Ever since Gu Xuehan had discovered the truth about Qi Xi and Gu Yan’s relationship, Qi Xi had thrown herself into work even harder, determined to prove that the office romance wasn’t affecting her performance. She genuinely wanted to keep working diligently under Gu Xuehan and didn’t want to leave the impression that she was just coasting on her relationship with Gu Yan, enjoying some kind of unfair advantage. If anything, she’d been pushing herself harder than usual lately.
It had been raining heavily in Rong City for two days straight, so Gu Xuehan had assigned several of the outdoor tasks—filing cases, submitting litigation documents—to Gu Yan. But to prove she had no intention of relying on favoritism, Qi Xi had practically snatched several of those field assignments away from him.
This time, the court where Qi Xi needed to file a case was on the outskirts of the city, and the rain turned out to be even heavier than expected. The wind was so strong it broke her umbrella, and hailing a car proved nearly impossible. By the time she’d delivered the documents, she had no choice but to rely on public transit. Even the nearest bus stop required a stretch of walking, and by the time she boarded the bus, she looked like a drowned rat.
It was nearly lunchtime by then, and Qi Xi still hadn’t eaten. Gu Yan was also out on field assignments elsewhere. Checking the route back to the firm on her phone, Qi Xi noticed, somewhat by chance, that the transfer point from bus to subway wasn’t far from her father’s law firm.
Why not just go find her father and have lunch together?
The last time Qi Ruiming had driven her home, he’d taken the initiative to break the ice between them, and he’d since sent her occasional texts checking in. Qi Xi’s heart wasn’t made of stone, and after a few such gestures, she’d genuinely let go of a lot of the resentment she’d held toward her father.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than Qi Xi acted on it, sending her father a message. Though she didn’t get a reply, she headed toward the firm anyway.
Qi Ruiming ran a solo practice, and the firm’s name used two characters from his own name—”Ruiming.” The office was located near a subway entrance and bus stop, a key transit hub in Rong City, extremely convenient and always bustling with foot traffic.
The moment Qi Xi got off the bus, she spotted the huge “Ruiming Law Firm” sign on the office building across the street, and advertisements for the firm lining the streets nearby.
Though his professional skills might not be top-tier, Qi Xi genuinely admired some of the methods Qi Ruiming had used to build up his client base. When he’d first established the firm, he’d personally gone door to door, handing out flyers in small companies without legal departments, promoting himself directly.
Just as Qi Xi stepped into the elevator of the Ruiming building, she received a text reply from her father—
“Sorry, Xixi. Dad’s having lunch with a client right now, but our driver, Old Chen, is at the office. It’s raining so hard—I’ve already told him to drive you back to Jinghe afterward.”
Though a little disappointed, Qi Xi wasn’t too upset—after all, dropping by at lunchtime had been an impulsive decision on her part anyway. Her umbrella was broken and the rain was heavy outside, so having Old Chen drive her back would be a real help. Since she’d already come this far, she figured she might as well go in and dry off her rain-soaked face and hair.
Ruiming was a small firm—counting the front desk staff, driver, practicing lawyers, interns, and assistants, there were only about a dozen people total. Aside from the interns, turnover was low, and most of the staff were familiar faces to Qi Xi.
The last time Qi Xi had visited Ruiming was several years ago. Coming back now after so long, she noticed the office had been renovated somewhat, with a few changes here and there, including some new staff—the receptionist, for instance, was clearly new and didn’t recognize her, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
“Miss, do you have an appointment with one of our attorneys? It’s our lunch break right now, and most of the lawyers have gone out to eat. If you don’t have an appointment, you’re welcome to leave your information and the matter you’d like to consult about here, and I’ll direct your request to the appropriate specialist afterward.”
Just as Qi Xi was about to explain, Sister Li, the office manager who knew her well, happened to walk by the entrance. She looked surprised to see Qi Xi. “Xixi? Here to see your dad? Attorney Qi went out for a lunch appointment with a client. Goodness, look at you, soaked through like that—wait right here, I’ll grab you a fresh towel from the office. Dry off quickly, or you’ll catch a cold…”
Sister Li smiled at the receptionist. “This is our Attorney Qi’s daughter, Qi Xi. It’s fine, I’ll take her to wait in Attorney Qi’s office.” She turned back to Qi Xi. “Attorney Qi just had a little rest area set up in his office—sometimes when he works too late, he sleeps there. There’s even a small shower now, with a hair dryer. Go dry your hair properly.”
That’s how Qi Xi found herself being led into her father’s office by Sister Li. Sure enough, just as Sister Li had said, her father’s office had changed quite a bit—there really was a small rest area now, complete with a small bed, and a few spare suits hanging on a rack nearby for when he needed to head out.
Seeing all this, Qi Xi felt a pang of embarrassment. She’d once suspected that her father’s late nights at work were nothing but a fabricated excuse, but it seemed she’d wronged him after all—that Hermès bag was probably just something he’d bought to smooth over a business relationship.
