Love Finds Its Time - Chapter 10

The name Wen Qinghan was well-known throughout the legal industry in City B. Back in university, she had been a top student in the law department, winning numerous competitions both on and off campus, even on the national level. After graduation, she partnered with Jian Yizhi to establish Yihan Law Firm, a venture with boundless prospects. “Promising and accomplished at a young age”—that was how elders described Wen Qinghan, and it was also the heavy burden resting on her shoulders. In her work, not the slightest mistake was allowed; that was the standard she set for herself.

Clients constantly came, placing their hopes in either Wen Qinghan or Jian Yizhi. Once their case was accepted by either of the two, it was almost as if they had already taken the first step toward victory in court.

The offices of Wen Qinghan and Jian Yizhi were located on the second floor of the firm, but in opposite directions. There were even separate staircases from the first floor that led directly to each of their offices. When discussing the layout, Jian Yizhi had said it was to prevent clients or colleagues from accidentally entering the wrong office. With this arrangement, the chance of mistakes was greatly reduced; if anyone still went to the wrong place, it was most likely intentional. When she said this, a trace of mischief flashed in her eyes. Wen Qinghan simply went along with her suggestion.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the wooden floor by Wen Qinghan’s desk, dividing it into alternating shades of light and dark. Her assistant, Meng Siqi, dressed in formal attire and carrying a document, stepped across the gleaming floor in high heels and approached Wen Qinghan’s desk.

“Lawyer Wen.”

“Mm?” Wen Qinghan didn’t look up, her eyes still fixed on the materials she had just pulled out of a kraft envelope.

Hearing her brief response, Meng Siqi continued, “Since the job posting was sent out this morning, we’ve already begun receiving resumes.”

Wen Qinghan picked up a fountain pen, underlined a few key points on the document, capped the pen, and slipped the file back into the envelope. Looking up at her assistant, she instructed, “Later, you and Liu Yi go through them first. Select the ones that meet or exceed our requirements, then Yizhi and I will handle the interviews.”

“Understood.”

“You may go.” Wen Qinghan set the envelope aside and pulled out another document.

Meng Siqi nodded and left the office.

At that moment, Wen Qinghan suddenly thought of something. She glanced at the wall clock, closed the document she had just opened, and quickly packed several files into her briefcase. Zipping it shut, she picked it up and left the office.

This area was filled mostly with high-end office buildings. Naturally, some business owners had seized the opportunity and opened leisure spots here—restaurants, cafés, lounges—all elegantly designed, catering to the white-collar workers in the district.

When Wen Qinghan entered the café, Jian Yizhi was already seated in the farthest corner, sipping her coffee in leisure.

She sat across from Jian Yizhi and ordered a Blue Mountain. Then her gaze, calm and light, swept over Jian Yizhi.

“My client won the first-instance ruling.” Jian Yizhi raised an eyebrow, clearly in high spirits. Before Wen Qinghan could respond, she added, “The current situation is unfavorable to the other side. An appeal would only uphold the original verdict. And she was already on her last legs anyway. Even if it hadn’t been me, anyone else could have won this case.”

She had been busy with this case recently, not even resting on weekends. That was why, last Friday, she had been so caught up that she forgot to bring some files home—documents she ended up needing, and she had to trouble Wen Qinghan to unlock the office for her.

Wen Qinghan nodded and smiled. “Congratulations, another victory. How do you plan to celebrate?”

Jian Yizhi straightened in her seat, leaned forward slightly, and cradled her coffee cup in both hands. In a low voice, she asked, “Speaking of celebrating, how do you plan to celebrate? You’ve been so quiet these days, not a word from you, and Qingqiu hasn’t said anything either. Are you two planning to keep the marriage a secret?”

There hadn’t been the slightest hint in the class group chat. Clearly, the two had kept things very tightly under wraps. If Wen Qinghan hadn’t let something slip, she herself would’ve been kept completely in the dark.

After all, Wen Qinghan was a master at concealing things.

Hearing this, Wen Qinghan’s lashes trembled slightly, as though she was about to blink, but she quickly controlled herself. She lowered her gaze, staring at the dark coffee in her cup. The scene from the night before last resurfaced in her mind—Shi Qingqiu talking about her love for cotton candy, the way she had asked if Wen Qinghan was afraid, and their calm parting once they returned home.

“Maybe we are, maybe we aren’t.” Wen Qinghan slowly stirred her coffee. She realized that when she had brought up marriage, aside from nervousness, what she had felt most strongly was anticipation. She hadn’t even thought about what would come after marriage. All her thoughts had been consumed by that proposal. She hadn’t planned how to respond if she were rejected, had left herself no retreat.

Jian Yizhi sighed. Seeing Wen Qinghan’s frosty demeanor, she carried on by herself, “Honestly, this isn’t bad. At least it’s a small step forward. And you two have known each other for so long, you’ll get along somehow. Take it slow… take it slow.”

Wen Qinghan curved her lips into a smile. “Yes, slowly. It can’t be rushed.”

At her words, Jian Yizhi was suddenly reminded of their university days, when she had first met Wen Qinghan. She had quickly been impressed by her insight and vision, and admired her character even more. Over time, sharing a dorm had made her realize that no matter how busy Wen Qinghan was, she always, consciously or unconsciously, made time for Shi Qingqiu. It didn’t look deliberate, but Jian Yizhi, who knew her well, could tell—scholarly, accomplished Wen Qinghan bent only for Shi Qingqiu, treading carefully because she cared.

