Tang Ye smiled and extended his hand to Han Shu, "Auntie, there's really no need for introductions. We've met before, but it was on official business. Prosecutor Han, I don't know if you remember me."
Han Shu thought of the case at the Construction Bureau and realized that he might have run into Tang Ye when he went to investigate his workplace. At that time, he met many people and was dealing with a lot of things, so he didn't have much of an impression of the young man in front of him who was about the same age as him. He smiled and shook hands with Tang Ye back, "It's a pleasure to meet you. But let's not talk about business today, let's just talk about romance, hehe."
Cai Jian pretended to hit Han Shu, while saying to Tang Ye, "This kid is used to joking with me, he never speaks properly!"
"Those who are unrestrained are our own people," Tang Ye said.
As she spoke, Prosecutor Cai glanced around. Of course, she hadn't forgotten the main purpose of her visit, but apart from herself and Han Shu, only Tang Ye was present. The person in charge was nowhere to be found.
"Ah Ye, why are you alone?" she asked tentatively after they sat down.
Tang Ye said, "Oh, she sat for a while, then went to the restroom and came back right away."
Cai Jian finally felt relieved. Her husband's last thought was about the marriage of Tang's only son, so it's no wonder she was so worried.
"By the way, your great-aunt said that the girl's surname is Xie, right?"
Tang Ye nodded, but Han Shu's eyelids twitched involuntarily upon hearing the word "thank you," inwardly chuckling at his own neuroticism and overreaction. At this moment, Cai Jian, who had finished exchanging greetings and pleasantries with his stepson and then fell silent to drink water, began to steer the conversation towards Han Shu. Half-jokingly, he scolded, "Han Shu, look, you're both the same age. I thought Tang Ye, who was determined to remain single, had already found someone, but you're still stuck in the middle. You wouldn't be following those ridiculous trends these days, what's it called again? Oh, Brokeback Mountain."
Cai Jian was just joking, and Han Shu laughed along with a mouthful of hot water, while Tang Ye secretly straightened his back.
Han Shu was adept at reading people's expressions, and he knew perfectly well that Prosecutor Cai both cared for his adult stepson and struggled with a distant attitude. He quickly tried to lighten the mood before the female lead appeared. "Godmother, you always bring up the most sensitive topics. They say lovers are like clothes, and friends are like limbs, but I recently became a naked, thousand-armed Guanyin again."
These words successfully amused both Prosecutor Cai and the somewhat reserved Tang Ye, and everyone relaxed a bit. Just then, a girl walked back from the direction of the restroom behind the bar.
Han Shu and Cai Jian were sitting with their backs to her, but Tang Ye had already seen them and stood up to wait.
The woman hurried closer and apologized in a voice barely audible: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
"What does it matter? You didn't do it on purpose." Tang Ye smiled warmly. He gently took her arm, about to introduce her, but Han Shu, who wasn't facing them directly, heard the voice and turned around in surprise.
He stood up very slowly, hesitantly, as if needing to confirm the reality of what he was seeing. The horror on her face was too clear. He could only helplessly glance at Cai Jian beside him. At this moment, Han Shu desperately needed someone to urge him to wake up. Wake up, Han Shu, it's dawn.
Cai Jian was also bewildered, but her bewilderment wasn't due to the somewhat charming girl beside her stepson, but rather to Han Shu's childlike desolation and the slightly eerie atmosphere that suddenly arose. She didn't immediately recognize Ju Nian; after all, eleven years had passed, and she had only met Ju Nian a few times back then. Her original memories had become blurred, and it's inevitable that a person would change over so many years.
Cai Jian was a woman accustomed to grand occasions, and she instinctively sensed something amiss. This amiss was unintentionally caused by the slightly familiar-looking young woman who had just appeared. She frowned, tilting her head slightly as she looked her over and tried to recall who she was, whether she had seen her before, why Han Shu's expression was suddenly so unpleasant, she was A Ye's girlfriend, right, her surname was Xie...
The floodgates of memory were flung open by the past. The girl who once held a new set of clothes and sneered with a hint of insight, "I know you're afraid I'll sue him," and the particularly slender figure in the defendant's seat, finally overlapped with the woman before me, whose awkward smile had faded and whose expression was indifferent.
Cai Jian was greatly shocked. A thousand thoughts seemed to explode as if a fuse had been lit. He pointed at Ju Nian with a trembling finger, but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a sudden wave of angina.
