Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 248, Section 246: Love Story
On a hazy winter morning, a thin mist enveloped the Shanshui Huating residential community like a veil.

A pure white Porsche Panamera was parked quietly nearby, its engine idling at a low rumble, white smoke billowing from its exhaust pipe.

At 7:50 a.m., Li Zhi appeared at the entrance of the residential area on time.

The short-haired girl wore a beige double-faced cashmere coat with an elegant cut and a delicate bow tied at the waist, outlining her slender waist.

Law firms are among the places that pay the most attention to their public image.

Even as a paralegal, she dressed with the same care as everyone else.

From a distance, the dark-colored new bag on Xiao Lizhi's shoulder swayed back and forth. If you didn't look at the lunch bag in her hand, she really had the air of an elite legal professional.

"Whoo~"

Upon seeing Zhou Mingyuan's car, Li Zhi jogged over, her breath turning into white mist in the cold air.

"It's so cold today."

"I don't want to get out of bed without the air conditioning on, it's so painful!"

"Luckily, there was heating as soon as I came in."

The short-haired girl opened the car door with practiced ease, sat in the passenger seat, and muttered to herself.

The car was warm and cozy, a stark contrast to the outside temperature.

During this period, her car was still being repaired at the 4S shop, and Zhou Mingyuan would pick her up and drop her off at the Nanhu Industrial Park, which had become a daily routine.

A harmonious and tacit daily routine.

The same is true today.

Li Zhi's biggest expectation every morning is the twenty-odd minutes she spends with Zhou Mingyuan in the car.

It resembles a pumpkin carriage at midnight, just like one romantic date after another.

Don't know why.

Although they met quite often in other places, whether it was in the Nanhu Industrial Park, at school, or even in a coffee shop in Beiyuan, he and she did so just as frequently.

But it just doesn't taste like that.

What does it taste like?

“Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone~”

"I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run~~"

Taylor Swift's "Love Story" played in the car stereo as the car slowly started and merged into the long line of cars. Li Zhi squinted her eyes gently in the morning light.

She turned her face to the side and secretly glanced at Zhou Mingyuan beside her.

The man was driving intently, one hand tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel, his fingers long and slender.

The car interior is filled with a light lychee scent, and a square ornament hangs below the rearview mirror, symbolizing a safe journey.

These are all works by Li Zhi.

I just bought him a car air freshener last week; it's said to keep people alert and happy.

As for the small ornaments that were prepared in advance, they were things that had been mentioned before as gifts for Zhou Mingyuan.

Happy.

His car seemed to possess some inexplicable aura, even intimidating him.
I felt happy as soon as I sat down.

Even the songs he randomly selected for his daily music recommendation were his absolute favorites.

"You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess~"

"It's a love story, Baby just say yes~~~"

Li Zhi leaned back in the soft leather seat, a smile playing on her lips, and began to sing softly along with the music.

As she sang, she habitually opened the vanity mirror on the passenger side and examined herself in the mirror.

As always, the short-haired girl put on a light office makeup look before heading out.

"I brought you rice balls today, remember to eat them later."

Immediately afterwards, Li Zhi took out two triangular rice balls from the bag and placed them next to the armrest box.

The top is decorated with a cute smiley face pattern made of seaweed.

"Wow, the breakfast is different every day!"

"I should at least show my appreciation for your ride."

Li Zhi giggled, her eyes curving into a beautiful smile.

"And I've noticed that you often skip breakfast."

As she spoke, she picked up a rice ball and took small bites, her cheeks puffing out like an adorable little hamster.

"That's true."

The vehicle stopped at a red light, and Zhou Mingyuan turned to look at Li Zhi.

The morning light shone through the car window, illuminating the area around the girl's face, making the fine downy hairs appear to be edged with gold.

The short-haired girl was wearing snowflake-shaped earrings today, which swayed gently as she chewed, reflecting tiny glimmers of light.

It's so beautiful it's almost dazzling.

"That's right~"

As Li Zhi ate, she seemed to remember something, turned her head, and spoke with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"I heard your first live-streaming sales event yesterday was a great success. What's the professional term for that again? Is it 'sold out like crazy'?"

"You know all this?"

Zhou Mingyuan looked over with a half-smile, and his gaze met that of the short-haired girl.

"I watched it with Vivi in ​​the live stream last night."

Li Zhi shrugged and gestured with her hands: "Besides, the sales figures are there for all to see, and there's no need for people to keep guessing."

"We sold more than 5,000 orders in one night, which is more than what people usually do in a month."

"This should be considered a surge in orders, right?"

"Yes."

Zhou Mingyuan smiled and nodded: "You could say that."

"Honestly, this is the first time I've ever watched a live stream for such a long time."

