Chapter 12 – Hot Encounter

In the room, shrouded in darkness by blackout curtains, a faint screen light suddenly illuminated.

Bian Ji struggled to pick up his phone, opened the new message notification, and glanced at it through half-closed eyes.

Qiao Yuan asked: [Still adjusting to the time difference?] With sluggish fingers, Bian Ji replied: [Slept all afternoon, almost there.] Qiao Yuan: [Willing to step out?] Bian Ji responded with a [?].

Qiao Yuan said: [I just signed the retainer agreement, wanted to have a meal with Attorney Yan, do you want to join us?] Bian Ji immediately sat up, but after calming down, he still declined: [No thanks.] What was the point of getting involved with someone who seemed to have a family?

But Qiao Yuan was persistent: [I’m not close with him. You’re the one who introduced us, could you help out?] Bian: [I’m not close with him either.] Qiao: [Nonsense, you’re close with everyone! Come on, it’s an emergency!!] Bian: [……] This wasn’t entirely wrong; Bian Ji was known for his warmth, generosity, wit, and humor, able to handle social situations with ease and grace.

Bian Ji had no choice but to get up: [Then you guys go ahead, I’ll freshen up.] Qiao Yuan said: [Thanks, thanks.] The black Lincoln sped down the road. Yan Ankuo glanced at the map and noticed severe congestion before the Nanpu Bridge, asking Qiao Yuan, “Is he driving?”

It took Qiao Yuan a moment to realize that “he” referred to Bian Ji: “Haven’t asked, but probably.”

Yan Ankuo pointed at the congested section, advising, “Tell him not to take the bridge, the traffic is terrible.”

Qiao Yuan snapped a photo of the map, just about to type a message, when Yan Ankuo glanced over and emphasized, “Say it’s from me.”

Though Qiao Yuan didn’t understand why he had to relay the message, he nodded and helped convey it word-for-word to Bian Ji: [Attorney Yan wants you to avoid that route, drive carefully, watch out on the road.]

Bian Ji lived near the outskirts, and if he were to drive onto the elevated highway, he’d be stuck in traffic for an hour. He opted for the subway instead.

Yan Ankuo chose a kaiseki restaurant, conveniently located next to the subway station. Upon arrival, Bian Ji asked for the private room number and circled the hall once before finding it.

“Sorry I’m late,” Bian Ji apologized, having made them wait each time they dined together. “Let me take a penalty shot!”

He acted quickly, neither of the people at the table managed to stop him, and a cup of sake was already down his throat. Fortunately, Bian Ji could hold his liquor; the alcohol level in Japanese restaurants wasn’t too high, so it was nothing to him.

Bian Ji naturally moved to sit beside Qiao Yuan, but just as he was about to do so, Yan Ankuo suddenly lifted his glass and said, “I invited late, I should take the penalty.”

Before the gathering even began, a cup of alcohol was nearly empty. Bian Ji went to the door to ask the server to bring more.

The only person at the table who didn’t touch their drink felt a bit isolated, jokingly saying, “Why are you two drinking straight away? Makes me seem like an outsider.”

Bian Ji hadn’t had a chance to sit down yet, hanging his coat on the rack, removing his scarf and hat, and walking towards Qiao Yuan at the table. “You can pass.”

Qiao Yuan pointed to the seat opposite him, smiling and saying, “Sit across from me, you two boozehounds should sit together.”

Bian Ji paused where he stood, originally intending to maintain some distance from Yan Ankuo. But since Qiao Yuan had already assigned him a seat, changing his mind would make him seem suspicious. So, he walked to sit beside Yan Ankuo, facing Qiao Yuan.

“How did things go today, gentlemen?” Bian Ji sat cross-legged on the zabuton, keeping a five-centimeter gap from the person beside him, but his tone was warm.

Yan Ankuo casually laid out a cushion for him, responding, “Thank the introducer for the connection, we just signed the retainer agreement.”

“As long as everything went well,” the introducer turned to Qiao Yuan, asking, “How about Brother Yuan, how’s everything?”

Qiao Yuan spared no praise for Yan Ankuo: “Thanks to Attorney Yan, he helped uncover many favorable details. We plan to sort out our thoughts over the next few days and then file the lawsuit.”