Meanwhile, Tang Ye, unaware of what was happening, felt the body he was supporting take a step back. He silently steadied her and was about to speak, "Auntie, this is my girlfriend..." when Cai Jian slumped back into her chair, clutching her left breast. He quickly released Ju Nian and went to check on her.
Han Shu was closer to Prosecutor Cai. He knew that his godmother's coronary heart disease was a chronic condition. Without saying a word, he quickly opened Prosecutor Cai's handbag, rummaged through it for the nitroglycerin she carried with her, and finally managed to pour out a pill. He hurriedly handed it to her to suck on. Prosecutor Cai, covered in cold sweat and pale-faced, leaned back in her chair, but she had finally caught her breath. Her chest heaved rapidly, and she stopped Han Shu from handing her the medicine.
Having lived to this age, as a successful woman, she has weathered many storms and is not the kind of old woman on TV who turns black at the first sign of trouble. However, this woman who reappeared after many years not only connected her two most valued juniors but also stirred up one of the darkest memories in her life.
To be fair, Prosecutor Cai Yilin is not a malicious woman. On the contrary, she has worked her way up step by step through her own abilities, handling countless cases. She can honestly say that she has lived up to her duties and her badge. However, there was one exception… The goddess of justice, whom she had sworn an oath to in her youth, held scales in one hand and a sword in the other, but her eyes were blindfolded, because justice must be judged with the heart. Eleven years ago, facing an innocent girl, Prosecutor Cai opened her eyes. That time, she saw her godson, Han Shu, and the scales tipped. In a single moment, a girl without any guilt, even the victim, was imprisoned.
Over the years, Prosecutor Cai wasn't entirely indifferent to the matter. Her initial intention wasn't to send Ju Nian to prison, but rather to prevent her from taking the plunge and filing a lawsuit. Even if the case failed, it would still cast a shadow of guilt on Han Shu at such a young age. Her biggest mistake was overconfidence; she overestimated her abilities, mistakenly believing that as long as the hostel owner testified, Han Shu would escape punishment, and Ju Nian wouldn't be dragged into that mess. She thought everything could be remedied; she could find a way to give the girl money, and since Han Shu was so fond of her, and things were already fait accompli, it wouldn't be unreasonable to conveniently grant the girl's wish. However, no one expected that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; the Chen family, so protective of their daughter, also left her with a bitter pill to swallow, leading to an ending that no one could bear to look back on.
Xie Junian has been released from prison. Cai Jian can accept that she hates Xie Junian. She admits her mistakes. When Junian was still in prison, she tried to visit her more than once and offered some financial compensation, but Junian never gave her any chance. Now that Junian has appeared in this form, how can Cai Jian not be terrified? She can't figure out Xie Junian's terrible motives. Looking at Han Shu's appearance, she can guess the terrible consequences that this motive may cause, not to mention that Tang Ye is also involved.
Tang Ye half-squatted beside his stepmother, his face showing worry. Even the most oblivious person could see the alarming undercurrents beneath this encounter. He cautiously asked, "You...know each other?"
Cai Jian's breathing gradually calmed down. She indicated that she was fine and waved away the waiter who rushed over to check on her. Faced with Tang Ye's doubts, she couldn't evade the question, but she also couldn't bring herself to say it, not knowing where to begin.
Ju Nian stood there stiffly like an emotionless marble statue. Han Shu remained silent, his gaze fixed on her. Tang Ye stood up, spreading his hands in deep helplessness. "Can someone tell me what happened?"
Cai Jian remained silent, his face pale, while Han Shu seemed not to have heard what he said.
After a while, a soft voice broke the deadlock.
“Yes, we know each other. It happened many years ago. Prosecutor Cai, no, Chief Prosecutor Cai, helped me out back then. Nobody expected that the world would be so coincidental.” Ju Nian smiled at Tang Ye.
Tang Ye might not believe it; he wasn't a fool. He had seen his stepmother's embarrassment upon hearing this. But what could he do if he didn't believe it? It was the only answer that the group of people could give him at the moment. He chose to listen and then wait and see.
"Oh, what a coincidence! Perhaps I should skip the introductions? Ju Nian, she's my aunt. She took good care of me after my father passed away. And you know Han Shu too, right?"
Han Shu remained silent, then seemed to let out a horrified laugh. Ju Nian's body was stiff and motionless.
