CM | Chapter 32

Tian Fang: “…What exactly are you trying to say?”

Xu Shuo said leisurely, “You and I both studied law. Whenever we run into a case, we first think about motive. So, what do you think is the motive behind Wang Chong’s change in attitude? Because you hired her as the lawyer for this case? No need. Zhaoyang was the one who assigned her to it. Or did she see how pitiful you were and suddenly have a crisis of conscience, deciding to make up for what she did in the past? Heh, that kind of sudden enlightenment, that kind of dramatic turnaround, only happens in made-up TV dramas. In real life, how often have you seen it? Oh, then there is only the third possibility, for profit.”

Tian Fang fell silent.

Xu Shuo smiled. “Looks like I hit the mark.”

Tian Fang held it in, but still asked the same question from before, “Lawyer Xu, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Xu Shuo did not answer. Instead, he asked, “If you didn’t want to see me, you could have simply taken me off the visitor list. Why didn’t you do that? Or maybe I should be the one asking you, are you hoping to learn something from me, something Wang Chong would definitely never tell you?”

Bingo.

Xu Shuo had already seen through Tian Fang’s mindset, her worry, her fear, her distrust of Wang Chong, her wariness of Zhaoyang, her concern for her younger sister, and all the suspicions in this case, along with the lies in her testimony…

For a moment, Tian Fang almost thought Xu Shuo already knew everything.

At that moment, Xu Shuo lowered his crossed leg, leaned forward, and rested his forearms on the table, looking every bit like a kind, reliable big brother, ready to save a lost lamb.

“Actually, in this whole case, you’re the most innocent one. You were bullied by your superior Wang Chong, suppressed by Zhaoyang Law Firm, and used as the tool to bind those big clients in place.”

As he spoke, Xu Shuo raised a finger and pointed at the marks on Tian Fang’s neck. “Sigh… Just look at the injuries Liang Qiyun caused you. He had congenital heart disease and still dared to do something like that, it was practically suicide. Why should you be dragged down as his scapegoat after he died? Are you willing to go to jail for someone like him? Zhaoyang sacrifices you alone to win back the clients they’ve lost, and you’re fine with that? And the people from Likun kept contacting you, brainwashing you into thinking they could pull you out of the fire, only to stab you in the back after the incident, using the media to fan the flames and push you to the center of the storm. Aren’t you angry?”

As Tian Fang listened, she lowered her head. Her body trembled faintly, both hands clasped tightly on her knees, the knuckles on her fingers drained of color. Because of Xu Shuo’s words, the humiliations of the past period began replaying in her mind. Every single one of them was a disgrace, and every moment she had wanted nothing more than to slam her head into a wall and die.

But she couldn’t…

She still had her younger sister.

At that thought, Tian Fang jolted awake. She suddenly lifted her head, her eyes bloodshot. “Then what about you? What do you mean coming all the way here to tell me this? What’s your motive for taking this case?”

Xu Shuo smiled. “Zhaoyang promised you they would get it reduced to ‘negligent homicide,’ but I can get you acquitted, as long as you tell me the truth.”

Tian Fang said, “Why should I believe you?”

Xu Shuo asked in return, “Don’t you want to get out of here sooner and be reunited with your sister?”

Tian Fang froze.

Xu Shuo took out his phone and a folder very quickly when he saw that.

Under Tian Fang’s blank stare, he opened the folder and placed it in front of her first. “This is a lawyer retainer agreement. You can take a look at my terms first.”

Tian Fang took a breath and forcefully shoved her chaotic emotions down. Looking down, she was stunned. “The payment is, one yuan?”

Xu Shuo pursed his lips. “Mm. As long as I help you clear the murder suspicion, my name will be made. Legal fees are not worth mentioning to me at all.”

Tian Fang said, “That sounds nice, but what if you can’t do it?”

After a second of silence, Xu Shuo said, “I definitely can.”

Tian Fang fell silent.

