His wife's pregnancy bump disappeared, and Mr. Huo was going crazy missing her.

Gu Huainian laughed. "So, if he didn't have a wife, would you really be interested in him?"

"..."

Qiao Mian was speechless for a moment.

She subconsciously looked at Huo Yanbei.

He was looking at her too.

When their eyes met, Qiao Mian's heart pounded so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.

Her face suddenly turned red.

She turned her face away in a panic and ignored everyone.

The atmosphere became subtle.

Huo Yanbei loosened his tie, feeling inexplicably agitated.

Gu Huai Nian's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

Just then, the technicians finished processing the phone and returned it to Qiao Mian.

Gu Huainian stood up and handed her a business card: "Attorney Qiao, I quite like you. Would you consider joining our Zhongcheng Law Firm?"

First impression?

If Gu Huainian knew that the woman in front of him was the little mute and fat girl he used to often mock, would he still be able to say those words?

Qiao Mian took the business card, threw it into the trash can, and said, "Goodbye."

Gu Huai Nian chuckled nonchalantly: "A heartless woman."

Qiao Mian wanted to curse.

The next moment, another business card appeared in my hand.

It was given to me by Huo Yanbei.

"If you feel unwell at any time, please contact me. I will take full responsibility for your injury."

The next moment, the man suddenly leaned down and whispered a warning in her ear, "Dare to throw it?"

A single, understated sentence carried a chilling, oppressive force.

Qiao Mian's breathing became shaky, and she suddenly pulled her hand back, which was about to throw the business card away.

Her reaction, as seen in Huo Yanbei's eyes, was exceptionally obedient.

He curled his lips into a slight smile, then turned and left.

……

Hospital parking lot.

Gu Huainian's expression returned to seriousness: "Qiao Mian refuses to sign the other settlement agreement, and Song Chen is suspected of intentional assault, so he'll have to go to jail. What are you planning to do?"

Huo Yanbei pressed his temples: "He won't die if he squats there for ten or fifteen days."

"That's right, this brat needs to be taught a lesson. Over the years, you've cleaned up his messes countless times because of your relationship with Song Man."

At this point, he chuckled, "Qiao Mian is quite interesting. She's an unknown lawyer who's so poor that she has to work part-time at a bar, yet she still pretends to be high and mighty and refuses to earn that 100,000 yuan."

Huo Yanbei's lips were tightly pressed together, and he didn't reply.

Gu Huai Nian glanced at him: "I feel like there's something wrong with the way you're looking at her."

The man pondered, "Her eyes are very similar to A-Wu's."

Gu Huainian paused for a moment, then reminded her, "Huo Wu perished in that fire six years ago."

Huo Yanbei lowered his eyes, looking at the walnut-red bracelet on his wrist, his voice tinged with a damp, low tone: "But we didn't find her body back then."

Gu Huainian thought he had gone mad again and angrily said, "Back then, Huo Wu, out of jealousy, set fire to your engagement banquet with Song Man, causing three deaths and five serious injuries! You took all the blame, and the families of the dead and the seriously injured didn't break your bones! You vicious little mute, are you fucking crazy, still thinking about this?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Yanbei's eyes sharpened, and he threw a punch.

That punch was both fierce and heavy.

Gu Huai Nian's glasses flew off.

The lenses of my glasses were scattered and shattered on the ground.

He wiped away a trickle of blood from the corner of his lips with his fingers.

Gu Huainian scoffed indifferently.

He knew he had broken a taboo.

For the past six years, Huo Yanbei has been most intolerant of others mentioning "Little Mute" in front of him, or speaking ill of Huo Wu.

Last year at a friend's birthday party, that person was a complete idiot.

I drank a few more glasses.

While cutting the cake, I for some reason thought of Huo Wu and jokingly said, "Yan Bei, your sister Huo Wu used to be so fat and loved sweets. If she were still alive, this cake wouldn't even be enough for her."

At that time, Huo Yanbei pinned this guy to the ground and gave him a severe beating.

Three of his ribs were broken.

He had been lying in a hospital bed for more than three months.

