He replied quickly: [OK]
*
The next day, Zeng Keqin brought the shopping bag containing the jacket.
Before leaving, she glanced at Fang Yu's bed. It was still empty.
Fang Yu had been home for a few days now, saying she wanted to tell her family about the scam.
Zeng Keqin wondered how she was doing.
Arriving at Bai Run'er's building, she just caught the elevator as the doors were closing.
A few people were inside, including Zhao Mo, holding an iced Americano, impeccably dressed in a suit. He glanced at her as she entered, then looked away.
They stepped out of the elevator one after another.
Zheng Zhixi was already there first, flipping through the case file.
Seeing them walk in together, he paused behind his glasses, then nodded in greeting. "Morning."
"Morning."
"Morning."
Zeng Keqin sat down at her desk, opened her laptop, and went over the documents she had organized yesterday again.
"I'm here!"
Qiao Meng rushed in right on time, a piece of toast hanging from her mouth, and mumbled something unintelligible. "Whew... I almost overslept..."
Zhou Yi handed her a carton of yogurt. "Slow down. You still have three minutes."
Su Wanyi took out her laptop from her bag and turned to ask Zeng Keqin, "How many pages did you write?"
"Five pages."
Su Wanyi nodded and buried herself in her own work.
Zou Min came by in the morning to check their grasp of the case. When she passed behind Zeng Keqin, she suddenly pointed at the screen.
"Here, take another look at clause two in appendix three of the contract."
Zeng Keqin flipped to the corresponding page, read two lines, and pressed her lips together.
She had missed a piece of evidence.
"A lot of people overlook this. Don't stress about it."
Zou Min patted the back of her chair and turned to check on the others.
"Thank you, Lawyer Zou."
Zeng Keqin noted the point in her notebook, gripping the pen so hard it seemed like it might tear through the paper.
At lunch break, Qiao Meng dragged her to the convenience store downstairs.
"Don't be upset! Lawyer Zou said it's a common issue. Just remember it next time."
Qiao Meng grabbed a pack of spicy strips from the shelf. Seeing her still silent, she changed the subject. "Do you know that guy from the restaurant yesterday?"
Zeng Keqin's hand paused as she was picking items. "Who?"
"The one across from Lawyer Zhuang. I saw you glance at him a few times."
"Not really."
Zeng Keqin picked up a mushroom chicken leg rice bowl and headed to the register.
Qiao Meng said, "Oh," and continued, "He's actually pretty handsome, but not my type. I thought you might be interested in him."
Ha, ridiculous.
Zeng Keqin said seriously, "I have no plans to date right now."
Qiao Meng stuck out her tongue. "Got it. Won't ask again. Let's go."
Zeng Keqin ate quickly, used her lunch break to fill in the missing evidence, and restructured the opinion document.
By the time she finished, the sun was setting, and the sky outside was dyed orange.
She stretched her stiff neck, and when she turned from side to side, her eyes met Zheng Zhixi's.
He quickly looked down, typing on his keyboard as if still working.
That was the third time today.
Zeng Keqin frowned. The undisguised scrutiny in his gaze made her uncomfortable.
*
After getting off the bus, she scanned a shared bike and rode to the North Gate.
She chose that spot because it was far from the girls' dormitory, so she was less likely to run into anyone she knew.
The evening wind hit her face, carrying the early summer heat. The shopping bag in the basket rustled in the wind.
She arrived at the coffee shop at exactly seven-thirty.