A flash of hesitation crossed her eyes. She could not quite explain why, only that some instinct told her this man had the ability to dig up so much inside information, and with his capabilities, he might really be able to turn the heavens and reverse the earth.

But that thought vanished quickly. Tian Fang closed her eyes, took a breath, and did not let herself act impulsively.

Every subtle change in her expression was seen by Xu Shuo. He did not keep pressing. Instead, he casually unlocked his phone and played the video Xiao Chuan had just recorded.

…
…

Du Tong: “…Just remember, this time the charge is ‘negligent homicide,’ not justifiable self-defense. For the sake of the bigger picture, Tian Fang has to take the blame for the entire thing.”

Wang Chong: “Then what about Tian Fang’s sister…”

Du Tong: “It’s all arranged. She won’t say anything reckless. If you need her to testify in court, I can arrange that too.”

…
…

Xu Shuo cut the video off right there. He did not play the part where Du Tong transferred the video.

Even so, those few lines were enough to shake Tian Fang to the core. Her face instantly went white as paper, and she even forgot to breathe. She could only sit there stiffly.

Until Xu Shuo asked her in a low voice, “You and your sister are about to reunite in court. Are you happy?”

Tian Fang could not get a single word out. All she could think about was the scene Xu Shuo had just laid out, and all that was left was fear.

Xu Shuo curved his lips, but it was a cold smile. “Your sister Tian Tian hasn’t come of age yet. Her life can be said to have only just begun, but what she has gone through in these past few months, and how much shadow those things will leave over her future, you should have a pretty good idea.”

Tian Fang froze, and instinctively looked at Xu Shuo. Her body shook even harder than before. “You… what do you know…”

Xu Shuo said, “Think about it. If Tian Tian becomes a witness, she’ll have to face the prosecution’s questioning. There will be so many people in court, and an underage girl will have to describe the most disgraceful period of her life under the watchful eyes of a crowd of adults. Although doing so would give your actions a reasonable, and very desperate, justification, and prove to everyone that as her older sister, after learning that your biological younger sister had suffered Liang Qiyun’s beastly behavior, you killed him in anger, and even though you knew the deceased had congenital heart disease, you still had frequent relations with him in a short period of time, and even let him take medication to spice things up. But from a human standpoint, you might deserve sympathy, and the deceased really was no better than a pig or dog. Maybe the presiding judge would give you a lighter sentence or reduce it for you?”

Tian Fang was already devoid of color. Tears burst from her eyes. She said in a trembling voice, “I won’t let my sister testify!”

Xu Shuo nodded. “You’re doing that to protect her, that’s good. But in that case, you lose one sympathy vote. Do you know how agitated Liang Qiyun’s wife and parents have been about this? They’ve also repeatedly denounced your misconduct in front of the media. I’m guessing when the police questioned you, you explained the injuries on your body as being the result of some special fetish you and Liang Qiyun had. That amounts to directly concealing your hardships and your real motive. Tell me, how do you think the presiding judge will see you when he looks at that statement? Given the details of the crime, your subjective malice, and the fact that Liang Qiyun’s family refuses to forgive you, the court absolutely has grounds to restrict sentence reduction. In other words, Wang Chong is going to have a very hard time with this case, and your chances of getting a lighter sentence are basically zero.”

After Xu Shuo finished, the visitation room fell into silence for a long while.

Tian Fang lowered her head, closed her eyes, and tried hard to digest what Xu Shuo had said.

They were all law students. Tian Fang knew very well what Xu Shuo was saying, but she was, after all, someone inside the situation, blinded by it. On top of that, Wang Chong and the firm had repeatedly promised they could get her a lighter sentence, at most three years in prison, and then she would be out.

But Wang Chong had not mentioned Tian Tian at all. Tian Fang had no idea that the price of a lighter sentence was Tian Tian’s entire life, until Xu Shuo exposed everything right in front of her and tore away every last shred of pretense.

