Clues from Tahiti

Nine in the evening.

A middle-aged man left the patient's room, gently closing the door behind him, and walked over to Cheng Yu Zhou, who was standing not far away.

"Lu Kai's wife is here too?" This man was Jiang Zhun, a managing partner at a law firm, representing numerous lawsuits across countless fields. Among them, he was most often mentioned for his collaborations with many wealthy and famous individuals, especially in handling divorce cases, earning him the title of the nation's number one divorce lawyer.

Lu Kai was once Jiang Zhun's client. His family's elders had a deep relationship with Jiang Zhun, which was why Jiang Zhun and Cheng Yu Zhou attended yesterday's wedding. Who knew Lu Kai would mysteriously disappear from the scene.

Cheng Yu Zhou stood there, one hand in his pocket, the other leaning against the wall, a casual posture that completely contrasted with his suit and leather shoes.

"I heard so," he nodded, silent for a moment, his voice slightly hoarse when he spoke, "Half a year ago, his family went on a trip to Tahiti?"

Jiang Zhun was stunned, not expecting Cheng Yu Zhou's sudden question, but after thinking it over, he understood. His wife had been in a car accident, breaking a bone and needing hospitalization. This morning, when Cheng Yu Zhou visited, he and his wife were watching a video, a recording of their family's trip to Tahiti.

All parents loved to record their children's growth. Since their daughter's birth, Jiang Zhun and his wife had recorded a short video for her almost every day.

Cheng Yu Zhou's personality wasn't one to ask random questions. If he said that, he must have discovered something in that video.

"Yes, half a year ago, for our wedding anniversary," Jiang Zhun would certainly not forget such days, "Stop being so cryptic, have you seen something?"

"In the first video, there's Chu Zi Wan. In the second video, there's Ye Xin Hui, in the same place, and they're both wearing couple rings."

As Cheng Yu Zhou spoke, Jiang Zhun quickly replayed the two videos. Indeed, he saw images of the bride, Chu Zi Wan, and the groomsman, Ye Xin Hui, but only fleetingly. He replayed the video again, then pressed pause, noticing the couple rings on their fingers.

Sensing Jiang Zhun's gaze, Cheng Yu Zhou withdrew his arm from the wall and adjusted his cufflink. He lowered his eyes, saying nothing more, nor looking at Jiang Zhun. He knew what Jiang Zhun was thinking – for others, his psychological condition was precisely an advantage they couldn't even pray for.

"You've worked hard all day yesterday. Go home and rest early." Jiang Zhun wasn't very tall, and his build was slightly thin, but every gesture exuded the calm, mature demeanor of an experienced middle-aged man. Although there was a clear height difference when standing with Cheng Yu Zhou, his aura was in no way inferior.

The relationship between the two was also very peculiar; putting aside other matters, he was both a mentor and a friend.

After Jiang Zhun finished speaking, he patted Cheng Yu Zhou's shoulder, neither lightly nor heavily, as if reminding him of something.

Only when Cheng Yu Zhou's back gradually disappeared around the corner of the corridor did Jiang Zhun turn and re-enter the patient's room. Inside, his wife, Meng Lan Yue, was sitting propped up, a book resting on her lap.

Meng Lan Yue was clearly not asleep yet.

"Heard everything?" Jiang Zhun wasn't too surprised. He smiled lightly as he approached the bed.

"I saw he had something to tell you, so I said I wanted to sleep, to make it easier for you two to talk outside." Meng Lan Yue placed the book aside, looked up at Jiang Zhun, and offered a gentle smile.

"What do you think?" Jiang Zhun seemed very interested in his wife's words. He sat down in the chair beside the bed, casually picked up the book, and handed her a glass of warm water. The unspoken understanding between the couple was most evident in every detail of their lives.

"You mean Cheng Yu Zhou?" Meng Lan Yue smiled without saying anything.

"You're good at reading people. Tell me what you think."

Meng Lan Yue looked at Jiang Zhun, then shifted her gaze: "Cheng Yu Zhou, he's a very interesting person."

As soon as Jiang Zhun heard this, the corners of his mouth curved even more: "Do you know why Cheng Yu Zhou had a conflict with Dai Kai Zhi, his mentor?"

"Dai Kai Zhi is also a formidable figure, but he always likes to court disaster," Jiang Zhun frankly answered his wife's curiosity, "He told this kid that the truth doesn't matter, what matters is how the truth is presented."

"But everyone is human; if you walk at night too often, you'll eventually meet a ghost. In short, two years ago, Dai Kai Zhi's lawsuit went wrong, and that's when the conflict between the teacher and student arose."

Meng Lan Yue didn't respond after hearing this, instead falling into contemplation. The truth doesn't matter, what matters is how the truth is presented. In other words, lying is also a way to portray the truth, but it's a distorted truth.

"But you also know about his cases in recent years; which one wasn't controversial? Tell me, could he be a good person? Or a bad person?"

From the "billionaire kills wife" case in Xia Ning City to defending the suspect in a serial murder case, in the eyes of outsiders, Cheng Yu Zhou was someone who would stop at nothing for profit and for the case.

"Perhaps, he's someone who's easily misunderstood."

Meng Lan Yue took the glass of water her husband offered, took a sip, then said with a smile.

*

Gu Jiu left Chu Zi Wan's room, just managing to squeeze into the crowded elevator.

The elevator doors closed and opened one last time, and a man in a black suit stepped in and stood beside her.

In the small, crowded space, the air pressure grew lower and lower. Gu Jiu's expression gradually became impatient. She closed her eyes, only hoping the elevator would quickly reach the first floor.

As she closed her eyes, a scene from her memory flashed by: two naked bodies entwined, ambiguous whispers.

She suddenly opened her eyes wide, and what met her gaze was Cheng Yu Zhou's slightly protruding Adam's apple. Moving up, the beautiful curve of his chin.

For a moment, she couldn't distinguish whether the scene before her was real or a dream.

Finally, she heard a "ding," and the elevator reached its destination.

"Come eat with me. I know something Gu Jing Yang would definitely be interested in."

Cheng Yu Zhou's words made Gu Jiu stop in her tracks.

She turned around, a rare gentle smile on her face: "Cheng Yu Zhou, being friends after breaking up doesn't suit you and me."

After a pause, she added: "Including being friends with benefits."

Today, Gu Jiu wore a red square-neck top, revealing her fair and beautiful collarbones. Below, a striped mini-skirt accentuated her radiant aura while softening her inherent coldness. Her slender waist, long legs, and the graceful curve of her chest seemed to merge with the image of her naked body in Cheng Yu Zhou's memory.

"But Little Jiu, our sizes are very compatible."

Moreover, the more we rub, the more compatible we become.