Disciplinary Code

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Ji Yao unlocked his phone screen and typed a few lines in the WeChat conversation box that popped up. After some contemplation, he deleted the text again.

Deleting and typing, he ultimately cleared the conversation box and typed a simple “Alright,” then pressed the send button.    

The person on the other end of the conversation seemed to be waiting for his response. The status immediately changed to “Typing,” and after a couple of minutes, a file was sent over.

“It’s a lawyer we’ve been working with for a long time. He’s very reliable and capable. You can rest assured. His contact information is at the end. If you have any questions, you can also contact him.”

Ji Yao stared at the new message that appeared on his screen, feeling a bit amused – it seemed like the phrase “you can rest assured” was the most common thing Hao Yu had been telling him lately, making it seem as though he were some child who got startled easily and needed reassuarance.

“Thank you, Director. There’s nothing to worry about,” Ji Yao replied, then added, “When should I return to work?”

“Just resume work as usual,” Hao Yu replied, “Or do you want to take a few more days off?”

“No need, I want to get back to work as soon as possible,” Ji Yao replied, expressing his gratitude, before contemplating how he could show his appreciation to Director Hao once this matter was resolved – perhaps he’d buy a couple of boxes of large hairy crabs for him.

He exited the conversation box and opened the file he had just received. The file contained the resume of their hospital’s regular legal consultant, a middle-aged man with the appearance of someone in his forties. He seemed quite capable.

Ji Yao skimmed through the file briefly and then copied the WeChat ID from the contact information at the bottom. He added the new contact.

Probably due to the late hour, there was no immediate response from the other side.

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Ji Yao absentmindedly placed his phone on the coffee table and leaned back into the comfortable sofa, taking a sip of his drink.

The bar’s sound system played bluesy rock music while colorful lights flickered incessantly. The DJ was throwing confetti on stage, and most of the people were dancing and partying near the stage, forming a bustling crowd.

Ji Yao wasn’t fond of squeezing into such noisy and crowded scenes, and given his current stress due to the impending lawsuit, he couldn’t find any interest in the revelry. He decided that he would finish his drink and head home.

As he was halfway through his drink, He Xiangyin happened to return from the dance floor – he was like a social butterfly, never staying still, and he had already switched his drink for what seemed like the umpteenth time. He also had two stacks of small notes in his hand.

Ji Yao glanced at him and said with a chilly tone, “Didn’t you just make up with Aaron? Now you’re out partying again. Be careful, he might get mad if he finds out.”

He Xiangyin and his partner Aaron were practically in a love-hate relationship. Breaking up and getting back together countless times, their fights often led to smashed glasses and broken water jugs. Ji Yao couldn’t understand what their deal was.

Is torturing each other an addiction? Ji Yao wondered.

“Whatever, we don’t feel right if we’re not fighting,” He Xiangyin casually waved his hand, then tapped Ji Yao’s shoulder with one of the stacks of notes, saying, “Here, these are for No. 0.”

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“I don’t want them,” Ji Yao replied, unenthusiastically.

“This one, though.” He Xiangyin expertly pulled out a card from the stack, sprayed with perfume and colored purple. He wiggled it in front of Ji Yao, “From the bar counter, definitely not a soft 0. I’d say around 182cm tall, looks good, seems to be a financial consultant – seems like he’s interested in you.”

As soon as He Xiangyin’s words fell, perhaps due to coincidence, a waiter walked over holding a tray, placing a drink in front of Ji Yao.

“A Mojito.” The waiter said. “Enjoy.”

“I didn’t order a drink.” Ji Yao said.

“That drink is from that gentleman.” The waiter said, pointing towards the bar.

A man in casual attire sitting at the bar, with a sparkling diamond watch on his wrist, smiled and raised his glass towards Ji Yao. Clearly, this was the “financial consultant” He Xiangyin had mentioned.

If Ji Yao were in a better mood, he might have been interested in chatting for a bit. However, he had just seen Jiang Heng a few hours ago, and seeing a man with this kind of style gave him a headache.

Plus, he was in a bad mood, feeling sour, bitter, and irritable. He had no intention of engaging in any flirtatious activities.

“Take it back to him.” Ji Yao said. “I don’t drink this type of alcohol.”

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The waiter looked puzzled, glanced towards the bar area hesitantly, then smiled cautiously, saying, “The drink has already been paid for and settled, so you don’t have to pay for it.”

Ji Yao furrowed his brow. His temper and patience were far from what his mild and harmless appearance suggested. He glared at the unfamiliar man across the crowd and saw that he had no intention of backing down. Ji Yao reached out and grabbed the glass, then turned his wrist and spilled the drink on the ground.

The man’s face immediately turned ugly.

He probably hadn’t expected Ji Yao to be so impolite. Seemingly feeling embarrassed, he shot Ji Yao a glare before getting up and leaving.

He Xiangyin clicked his tongue and shook his head against the table, saying, “I wanted to find you some fun to change your mood.”

“I’ve got an ongoing lawsuit hanging over my head.” Ji Yao said irritably. “With my luck, I might have been working in vain for these years. Given that, I don’t even have the mood to find a new fling. I’m already reckless enough.”

“Hey, you said the opposing lawyer is your ex-boyfriend, right?” He Xiangyin offered some bad advice tentatively, “Why don’t you ask him to go easy on you— if that won’t work, just pay some money. It’s better than taking responsibility.”

He Xiangyin had called him out for a drink just hours after he got back from the hospital. Seeing Ji Yao wasn’t in a good mood, he prodded and poked for a long time before getting to the “hidden story.”

He remembered when he said Ji Yao “couldn’t handle him” at the bar before. Who would have thought he had already used it himself.

“You want me to approach him?” Ji Yao pursed his lips, a cold smile forming at the corner of his mouth. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”

“Heh…” He Xiangyin winced and took a deep breath, then hesitated before asking, “Don’t be too pessimistic. Mainly, whose fault was it when you two broke up back then? If he was in the wrong, maybe he would feel guilty and would be willing to go easy on you.”

He Xiangyin’s question pierced something like a needle, causing Ji Yao’s emotions to crumble. He held onto the drink glass tightly, unable to speak.

Self-deception, whitewashing the truth—there were some things that couldn’t be deeply explored or admitted; otherwise, once a certain balance was shattered, uncontrollable and adverse consequences could easily result.

For these many years, Ji Yao deliberately avoided thinking about Jiang Heng and those three years. He thought he had already let go, but He Xiangyin’s casual question had shattered his emotional defenses. He couldn’t continue to ignore the past so bluntly anymore.

Ji Yao’s knuckles holding the drink glass turned slightly pale. He remained silent, finishing the remaining half of the drink in one gulp.

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The ice-cold, strong liquor burned down his throat, and after a brief chill, it was followed by a fiery sensation. Ji Yao was scorched by the sensation, and he instinctively loosened his collar.

After a while, he suddenly smiled inexplicably.

“It’s me,” he said.