Chapter 16

No matter what, although Xu Shijia is a bit spoiled and fussy, he still stepped up in a critical moment, showing that he’s a righteous and responsible person. After the commotion at the proposal rehearsal, it was already getting late. Lin Shu decided to give Xu Shijia the afternoon off, allowing him to go home and rest after his nutrient shot.

Lin Shu didn’t expect much from Xu Shijia—just that he would come to work the next day as usual since his injury wasn’t serious. However, to her surprise, not only did Xu Shijia fail to show up on time the next day, but he didn’t even take the day off officially or answer any calls.

He had agreed to come to work yesterday, so could something have happened to him?

Lin Shu grew a little worried, but after repeatedly trying to reach Xu Shijia by phone and text, she got no response at all.

Though she was anxious, she had work to handle, specifically wrapping up the Zhong Peng case. Thanks to Zhong Peng’s live stream drama the previous day, the proposal rehearsal incident had stayed trending online for over a day. The account “One House, Two People, Three Meals, Four Seasons” was hemorrhaging followers, and the flood of comments insulting Zhong Peng was so overwhelming that even the PR team hired by Jin Yan couldn’t delete them fast enough.

Zhong Peng blamed the lawyer entirely for the mess he was in and originally wanted to terminate their cooperation. However, his wife, Fu Si, managed to persuade him and dragged him to Lin Shu’s office, insisting that Lin Shu continue handling the case.

“Peng, I know you’re filled with regret right now. You want everything to go back to how it was, to continue living with Zheng Xiaoxiao, so you don’t want to face reality. You don’t want the lawyer dealing with splitting the assets or the account with Zheng Xiaoxiao.”

Fu Si’s eyes were red, tears brimming in her eyes. “But have you thought about me and our baby?”

She gently touched the slightly rounded curve of her belly and said, “I know you still have feelings for Zheng Xiaoxiao. I know the truth about what happened between you two, and it hurts me. I feel bitter about it. I even impulsively wanted to break up with you. But as a woman, I’m just trying to make the best of my situation. Now that I’m carrying your child, all I want is for us to live a good life together.”

“I won’t get involved in anything else. I’ll accept the mistakes you’ve made, as long as our family of three can live well from now on.”

“As for your illness, we can find a better hospital for another check-up and get proper treatment. I’ll be by your side.”

Zhong Peng, despite all the unresolved emotions he felt, knew that he and Zheng Xiaoxiao could never go back to how things were. Reality had brought them to this point.

Even though Fu Si had been deceived and used by Zhong Peng as a stand-in during his emotional turmoil, she didn’t lash out in rage. Instead, she chose to forgive him with patience and acceptance. Even if Zhong Peng still had lingering feelings for Zheng Xiaoxiao, he couldn’t say he had no feelings for Fu Si. It was impossible not to feel something for her.

Now, Fu Si was being so generous and forgiving. This was already the best possible outcome.

Though Zhong Peng looked dejected, he didn’t argue further and silently accepted this resolution.

After Fu Si’s persuasion, Zhong Peng finally apologized to Lin Shu, admitting responsibility for Xu Shijia’s injury and agreeing to cover the medical expenses. He also offered to provide some material compensation.

Since Xu Shijia was the one injured, Lin Shu couldn’t make any decisions on his behalf, but she agreed to facilitate communication. At least, Zhong Peng had calmed down, and the two sides were able to talk again.

Seeing the atmosphere ease, Fu Si gently said, “Peng, I can see you’re not feeling well. How about you write a power of attorney and let me handle the rest of the legal matters with the lawyer? You can go home and rest. I’ll keep you updated on any developments.”

Ever since Zheng Xiaoxiao had confronted him, and especially after learning about his cancer’s recurrence and liver metastasis, Zhong Peng had been like a shell of a person, a walking corpse. So, when Fu Si suggested he leave, he simply nodded weakly and left the office.

After Zhong Peng left, Fu Si turned to Lin Shu with an apologetic expression. “Lawyer Lin, I heard online that Peng got into a conflict with you all yesterday, and one of your colleagues was injured. Peng has already apologized, but I want to personally apologize again. I’m truly sorry.” As she spoke, she pulled out a few shopping vouchers. “This is a small token of appreciation. Peng’s actions were wrong, and I hope you can forgive him. As for the legal fees, I’ll make sure Peng pays them according to the agreement.”

Lin Shu declined the shopping vouchers. “It’s my colleague who was hurt. I think the apology should be directed at him, not me.”

Fu Si nodded repeatedly and promised to visit Xu Shijia in person to ask for his forgiveness.

