In the cafeteria.
All the students crowded around.
Because Jia Meili was considered a beauty of the law school, especially those eye-catching long legs — many male students worshipped her as their dream goddess, fantasizing countless nights about caressing those limbs in their dreams.
And now, the goddess Jia Meili was facing off against Zhang Wei.
The latter had recently created a big stir, and numerous versions of the incident were circulating throughout the campus.
One version was that Zhang Wei had a secret crush on Jia Meili, and upon learning that the goddess had chosen a tall, rich, and handsome guy, he couldn't accept it and, in disappointment, chose to "Remake" ...
Although this version seemed somewhat far-fetched, and the law school was a place of reason.
But in university, rumors and gossip were abundant.
Some journalism students even fanned the flames behind the scenes, concocting all sorts of stories, some even more outrageous.
Before long, the onlookers took action, surrounding the involved parties completely.
This was truly a case of thunder striking the earth and Halley's comet crashing into Blue Star.
Some had already started recording videos, others had opened chat windows, ready to share the live event with friends.
Still others had begun drafting their social media posts, only a click away from sending.
But Zhang Wei, at the center of the maelstrom, remained calm.
As for the appearance of Jia Meili, Zhang Wei wasn't exactly surprised.
After all, the law school was neither too large nor too small, everyone was a classmate, seeing each other both coming and going.
He figured a day would come when he'd meet Jia Meili, yet he hadn't expected that on his very first day back, he'd run into her in the cafeteria.
Compared to the original owner of the body, Zhang Wei's reaction was much calmer.
"Hello, Jia Meili, classmate Jia," he said.
He nodded to her, then returned to his seat and continued shovelling down a couple more bites of rice.
This scene rendered everyone, including Yuan Dong, completely speechless.
What happened to the promised thunder?
And where was the fire from the earth?
How can you be so calm, weren't you her loyal follower?
The first time you see your goddess, you just greet her from afar, and then nothing?
How are we supposed to share this on social media, how are we supposed to live stream for others?
This...is unacceptable!
Instantly, the crowd became restless, some even starting to cause a commotion.
In the midst of all this, perhaps only Xia Qianyue remained unfazed, for she had spoken with Zhang Wei at the hospital and therefore knew that his attitude towards Jia Meili had changed.
But she was surprised too, at how Zhang Wei could be so nonchalant towards a girl he used to have a crush on.
His gaze was like that towards a stranger — a brief glance, a casual greeting, and then Zhang Wei continued with his meal, as though this girl's importance didn't even compare to the dish in front of him.
Some could accept it, but others could not.
Although Jia Meili also felt somewhat resistant to Zhang Wei's reaction, as the belle of the law school, she still had her pride to uphold.
So she gave her best friend a look, and the latter understood immediately, jumping into the fray.
"Zhang Wei, what do you mean by this? Seeing our Meili, and you're putting on this attitude?"
"Do you know how much pressure our Meili has been under because of your drama, don't you have anything to say for yourself!"
This best friend, hands on hips, took on the manner of a harridan making a scene, seeming somewhat unreasonable.
And Zhang Wei?
He just took a couple more bites of his rice, then picked up his soup bowl and drained it in one gulp, contentedly belching afterwards.
Comfortable~
The dismissive gesture left her best friend feeling as if her punches were landing on cotton, powerless.
"Zhang Wei, you..."
"Student Feng Li, the cafeteria is a place for eating, loud noises are prohibited, that's written in the school rules."
Her best friend wanted to say something more, but Zhang Wei cut her off.
"Moreover, rudely disturbing others while they're eating is also quite unethical behavior. As students of the law school, shouldn't we maintain a basic level of decency?"
As he spoke, he spread his hands, "Unless you don't intend to behave like a human, then we can pretend I didn't say anything."
Once these words were spoken, the whole place was abuzz again.
"Pfft, can't hold it in anymore, I'm gonna laugh!"
Xia Qianyue, in particular, sitting opposite Zhang Wei, had the most exaggerated expression. She couldn't help but cover her mouth and let out a laugh right there.
After that, laughter spread through the surrounding crowd as well.
They all got the joke in those words just now.
At this moment, Feng Li's face turned extremely ugly.
She hadn't expected that Zhang Wei's few words would indirectly scold her for being not human.
