Gloves - Chapter 4

“Hey, over here!” Nian Zichun finally spotted that person and walked towards her.

The plaintiff herself was more visually striking than Nian Zichun had imagined. How should I put it? She had a stronger visual impact. Heavy makeup, red lips, long brown curls cascading down one shoulder. She had a cigarette in her mouth, and one hand lazily draped over the back of the sofa as she sat there with her legs crossed.

“Hello, may I ask if you…” Nian Zichun wasn’t sure if this person was a client.

“Yang Yiluo,” before the newcomer could finish speaking, she extinguished her cigarette and tilted her head, looking at Nian Zichun standing in front of her.

This unexpected way of starting the conversation left Nian Zichun a bit puzzled. As Lawyer Nian, she had encountered many people, but this was the first time she had encountered someone seeking help with such an attitude.

“Hello, Yiluo, I am your…”

“I know you, Nian Zichun, the most famous lawyer in town. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to you,” Yang Yiluo once again interrupted Nian Zichun’s words. With her exposed shoulders, red lips, and this fiery hair, Yang Yiluo appeared slightly mature. At least, she didn’t look like a typical 21-year-old girl. She seemed more like someone around Nian Zichun’s age, around 27 or 28.

“Yiluo, I hope you won’t interrupt me while I’m speaking,” Nian Zichun maintained a smile, but her slight dissatisfaction was not easily discernible.

“Oh, okay, you can go ahead,” Yang Yiluo seemed to have just realized it.

——–

“Nian Zichun, if you help me win this lawsuit, I promise to do something for you, anything you want,”

In any case, the unpleasant meeting came to an end. Nian Zichun returned home and found Yang Yiluo’s information, reading it carefully once again.

Starting as a print model at the age of 14, not completing high school, losing her father at an early age, and her mother remarrying and leaving the country… Growing up in such circumstances, it’s no wonder Yang Yiluo would be so rude.

“My dear, what are you thinking about?” Hu Xinghua gently held Nian Zichun’s shoulders from behind the couch.

“Oh, nothing, just a small case,” Nian Zichun turned her head and smiled at Hu Xinghua.

“Zichun, I have to go there tomorrow to discuss business again,” Hua San’s face showed a hint of melancholy.

Nian Zichun knew that by “there,” Hu Xinghua meant Singapore. She immediately stood up and walked towards Hu Xinghua’s room.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? How long will you be gone?” If he had told me earlier, I wouldn’t have to rush and pack my things at the last minute.

Nian Zichun was the one who organized and stored Hu Xinghua’s clothes. Every time Hu Xinghua went on a business trip, the night before, Nian Zichun would help him pack. Of course, in Nian Zichun’s mind, that’s what a wife should do. Hu Xinghua looked at his wife, who rarely got her hands dirty, folding his clothes. A strand of hair fell in front of her beautiful profile, and Hu Xinghua walked over and tucked it behind her ear. He caught a whiff of her delicate fragrance and longed to hold her, to truly possess this woman. But such thoughts grew stronger, and Hu Xinghua simply wrapped his arms around Nian Zichun’s waist. Nian Zichun immediately felt uncomfortable and stopped what she was doing. She could hear Hu Xinghua’s rough breath near her ear.

“My love, I adore you,” the grip around her waist tightened, making it difficult for Nian Zichun to catch her breath.

“Mmm, I know, Xinghua, it makes me uncomfortable…” Hu Xinghua didn’t want Nian Zichun to feel uneasy, so he suppressed the burning sensation in his heart and let go of his grip. Nian Zichun always responded with “I know” instead of “Me too” to his sincere expressions.

“Is it really not possible, Zichun? Do you want us to stay like this forever?” His eyes started to well up with tears.

“Xinghua, it’s not that… It’s just that I need some more time. I’m not ready…”

“How many years has it been? I don’t want to have to take care of it myself every time…” Hu Xinghua couldn’t bring himself to say the word ‘masturbation.’ He was an educated man, and there were some things he couldn’t say out loud.

“I’m sorry, Xinghua, I can’t do it. At least, not right now.”

After all, Nian Zichun was his wife, and he loved her deeply. The words stuck in his throat, and the fire burned in his heart, but he couldn’t…

“Zichun, I won’t force you. I’ll wait for you. But I hope you can consider my feelings a little bit, okay, my dear?”

“Mmm,” Nian Zichun replied, finishing packing her suitcase and returning to her own room.

The next morning, Nian Zichun, like a typical wife, helped Hu Xinghua put on his tie. She planted a gentle kiss on his cheek, and Hu Xinghua’s eyes widened in surprise. This simple act was the peak of their intimacy since they got married. With a twinkle in his eyes, he said to Nian Zichun,

“Thank you, my adored wife!” Nian Zichun couldn’t help but burst into laughter at his reaction. Her laughter made Hu Xinghua feel like the path to his workplace was brightly lit.

“Wife, you look so beautiful when you laugh,” Hua San said, looking like a little kid.

“Stop flattering me, we might miss the flight.”

In truth, these were all mechanical actions that Nian Zichun had learned from various sources. She did have some feelings for Hu Xinghua, but she couldn’t express any deep emotional connection.

Soon after Nian Zichun arrived at the office, someone came to see her.

“Yiluo?” Nian Zichun raised an eyebrow. Couldn’t this girl knock before entering?

Yang Yiluo pushed the door open and casually sat on the couch. This time, she wasn’t wearing a skirt, and her rebellious red hair still stood out. Even with flat shoes, they couldn’t hide her tall figure as a professional model. She lazily folded her body and sat there.

