Chapter 9
1701 Words
After the lecture, the cocktail party began. Everyone moved to the Chinese restaurant, where round tables were set up and a stage was prepared for performances.
Soon after the meal started, Guan Lan heard someone at the main table calling her: “Professor Guan, hey, Professor Guan.”
She could already tell who it was by the voice. One of the “old lawyers” in He Xianfeng’s words, who used to frequently appear on A City TV’s legal programs twenty years ago, still maintained that style with his slicked-back hair and a tone reminiscent of a broadcaster.
Looking over, she saw it was indeed him, gesturing for her to come over. He Xianfeng was also at that table, half-rising to signal her to join them. She took a deep breath, put on a smile, and walked over.
“You see, I remember what you said. You shouldn’t call me ‘beauty,’ but ‘Professor,’ right?” The broadcaster said with a serious tone.
Guan Lan smiled and said, “You can call me by my name or just ‘Guan.’”
“No, no, it has to be ‘Professor Guan,’” he insisted, signaling the waiter to add another set of cutlery and pour more wine. Tapping his fingernails on the table, he said, “Last time, when Dean He’s event was going on, you said you had to leave early. This time, with the two-day event, everyone is staying overnight. You must have time now. Move over to our table, and let’s have a good chat about the article you just gave…”
Guan Lan stood there without moving, took a sip from the white wine glass, and said, “This glass is for you. I’ve been meaning to apologize for the last time, and I’m using this opportunity. But I only have this one glass. I can’t have more. Besides, I don’t have anything else to do tomorrow, so I’ll be leaving soon.”
“Apologize?” The broadcaster seemed a bit surprised but still smiled, “No need, no need. What you said made sense. No need to apologize.” Pointing at her, he turned to the people around and explained, “This is Professor Guan from the political science department. Last time she gave me a lesson. Remember, other female lawyers can be called ‘beauty,’ but Professor Guan is an exception. You can only call her by her name or ‘Professor.’ I said, nowadays, everyone calls women ‘beauty.’ But she said it’s not about fearing age. Even in the most age-conscious entertainment industry, calling actresses ‘Professor’ is fine. Moreover, she is a teacher by profession, so she doesn’t like being called ‘beauty’ because it doesn’t respect her professional identity.”
After speaking, he poured himself a glass of wine and offered another to Guan Lan.
Guan Lan did not take it.
The broadcaster’s hand hung in the air, and the people around laughed awkwardly. He Xianfeng saw that the situation was awkward and tried to smooth things over, saying, “Xiao Guan, you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, someone came over and took the glass of wine.
Guan Lan looked back and saw it was Qi Song.
The broadcaster recognized him too and said with a smile, “Qi Song, why are you joining the fun? What’s your relationship with Professor Guan? Are you standing in for her?”
Qi Song had already taken the glass, drank it in one gulp, and replied, “I’m one of her defeated opponents.”
“What do you mean?” The broadcaster was curious.
“We just had a court case recently,” Qi Song explained.
“Really? What case?”
“Settled. All in the past,” Qi Song ended that topic and continued, “Lawyer Wang particularly asked me to give you a toast, as he has something going on out of town and couldn’t make it.”
“Forget it,” the broadcaster dismissed, “Wang Qian and Old Zhu are the same. They used to come to see me every so often, but now they don’t care. They just sent a couple of front desk assistants. We all know what that means.”
“Not at all,” Jiang Yuan, hearing his name mentioned, quickly came over with a glass of wine.
…
A new round of toasting began, and Guan Lan was left behind. Seeing she had no further role, she said to He Xianfeng, “Dean, I’ll be leaving now.”
He Xianfeng’s expression darkened, but he still nodded and softly said, “You may go.”
Guan Lan turned back to her seat, packed up her things, and prepared to leave.
Liang Si, who had been toasting at another table, saw what had happened from a distance. She caught up with Guan Lan, putting an arm around her shoulders, and asked, “Is everything alright?”
Guan Lan smiled and shook her head, knowing Liang Si was the event’s organizer and didn’t want any problems.
