Chapter 9.2: Constant Temperature

(translated by lidge and edited by peanuts)

11.27: When Yi Chen walked into the bedroom, he saw Mo Sheng lying on the bed, her head buried in a pillow……she found it embarrassing?

Yi Chen went to the bed and pulled her up into his embrace: “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow?”

“Yes, but we finished early so I came back before everyone else.”

“Why?”

Why what? Mo Sheng immediately changed the subject, muttering: “Xiao Hong will complain because I didn’t help her buy everything she wanted……”

Yi Chen stopped her grumbling with his lips. He kissed her cheeks, her lips, her neck and his breath mingled with hers impatiently.

“…… You’re tempting me.” The great lawyer He who had just taken advantage of her was announcing her crime. His deep and low voice sounded partly loving, partly resentful.

Mo Sheng opened her eyes wide as this was a serious accusation! “How can that be?”

“……You’re wearing my pajamas.”

“Your pajamas were in the bathroom and I forgot to bring in mine. Then, I forgot to change back……” Mo Sheng was anxious so she sounded a little incoherent and upset. She felt remorse over her carelessness. “I will definitely not do it again.”

Then that would be a big loss to him. Yi Chen smiled faintly: “Get up and go to eat.”

With the people outside? Mo Sheng shook her head: “No.”

Yi Chen did not say anything. Mo Sheng guiltily gave an excuse, “I’m tired from my flight.”

“You can eat and then sleep.”

The second excuse: “I don’t know them.”

“In the future, you’ll have to know them.” Yi Chen coaxed.

“……” Mo Sheng could not think of any more excuses, so she said in distressed, “So embarrassing……just now” She was wearing Yi Chen’s pajamas, her hair messy and her eyes drowsy when she stood at the door of the bedroom…..

12.52: Oh! Yi Chen sighed. He reached for the clothes at the headboard: “I am used to it. I am going out first. You come out after you have dressed.”

When Yi Chen walked out from the bedroom, everyone was already back to normal. After all, everyone here are lawyers or will become lawyers so it was hard to really startle them.

Xiang Heng and Lao Yuan were smoking outside the balcony. They beckoned to Yi Chen when they saw him.

Handing Yi Chen a cigarette, Lao Yuan full of zest, started to talk: “Living together in sin?”

Yi Chen raised his eyebrow:”No, legally.”

His answer stunned Xiang Heng. Lao Yuan, this heavy smoker even choked on his cigarette. He coughed for a long time before he could ask: “What does legally mean?”

“A long-term contractual relationship between a man and a woman based on the voluntary wishes of both sides.” Yi Chen explained the legality of it.

Lao Yuan was dumbfounded.

13.37: Yi Chen smiled: “Simply put, I’m married. You two need to prepare red packets.”

“Ah! You!…… you…… you!” Lao Yuan screamed, “You’re married?”

0.31: Seeing Yi Chen nodding in confirmation, Lao Yuan screamed loudly again. He ran into the living room to announce the explosive news.

Xiang Heng leaned against the balcony railing and looked at the night sky: “Life is so strange. The two of you went round in such a big circle and unexpectedly managed to return to the starting line.” He sighed with sorrow, “This seven years, in your heart, you really don’t mind at all?”

“How do you want me to answer this?” Yi Chen lit a cigarette, his eyes deep in thought, “I’ve been able to decide what’s most important to me.”

Xiang Heng took a puff of his cigarette and smiled: “Your self-control has always been good.”

Yi Chen did not say anything, thin smoke surrounded them.

Xiang Heng glanced at him: “I haven’t seen you smoke in a long time.”

“Yes, I am smoking less recently.”

“Do you still remember how you felt when you first smoked?”

How could he not remember. It was not long after Mo Sheng left when he had to rely on alcohol and cigarettes to numb the pain. Yi Chen flicked his cigarette, “Back then, I felt smoking was a good thing. It gives people at least something to do in this world.”

His dull tone surprised Xiang Heng. It seems that he had really let go of the past? Only by truly letting go could he face the past so calmly now. He Yi Chen looked peaceful now, not like in the past when he seemed to have a threatening air around him at all times. Xiang Heng said sincerely: “Congratulations!”

Yi Chen smiled faintly, “Thank you.”

