Qian Wei skimmed through the legal aid case Lu Xun had given her. It turned out to be a marriage case—while it didn’t involve much in terms of property at stake, the client’s account of events kept contradicting itself, tangled up with a lot of personal emotion, requiring a lawyer to spend considerable effort sorting through and extracting the useful information. Qian Wei checked her schedule and decided to set the case aside for now, planning to schedule a meeting with the client after the New Year.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

Once buried in work, Qian Wei completely forgot everything outside of it, and it wasn’t until Lu Xun walked up to her at the end of the day that she remembered tonight was the scheduled class reunion.

Qian Wei hurriedly packed up her files. “Let’s go, let’s go! Lu Xun, wait for me! Give me a ride!”

Lu Xun made no comment, but did slow his pace, and Qian Wei finally followed him into the elevator.

Lu Xun’s black Bentley was spacious and comfortable; Qian Wei couldn’t help but marvel at how good it was to be rich. Though they had a grudge between them, she had to admit Lu Xun excelled at everything he did—his earning power was as remarkable as his looks. Wealthy, handsome, talented, and loyal too—after all these years he was still hung up on Mo Zixin.

“Did you read the case materials I gave you?”

Just as Qian Wei was racking her brain trying to think of a way to start a conversation, Lu Xun spoke first. His voice carried a faintly cool quality, tinged with a kind of elusive distance, always leaving one unable to quite pin down the emotion behind his tone.

For some reason, Qian Wei instinctively felt that if she honestly admitted she hadn’t read it, Lu Xun would be upset. Weighing her options, she ultimately lied. “I read it, I read it!”

Lu Xun was silent for a moment before finally saying, “After reading it, is there anything you’d like to say to me?”

To please her boss, Qian Wei gritted her teeth and decided to sell her soul. “Even though it’s a legal aid case, I know you must have given it to me with good intentions. I believe a case like this will give me a fresh perspective and valuable practice, and will benefit me greatly in my future work. I will handle this case well and live up to your thoughtful trust in me, boss!”

“You clearly didn’t read it.” Unfortunately, Lu Xun cut straight through her lie. “After the reunion, go back and work overtime. Finish reading the materials.”

“…” Lu Xun, we must have been enemies in a past life!

By the time Qian Wei and Lu Xun arrived, the other classmates were already chatting animatedly.

“Being a female lawyer is really tough. Every time I go on a blind date I practically want to promise the guy upfront that if we ever divorce, I definitely won’t leave him penniless.”

“Being a judge is exhausting too. If a ruling doesn’t sit well with a litigant, they’ll go hang banners outside the courthouse! So much pressure, and we’re stuck with fixed government salaries. You lawyers are all driving Audi Q5s while we’re still driving QQ hatchbacks.”

Seeing this rare guest Lu Xun, everyone rushed to welcome him in. Just like back in school, wherever Lu Xun appeared, he was always the center of attention, the star everyone gathered around.

“Lu Xun’s here!”

“Still coming alone this time? Material development’s going great for you—when are you going to work on some spiritual development and get yourself a partner?”

“Soon.”

Everyone erupted in surprise. Lu Xun was a man of few words, but everyone knew that when he said “soon,” he meant it.

Qian Wei glanced at him in mild surprise. Lu Xun, getting a partner soon? When did he even have a prospect? All he ever did was stay at the firm working overtime while squeezing the life out of her—was he “cloud-dating” the way people “cloud-adopt” cats?

Unlike Lu Xun, Qian Wei wasn’t the center of attention. She found Liu Shiyun and sat down across from her.

Liu Shiyun glanced meaningfully at Lu Xun, surrounded by classmates. “I was wondering from the start why Lu Xun would even come to this reunion this year.” She lowered her voice mysteriously. “You know what? Mo Zixin is coming today too.”

Qian Wei was surprised. “She’s back in the country?”

“Of course she is, and this time she’s back for good.” Liu Shiyun smiled slyly. “See, I told you Lu Xun’s the loyal type. A man who never comes to reunions, making an exception for the woman he loves? Didn’t you hear him just now? He said he’d have a partner soon.”

Qian Wei felt a moment of realization mixed with confusion. “But Mo Zixin has a boyfriend. After she broke up with Qian Chuan, she went abroad to study, and I heard from Qian Chuan that she later got an American boyfriend—they were supposedly close to getting married.”

