pertwk Chapter 44 Don't Speak
Chapter 44 Don't Speak
"Lin Lin learned to use my phone to call your parents before he was even in first grade, asking them to pick him up and let him stay with him. With his top-ranked math skills, even if I were to guard against it strictly, seeing you would be extremely easy for him. I can't stop him, and I won't stop him. There's only one reason why you haven't seen him yet—that's because he doesn't want to see you."
Liang Hui was incredulous. Pointing to her stomach, she said, "I carried him for ten months and gave birth to him, watching him grow up day by day. I gave him everything he wanted from childhood to adulthood, fulfilling every request. Why wouldn't he want to see me?" She retorted, "You must have taught him to ignore me, right? Yes, I don't have a job, but when have I ever lacked him a single penny?"
"Money, it's always money. All you ever talk about is money." Lin Xiangsong stood up. "Since you're not sincere about talking, you can just say it over the phone. Why waste each other's time by meeting in person?" He picked up the backpack hanging on the quilt and turned to leave.
"Yes! I talk about money! I'm vulgar!"
Liang Hui stood up, her voice loud: "Wasn't it all you wanted in the first place—my money? You didn't think I was vulgar back then, isn't it funny to think so now?"
Lin Xiangsong ignored him and walked straight out of the coffee shop and out of the building.
"Hello, how can I help you?" The voice behind him sounded familiar. As if time and space had overlapped, he turned around and saw the receptionist of Jinchen Building standing at the door, warmly greeting a young man who had just arrived. The young woman wasn't particularly beautiful, but her small face was full of passion and joy when she was working.
"Uh..." The young man blushed. "I have an appointment for an interview."
"Okay, may I ask which company you were interviewing with?"
Nebula Technology.
"Okay, okay. Please wait here for a moment while I check with Nebula Technology and then I'll take you up, okay?"
"Okay, sure."
The young girl smiled kindly, "Thank you for your understanding." Her laughter soothed the young man's anxiety and unease.
Lin Xiangsong stood there for a while, the autumn wind whistling and slapping against his face; soon, his lips lost their color. He turned back. Liang Hui was still sitting in the coffee chair she had just been in. At this moment, she seemed drained of all her energy, or perhaps like the woman he had seen at home countless nights before. A woman's youth is gone; only the smooth corners of her eyes hinted that she wasn't actually that old. Her red dress was no longer bright, crumpled and bunched up under her bottom, and she slumped against the backrest.
There are differences too. Although she is tired in her marriage, she is always smiling and always stares at him with adoration and unwavering gaze.
"Liang Hui".
The woman opposite looked up blankly.
His voice was soft: "I don't want to admit that I ever bowed my head to life." His gaze fell on her, passing over the cheerful, optimistic girl of the past: "You also don't want to admit that apart from what your parents gave you, you never tried. In this marriage, you gave money, so you always felt that you were entitled to everything. You never saw my contributions, and I never saw your efforts."
"Let's stop here. I'll pay you back as soon as possible."
This time, Lin Xiangsong's departure seemed to carry away some kind of heavy burden.
The sobbing sound behind him lingers in the past.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, making the weather gloomy. Yu Xingge set off early on foot. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, the wind blew her beautiful hair, giving it a Hong Kong style look. She tidied her hair in the first-floor restroom before turning to the elevator and taking it upstairs. Stepping into the 33rd-floor office area, she was greeted by cheerful laughter and chatter.
A group of people, some sitting and some standing, were gathered around Huang Yuan's seat. Feng Gui, a fellow intern lawyer from the family law team, stood at the very back, gesturing wildly as if performing something.
"Before I could even speak, the opposing lawyer interrupted. The male lawyer on the other side even raised his hand, saying, 'Judge, they've been separated for more than six months.' You know, that Judge Lu from the Dongjiang District Civil Court waved his hand dismissively and said sternly, 'Don't speak. I didn't ask you.'"
“I know,” Li Ruochun interjected, “I even know the judge’s catchphrase: ‘Don’t speak.’”
"Yes, yes, that's him." Feng Gui frowned and imitated him, "'Plaintiff, when was the last time you had marital relations?' The plaintiff lowered his head. His voice was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz: 'Just a couple of days ago.' You wouldn't believe the look on the lawyer's face! Judge Lu! Such a serious man, and he had this 'I knew it' look on his face. The lawyer even confirmed with the woman: 'Just this month?' The woman's cheeks turned red, and she whispered." Feng Gui also lowered his head, feigning shyness: "'Yes.'"
"I'm telling you! I could hear the lawyer's heart breaking."
"Of course, there was also the sound of my heart breaking." He covered his face. "If you don't believe me, ask Huang Yuan. My goodness, our client, that guy who said he wanted a divorce so righteously, was looking straight ahead with a straight face, not even making eye contact with us."
Huang Yuan sighed, "...It's my fault, it's my fault. I didn't ask before the trial. It's really fortunate that we are the defendants; the plaintiff's lawyers would probably have had heart attacks."
His words made the people around him laugh.
Liu Lin, who was also standing there, chimed in, "Then they definitely can't grant a divorce."
"Definitely! If the couple's relationship had broken down, divorce cases wouldn't be so difficult to handle."
The group of people laughed again.
Huang Yuan spoke first: "Alright, alright, we've heard the gossip, you all better get back to work. This client is generous, the lawyer's fees arrived today, so I'm treating everyone to Green Wind BBQ tonight, except for the family law team, everyone here should come."
"No problem!" Chen Zhao from the criminal investigation team readily agreed. "Can we bring family members?"
"Sure. But," Huang Yuan said with a look of disgust, "why do you take your girlfriend everywhere you go? You might as well just be a keychain and hang it on her."
"I'd like to," Chen Zhao said with a bitter expression, "but my girlfriend doesn't want to."
"With your figure, you think you can even hang it up?" Huang Yuan scoffed. "You should lose weight, Attorney Chen."
"It's none of your business if my girlfriend likes it." Chen Zhao retorted without holding back.
Liu Lin sighed, full of regret: "You can bring your family, but I can't even attend. Our team's quarterly performance review dinner is scheduled for tonight at Dongfeng Yidu. I can't go with everyone, boohoo." Liu Lin wrinkled her face and pretended to cry: "I haven't been to Lvfeng BBQ yet. I heard their lamb skewers are freshly killed and grilled, they're so delicious!"
"I feel sorry for you." Huang Yuan caught sight of Yu Xingge walking over. "Attorney Yu, what are your plans for tonight? Would you have the honor of joining our team for a small gathering?"
Li Ruochun frowned: "Xingge is from the real estate team. He's going to a performance review dinner tonight, right?"
Yu Xingge stopped abruptly; she had not received any performance review or dinner invitation from the real estate team.
He smiled and said, "It's alright, we can get together again next time if there's a chance. Our Director Wei can't wait to invite you to dinner."
Just then, Liu Lin spoke up: "Xingge, I just checked, why aren't you in our real estate team group chat?"