Tang Ye slowly pulled out a chair for Ju Nian, "Please sit down."
Ju Nian, as if waking from a dream, carefully sat on the very edge of the chair.
"Prosecutor Han, aren't you going to sit down?" Tang Ye asked Han Shu with a smile.
Coming to her senses, Prosecutor Cai sighed and gently tugged at Han Shu's sleeve under the table. She couldn't be more pragmatic; since everyone was striving to maintain that thin, paper-thin facade, why should she rush to tear it off? All she wanted to know now was how Xie Junian had approached Tang Ye, how deep Tang Ye's feelings for her were, and whether the truth behind it would harm Tang Ye and Han Shu.
Han Shu initially ignored her, but Ju Nian avoided his gaze, lowered her head, and slowly twisted the napkin in front of her. Should she storm out? He refused. So he convinced himself to sit down. She was also a part of this absurd drama, so he would stay.
Tang Ye smoothed things over, saying, "A friend of mine who has lived in France for many years once told me that if a conversation suddenly stops during a party, it's proof that an angel has passed by." He then smiled and added, "This place is run by my friend. She recommended it to me, saying that the French food here is quite good, and they specially hired a chef from Lyon. We can give it a try."
As he spoke, he gestured for the waiter to bring the menu. Cai Jian placed her hand on Han Shu's knee, fearing that Han Shu might act rashly if he lost his temper. Han Shu recalled that many years ago, these same hands had held him down. He could no longer tell whether those hands were warm or cold, whether his godmother had pulled him out of the mire or pushed him in forever.
Chapter Six: They Are All God
At the small round table for four, Han Shu and Tang Ye had already been sitting on either side of Cai Jian, leaving only enough space for Ju Nian, with one man on each side. Han Shu couldn't remember the last time he'd been this close, sitting quietly beside her, perhaps never before. His hand could reach her body with just a slight stretch… Yes, she had once slept peacefully beside him, curled up like a baby. He had held her so carefully, afraid of not being close enough to hear her breath, afraid of being too close and disturbing her with his heartbeat. Her long, black hair had tickled his face then, but he dared not move. Whether those were his beautiful dreams or her nightmares, they were gone forever, yet at this moment, he still dared not move.
Xie Junian held the menu in both hands, head bowed, silent. Han Shu could tell she had dressed up slightly today, though not for him, but he suddenly seemed to understand Tang Ye's feelings as a man. She was like a lonely wildflower, with single white petals, soft yellow stamens, a slender stem, and long, delicate leaves, blooming cautiously in the wild wind, occasionally bowing low, but never breaking. He, however, had hands raised in a greenhouse, rashly trying to pluck her, unaware of the thorns, unaware that she would wither. And Tang Ye? What was Tang Ye?
"Asparagus soup, water bamboo and shrimp jelly, pan-fried scallops with foie gras." Han Shu closed the menu. He was a regular customer; he glanced at the menu and ordered without much thought. Cai Jian, who had high blood pressure, ordered very light dishes.
Ju Nian, however, had never been to such an occasion before. As she flipped through the menu, her small face was almost buried in the beautifully printed booklet.
Fortunately, Tang Ye gently pulled the menu from her hand in time and said in a low voice, "I like the country vegetable chicken soup, mint salmon salad, and orange T-bread here. Why don't you try my taste today?"
Ju Nian immediately felt relieved. "Okay, just like you."
The silent wait for the food was the hardest part. Ju Nian barely lifted her head, her napkin tassels becoming disheveled from fiddling with them. The restaurant was already seated; soft music filled the air, punctuated by quiet conversations and the clinking of metal cutlery. Waiters moved quietly and nimbly between tables, like fish. Whose breath was that beside her ear, rapid yet carefully held? It was a dry, cold, and grand night, yet Ju Nian suddenly remembered a humid, chaotic afternoon, as messy as the tassels in her hands—something she disliked, something that made her feel suffocated.
Sometime during the night, a charming middle-aged female singer appeared next to the violinist at the bar, standing gracefully with a microphone in hand. When she began to sing, she even had a hint of Tsai Chin's voice. Her attentive listening demeanor seemed to offer solace to those burdened with their own worries.
After the classic song "Your Eyes" finished, following a long intro, the female singer's voice sounded increasingly melancholic as she sang: "Youth is gone forever, vanished without a trace at the ends of the earth..."
