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"Ms. Ma, you have a question about your son's miraculous recovery but your refusal to disclose the treatment plan. Have you considered the suffering of other patients?"

"There are inside sources claiming that you have mastered a highly effective traditional Chinese medicine formula but have applied for a patent to profit from it. How do you respond?"

"As a lawyer, if you knowingly break the law by using illegal drugs, shouldn't you voluntarily turn yourself in?"

At the press conference, flashbulbs rained down on Mashuer.

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her prepared statement, which fell apart under the media's selective and probing questions.

In the front row below the stage, several pale-faced parents of sick children held up signs that read "Save our children," their eyes filled with despair and condemnation that pierced through like knives.

“I reiterate,” Ma Shuer raised her voice, but it trembled uncontrollably, “my son Ma Jiming’s recovery was achieved through treatment at a reputable hospital, combined with his good physical condition and…”

“Liar!” A gaunt woman suddenly rushed onto the stage and knelt down in front of her. “My daughter is only five years old! Please, have mercy on me…”

The woman kowtowed frantically, the dull thud of her forehead hitting the ground amplified throughout the venue via microphone.

The scene was in chaos.

Ma Shuer tried to help her, but the woman grabbed her skirt tightly: "If you don't save my daughter, I'll die here!"

The security guards finally rushed up and pulled the woman away; Mashuer's suit was already wrinkled beyond recognition.

She looked blankly towards the back of the hall, where several men in suits stood, and representatives from the pharmaceutical company were coldly watching the farce they had orchestrated.

It was only then that Mashuer realized her foolishness; arguing with these people was pointless.

Back in the backstage lounge, Ma Shuer slumped onto the sofa, her phone vibrating incessantly; she had already missed over a dozen calls from the law firm director.

She took a deep breath and called back.

“Attorney Ma,” the director’s voice was unusually tired, “our firm’s board of directors just finished a meeting… I’m sorry, under the current circumstances…”

“I understand,” Ma Shuer interrupted him, her voice surprisingly calm. “I will send your resignation letter to your email.”

After hanging up the phone, she opened social media and found that the hashtag #SelfishDrugShuer# had already become a trending topic.

The comment section was filled with vicious remarks such as "refusing to help someone in distress", "legal bitch", and "their licenses should be revoked".

What broke her heart the most was that someone even dug up photos of Ma Jimu's school, and the comments section was filled with curses like "Why should her child be allowed to live?"

"Mom?" The door to the lounge was pushed open a crack, and Ma Jiming timidly peeked in. "Shall we go home?"

Ma Shuer quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile: "Baby, shall we... shall we go to Hong Kong for a few days? We'll ride on a big plane and stay at the Disney Hotel..."

"Now?" Ma Jiming's eyes widened. "What about Fang Yuan's father?"

Ma Shuer's heart clenched: "Dad has other work to do, he'll come to see us later."

She knew her lie was terribly clumsy, but she also knew that leaving at that moment was the only way to protect her son.

They clearly agreed to resolve the matter through legal means, yet it ended up in such a pathetic state.

However, Ma Shuer's departure was not a compromise. She collected all the mindless comments from self-media and individuals and reported them to the police and filed lawsuits.

Of course, the punishment for these mindless media outlets will be merciless; they will definitely have to pay the price for their actions.

……

"So, Ma Shuer just left like that?" Tao Jun handed over a can of beer and asked cautiously.

Su Ning sat on an old sofa backstage at the movie theater, staring at her phone screen. A text message from Ma Shuer read: "[Take Ji Mo to Hong Kong to avoid the storm. Don't worry.]"

Eight hours have passed, and Gao Yawen has already prepared everything in advance.

"Hmm." He tilted his head back and gulped down half a can of beer. "The pharmaceutical company's move is ruthless; they're using the moral blackmail of patients' families."

Tao Jun hesitated, then asked, "Then... what will you do?"

"Wait," Su Ning replied briefly, her phone suddenly vibrating.

He quickly grabbed the phone, but it was an unfamiliar number: "Mr. Fang, I am the Assistant President of Roche Pharmaceuticals China. I sincerely invite you..."

He blocked me directly; this is the twenty-third time today.

The backstage door was flung open, and Lin Li rushed in, shouting, "Oh my god! Have you seen Weibo? Attorney Ma has been..."

Tao Jun desperately tried to signal to Lin Li, who then noticed Su Ning's gloomy expression and quickly shut her mouth.

"Um... I'll go prepare for the afternoon session." Tao Jun pulled Lin Li out, muttering under his breath, "Let him have some peace and quiet..."

