in Su Ning's palm.

"What is this?" Su Ning raised an eyebrow.

“The spare key to the house.” Ma Shu’er’s voice was soft, but incredibly firm. “You can come over anytime from now on. I mean… in case Ji Mo and I aren’t home, you can…”

Su Ning gripped the keys tightly, a smile playing on her lips: "Understood, Attorney Ma. Now, go conquer your new battlefield."

"Ah."

……

The receptionist at the Justice Law Firm was visibly taken aback when she saw Ma Shuer: "You...you are Attorney Ma Shuer?"

"Yes! I am Mashuer."

"Please come with me! The director is waiting for you."

"Thank you."

As she walked through the office area, Ma Shuer could feel curious glances coming from all directions.

Her high heels clicked crisply on the marble floor, each step making her heart race.

"Attorney Ma! Welcome to our team!" Director Attorney Zhang greeted her warmly and personally showed her around. "This is your office, facing south with excellent natural light."

"Thank you! The law firm has made very thorough preparations."

"Remember to let me know if you need anything."

"it is good."

Ma Shuer stood in her spacious and bright private office, her fingers tracing the gleaming solid wood desk, feeling as if she had stepped into another world.

Her three months as a receptionist were like a nightmare, but now, she has finally woken up.

My phone rang right on time during lunchtime.

When Ma Shuer saw the name "Fang Yuan" on the screen, she smiled unconsciously.

"How was your first day, Attorney Ma?" Su Ning's smiling voice came through the receiver.

Ma Shuer lowered her voice: "It's better than I expected. Director Zhang values ​​me highly and gave me several cases directly."

"Don't rush to show off," Su Ning reminded her. "First, get along well with your colleagues. Bring some snacks to the break room and listen to some gossip."

Ma Shuer chuckled: "Fang Yuan, are you even going to dictate workplace social interactions now?"

“Of course,” Su Ning said matter-of-factly, “Don’t forget, you’re mine now. If you don’t perform well, it’s my face that’s going to be embarrassed.”

"Pah! Who's your person..." Ma Shuer retorted, but her face turned red.

After hanging up the phone, she actually went downstairs to the cake shop and bought two boxes of macarons.

During afternoon tea time, Ma Shuer appeared in the tea room with snacks.

"Everyone has worked hard, I bought some desserts..." she said somewhat awkwardly.

The initial awkwardness was quickly dispelled by the delicious food.

When Mashuer inadvertently helped a young lawyer solve a loophole in a contract, the break room immediately turned into a mini legal consultation room.

When she left work, several colleagues had already invited her to lunch the next day.

……

On the day of the school's parent-teacher conference, Ma Jiming was unusually excited, grabbing Su Ning's hand and shaking it repeatedly: "Uncle Su, Teacher Lu said that parents need to perform a talent show, can you sing?"

Su Ning pinched the boy's cheek: "I can do a little, but I probably can't sing as well as you."

At the classroom door, Lu Qing, wearing a light blue dress, was greeting parents.

When she looked up and saw Suning, the smile on her face froze instantly.

Su Ning nodded calmly and said, "Hello, Teacher Lu! I am Fang Yuan, Ma Jimu's parent."

Lu Qing gripped the sign-in sheet tightly, her knuckles turning white: "Then may I ask what the relationship is between Mr. Fang and Ji Mo?"

“I am his father.”

Lu Qing's eyes flickered: "Really? I remember last semester's parent-teacher conference..."

“There have been some changes in the family situation.” Su Ning interrupted her, gently pressing Ma Jiming’s shoulder. “Is there anything you need to tell me, Teacher Lu?”

"No."

The parent-teacher meeting went smoothly until the awards ceremony.

Lu Qing took out a certificate: "Next, please invite Ma Jimu's parent to come up on stage to receive the first prize in the English competition."

Amidst applause, Su Ning calmly walked onto the stage.

As he received the certificate from Lu Qing, she suddenly lowered her voice and asked, "When did you have a son?"

Su Ning smiled at all the parents in the class and answered softly, "Is Teacher Lu also interested in matters of the heart?"

Lu Qing was momentarily speechless, then raised her voice: "Could you please share some educational insights, Mr. Ma?"

This was clearly a challenge, but Su Ning calmly turned around and said, "Actually, there's nothing special about it. It's just about spending more time with people and offering more encouragement."

He looked at Ma Jiming, who was staring at him expectantly from below the stage, and said, "Every child deserves to be loved unconditionally, regardless of blood ties."

The classroom was silent for a moment, then burst into enthusiastic applause.

Lu Qing stood to the side, her smile somewhat forced.