The initial preaching was just a setup for the final killer line.
"Good one, Zhang Wei, how dare you insult me, you..."
"What can't I dare? Or do you, Feng Li, think you're inherently superior, that you can step on me and I can't fight back? You're far too vain!"
Before Feng Li could speak, Zhang Wei stepped forward and looked down on her with an extremely disdainful gaze.
That look of disgust and air of contempt completely overwhelmed Feng Li's arrogance.
She even took a small step back, her calves trembling slightly.
"Just as I thought, a dog that relies on the power of its master!" Zhang Wei realized, with a cold sneer on his face.
As for why he treated Feng Li this way, there was a reason for that too.
He remembered when he was fond of Jia Meili, the most hurtful remarks came from this particular best friend of hers.
Feng Li, taking advantage of being Jia Meili's best friend, often gave Zhang Wei the cold shoulder, always comparing him to Yuan Dong and criticizing him relentlessly.
Yuan Dong also enjoyed showing off in front of the ladies. He would embarrass Zhang Wei at every opportunity, including, but not limited to, verbal put-downs, deliberately flaunting his luxury car, the luxurious apartment bought with his parents' money, and the expensive jewelry he often dealt with.
"Zhang Wei!"
Seeing her best friend intimidated by Zhang Wei's presence, Jia Meili knew she had to step in.
She naturally chose to support her best friend, so she walked over to Feng Li's side.
As for Zhang Wei, he was just a lapdog; she had plenty of those at her disposal.
"Zhang Wei, I know you're upset, and I've seen all that you've done, but how should I put it, I've always seen you as a classmate... Zhang Wei, you are a good person, but we're really not suitable for each other."
With these words, she went over to Yuan Dong's side and nestled into his arms on the spot.
"Zhang Wei, you see, Yuan Dong and I are true love. It's impossible for us. You should stop harboring those thoughts. As for Feng Li, she was just looking out for my best interest when she said those things to you. If you want revenge, come at me directly, don't take it out on Feng Li, she's innocent!"
As she spoke, Jia Meili's eyes welled up with tears, making a pitiable expression.
It must be said, the woman's acting skills were not bad.
With her already notable looks and now making such a gesture, along with that pitiable tone, she triggered the protective instincts of the male onlookers, who then began to look at Zhang Wei with disapproval.
"Not a bad move, but the acting could use some improvement!"
And Zhang Wei? He saw through Jia Meili's ploy in a fraction of a second.
Tears are a woman's greatest weapon. This woman put on the guise of a victim and, in just a few words, portrayed Zhang Wei as a petty man who, spurned by love, sought revenge.
"Zhang Wei, I thought you were different, I didn't expect you to be such a person. If you want to take revenge on Xiaoli, you'll have to get through me first. I won't let you bully her no matter what!"
Yuan Dong also immediately added to the drama, righteously denouncing Zhang Wei and holding Jia Meili tightly in his arms.
Compared to Jia Meili, his acting skills needed quite a bit of polishing.
Zhang Wei saw that even though Yuan Dong put on a serious face, his hand wasn't behaving at all, continuously stroking Jia Meili's slender waist, causing her to instinctively resist.
"Exactly, what's so great about bullying us girls, if you have the guts, act like a real man!" Feng Li also came to her senses and chimed in.
At this, everyone began to see Zhang Wei as someone who only picked on the weak and targeted girls.
The girls nearby looked at Zhang Wei with contempt.
"What are you talking about, what's wrong with Zhang Wei, is there a problem with him seeking justice for you!"
Yet just then, the only person in the crowd defending Zhang Wei, Xia Qianyue, suddenly spoke up.
She couldn't hold back her fiery temper upon seeing everyone's disdain for Zhang Wei and, with a "swoosh," stood up.
Xia Qianyue walked to Zhang Wei's side, looked at Jia Meili with fiery emotion, and said, "Because of you, Zhang Wei nearly lost his life, yet you have never cared about him. He has tutored you for two years—do you know how much he prepared for your studies? Did all his efforts over these two years go to the dogs?"
