Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
So many people having your back and assuring you to, “Not be afraid—we will be supporting you…” just for a lawsuit. This would be the feeling that would be the toughest to let go of for Gu Nianzhi.
She felt tears welling up in her eyes. Nodding eagerly, she said, “I know. Thank you, Brother Xiong, Brother Ze, and Huo Shao. I will definitely do my best!”
Hugging the documents, Gu Nianzhi got out of the car. The moment she got back to the dormitory, she saw Ma Qiqi hugging a tub of strawberry ice cream and enjoying it. She was momentarily speechless. “It’s winter now, and you’re having ice cream?!”
“Precisely why I am having ice cream.” Ma Qiqi enjoyed her ice cream so much that she closed her eyes and went “Mmm~,” her expression akin to how a cat looked when it had its favorite fish. She stirred the ice cream in the tub to ensure that it was mixed properly before scooping a big spoonful and lifting it to her mouth. Her face was full of contentment.
Gu Nianzhi was immediately influenced by her. She wanted ice cream as well. She closed the door and felt the hot air coming from the living room. It was then she realized why Ma Qiqi had said that it was “precisely the reason” why she was having ice cream. They had turned on the heater in the dormitory.
Removing her Burberry wool blend duffel coat and hanging it on the coat rack, Gu Nianzhi called out to Ma Qiqi, “Control yourself slightly. You can get sick easily if you try to combat the heat too much with cold things.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ma Qiqi finished the rest of the ice cream with a wide smile. “See? I am done. Alright, I am going to study for my exams.”
They both returned to their respective rooms and started studying. Other than going to class and writing her graduation thesis, Gu Nianzhi still had to prepare documents and information for her fourth hearing.
Father and daughter Xie Dezhao and Xie Qingying were her important witnesses. When they had agreed to be her witnesses, they were still overseas. Gu Nianzhi had only spoken to them over the phone individually once. She had intended to brief them more after they arrived in the Hua Xia Empire. She had not expected them to become targets so soon…
Had it not been for Huo Shao and the rest of them being capable at what they did, most likely they would be facing the same fate as Ye Xuan. Gu Nianzhi sighed and pushed those thoughts away, focusing on her preparations.
…
The date of the fourth hearing was set quickly for Friday the following week. Under Yin Shixiong’s arrangement, Gu Nianzhi managed to meet Xie Dezhao and Xie Qingying once. They talked for a few hours, but Gu Nianzhi did not manage to get much information. Due to his ex-wife, Xie Dezhao had fallen out with Gu Xiangwen more than two decades ago.
After not being in contact for so long, he did not know much about what had happened.
If Xie Dezhao did not know much about what happened, then Xie Qingying would know even less. From the time she could remember, she had never seen Gu Xiangwen. She had only received many presents from him. However, due to the deep grudge Xie Dezhao held towards Gu Xiangwen, Xie Qingying did not look forward very much to the presents that Gu Xiangwen sent.
Gu Nianzhi felt extremely disappointed. She had agreed to Xie Qingying’s invitation to visit her home in France to take a look at the presents that Gu Xiangwen had sent to her during those years.
…
He Zhichu had been silent and calm recently. He had chosen to observe from the side as Gu Nianzhi went ahead with fighting her inheritance lawsuit. If Gu Nianzhi wanted to discuss law related issues with him, he would definitely discuss them with her. However, he would never take the initiative to discuss anything other than that.
Gu Nianzhi had sensed that he was not particularly enthusiastic about this lawsuit, and therefore, she reminded herself to not trouble him too much with things related to it.
After class had ended, He Zhichu walked out from the lecture hall looking lethargic.
Gu Nianzhi was his assistant, and this lesson was an elective for undergraduates. He Zhichu had accepted the invite from B University to hold a basic Introduction to Law course.
It was such boring content, but He Zhichu had managed to make it lively and interesting, so everyone enjoyed his lessons very much. He Zhichu’s weekly Introduction to Law class was extremely popular. There were even some entrepreneurial-minded students who would grab a seat in advance and then sell that seat at a high price. There were many beautiful, rich girls who adored attending He Zhichu’s lectures. Therefore, the seats were always sold out.
Gu Nianzhi followed He Zhichu out from the lecture hall. The moment they came out, He Zhichu was surrounded by all the female students from the lecture. “Professor He, I have some things that I do not understand. Can I go to your professor’s apartment to ask you further tonight, please?”
The girl who had asked the question was extremely beautiful. She wore a slightly oversized, off-white woolen top and tall boots, and had a head of perfect wavy curls. She looked like she had come out of a fashion magazine.
Gu Nianzhi checked her watch. It was only ten o’clock in the morning. Why couldn’t the student ask her questions during the day instead of insisting on going and looking for He Zhichu at his residence at night?!
The moment He Zhichu stepped down from the lecture podium, he stopped being the gentle and suave university professor. He would change and become a cold and aloof man. As for students like these whose intentions were not to ask him questions related to the lecture, he had always chosen to ignore them. He Zhichu walked past them like he did not see them and left the girls who were asking him questions there. It was extremely awkward.
Gu Nianzhi wanted to be kind and helpful. Therefore, she went up to them and said, “I am Professor He’s assistant. If you girls have any questions, you are free to send them to me, and I will get the answers from Professor He for you and send them back to all of you.”
“Don’t bother. Who cares about second-hand answers?” The girl who was in the lead did not even look at Gu Nianzhi. She turned to her friends and said, “Let’s go.” The group of them left in the opposite direction.
