Without knowing exactly why, Yu Zi had the gut feeling that he was just like, despite the fact that she had never heard him say it out loud.

So, when exactly did he start liking her?

“Since when?” Yan Huaian repeated her question with a light chuckle.

Only then did Yu Zi realize that she had unknowingly asked the question out loud.

Who knew if she had accidentally voiced out everything she was thinking earlier too.

She snuck a glance at Yan Huaian, but she could not read anything from the neutral look on his face.

This man was a master of hiding his emotions.

“To be honest, I can’t say for sure. When you first came to Yan Hui with your mentor, Song Dashen, I only saw you as a little girl and I didn’t think much of you. Whenever you handled matters with me, you would never lose your composure even though it was clear that you were nervous; You were still able to calmly say everything that you needed to say, so I felt that you were a brave little girl. From the way you spoke and handled things, I could see that you’re extremely well-organized and that you’re much mature than your actual age,” Yan Huaian explained with a smile.

Yu Zi pouted as she replied, “Hey, I’m not a little girl. Don’t say it as if you’re so much older than me. You’re not an elder, the difference in our age isn’t that big.”

It was merely a five-year gap.

“Alright,” Yan Huaian nodded naturally, happy that Yu Zi was not objecting to the fact that he was older than her.

“At the time, I was impressed with you, but it wasn’t to the point that I had feelings for you. However, as we started to spend more and more time together, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of surprises you held for me in the future. You’re so confident in what you do, and although Lawyer Fang is more experienced than you, you never show fear in front of him and were still able to hold your ground when you debated with him. The more confident you were, the more of your strong qualities you portrayed, and the more I took notice of you. Soon enough, I was eager to find out more about you.”

“It started with mere curiosity, but the more curious I was, the more interested I became in you. Then, unconsciously, you found a place in my heart. It wasn’t until one day when I unconsciously thought of you at work that I realized you were already deeply rooted in my heart. What started off as concern and curiosity soon grew into feelings. I was startled too, but after coming to that realization, I became really happy whenever I got to see you. After that, every time I saw you, I found myself liking you more than the last.”

Yu Zi’s heart warmed as she listened to his words.

Every single word that was coming out of his mouth was undoubtedly the truth and was not just sweet talk. They were words of genuine feelings, unornamented with flowery.

However, in her ears, it all sounded like sweet whispers of love.

He was confessing, was he not?

“Just that, you were still… you were still dating Yue Jingchen back then, and I know you’re not a fickle girl. You would never leave your boyfriend for someone else just because he was more outstanding than your boyfriend. Besides, I was worried that if I was too obvious about it and pursued you publicly, you would only distance yourself. That’s why I’ve just been waiting all this while,” Yan Huaian paused to smile at her before continuing, “You might not believe me, but I had someone investigate Yue Jingchen once so I’m very familiar with everything about him, including his parents. I thought to myself, that with parents like his, no girl can tolerate in-laws like them for long. It wasn’t easy for you to tolerate them for such a long period, was it? I figured you two would break up sooner or later, so I’ve just been patiently waiting beside you. Now it looks like, my waiting period is finally over.”

Yu Zi did not know what to say. No words could possibly express the shock in her heart at that moment.

“What if… What if I had never broken up with Yue Jingchen? What if we got married?” Yu Zi asked.

Yan Huaian narrowed his eyes, clearly disliking the thought of this idea.

He did not even want to imagine the scenario in which Yu Zi and Yue Jingchen got married.

He regretted meeting her too late and wasting the past six years of his life, and he also hated the thought of her spending the past six years of her life with Yue Jingchen.

“If that was the case, then I would’ve tried everything possible to snatch you away from him before you got married. Even if you hated me and insisted on marrying Yue Jingchen, with your temper, you probably wouldn’t have been able to stand his parents for long, so you would probably have a divorce sooner or later. I would’ve waited for you to divorce him, and then continued to pursue you,” Yan Huaian continued, his tone so serious that she instantly knew that he was not joking around.

