100 Days with the Contract Lover

“Liang Jingtang, wait… wait a moment…” Yu Nuanxin caught up with him just as he was about to get into his car, panting heavily but eager to speak. “You were… you were joking just now, right?”

“Which part?”

“About working at Global!”

“I’m serious.”

“Are you out of your mind? A gold medal lawyer becoming a mere employee? Nangong Yao is clearly setting you up, how can you fall for it?”

“A lawyer’s duty is to uphold fairness and justice. What does the position matter?”

“That’s easy to say, but, but…” She was still in shock! Unless he had lost his mind, she couldn’t fathom any reason why a top lawyer would lower himself to be a regular employee. Sure, Global is a big company, but being your own boss is a thousand times better than working for someone else.

“Alright! Stop dwelling on it, it’s almost time for work, let’s head up!” Liang Jingtang reassured her, as if he wasn’t the one making such a major decision.

Seeing his mind was made up, Yu Nuanxin couldn’t persuade him further, so she just asked, “Can you tell me why? Why are you doing this?”

“It’s simple!” He looked at her with gentle eyes, firm yet without pressure, “I want to protect the people I care about.” He didn’t want her to be bullied, he wanted to keep her smile as bright as the sun, that’s all!

Yu Nuanxin’s heart skipped a beat. Could he be talking about her? She stammered, unsure how to respond.

Liang Jingtang noticed her thoughts but wasn’t in a hurry for her to answer. He wanted his love to be light and pressure-free. “I have some matters at the whiskey, I’ll head back first. Keep up the good work!”

Watching his car drive away, Yu Nuanxin lowered her head and let out a heavy sigh.

Why did she suddenly feel so much pressure?

…

Returning to the office with a heavy heart, her female colleague at the next desk immediately leaned over, looking excited and gossipy. “Nuanxin…”

The voice was so sweet it gave her goosebumps; she was more used to her bossy demeanor. Feeling uneasy, she forced a smile and asked, “Is there something you need?”

“You and Lawyer Liang seem to be quite close…”

“We’re friends! I interned at his law firm before!”

“But he’s so attentive and gentle with you, are you two a couple?” The words were clearly loaded. If she dared say yes, she’d probably be cut down on the spot.

“Of course not!” Yu Nuanxin replied righteously, “Lawyer Liang is kind to everyone, you’ll see!”

The colleague squealed, eyes lighting up. “Does that mean he’s really coming to work at Global?”

“Possibly, if nothing unexpected happens!” She really didn’t want to answer this question anymore.

The colleague weighed it over; although Liang Jingtang was good to Yu Nuanxin, with her looks, what man would be interested? Maybe he really was just naturally gentle. If he was like this with colleagues, then with a girlfriend…

Just thinking about it made her feel ecstatic, her blood boiling, and she couldn’t wait to ask, “Can you give me his phone number?”

“Well, that might not be very convenient… You’d need his personal consent first! Once he starts working here, you can ask him for a business card.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t you know lawyers have two numbers? One for business, one personal,” she nudged her arm, eyes sparkling with mischief. “I want his personal number.”

“I really don’t know it…”

“You’re not still upset about how I treated you before, are you? You know, I was just doing what I had to!” She withdrew the file, blinking innocently. “Can you tell me the number now?”

“It’s really not convenient.”

“Hey, don’t be like that. It’s not like he’s your boyfriend. What’s the big deal about telling me?” The colleague was pestering relentlessly when suddenly, Yu Linglong’s authoritative voice cut through the air. “Who allowed you to chat during work hours? Get back to work!”

“Linglong…”

“Who said you could call me that? During work hours, address me as Supervisor.”

“Yes, understood, Supervisor!” Embarrassed in front of everyone, the colleague was both angry and upset. She had said they should be friendly and call her Linglong, but now she was acting like a stranger. She tossed the file back to Yu Nuanxin and stormed off in a huff.

“Yu Nuanxin!” Yu Linglong’s sharp gaze landed on her. “Come into my office!”

“Yes, Supervisor!” Yu Nuanxin reluctantly stood up, thinking that files were much more pleasant. She’d rather handle a hundred of them than hear Yu Linglong say a single word. Just as she reached the door, Xiang Wei appeared. “Lawyer Yu, the president wants to see you!”

Yu Nuanxin felt like she’d been granted a reprieve and quickly nodded. But then she realized, wasn’t she just jumping from one fire pit into another? What was there to be happy about?

Perhaps the other fire pit was even more dangerous!

…

Following Xiang Wei into the elevator, she remained silent and expressionless. Yu Nuanxin couldn’t help but feel the atmosphere was a bit odd. She knew Xiang Wei was efficient and not very talkative, but from the time she held the elevator for her, she seemed nice, and had been quite pleasant since. But today, something felt off, like being in the same room with her was uncomfortable.

She reassured herself it was probably just her imagination. There was no need to see her as an adversary!

Dragging her feet into the president’s office, she softly announced herself to the man meticulously working behind the desk. “President, I’m here!”

He didn’t respond for a while, as if she didn’t exist, so she took the initiative to ask, “Is there something you need from me?” If not, she hoped he’d let her go, so they wouldn’t waste each other’s time! She really couldn’t handle any more stress!

“Have a seat.”

Sit? Was this an improvement in treatment? Why did it feel like there was some kind of plot? She sat down cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper, “President, I’m seated.”

Nangong Yao looked up, a slight smile playing on his lips. “I asked you up here to thank you for your contributions to the company.”