Gu Nianzhi sighed and jogged over to where He Zhichu was. “Professor He, actually it would be better if you just rejected them nicely. It’s rather offensive if you choose to remain quiet like that.”
He Zhichu glanced at her. “Do I look like I’m afraid to offend anyone?”
Gu Nianzhi looked at He Zhichu, speechless. Of course you are not afraid, she thought. However, these people hold the power over your professorship at this school! Even though the percentage from students’ votes was not the main factor of consideration, if it was too low, the school would ask him to leave… Gu Nianzhi thought about it and tried to persuade He Zhichu along this line as well.
Actually, He Zhichu was not in the best of moods. However, he was amused by her. Smiling, he said, “Do I require their votes to help me stay here? Oh well, it is normal for you to think so little of me.”
Gu Nianzhi remained speechless. She massaged her forehead and said with an emotionless expression, “I have not been sleeping well for the past couple of nights. I was sleep talking. Professor He, it is okay. You can ignore whatever I said just now.”
He Zhichu smiled. “You are getting better with words, aren’t you. You tell the person what he or she likes to hear. Did I ever teach you to be like that?”
Gu Nianzhi put down her arms in alarm. “Yeah, didn’t Professor He teach us to be like that all along?”
It was He Zhichu’s turn to be speechless now. Was this considered to be successfully imparting his knowledge, but now his student was using what he said to attack him? What was that idiom again? Oh, yes. Using one’s own words against them. He Zhichu massaged his temples. “How is your case going? Why is it dragging on for so long?”
Gu Nianzhi said softly, “There were way more assets in the inheritance than I had imagined. Just collecting evidence and getting the foreign approval already took a long time…”
“…Just those things in the Gu family, take them if you can, but don’t take it to heart if you cannot.” He Zhichu looked at Gu Nianzhi fixedly. “You have lost weight.”
Gu Nianzhi smiled prettily and replied, “Lost weight? Isn’t that great? I can lose weight even without running or controlling my diet. Professor He is praising me.” She paused, then continued, “Moreover, whatever was in the inheritance belongs to me and not Gu Yanran. Therefore, I have to get it back. I thought you supported me in getting things that belong to me back, Professor He?”
“I did not expect this to require so much work,” He Zhichu mumbled. “I had no idea so many people wanted to get their hands on a piece of bone with scraps of meat…”
Gu Nianzhi’s brows furrowed. “What the Gu family has is considered to be good, fatty meat, you mean? How is that a bone with scraps of meat? Anyhow, it belongs to my father. I definitely have to get it back.”
He Zhichu did not know what to say for a moment. “You are out to argue with me today?” He Zhichu stopped in his tracks and looked at her expressionlessly. “When is your fourth hearing?”
“Tomorrow morning.” Gu Nianzhi continued, “I honestly didn’t mean to argue with you, Professor He. It’s just an occupational habit.”
“To hell with your occupational habit.” He Zhichu curled his fingers and flicked Gu Nianzhi’s forehead. “Do not be so sharp when you are not in a trial. A true lawyer is able to not show anything outside of court, so his or her opponents will never be able to know what they are trying to prepare.”
Gu Nianzhi nodded. “Okay, Professor He. I will do my best.” Gu Nianzhi smiled.
“You care about Gu Xiangwen a lot?” Professor He asked suddenly.
“He’s my father! Of course I care about him!” Gu Nianzhi clenched her fists to show her determination.
“What about your mother? Why didn’t I hear that you care about you mother?” He Zhichu asked again.
Gu Nianzhi thought about it and spun once around carrying her school bag before walking backwards down the walkway. Blinking at He Zhichu, she said, “I do not feel anything towards my mother right now. However, I think that as I get to know more, maybe I will feel that I love my mother more than my father.”
He Zhichu remained silent. When they arrived at the intersection, He Zhichu said, “I will attend your hearing tomorrow.”
“Really?!” Gu Nianzhi was elated. “I will definitely perform well tomorrow!”
…
The B University campus was already noisy on an early Friday morning. Gu Nianzhi took He Zhichu’s car to the courthouse this time around.
Yin Shixiong brought Ma Qiqi to the hearing and greeted He Zhichu with a smile. He Zhichu nodded at him and drove to the underground parking lot. Yin Shixiong also went to his car to get it parked.
Gu Nianzhi was just standing at the entrance of the courthouse chatting with Ma Qiqi, when she saw a limousine the size of a minibus drive over. The limousine stopped in front of the courthouse. When its doors opened, Gu Yanran got out, wearing a black and white checkered dress from the latest Chanel winter collection. The dress looked elegant. However, on Gu Yanran, it looked like she had put on a checkered carpet. Gu Yanran was also wearing a huge pair of Prada shades and entered the courthouse with the protection of her bodyguards, housekeeper, and Jin Wanyi.
Gu Nianzhi and Ma Qiqi looked at each other and laughed. They began to gossip about Gu Yanran. “…She is just so dramatic. Does she think she will win like that?” Both girls held hands and were just about to enter the courtroom when they saw another luxury car drive over.
This luxury car that had just arrived was not only royal, it was extremely high class as well. It was a red flagged bulletproof car. Gu Nianzhi looked at the license plate. It was from the army.
She stood at the entrance for a while.
The door to the car opened, and the one who got out first was a person whom Gu Nianzhi had met a couple of times before, Xie Qingying. The door on the other side of the car opened. The person who exited from it was none other than Xie Qingying’s father, Xie Dezhao.