Snapping out of her memories, Jian Yizhi looked at Wen Qinghan. “By the way, the firm’s third anniversary is coming up. Invite Qingqiu that day. She helped us a lot in the beginning.”

Wen Qinghan frowned slightly, took a sip of coffee, and said, “I’ll ask her later. Also, don’t forget to set aside some time. We’ve got interviews coming up.”

Jian Yizhi lifted her coffee cup with one hand and made an “OK” gesture with the other. After checking her watch, she cleared her throat and stood. “I’ve got another appointment, I’ll head out first. Don’t forget to ask Qingqiu.”

Wen Qinghan waved, watching as Jian Yizhi’s long, flowing hair swayed behind her as she left. Pulling out her phone, she opened WeChat. No new messages in the pinned chat. Her gaze dimmed as she slipped the phone back into her bag.

***

At the same time, Shi Qingqiu had stayed home, mulling over the script Pan Jiawen had given her, repeatedly weighing her current situation. In the end, she called Pan Jiawen to say she would take the role.

The film was titled With You Till the End. It had two female leads and told the story of Gu Nian, daughter of a fallen general, who excelled in martial arts and strategy. In the face of a national crisis, she defended the country despite being a woman. Meanwhile, Princess Xia Ximiao, with her father the emperor unable to govern, acted as regent and assisted Gu Nian from the rear.

After years of battle, Gu Nian brought victory, uniting the realm and crushing the covetous neighboring states. But upon returning triumphantly, she learned that Xia Ximiao had already succumbed to illness.

The investors and director had designated Shi Qingqiu to play Gu Nian.

The story was entirely fictional, with no basis in history. There was no romance subplot, at least not explicitly between Gu Nian and Xia Ximiao. Yet the film’s uniqueness lay in the bond between the two women. Their friendship was so deep that it carried faint undertones of love. Ordinary viewers, especially older ones, likely wouldn’t pick up on it, since the focus was on the plot. But younger audiences, more attuned to romance-driven media, could easily read their relationship as love.

Shi Qingqiu tossed the printed script onto her bed, glanced at the night sky outside the window, and planned to shower, read a bit, and then sleep.

Just as she stepped out of the bathroom, her phone rang. She answered while pulling open the balcony doors. Her voice still carried the warmth of steam from her bath, soft and gentle. “Qinghan, what is it?” They hadn’t contacted each other much the past two days. And since it was Monday, with Wen Qinghan working and Shi Qingqiu at home reading scripts and planning work, she hadn’t thought to reach out.

“Nothing much. Were you about to rest?” Wen Qinghan paced in her study, her slippers silent on the carpeted floor. Compared to the faint wind sounds from Shi Qingqiu’s side, her own space was utterly quiet.

“Not yet. I just finished showering. Planning to read for a while before bed. What about you?” Shi Qingqiu laughed softly, leaning on the balcony railing and gazing at the city lights flickering between tall buildings.

After the events of two nights ago, things between them felt more natural, especially after hearing Wen Qinghan’s very different tone when she had said, “I’ll go where you go.” Shi Qingqiu could clearly feel that she hadn’t been cold.

Wen Qinghan’s lips curved slightly, her expression softened by the night outside the window. “In a couple of days, it’ll be our firm’s third anniversary. Would you have time to come? We’re having dinner at my place.” She stood still at the table, her left hand unconsciously gripping its edge.

Shi Qingqiu narrowed her eyes. Wen Qinghan’s tone was, as always, so calm, it stirred an urge to tease her. So she pursed her lips, chuckled, and asked, “Is this you wanting me to go, or is it them? I remember your colleagues being very enthusiastic last time.”

Indeed, Shi Qingqiu had quite the popularity among Wen Qinghan’s people. She had once joined one of their gatherings, and though they had all been reserved at first, they quickly ended up circling around her instead. After all, how often did one get that close to such a famous star? Who would still pay attention to cold, aloof Wen Qinghan?

The fingers of Wen Qinghan, still gripping the table edge, started to dig into it instead. Her thumb whitened from pressure, while her index finger scraped restlessly underneath. The amusement in Shi Qingqiu’s tone was obvious. After a brief silence, hesitation in Wen Qinghan’s eyes melted into tenderness. She released the table, her voice clear and firm. “If it’s me asking, will you come? I want you there.”

Shi Qingqiu’s smile froze for an instant in surprise, then deepened. “Since the great Lawyer Wen is inviting me personally, of course I’ll go. But you’ll have to come pick me up. I’m too lazy to drive.”

“Alright.” Wen Qinghan walked a few steps and sat down, a flicker of joy rising within her for that moment of courage.

Shi Qingqiu said nothing more, but the still-open line told Wen Qinghan she was still there. Countless words hovered on her lips, but she swallowed them all back.

“Qingqiu, sleep early. Goodnight.” said Wen Qinghan.

“Mm, goodnight.” Shi Qingqiu, sensing nothing unusual, hung up after their exchange.

Wen Qinghan looked out the window. The sky was clear, the moon bright, stars sparse—a rare fine night. She and Shi Qingqiu were beneath the same sky. The moonlight shining on Shi Qingqiu, the stars she gazed at—Wen Qinghan shared them too.

The conversation with Jian Yizhi that afternoon came back to her mind, along with Shi Qingqiu’s gentle response just now, lifting the corners of her lips once more.