The party involved didn’t feign modesty, accepting the client’s compliments with equanimity. Bian Ji nodded, asking if they wanted to start ordering.

Qiao Yuan had known Bian Ji longer than Yan Ankuo, so he didn’t bother with formalities, entrusting the decision to him: “You know my dietary preferences, just order whatever.”

Bian Ji hummed in acknowledgment, selecting the few cooked dishes available, and repeatedly emphasized to the server that the marinade should be light.

Qiao Yuan was Cantonese, years of flying around the country hadn’t changed his taste, only making him more discerning about food ingredients. Although Bian Ji didn’t frequently dine with Qiao Yuan, he remembered his preferences after just a few encounters.

Bian Ji was skilled at reading people, not just due to his profession, but also because thoughtfulness and perceptiveness seemed to be ingrained in his genes. This made Yan Ankuo, who was treated equally, feel a little miffed.

After ordering for himself and Qiao Yuan, Bian Ji, unsure of Yan Ankuo’s preferences, passed the menu to the person beside him. “Attorney Yan, I won’t presume to order for you, you can choose what you like?”

“My dietary preferences, you know them too.” Yan Ankuo pushed the menu back, looking at him. “You order, it’s fine.”

Bian Ji wore an expression of “when did I ever know,” but seeing Yan Ankuo’s insistence, he reluctantly looked back at the menu: “So, wasabi fugu sashimi, sweetfish soup, smoked cherry trout, is that okay?”

Yan Ankuo started scrolling through his WeChat messages, seemingly indifferent to the dishes, “Sure.”

“Sashimi with orange vinegar jelly?” Bian Ji asked again.

Yan Ankuo didn’t look up, “Sure.”

This attitude made it hard for Bian Ji to gauge whether he liked or disliked the choices. Bian Ji closed the menu, tentatively suggesting, “I haven’t tried this place’s desserts, do you have any recommendations?”

There was no answer like mango cake to copy, so Bian Ji couldn’t guess. Yan Ankuo briefly glanced over and casually suggested, “White mochi balls.”

Bian Ji noted this, signaling for the server to approach. Once the dishes were arranged, he rinsed the new tea with water, intending to hand it to the only person not drinking alcohol.

At this point, Yan Ankuo looked up, pressing down the teapot to stop Bian Ji.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ll do it.”

Yan Ankuo skillfully took over the tea set, prepared it, and handed it to Qiao Yuan.

Naturally, Qiao Yuan was polite, insisting he could do it himself.

Yan Ankuo’s expression soured: “The customer is king. It’s proper.”

Bian Ji thought, your expression and tone don’t seem like you’re talking to a king.

As they chatted and waited for the dishes, Qiao Yuan’s phone rang. Even from across the table, Bian Ji could hear Nie Hang’s voice coming from the speaker.

“Brother Yuan, where are you?” The sound of planes roaring in the background forced Nie Hang to shout. “I’m not flying today, want to celebrate my birthday with me tonight?”

Qiao Yuan knew it was Nie Hang’s birthday, but he assumed Nie Hang had a flight, so he only sent a gift to his house without planning a gathering. Hearing that he was in Shanghai, Qiao Yuan was surprised: “Didn’t you have a flight to Japan today?”

“A rainstorm, the flight got canceled.” Nie Hang was briskly walking down the jet bridge.

Qiao Yuan showed a troubled expression. Seeing that he wasn’t speaking, Nie Hang asked, “What’s up, you can’t come out?”

“It’s not that, I’m actually out right now,” Qiao Yuan sought consent with his eyes from the two people opposite him. “I’m with Xiao Bian and Attorney Yan.”

“Bian and who else?” It took Nie Hang a while to remember, then he excitedly exclaimed, “Oh, I remember, he’s that hot encounter, right?!”

Qiao Yuan quickly lowered the volume, nervously glancing across the table.

Bian Ji nearly choked on the water, coughing violently. Yan Ankuo, meanwhile, nonchalantly looked at the menu and casually handed a tissue to the person beside him.

Something else was said from the other end, Qiao Yuan covered the speaker, whispering, “Um…hold on.”

He placed his phone on the table, asking, “Attorney Yan, I have a friend whose birthday is today, do you mind if we add one more?”