"For you, he not only had to study for himself, but also prepare your study plans, learning objectives, and tutoring directions. Every time your assessment results came out, he would review the questions thrice, then analyze the reasons you answered incorrectly and summarize strategies for similar questions. Even if objective questions required rote memorization, he never failed to recite laws and principles with you and tirelessly explained whenever you had questions. As for subjective questions, he helped you make analogies and repeatedly marked up the textbook until it was almost like a doodle book. His notebooks were originally written in his messy handwriting for his own use, but for your sake, he even took pains to practice his penmanship, just so you wouldn't have trouble reading his writing. Do you think he had it easy?"
As Xia Qianyue spoke, her eyes reddened.
Everyone was startled to learn about Zhang Wei's hardship.
"Was I really such a simp before?"
Even Zhang Wei himself touched his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Even though it was his former self who had been the simp, the fiery stares around him made even his thick skin feel breached.
Jia Meili never expected the usually silly Xia Qianyue to stand up and speak for Zhang Wei.
She could see that Zhang Wei's actions were sycophantic enough, but public opinion seemed to shift in his favor.
She couldn't let the situation turn against her, so she hurriedly tried to save face, "Zhang Wei, I acknowledge all the good things you've done for me, but it's absolutely impossible between us because you..."
"You've admitted it, that's great then!"
But at that moment, Zhang Wei raised his voice and cut Jia Meili off.
Jia Meili was even more taken aback that Zhang Wei, who had always adored her, dared to interrupt her like a brute.
Didn't he always treat her words as gospel? Every time she spoke, he would prick up his ears for fear of missing a single word, but now how could he...
"Jia Meili, you said you've taken all my good deeds to heart, but I feel that's not enough..."
Zhang Wei paused here, noticing everyone looking at him, and then said with a smile, "I think a one-sided effort is not asking for nothing in return. Sometimes a necessary reward is needed."
He smiled slightly at Xia Qianyue beside him, then pointing at Jia Meili, continued, "Just like this time, Xia Qianyue has said a lot, and I feel my efforts deserve serious consideration, not to be dismissed with a careless and irrelevant comment!"
"Zhang Wei, what do you want!?" Jia Meili couldn't hold back and immediately challenged.
"It's simple, we will do it according to our Law School's rules!"
Zhang Wei, seeing everyone's attention on him, raised a finger and announced loudly, "My efforts over these two years are not worthless, and I am here to claim my rightful labor compensation from Jia Meili!"
"It's not about emotional issues, but about the efforts that belong to me, what I rightfully deserve. I am now formally submitting a legal claim to seek reparation from Jia Meili for the tutoring I've provided her over the past two years!"
This time, it wasn't just the entire room that was in an uproar, but a bombshell had been dropped.
No one could have imagined that Zhang Wei would announce a lawsuit against Jia Meili in front of all the students in the cafeteria.
Moreover, the reason for the lawsuit wasn't about emotions or effort, but about the labor compensation for tutoring lessons—an angle that had caught many Law School students off guard.
"You, you're going to sue me?" Jia Meili's eyes widened in shock.
Yuan Dong was just as astonished and quickly responded, "Impossible, Zhang Wei, no one from our year has taken the bar exam yet, let alone obtained a practice certificate, how can you initiate a lawsuit?"
"Even if you want to hire a lawyer, do you have the money?"
Feng Li also aptly added, "Right, you poor sod, you're still in debt, who's going to represent you in court for free!"
Zhang Wei just smiled nonchalantly, "Have you forgotten? I said we'd use the Law School's rules, naturally, it will be handled within the school. You've all participated in the moot courtroom, haven't you?"
"Moot courtroom?"
"Moot courtroom!"
"It's actually, the moot courtroom..."
The onlooking students all understood, Zhang Wei was planning to use his conflict with Jia Meili to call for a moot court debate at the school.
Compared to the traditional mock trials in moot courts, which use classic cases recorded in textbooks, to be honest, many students are tired of these cases, and their plots are all pretty outdated.
This time around, the fact that Zhang Wei is suing Jia Meili, well, that in itself is novel enough and clearly not something that can be compared with those stale cases.
"Jia Meili, I'll be going to see the advisor later and then request the school to initiate a moot court. I am the plaintiff and I will also be representing myself as the lawyer. If you all are scared, you can ask the school to withdraw the lawsuit. However, I'm looking forward to our confrontation in court. If you really are scared, then pretend I never said anything. As law students, I'm sure you have your own pride, right?"
