Chapter 1

Sitting in front of the computer, Cheng Yao clicked on a trendy article from Lawxoxo, a gossip website: ‘Anshin’s Top 10 Most Handsome Lawyers!’. This article ranked Anshin city’s male lawyers from last to first place based on their facial features. The candidates were chosen by netizens, who submitted pictures, and the final ranking was decided by anonymous voting.

Cheng Yao looked at the tenth place winner and had to admit, lawyers nowadays were much younger and impressive. Some men weren’t only remarkable in their work but charming as well. Cheng Yao scrolled down to the second place winner. It was a man named Qin Hao, who looked like a celebrity. But he was only second. How good could the first place winner look?

Very curious, Cheng Yao slowly scrolled down.

First place: JunHeng Law Firm, Qian Heng.

Unlike the other male lawyers on the list, his name was followed by a note: “—Although he is known for being extremely toxic, he looks too good for the others to compete with. Even if we deducted 100 points for his personality, he would still be in the first place!”

This wasn’t the first time Cheng Yao had heard Qian Heng’s name. There were many keywords describing Qian Heng. Arrogant, no sense of justice, cancer of the industry, and so on; however, it never affected JunHeng Law Firm’s annual income. In fact, it was one of the most successful law firms in the country, generating more than 100 million yuan a year.

In the legal business, 100 million yuan a year wasn’t uncommon. However, unlike large law firms such as Big Cheng and Ying Group, both having branches all over the country, Junheng was only centered in one city, Anshin. There also weren’t many lawyers working in the firm, only about 30. Lastly, it only specialized in family legal matters.

A small scale law firm with only one specialization had an income that exceeded 100 million a year, and their lawyers were advancing into the top ten most well paid in the country. This showed how powerful JunHeng Law Firm was.

Junheng’s developments were intimately related to Qian Heng’s dictatorship in the law firm.

With that income, all of Qian Heng’s bad rumors didn’t matter to the young lawyers and law graduates who dreamed of working in JunHeng Law Firm.

Cheng Yao never expected Qian Heng, who was nicknamed industry cancer, to be on this list. He didn’t like to participate in any activities organized by the Law Society and although he was arrogant and had a difficult personality, not many knew about his personal life.

If it wasn’t for the gossip website, where a netizen posted a photo of him anonymously, no picture of him could be found online.

Still curious, Cheng Yao was preparing herself to scroll down more when…

In the living room, Li Mengting roared, “AHH! WHAT IS THIS RUBBISH INTERNET?!”

Cheng Yao met Li Mengting in university. The two became very close and lived together after graduating. Recently, she was addicted to playing games. She spent all day eating junk food and playing ‘The King’s Glory’. Her roar just now seemed to be a complaint about the internet speed that just dropped.

Cheng Yao glanced at her computer screen. Sure enough, it was trying to regain connection. Suddenly, Cheng Yao received a call from the personnel department of JunHeng Law Firm.

*****

When Cheng Yao hung up the phone, she was so excited that she didn’t know how to express it. She had resigned from her last law firm without planning where her next workplace would be, so she was very worried. But that worry was instantly replaced with excitement from finding a new job.

She was accepted by JunHeng! JunHeng Law Firm, the one that generated more than 100 million yuan a year!

Cheng Yao rushed to the living room to share the good news with Li Mengting.

“Ah, that’s great, Yaoyao! JunHeng is amazing.” Li Mengting sounded a bit jealous, but not too much. She was still visibly immersed in the game, “Since your job hunting is over, want to play a round with me? I’ll teach you~ I’m pretty good you know? If it wasn’t for the rubbish internet, I would have totally won that round!”

Cheng Yao passed the judicial examination in university, but nowadays many law graduates continued their advanced studies and pursued a higher degree. Some also studied abroad for a doctoral degree, going to top universities in New York and California…

The competition was very fierce. The law industry also had a very low employment rate. Non-prestigious universities such as the one Cheng Yao graduated from could not easily enter middle to high-end firms.

”

”

Therefore, after graduation, Cheng Yao had to be content with an internship in a very ordinary and small firm for a year. When she got her lawyer’s license, she was determined not to settle for ordinary firms anymore and submitted her resume to all the well-known middle to high-end institutes.

Li Mengting was different from Cheng Yao. She still hadn’t passed the national judicial examination. She worked for a magazine agency while studying for the exam. But the magazine agency demanded too much from their employees, and she often worked overtime. Now that the examination date was approaching, she simply resigned, so she could have more time to dedicate to studying. But for some reason, recently she had been slacking off and was addicted to this game.

Cheng Yao rejected Li Mengting’s offer and immediately picked up her phone, wanting to tell her sister Cheng Xi the good news. But all of a sudden, the memory of her sister’s puffy eyes flashed in her mind, making her hesitate. Cheng Yao was afraid that the words ‘law firm’ and ‘lawyer’ would remind her sister of something she’d rather not.

