Yi Pin had been collecting materials and evidence regarding this case. With a helpless look on his face, although the truth was already out there, gathering evidence admissible in court was still quite a hassle.
In the office, he looked depressed. One reason was his bewilderment at the old man's children, and the other was his own inner struggle. He was wondering whether he should call home and apologize to his grandfather.
Since his grandfather had once been a general in the army when he was young, he was upright and hot - blooded all his life. It was easy to imagine that he was not the kind of person who would admit his mistakes.
He had always had extremely high requirements for Yi Pin, not allowing any mistakes in his behavior or thinking.
"What are you thinking about? It's normal to be nervous, but as long as you're well - prepared, there won't be any problems generally." Gu Yang patted Yi Pin on the shoulder.
Shen Yu had already returned to school for classes. There were only the two of them left in the law firm.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Not nervous!" Yi Pin hooked the corner of his mouth and gave a confident smile.
A moment of silence fell between them, and neither of them broke it.
"Then have you been sleeping at Shen Yu's place recently?" Gu Yang raised his eyebrows and asked incredulously.
"Yeah!" Yi Pin nodded. He had a bad cold and a high fever that day, and he'd just agreed muddle - headedly.
Now when he thought about it, he always felt that Shen Yu must have had some ulterior motives. Could it be that he wanted to convert him? Anyway, he must find some handle on Shen Yu.
"I'll go and have a chat with that old man on - site tomorrow." Yi Pin smiled as he looked at Gu Yang, who seemed a bit absent - minded.
"Okay!" Gu Yang came back to his senses and gave a little smile.
Actually, he had some doubts in his heart. He had known Shen Yu for a long time and more or less understood his temper and personality.
This guy was not just cold - looking. Anyone who had ever gotten along with him thought he was cold - blooded and heartless, showing no mercy at all. He was cold to everyone, so his attitude towards Yi Pin made Gu Yang quite puzzled.
This really wasn't his usual style.
"Alright, it's time to go home from work. We still need to find time to get something to eat. Otherwise, if you stay with Shen Yu, you'll surely starve to death." Gu Yang showed a bright smile.
"Why?" Yi Pin looked shocked. Wasn't Shen Yu a really good cook? How could he starve if he stayed with him?
"He only eats vegetarian food and never eats meat. Moreover, he never cooks easily, although his cooking is really good when he does."
Just thinking of Shen Yu's cold attitude, Gu Yang couldn't help but curl up the corner of his mouth. The last time they spent a weekend together, Gu Yang had to cook every meal, and Shen Yu was so picky, saying that his cooking was bad and complaining about it all the time.
Hearing this, Yi Pin felt his head explode. He thought it was extremely unbelievable. Why was Shen Yu a completely different person when he was with him? Why did he cook so many meat dishes every day? And why did he cook by himself every day?
A sudden chill ran down his spine. Could it be that he really just wanted to convert him? But that shouldn't be that important to him, right?
"Are you sure you know him well?" Yi Pin looked incredulous. He always felt that what he heard was more like a lie.
"How is that possible? We've grown up together almost since childhood. It's only me who can tolerate his temper. Otherwise, he's been so withdrawn since childhood that he hardly has any friends." Gu Yang recalled the past and couldn't help smiling.
Hearing this, Yi Pin said nothing. Maybe it was just because Shen Yu felt guilty, so he wanted to make up for something with him. But the person he should make up to wasn't him at all.
"Forget it, forget it. Why think about all these messy things?" Yi Pin sighed helplessly. He felt that his thoughts had become a bit more complicated since he entered society. He would even consider all sorts of things.
Thinking back to his younger self, he would never have considered these things. Only a forgetful person wouldn't stay in a sad moment. Not letting bad things bother him overnight was the source of happiness.
"Huh?" Gu Yang looked puzzled as he watched Yi Pin talking to himself. He shrugged and said, "Then go back early. I'm leaving too."
After saying goodbye at the door, Gu Yang drove his luxury car away.
Yi Pin walked on foot. He still couldn't bear to take a taxi. For the first time, he realized how hard it was to make money. In the past, even the tips he gave were sometimes more than his current monthly living expenses. Thinking about his former self, he had been really extravagant.
But that's just how people are. Only things created with their own hands are known to be hard - won and worthy of cherishing, while things given by others are always taken for granted.
Walking alone on the road, he watched the passers - by. Some were walking hand in hand with their lovers, some were looking at their phones alone, and some were a whole family out for a stroll.
Suddenly, he felt a bit lonely. Although this wasn't the first time he'd seen such a scene and he seemed to be used to it, he still felt a bit sad at this special moment.
He took out his phone and looked at the phone number, hesitating whether he should make a call home.
Actually, he knew in his heart that his grandfather was a special presence for him. He had influenced his values, and he also knew that his grandfather always had his best interests at heart. But some things just couldn't go against his principles.
He picked up the phone and put it down again, repeating this action over and over again. Before he knew it, he was almost at the end of the road. Looking at the unique - looking neighborhood, he hesitated.
He lit a cigarette and squatted by the roadside, his heart pounding with the question of whether he should make the call. It seemed that he had grown up a lot. In the past, he would never have worried about such problems. Now he was even hesitating for a long time just because of a phone call.
Just then, as if there was a telepathic connection, his father called. Looking at the familiar phone number, he suddenly didn't know what to say.
He silently answered the call, and neither side spoke first.
"Pinzi, it'll be the Spring Festival soon. Aren't you coming back?"
His father's deep voice came from the phone.
"I... I've been really busy with work recently. Maybe I won't be able to go back for the New Year." Yi Pin took a deep puff of his cigarette and blew out rings of smoke, but his brows were tightly furrowed.
"Your grandfather doesn't say it, but he hasn't been eating or sleeping well these days. There's no such thing as an overnight feud between family members. You have to come back for the New Year, or you'll see how I deal with you."
His father's persuasion turned into a threat in the end.
Hearing this long - lost voice, Yi Pin couldn't help smiling.
Since childhood, he had always heard his classmates say that they envied other people's parents. But in Yi Pin's opinion, those nagging voices were the truly enviable and memorable things. Instead, the reserved behavior of parents would make him feel a bit estranged.
Just as he was about to say something to comfort his father, he heard a gentle and clear woman's voice from the other end of the phone.
"Lao Yi, you can't spoil your son like this. Look at him. He's so old now, but still acts like a child..."
Hearing this voice, Yi Pin fell into deep thought, with a bitter smile on his face.