Qian Meigui spent the next few weeks on consultations with Sun Group, Su Feng, and the lawyers of Wen law firm about the case. Qian Meigui realized this was the most significant case of her career to date, and if she won, Su Feng and Song Ren would not only get their jobs back, they could be together.
The pressure was on her, but she was born for this. Her mother may have been a scientist, but she had more of the lawyer in her. It was Qian Shanyuan that was at home most of the time, reading over court doc.u.ments, lifting her on his lap, as he explained to her the meaning of law and justice.
She remembered reading legal terms by syllables, not knowing what the words meant, but she felt proud to say them out loud in his presence. Her mother, Aiguo, would come home after a busy day at the lab, but she would tell her about the projects they were working on, thinking that she wouldn"t be able to comprehend the complexity of science. But she listened and tried to resonate it in her mind.
Now, she was a law representative of one of the most profitable pharmaceutical industries; something that involves both the professions of her parents and she was proud of it.
Qian Meigui woke up to Song Sheng sitting on an armchair, watching her. She flushed immediately. He looked at her with soft, narrow eyes, a gentle gaze. "What are you doing?" she asked him. Song Sheng laughed. "I was waiting for you to wake up," he said. Qian Meigui smiled, propping herself against the bed headboard. She glanced over at the clock of the nightstand. "Shoot," she said anxiously, as she felt like she woke up late. "I have to go home and change quickly."
Song Sheng shook his head. He then nodded towards his closet. Qian Meigui raised an eyebrow, puzzled. She then shuffled from the covers and slowly approached the closet. She opened the dresser doors and found a rack of women"s clothing. She looked at the clothes in awe. She brushed her fingertips across the apparel, mesmerized. As a daughter of an elite, she had grown accustomed to expensive, mundane things. But the fact that Song Sheng had purchased these and placed them in his closet insinuated something higher than items. It meant living together.
Qian Meigui never brought many of her things because she was afraid the family would notice; so, she kept her stuff at home and only bringing essential items to leave in his apartment.
She glanced over at Song Sheng with watery eyes, when he rose suddenly approaching her. He then reached out for a blouse, pencil skirt, and a blazer, her size, to wear at court.
She loved the design of her clothing, but she noticed that it was a matching set for his clothes. Qian Meigui blushed. She doubts that anyone would see the identical women and men"s match. Therefore, she felt warm.
"Why the matching clothes?" she asked him.
"I am going to watch you," he said.
Qian Meigui"s lips parted. "You"re coming?" she asked, "But these legal proceedings could be rather boring for onlookers."
"Mhm," Song Sheng responded, "But if it"s my girlfriend that is doing most of the talking, then I rather would like to watch it," he said as he smiled. Qian Meigui reddened immediately. Her heart felt like she couldn"t take it. Even after dating him for months, she still felt fl.u.s.tered like the time she realized she was falling in love with him.
While holding her new clothes, she reached up to give Song Sheng a peck on the lips before retreating, going into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.
Inside, she changed, placing on some light makeup. She glanced at herself at the mirror, inhaling deeply, reciting who she was, using her real name, in her head.
She got out of the bathroom where Song Sheng was still waiting for her. Together, they left the apartment, heading to the courthouse.
She met Wen Zhaohui; even Zhong Liu came to support the firm for their case.
Su Feng and Song Ren arrived. Song Ren went to join Song Sheng at the benches, while Su Feng was with Qian Meigui at the plaintiff stand.
Song Ren raised a brow at Song Sheng. "Why is that you seem like a fan of Mei, but you don"t do that for me?" she pretended to whine, crossing her arms.
Song Sheng rolled his eyes "because no one wants to listen to someone so bossy." Song Ren gasped slightly, punching him at the side of his arm, they both chuckled. "Thank you for coming," she said, not looking at him directly. She felt like she couldn"t watch alone since she was not going to partic.i.p.ate in the case. Song Sheng grabbed her hand, "We"re here for both Mei and Feng," he said. Song Ren granted him a grim smile, nodding. They let go, their eyes focused on the people they loved the most.
Qian Meigui shook her nerves, exhaling deeply. She could see Song Sheng from the audience; she smiled at him while Song Ren wasn"t looking, he raised his hand, crossing his fingers together, granting her some good luck. She began to feel better.
In the defendant stand, Su Guiren and some other members arrived, and the tension arose. But she felt the adrenaline radiating across her body like electricity.
Qian Meigui spoke to Zhong Liu and Wen Zhaohui quickly before the court adjourned.
Qian Meigui stood straightened while the others were sitting down next to Su Feng. Qian Meigui had gotten used to being a defender, and now she was on the plaintiff"s side.
Three judges sat at the podiums; this was no ordinary, simple case.
This case will either make or break her, and she was ready for it.
"This case is something I"ve never seen or witnessed before. A divided family was disputing over Sun Group. The results could either bring down the company or we will find that both the plaintiff and defendant will walk away to a more privatized court. This is a public court of law; therefore, we will not focus on the owners.h.i.+p rights of the company, but whether which members have done to the public," said the judge who sat in the middle. "Understand?" she directed that towards everyone involved. Qian Meigui nodded.