Eventually, she sent a text message to her sister.

[Sister, I got accepted into JunHeng!]

After a short wait, Cheng Yao received a reply.

[Yaoyao, I knew you could do it, I’m happy for you! Next time you come home, invite me for a big meal!]

Seeing this message, Cheng Yao sighed, relieved, and smiled. Then, she made a call to her friend Qin Qin. To celebrate, they planned to meet.

*****

Cheng Yao and Qin Qin met in an elegant cafe.

When Cheng Yao arrived at the appointed place, Qin Qin seemed to have been waiting for her already.

Feeling guilty, Cheng Yao sat down and wanted to say something. But before she could, Qin Qin winked at her, then pointed to the side with her head and eyes. She mysteriously said, “Do you see that man sitting by the window?”

Cheng Yao followed Qin Qin’s gaze to a man’s back. Although she couldn’t see his face, with his back alone, he already looked like a model. At least 188 cm tall, his shoulders were broad and his legs were long. Even his suit was very well designed, its price looked to be in the high end. Cheng Yao didn’t know much about brands, but she could see that his attire was of high quality.

Opposite to him was a middle-aged woman, also very well dressed.

Cheng Yao turned back and smiled, teasing Qin Qin, “Why? Did you fall in love?”

Qin Qin rolled her eyes, “No way, you know my only true love is money.”

“Then why did you want me to look at him?”

Qin Qin lowered her voice, “He’s a gigolo.”

Cheng Yao was a little surprised, “Huh?”

“I didn’t have any plans today, so I came early, and witnessed the whole “business” talk.” Qin Qin said, “The modern age is really damned if even business like this can be discussed in such a public place like this. That’s disgusting!”

“Are you serious?”

Qin Qin nodded, “The middle-aged woman is really rich, they already settled the night fee. This gigolo isn’t cheap. He named a price, and she didn’t even bargain. Do you know what one night costs? The price starts at 10,000! And an appointment must be made in advance!”

Cheng Yao was shocked…

“Did you see the shoes he’s wearing?” Qin Qin continued, “Silvano Lattanzi, an Italian luxury brand. I read about it in my company’s promotional articles a few days ago. Do you know how much a pair of shoes from that brand costs? Even if you buy it in Italy, a pair will cost you nearly 3000 Euros, which is about 20,000 yuan! And buying it in China is, of course, even more expensive.”

Qin Qin worked in the marketing industry. She was an expert in things like luxury brands, and could even recognize them from far away.

This time it was Cheng Yao’s turn to be outraged. She had worked like a dog in the law firm every day, frequently having to work overtime. But one month of work earned her less than the other’s night!

How come people still believe knowledge changes destiny?

Feeling cheated, Cheng Yao subconsciously looked at the man. At that moment, the man also turned his head. His eyes met hers.

It was a very brief glance. The man’s eyes were cold and Cheng Yao felt her heartbeat instantly quicken. She wasn’t the type who judged people by appearance, but that man was too stunning. Cheng Yao hadn’t ever seen someone with such a visually striking appearance. Especially his eyes, although cold, were very charming.

He had exceptional facial features and a high nose bridge. He looked so good, people might wonder if he had any jobs done. His whole body exuded extravagance, arrogance, and impatience.

A glimpse of the other’s appearance was enough for Qin Qin to give up her principles and say, “That’s indeed worth ten thousand!”

“…”

The man finished negotiating and prepared to leave. The classy middle-aged woman looked satisfied. The two walked out of the coffee shop one after the other. There was an outdoor parking space outside the coffee shop. Surprisingly, they parted ways, each going to their respective cars.

Qin Qin quickly answered the question in Cheng Yao’s mind. “To avoid getting caught, it’s common to separate ways, then meet up at a hotel room.”

Cheng Yao watched as the handsome man walked towards a Bentley…

“It must have taken so long to buy a Bently.” Cheng Yao sighed as she looked at the man’s steady pace. She was a bit sympathetic. “Ten thousand a night. Even the cheapest Bentley costs 5 million. That means five hundred nights, nearly two years of hard work. I can’t help but worry if his body is okay after all that.”

*****

After that episode, Cheng Yao and Qin Qin caught up with each other. They originally wanted to chat all day, but Qin Qin received an urgent notice from her company and had to go. Cheng Yao could only wave and say goodbye.

Today was probably Cheng Yao’s lucky day. As soon as she left the cafe, she received a call from her agent.

“Miss Cheng, I’ve talked to the landlord of the apartment you wanted to rent, he agreed. You can come to sign the contract immediately.”

Cheng Yao was renting a house with Li Mengting. It only had one bedroom. It was quite expensive, but by dividing the expenses between them, they could afford it.

But now Li Mengting had a boyfriend and the two discussed living together.

Although Li Mengting offered to let Cheng Yao stay there while she looked for another place to rent out with her boyfriend, it’d be too expensive for Cheng Yao to rent by herself.