Li Zhi blinked, her fingertips twirling the tassels of her scarf as she drew out her words.

"I didn't expect Du Jianuo to be so capable."

"I didn't realize it before, but when I went to her live stream, I realized that she's actually a big internet celebrity."

"You wouldn't guess it in a coffee shop; they're very approachable when chatting."

"The sheer number of comments from tens of thousands of online viewers, and the sheer number of gifts... it all shocked me."

"."

Zhou Mingyuan held the steering wheel with one hand, turned his head, and studied the short-haired girl's micro-expressions.

"Internet celebrities just have more fans; they're no different in real life."

"Besides, Nono is indeed very talented."

The man paused for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"She prepared for this live broadcast for a long time, practicing lines and actions with the staff every day. She was almost obsessed with it."

He imitated Du Jianuo's practice, making Li Zhi giggle.

"The effect is really good!"

"Anyway, as a girl, I can accept it."

"Especially the part explaining fabric technology, it was very professional and not boring."

The short-haired girl stretched and said.

"So, as a viewer, did you support them?"

"I support it."

Li Zhi rested her chin on her hand and readily admitted, "Weiwei and I both placed orders."

"Wow, it has to be one of our own."

"You all contributed to those 5400 orders!"

Zhou Mingyuan couldn't help but chuckle and reached out to pat Li Zhi on the shoulder: "On behalf of the brand, thank you two sisters."

"Cut~"

Li Zhi rolled her eyes at the man: "No sincerity."

"What's there to thank for 2/5400?"

"I don't know much about the clothing industry, so I have no concept of this number. Does this mean they've made a killing?"

The short-haired girl pressed for an answer.

"Let's just say it."

When talking about the backend data, Zhou Mingyuan couldn't hide his excitement.

"Single live stream sales exceeding one million is definitely a milestone event at this stage."

"Not to mention the brand and Douyu, even we ourselves were shocked."

"Breaking one million in a single game?"

Li Zhi opened her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open.

She wasn't some naive girl who had never seen the world, but she was still shocked by the number for quite a while.

Oh shit!

It turns out that opening a coffee shop is really just a small-scale operation.

One of my female livestreamers achieved sales exceeding one million yuan in a single livestream session!

What is this concept?
Find money!
Who would open a coffee shop now?

Are we playing house?

"But don't overthink it. This is just the sales figures."

Zhou Mingyuan noticed the girl's blank expression and waved his hand to explain.

“The brand has a gross profit margin, and what we get is only a little over 100,000 yuan.”

"Why do you talk like that? It's so irritating!"

Li Zhi took a deep breath, her beautiful eyes darting around, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

A little over 100,000, is that such an insignificant number? Why can Zhou Mingyuan put on such a nonchalant expression?
That's such a pretentious act!

But men have plenty of capital to show off, which makes people both angry and envious.

"However, the most important thing is that we've opened up the market, and more brands will be willing to cooperate with us in the future."

Zhou Mingyuan continued with a smile.

"Entrepreneur, big star, Mr. Zhou, how should I address you?"

Li Zhi pursed her lips and gently interlaced her fingers on her knees.

"Just call me Xiao Zhou."

Zhou Mingyuan touched the back of his neck somewhat embarrassedly.

Stop being so arrogant!

Li Zhi brushed a stray hair behind her ear and seamlessly changed the subject: "You never go to class, how will you do in the final exams?"

"Criminal law, civil law, jurisprudence, constitutional law—if you study them all together, what will you do if you fail!"

"Nanhu University's promising young entrepreneurs are failing their coursework; how embarrassing!"

"This one"

As for his studies, Zhou Mingyuan wasn't worried at all.

As a top-tier lawyer from a prestigious law firm, if he were reborn and couldn't even pass a freshman's final exam, it would be incredibly embarrassing.

"Oh no, I might really fail my course, what should I do?"

A master is someone who can find an opening at any time, in any window, and at any opportunity.

Such as now.

Zhou Mingyuan seized the opportunity and, with a sudden inspiration, asked, "Excuse me, could you tutor me, sir?"

"Make up a lesson?"

Li Zhi had only casually reminded him, without having thought about these things at all.

In fact, she had to go to the law firm during the day and prepare for her thesis proposal at night, so she could only find spare time to review those thick books for her professional courses, and she was getting dark circles under her eyes.

I was just venting to Zhou Mingyuan, who is also a law student.

But when he said that, Li Zhi also became interested.

"You're really shameless. Why would I tutor you?"

The short-haired girl then realized what was happening, angrily punched his arm, and pouted.

“You know so much more professional knowledge than me. At most, you might not be familiar with some exam topics. We could study together at the library.”

The girl fiddled with the seatbelt, her tone half-serious, but her eyes secretly observing Zhou Mingyuan's reaction.