Xu Shuo did not interrupt Tian Fang’s silence. He knew anyone would need some time to process and think this through. After all, to Tian Fang, he was someone who had just popped out of a crack in the stone. There was no foundation of trust between them. Why should Tian Fang believe him?

In fact, Xiao Chuan had asked him that too. Xu Shuo had only laughed and said, “I don’t need Tian Fang to trust me in a short period of time. I only need to destroy the weak chain of ‘trust’ between her and Wang Chong.”

Tian Fang already had grievances against Wang Chong. From a human perspective, Wang Chong suddenly taking on her case and showing her so much concern would make Tian Fang instinctively suspect Wang Chong’s motives. As long as Tian Fang did not approve of Wang Chong’s work, she could terminate the defense agreement with Wang Chong at any time. Even if she did not terminate it, she could hire another lawyer.

Winning hearts comes first.

Xu Shuo sat motionless in the chair, silently observing Tian Fang’s emotional fluctuations and body language. Thanks to the few lessons Gu Yao had given him with her cold, sharp words, he was basically certain at this point that the fortress in Tian Fang’s heart had completely collapsed. Even if she did not sign the retainer agreement today, by tomorrow, after court opened, she would definitely change her mind.

As expected, after a moment, Tian Fang lifted her head. She wiped the tears from her face and asked hoarsely, “Even if I’m dissatisfied with Wang Chong’s defense, if I need to change lawyers, I may not necessarily choose you. You have to prove your ability to me. Why should I believe you can beat Wang Chong… Her criminal defense win record at Zhaoyang is one of the best.”

Xu Shuo gave a faint snort, and said with a hint of contempt, “What do Wang Chong’s win records have to do with your case? Just because those people escaped prison, you think you can too?”

Tian Fang was at a loss for words.

Xu Shuo went on, “The only thing I can tell you now is that I will defend you as innocent, and I don’t need your sister Tian Tian to appear in court. But I also know you won’t believe me easily. First, you and I are strangers. Second, most lawyers are unwilling to take criminal defense cases. The fees are low, evidence is hard to gather, and the risks are high. If I lose, you’ll have to go to prison, and it will definitely be a longer sentence than what Wang Chong can fight for you. Right now, there are two choices in front of you. One is the ‘negligent homicide’ Wang Chong is trying to get for you, three to five years in prison. If you choose her, you have to be prepared to spend those years in jail, and you will also have to let your sister testify in court. That means you will have no chance to stay with her until she becomes an adult. Over the next three to five years, public opinion will not let Tian Tian off. Media reporters will dig endlessly into her story, and all the pointing fingers from the outside world will have to be faced by that underage girl alone. She’ll not only have to take a leave from school, but also receive psychological treatment. The other is that you choose me. For you, that’s a gamble, a one-shot bet. Win, and you get to reunite with Tian Tian. Lose, and you may have to do a few extra years, but at the very least, Tian Tian won’t have to bear the pressure of public opinion at this age.”

By then, Xu Shuo glanced at his phone again. The visitation time was almost up, and he had no intention of wasting more words. He stood up directly and put away the retainer agreement.

Tian Fang’s mind was in a fierce battle between heaven and man when she saw Xu Shuo stand up, and she could not help but freeze.

Xu Shuo smiled as he tucked the folder under his arm and said, “Court opens tomorrow. You won’t sleep tonight for sure, so you have plenty of time to consider my suggestion. But I have to remind you, no matter when, never forget the most important ‘presumption of innocence’ principle. As long as the court has not ruled you guilty according to law, then you are innocent. Thinking about the next three to five years of prison life before the trial even starts is absolutely not something you should be doing right now.”

After Xu Shuo left the detention center, he drove all the way back to the firm. Halfway there, his modified old phone suddenly rang. The caller ID did not need saying, of course it was Gu Yao.

Xu Shuo raised an eyebrow, put on his Bluetooth earpiece, and answered, “What’s wrong, missed me after being apart for less than two hours?”