“Yiluo? So early? Have you had breakfast?” Nian Zichun glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just past nine, quite early. A smile formed on her lips.

“Oh, is Lawyer Nian being considerate? Concerned about whether I’ve eaten or not.”

“Mmm,” Nian Zichun replied.

“You know, people like us, in the eyes of others, we don’t need to eat.”

“So did you eat or not?” Nian Zichun found it strange even as she asked the question. Why were they discussing breakfast in her office so early in the morning?

“I did.”

“Why did you come so early then?”

Yang Yiluo, as usual, didn’t answer the question directly. She leaned back on the couch, hands behind her head, finding a comfortable position. She looked around Nian Zichun’s work environment. There was a small potted plant on Nian Zichun’s desk, and the fresh air carried a hint of her perfume. The office had good lighting due to the higher floor.

“I find that I like it here,” Yang Yiluo said, confirming that she was indeed a 21-year-old child. Nian Zichun caught a glimpse of purity in her eyes, a rare sight.

“Well, since you’re here, let me talk to you seriously. When we’re in court, you need to remember…” Nian Zichun earnestly explained some important points that required attention and cooperation. Yang Yiluo didn’t pay much attention and instead found herself lost in staring at Nian Zichun’s beautiful face.

“Yiluo??”

“Oh~”

“…Are you even listening?”

“I like hearing you say my name…” Yang Yiluo blinked, looking at Nian Zichun.

“…………….”

“Suddenly! The handsome face of a man starts to tear from the mouth…” Nurse Lily vividly described a tense and horrifying scene.

“Ding ding ding ding ding~” Just as Nurse Xiao Li was getting to the suspenseful part, a patient’s bell rang.

“Ah~~~!!!” Tu Yi was so scared that his nearly six-foot-tall figure practically hid in Xiao Li’s embrace.

“What are you doing? The patient rang the bell, go check on them!” Xiao Li pushed the big man in her arms with utter disdain.

“I dare not go. Why are you telling ghost stories to people in the middle of the night?!”

“Didn’t you want to hear it?! I’m not going either. You’re a man, so why don’t you go?!”

“Huh?! So now I’m suddenly a man again? What happened to being sisters?!” Tu Yi grumbled as he reluctantly stood up, gave Xiao Li a cold look, and headed to the ward with a stethoscope, wearing the expression of a brave soldier going off to battle.

Xiao Li had to admit that ever since Tu Yi joined the night shift, it wasn’t as boring anymore.

“Chujie, why haven’t you been coming to work lately?”

“Brother Hao, I’m really sorry, I won’t be able to come these days. I had a little accident…” An Chujie nervously squeezed the bedsheets, feeling a bit worried.

Dong Hao was An Chujie’s boss, a person with a strong personality. He respected and appreciated this young girl who had just graduated. After understanding An Chujie’s current situation, he said, “In that case, I’ll still pay you for these days, but you’ll have to work extra to make up for it.”

Knowing that her hospitalization didn’t affect her income, An Chujie felt relieved. By the time that day came, she should be able to clear her debts. However, An Chujie seemed to have overlooked all the expenses she had incurred during her hospital stay. No one had come to mention it to her.

An Chujie got out of bed. Today she would be discharged. She stood in front of the mirror, looking at her haggard self. Her eye sockets had sunken, and ever since that day, Shang Zhuoxi hadn’t come to see her again. She must be too busy, or maybe she simply didn’t want to visit An Chujie. An Chujie smoothed her oversized hospital gown, looking at her abdomen that was almost visible down to her pelvic bones. Thoughts of Shang Zhuoxi filled her mind, and just then, she heard the sound of the door being pushed open. She quickly let go of her clothes. It wasn’t the usual nurse who entered, but her not-so-responsible attending physician, Shang Zhuoxi.

An Chujie was a bit at a loss, facing the light behind Shang Zhuoxi.

“I’m really sorry. As your guardian during this period, I haven’t been able to take care of you properly, which has caused you to lose even more weight.” However, the person saying this didn’t show any hint of apology on their face.

Shang Zhuoxi walked towards An Chujie, handing her the clothes. Due to their significant height difference, Shang Zhuoxi had to lower her head to look at An Chujie, clearly seeing everything.

“It seems like you’ve had a second growth spurt. Hurry up and change.” The loose hospital gown made An Chujie look even more fragile, but it couldn’t hide the beauty below her collarbone. Even though she had lost a lot of weight, what should be there was still there.

Upon hearing those embarrassing yet repulsive words, An Chujie immediately pulled up her neckline and took the clothes, avoiding eye contact.

“Move faster, once you’re changed, I’ll take you home.” Shang Zhuoxi’s eyes were like bottomless sea water.

The words “take you home” sounded heartwarming, but to be more accurate, it was going back to Shang Zhuoxi’s home. To An Chujie, it felt more like descending into hell.

“I don’t want to.” An Chujie immediately refused.

“Don’t want to? An Chujie, listen carefully, as long as I’m here, there’s nothing you can refuse. There’s only what I don’t want to give.” Shang Zhuoxi held onto her waist, and her fingers happened to press on the recently healed wound, causing An Chujie to grimace in pain. She knew she couldn’t possibly outplay Shang Zhuoxi, this woman. Damn car accident, otherwise, she wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital, wouldn’t have encountered Shang Zhuoxi again, and wouldn’t have fallen into her clutches once more.