Volume 1, Chapter 20: Two Pies Falling from the Sky

The ringleader of the clique targeting Lin Yuxia was a woman in her thirties, a lawyer from the non-litigation department. Logically, she had no reason to compete with Lin Yuxia, so it was baffling why she harbored such intense animosity. Having worked at the firm for a decade, the lawyer certainly shouldn't have felt threatened by a newcomer.

She didn't back down, retorting instantly, "Don't you know exactly what your relationship is with that person from the Shen family? Calling him 'brother' by day, and calling him for other things by night? Hahahaha..."

Admittedly, Lin Yuxia did harbor forbidden feelings for Shen Yan, but Shen Yan’s intentions toward her were entirely pure. Moreover, she had never crossed that line; their relationship was clean and innocent. Lin Yuxia’s fingers curled into tight fists. She could endure being slandered herself, but defaming Shen Yan? Absolutely not!

She strode over with her long legs and, in a few steps, reached the woman and slapped her across the face. The woman’s head snapped to the side, her hair falling over her cheek as she looked at Lin Yuxia in stunned disbelief.

"You... you dare hit me?"

"I hit you because you deserve it!"

Lin Yuxia was already tall, and with the added five centimeters from her heels, dressed in a cinched-waist blazer with shoulder pads, she looked haughty and imperious. She truly carried the aura of a spoiled, willful young heiress.

Wasn't everyone saying she had connections and a powerful backer? Fine, then. She would make sure these gossips learned not to provoke her.

"I’ll state this clearly today: whoever dares to speak ill of my brother behind his back again, I will tear their mouth apart!" Her gaze was so sharp that the group of women opposite her trembled. Even though the slapped lawyer was filled with resentment, she lost the nerve to confront her after witnessing such ferocity.

"Lin Yuxia, just you wait!" With that parting threat, the woman tucked her tail and left with the others.

Only then did Lin Yuxia let out a breath and reach for a tissue to wipe the sweat from her palms. She couldn't stand to hear anyone badmouth Shen Yan; in her fury, her hands had moved before her brain. If this were truly scrutinized, she would be the one in the wrong, but if that person dared to smear her brother again, she would hit her again!

Thinking this, Lin Yuxia placed her cup under the coffee machine and pressed the button. The indicator light blinked, signaling a lack of coffee beans. Having just joined the firm, she looked up at the long row of cabinets above, unsure where to find more.

"Would you like to try this?" a gentle voice sounded from the doorway.

Lin Yuxia turned around, and a smile rippled across her face like water.

"Brother! When did you get here?"

"Hmm..." Shen Yan thought about it seriously. "When you were giving your lecture."

"You—you—you saw everything? I—I’m usually not that unreasonable..." Lin Yuxia stuttered, feeling guilty. He couldn't have come at a worse time—he just had to show up while she was throwing a tantrum!

Shen Yan walked over, smiling as he patted her head. "It’s fine. You didn't let yourself be bullied. Seeing you like this actually puts my mind at ease."

Lin Yuxia lowered her head, blushing. Shen Yan handed a bag of coffee to her. "You’re a light sleeper, so cut down on the caffeine. If you’re really craving it, drink decaf."

Lin Yuxia felt a warmth in her heart and whispered, "Thank you, Brother. You're always the best to me."

She then raised her head, beaming. "Brother, how do you have time to come to the firm today? Is it for a consultation, or did you come specifically to see me?"

"Neither." Shen Yan smiled mysteriously. "I'm here to bring your firm some business. Where is Director Wu’s office?"

Lin Yuxia led Shen Yan toward the office area. Shen Yan pointed to a workstation and asked, "Is this where you sit?"

"How did you know, Brother?" Lin Yuxia asked in return.

Shen Yan smiled without answering; he recognized the book on the desk: *The Republic*.

Perhaps it was because Shen Yan’s appearance and temperament were so striking, but as they walked through the office area, they drew many gazes. A love-struck female colleague whispered, "Look! A handsome man! Is he a new hire?"

Another replied in a hushed tone, "Don't dream. That’s the famous Young Master Shen. He's way out of our league."

The first woman sighed wistfully, "Ah... what a pity..."

Lin Yuxia led Shen Yan to the office at the very end of the corridor and knocked. The door opened, and Director Wu was startled for a moment before enthusiastically welcoming them in.

"Mr. Shen, what a pleasure to have you here. Please, have a seat."

"Director Wu, I apologize for dropping by without an appointment. I hope I'm not interrupting your work?"

"Nonsense, Mr. Shen! I couldn't be happier that you're here!"

Director Wu had actually only met Shen Yan once before at a large business gala. That day, there were too many people trying to curry favor with Shen Yan for him to exchange more than a few words, so he quickly handed his business card to him.

Shen Yan politely looked down—Wu Song. As a top lawyer, it was certainly an impressive-sounding name.

Lin Yuxia delivered him and prepared to leave, but Shen Yan called her back. "Xiao Yu, come sit with us."

Wu Song also said with a friendly smile, "Yes, yes, sit down. You're his sister, after all; you're family."

Once Lin Yuxia was seated, Shen Yan got straight to the point. "Director Wu, my company has a new project that requires legal counsel. I was wondering if your firm might be interested?"

For legal business from a company of the Shen family's scale, the process usually involved either a bidding process or personal connections. By directly offering the olive branch of collaboration, Shen Yan was clearly doing it because of Lin Yuxia. A seasoned lawyer like Wu Song understood the implication immediately and said, "It would be our greatest honor to work with you, Mr. Shen."

Lin Yuxia naturally understood that her brother was looking out for her career. No wonder he hadn't given her any warning before showing up at her firm—he didn't want to give her a chance to refuse.

Wu Song glanced at Lin Yuxia and praised, "Xiao Lin is excellent. She hasn't even been here long, yet she not only solved a tricky case but has already secured two consultancy contracts. Her capability is plain for all to see!"

Wu Song had spoken out of flattery, but Shen Yan looked puzzled. "Is that so? And which is the other consultancy client?"

His Xiao Yu had just returned to the country; he couldn't imagine anyone else she knew who held enough influence in a company.

Wu Song assumed that Shengyue Group had given the business to Lin Yuxia out of respect for Shen Yan, so he said bluntly, "It's the Shengyue Group."

Shen Yan narrowed his eyes and looked at Lin Yuxia beside him. "Xiao Yu, how come you never mentioned this to me?"

Lin Yuxia gave an awkward laugh. *Heh, heh, heh.* He couldn't believe it, could he? She had only heard about it that morning herself!

Wu Song suddenly realized he had made a mistake and added something that added fuel to the fire: "So, Shengyue was actually a client Lawyer Lin brought in herself? You really are full of surprises, Xiao Lin!"

Before his words faded, Shen Yan abruptly stood up from the sofa. "My apologies, Director Wu, if you'll excuse me for a moment."

He then looked down at Lin Yuxia, his voice gentle but firm. "Xiao Yu, come outside with me."