[Outwardly abstinent, restrained, and stoic older lawyer x perceptive, resilient younger man who grows into himself]
The day Xue An was falsely accused of bumping into someone at a milk tea shop, he casually looked up a lawyer. Qin Tai, partner at Junzheng, with a 100 percent win rate. Once he put on his gold-rimmed glasses, nobody dared raise their voice at him. Yet he was absurdly good to Xue An: taking his case for free, tutoring him in mock trial, and bringing him a cup of warm milk every Wednesday without fail. Xue An thought he’d struck it lucky. Only later did he discover that Qin Tai had been watching him for three years. He’d kept photos from military training for three years, memorized Xue An’s class schedule even better than he had, and hand-written notes on every competition video. He’d even jotted down which cafeteria stall served Xue An’s favorite sweet-and-sour pork. When Xue An found a folder marked “XA” in a desk drawer, he realized Qin Tai had been secretly paving the way for him at every step. “Do you really like me, or am I just another case to you?” Qin Tai was silent for a long time. “You’re the only person I’ve ever had no idea how to win over, from beginning to end.”
Theme: Love can bridge age differences and prejudice, and sincerity will eventually be answered.