Once Sister Li handed her a towel, Qi Xi thanked her and dried her hair, then, checking the time, decided to head downstairs for a quick bite before meeting up with driver Chen. But just as she reached the entrance of Ruiming, she nearly collided head-on with a woman who was walking with her head down, scrolling through her phone.
The woman gave a small startled cry and looked up at Qi Xi. Qi Xi looked toward the sound too, and found herself facing a woman who didn’t look much older than herself—fair-skinned, with delicate makeup and striking looks, her hair clearly styled with care. She was dressed in a Chanel professional suit, a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace around her neck. Despite her youth, she carried herself with an almost gaudy sense of luxury—her fingers pale and slender, her manicure impeccably done.
Plenty of female lawyers took their appearance seriously, wearing professional suits and refined makeup, but given how demanding the profession was, few could spare the time to maintain their hair or wardrobe with such meticulous care every single day. Being polished from head to toe like this woman was rare—especially the elaborate, long manicure, which most female lawyers avoided since it made typing so inconvenient. So whoever was visiting Ruiming right now, maybe she was some kind of client?
“Sorry about that!” The woman smiled at Qi Xi, interrupting her train of thought, then stepped aside to let Qi Xi pass first.
Qi Xi immediately apologized as well. Her curiosity about the woman’s identity had only lasted a moment—she had no real interest in dwelling on a passing stranger like this. Except…
Except as the woman stepped aside to let her through, Qi Xi caught sight of her bag.
It was a second-generation Mini Kelly, crocodile leather.
Whether by coincidence or not, the color matched exactly the bag her father had picked up from Hermès before.
So was this the client that bag had been meant for? The woman was dressed so expensively—she certainly looked like she could be a major client.
Qi Xi paused mid-step. Curious, she glanced back, watching as the woman hummed a tune and walked further into the office with obvious familiarity—but instead of heading toward the reception room or a conference room, she carried her bag over and sat down at a desk by the window in the main office area.
It was as if Qi Xi were standing beneath a crumbling building, and a chunk of debris had just come crashing down on her chest. She felt herself sway, almost unsteady on her feet.
This woman wasn’t a client. She was one of Ruiming’s own lawyers.
Even though she’d already dried her hair, this realization left Qi Xi feeling as though she were still standing in the middle of the storm outside, right at its violent center.
She couldn’t even remember how she made it downstairs, how she’d called and connected with driver Chen.
All she knew was that by the time she managed to pull herself out of her tangled thoughts, she was already sitting in Chen’s car. Chen, a chatty man by nature, was rambling on about some recent local news.
The air conditioning in the car was running strong, but Qi Xi felt as if she’d fallen into an icy pit—none of that warm air seemed to reach her at all. Her heart was filled with fear and unease, and a cowardice she didn’t know how to overcome. She wasn’t sure if she was about to open Pandora’s box.
And if she did open it, could she even bear the consequences?
But could fear alone really stop a person from doing what needed to be done?
Qi Xi’s mind was a chaotic mess of anxiety, but she still heard herself ask a question, her voice carefully controlled—
“Uncle Chen, has my dad’s firm hired anyone new recently?”
Chen, who loved to chat, answered without a hint of suspicion. “Not really. Aside from the old receptionist who left to have her second child, and it’s not graduation season, so we haven’t hired anyone new. It’s all the same old faces, isn’t it?”
Qi Xi said, feigning casualness, “But weren’t most of the lawyers at the firm getting on in years? My dad’s always complaining that nobody at the office comes up with fresh ideas for events. I figured he might have hired someone younger to bring the average age down.”
Her comment seemed to jog something in Chen’s memory, and he quickly picked up the thread. “Now that you mention it, the office activities have actually gotten a lot livelier and more youthful lately. There was that Halloween thing—first time I’d ever even heard of it—Little Wang organized that. Then there was a Christmas gift exchange, and I hear they’re planning a little New Year’s party too.”
Qi Xi frowned. “Little Wang?”
Chen nodded. “Wang Juan, you know. You didn’t know?”
“Wang Juan? Did we have someone by that name at the firm before?”
“Yes! She interned there back in college. Left after less than a year of interning, and everyone figured she’d left the legal field entirely. Who would’ve thought—it’s been almost ten years now, and she’s back working there again.” Chen scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “I’d honestly forgotten all about her. If you’re asking about recent hires, she’s really the only one—though someone her age, and someone who’s already worked at Ruiming before, doesn’t quite count as ‘new,’ does she?”
If she’d interned there during her senior year of college, and nearly a decade had passed since then, this woman would be around thirty by now. But she’d looked only a few years older than Qi Xi herself.
She must have taken remarkably good care of herself over the past decade to look so untouched by time.
Chen sighed as he talked about Wang Juan. “Looks like she just graduated a few years back, doesn’t she? You wouldn’t believe it, but Little Wang’s actually some kind of online celebrity too. Pretty popular—I heard she charges several thousand, even tens of thousands of yuan for a single sponsored post.”
