The CEO is domineering, the devil Boss is addicted to pampering

The high-end nursing homes in the suburbs are nestled in the folds of green hills, with asphalt roads winding through groves of camphor trees, isolating them from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

The osmanthus trees in the courtyard were covered with golden scatterings, and a sweet fragrance floated in the air. The rattan chairs under the eaves were empty, and sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, weaving a fine net that fell on the smooth stone slabs. It should have been a scene of peaceful tranquility, but the moment the door to Old Master Wang and Old Madam Wang's room was pushed open, all the serenity was dispelled by a heavy atmosphere of decay.

The heavy curtains in the room were drawn, leaving only a sliver of light through a crack, illuminating the dust floating in the air. Old Master Wang was huddled in a wicker chair by the window, his back hunched like a withered tree trunk, his gray hair plastered messily to his scalp, his eyes cloudy and unfocused, muttering a few incoherent words over and over, sometimes lucid and sometimes confused.

Madam Wang lay on the bed, covered with a thick quilt. Her face was as sallow as aged Xuan paper, and her breathing was weak and rapid. When she heard the door open, she could only blink with difficulty, and she didn't even have the strength to turn her neck.

Lin Junze's heart sank. The box of pastries he was carrying slammed heavily against the doorframe with a dull thud. He tiptoed into the room, trying to pull the curtains open a little to let in the sunlight, but was startled by Old Master Wang's sudden roar: "Don't touch it! Don't let them see me!" The old man abruptly raised his head, a flicker of terror in his cloudy eyes, his hands flailing wildly as if resisting something terrifying. "They'll hit me, they'll kick us out..."

"Grandpa, it's me, Lin Junze." Lin Junze lowered his voice, slowly taking a step back, his tone full of reassurance. He looked at the old man's face, contorted with fear, and at the bulging veins on the back of his withered hands, and felt a dull ache in his heart.

He knew the difficulties of being a legal aid lawyer. Among Wang Yuran's clients were mostly desperate people from the lower classes, as well as some unscrupulous and desperate individuals. They were either driven to the brink by life or inherently harbored resentment. The unique nature of the legal aid lawyer's profession made it difficult for them to gain complete trust.

Some clients may doubt Wang Yuran's abilities, feeling that a young woman like her is incapable of helping them out of their predicament. At best, they may question her verbally; at worst, they may verbally abuse her.

Even worse, some people, after losing their cases, vented all their resentment on her, believing that she hadn't done her job well. But the most despicable were those who, unable to find a scapegoat in Wang Yuran, turned their anger on her elderly parents—Grandpa Wang and Grandma Wang—who became the most innocent victims in her career.

"They...they smashed our windows..." Old Master Wang's emotions gradually calmed down, but his eyes became unfocused again, and he muttered to himself, "Glass shards were scattered all over the floor, scaring the old woman to death...They even splashed dog blood on the door and wrote swear words..." The old man's voice was choked with sobs, and his body trembled slightly, "We dare not go out, dare not turn on the lights, we hide in the house all day long...That child, Yu Ran, comes to watch over us every night, her eyes are bloodshot from staying up all night..."

Upon hearing the name "Yu Ran," a glimmer of light appeared in Old Madam Wang's cloudy eyes. She struggled to raise her hand, as if trying to grasp something, and mumbled intermittently, "Yu Ran... bitter... my Yu Ran..." Before she could finish speaking, she began to cough violently, her chest heaving as if she were coughing up her lungs.

Lin Junze quickly stepped forward and gently patted Madam Wang's back to help her catch her breath. Looking at the old woman's sallow face and her neck reddened from coughing, and listening to Grandpa Wang's intermittent murmurs, those dark times that Wang Yuran had deliberately buried gradually became clear in his mind.

He could imagine how Wang Yuran dealt with difficult clients and complicated lawsuits while also worrying about her parents' safety, shuttling between the court, clients' homes, and her parents' residences every day, working non-stop.

He could better imagine the despair and anger Wang Yuran felt when her parents were retaliated against, their doors and windows were smashed, and dog blood was splashed on their door.

She was so frail, yet she single-handedly held up the sky, protecting her elderly parents and facing malicious retaliation. Even so, she never thought of asking anyone for help.

She rejected Gu Mingcheng's kindness, and deliberately kept herself out of her life. She was like a weed growing tenaciously in a crack in the rock, enduring the wind and rain alone, never showing her vulnerability to anyone.

“Once… once they…” Old Mrs. Wang finally recovered, her voice weak but clear, “Yu Ran searched everywhere like a madwoman. When she found her, she was beaten and covered in bruises, lying in the alley…” The old woman’s tears slid down her cheeks, soaking her pillowcase. “Yu Ran said she was sorry to us, that she shouldn’t have become a lawyer… but the next day, she still went to court as usual…”

Upon hearing this, Old Master Wang suddenly burst into tears like a child: "We've dragged her down... We're useless... If it weren't for us, she wouldn't be suffering so much..." The old man's cries were hoarse and shrill, echoing in the somber room like a sharp knife piercing Lin Junze's heart.

Looking at the two elderly, haggard people before him, sometimes lucid and sometimes confused, and seeing the psychological trauma they had suffered from their past experiences, he felt a mix of heartache and anger that almost overwhelmed him.

Lin Junze's eyes reddened, his Adam's apple bobbed violently, and he struggled to hold back his tears. He walked to Old Master Wang's side, squatted down, and gently took the old man's withered hand.

The old man's hands were cold and rough, marked with the wrinkles and scars of time. "Grandpa, I'm sorry I'm late." His voice was a little hoarse, and his tone was full of guilt. "No one will hurt you anymore, and Yu Ran will no longer have to bear these things alone."

At this moment, Lin Junze's resolve was stronger than ever before. He had to marry Wang Yuran as soon as possible, give her a stable home, and provide her with sufficient protection. He wanted her to know that she was no longer alone; from now on, he would be her strongest support, shielding her from all storms and protecting her and her family for life.

He stood up, glanced deeply at Old Madam Wang lying on the bed and Old Master Wang curled up in the wicker chair, then turned and walked out of the room. Sunlight streamed through the corridor window, illuminating him, but it couldn't dispel the heaviness in his heart. He took out his phone and dialed Wang Yuran's number, his voice gentle yet firm: "Yuran, where are you? I have something very important to tell you."

A slightly tired voice came from the other end of the phone: "I just finished a court hearing, I'm at the courthouse entrance. What's wrong?"

"I'm at the nursing home. I just visited my grandparents." Lin Junze's voice trembled slightly. "Yu Ran, let's get married."

A brief silence fell on the other end of the phone, broken only by soft breathing. Lin Junze could imagine Wang Yuran's astonishment upon hearing those words. He waited patiently, his heart filled with unwavering resolve. Whether she agreed or not, he would do everything in his power to make her understand his determination and believe that he would protect her for the rest of his life.

The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafted through the corridor on the breeze, carrying a sweet scent, but it could not dispel the heaviness and determination in Lin Junze's heart.