Afterwards, this guy knelt down to apologize and asked his brothers to intercede on his behalf. Even now, he doesn't dare to show his face in any situation where Huo Yanbei is around.

Gu Huai Nian touched the bruises on his face.

I felt lucky to have only taken one punch.

Ever since Huo Wu's death, Huo Yanbei has been acting like he's ill. Whenever he encounters a woman who looks like Huo Wu, he becomes obsessed.

return……

Gu Huainian sighed and patted his shoulder: "She's been dead for six years, stop clinging to the past."

Just then, a Bugatti pulled up, and Gu Huainian put his arm around his shoulder. "Want a drink?"

Huo Yanbei brushed his hand away, "I have something to do."

"What's going on so late at night?"

"It's none of your business."

Gu Huai Nian scoffed, got into his car, and drove off.

Immediately afterwards, a black Rolls-Royce pulled up to the side of the road.

Special Assistant Chen Ke got out of the car, opened the back door, and nodded respectfully, "President Huo."

After Huo Yanbei got into the car, he glanced inadvertently in the direction of the hospital through the car window.

But then I caught a glimpse of a slender figure walking out of the hospital.

……

Qiao Mian left the hospital at 10 o'clock.

The cold wind of early winter hit my face like a slap, both cold and painful.

She was dressed in thin clothing, with her chest and legs exposed.

A cool sensation ran down my back.

She was still barefoot.

I was shivering from the cold.

The heels in my bag broke, so I can't wear them anymore.

But I can't bear to throw it away.

If we nail the heels back on, they can still be used.

She rented a house in an urban village, more than ten kilometers away from the city center.

If I wore this outfit on the bus or subway, I would definitely be pointed at and talked about.

But if I take a taxi...

You'll get sixty or seventy yuan.

It covers two days' worth of food expenses.

Qiao Mian glanced at the card she was holding in her hand and shook her head.

Huo Yanbei's money is untouchable.

Sooner or later, we'll have to pay it back.

Although she was very short of money.

To save money, I still couldn't bear to take a taxi.

Qiao Mian rubbed her thin arms, which were covered in goosebumps from the cold, and walked along the wet, cold asphalt road to the side of the road. She swiped a shared electric scooter and rode away.

Beijing in November was much colder than Haicheng, where she had lived before.

She had only recently moved back to Beijing and hadn't yet adjusted to the weather there.

After riding for more than ten minutes, I was so cold that I was shivering all over.

I'm about to lose my grip on the handlebars.

She gritted her teeth and persevered until she was halfway there when she saw a cake shop by the roadside. She parked her electric scooter in front of the shop and went inside.

This cake shop is a famous chain store.

Normally, she wouldn't even have the courage to go inside.

However, today is a special day, as there are three mouths to feed at home.

As soon as I entered, I was met with disdainful looks from the shop assistants.

Qiao Mian pretended not to see it.

Over the past six years, life has worn down her edges and pride, and she will not let a single disdainful look from others cause her to lose her temper.

She walked to the discount area on her own.

The desserts at the branded cake shop are not kept overnight; they are sold at a discount after 8:30 pm.

Qiao Mian is very experienced in this area.

After all, she often went to the supermarket with a group of elderly people to snag discounted eggs...

After scanning through all the cakes that were discounted but still very expensive, she hesitated for a while before finally choosing a discounted cake to pay at the cashier.

"That's 39.9 in total, WeChat or Alipay?"

"WeChat."

Qiao Mian took out her phone to pay the bill, only to find that her phone... was out of battery.

"that……"

Her face flushed slightly with embarrassment: "Sorry... my phone is dead, I can't pay, so I'll postpone my purchase..."

The clerk frowned: "Discounted cakes can't be returned! Besides, they've already been packaged; who are we supposed to sell them to?"

"..."

Qiao Mian clutched her phone tightly in embarrassment.

Just as I was hesitating about whether to use the card, a familiar, refreshing scent of herbs and trees wafted up from behind me.

Immediately afterwards, a long, slender, fair hand reached over her shoulder, held her phone, and scanned it on the payment device.

At the same time, a faint male voice came from above: "I paid her bill."