Lin Shu thought Xu Shijia’s assumptions about Fu Si were too presumptive. Fu Si actually seemed like a reasonable and kind person, someone who could forgive such a serious betrayal from Zhong Peng. Calling it a good-natured personality wouldn’t even suffice—it was more like weakness.

Just as Lin Shu was about to say something comforting, she noticed Fu Si’s demeanor suddenly shift. The tears that had been welling in her eyes just moments before were still there, but her expression had turned calm and composed, as if she had changed faces in the blink of an eye.

With a slight sob still in her voice, Fu Si gently held Lin Shu’s hand and said, “Lawyer Lin, I must trouble you to secure as much money as possible for Peng. You know, my life is really hard right now. Peng doesn’t have long to live—just a few months—and his parents passed away years ago. My baby and I are the only family he has left. Our future depends on the money Peng leaves behind. Raising a child is so expensive these days.”

Though her words were phrased politely, Lin Shu understood perfectly well.

There was no “gentle, understanding, forgiving” wife here. Fu Si had already calculated everything—Zhong Peng’s terminal cancer left him with only a few months to live, and without other legal heirs, the money Lin Shu could recover would eventually become Fu Si’s inheritance, benefiting her and her unborn child.

Xu Shijia had been right after all—Fu Si wasn’t some innocent victim.

A woman whose first reaction to learning her husband had only months left to live was to focus on securing the inheritance clearly wasn’t with him for pure love.

Lin Shu and Xu Shijia didn’t know all the details of Zhong Peng’s relationship with Zheng Xiaoxiao, but could his wife really have been oblivious to everything? Was it truly possible she never suspected Zhong Peng’s excuses? Or did she simply not care about Zhong Peng’s love, only his money, and chose to feign ignorance?

Lin Shu couldn’t say. Human nature is difficult to fully grasp.

All she could do was fulfill her role as a lawyer. She would handle the negotiations with Zheng Xiaoxiao and do her best to secure Zhong Peng’s assets.

A lawyer doesn’t determine the truth, nor does a lawyer serve as a judge. A lawyer simply provides the best legal counsel and strives to protect the client’s interests.

Whether Zhong Peng had deceived Lin Shu or not, Lin Shu knew she could remain confident that she had acted professionally throughout this case. Even now, she was prepared to bring the matter to a close with integrity.

To her relief, Zheng Xiaoxiao didn’t care about the money as much as Fu Si did. True to her word, she was willing to split everything evenly, including the social media account. She didn’t even hire a lawyer.

As a result, the resolution of the case was far easier than Lin Shu had anticipated.

After wrapping up her conversation with Zheng Xiaoxiao, Lin Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was already midday, but she still hadn’t received any reply from Xu Shijia.

What was going on with Xu Shijia?

Lin Shu decided to call him again.

This time, the call went through.

Feeling a bit anxious, Lin Shu asked, “Xu Shijia, are you okay? I couldn’t reach you earlier.”

On the other end of the line, Xu Shijia’s voice was as lazy and carefree as always. He chuckled lightly, letting out a yawn. “Oh, I just overslept.”

Hearing that Xu Shijia was fine, Lin Shu initially felt relieved.

But while she had been worried sick, he was nonchalantly saying he had just overslept.

Considering that Xu Shijia had been involved in the Zhong Peng case from start to finish and had even gotten slightly injured during some of the chaos, Lin Shu might have approved his request for a day off due to his “rich-kid syndrome” acting up today. However, he didn’t formally request leave, nor did he report his absence, but instead overslept and casually yawned while saying he had just slept in when asked. This behavior felt like blatant defiance to Lin Shu.

As his boss, Lin Shu couldn’t tolerate such behavior, especially since even Wang Tie Niu, often called the “crown prince,” had arrived early and was already hard at work at his desk!

Moreover, Xu Shijia’s injury wasn’t serious enough to warrant a day off! Even if he needed one, couldn’t he follow the proper procedure to request it?

Xu Shijia’s disregard for discipline was insubordination, plain and simple!

Lin Shu was livid. The more she thought about how worried she had been earlier, the more ridiculous she felt. Had she been too lenient with him before? No wonder Xu Shijia had become arrogant and was now acting up!

It was time for some tough discipline!

“Xu Shijia, I won’t accept ‘oversleeping’ as an excuse. The firm has strict attendance rules. If you need time off, you must notify me in advance and follow the proper procedures. Today will be counted as half a day’s absence without leave, and I do not want to see this happen again.”

Lin Shu’s voice was stern, her brow furrowed. “I’m being serious, Xu Shijia. Don’t brush this off with a smile. You have potential, but you’re not irreplaceable. If you keep ignoring the rules, you may as well quit. I can easily find someone who’s capable, obedient, and follows the rules.”