1.26: Unlike the quiet atmosphere on the balcony, the living room was rowdy from Lao Yuan’s announcement. Against expectations, Mo Sheng appeared at that moment. Thus, everyone’s eyes shifted the focus to her again, frightening Mo Sheng.

Xiao Gao looked purely and enviously at the woman before her eyes. Was she that woman who lawyer He likes without a reason? She did not seem like the kind of woman who would make a lot of noise as lawyer He said. At least, she seemed a little ill at ease standing there now.

“Oh!” Mei Ting called out softly. “You’re the one who found lawyer He’s wallet.”

Mo Sheng also recognized her and smiled at her: “Hello!”

Xiao Gao was alert and immediately grabbed Mei Ting’s hand: “Sister Mei Ting, you have the inside scoop?”

Mei Ting said: “I’ve seen her before because she was the one who picked up lawyer He’s wallet. In the wallet, there may be some identification cards or business cards, so she managed to find the firm to return it. I think they definitely got to know each other because of that, then……” As a result, using a woman’s distinctive imagination, a romance story was born because of not being greedy and returning lost money.

Mei Ting’s voice was not soft, so it caught everyone’s attention and they listened with keen interest and pleasure. Mo Sheng was dumbstruck. This Miss Mei Ting was very suitable to write love stories for her magazine publisher. Staying at the law firm was such a waste of talent.

“Oh! From now on, if I pick up a woman’s purse, I must return it.” A young man concluded after he finished hearing the story.

Xiao Gao immediately embarrassed him: “When it’s your turn, you’ll meet a dinosaur!”

Everyone burst out laughing. Xiang Heng and Yi Chen had finished smoking and walked in from the balcony at that moment. Taking advantage of the jovial atmosphere, someone shouted: “If lawyer He confesses, we will be lenient. If he resists, punishment awaits.”

2.56: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

What was going on? Could it be that these future talents of the legal profession also watch too much Hong Kong cops and robbers movies when growing up?

Yi Chen laughed: “All right, I will confess. Can I explain and eat at the same time?”

Of course, the great lawyer He would never actually confess much. Everyone did not really dare to pressure him. Hence, they quickly shifted their enthusiasm to attacking the steaming hotpot instead. They ate and chatted happily until past nine before leaving.

To avoid the curious gazes, Mo Sheng continuously looked down and concentrated on eating. When Yi Chen returned, after sending several female colleagues home, he saw Mo Sheng who had eaten her fill, lying on the sofa and not wanting to move at all.

Yi Chen who was in a good mood, teased her, “Didn’t you say you don’t want to come out to eat?”

He walked to the sofa and picked her up, “…..a lot heavier.” Yi Chen muttered to himself, wondering how much she has eaten?

“Uh…… what did you say?” Suddenly, Mo Sheng felt into his embrace, so she responded a little slow. Did she not listen to part of what he said?

“Nothing.” Yi Chen whispered, his voice a bit hoarse.

She would be a fool if it was nothing.

That night, Mo Sheng finally understood what “absence makes the heart grow fonder” meant.

3.58: The next few days, Yi Chen continuously received “concerns” from all sides.

First, it was Lao Zhou from the court: “Xiao He, when you said you were already married, I thought that was just an excuse. I did not expect you really got married. That’s great, now that you’re married. My wife can rest and I also can have a few peaceful days. Oh by the way, don’t forget to send me a wedding invitation.”

Then, it was Fang Jian from the Procuratorate: “Is she the one I saw at KFC that day? Hey, I knew it on that day. Just that, I didn’t expect you to move so fast. When is the wedding banquet?”

After that was lawyer Li from Lian He and so on. This was the first time, Yi Chen wholeheartedly admired Lao Yuan’s speed in spreading gossip. Probably everyone who went to C University and live in A city also found out he got married.

That afternoon, after sending off some regular clients, Lao Yuan sat still on the sofa and asked Yi Chen: “When do you plan to have the wedding banquet?”

“We’ll think about it after the Lunar New Year, as I have not discussed it with Mo Sheng.”

“That is too late, as there are a few more months until the Lunar New Year. Best that it takes place after the university’s centennial celebration. You need to do it earlier!” Lao Yuan said eagerly because he likes lively crowds.

The university’s centennial celebration? Yi Chen flipped through his diary and sure enough, the 15th of the month would be C University’s centennial celebration. All this time, he had been very busy so he has forgotten about this matter.

