Chapter 39: Chapter 20 (part 2)

For some unknown reason, Gao Yuan, on the other end of the line, seemed to be in a daze. He didn't seem to know what Ning Wan was talking about at all. However, since he agreed to come out for supper in the end, Ning Wan reckoned she had achieved her goal. She hung up and smiled at Fu Zheng. "This will work. Gao Yuan has said he'll come, so let's find a place to get supper. I'll treat you both to this meal, and we can consider this his payment for having lent you the car. After supper, he can drive the car back, and we'll be even! He won't have any excuse to harass you again later."

It was a perfect solution, but unfortunately Fu Zheng did not seem to feel relaxed or happy. Instead, he seemed embarrassed. "Gao Yuan agreed to this?"

"He did indeed." When she thought about it, she felt a little indignant. "He really hasn't given up on you. He actually asked me three times, 'Fu Zheng invited me to supper?!', as if he couldn't believe his ears. Bah, he probably knows that he'll have you only in his dreams! His tone was like pie was falling from the sky!"

“……”

"Let's go. We can have barbecue for supper!"

Internally, Fu Zheng was desperate, and even more so when he thought about Gao Yuan showing up later. But he had made his own bed and even though his heart was like ash, now he had to sleep in it.

 

Gao Yuan was in bed when he received a call from Ning Wan. He listened to her chatter on in a daze. What car? What late-night supper? He suspected that he must be in a dream, because none of it made any sense. When had he ever lent Fu Zheng a car of any sort? Fu Zheng liked to drive sleek, exotic supercars, and scoffed at Gao Yuan's practical SUVs. He thought of them as cars that only married middle-aged men drove, no thrill in it at all. There was no way he would ever have asked to borrow a car! On top of that, when he first got back to China he had purchased a brand-new . For his 'normal' commute, he had a Maserati and even a driver to go with it. What on earth would he need Gao Yuan's car for?

Curiosity eventually drove Gao Yuan from his bed and out the door. Ning Wan had sent him the location of a roadside barbecue stall. It was famous for being delicious, but saying the food was good was one thing; when it came to Fu Zheng's general pampered and extravagant standard of living, it was not his style at all...

Sure enough, when Gao Yuan arrived Fu Zheng was sitting at the slightly greasy table looking like he wished he was dead. He looked like he was gearing up for a death match against the table.

But what Gao Yuan didn't know was that this picture painted a completely different story in Ning Wan's eyes.

When Ning Wan looked at Fu Zheng, her heart was full of distress on his behalf. Fu Zheng must truly loathe Gao Yuan. The minute he sat down in the stall, he had begun looking as if his heart had turned to ashes. If it hadn't been for her...

Thinking this, Ning Wan made up her mind. Gao Yuan was still some distance away, and taking advantage of the distance between them, she patted Fu Zheng's shoulder and earnestly encouraged him. "Fu Zheng, don't worry. To repay you, not only am I going to teach you all of my professional skills, but I'll also impart to you the ultimate salted fishlazy person skills I've cultivated for a lifetime: how to shift the blame, how to loaf on the job, how to pay lip service to the boss...."

He who cuts firewood for all must not be allowed to freeze in the wind and snow.A saying I hope I've translated correctly, meaning 'someone who has dedicated themselves to the people must be taken care of.'

Fu Zheng had sacrificed himself for her, so how could she let him down? In addition to her professional skills, she would pass on the philosophy of salted fish survival in the workplace. Although she dearly hoped that he would never have the occasion to use these skills, that he would be taken on by a good team and a good boss, but just in case... at least he wouldn't be bullied as much if he learnt a little...

Before Ning Wan could finish, Gao Yuan hurriedly approached. A subtle smile beamed from his face as he looked at Fu Zheng. "I never expected to one day see you sitting here."

Ning Wan's face turned ugly immediately. What did he mean by that? Was he thinking that since Fu Zheng was willing to eat supper with him, he might be amenable to more?

Thankfully, Gao Yuan seemed to retain some self respect. He took a seat and no longer overstepped himself. Though Fu Zheng didn't eat anything thanks to feeling nauseated at his presence, at least the meal was over.

When they had eaten, Ning Wan paid and asked Fu Zheng to give Gao Yuan the car keys. Everything would be over once Gao Yuan drove that luxury car away.

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Unfortunately, when it came to that, Fu Zheng seemed very reluctant. "We could just let the driver take it back tomorrow..."

Ning Wan pulled Fu Zheng aside. "No matter how good that car is, it isn't yours!"

But Fu Zheng remained stubborn. Glancing at Gao Yuan, he objected, "Is Lawyer Gao able to drive this sort of car? I'm sure he usually has a driver do it. It's such an expensive vehicle, if he's driving it by himself and bumps into someone it'll cost so much to repair... "

"You only have a driver's license and no car of your own, and you did just fine driving it! Don't you think that Senior Partner Gao, the car owner, can get behind the wheel himself?!”

Ning Wan just about lost her temper. She hadn't expected Fu Zheng to be taken in by a luxury car! It was fine if a man loved cars, but only during the right time and place!

Without further delay, she stretched out her hand, fished out the key from Fu Zheng's pants pocket, and gave it to Gao Yuan. "Partner Gao, here's your car back! Be careful on the road, and thank you again for lending it to us! You're such a busy man, no need to let us know if all goes well! Goodbye!"

……

Fu Zheng looked at the keys to his beloved car in Gao Yuan's hands, and suddenly understood how other men felt when their wives were robbed from them. He glared savagely at Gao Yuan. The latter glanced back with a smug little smile. He took the keys triumphantly, got into Fu Zheng's car, started it, and drove off with it.

……

When Fu Zheng finally said goodbye to Ning Wan and met up with Gao Yuan again in his five-star hotel, it was nearly half an hour later, and the gossipy look on Gao Yuan's face was spilling over uncontrollably.

"Fu Zheng! Tell me the truth, are you hitting on Ning Wan?"

"No," Fu Zheng immediately denied.

"No? If not, how would you ever have given up control of your little wife? You never let anyone drive that car except the driver and yourself! I've asked you several times if I could borrow it to take my wife out for a nice romantic ride, and you always say no! But today you took it out at Ning Wan's request to give her a little support during her highschool reunion? You even knocked out your own teeth and swallowed the blood watching Ning Wan give me the key. Are you pretending to be in poverty for the sake of love?!"

Fu Zheng retorted absently as if by rote, "I just want to get some life experience, to understand the domestic legal and cultural environment, to comprehend the current situation of a lawyer out among the common people, and to prove that not only can I handle large cases, but also small community ones. Really, Gao Yuan, you should rein in your imagination. It isn't good for a lawyer to have such a creative mind."

When he said that, Fu Zheng found Ning Wan coming to mind for no reason at all. He rubbed his temples with a hand, feeling a headache coming on. "In the future, you'd better look at me less. Don't smile at me, and don't show any strange expressions. This firm apparently has a lot of lawyers with over-active imaginations, and it's far too easy to to over-interpret things."

Gao Yuan: ???

Fu Zheng took his car keys back from from Gao Yuan and looked solemnly into his eyes before turning to the elevators. "Seriously, listen to my advice. I'm saying this for your own good."