For the first time since Ju Nian's appearance, Cai Jian spoke, trying to sound nonchalant in her slightly hoarse voice as she said to Han Shu, "Look, isn't this the tune you like? You used to be so eager to take that old record from my house..."
Han Shu curled his lips and forced a smile, but it didn't work, so he simply remained silent.
"Your face, just like back then, my longing has been buried deep in my heart. You won't let me utter a word, I can only look at you one more time... How many lonely springs have I spent looking at you one more time..."
This slightly decadent and hoarse, decadent music was most fitting for a place where lovers gathered. Ju Nian turned her body slightly to the side, seemingly listening intently.
Tang Ye lowered his head at just the right moment, not too close to her, but his whispered manner conveyed a touch of intimacy. "You like it too? I have a friend who also really likes Tsai Chin's songs."
"Is that so?" Ju Nian smiled faintly.
The waiter finally brought out the steaming hot meal. French cuisine is notoriously complicated, and Ju Nian felt a chill run down her spine looking at the densely packed tableware. Thankfully, Tang Ye moved slowly, and she carefully followed suit. Eating became the most important and only thing the four of them could do.
Although Ju Nian was intelligent and could learn Tang Ye's moves somewhat, she couldn't become proficient with unfamiliar cutlery in a short time. To accommodate her tastes, Tang Ye, fearing she might not like raw food, ordered her veal T-steak well-done. The blood was gone, but it was even more difficult to cut. Ju Nian held the knife and fork, already stiff, and with a small bone stuck in the middle of the T-steak, it was really hard to handle. She buried her head in her hands and tried to cut it, sweating profusely from embarrassment.
Tang Ye noticed this too. Although he was a little anxious, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. In his opinion, not being used to Western tableware was not a sin. So he didn't say anything, for fear of making Ju Nian more embarrassed, and simply poured her some more red wine.
Cai Jian kept a low profile while secretly watching Ju Nian. Tang Ye was really good to her. She ate her vegetable salad with her eyes downcast. If the person coming was hostile, then what was coming would come sooner or later.
Perhaps the one who suffered the most was Han Shu. He was already restless and irritable, and he tried to suppress himself, but Ju Nian's knife was cutting so hard that the metal kept sawing into the porcelain. The sound was faint to others, but to him, it was a series of creaking sounds that made him feel extremely uneasy.
He felt that what was lying on her plate wasn't steak, but him, Han Shu, cutting her piece by piece, refusing to give her a quick death.
Ju Nian was almost ready to give up on the battle with the steak. The more she rushed, the more mistakes she made. In the end, her fork slipped on the plate, and her elbow followed, just barely colliding with Han Shu's arm to her left. It was a small movement, but even without looking up, she knew that all four people at the table immediately stopped what they were doing.
Tang Ye immediately picked up his wine glass and said loudly, "I almost forgot, we should at least have a drink, to celebrate Christmas Eve and to celebrate the four of us sitting here together."
Ju Nian hesitated for a moment, then raised her glass as well. She had promised Tang Ye, so she couldn't make things difficult for him.
Cai Jian felt a mix of emotions, but she still smiled at Tang Ye and said, "Ye, although I'm not your biological mother, I hope you're doing well." After saying that, she picked up her cup and waited quietly for Han Shu, who was holding a spoon without moving. She secretly tugged at Han Shu's sleeve again.
Han Shu immediately put down his cutlery, but instead of reaching for the cup, his hand went straight to Ju Nian's chest. Ju Nian was startled, gasped, and jumped back, wondering what he was going to do. Tang Ye also quickly put down his cup.
No one expected that Han Shu's hand would land on the tableware in front of Ju Nian, and without saying a word, he would take her plate to his own side. In front of the other three astonished people, he would expressionlessly pick up the knife in his hand and cut Ju Nian's T-shaped steak piece by piece.
Ju Nian was so frightened that she forgot what to do next. Tang Ye and Cai Jian were also stunned. For a moment, no one said anything or stopped them. They just let Han Shu neatly cut the annoying steak into pieces.
When the bone that had been lodged in the middle of the meat was perfectly removed, Han Shu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief for the first time that evening, and then casually returned the plate to its rightful owner.