“I’ll tell you about the date later. At that time, I will need to ask you to be my wedding witness.” Yi Chen said with a smile. Although he has never said it out in all these years, Yi Chen was very grateful to Lao Yuan. If it were not for Lao Yuan’s background and enthusiasm, it was doubtful He Yi Chen could be as successful as he was today.

“Okay, I’ll be your witness.” Lao Yuan was happy, “As long as I can save on giving you a red packet, I will agree to be anything.”

As they were talking, a phone call came in. Lao Yuan happily waved and went out.

4.31: It was a call from a female editor in “Xiu Se” requesting an interview. When Ge Li mentioned it for the first time to Yi Chen, he rejected her request right away. Then, remembering it was from Mo Sheng’s colleague, he feared his tone may be a little too stiff. Consequently, Ge Li did not mention this anymore.

Currently, Yi Chen also tactfully declined: “I’m sorry, Miss Tao, I don’t think I’m suitable to be on the cover of a women’s magazine.”

“Are you afraid it would affect your professional image? Actually, our magazine publisher wants to create a metropolitan single and elite men series. We will write about your profession in an objective and fair manner. I believe this will absolutely not harm your professional image. On this aspect, lawyer He can take a look at the report done on Mr. Kang Jia Nian, in our previous edition.” Tao Yi Jing kept on persuading.

Single? Yi Cheng caught onto the important keyword and said gently: “Miss Tao, I don’t think I meet your requirement because I just got married.”

Taking advantage of the other side’s surprise at the sudden news, Yi Chen said a few more words of courtesy to express his regret then hung up the phone. When he turned back to work, his phone beeped signaling an incoming message. The short message was from Mo Sheng.

—— “Yi Chen, what are we eating tonight?”

Yi Chen rarely sent text messages.

When he was in university, mobile phones were considered a luxury. He was a poor student so he certainly could not afford to buy one. Therefore, he missed out on the golden era of sending text messages. When he began working and bought a phone, he was used to calling because it was clearer, quicker and easier to understand. Occasionally, Yi Mei will send him a text message, but he will always call to talk directly to her, as he did not have time to type out each word. Gradually, Yi Mei sent him less text messages.

But now, Yi Chen held his phone and patiently typed out each word: “What do you want to eat?”

After sending the message, he looked at the time and saw it was not half past three yet. Indeed, Zhao Mo Sheng still has the same habit. When they ate lunch together in the past, as soon as they walked out of the cafeteria, Mo Sheng would pull on his sleeve and discussed: “Yi Chen, what are we eating tonight?”

The reply came quickly: “Can we eat at home?”

“Are you cooking?”

“YES!!!!” There were several exclamation points in the reply. Before Yi Chen has a chance to reply, another message appeared to express the guilt of the sender, “……but I’ve heard my cooking isn’t tasty.”

Who said it was not tasty? That man?

6.45: Yi Chen looked at the short message and his heart inevitably felt uncomfortable. He hesitated for a while, then he briefly replied with one word. “Fine.”

Although Mo Sheng appeared confident, but experience told Yi Chen it was better not to expect too much.

As a result, when Yi Chen came home from work, seeing Mo Sheng clumsily slicing potatoes in the kitchen, he was not even the slightest disappointed. He also saw her laptop on the table, opened to a website with a big red headline “How To Make Sweet And Sour Pork Ribs”. Yi Chen could not help but shake his head, sighed and smiled.

Yi Chen walked over and took the knife away from Mo Sheng’s hand, then he expertly sliced the potatoes. Mo Sheng stared at his action, having dealt a heavy blow.

“Yi Chen, why you even know how to cook?” Was he going to give her a way out.

“I started to help auntie to cook when I was ten years old.”

“Oh.” He is so skillful with the knife so he must have done it for a long time. Mo Sheng suddenly felt a bit sad. She used to have only to open her mouth to be fed and held out her hands to be dressed. At that same time Yi Chen was all alone, depending on people’s charity……

“It will be great if I knew you earlier……”

She stretched out her arms, hugged him from behind and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Yi Chen, teach me how to cook, so that I can cook for you in the future.”

The warm embrace seemed like also wanting to erase the last little bit of dark thoughts in his heart.

Let it be like this, Yi Chen thought.

Let the past rest forever, no need to care about it anymore.

Because he was very tired!

8.13: So he wanted happiness to come quickly.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om