Despite Lin Shu’s clear anger, Xu Shijia’s response remained casual and slow. “Why are you so heartless?” he joked. Clearly confident, thanks to Lin Shu’s past compliments, he added with a laugh, “If I really left, you’d ask me to come back anyway.”

Did he think she had no other options?

To be fair, Xu Shijia wasn’t entirely wrong. Wang Tie Niu couldn’t handle clients, and although Liu Xuhui was polite to her, he was an independent lawyer who didn’t need to rely on Lin Shu’s salary, making him difficult to control.

Lin Shu felt exposed, her frustration boiling over into a moment of powerlessness. Yet, she kept her composure and said coldly, “If you want to leave, then go ahead. The sooner, the better. I’ll go to HR right now and start recruiting someone new. Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to stay. If I keep you around this time, I’d be a fool!”

As she hung up the phone, Lin Shu couldn’t suppress her anger. She was absolutely furious—Xu Shijia needed to go, or he’d drive her to an early grave.

The problem with Xu Shijia was his unpredictability, like an illness that flared up intermittently, and each time the symptoms were different. Lin Shu couldn’t even rely on her past experiences to handle him, and he seemed to have developed a resistance to her usual methods.

What a headache!

But as luck would have it, just as she was feeling defeated by Xu Shijia’s attitude, a silver lining appeared—Wang Tie Niu brought her the best news of the day.

“Par Lin, are you free for lunch today?” Wang Tie Niu asked shyly. “I’d like to treat you to a meal.”

He explained, “You mentioned before that you’re a fan of my dad’s books and that you’d love to meet him. It just so happens that my dad is passing through the area today and has a bit of free time for lunch. I wanted to invite you to join us. Would you be available?”

His dad? That’s Wang Yannian from Xinhe!

Lin Shu was thrilled—was she really about to have lunch with someone as influential as Wang Yannian so soon?

Despite feeling frustrated by Xu Shijia’s antics, Lin Shu quickly perked up. When one door closes, another opens!

This was an incredible opportunity, and Lin Shu eagerly accepted. It wasn’t every day she got a chance to meet a potential client like Wang Yannian. “No problem at all, I’d be honored to join you for lunch, especially since your father is making time in his busy schedule.”

Her words were meant to show her respect, and Wang Tie Niu blushed with embarrassment. “I told my dad about you last time, and it’s a coincidence that he’s carrying a copy of his latest book. You can even get it signed in person!”

This was perfect! Medicineing Wang Yannian as a fan would be a great way to build a connection quickly.

Xu Shijia could go ahead and quit—once Lin Shu established a relationship with Wang Yannian and started handling Xinhe’s business, earning millions wouldn’t be out of reach. Soon, people would be lining up to join her team, and Xu Shijia would be left far behind!

Right now, he might not care, but in the future, he wouldn’t even be able to reach her level!

True to his word, Wang Tie Niu didn’t waste any time and sent Lin Shu the lunch details just five minutes later.

“Par Lin, lunch is at 12:30, in private room 301 at Lakeside Pavilion.”

Lakeside Pavilion was a well-regarded private restaurant—not too expensive but known for its great food and ambiance. This made Lin Shu’s impression of Wang Tie Niu and his family even better.

Unlike Xu Shijia, who always demanded the most luxurious and extravagant things, Wang Tie Niu and his family were humble and down-to-earth—just like real wealthy people often were!

Lin Shu had just responded to confirm her attendance when another message popped up from Wang Tie Niu with a link. Before she could click it, though, he quickly retracted the message.

His follow-up came just as quickly: “Sorry, Par Lin! If I send any weird links, please don’t click them. I think my phone’s been hacked—I’m going to clean it up now.”

See how considerate Wang Tie Niu was? If this had been Xu Shijia, he’d probably be hoping she’d fall for the scam too!

Forget about Xu Shijia—Lin Shu focused on her bright future with Xinhe!

Feeling excited, she decided to spend some time reviewing Xinhe’s business structure in preparation for the lunch. Wang Yannian had mentioned in his book “Ten Years with Xinhe” that he valued first impressions both in people and in partnerships. If Lin Shu could make a good impression at this lunch, it would definitely open the door to future collaborations!

Lin Shu was busy researching information on Xinhe when her phone rang again, this time from a landline.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Lawyer Lin. I’m Zhang Chen, the assistant to Wang Yannian, the president of Xinhe.”

Wang Yannian’s assistant?

Lin Shu immediately perked up. Even though it was just a phone call, she sat up straight in her chair, feeling a bit nervous. “Hello.”