Ju Nian was already stunned, and didn't even put down his utensils to get any food. Just then, the oblivious waiter came to the table, took a rose from the wicker basket in his hand, and handed it to Han Shu. "Sir, this is a complimentary gift from our restaurant tonight. Every couple can receive a French pink rose to give to their beloved girlfriend."
It's not fair to blame the waiter for being abrupt. On his way over, he happened to see Han Shu hand his plate back to Ju Nian. The meat on the plate had been cut into many small pieces. Although it didn't conform to Western dining etiquette, this was something that only close friends and family would do.
Tang Ye coughed, clearly exasperated by the waiter's misidentification. The waiter placed his hand between Ju Nian and Han Shu. Ju Nian wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead, stammering, "No...no...I..."
Han Shu lowered his head for a moment, then raised his face and actually reached out to take the rose. He gripped it too tightly, and a thorn that hadn't been completely removed from the stem unexpectedly pierced his hand. He hissed, and Ju Nian also shuddered, watching as beads of blood oozed from under her skin.
The waiter apologized awkwardly. Tang Ye suddenly stood up and politely said to the people at the table, "Excuse me, I think I need to wash my hands."
He put down his napkin and headed towards the restroom. Ju Nian's eyes followed him. Should she follow him? But if he went into the men's restroom, what would she do there?
Alright, now only three old acquaintances remain. Han Shu looked at his wound without saying a word, while Cai Jian slowly wiped the corner of his mouth and sat up straight.
“Ju Nian, let’s be frank, shall we? I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, it has nothing to do with them. Come at me if you want. In my memory, you are a kind girl. Now, just say what you want. There’s no need to hurt innocent people.”
Prosecutor Cai's voice was still kind and gentle, like that of a caring elder. Ju Nian was no stranger to this; she knew this kindness wasn't for her sake. Now that others had spoken frankly, she felt more at ease. She smiled and said, "I'm not some kind girl. Prosecutor Cai, are you forgetful? How could a kind person have spent years in prison?"
Jie Nian's words were spoken softly and gently, without any aggressive tone, yet Cai Jian felt as if she had been slapped in the face. All her strategies and veils of warmth seemed meaningless. She was adept at political work, her grand principles flowing flawlessly, but in front of Xie Jie Nian, those principles sounded increasingly hypocritical. She sighed deeply, "You've never been a mother, but I hope you can understand a mother's heart. Hurting you wasn't my intention. Tell me, how can I make it up to you?"
"No wonder they're godmother and godson," Ju Nian thought. "Their tone is so similar. Tell me, how am I supposed to make it up to you? It's like they're God, capable of giving anything. If she said she didn't want anything, just that everyone stay far away, would anyone believe her?"
Ju Nian tightly wrapped the napkin tassels around her fingertips again. She spoke slowly, so that every word of a person who was not good at speaking could follow her thoughts.
"Chief Prosecutor Cai said he would compensate me, which means he admits he owes me something. What do you owe me? Money? Nothing. Justice? How could that be? I often read the newspapers while I was in prison, and I even read about the deeds of the province's top ten legal workers..."
These words were a blatant attack to Prosecutor Cai. Her patience finally wore thin, and she stood up abruptly, saying breathlessly, "What exactly do you want?"
"What does Prosecutor Tsai think I will do?"
"Stay away from them!"
Ju Nian chuckled silently, "That depends on whether they're willing or not."
"you……"
Tang Ye returned from the restroom, and Cai Jian stopped talking. Tang Ye went back to his seat and saw the various expressions on the faces of the other people, especially the chair behind his stepmother that was tilted to one side.
"Auntie, what's wrong now?" he asked with a sigh.
Seeing Ju Nian's indifferent expression, Prosecutor Cai decided to be blunt, "A-Ye, although I hope you can find a family soon, you should be more careful when choosing a partner. Do you know what kind of person she is, what her background is? Have you thought about what her purpose is in getting close to you? You're too honest; you'll be sold out without even realizing it!"
"Then tell me, what kind of person is she?"
Prosecutor Cai sneered, "You're following a robbery..."
"Godmother!" Han Shu, who had been silent until now, interrupted sharply. Even he hadn't expected his godmother to say such a thing. But her true intention was to protect him and Tang Ye. How much evil truly stems from a kind of good?
Tang Ye wiped his hands with a tissue and then put it down. He looked at the table and said, "These are really good dishes, but I don't think we can eat them all, right? In that case..." He beckoned to the waiter and said, "Please pay the bill."