“Please. You get to steal Lu Xun’s girl, but he’s not allowed to steal someone else’s?”

“What if I help Lu Xun steal her back this time? Would he finally forgive me and let bygones be bygones?”

Liu Shiyun blinked. “Of course he would. Once a man’s love life and career are both going well, he won’t have the time or energy to keep tormenting you. Honestly, Lu Xun’s clearly been sexually deprived for so long it’s made him twisted. Don’t believe me? Let me break it down for you…”

Liu Shiyun’s analysis was cut short halfway through, though—she glanced toward the door and stood up excitedly.

“Mo Zixin is here!”

Qian Wei turned belatedly and saw Mo Zixin standing at the entrance, greeting the warm welcomes of her old classmates. Mo Zixin was extremely beautiful—not only an academic star but also accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, a true goddess-tier figure. Having lived abroad for a while now, her style of dress had become even more sophisticated and refined.

But the goddess didn’t linger long catching up with old classmates. She cut through the crowd and walked straight toward Qian Wei.

“Qian Wei, long time no see.”

Qian Wei stood up reflexively. “Sister-in-law! Long time no see!” Then she grew awkward. “Sorry, old habit… don’t mind it!” She glanced around and noticed Lu Xun still sitting off to the side, making no move, quietly watching this exchange.

This guy—he’d clearly come to the reunion for Mo Zixin, and now that the critical moment had arrived, he was playing coy?

“I heard you’re coming back to develop your career here. What about your boyfriend? Is he coming to China too?” Qian Wei had no choice but to force small talk.

Mo Zixin brushed back her hair and glanced, seemingly by chance, toward Lu Xun, smiling faintly. “I’m single now.”

There’s still hope, my man! Qian Wei desperately wiggled her eyebrows at Lu Xun, but he only looked back at her, expressionless.

Qian Wei felt a pang of exasperation at his hopelessness—could it be that even Lu Xun had moments of being this nervously at a loss? Never mind! Time to atone for her past sins!

But Mo Zixin quickly changed the subject. “Now that I’m back, I’m thinking of becoming a lawyer too. Qian Wei, tell me about your experience—what should I read, what should I prepare in advance?”

Ha, changing the subject won’t stump me that easily!

Qian Wei smiled. “Someone who barely scraped by like me sharing experience surely isn’t as good as hearing from a top student. Lu Xun’s my boss now—he’s already a partner. His experience would be far more useful. Lu Xun, why don’t you share your thoughts on being a lawyer? Anything one should prepare for?”

Having so kindly tried to play matchmaker, Qian Wei found that Lu Xun completely failed to take the hint.

“Being a lawyer is fine. Just that a lot of people end up going a bit bald.” His tone was flat, utterly unenthusiastic. He glanced at Mo Zixin. “Your hair’s not exactly thick either—maybe get some hair growth tonic.”

Lu Xun, you deserve to be single for this long!

For the rest of the gathering, Qian Wei tried her best to create opportunities for Lu Xun and Mo Zixin, but in the face of Lu Xun’s utter lack of romantic sense, it was all futile.

Before long, Lu Xun took a client call and grabbed his coat to leave.

“I’m heading out.”

Qian Wei, deep in conversation with a few classmates, stared blankly at Lu Xun standing in front of her. “Lu Xun, if you’re leaving, just leave—why report to me? You’re my boss, not the other way around!”

“Oh, so you do remember I’m your boss?” Lu Xun glanced at her. “I’m telling you to leave too.”

“Why! I’m having a great time here, I want to chat more.”

“If you leave now, I can give you a ride.”

“Thanks, but no need! I’ll grab a cab myself later! Besides, how is it even on your way? Your place and mine are in opposite directions.”

“I’m heading back to the firm. It’s on the way to drop you off there too.”

Qian Wei was baffled. “Why would I be going back to the firm?”

“Forgot already?” Lu Xun smiled faintly. “Overtime.”

“…”

Neither of them spoke the whole ride, until they were nearly there and Qian Wei finally couldn’t hold back. “Lu Xun, when can I stop having to work overtime like this?”

Lu Xun was silent for a moment, and just as Qian Wei thought he wasn’t going to answer, he spoke. “When I have a girlfriend.”