“Mr. Wang would like to invite you to lunch today. Would you be available?”

Lin Shu was puzzled. Hadn’t Wang Tie Niu already set up the lunch? Could it be that Wang Yannian was someone who valued formalities, or maybe… maybe he thought meeting with her was so important that he wanted to make it extra official?

It seemed he really thought highly of her!

Suppressing her excitement, Lin Shu calmly replied, “Yes, I’m available.”

Just as she was about to mention that she already knew the time and place for lunch, the assistant continued, “Great, it’ll be at 12:30 today, at the Chengling Club.”

Chengling Club? Wasn’t it supposed to be Lakeside Pavilion?

At that moment, Wang Tie Niu entered Lin Shu’s office with a document for her to sign. Lin Shu held the phone and asked him in a low voice, “Did the lunch location change?”

“No,” Tie Niu replied, looking confused. “It hasn’t changed.”

Lin Shu was stunned. “But your father’s assistant just called, saying it’s at the Chengling Club.”

As soon as she said this, Wang Tie Niu’s face filled with righteous indignation. “Those scammers!”

“My dad’s assistant just had a family member pass away and went back to his hometown for the funeral. He’s not even working right now—there’s no way he’s handling my dad’s affairs.”

Tie Niu angrily added, “Par Lin, this must be the same scam group that hacked into my phone and got access to my info! No wonder my mom got a call earlier claiming I’d been in a car accident and needed money for medical bills. I have to go post a warning on social media so others don’t fall for it!”

After dropping off the document, Tie Niu rushed out in a hurry.

Meanwhile, the scammer on the other end of the line was still asking, “Lawyer Lin? Is the Chengling Club okay for you? Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

Lin Shu laughed coldly to herself.

This scam was pretty well thought out—they even hired someone with a decent accent to sound convincing.

What a waste of time!

She decided to play along to mess with them. In a deliberately snobbish tone, she replied, “No dietary restrictions, but an assistant isn’t qualified to talk to me. If your president is inviting me, he should call me himself. You should know that a lawyer’s time is money. If he doesn’t have the courtesy to invite me personally, what’s the point of us meeting?”

Without giving the scammer a chance to respond, Lin Shu hung up the phone.

She hadn’t expected, though, that instead of giving up, the scammer would double down. Before long, her phone rang again, this time from a different landline number.

“Lawyer Lin, hello. I’m Wang Yannian. Would you be available for lunch at the Chengling Club today?”

This time, they had the nerve to impersonate Wang Yannian himself! And they even found someone with a deep, commanding voice to make it sound more believable. This scam group was really going all out!

Lin Shu despised scam calls and fraudsters, especially when she was already irritated by Xu Shijia’s behavior. These scammers had picked the wrong person to mess with today!

—

Meanwhile, in Wang Yannian’s office,

His wife, Xu Mingmei, was angrily yelling over the speakerphone. “Wang Yannian! If you don’t have a serious talk with that boss of Xiaobao’s today, I’ll divorce you!”

“I tolerated Xiaobao working overtime because you convinced me that it was good for his growth and independence. But you said he’d be doing an easy office job! Why is he constantly running around, traveling for work, and working late? He hasn’t had dinner at home in ages!”

“And let’s not even mention the fact that his work environment isn’t safe! Xiaobao got injured while working yesterday—he was bleeding! I wouldn’t have even known if a friend at the hospital hadn’t told me!”

Xu Mingmei’s emotions were always volatile when it came to her youngest son. Her voice soon turned choked with tears. “Wang Yannian, you know how frail Xiaobao was when he was little, how much we suffered to keep him safe and healthy all these years.”

“He has a bleeding disorder! He can’t afford to get injured! But that boss of his not only let him get hurt, she left him alone at the hospital to get a clotting injection! How inhumane is that?”

Xu Mingmei’s anger boiled over. “This morning, I went to Xiaobao’s apartment, took his phone, and dragged him for a full-body checkup. That woman should be grateful that Xiaobao’s results came back normal, or she’d be getting served with a lawsuit from me!”

Wang Yannian sighed, rubbing his temples. His wife, while generally a good person, was fiercely protective of their youngest son. Anytime something involved Xiaobao, she tended to lose all sense of reason.

He tried to calm her down. “I already asked him about it. The cut wasn’t serious, and it was treated yesterday. There’s no need to worry too much. Dragging him for an unnecessary MRI and a SVIP checkup today was a waste of time. It would be better for him to get back to work.”

But this only angered Xu Mingmei further. “Worry too much? Waste of time? What do you mean by that, Wang Yannian? Do you know what kind of person his boss is? She’s a tiger in human form! She’s already given Xiaobao PTSD!”

