Chapter 60

Back in the office, Lin Shu’s heart was still racing, but thankfully, the overwhelming stack of files quickly drew her into work.

Apart from work, Lin Shu also reviewed the current revenue situation. To her surprise, although they didn’t have a leading client, the various small cases added up, and what she initially thought was a far-off goal of reaching ten million in revenue didn’t seem that far anymore when she calculated it.

If she made an effort and focused on acquiring a few more new cases, she might actually be able to lead this underappreciated team to achieve ten million in revenue and become a senior partner herself!

And perhaps because of the law of attraction, just as Lin Shu was thinking about expanding her case sources, a new one arrived at her doorstep.

Lin Yiqing, the woman whom Lin Shu had once sent to the hospital for an emergency delivery when she was almost prematurely giving birth, came crying to Lin Shu’s office even before finishing her month-long postnatal recovery.

The Lin Yiqing case had initially been handled by Xu Mingmei and Xu Shijia, so when Lin Yiqing sought legal help from Lin Shu, Lin Shu naturally invited both Xu Mingmei and Xu Shijia into the meeting room.

Lin Yiqing, still in her postnatal recovery period, looked somewhat bloated, her complexion poor, and she appeared both exhausted and worn out. Her eyes were obviously swollen and red from crying, and blood vessels were visible in her eyes.

Accompanying her was her nanny, Aunt Zhou, who was holding her baby, who had just been taken out of the incubator.

“I want a divorce!” As soon as Lin Yiqing saw Lin Shu and the others, her voice broke with tears.

After childbirth, women often feel physically and emotionally drained, and due to hormonal imbalances and the stress of raising a child or dealing with in-law issues, many women experience marital conflicts. Lin Shu spoke first to comfort her, advising her not to act impulsively.

Unfortunately, Lin Yiqing’s tone was very firm: “Lawyer Lin, I’m really not being impulsive. It’s Xu Nan’s fault!”

“That day, when the baby came out of the incubator for the first time, I could finally hold him. He went to see the baby with Aunt Zhou, and accidentally left his phone by my bedside. I don’t know why, but I opened his phone and found out that he was cheating on me!”

Not only Lin Shu, but even Xu Mingmei was very surprised: “But wasn’t he treating you well? How could he cheat?”

Lin Yiqing seemed to have trouble speaking: “He cheated, alright! In the chat records with the woman he cheated with, he even called her his ‘wife,’ saying sweet words, promising to be with her forever—just full of those love declarations!”

“I took the risk of having a baby at an older age for him, and now he’s turning around and having an affair with the mistress!”

“You know, even when Xu Nan and I were in a passionate relationship, he never treated me with that much enthusiasm! But when it comes to that mistress, he doesn’t hesitate to speak sweetly!”

“The worst part is, that mistress might be pregnant too, because Xu Nan swore to her that now they have a child, they’ll have a complete family… But once they’re complete, what does that make me and my child?”

Lin Yiqing’s story wasn’t unusual; such things happened every day.

In the world of relationships, it’s not like solving a math problem, where it’s all about who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s not that a correct calculation of the process will always lead to the right answer.

However, based on Lin Yiqing’s accusations…

“So, what you’re saying is, right now you’ve only discovered that Xu Nan has had close contact with another woman on WeChat and supposedly has a child with her. But there’s no direct evidence, just chat records, correct?”

At Lin Shu’s question, Lin Yiqing looked even more wronged: “Although there’s no direct evidence, aren’t these chat records enough?”

She said, then shouted again: “I still want a divorce! The way he treats me, I don’t want him to see my son!”

Lin Shu had gotten the general idea of the situation. She then looked at Lin Yiqing’s state and called Xu Shijia and Xu Mingmei out of the meeting room.