That evening, Lu Qing went to the movie theater to look for Su Ning, only to find that Su Ning had already moved away.

Moreover, Tao Jun deliberately told Lu Qing in secret that Su Ning's relationship with his two female employers was not ordinary, which naturally made Lu Qing feel preoccupied.

Then Lu Qing managed to contact Su Ning by phone. However, when Su Ning asked about Lu Qing's recent situation, she said that she had gone out for a walk and figured everything out.

Su Ning felt that since things were like this, she hoped everyone would get along well and stop torturing themselves. Lu Qing happily agreed.

……

Suning has now found another job; his employer, Professor Wu, is an architectural designer.

On the weekend, Suning was preparing lunch at Professor Wu's house.

The architecture professor pushed up his glasses and looked at Su Ning, who was tossing the wok in front of the stove, with surprise: "Xiao Fang, your technique is very professional!"

"Just a hobby," Su Ning said modestly with a smile, as she plated the stir-fried Longjing shrimp.

At the dinner table, Professor Wu talked about the museum project he was designing: "I've never been satisfied with the structure of this arched ceiling..."

“What if we use a tensioned beam structure in conjunction with a glass curtain wall?” Suning casually suggested, “It would ensure natural light while also showcasing a streamlined aesthetic.”

Professor Wu's chopsticks paused in mid-air: "Xiao Fang, you know about architecture?"

Su Ning then realized he had let something slip: "Uh... I've read some books."

“No,” Professor Wu pressed sharply, “a tensioned beam structure is a very specialized concept. Are you an architecture student?”

Faced with Professor Wu's probing gaze, Su Ning could only give a vague answer: "I...have had some contact with him before."

Professor Wu exclaimed, "Xiao Fang! It's such a waste that you're a nanny! Why don't you come and audit some classes at our school? I can recommend you..."

“Thank you, Professor Wu,” Su Ning interrupted hastily, “but my current job is very good.”

He smiled bitterly to himself—due to system limitations, he was simply unable to do any work other than housekeeping.

Just then, the phone rang.

Ma Shuer's profile picture popped up: "Fang Yuan, Teacher Lu came for a home visit. He said it's about the winter camp... Can you come back for a bit?"

……

At Ma Shuer's home, Lu Qing was smiling as she explained the arrangements for the parent-child winter camp to Ma Shuer: "...It mainly consists of outdoor activities and team building, which are very helpful in cultivating children's willpower."

Ma Shuer glanced at her son with concern: "But Ji Mo's health..."

"Mom, I want to participate!" Ma Jiming said eagerly. "All the other students are going!"

Lu Qing added, "The infirmary will be there the whole time, and the intensity of the activities has been adjusted. And..."

She paused for a moment, then added, "It would be best if both parents accompanied them."

Mashuer's fingers unconsciously twisted together.

Since her husband left, what she fears most is occasions that require the "complete family" to be present.

The sound of the door lock turning broke the brief silence.

Su Ning walked in carrying groceries and greeted her naturally, "Teacher Lu is here?"

Ma Shuer stood up with a sigh of relief: "Fang Yuan, Teacher Lu is talking about the school's winter camp..."

The atmosphere among the three became subtle.

Lu Qing watched Su Ning skillfully place the ingredients into the kitchen, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "Mr. Fang also lives here?"

"He's my dad, so naturally he's a member of our family!" Ma Jiming announced loudly, running over to hug Su Ning's leg.

Su Ning ruffled the boy's hair and looked at Ma Shuer: "When is the winter camp?"

“Next weekend,” Mashuer bit her lip, “but I’m worried…”

“I’ll go with you,” Su Ning said readily. “I happen to be off that day.”

Lu Qing suddenly stood up: "Then... it's settled. I have something to do, so I'll be going now."

After seeing Lu Qing off, Ma Shuer let out a long sigh of relief and slumped onto the sofa: "Thank you for getting me out of that predicament. I was really afraid that Ji Mo would feel inferior because of his single-parent family background..."

Su Ning sat down beside her and gently took her hand: "You're not a single parent anymore."

Ma Shuer looked up at him, her eyes slightly red: "Fang Yuan, sometimes I'm really afraid this is all a dream, afraid that I'll wake up and find that you've never existed."

Su Ning didn't answer, but simply pulled her into his arms.

Ma Jimu squeezed in at some point, and the three of them huddled together, like travelers seeking warmth in a storm.

Outside the window, Lu Qing stood across the street, gazing at this heartwarming scene for a long time.

Finally, she turned and left, her figure appearing particularly lonely in the setting sun.

……

(End of this chapter)