“Captain Nie?” Yan Ankuo looked up from the menu. “Of course not.”

On board AD801, Yan Ankuo had heard Nie Hang’s apology announcement, so his voice left a deep impression.

— However, since he could recognize Nie Hang’s voice, it meant he had heard everything, including the phrase “hot encounter.”

No man was willing to be teased like that, especially a straight man who might have a partner.

Thinking about this, Bian Ji felt even less inclined to face anyone, burying his head low.

Deciding to escape the awkward scene, Qiao Yuan stood up, stepping outside to tell Nie Hang, “They agreed, come on over.”

Nie Hang was quick to agree: “Send me the location, I’m on my way.”

“Okay.” Qiao Yuan moved further away, and it was hard to hear their conversation from inside the room.

The dry ice under the sashimi platter spread, making it difficult to see each other’s faces even when sitting close.

Without waiting for Yan Ankuo to speak, Bian Ji preempted him: “Don’t say anything.”

Yan Ankuo was taken aback: “What’s wrong?”

“Let me find a hole to crawl into.” Bian Ji was serious.

Embarrassed, wanting to vanish. After searching for a while, Bian Ji could count the patterns on the tiles.

Yan Ankuo actually waited until he looked up before speaking: “Found one?”

“Not yet.” Bian Ji said dejectedly, “This place is too newly renovated.”

Yan Ankuo chuckled softly, finally pulling him up from the table, “Then let’s look at the menu together.”

Bian Ji couldn’t read Yan Ankuo. Being playfully referred to as a “hot encounter” by another man should have made him angry, but Yan Ankuo seemed completely unfazed by the whole thing, acting as if nothing had happened.

Regardless, since the person involved didn’t care, Bian Ji didn’t need to dwell on it anymore. He decided to pretend it never happened and prayed that Nie Hang wouldn’t say anything inappropriate when he arrived. He was dragged to Yan Ankuo to look at the dishes, eventually adding two grilled items based on Nie Hang’s preferences.

After ordering, Yan Ankuo said he needed to go out for a moment. Bian Ji acknowledged, still not quite over the awkwardness.

Soon, Qiao Yuan finished his call and returned. Bian Ji asked, “When will Brother Nie arrive?”

“Twenty minutes.” Qiao Yuan looked around, “Where’s Attorney Yan?”

Bian Ji said, “Went out for a bit.”

Twenty minutes later, Yan Ankuo and Nie Hang entered the door one after the other. The former had just sat down with a cake and gift box in hand when the latter called out for Qiao Yuan from outside the room.

Qiao Yuan hurried out to greet him, while Bian Ji looked at the things in Yan Ankuo’s hands, half-jokingly saying, “Why did Attorney Yan sneak out to buy gifts? Makes me and Qiao Yuan seem so inconsiderate.”

Yan Ankuo, of course, knew this was a joke. Qiao Yuan and Bian Ji had been friends with Nie Hang for years, there was no need for such formalities. However, since it was their first meeting, it wouldn’t be right to show up empty-handed for his birthday.

Yan Ankuo handled every detail perfectly: “We bought this together.”

As if on cue, Nie Hang pushed open the door and, upon seeing Yan Ankuo, warmly extended his hand to shake.

“Hello, my name is Nie Hang.” The pilot introduced himself.

Bian Ji gave Nie Hang a meaningful look, warning him not to say anything inappropriate in front of Yan Ankuo. Given the pilot’s excellent eyesight, he naturally saw the signal and winked at Bian Ji, indicating that he understood.

Nie Hang held out his hand, smiling, “Attorney Yan should remember me, from that AD801 flight, Bian Ji and I were on duty together.”

“I remember very clearly, unfortunately, I never had the chance to thank you in person,” Yan Ankuo politely finished, introducing himself succinctly, “Hello, I’m Captain Qiao’s legal representative.”

He only mentioned his relationship with one person in the room, and Nie Hang nodded towards Bian Ji, as if asking about the other person.

Just as Bian Ji was about to step forward and explain that he was the “introducer,” he was preempted by Yan Ankuo.

“Hmm…” Yan Ankuo chuckled softly, looking at Bian Ji, “Mr. Bian’s hot encounter.”