After Xiao Hua brought her experiment to a pause and finished recording the data in her lab notebook, she looked up and saw Jiang Chan standing outside the window. Xiao Hua froze for a moment, then broke into a bright smile, her large eyes curving into crescent moons.
When he saw Xiao Hua smile, Lawyer He felt his throat tighten slightly. Without drawing attention, he tugged at his bow tie. Jiang Chan caught his reaction out of the corner of her eye and glanced at him. “Wuyou is only eighteen. She likes spending time with straightforward people.”
Lawyer He knew that the elderly woman beside him had seen right through his thoughts. He forced a smile. “I’m only twenty four. Men who are a bit older know how to care for girls. Besides, Xiao Hua’s heart is pure. She needs someone to protect her out there, otherwise she might be sold off without even realizing it.”
Jiang Chan gave him a deadpan look. “Wow, thank you so much.”
Lawyer He smiled with professional polish. “You’re too kind.”
Jiang Chan sighed. “Alright. I was able to get the divorce I wanted thanks to your help, but I need to make one thing clear. I will not interfere in Xiao Hua’s marriage. Everything depends entirely on her own wishes.”
Lawyer He was a sharp one. He understood immediately. Jiang Chan was saying that helping her did not earn him any special favors. If Xiao Hua did not like him, then nothing else mattered.
“As long as you don’t damage my image in front of Xiao Hua, I’m not worried about anything else,” Lawyer He said confidently. Jiang Chan shot him a sideways look and said nothing more.
Inside the laboratory, once Xiao Hua saw Jiang Chan, she could no longer focus on her experiment. After finishing her notes, she packed up her bag and came out to find Jiang Chan.
When she saw Lawyer He standing beside Jiang Chan, she only glanced at him briefly and said nothing. She assumed he was Jiang Chan’s assistant, even though his demeanor did not quite fit.
“Grandma, you’re back? Why didn’t you call me first? I could’ve gone to the airport to pick you up. Is everything taken care of?”
Xiao Hua leaned affectionately against Jiang Chan’s arm. Jiang Chan gently stroked her hair. She performed these gestures naturally now.
“It’s all been handled. We’ll talk more once we’re home,” Jiang Chan said, then glanced at Lawyer He following closely behind them. “This case mainly relied on Lawyer He.”
Although she was unhappy that Lawyer He had taken an interest in her precious child, the thought that Xiao Hua getting married would let her submit her task sooner softened her resistance somewhat.
Still, she needed to see whether Lawyer He was truly worthy of trust. Jiang Chan narrowed her eyes. From her cold observation over this period, Lawyer He was undeniably capable. He had ability and methods.
The problem was that his mind ran deep. Xiao Hua was smart, but she had grown up in an ivory tower. Whether she could outmaneuver this old fox remained to be seen.
Of course, this still required further observation. Having ability and means was not inherently bad, as long as they were used for the right purposes.
“Wuyou, even though I’ve divorced Zhou Dayou, Zhou Fugui’s family doesn’t look like they’ll give up easily. That’s why I’m introducing Lawyer He to you. You should be mentally prepared. If Zhou Fugui and Wang Mei come looking for you, and there’s something you don’t understand, go ask Lawyer He directly.”
So even though she disliked him, Jiang Chan still introduced Lawyer He to Xiao Hua. The fact that she had personally created this opportunity made her feel irritated.
She had spent more than ten years raising this girl with care. Rationally, she knew she was doing the right thing, but emotionally, she still found Lawyer He unpleasant.
Lawyer He, whose name was He Shiyu, was good at seizing opportunities. After greeting Xiao Hua politely, he deliberately slowed his pace and stayed a step behind, watching Jiang Chan and Xiao Hua chat casually.
He had already gained what he needed at this moment. There was no reason to irritate Jiang Chan further. There would be plenty of chances to get closer to Xiao Hua later.
After watching Jiang Chan and Xiao Hua’s car disappear into the distance, He Shiyu hailed a taxi. He needed to think carefully about how to approach Xiao Hua next.
Seeing He Shiyu fade from view in the rearview mirror, Xiao Hua blinked. “Grandma, that Lawyer He looks so young. He doesn’t seem much older than me, right?”
Jiang Chan kept her hands on the steering wheel. “He’s only twenty four, six years older than you. He’s already a well known lawyer in the capital. Besides divorce cases, he also handles many economic dispute cases. Clients specifically ask for him.”
“He’s amazing. He doesn’t look like a big shot lawyer at all.” Xiao Hua cupped her cheeks, sighed in admiration, then set the thought aside and asked about Jiang Chan’s experiences in the province. She was really trying to subtly find out whether Jiang Chan had gotten angry on this trip.
“There’s nothing worth mentioning. Do you think people like Zhou Dayou could anger me?” Jiang Chan raised an eyebrow. Her temperament had long been cultivated. Besides, although there were a few small twists this time, things ultimately went as planned.
“That’s good. I was just worried you’d get so angry it would hurt your health. If you ask me, if you never showed up, they probably would’ve acted like we didn’t exist at all.”
Xiao Hua picked at the seatbelt. “Grandma, did you see Xiao Bao this time? How is he?”
Xiao Hua had been young when she left the Zhou family. Her impression of Zhou Xiaobao was vague, but deep down she remembered that he had always been doted on by his parents. As a girl, she had been left behind in the mountain village.
“He’s doing very well. Zhou Fugui and Wang Mei have raised him to be fair and clean looking,” Jiang Chan said. Seeing the faint gloom on Xiao Hua’s face, she rubbed her head. “I didn’t pay attention to anything else. In my heart, you’re the most important. No one can ever come before you.”
Xiao Hua had been feeling a bit down, but after hearing Jiang Chan’s words, she immediately smiled. “I knew it. Grandma likes me the most. I only need Grandma.”
Jiang Chan flicked her forehead. “You’re already a grown girl, yet you’re still clinging to me and acting spoiled. You’re eighteen this year. Once you reach the legal age at twenty, you’ll be able to get married. When you have your own family, will you still remember me?”
Xiao Hua panicked. “I don’t want to get married at all. I want to stay with you forever.”
Jiang Chan did not know whether to laugh or cry. If Xiao Hua never married, she would never be able to submit her task. Even though hearing this made her happy and proved her years of effort were not wasted.
If He Shiyu heard Xiao Hua say this, he would probably be so angry he would spit blood. Jiang Chan found herself rather looking forward to seeing that expression.
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Nah, I prefer Xiao Guang. I think childhood friends are cute, and who cares if he’s a little behind. At 20, he’ll be in college, and he can also work in his parents’ business. He clearly made Xiao Hua happy too, as he cheered her up at the party. Although, having an actual rival (and not just men admiring her) should motivate Xiao Guang even more!