“I have a conference call soon. Since this case was initiated by both of you, I’ll leave the initial communication to you two.” Lin Shu looked at Xu Shijia, “Xu Shijia, guide Mingmei, make sure to check if Lin Yiqing truly wants a divorce. If she does, then we’ll move on to negotiations regarding divorce, property division, and child custody. If not, we can offer some legal services, like a marital fidelity agreement or property preservation during marriage. At least help her be prepared for legal protection.”

Xu Mingmei thought for a moment and added: “Before, Lin Yiqing had contacted me, saying Xu Nan encountered some business problems and, to protect her and her son from the debt, had proposed a fake divorce. At that time, they even signed a divorce agreement.”

Lin Shu recalled this and glanced at Xu Shijia, giving him a reminder: “Xu Shijia, pay attention to this matter.”

—

After Lin Shu left, Xu Mingmei stopped pretending. She glanced at Xu Shijia and whispered, “Didn’t Lin Shu say she was going to transfer you? Why aren’t you leaving now?”

A few days ago, Xu Shijia had been looking dejected, but now he seemed full of energy and motivation.

Seeing him glance at her, Xu Mingmei said proudly, “I performed well, so Lin Shu thinks I’m the core of the team. Of course, she’s keeping me here. I’ll work hard for her from now on, even harder.”

So he’s not leaving? Lin Shu didn’t seem like someone who would change her mind easily.

Xu Mingmei was curious.

However, since it was still working hours, Xu Mingmei didn’t want to chat more. She followed Xu Shijia back to the small meeting room, where Lin Yiqing was crying to Aunt Zhou, her nanny, who was holding the baby.

Earlier, Xu Mingmei had specifically told Lin Yiqing not to reveal her identity in front of Lin Shu. So, when Lin Shu was present, Lin Yiqing kept her composure, not going too far. But now that Lin Shu was gone, she couldn’t hold it in anymore and started crying in front of Xu Mingmei.

Having been married for years and knowing Lin Yiqing for some time, Xu Mingmei quickly figured out what Lin Yiqing really wanted after a few words.

Lin Yiqing didn’t actually want a divorce.

She had worked hard to have a son after remarrying, and although Xu Nan was entangled with the mistress, she didn’t really want to give up on the marriage. After all—

“To be honest, Xu Nan is still good to me. When I was pregnant, he really took great care of me.” Perhaps trying to justify herself, after crying, Lin Yiqing started speaking well of Xu Nan. “Plus, Aunt Zhou was hired by him personally. He’s good to the child too.”

“He and that woman are exchanging sweet words, and I thought about it. Maybe it’s because after I gave birth, I’m still recovering physically and haven’t been able to resume our married life. He’s young and strong, of course, he can’t hold out. And those bad women out there are always trying to seduce him. After all, he’s quite handsome, generous, and a good person.”

“Also, I’ve been divorced once before. If I divorce again, and with a son, it will be hard to find someone like Xu Nan…”

In the end, Lin Yiqing’s earlier shouting for a divorce had been more of an emotional outburst than a firm decision to go through with it.

She had too many concerns and cared too much about how others would see her—

“And now Xu Nan is facing business difficulties. If I bring up a divorce, people won’t know that it’s because of his affair. They’ll just think I’m the kind of woman who leaves when the man has problems, as if I’d abandon him once he has no money…”

“Moreover, he spent 40 million buying a house in my name, and he’s invested in us, but while I’m still recovering from childbirth, he’s doing this to me. I want him to pay for it, at least show something, so I can feel secure. I also want his behavior to be punished, so he doesn’t do it again.”

“As for that mistress, if she’s really pregnant, the child must be aborted! If he takes care of that bastard and is willing to return to the family, sincerely apologizing, I might consider forgiving him.”

Lin Yiqing’s thoughts were understandable, but…

Xu Shijia was the first to ask the question that Xu Mingmei was also concerned about: “Earlier, you mentioned a fake divorce agreement. If it hasn’t been signed yet, it can still be amended. You can impose more restrictions on him regarding property division and child custody.”

“Yes!” Lin Yiqing was thrilled by this suggestion. “I think the child custody should at least be given to me.”