As Xu Mingmei continued, her voice grew even more distraught. “I’ve always been charitable, donating every year to the Cerebral Palsy Children Foundation, and I’ve tried to do good my whole life. So why is it that my son ended up with such a terrible boss? Is this fair? Is this what I deserve?”

“In the past, Xiaobao always listened to me, but today, when I asked him to go for a checkup, he refused no matter what! He wouldn’t hand over his phone and was still thinking about going to work! Just look at what they’ve done to our child! As soon as the MRI was done and I gave his phone back, that tiger of a boss called him! Early in the morning, pressuring him to go to work!”

At this point, Xu Mingmei’s emotions were on the verge of breaking down again. “Xiaobao was too proud to admit he wasn’t feeling well, so he lied and said he’d overslept. And what did that woman do? She scolded him like he was nothing, like a servant! She even said he was replaceable, that anyone could take his place. Is that even human? How could Xiaobao not be traumatized after hearing that? Has anyone ever dared to insult our Xiaobao like this? Why does he deserve such treatment?”

“Xiaobao is an adult now; he knows how to handle his relationship with his boss. Why are you eavesdropping on his calls?”

Wang Yannian barely got a word in as Xu Mingmei rattled off her grievances like a machine gun. But as soon as he said that, he realized it was a mistake because it only enraged his wife further.

“Wang Yannian! Whose side are you on?”

“What do you mean, eavesdropping? I’m just concerned about our child!”

Xu Mingmei, no longer interested in discussing logic, declared, “I don’t care. You need to deal with this! You have to meet with that boss and make sure Xiaobao doesn’t face this kind of pressure again!”

“She’s probably jealous because Xiaobao is young, handsome, comes from a wealthy, happy family, while she’s all alone with nothing but her work!” Xu Mingmei vented more of her frustration, issuing an ultimatum. “If you don’t handle this, I’m divorcing you!”

After she hung up, Wang Yannian felt a headache coming on.

He had reviewed Lin Shu’s profile and knew she was younger than Xu Shijia, yet incredibly capable. For someone so young to become a partner at a law firm was no small feat. Lawyers have to navigate complex relationships with clients, so the truly successful ones are often sharp and socially adept.

His younger son’s job at Tian Hao was no secret. Wang Yannian was certain Lin Shu knew who Xu Shijia was. Unlike his wife, who coddled their son, he could see that Lin Shu’s strictness, even knowing Xu Shijia’s background, meant she was fair and principled. A lawyer like her wouldn’t risk offending his son unless it was justified.

Wang Yannian knew exactly what his son was like. If Lin Shu could make him work a nine-to-five, travel, and even work overtime—essentially pushing him to complete the impossible—and Xu Shijia hadn’t quit yet, it said a lot about Lin Shu’s leadership.

This made Wang Yannian even more interested in meeting her.

He sent his senior assistant, Zhang Chen, to handle the meeting.

But ten minutes later, Zhang Chen returned looking awkward. “Mr. Wang, she said I’m just an assistant, not qualified to speak to her. She said her time is very valuable, and if you want to invite her to lunch, you’ll need to do it personally with sincerity.”

Quite the personality.

Having managed a company for many years, Wang Yannian knew that some young talents could be a bit arrogant. At his age, he’d seen it all—especially when it came to particularly skilled individuals. If someone had real talent, he didn’t mind accommodating their quirks.

Besides, this was a familiar tactic.

Wang Yannian smiled knowingly at Zhang Chen. “This is just a little game some young people play. It’s a back-and-forth to make themselves stand out, so I’ll pay more attention to the partnership.”

Zhang Chen, still feeling uneasy, added, “But Mr. Wang, Lawyer Lin didn’t speak very politely…”

“She’s only being impolite to you on purpose. Once I call, she’ll be much more courteous. It’s just a strategy of playing hard to get.” Wang Yannian waved it off confidently. “Let me handle this.”

He dialed Lin Shu’s number, put the phone on speaker, and said, “Hello, Lawyer Lin. This is Wang Yannian from Xinhe. Would you be available for lunch at Chengling Club today?”

As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Chen, signaling for him to wait and see how Lin Shu would respond politely.

However, before he could finish his sentence, a loud and powerful female voice came from the other end, shaking both his eardrums and his soul:

“Enough already! You’re Wang Yannian? Then I’m the ancestor of Xinhe—your grandparent!”

“Dreaming of inviting me to lunch? If you’ve got the guts, have Wang Yannian come to my office and invite me in person!”

“Stop calling me. If you call again, your whole family will have bad luck for a year!”

…