The door had just closed when it was pushed open again.

This time it was Lu Qing, wearing a light purple dress, her exquisite makeup standing out starkly against the dimly lit backstage.

"Fang Yuan, you really are here!" Her eyes lit up, and she walked straight up to Su Ning. "I've been looking for you all day!"

Su Ning frowned: "Is something the matter?"

"Of course I have something to do!" Lu Qing grabbed his hand without waiting for a reply. "My dance class starts soon, and you promised to come with me!"

"When did I ever agree to that?" Su Ning was quite helpless at Lu Qing's self-talk.

"Let's go!" Lu Qing didn't give him a chance to argue, dragging Su Ning out the door like a giant doll. "You need to relax! Dancing is the best way to do that!"

Half an hour later, Su Ning stood blankly in a corner of a high-end dance studio, watching Lu Qing flit among a group of students like a butterfly.

She was unusually excited today, constantly introducing him to her companions: "This is my boyfriend, Fang Yuan!"

“Teacher Lu,” a bespectacled male student asked sourly, “what does your boyfriend do for a living?”

Lu Qing's smile froze for a moment, then she raised her chin: "Freelance! What's wrong, does Teacher Han have a problem with that?"

The male teacher named Han Yang pushed up his glasses and looked Su Ning up and down: "I wouldn't dare! I'm just curious what type of girl Teacher Lu likes."

Lu Qing grabbed Su Ning's arm, her voice saccharine: "I love someone like him! Mature, steady, and with a story..."

She suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed Su Ning on the cheek, "Most importantly, you're incredibly caring!"

Su Ning turned away to avoid further intimacy and whispered, "Lu Qing, that's enough."

"Jealous?" Lu Qing misunderstood him and winked smugly. "Don't worry, Han Yang and I are just colleagues. I will not accept his advances."

The dance class ended in an eerie atmosphere.

On the way back, Lu Qing kept gossiping about the students, seemingly oblivious to Su Ning's distracted state.

"Oh, right!" she suddenly remembered something and clapped her hands excitedly, "Tomorrow's the weekend, let's go on a picnic! I know a great spot in the Western Hills..."

“Lu Qing,” Su Ning finally interrupted her, “Ma Shu’er and I haven’t broken up; she’s just left temporarily.”

Lu Qing's smile froze as if it had been paused: "But she...didn't she run away with the child? The whole internet is cursing her..."

“It’s temporary.” Su Ning’s voice was soft, but incredibly firm. “I will handle everything and then go find them.”

Lu Qing's expression changed several times, then she suddenly grabbed his wrist: "Why? What's so good about her? A lawyer who uses a child for publicity! And me... I've always..."

“Lu Qing,” Su Ning gently pulled away, “Don’t do this. You were the one who gave up back then, otherwise we should be married by now.”

"No!" Tears welled up in Lu Qing's eyes. "You have no idea what I've been through these past year! Every time I passed by a movie theater, I wondered if you were there... Every time I saw you, my heart raced..."

Her voice trailed off, "I was wrong! Fang Yuan, I shouldn't have left you, I shouldn't have... But now I understand, I love you!"

Su Ning looked at her in silence.

The setting sun cast a golden glow on Lu Qing's delicate profile, but it couldn't penetrate her eyes, which were filled with unwavering determination.

"There's a hotel up ahead, come with me to rest for a bit." "What's wrong? Tired?"

"Let's see if you're the medicine that can cure me."

"..."

Then Su Ning took Lu Qing to a nearby five-star hotel, and upon entering the room...

The next day, Lu Qing became even more attached to Su Ning, completely becoming an accessory to him.
-
At the movie theater, Tao Jun muttered as he tidied up the projector, "If you ask me, Lin Li should quit that lousy job! Three thousand five a month, not even enough to buy a decent piece of clothing..."

Su Ning leaned against the door frame: "As long as she likes it, that's all that matters."

"Like her?" Tao Jun waved his arms exaggeratedly. "Work as a waitress in a hotel? She's a college student!"

"Tao Jun," Lin Li's icy voice came from behind, "I'll say it one last time—I like children, I like this job, and I don't need you to support me!"

Tao Jun hurriedly turned around: "Lily! That's not what I meant..."

"Shut up!" Lin Li threw her backpack at him. "Take me to work! On the way, think about how ridiculous your feudal idea that 'men must earn more than women' is!"

Watching the two of them leave, arguing and bickering, Su Ning shook her head.

He glanced at his watch—8:40, time to meet Lu Qing.

Just thinking about what happened in the hotel room last night, Su Ning couldn't help but wear a smug look on her face.

