I have to ask: when the author was writing this novel, did she know she'd assembled the perfect combination of story elements for making the radfems mad? In particular, a canonically bi protagonist who has canonically slept with multiple men who opens the novel by 'defending a rapist in court' (she's an expert witness, not defence counsel, and only in relation to the murder charge, and also even people who have almost certainly committed rape are entitled to legal representation, but these are not the sorts of things radfems pay attention to), and a love interest with masc-of-centre presentation (though it is interesting that the specific label the author uses is 双御姐).

When I first read this chapter, I spent most of it going, 'OMG Lin Yan STOP WASTING food/culturally significant antique rugs/expensive cars/the hard work of your assistant who is probably just doing his best.' On this reread, I did exactly the same thing. Also how is she a PROFESSOR?? My friends who are adjuncts/slowly crawling their way towards tenure would like a word???