My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

The deletion was quick, but she remained stunned on that screen for a long time.

She stared at the "deleted" notification on her phone screen for a long time.

So long that the screen automatically turned off, so long that she could see her own face in the black reflection.

Her eyes were slightly red, the tip of her nose was red, and the corners of her mouth were pursed into a line, as if she was enduring something, or as if she didn't want to endure anything anymore.

She gripped her phone tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

Deleting a contact takes only two seconds.

But in those two seconds, she went through her past experiences with him from beginning to end.

Those late-night "Goodnight, wife," those "Baby, what are you doing?" messages she sent, those clicks when transferring money without hesitation, those moments when your heart skipped a beat when you received an instant reply.

Pack it all up, empty it all out, and throw it all into that trash can called "the past".

She is different from Su Xiaoyue.

Su Xiaoyue had ripped out her whole heart, hollowed it out, and shattered it, yet she still had to pick up each piece, piece it back together, and continue to hold it in her hands.

She can't.

She was much more decisive than Su Xiaoyue.

Her methods were also much more ruthless than Su Xiaoyue's.

If it weren't for the deep feelings Xia Anmian and Su Xiaoyue had for him...

Then Jiang Yi's fate will definitely not be just like today.

Even if you know he didn't do it.

But there are no "what ifs".

In this world, the only people she truly cares about are Su Xiaoyue and Xia Anmian.

Previously, "he" was considered half a person.

But now he's gone.

Gu Qinghan was unwilling to hurt her two most important friends in her life for that vague and ethereal "him".

The window at the end of the corridor was open, and the afternoon breeze blew in from outside, causing the wisps of hair on her forehead to sway slightly.

She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if clearing out the last bit of stuffiness from her chest.

All right.

ended.

She straightened up from the wall, straightened her coat collar, put her phone in her pocket, and prepared to return to her ward.

My phone vibrated.

She glanced down.

It wasn't "baby," she just deleted it.

It was an unfamiliar number, a local landline in Kyoto.

Gu Qinghan frowned and answered the call.

"Hello Ms. Gu, this is Li Zhenghua from Beijing Renhe Law Firm. You asked me to come, and I'm now in the hospital lobby. May I ask which floor you're on?"

Gu Qinghan was stunned for a moment, then remembered that she had indeed asked someone to contact a lawyer before.

She patted her forehead.

There's been so much going on these past few days, my brain is practically overloaded.

"I'm on the third floor, in the VIP ward. Please come up; I'll wait for you at the elevator."

After hanging up the phone, she quickly walked towards the elevator.

When the elevator doors opened, she saw two people walk out.

Walking in front was a man in his fifties, wearing a dark gray custom-made suit, a white shirt, a dark blue tie, shiny leather shoes, and his hair was neatly combed.

However, this person dressed in business attire was carrying a fruit basket in their hand.

Top-tier lawyers are not only known for their professionalism, but also for their interpersonal skills.

Emotional intelligence is always extremely important.

Behind him was a young woman, about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, wearing a light gray wool coat over a black turtleneck sweater.

Her hair was draped over her shoulders, and she had delicate features, but her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she had something weighing on her mind.

"Miss Gu?" Li Zhenghua stepped forward quickly, bowed slightly, and extended his other hand.

"Hello, hello, I am Li Zhenghua, and this is my niece, Sun Youqing, who is also a lawyer in our firm. We are jointly handling this case."

Gu Qinghan reached out and shook hands with him.

"Attorney Li, thank you for making this trip."

"It's not hard work, it's nothing."

Li Zhenghua's smile was just right, neither overly obsequious nor aloof.

"Ms. Gu, I've already learned some of the basic facts of the case over the phone, but there are still some details that need to be confirmed in person. Where would be a convenient place for us to discuss this?"

Gu Qinghan glanced at the closed ward door at the end of the corridor.

Jiang Yi was still asleep, and Su Xiaoyue was with him.

She didn't want to go in and disturb them, nor did she want Su Xiaoyue to hear the discussion about the details of the case.

That girl has already endured enough today. With me by her side, she doesn't need to go through so much.

"There's a coffee shop downstairs, let's talk there."

After Gu Qinghan finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the elevator.

Li Zhenghua quickly followed, with Sun Youqing trailing behind.

The three people remained silent in the elevator.

Gu Qinghan stood at the front, staring at her own reflection in the elevator door.

Sun Youqing stood to her left and behind, her gaze lingering on Gu Qinghan's profile for a moment before shifting to a spot in the corner of the elevator.

Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the phone case in her pocket, while another thing was on her mind—why hadn't her younger brother replied to her message yet?

She sent another message this morning: "Dear little brother, is something wrong? Please reply to me, I'm worried about you."

No reply.

She stared at the chat box for a long time, so long that the phone screen automatically turned off, so long that she could see her own face in the black reflection.

His brow was furrowed, and the corners of his mouth drooped down, like a wet cat forgotten by its owner on a rainy day.

She was thinking about him again.

No.

Sun Youqing took a deep breath, took her phone out of her pocket, held it face down in her palm, squeezed it tightly, and then put it back in.

jobs.

She is working now.

The elevator arrived at the first floor and the doors opened.

The hospital lobby was bustling with people, long queues formed at the registration windows, and a patient's name was being called over the loudspeaker. The air was filled with the mixed smells of disinfectant and traditional Chinese medicine.

Gu Qinghan led the two people through the lobby and into a coffee shop at the end of the corridor.

The coffee shop is small and simply decorated, with white walls, light wood tables and chairs, and a few potted plants in the corner.

There weren't many people around at this time of afternoon. There was only a young girl wearing headphones and looking at her phone sitting by the window, and a middle-aged couple talking quietly in the corner.

Gu Qinghan chose a booth at the back, and the three of them sat down.

The waiter came over. She ordered an Americano, Li Zhenghua ordered a latte, and Sun Youqing ordered a hot cocoa.

"Miss Gu,"

Li Zhenghua took out a thick folder from his briefcase, opened it, and found it densely packed with various documents.

"Let me first confirm the basic details of the case with you."