Qi Xi paused for a moment, then asked, careful to sound casual, “So her income must be pretty high then?”
Chen laughed heartily. “Sister Li told me last time—she’s some kind of legal education influencer, makes good money, way faster than practicing law, apparently. No wonder my daughter’s always going on about wanting to be an influencer when she grows up.”
Chen mused on, “Maybe these days, whether you can make money really has nothing to do with your education. Wang Juan just got into some tier-three law school through an expansion quota, and after quitting Ruiming not long after, she never held down a proper job again. Sister Li told me that when they went to set up her social insurance again this time around, they found her records had a huge gap. So I guess our generation really is getting old—I’ve always told my daughter that studying hard is the only way to get anywhere, but look at Wang Juan. Didn’t go to a great school, never held a steady job, and instead she’s carved out her own path as an influencer. Look at her now—covered head to toe in designer goods! Coming back to work at Ruiming now is probably just for the experience, you know?”
Chen didn’t dwell on the topic and soon moved on to something else. Before long, they’d arrived back at Jinghe, and Qi Xi thanked him before getting out of the car.
She recalled Zhao Yiran once mentioning that certain niche, vertical-market influencers really could earn a lot just from sponsored posts. And Chen had said Wang Juan had only rejoined Ruiming a month ago. So did that Hermès bag she was carrying have anything to do with her father?
Either way, that Hermès bag had become a thorn lodged in Qi Xi’s mind, and once suspicion took root, everything started to look suspicious.
She thought it over, then, gritting her teeth, called her father.
Qi Xi first thanked him for arranging for Chen to drive her back to Jinghe, made some small talk with Qi Ruiming, and then, feigning nonchalance, brought up the subject of the bag. “Oh, by the way, Dad, my boss talked to me the other day about how we lawyers should pay more attention to our image and presence—suggested I get a designer bag, something that gives off the right impression, makes clients think we’re doing well, that our business is thriving. Could you buy me a bag?”
Qi Xi took a roundabout approach. “And besides, all those guys you introduced me to before come from really well-off families. I feel like if I had a nice bag of my own, I’d feel more confident meeting them, and it’d also make a better impression—show that our family’s standing is a good match for theirs.”
Sure enough, the moment Qi Ruiming heard Qi Xi sounding more open to the idea of blind dates, his tone warmed considerably. “Xixi, I knew you’d come around to understanding your dad’s good intentions eventually. And you’re right, you really should get a name-brand bag—can’t keep carrying that backpack with your laptop in it everywhere, looking like a student. So, tell me, what kind of bag do you want? Dad will cover it.”
“For bags, I’d rather have quality over quantity, Dad—just get me an Hermès. The king of bags. With just this one bag, I could go anywhere in the world without a worry,” Qi Xi coaxed. “Bags like that last forever anyway. An Hermès is expensive, sure, but it’ll last for years and years. Spread out over time, it’s really not that much of an expense.”
But to Qi Xi’s dismay, the moment the word “Hermès” left her mouth, all the warmth and enthusiasm drained from Qi Ruiming’s voice. He resumed his usual pose of a man burdened by hardship, letting out a long sigh. “Xixi, while it’s good to pay attention to our image, we shouldn’t go chasing brand names blindly either. Do you know how much a single Hermès bag costs? Spending hundreds of thousands of yuan just for the name—there’s really no point to it. There are some nice affordable luxury brands out there, more suited to someone your age. Pick whichever one you like, and Dad will get it for you.”
Qi Xi bit her lip. “But I want an Hermès! I’ve never even been inside an Hermès store. Dad, when are you going to show me a bit of the world?”
But no matter whether Qi Xi tried acting spoiled or wore him down with persistent pleading, Qi Ruiming remained resolutely unmoved. “You’re a young woman, you shouldn’t be so vain about material things.” He adopted the tone of a stern but caring parent, mixing firmness with a bit of soft persuasion. “Besides, Dad really can’t take you to see that kind of world. With my income, I don’t even have the confidence to walk into an Hermès store myself. I’ve never even been inside one or bought anything there—how could I take you shopping for one? Just get a bag from an affordable luxury brand, and pair it with a matching wallet or scarf, and Dad will cover all of it. Be good now—I’ll talk to you later, I’ve got some things to sort out with a client. Bye.”
After soothing Qi Xi with a few more words, Qi Ruiming once again claimed to be busy and hung up the phone, just as he always did.
But this time, Qi Xi found she could no longer feel her usual quiet resentment toward her father for never having the patience to finish a call with her.
She had seen with her own eyes Qi Ruiming walking into an Hermès store, greeting the sales associate with the easy familiarity of a regular customer. And yet now he was telling her, straight-faced, that he’d never even set foot inside an Hermès store.
If before she’d still clung to some sliver of hope that she was overthinking things, letting her bias color everything—now, Qi Xi was absolutely certain. Something was very wrong with her father.