After Zhang Wei finished speaking, he pulled Xia Qianyue, who was still in a daze, and walked straight through the crowd, out of the cafeteria.
In the room, countless students watched the scene unfold, and then the crowd began to disperse.
"Quick, quick, notify the journalism department, Zhang Wei is suing the belle of the department, and a moot court will be convened!"
"Wow, this is really big news; I haven't even finished my meal, but now I'm already full with this drama!"
"Exactly. Zhang Wei might not look like much, but I didn't expect him to pull such a move right after his return. Our friends from the department and chat groups won't lack gossip today!"
"I'm from the journalism department, and I want to write a piece right now, but how should I title it? 'Department belle gets sued,' doesn't it lack impact?"
"What 'department belle gets sued'? You should write it like this: 'Shocking! Poor boy dumped by ex-girlfriend, mocked by her current boyfriend, he actually proposed that sort of thing in front of thousands!'"
"Good, brother, you should come work at our news department tomorrow!"
"Get lost, I'm in the track and field department!"
The students in the cafeteria came quickly and left even quicker.
They couldn't wait to spread the news of what had happened there.
And in the cafeteria, as the main characters, Jia Meili, Yuan Dong, and their friend, Feng Li, were already being ignored.
…
At the Law School, on the third floor of the office building.
Once they were absolutely certain that Zhang Wei wasn't joking, Yuan Dong led Jia Meili and Feng Li to find Professor Zheng.
Professor Zheng was an elderly professor at the Law School, his hair partially gray and thinning, with a portly figure.
When Yuan Dong and the others came looking for him, he was fondling a purple clay teapot, unable to put it down.
"Professor Zheng, that Zhang Wei, he actually dares..."
"Calm down, it's just a moot court, isn't it? The departments hold several a year. You should have an idea about these things by now; it's a great opportunity for you all to learn by observation, and surely the school won't cancel it."
Professor Zheng seemed unfazed; after all, as a law professor, he had encountered countless cases, and in Dongfang Capital, he had his name on various legal institutions and companies as an honorary or a guest professor.
A mock trial is, when it comes down to it, just a practical course—there's nothing bad about it.
"But, this lawsuit is different; Zhang Wei seems..."
"Zhang Wei? Is that the Zhang Wei who broke the teacup set you gave me? He's still in the hospital, isn't he?"
Yuan Dong hadn't expected Professor Zheng to change the topic so abruptly and could only respond instinctively, "Yes, that's him, he's been discharged!"
"Hmm, regarding this person, Zhang Wei, do you understand him? Tell me about him."
Professor Zheng hummed coldly, continuing to play with his purple clay teapot.
Jia Meili and Feng Li exchanged glances, and it was Jia Meili who spoke, "Professor, I didn't expect Zhang Wei to dare sue me. He always seemed so honest before, timid, with a weak character, and a bit of a yes-man. When we would study in the library and it got crowded, he wouldn't even dare to speak..."
"Well then, that's settled. A person with such a personality suddenly participating in a moot court will probably not even be able to speak up in court. Besides, Zhang Wei has never participated in a moot court before; his experience is clearly zero. Are you really afraid of a student who hasn't even had an internship?"
Professor Zheng continued to occupy himself with the object in his hands, his eyelids not even lifting.
Looking at Yuan Dong, Jia Meili, and Feng Li turned their gaze to him. With no other option, Yuan Dong spoke again, "Professor, our main concern is the negative impact this matter could have. After all, it's not just our Law School, but the neighboring Business School, School of International Law, and the faculties of Humanities, Finance, Business, and so forth, they all know about it. If it isn't handled properly..."
"Hmmph, so you want to handle the situation seamlessly and win decisively without giving rise to gossip, right? That's easy to manage!"
Professor Zheng set down the teapot and tapped the table.
"Just in time, your senior Zhang Hui is handling affairs in the school these days. Get her to be your courtroom lawyer, that will do!"
"Zhang Hui? Do you mean the Zhang Hui who, through your recommendation, has joined one of the Top Ten Law Firms, Yongjie Law Firm?"
"Exactly, Zhang Hui has been interning at the firm for a year now, with plenty of experience participating in court hearings. She is definitely not someone a student can match. With her helping you, Zhang Wei stands no chance to win!"
Hearing Professor Zheng's words, confidence surged in the eyes of Yuan Dong and Jia Meili.