Although he knew he shouldn't give her hope, he really needed to catch his breath at that moment.

Lu Qing had been waiting for a long time at the entrance of Xishan Park.

She changed into a casual outfit today, which made her look less deliberate and more youthful and energetic.

"Fang Yuan, you're here!" She jogged over, her face beaming with undisguised joy. "I thought..."

"Just relax! Don't think about doing anything else," Su Ning emphasized.

Lu Qing shrugged it off: "Hmph! Say what you want! Do you think I'd eat you up in public?"

"Last night, didn't you almost eat me alive?"

"Oh! You're such a bad guy."

"Lu Qing, I can't make any promises to you. I hope you can accept the consequences of getting involved with a scumbag."

"But I'm not willing to give up! I want to try."

"try what?"

"Trying to conquer you."

"Alright! Let's do our best to achieve immediate success."

The picnic spot she chose was indeed secluded and beautiful—a lawn by the lake, surrounded by maple trees.

Lu Qing spread out a picnic blanket and magically produced a variety of exquisite foods from the basket.

"Try this sandwich, I got up at five this morning to make it!" she said eagerly, handing it over. "And this strawberry cake, it's your favorite flavor..."

Su Ning took the food, somewhat surprised: "How did you know what I like?"

“Observation!” Lu Qing winked smugly, “You always buy salty popcorn when you go to the movies, and you only drink lemon water in the summer…”

Her voice suddenly softened, "I've collected every detail about you, like a stamp collector."

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the picnic blanket.

Lu Qing chattered on about the interesting things that happened at school, occasionally letting out a silvery laugh.

There were a few moments when Suning almost forgot about all those unpleasant things.

"...So I threw the chalk at him, and it hit him right on the forehead!" Lu Qing laughed so hard she almost fell over, then suddenly changed the subject, "Su Ning, do you remember the first time we met?"

Su Ning raised an eyebrow: "That time you mistook me for a stalker?"

"Ouch!" Lu Qing playfully slapped him. "Didn't you apologize later?"

She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes glazed over. "Actually, I fell for you that day, but I just didn't want to admit it... Why would a male nanny make my heart flutter?"

"And now?" Su Ning asked half-jokingly, "Is the male nanny good enough for Teacher Lu?"

“It’s not a matter of whether we’re a good match or not.” Lu Qing became unusually serious. “It’s that I’ve finally realized that to love someone is to love them completely.” She reached out and stroked Su Ning’s brow bone. “Including your pride, your secrets, even the fact that you have someone else in your heart…”

Su Ning grabbed her wrist: "Lu Qing..."

"Shh! Don't rush to refuse." Lu Qing pulled her hand away.

Laughter from tourists could be heard in the distance, while the lake water gently lapped against the shore nearby.

Looking at the once spoiled and willful girl in front of her, Su Ning suddenly realized that she had grown up.

"Thank you! I will try to love you." He only managed to say these two words, but they carried more weight than any promise.

Lu Qing took a deep breath and suddenly jumped up: "Alright! Sad time is over!"

She grabbed Su Ning and said, "Come on, I'll take you to a secret place!"

She led Suning through the woods to a secluded little dock.

A small wooden boat, painted sky blue, was moored on the shore, shimmering in the sunlight.

“I used to come here often when I was a child,” Lu Qing said, deftly untying the rope. “When you row to the center of the lake, the whole world is just you and the sky.”

The small boat swayed gently as it left the shore.

Lu Qing rowed with practiced grace, humming an unknown tune.

Su Ning looked at her profile, which was gilded by the sunlight...

"We're here!" Lu Qing stopped rowing, letting the small boat spin in the middle of the lake. "This is my 'refuge.' Whenever I'm sad, I row here and shout at the water..."

She suddenly stood up, causing the small boat to rock violently, "Like this—Ah!!!!!"

Her scream startled a flock of water birds.

After calling out, Lu Qing sat down, panting, her cheeks flushed: "It's your turn!"

Su Ning shook his head and chuckled, "I'll pass."

"No! You have to shout!" Lu Qing insisted. "Shout out all your worries!"

At Lu Qing's urging, Su Ning finally stood up.

He took a deep breath and looked out at the vast lake...

Suddenly, Su Ning pulled Lu Qing into his arms and kissed her under Lu Qing's surprised gaze.

They kissed for a very long time before Su Ning finally let Lu Qing go again.

"Lu Qing, I'm planning to buy an apartment in Shanghai and make it our love nest."

"Huh? Do you have the money to buy a house?"

"Yes! I made some extra money a while ago."

...(End of chapter)