021 That Was Something He Had Never
As soon as the graduation photos were taken, the female students in their caps and gowns couldn't wait to swarm over.
"Jiang Shiyu, can I take a photo with you?"
"Me too, me too!"
In no time, Jiang Shiyu was surrounded by girls. Since it was graduation day, he didn't refuse. He stood to the side, cooperating for the photos. His deep blue hair and that sharply defined, striking face made him stand out even more.
Zeng Keqin stepped back, watching from a distance through the layers of the crowd.
"Hey! What are you looking at?"
Someone tapped her shoulder.
Wang Chunyue and Liu Ying stood behind her, following her gaze. They exclaimed, "Senior Jiang is so popular. It's probably hard to find a guy this handsome after graduation."
Liu Ying agreed. "Yeah! Not only is he model-level, he knows how to dress. Born to be the protagonist. People like us just watch from afar. No, except for Qinqin!"
Zeng Keqin turned around. "Let's go."
"Alright!"
Wang Chunyue linked her arm with hers, and the three of them walked toward the exit of the sports field.
After finishing the photos, Jiang Shiyu looked around but didn't see the familiar figure.
He pulled out his phone: [Where did you go?]
He sent the message and waited for a while.
Zeng Keqin replied: [I went back with my roommates.]
Jiang Shiyu stared at the line, frowning slightly. Just as he was about to reply, Fatty and Qian Bo came over to drag him to meet the advisor. He had no choice but to put his phone back in his pocket.
*
To avoid being late on her first day, Zeng Keqin got up at six. She specially put on an apricot shirt and straight-leg pants, paired with low heels, looking neat and clean.
Before leaving, she applied a new orange-red lipstick to look more vibrant.
She arrived at the old office building at exactly eight-thirty.
She got out of the elevator and reached the law firm’s entrance, only to find the front desk hadn't arrived yet. She hesitated, wondering if she should call out.
Shen Jingbai walked out from inside, holding a stack of documents. He paused when he saw her.
"Here so early?"
"Good morning, Lawyer Shen."
Zeng Keqin greeted him respectfully.
Shen Jingbai seemed to have not slept all night. There were dark circles under his eyes. He wore a white shirt without a tie, the top button undone, revealing his pale collarbone.
"Follow me."
Zeng Keqin felt excited inside, expecting him to show her around and tell her how to handle her first case.
Instead, he led her to the work area, pointed to the person sitting inside, and said, "I have a temporary business trip, about half a month. During this time, you'll follow Lawyer Chen. He's another partner at the firm."
The man was around thirty-five, wearing a wrinkled plaid shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was messy, as if he had just woken up. Seeing Shen Jingbai enter, he grinned and said, "Old Shen, is this the intern you mentioned?"
He looked Zeng Keqin up and down, his voice loud: "Quite a refined little girl. I'm Chen Kaiheng. Just call me Brother Kai."
"Hello, Brother Kai. I'm Zeng Keqin."
"I'll get to work then. You two chat."
After giving his instructions, Shen Jingbai turned and returned to his office.
Zeng Keqin watched him leave.
"Have a seat, have a seat. Don't just stand there. Since Old Shen handed you over to me, I'll take good care of you."
Chen Kaiheng had a natural, easy-going demeanor, completely different from Shen Jingbai's gentle elegance.
Zeng Keqin took back her gaze, walked over, and froze.
His desk had almost no flat surface. Files, case folders, takeout boxes, and half-drunk coffee cups piled up like a small mountain.
He scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "I'm a casual guy. A bit messy. Don't mind it."
Zeng Keqin sat down in the chair opposite him, tidying the desktop.
"Old Shen told me about your situation. Coming from Bai Run'er, your ability is fine." Chen Kaiheng fished a thick folder from the pile of documents and handed it to her. "Stop tidying for now. Take a look at this first."
The client in the case was a girl in her early twenties. She saw a streamer on a short video platform who claimed to be a rich second generation. In his live streams, he showed off luxury cars and villas, saying he was giving back to fans. Anyone who paid ten thousand yuan for a link could get a car or a villa—first come, first served.
The client believed him and spent a full twenty thousand yuan to purchase the links for a luxury car and mansion. But when she tried to contact the streamer, he didn't reply to messages and didn't answer calls. The platform said his account had been deactivated.
Only then did the client realize she had been scammed and came to Chen Kaiheng.
Zeng Keqin finished reading the case file and couldn't help but find it both ridiculous and amusing.
"You think it's absurd, right?"
Chen Kaiheng leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "But the client believed it, and she's holding on tight. If this case were given to you, what would you do?"