House Dad's Literary Life

Chapter 402: An Issue That Cannot Be Ignored

Mo Fei’s matter was still Yang Yi’s top priority. He contacted Ju Jie, but this young master had gone to Australia with his family for the New Year to go diving and was now feasting on lobster. Although he was thrilled to receive Yang Yi’s message and promised to return as soon as possible, the long journey and ticket booking would still take a few days.

While waiting for Ju Jie’s return, Yang Yi first went to meet with Huo Yang, a renowned lawyer recommended by Lan Zhoukai, to discuss the issues concerning Lu Xiaoshu and Miao Chuan.

Huo Yang had his own law firm, with several practicing lawyers as partners. He was indeed a well-known lawyer with a great reputation—many sought him out, making his office constantly bustling with visitors. However, Huo Yang would delegate most standard cases, such as divorce disputes, to his partners, while he personally handled only challenging and intriguing cases—like Yang Yi’s.

“It has to be challenging and interesting!” Huo Yang said to Yang Yi with a smile. “Otherwise, dealing with trivial divorce cases every day would be so boring!”

Huo Yang appeared to be in his late thirties to early forties. Although, from Yang Yi’s observation, he didn’t seem to have obsessive cleanliness, he was very particular about his personal appearance and dressed meticulously.

His thin face looked almost as if it had been smoothed with BB cream. His neatly trimmed mustache—just a fine line above his lips and a small patch on his chin—was not scruffy but rather stylish. His hair was carefully styled with gel, giving it a slightly curled, sharp, and energetic look.

Huo Yang wore a black wool coat, which was undoubtedly expensive, but what stood out most was his frameless glasses, which complemented his eyes and enhanced his overall demeanor.

Of course, someone dressed this sharply would undoubtedly be a major villain in other novels. However, here, he was simply a highly accomplished lawyer with an impressive track record.

“So, what do you think about this case? Can the contract be terminated smoothly?” Yang Yi wasted no time and asked directly.

Perhaps sensing that Yang Yi wasn’t the type for small talk, Huo Yang set aside his usual formal smile, leaving only a slight curve at the corner of his lips. “Right now, I have too little information. All I know is what you’ve told me about the clients’ experiences, which isn’t enough to determine whether the contract can be terminated.”

“However, based on past cases, including other entertainment-related lawsuits handled by fellow lawyers, I can tell you that contracts in the entertainment industry often have issues. Entertainment agencies frequently exploit legal loopholes, taking advantage of new actors and singers who are unfamiliar with the law, setting contractual traps to benefit themselves.”

Yang Yi listened quietly.

“Due to the large-scale development of the entertainment industry, our judicial institutions also place significant importance on it. Two years ago, new laws and regulations were introduced to address various aspects of the entertainment industry. If a contract still contains clauses that are unilaterally advantageous and exploit loopholes, it can be deemed invalid.”

Yang Yi understood and asked, “So, you need to see the contract?”

“Not only that, but I also need to meet with the two clients to get a clear understanding of the situation,” Huo Yang said. “There might also be some evidence collection work that requires their cooperation.”

Yang Yi nodded. “No problem. I’ll let them know and have them reach out to you.”

Their first meeting lasted less than an hour. It was concise and to the point. Once the matter was discussed, Yang Yi left.

There was no helping it—lawyers charged by the hour. While Yang Yi didn’t mind the expense, the fact that he had already spent 3,000 yuan in under an hour—just for a consultation—made him shake his head. And that was only the consultation fee. The legal fees for the lawsuit itself would be an entirely separate cost!

Thinking about this, Yang Yi couldn’t help but shake his head, muttering to himself, “This is really extortionate!”

But expensive or not, as long as Lu Xiaoshu and Miao Chuan’s contract issues could be resolved, Yang Yi didn’t mind spending the money.

……

Yang Huan had already returned, but Yang Yi didn’t have her help out at the coffee shop like last year. Instead, he enrolled her in an intensive prep course to focus on the upcoming art school entrance exams, which were only a few months away.

Meanwhile, Ding Xiang had started learning to drive. Yang Yi had signed her up for a driving school, beginning with theoretical lessons. Lately, she had been intensely studying the test questions for the first exam, as seriously as if she were preparing for college entrance exams.

Fortunately, Ding Xiang was still just studying and hadn’t neglected her duties at the coffee shop. Otherwise, Yang Yi, as the boss, would have had to step in himself.

One day, Lin Muan came over looking embarrassed, holding up his hand, which still had faint bite marks. “Boss, what’s wrong with your cats? They’ve been biting people a lot these past few days! They’re usually so well-behaved!”

Lin Muan liked cats. Whenever Yang Yi brought his three little British Shorthairs downstairs, he would play with them for a while. Even though the cats often ignored him, he remained enthusiastic, chasing after them and petting them whenever he got the chance.

Usually, Ding Xiang didn’t help take care of the three little cats due to food hygiene concerns. But with Lin Mu’an enjoying playing with them, Yang Yi was more than happy to let him.

“Biting people?” Yang Yi asked in surprise. “Did you provoke them?”

“Of course not! I treat them really well!” Lin Muan protested, even lifting his pant leg to show Yang Yi. “Look, my pants are almost torn from their bites!”

Hearing this, Yang Yi remembered that Xiao Hui and Duoduo had been a bit restless recently, especially Xiao Hui, who had been chewing on everything.

“They’re probably teething,” a customer nearby chimed in with a smile. “Looking at the age of your three cats, it’s about time for them to start teething. It’s normal for them to be a bit restless during this period.”

“Should we take them to the vet to have their teeth pulled?” Lin Muan, still concerned about the cats despite being bitten, asked.

Yang Yi, reminded by the customer, recalled what he had read in cat care books and had an answer in mind.

But the customer replied first, laughing, “How could that be? It’s just like when people lose their baby teeth. The old teeth fall out naturally, and new ones grow in. It’s just a bit uncomfortable during this period.”

“We should get them some chew toys,” Yang Yi said with a slight smile.

The customer looked at Yang Yi and nodded, saying, “Yes, get the ones made of silvervine. Cats love those the most.”

“By the way, have your three British Shorthairs been spayed or neutered?” The customer, clearly a fellow cat owner, asked enthusiastically.

“Do they really need to be spayed or neutered?” Yang Yi hesitated for a moment and said.

He had heard about this before, but Yang Yi was reluctant. He felt that neutering a cat was akin to making a person a eunuch—it seemed a bit cruel.

“Yes, it’s necessary. Your cats are almost at the age where they’ll go into heat. When cats go into heat, the chances of pregnancy are almost 100%, and they’ll have a litter of at least three to five kittens. If you end up with too many cats, you won’t be able to care for them all. And letting them become stray cats on the streets would be even more heartbreaking,” the customer advised Yang Yi.

“Can’t we just control them during their heat, not let them go outside, and keep them separated?” Yang Yi asked.

“If cats don’t mate during their heat, it’s bad for their health. Male cats will just spray urine everywhere, filling the house with a strong cat odor. Female cats, on the other hand, will suffer. If they don’t mate during heat, they can develop illnesses over time and eventually die from reproductive organ diseases…” The customer, who seemed to have extensive knowledge on the subject, made Yang Yi’s hair stand on end.

Not to mention the smell of cat urine, Yang Yi felt a headache coming on just imagining his house being overrun with kittens every few months.

“Looks like you three are getting a little procedure done,” Yang Yi thought to himself as he cast his gaze toward Xiao Guai and the others.

The three small cats, unaware of their impending fate, continued to play and chase each other happily.