Jiang Tingyan took Lin Yuelin home with mixed emotions. Along the way, Lin Yuelin was like a cheerful little sparrow, talking endlessly about every wonderful moment in the dance class, from the new dance steps taught by the teacher to the little jokes made by her friends, with a lively light in her eyes. Jiang Tingyan only occasionally responded, his thoughts were deeply trapped in the quagmire of reuniting with Su Yao, unable to extricate himself. He frowned, his eyes intertwined with worry, sympathy and deep helplessness, and Su Yao’s haggard face and the sad expression when she told her experience kept appearing in his mind.

After arriving home, Lin Yuelin rushed to Lin Wanyi in high spirits and started her storytelling mode like a small trumpet. Jiang Tingyan tried to force a smile, but his mood was still heavy when he saw this lively scene.

At dinner time, Jiang Tingyan sat at the table. His favorite dishes were placed in front of him, but he just mechanically moved the rice without any appetite. Lin Wanyi keenly noticed Jiang Tingyan’s abnormality. She gently put down her chopsticks, her eyes fell on Jiang Tingyan’s face with tenderness and concern, and asked softly: “Dear, what’s wrong with you? Did you encounter any troubles at work today?” Jiang Tingyan raised his head slightly, looked at Lin Wanyi’s worried eyes, was silent for a moment, slowly put down the tableware in his hand, sighed, and told her about his encounter with Su Yao in the dance cram school.

His voice was low and slow, and every word seemed to carry Su Yao’s suffering: “I met Su Yao in Yuelin’s dance class today. Do you remember her? My old classmate. She looks completely different now, and she looks very haggard. She is divorced. Her ex-husband is a gambler. Not only did he lose all the family savings, but he also owed a lot of debts. She could only move out with her children and live in an old community in the east of the city. She barely makes a living by working as a clerk in a small company. The work is tiring and not profitable, and she has to take care of children and the elderly. It’s really not easy.”

Lin Wanyi listened quietly, with sympathy on her face from time to time. She bit her lower lip slightly, and her eyes showed her pity for Su Yao’s experience. After Jiang Tingyan finished speaking, she gently held Jiang Tingyan’s hand and said softly: “Su Yao has had a hard time. Let’s help as much as we can. You were classmates who had a good relationship in school.” Jiang Tingyan nodded slightly, his eyes full of gratitude, and he took a long breath and said: “I knew you would understand. In fact, I have an idea. Su Yao is a lawyer and her business ability was also very good in the past. If she can come to work in our law firm, the treatment will definitely be much better than her current small company. But I’m afraid that you will be unhappy if I do this. After all, it may make people think that I am using a backdoor.”

Lin Wanyi was slightly startled, then thought for a moment, her eyes became firm and fair, she looked at Jiang Tingyan and said: “I understand your idea, but the law firm also has its own system and process. If she is willing, she can come for an interview.” After saying that, Lin Wanyi paused for a moment, with a hint of seriousness and professionalism in her eyes, “If she is really excellent, then the law firm will naturally welcome her. We can’t break the rules just out of sympathy, but we won’t bury truly capable people.” After hearing this, Jiang Tingyan felt a little relieved, his expression relaxed a little, and he quickly said: “You are still thoughtful. This will not cause too much psychological burden to Su Yao, and it will give her a chance on the basis of following the principles.”

At night, Jiang Tingyan lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep for a long time. He frowned, and his mind kept alternating between Su Yao’s experience and his own happy family scenes. He secretly made up his mind to cherish the life in front of him, and at the same time do his best to help Su Yao out of the predicament, so that she and Xiaobao could also feel the warmth and hope of life.

The next day, Jiang Tingyan sat in a spacious and bright office. The walls were painted a soft off-white color, matched with dark brown walnut decorative lines, which looked simple and elegant. In front of the floor-to-ceiling window hung a fine blackout curtain, which was half-open at this time. The sunlight shone through the glass onto the huge solid wood desk, forming patches of bright light. The desk was filled with neatly arranged documents and some exquisite office supplies. The computer screen flickered with a faint light, showing the reminder of unread emails. The bookshelf on the side was filled with various legal books and industry magazines, arranged in an orderly manner by category and year.