After lots of searching, Cheng Yao found a suitable place. After much haggling, the landlord finally agreed. Cheng Yao hurried to sign the contract with her agent. She was relieved, that was the apartment she liked the most out of all the ones she considered.

It was in a middle-class apartment complex coincidentally close to JunHeng. It had two rooms and a balcony. After settling in, Cheng Yao would look for a roommate to share the rent with. It was perfect.

*****

After signing the contract in the morning, Cheng Yao went to her new apartment in the afternoon.

She hummed while waiting for the elevator. Slowly, the elevator rose from the underground garage to the ground floor.

However, Cheng Yao was stunned when the elevator door opened.

Naturally, there was already someone inside. But the person was someone Cheng Yao had seen not too long ago.

The man inside was tall, had broad shoulders, a perfect nose bridge, and a cold, impatient look on his face. “Aren’t you getting on?”

Cheng Yao quickly got into the elevator and glanced at the elevator buttons. The 12th floor was already pressed. He was heading to the same floor she was.

Is this gigolo my neighbor?!

As she thought, she secretly glanced at his eyes. He really did look good with his long eyelashes, thin lips, and fair skin.

It was a pity that even with a face like that, he turned out to be so miserable.

For someone who owns a Bentley worth millions to be living in this kind of place, it seems that each profession has its own hardships, even gigolos like him must have their misfortunes. Thought Cheng Yao.

I can’t imagine how many customers he had to take in just to buy that luxury car and keep up appearances.

*****

When the elevator arrived on the 12th floor, Cheng Yao took the initiative to leave.

1203, this was her room number.

The handsome neighbor dragged his suitcase and followed behind her.

However, after passing room number 1201 and 1202, he still followed behind. Cheng Yao was starting to feel uneasy.

When she got to 1203’s door, the man also stopped, and her uneasiness reached its peak.

“You…”

Before Cheng Yao could finish, she was interrupted by the handsome man, who indifferently said, “Excuse me, you’re blocking the door.” After saying that, he took out a key…

“Aren’t you mistaken?” Cheng Yao pointed at 1203. “This is the room I rented today.”

For a moment, the man looked stunned, but instead of turning around to leave, he frowned. “The one who’s mistaken is you, this is the room I rented, I’m moving here today.”

Cheng Yao didn’t speak, she took out her key, put it in the keyhole, and opened the door, “See?”

The handsome man pursed his lips and closed the door again. It locked automatically. Then he inserted his own key into the keyhole.

The door was unlocked again…

That blackhearted landlord, he rented one room to two people!

Without saying anything, Cheng Yao quickly opened the door and prepared to throw her bag in.

However, the man noticed and snorted. He seized Cheng Yao’s bag with one hand and blocked Cheng Yao’s way with his leg, “You want to occupy it? Dream on.”

Cheng Yao lifted her gaze. The gigolo was quite quick-witted. Everyone knew that in situations like these, where there was one room rented to two, whoever legally occupied it first would win.

The two were stuck at the front of the door, each of them not allowing the other to enter.

Cheng Yao anxiously asked, “Have you registered the lease contract?”

The man raised an eyebrow coldly, “Have you?”

One room rented to two. If both parties had not yet legally occupied the house, then whoever registered the lease contract first would win.

However, in this round, the two played to a tie.

Therefore, there was only one way left to victory!

One room rented to two, if neither occupied the house nor registered the lease, then whoever signed the contract first won.

The two called their agencies and the landlord, but they were both dumbfounded by the information they received.

Both of them had signed the contract today.

The handsome man was indifferent. He pursed his lips and said to Cheng Yao, “If you rent somewhere else, I’ll pay you two months’ worth of rent.”

Where would I find another suitable place?! Li Mengting’s boyfriend will move in a few days and work at JunHeng starts tomorrow. How would I even find the time to go house hunting again?!

She naturally couldn’t compromise.

Cheng Yao gritted her teeth and decided to reveal her ace. She stared at the man’s beautiful eyes, “I’m a lawyer and I advise you to give up the room. You can’t compete with me, my consultation fee is up to a thousand per hour!”

After revealing her identity as a lawyer, the man opposite her looked a little shocked. He looked at Cheng Yao for the first time.

Courage surged in Cheng Yao, “Have you heard of JunHeng Law Firm? I’m Junheng’s lawyer! Even if you don’t know me, you should at least know about our partner Qian Heng!”

The average person didn’t understand the legal circle, with that in mind, she decided to bluff, “Lawyer Qian appreciates me very much. If I’m inconvenienced, he won’t hesitate to help me, especially in this case, where our law firm could lose face. After all, how could a lawyer from JunHeng lose a simple case such as a room rented to two? As a lawyer, I will fight for my rights and interests till the last moment! I won’t ever give in!”

When Junheng was mentioned, the man opposite was stunned. When Qian Heng was mentioned, he looked even more stunned.

It seems that Qian Heng’s… really famous, even the gigolo knows him.