“It’s always like this. Do you think it’s any better at other firms?” Liang Si said half-jokingly, half-advising, “Last week, a senior partner invited us to his house for team-building. Instead, we ended up drinking whiskey with him until four in the morning.”
Guan Lan nodded, saying, “I know. I’ll leave now.”
“No worries, be careful on the way. We’ll stay in touch,” Liang Si said with a smile, seeing her to the restaurant’s entrance.
Guan Lan walked out and vaguely heard the broadcaster saying, “This beautiful lawyer… Liang’s alcohol tolerance is impressive…”
It seemed like he was intentionally saying it for her to hear, but she didn’t turn back and walked out of the conference center.
There were no street lights in the scenic area, only dim white lights along the small paths. She followed the faint light toward the dock but didn’t see the boat. After searching around, she didn’t find anyone. Feeling exhausted and having to return, she stood by the lake for a while, hugging herself.
The sounds from the wine party had faded, and the night was quiet with the chirping of insects. The moon was just a thin crescent, reflecting a faint glimmer on the water’s surface. The distant plants and buildings were simplified into dark silhouettes.
She stood there by the lake until she heard footsteps and turned around to see someone coming along the path. At first, she thought it was hotel staff, but as they got closer, she realized it was Qi Song.
He said, “I called the concierge and asked for a boat.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
No formal address was used. Qi Song once again felt that strange sense of familiarity, as if they had known each other for a long time.
The small boat arrived quickly. Guan Lan boarded and looked back as if to say goodbye. Qi Song hesitated for a moment and then boarded the deck as well, saying, “It’s late. The dock is still a ways off. Let me take you to the parking lot.” The boat’s engine had not been turned off and was already moving, gradually leaving the dock. She felt it was difficult to refuse again and said, “Thank you.”
They walked into the cabin, and Guan Lan took a random seat. Qi Song sat across from her and asked, “Did you call a chauffeur? On a weekend night, in such a remote place, it might take a while.”
Guan Lan shook her head and replied, “I didn’t drive today.”
Qi Song was a bit surprised and said, “Then you should call a car early.” Although they had only met once, he had a sense that she and the gray-green Skoda were almost one, like a brave Olunchun person and his proud little horse in the forest. He wasn’t sure what kind of metaphor it was, but it suddenly appeared in his mind.
After these few exchanges, there was no more conversation. During the day, they could have enjoyed the scenery, but now, deep into the night, the windows on either side of the cabin reflected only the two of them.
Qi Song guessed that Guan Lan was in a bad mood and didn’t force her to talk. Instead, he chatted with the driver. He noticed a drawing board next to the driver’s seat, with a thick stack of watercolor paintings depicting wetlands. He asked the driver if he had painted them. The driver said yes, sometimes he would paint while waiting for guests. The driver showed Qi Song the paintings one by one, explaining where they were painted, the season, and the weather.
As they spoke, Guan Lan listened, gradually letting go of her earlier thoughts. She looked at the paintings, which lacked skill but still seemed quite nice. The driver hadn’t finished introducing the paintings when they reached the dock.
They both disembarked and walked a few steps to the entrance of the scenic area. Because the place was so remote, there were no drivers available on Didi. Guan Lan checked the time and said to Qi Song, “Lawyer Qi, you should head back. I’ll go to the university town; it’s busier there and should be easier to get a ride.”
Qi Song said, “I’ll go with you.”
“No need…” she declined.
Qi Song explained, “Actually, I want to visit there myself. It’s been a long time.”
“Oh, right,” Guan Lan then remembered, “You graduated from Political Science.”
“How do you know I’m from Political Science?” Qi Song asked.
Guan Lan felt awkward and said, “As an opposing lawyer, you have to know a bit about your opponent,” and then changed the subject, “Has the Political Science department already moved to the southern suburbs?”
Qi Song countered, “How old do you think I am?”
This made her truly smile. Qi Song had already started walking ahead, saying, “If you don’t want to talk…”
- Writer