After the earlier buildup, Gu Yao had probably already developed ironclad ears, complete with a filtering function, and ignored all of Xu Shuo’s lazy nonsense.

She went straight to the point. “Where did you go after leaving the villa? You didn’t come back to the firm?”

Xu Shuo chuckled. “Hey, you city people, I just let you ride in my car for a bit and now we’re already at the stage of checking each other’s whereabouts?”

Gu Yao continued to filter him out. “I’m at your firm’s entrance. Xiao Chuan is taking apart the surveillance device on my car. He said you never came back, and he wouldn’t tell me where you went. What could possibly have pulled you away at a time like this? Did you go see Tian Fang?”

Xu Shuo clicked his tongue twice and said, “Good thing I didn’t date you, or else even the slightest lapse of attention would be unacceptable. What man could stand living with a lie detector?”

Gu Yao’s tone was even and flat. “You still haven’t answered me.”

Xu Shuo sighed. “Yes, I went to see Tian Fang. You should know why. If you’re interested, you can sit in the gallery tomorrow and watch. I guarantee this case will be very exciting.”

Gu Yao froze. “You already got the retainer agreement?”

“No.”

“Then what you just said…”

“I was talking about Wang Chong.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Wang Chong’s defense strategy will definitely need one key witness, Tian Fang’s younger sister. But I’ll bet you that Tian Fang’s sister will definitely not appear. Tian Fang is her only guardian. As long as Tian Fang insists, Wang Chong can’t force her sister to testify. So tell me, with one crucial witness missing, how hard do you think Wang Chong’s fight will be?”

Gu Yao thought for a second. “Even without Tian Fang’s sister testifying, Wang Chong can still prove Liang Qiyun’s violent tendencies and his abuse of Tian Fang.”

“From the perspective of JIANGCHENG GENES and Zhaoyang Law Firm, Liang Qiyun has to be as clean as a blank sheet of paper. He can’t have any ‘blemishes,’ or else the image of JIANGCHENG GENES will be damaged too. And Tian Fang once gave a false statement saying she had a special fetish. Do you know how important a defendant’s statement is in criminal defense? Under Zhaoyang’s control, Tian Fang has already lost the initiative. As long as she continues to hire Wang Chong, it means admitting that what Wang Chong is doing is a valid defense. Then she won’t be able to overturn her own statement. That case is going to be hard to win…”

That night, Gu Yao still did not fall asleep until very late. When she got home, she kept thinking about Tian Fang’s case, thinking about JIANGCHENG GENES, thinking about Zhu Shengxi, thinking about those photos of women and the investigation materials.

In fact, the moment Gu Yao had turned back to Ming Shuo Law Firm and still had not seen Xu Shuo, she had already thought of Tian Fang.

Xu Shuo had obtained key evidence at the villa. Combined with all the material he had investigated earlier, it was enough to piece together a complete story. He went to see Tian Fang one day before the trial, and his purpose was nothing more than to further crush the shell of Tian Fang’s defenses. Especially the few words Du Tong and Wang Chong were recorded saying at the villa today, those were absolutely the most powerful weapons for shaking Tian Fang.

What was strange was that at this moment, Gu Yao actually believed Xu Shuo’s “prediction” a little in advance. Tomorrow’s trial was probably really going to be very difficult…

Gu Yao was so absorbed in her thoughts that she did not notice her phone suddenly vibrate.

She opened it and saw a WeChat message from Zhu Shengxi: “I’ve been busy at the hospital all day today, so I didn’t have time to take care of things at home. I’m fine now. Want me to come back later and have dinner with you?”

Gu Yao was quiet for a few seconds before replying, “Don’t rush back and forth. Just rest at the hospital for another night and get another bag of nutritional fluid. I’m a little tired, so I’m planning to go to bed early today.”

Zhu Shengxi sent back a smiling face. “Okay, then I won’t disturb your sleep. I’ll ask the doctor to give me two more bags of nutritional fluid later.”