"Does your library require a card? Is it inappropriate for me to go?"

"."

Before Li Zhi could react, Zhou Mingyuan began answering his own question.

"I don't think it's necessary to go to the library. A quieter, more private place would be fine too."

"Um, how about we go to Shanshui Huating?"

Such an atmosphere does indeed have a certain magic.

Li Zhi subconsciously picked up the conversation: "The study at home is quite big, and the desk can fit two people studying."

"OK! I'll ask you again later."

Zhou Mingyuan smiled and made the final decision.

"Okay, that works too."

The car suddenly fell silent.

Only the song "Love Story" plays on repeat, flowing gently.

Li Zhi unconsciously twirled her scarf with her fingers and turned her head to look out the window.

The condensation on the car window slowly slid down, leaving winding trails.

"By the way, how's the car repair going?"

The silence didn't last long, and Zhou Mingyuan asked casually.

"It will take another week or so."

Li Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, took over the conversation, and spoke in a much more relaxed tone.

"What part do I need to replace again? It's a bit of a hassle."

"Tsk tsk tsk, a novice female driver."

"Shut up!"

Li Zhi crossed her arms and pouted, "However, without comparison, there is no harm."

"Driving is so boring, it's much better to have someone pick me up and drop me off every day."

The rhythmic and melodious Cantonese accent echoed in the small car interior.

The usually aloof short-haired girl revealed a rare glimpse of a different kind of charm, her voice making one's heart flutter.

"Then you should take the ornament down. Remember to buy the highest insurance coverage later."

Zhou Mingyuan quietly slowed down the car to make the ride smoother, chuckling and joking around.

"Crazy thread."

Torn between conflicting emotions, Li Zhi couldn't help but clench her fingers and turn away from him.

"But you've been going to the law firm a lot lately."

The man cleared his throat and steered the conversation to another topic.

"Didn't Attorney Zhuo say you weren't needed to handle the cases anymore?"

"But I can't just sit idle!"

At this point, Li Zhi couldn't help but pout and raise her chin as she spoke.

"I'm currently helping with your company's front-end consulting."

"You? You take on front-end consulting?"

Zhou Mingyuan almost burst out laughing.

The so-called front-end consultation is not complicated; it is simply the entry point for Mingli Legal Consulting Company's traffic-driven strategy.

"If sales can handle it, why can't I!"

"That's true. I was just remarking that this would surely expose you to many interesting things?"

The man gave a knowing look.

"It's much more meaningful than a law firm!"

Li Zhi smiled gently, her eyes no longer cold and aloof, like a night-blooming orchid in full bloom.

She adjusted her posture and began to speak.

"Do you know what kind of consultations I've been receiving lately?"

"After a college couple broke up, the man demanded that the woman return all the gifts she had given him during their relationship, and even insisted on splitting the cost of milk tea and movie tickets equally."

"The woman felt it was unreasonable, and then she came to Mingli for advice."

"."

Zhou Lu, naturally unsurprised, casually asked, "And then?"

"A lot of money?"

"It's not about the money!"

Li Zhi gestured with her fingers to indicate the numbers: "It's probably around three or four thousand in total."

"But the key point is that the man actually kept all his spending records for the past year, including the plush toys he won from playing shooting games at the amusement park."

"."

Zhou Mingyuan remained silent.

"In the end, I helped them resolve the issue through mediation."

"The woman returned some valuable gifts, but we'll let go of the everyday expenses."

"A relationship where you have to be so calculating about everything is so boring."

Li Zhi spread her hands and continued speaking.

"There's something even more interesting!"

She then shared another case, her tone becoming more lively.

"A young couple had a fight and broke up, then fought over custody of their cat that they had been raising together."

"Both sides claimed that they had given more to the cat and even had a veterinarian testify."

"what?"

Zhou Mingyuan smiled and pressed on with the question.

"So how did you help handle it? The top lawyer?"

"I have decided to mediate again!"

Li Zhi smiled broadly, much like a general who had just won a victory.

“I advised them that there was no need to go to court. After all, the child is innocent. Why not just raise the child together?”

The short-haired girl had curved eyebrows and eyes, and her long, slender fingers were slightly upturned, mimicking a cat's little paws.

"We have a detailed visitation schedule, and even the locations for the cats' birthdays and holidays are regulated."

"This cat is probably the busiest Ragdoll cat in the whole of Jiangcheng right now."

"That's not the point, is it?"

Zhou Mingyuan interjected at the opportune moment: "The key point is that with your help, the cat's parents can easily reconcile."

"Other lawyers settle disputes, but you're acting as a matchmaker?"

"You understand, yet you don't."

Li Zhi pursed her lips into a thin line and spoke with a smile.

As the saying goes, it's better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage.

(End of this chapter)