The Scheming Ex-Husband's Courtship-Chapter 592 - 516 Miss Jian

Chapter 592: Chapter 516 Miss Jian
Nan Zhan’s gaze slightly fell, and he noticed a small business card beneath the car wheel. He bent down to pick it up, pinching one corner, and under the sunlight, the card was nearly transparent, made of a very cheap type of paper.
The words on the card were simple: Jian Si, portrait sketches, followed by a string of phone numbers.
He looked at the plain business card for a while, then casually tossed it into the car’s storage compartment.
Jian Si, carrying a drawing board, climbed up to the sixth floor in one breath. The area she lived in had no elevator, but she was used to going up and down six floors. Today, because she walked too quickly, she was still somewhat out of breath when she took out her keys.
As soon as she entered the door, it was as if she shed some gloomy spirit, exhaling heavily. She grabbed a cup and drank a large glass of water before she could barely suppress the panic in her heart.
How could it be him? Aus City is so big, yet she happened to run into such a precious person in this rundown place; such luck was just too bad.
"He probably didn’t recognize me, did he?" Jian Si touched her chest and muttered to herself.
"Who are you talking about?" A crisp child’s voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Jian Si hastily turned around: "Zhengzheng, you’re back?"
"Yeah, just got back not long ago. Why are you so early today?" Zhengzheng took his cartoon cup and skillfully reached for the hot water kettle.
Jian Si quickly took over and poured half a cup of water for him, reminding him, "It’s quite hot, let it cool before you drink."
"How many paintings did you do today?" Zhengzheng, holding the water cup, climbed onto a chair. He was six years old and would soon be attending first grade at elementary school. Jian Si had already contacted a nearby school, and the grandson of Auntie Lu across the door was his age; the two of them were currently attending kindergarten together and would also go to elementary school together in the future. Now, Zhengzheng’s trips to and from the kindergarten were handled by Auntie Lu.
"I painted three pieces today." Jian Si happily extended three fingers, "Didn’t we say we would go to KFC last time? I’ll take you tonight."
Zhengzheng looked at her slightly worn t-shirt and the pair of jeans that were nearly rubbed through, shaking his head: "I don’t want to, it’s not as tasty as the pork sandwiches you make."
Jian Si knew he was reluctant to spend money. Although he was young, he understood that their life wasn’t affluent; they couldn’t afford a variety of snacks every day or have varied meals like some children in his class. He liked seafood very much, but seafood was more expensive than meat.
"Sister wants to eat." Jian Si squatted in front of him, her nose feeling a bit sour, "Will you accompany sister for a meal?"
Jian Si ordered a children’s meal, while she only got the cheapest hamburger for herself.
The meal came with a Rubik’s cube toy, which Zhengzheng found very interesting. After eating, he kept it in hand, continuously twisting and changing its positions.
Jian Si didn’t have a clue about Rubik’s cubes, but Zhengzheng was a genius; no matter how scrambled the cube was, once it was in his hands, he would solve it within a minute.
Just as the two were about to leave after eating, they saw Nan Yu rush in from the outside. He had just exchanged WeChat messages with Jian Si and knew she was here eating KFC, so he sped over.
"Brother Yu." Zhengzheng eagerly waved at him.
"Hey, Handsome Zhengzheng." Nan Yu patted his thin shoulders, "Haven’t seen you for a few days, and you’ve grown taller."
"Brother Yu, I’m sitting down, how can you tell?" Zhengzheng pursed his lips.
"Your pants, they’ve gotten shorter." Nan Yu sat down next to Jian Si, tossing her a paper bag, "I bought these new pants on my way back from a mission this afternoon from a roadside mall, they were on sale, just the right size for Zhengzheng."
"Nan Yu, Zhengzheng already has a lot of clothes; you don’t need to buy more for him." Jian Si looked at him seriously, "Your salary isn’t high either; don’t spend it recklessly. You’ll need money for getting married and buying a house."
"I’m still young; don’t worry about me. I might earn a little now, but there will come a day I earn more. Just take it when I give it to you, no need for so much fuss." Nan Yu stopped listening to her lecturing, patted his stomach, "I’m starving. I’ll go order something. Have you both eaten?"
"Yep, just finished."
When Nan Yu came back, he carried a portion for himself and also brought a takeout bag for Zhengzheng, "Little handsome guy, take this home for supper."
Zhengzheng looked at Jian Si, and she said helplessly, "Take it."
Only then did he joyfully accept it, calling out crisply, "Thank you, Brother Yu."
After the meal, Nan Yu drove them, the brother and sister, back to their community. "Oh, right, I’ve organized all the information about that car arson case for you. When do you have time? I’ll take you to meet a witness."
"I have an interview at the tutoring class tomorrow morning; how about the afternoon?"
"Alright, I’ll give you a call in the afternoon."