He would really have done so if things eventually got that far.

Yu Zi was speechless. She was so shocked and slightly scared of his determination and persistence.

She was unaware that he had liked her for so long without her knowing, and with such stubbornness too.

Suddenly, she felt the top of her head being rubbed twice.

Stunned, Yu Zi looked over to see Yan Huaian looking at her softly. “Don’t be scared of me, everything I said just now was all just made up scenarios. None of that will ever happen now that we’re together.”

Yu Zi remained speechless, but her expression relaxed slightly.

Well, he was right.

There was no need to get hung up over all those worst-case scenarios now.

After all, she had chosen him.

Now that they were together, she believed that he would treat her well.

Moreover, she knew that Yan Huaian was a good person and that no matter what happens in the future, he would be with her.

Gradually, her expression relaxed.

At the same time, Yan Huaian nudged closer and planted a kiss on her lips. He pushed her back into the chair as she felt his soft lips pressing against hers. There was a light hint of lemon too, while every one of his kisses represented how much he cherished and valued her.

How could she be afraid of a man like him?

Finally, Yan Huaian slowly let go of her. “Are you still scared of me?”

Yu Zi shook her head. “No, I like you.”

Yan Huaian smiled with joy. The two shallow crow’s feet that formed around the corner of his eyes made him seem even more mature and sexier.

“I… I have to go back to the office now,” Yu Zi said as she sucked on her lips which still carried the taste of Yan Huaian’s lemony lips.

Yan Huaian let go of her and ordered, “Give me a call at any time if there’s anything you need.” Yu Zi nodded as she unfastened her seat belt and got out of the car.

Outside, she waved goodbye to him once more before turning around and leaving.

Yan Huaian continued watching her until she entered the office building before finally driving away.

Back at the office, Yu Zi checked in with Song Dashen right away.

“Has everything with regards to Yue Jingchen been resolved?” Song Dashen asked.

“Yes, everything’s settled now. Don’t worry, it won’t affect my work anymore,” Yu Zi answered.

Song Dashen nodded before glancing down at the gauze wrapped around her left wrist. “What happened to your wrist?”

Yu Zi raised her hand as she gave an awkward laugh. “Oh, it was just an accident. Don’t worry, it won’t bother my work.”

Song Dashen said nothing. He did not want to interfere with her personal affairs too much.

“Take a good look at Zhao Yuxuan’s case and prepare for it, you’ll be the lead counsel.”

Yu Zi’s jaw dropped in astonishment. “Mas… Master, I… I’m the lead counsel?” She stuttered.

“Well, you’ll bound to do it one day, and I think it’s time. Why? Do you have no confidence?” Song Dashen put his pen down and leaned back against his chair. “If you don’t think you’re ready yet, we can forget about it.”

“No, no, I have confidence!” Yu Zi said quickly. How could she give this opportunity up? “Master, I’ll perform well!”

“Why don’t you hurry up and go get ready then?” Song Dashen asked.

“Yes, sir!” Yu Zi exclaimed happily with a bright smile as she ran out.

When Yu Zi had left the office, Song Dashen let out an amused laugh.

Meanwhile, Yu Zi returned to her desk. She was still in shock and was unable to calm down for a long time after. She was so excited that she felt that she had to share this news with someone.

At the same time, the first person that came to mind was not her parents or her brothers. It was Yan Huaian.

Yu Zi immediately took out her phone, but as she was about to call Yan Huaian, she realized that he was still driving so it would be inconvenient for him to pick up the phone.

With that, she opened up her WeChat and sent him a message. “Master allowed me to be the lead counsel for tomorrow’s trial!”

After Yan Huaian had not replied for a few minutes, she knew that he had not yet arrived back at his office.

Approximately twenty minutes passed, and as Yu Zi had begun looking through relevant documents, her phone rang.

Sure enough, it was Yan Huaian.

She picked up the call right away, but before she could even speak, Yan Huaian said on the other end of the phone, “Congratulations.”