After Jiang Tingyan finished dealing with some urgent matters, he gently rubbed his temples, took a short break, and then picked up his phone to call Su Yao. His fingers tapped lightly on the screen of the phone, waiting for the call to be connected, and his eyes casually scanned the office. There was a long waiting tone from the other end of the phone. Just when Jiang Tingyan thought no one was answering and was about to hang up, Su Yao finally answered the phone, with a bit of anxiety and apology in her voice: “Hello, I’m sorry Jiang Tingyan, the washing machine suddenly broke down just now. I was tinkering with it and didn’t have time to answer the phone.” As she spoke, Su Yao wiped the sweat from her forehead with her hand tiredly, with a hint of helplessness in her eyes and a slightly frowned brow. At the same time, her other hand was holding the washing machine repair tool, and there was a little dust on her fingers. Jiang Tingyan leaned back slightly in his chair, looked at the bustling street scene outside the window with gentle eyes, with a faint smile on his face, and responded: “It’s okay, Su Yao. I called to ask you, are you willing to come to my wife’s law firm for an interview?” At this moment, his expression was relaxed, and there was a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Su Yao was obviously stunned, her eyes widened instantly, her heart skipped a beat, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind. She was touched by Jiang Tingyan’s concern, but also nervous about the possibility of facing legal work that was once familiar but now unfamiliar. There was also an indescribable inferiority spreading in her heart. After all, the gap between her current life and Jiang Tingyan’s was so big. She said in a trembling voice: “Your law firm?” Jiang Tingyan smiled gently and explained patiently: “To be precise, it is the law firm founded by my wife, and I am now one of the partners.” His smile was still on his face, trying to ease Su Yao’s nervousness with this gentle attitude.

Su Yao tightened her grip on the phone, her knuckles turning white from the force, and an indescribable bitterness welled up in her heart. She was silent for a moment, her lips trembling slightly, and she spoke with a bit of bitterness: “I was fired after those debt collectors came to the company. It has been several years now, and I may have become less familiar with the business. I am afraid that I am not worthy of the position and cannot do it.” At this point, her face was full of worry, with a hint of panic in her eyes. She paced back and forth in the room unconsciously, her steps were slightly heavy. Jiang Tingyan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his brows slightly wrinkled, his eyes focused and sincere, and his tone was firm to comfort: “Don’t think so, it’s just an interview, and it’s not certain whether you can pass it. You have to believe in your ability. After all, when you were in school, your grades were so good.” His eyes were full of trust, his expression was serious and earnest, hoping to give Su Yao confidence.

Su Yao sighed slightly, smiled bitterly and said: “Jiang Tingyan, you don’t know, in the past few years, I have been running around every day just to make a living, taking care of children and the elderly, and I have no time to touch legal books. I am afraid that by then I won’t even be able to remember some basic laws.” As she said that, she looked helplessly at the simple room full of sundries and children’s toys, her eyes full of loss, and then slowly squatted down and began to pick up the toys that the children had messed up on the ground. Her movements were a little slow, as if she had lost her strength. She picked up the toys one by one and put them in the storage box in the corner, her eyes always a little empty. Jiang Tingyan encouraged: “It’s okay, Su Yao. This is just a new beginning. Everyone has a process of starting over. Our law firm will also have corresponding training and adaptation periods. As long as you are determined, you will be able to slowly get back to your state.” An encouraging smile appeared on his face again, and his eyes were full of hope. After hearing this, Su Yao’s eyes flashed with gratitude. She raised her voice a little and said, “Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity, Jiang Tingyan. I will try my best, but I’m worried that if I fail the interview, will it make it difficult for you in front of your wife?” Jiang Tingyan smiled and said in a relaxed tone, “Don’t think too much. My wife is very reasonable, and we all hope to help you.” At this time, his smile was even brighter, trying to completely dispel Su Yao’s concerns.