Gu Yao tilted her head and stared at her phone for a moment, then suddenly said, “If I hadn’t seen you in the news, I wouldn’t have known you had rare blood type.”

“Sorry, I overlooked that. Sometimes I can’t tell what you know after your amnesia and what you knew before your amnesia.”

“It’s fine, I was just asking casually.” Gu Yao changed the subject. “By the way, I’ve seen how busy you have been with company matters lately and you haven’t really had a chance to relax. Since I’m on a long vacation now, how about we pick a weekend and go watch a game? Though I don’t know what type you like, football, basketball, tennis?”

“I don’t really go to those places. I remember you weren’t interested in those either.”

“Oh, I just thought that if you could put yourself in a crowd of people, cheering and screaming with a bunch of strangers, feeling the atmosphere on site, it would be very effective for relieving stress.”

Zhu Shengxi smiled. “I remember that around next month, Lixin and several other orphanages in Jiangcheng will be jointly hosting a sports meet. How about we go watch that?”

“Sure, I haven’t met those kids yet anyway. It would be good to go cheer them on.”

“Then it’s settled.”

Zhu Shengxi put down his phone, and the faint smile on his face vanished instantly. He lay on the hospital bed, his back against the headboard, and his eyes were solemn.

Du Tong, who was sitting by the bed peeling an apple, lifted her eyes at this point and said, “Did you ask her about going to the villa today?”

Zhu Shengxi did not answer. He only said, “Don’t let Mr. Gu know about the villa.”

As soon as he said that, Zhu Shengxi slowly closed his eyes.

He was truly exhausted. Not only was his face pale, his whole spirit was also very weak. After the blood donation, he had stayed in the hospital waiting for the hospital’s notice. Although the little child who received his blood had gone through surgery successfully, they still had to observe for forty-eight hours after the operation to prevent complications.

Zhu Shengxi had no strength to go back to the company, so he stayed put and took the opportunity to get a full-body checkup.

Several of the company’s executives had come by one after another in the afternoon, partly to visit him and partly to report work.

Zhu Shengxi simply turned the VIP ward into a temporary office.

It was not until evening that Du Tong came on behalf of Gu Chengwen to see him, and she also brought a surprising piece of news, Gu Yao had gone to the villa investigation site with that boring lawyer.

It could be seen that Gu Yao’s concern for this matter had already exceeded every case she had handled in the past year. She had never been this attentive even to the patients at the psychological clinic.

After Du Tong finished peeling the apple, she placed it on a plate. Seeing that Zhu Shengxi had not spoken for a long time, she broke the silence first. “Even though she has lost her memory, she’s still the same as before. No one can stop her from doing what she wants. I still remember something she said before, when doing things, don’t hesitate over the front and back, don’t ask yourself whether you should do it, only ask yourself whether you can get it done.”

Zhu Shengxi did not open his eyes. In a low voice, he said, “If she wants to do it, let her go.”

“Aren’t you afraid she might learn something?”

“Do you think she doesn’t know anything right now?”

Du Tong choked on that.

After a while, Zhu Shengxi said slowly, “One year. I only need one year. By then, everything will be set in stone. No matter how much she knows, it won’t change anything.”

At that moment, Du Tong’s phone suddenly rang. It was Wang Chong calling.

Du Tong answered and listened for a while, and her expression suddenly turned grave. When she hung up, she happened to meet Zhu Shengxi’s gaze.

Zhu Shengxi asked, “What is it?”

“Tian Fang refused to let her sister take the stand. She said she would rather let the charge of ‘intentional homicide’ stick than let outsiders know about her sister.”

Zhu Shengxi frowned slightly.

Du Tong said firmly, “I think it should be that lawyer with the surname Xu messing things up.”

After a few seconds, Zhu Shengxi sighed. “If Tian Fang insists, then do it according to her wishes.”

“Then…”

“As for that lawyer, Old Jin is already digging into his background. For now, ignore him.”