“Honestly, are you still holding a grudge against me for costing you the best years of your youth for romance?”

“Heh.”

So he really was still holding a grudge…

“Is there any chance,” Qian Wei ventured carefully, “that we could bury the hatchet? And then get rich together, rise together?”

“So how exactly do you plan to make it up to me?” Lu Xun’s expression remained composed, but there was a faint, subtle undertone in his voice—one Qian Wei didn’t have time to parse before it dissipated like a wisp of smoke, impossible to grasp.

Qian Wei had no answer to that question. She thought it truly had her stumped—she really had no way to make it up to him, no way to compensate for his wasted youth, no way to make up for years of unfulfilled longing. And even if Mo Zixin was single now, given how out of practice Lu Xun must be after all these years, he probably didn’t have much game left either—there was no guarantee he could win the lady’s heart and finally realize his old dream…

The conversation reached a dead end, and Qian Wei finally decided to just shut up. And so, this skinflint Lu Xun really did drop her off back at the firm—though to be fair, he was just as harsh on himself as he was on her; while Qian Wei worked overtime, he too went into his office to handle emails.

Qian Wei glanced at the digital clock, then glared resentfully at the light still on in Lu Xun’s office, thinking stubbornly: fine, overtime it is, but I’m going to spite you anyway—I refuse to look at that legal aid case material, I’ll study my medical dispute case instead!

And so Qian Wei was forced to work overtime under Lu Xun’s watchful eye. Fortunately, the New Year was approaching, and Lu Xun left on a business trip the next day for a bankruptcy restructuring case. Qian Wei busied herself wrapping up all her work before the holiday, but for some reason her luck had gone completely sour lately—she’d lost several cases in a row, stepped in actual dog poop on her way out, and just half an hour ago had learned from the gossip queen Liu Shiyun that Mo Zixin, single just days ago, had swiftly gotten a new boyfriend and had already married him in a whirlwind wedding within a matter of days! Qian Wei couldn’t even imagine the look on Lu Xun’s face when he found out, nor could she imagine what he’d do to torment her once he got back from his trip with both old and new grudges to settle. The future looked bleak indeed.

That day, after finishing a meeting with a client in the suburbs, she was waiting for a car back to the firm when she turned and saw the words “Anlan Villas” across the street. Qian Wei remembered the interns talking about that supposedly powerful little temple. She checked the time, and having nothing else to do, decided to go pay her respects and try her luck.

Although it was a small temple, likely due to the rumors, there were quite a lot of people, and there was even a line to kneel and pray.

Though Qian Wei didn’t really believe in this sort of ritual, she figured since she was already there, she might as well kneel and make a wish properly.

“Oh gods, let cases come pouring in and let me strike it rich!”

“No wait, let bygones be bygones first—let Lu Xun and I reconcile!”

“Ugh, no, no—let Lu Xun and Mo Zixin get back together first, let Mo Zixin hurry up and divorce so she can be with Lu Xun!”

Qian Wei muttered on and on—after all, greed knows no bounds, and one wish led to another. She’d been kneeling on the ground for so long that the middle-aged woman waiting in line behind her finally lost patience.

“Miss, hurry it up! This temple may be powerful, but you’re only allowed one wish.”

“Then let me go back to being nineteen, before I ever offended Lu Xun! Just this one wish!” Qian Wei pressed her palms together with utmost sincerity.

At the time, Qian Wei never imagined that the wish she’d made so offhandedly would actually come true.

She really did go back to being nineteen—though unfortunately, not by any pleasant means.

Just as she stepped out of the temple, her phone buzzed with a text message. She looked down—it was from her boss, Lu Xun. Not daring to delay, she pulled out her phone to read it while walking, and in that one moment of not watching where she was going, she missed a step and, before she could even react, plummeted straight into a deep pit dug up by road construction.

Before she lost consciousness completely, only three thoughts flashed through her mind.

First: never look at your phone while walking! You could actually die!

Second: which construction crew was this?! Didn’t they know to put up warning signs?! Under the Tort Liability Law, anyone who digs a pit or installs underground facilities in a public place or on a road without setting up clear warning signs and taking safety measures, thereby causing harm to others, shall bear tortious liability! Can’t people have some culture and basic legal awareness?!

Third: reincarnation—I was just talking, I didn’t actually mean it! I don’t actually want to die!