After Jiang Tingyan hung up the phone, he quickly sent a text message to Su Yao, informing her of the detailed time and address of the interview. Sitting in the simple rental house, Su Yao looked at the address on the text message, and couldn’t help but widen her eyes, secretly exclaiming in her heart: “Isn’t this Dingxin Law Firm? This is a large law firm that all lawyers yearn for, and it is also the best in the industry.” She sat there blankly, looking ahead with empty eyes, her mind full of thoughts, feeling a glimmer of hope for this sudden opportunity, but also worried about her current desolation and the challenges she might face. She thought, this might be the only chance to change her destiny, but can she really do it? Past failures shrouded her like a shadow. After a while, she seemed to suddenly come to her senses, took a deep breath, and there was a hint of determination in her eyes. She stood up, walked to the window, looked out the window, and said to herself: “No matter what, this is an opportunity, and I must prepare well.”

Su Yao came for an interview and stood in front of the building where Dingxin Law Firm was located. She looked up at this modern building that towered into the sky, and felt mixed emotions. The smooth glass curtain wall reflected a dazzling light under the sunlight, as if an insurmountable barrier stood in front of her. Her legs trembled slightly, she took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down, and then slowly walked into the building.

The front desk area is spacious and bright, with exquisite and stylish decoration. The marble floor is so shiny that it can clearly reflect people’s figures. The dazzling crystal chandelier hangs from the high ceiling, casting soft and bright light. A pretty and elegant front desk lady with a professional smile asked softly, “Hello, how can I help you?” Su Yao said nervously, “Hello, I am Su Yao who came for an interview.” The front desk lady nodded politely and skillfully opened the door to the inner area for her.

Su Yao thanked him and walked towards the elevator. In front of the elevator door, she looked at herself reflected on the door. She was wearing a new suit that she bought for this interview, but she looked so out of place. Although the suit fit her well, she felt uncomfortable all over, as if she had returned to the last century. The days when she used to wear professional clothes and confidently shuttle between the court and the office were too long gone. Her eyes gradually became moist, and tears rolled in her eyes. She tried hard to hold them back and kept cheering herself up in her heart: “You must hold on, this is a rare opportunity.” The elevator door opened with a “ding”. Su Yao sorted out her emotions, walked into the elevator with a slightly heavy step, and pressed the button to the interview floor.

The elevator slowly ascended, and Su Yao’s heartbeat gradually quickened. She could clearly hear her heartbeat echoing in this small space, and each beat was like the beating of a war drum, more violent than the last. Her palms were full of sweat, and she tightly grasped the corner of her clothes, her knuckles turning white from the force. Her eyes were fixed on the changing numbers on the elevator floor display, as if the constantly jumping numbers were the countdown of her fate. Her mind involuntarily emerged with all the hardships and setbacks of the past. Those days when she was suppressed by life and couldn’t raise her head flashed quickly like a slide show. She was afraid that this interview would be another blow, but there was a trace of unwilling flame burning in her heart, driving her to move forward.

The elevator door opened, and Su Yao stepped into the interview floor. The corridor was so quiet that only her own footsteps could be heard, and the footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, which seemed particularly clear. On the walls hung exquisite art paintings, showing the elegant taste and strong strength of the law firm. She followed the signs to find the interview room, and every step she took felt like stepping on her tense nerves. Finally, she stood at the door of the interview room, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door gently. A voice of “Come in” came from inside, and Su Yao pushed open the door and saw a room with simple but atmospheric decoration. A large solid wood conference table occupied the center of the room, and several interviewers with serious expressions sat around it. Behind them was a huge floor-to-ceiling window. The sunlight shone through the white gauze curtains, forming patches of hazy light and shadow on the ground.

Su Yao walked into the room. She had tied her shoulder-length hair into a simple bun, with a few strands of hair hanging on both sides of her cheeks, making her face look a little thin and pale. Her eyebrows were slightly raised, and her eyes were nervous and uneasy. Her originally bright eyes were slightly dimmed due to the fatigue in recent days. Under the high nose bridge, her lips were slightly pursed, and her lip color had lost its former rosy color. She was wearing a black formal suit, and the collar of her white shirt was neatly tied, but it could not hide the haggardness and embarrassment that came from her bones, which was in sharp contrast to the interview environment full of confidence and professionalism. She stood there, her hands unconsciously clasped in front of her, her fingers constantly rubbing, waiting for the interviewer’s scrutiny. (End of this chapter)