Yu Zi smiled at the sound of his voice. He asked, “Are you nervous?”

“Yeah, I’m excited and nervous. I really want to take this opportunity and perform well, but I’m worried I’ll screw up too,” Yu Zi said as she lowered her head, unconsciously acting coquettish towards him as she expressed her thoughts.

Now that she was together with him, she felt dependent on him.

It was different from being with Yue Jingchen. Perhaps it was because they were the same age, but he never gave her the feeling that she could count on him and be relied upon.

Moreover, both her and Yue Jingchen were newbies in the sense that they were still in the process of building their careers and had to work hard for their futures, so they had their own stress and pressures to deal with.

Yan Huaian, on the other hand, was different. Perhaps this was one of the perks of dating someone older, as she could easily depend on him without pressure. She could talk to him about anything whilst sharing all her happiness or anxiety with him.

If it was Yue Jingchen, she might even feel guilty that she had made progress in her career and achieved her first milestone. Would Yue Jingchen feel pressured and get upset about it? After all, he was still a medical intern so his progress was very much fixed.

If she were still together with Yue Jingchen, she probably would not have shared this piece of news with him right away. She would have told her parents and her brothers, then asked them for advice and for words of encouragement to help calm her nerves.

However, she could rely on Yan Huaian now.

“Being nervous is a good thing, it means that you really cherish the opportunity. Until now, I still find every business meeting nerve-wracking, no matter how big or small. I’ll still get nervous, but I’ll make sure that I put in all my effort and try my very best. This way, even if I don’t strike a deal, I won’t feel guilty nor will I have any regrets. However, if it’s a success, I know that I made it work because of my hard work and effort. This sort of pressure is good for you, but be sure that you don’t pressure yourself too much too. Don’t worry too much, alright? Please know that I have faith in you. Just like the first time you came to Yan Hui, although you were anxious, you still performed well. The other party didn’t even know you were a newbie. As long as they don’t realize that you’re a newbie, they won’t deliberately trouble you too much,” Yan Huaian said slowly, his tone instilling some calm in her.

As Yu Zi listened to his words, the tension in her heart gradually dissipated, until eventually, she calmed down.

It was best if she could restore her mood to its original state and calm down so she could get into the zone and prepare well.

“Tonight, when you get back, just focus on your preparation. I’ll come over and make dinner for you,” Yan Huaian said softly.

It sounded so intimate.

It was as if they were already living together.

Though, in truth, their situation now was the equivalent of living together.

Yu Zi could not help but laugh as she agreed to his suggestion obediently.

When she got off work that afternoon, Song Dashen even ordered her, “Don’t work overtime tonight, just go home and rest early so you’ll be well-rested tomorrow. Remember, don’t put too much pressure on yourself as your master will be by your side.”

After hearing Song Dashen say this, Yu Zi felt more assured.

She quickly cleared her things and left the office. As soon as she went through the door, she spotted Yan Huaian standing outside and waiting beside his car.

A warm and content smile appeared on Yan Huaian’s face the moment he saw her. Then, he straightened up as he waited for Yu Zi to walk over to him.

As Yu Zi made her way over, she suddenly remembered that their relationship status was different now. Almost instantly, her mood changed as well.

She was not as nervous as before, but instead, became immersed in a pool of overflowing happiness. She walked toward him with a sweet smile plastered on her face.

When Yu Zi finally stopped in front of him, Yan Huaian reached out to grab her hand and pull her closer before lowering his head to kiss her on the lips.

Yu Zi was shocked and slightly embarrassed. They were in public now!

“I’ve been thinking of kissing you again since I got back just now, and now I finally get to,” Yan Huaian closed his lips on her ear as he whispered.

Yu Zi’s face reddened right away and she quickly got into the car.

As Yan Huaian had said earlier that afternoon, he took care of dinner so that Yu Zi could fully concentrate on preparing for tomorrow’s trial.

He even washed the dishes after dinner too.

Then, he disappeared into the terrace. After a short while, he came back with a Pu Er tea cake.