"Is that really okay? If your superiors find out, could you get fired? Your discipline seems so strict." Jian Si still felt worried.
"Don’t worry, I’m too excellent for them to fire me. The most they’d do is scold me, but if you can sketch out the suspect, they’ll surely praise me. I might even get a bonus." Nan Yu opened the car door and stuffed the take-out KFC and clothes into her hands, "Go on up, my brother needs me for something, I have to head over."
As Nan Yu’s car drove off, Zhengzheng, who stood by her side, raised his little eyebrows: "Sister, does Brother Yu like you?"
"Little kid, what do you know about liking someone." Jian Si feigned anger as she ruffled his little head, "Let’s go home."
"Can I eat the chicken wings in there later?"
"Didn’t you just have dinner?"
"But I’m hungry again...."
Jian Si’s interview was a success. The person in charge of the tutorial class was very pleased with her – pleased with her level of drawing skill and her delicate appearance, characteristics that often indicated patience and affection.
"Little Jian, did you study art in university?" the person in charge asked enthusiastically.
Jian Si dropped her gaze. She wasn’t one to lie, yet telling the truth still felt somewhat embarrassing: "I’m sorry, I never attended university."
Jian Si didn’t attend university not because her grades weren’t good enough—quite the opposite, she was one of the top three students in her grade in high school, a special student closely cultivated by her teachers. Yet a certain incident that occurred later on severed her hopes of a university education entirely. It was a nightmare, and though she thought years had dulled the memories, the resurgence of those recollections yesterday stirred a storm within her, making her realize that the past had merely been buried beneath the sand, ready to be exposed at the slightest breeze.
Last night, in fact, she couldn’t sleep at all.
The person in charge also felt a bit awkward, but still kindly reassured her: "It doesn’t matter, we don’t require a formal education. As long as you have a good foundation in drawing and are patient, other things are secondary."
After agreeing on the class schedule with the person in charge, Jian Si received a call from Nan Yu.
"Sisi, something urgent came up on my end so I can’t make it over. I’ve asked my brother to take you to meet that witness; he just happens to have a day off today. Wait for him at the entrance of the housing complex, his license plate number is XXX." Just as Nan Yu was about to hang up, he added with a chuckle, "My brother’s not as easy-going as me and often has a stern face that scares people, but you don’t need to be afraid of him. If he dares to bully you, just mention my name."
Jian Si had often heard Nan Yu mention his brother, apparently a prominent lawyer in Aus City and renowned nationwide. He doesn’t take on many cases each year because he’s choosy, only taking on ones that interest him—certainly a luxury of those with the capital to be selective!
Jian Si soon met this capricious famous lawyer, which wasn’t technically their first encounter, given they had just met the night before.
Her first instinct was to step back and flee, and coincidentally bumped into a pole behind her. The sudden pain brought her quickly back to her senses. The man in the driver’s seat was looking at her with narrow, long eyes, an expression cold and indifferent, oozing a detachment that seemed to keep others at a great distance.
It was probably because of his somewhat detached and indifferent gaze that Jian Si found some peace in her heart. He probably didn’t remember her, right?
After all, so many years had passed, and on that day...it was night.
In the end, Jian Si still got into the car. The luxury of the vehicle made her somewhat uncomfortable; her slight figure made the spacious backseat seem even more expansive.
Out of respect for Nan Yu, Jian Si still nodded to him, but getting no response, she tactfully turned her head to look out the window, her calm exterior belying inner turbulence.
The sole reason she agreed to get into the car was not to waste the opportunity Nan Yu had painstakingly secured for her, and besides, she needed a stable job and income to support her family expenses. She could live in poverty herself, but she couldn’t let Zhengzheng suffer along with her. He was growing up, eating more and more, she knew he liked seafood, yet he never asked for it—only eating more than usual whenever she made dishes with fish or shrimp.
Sometimes, she hated her own helplessness. If only she could be stronger, Zhengzheng wouldn’t have to live such a hand-to-mouth existence.
Jian Si remained silent throughout the ride, her presence nearly invisible. Nan Zhan glanced at her through the rearview mirror; she leaned against the car door, her face turned towards the window, maintaining this posture the entire way.
She didn’t seem to live well; her jeans were washed to the point of fading, and the white sneakers on her feet had fuzzy threads where the edges frayed, worn from countless scrubbings, the logo long rubbed off to just a few incomplete letters.
Yet despite this, she didn’t any give off any atmosphere of poverty; on the contrary, even in unremarkable attire, she still exuded a sense of neatness and comfort.
The car turned into a residential complex. Jian Si saw a parking spot surrounded by yellow police tape, where charred vehicles had been cleared out, leaving only black scorch marks on the ground.
Is this the scene of the arson?
"Get out." Nan Zhan casually stopped the car, turned to look at her, his eyes showing a trace of disdain: "Ms. Jian."
Jian Si was suddenly shocked, her body tensing in panic—how did he know her name?