Originally, she hadn’t cared much about custody when she hadn’t had a child, but now, seeing her soft and chubby little one, her motherly instincts kicked in. She could no longer accept the idea of the child being given to Xu Nan during the fake divorce.

Now that she suspected Xu Nan was cheating, the fact that the fake divorce agreement hadn’t been signed and they hadn’t even gone to the civil affairs bureau to register the divorce made Lin Yiqing unwilling to follow through with their previous arrangement.

Since she was already familiar with Xu Mingmei, Lin Yiqing didn’t hold back and quickly explained her needs. Before long, the baby in Aunt Zhou’s arms woke up and started crying.

“The baby must be hungry.” Lin Yiqing checked the time and realized it was time to feed him. She took the baby from Aunt Zhou. “Mingmei, I’ll go to the nursing room to feed him. Once I’m done, I’ll come back and sign the power of attorney with you. Aunt Zhou, please prepare some milk powder just in case my milk isn’t enough. If the baby isn’t full, he can have some formula.”

With that, Lin Yiqing left, leaving only Xu Mingmei, Xu Shijia, and Aunt Zhou in the room.

Aunt Zhou was indeed very capable. Although she didn’t talk much, she was diligent and careful with the child. As soon as Lin Yiqing left, she skillfully began preparing the milk powder, even wiping her hands with a disinfecting wipe beforehand, clearly very attentive to the baby’s needs.

However, Xu Mingmei didn’t pay much attention to this at the moment. Her mind was filled with a sense of accomplishment. Lin Yiqing had been quite lost earlier, but after Xu Mingmei’s comforting and thorough analysis, Lin Yiqing had calmed down significantly. She no longer felt alone in this fight, and her emotions had clearly improved.

Xu Mingmei felt very proud to have helped her friend.

She couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional. This was the first business she’d landed since joining Tianhao, built on her own network. Although it wasn’t a big case, it would still earn her a lawyer’s fee. It not only helped solve Lin Yiqing’s urgent problem but also allowed her to make some money!

This was the first time she had experienced the feeling of earning money on her own.

Lin Yiqing had been breastfeeding for a while. During this waiting time, Xu Mingmei’s thoughts inevitably wandered. She even began imagining how she would spend the hard-earned money from this case.

The window of the meeting room was open, and a breeze came in, bringing with it a unique and fragrant scent.

Xu Mingmei blinked and followed the scent. After a moment, she realized that the fragrance was coming from Aunt Zhou, who had been closely following Lin Yiqing.

She wondered what kind of laundry soap or fragrance beads Aunt Zhou had used. The smell was really pleasant.

At that moment, Xu Mingmei had a sudden idea—she decided how she would spend the lawyer’s fee.

She was going to buy a bottle of new perfume!

A few days ago, the personal designer fragrance brand she liked, SA, had contacted her about a limited edition special blend. Xu Mingmei immediately decided that once she had some free time, she would go and pick it up.

Shortly after, when Lin Yiqing returned from breastfeeding, she readily signed the agreement with Xu Mingmei and asked about a few important points. Once everything was settled, she left with Aunt Zhou and the baby.

It was nearly time to clock out. Xu Mingmei looked at her son and cheerfully invited, “Xiao Bao, want to join me for some overtime? How about we work together as a mother-son team?”

Unfortunately, Xu Shijia firmly rejected her, without hesitation. He didn’t even think about it: “No, Mom, I have something to do tonight. I won’t be working overtime.”

“What is it?”

“I’m this old now, do I still need to report every little thing?” Xu Shijia cleared his throat and said somewhat awkwardly, “I’m meeting friends to watch a game. Don’t look for me at night, I’ll be watching the game all night.”

“Watching a game? Oh, right, it’s the sports season. I understand. After all, Xiao Bao never misses a match.”

Xu Shijia glanced at Lin Shu’s office and asked, “Has Lin Shu left?”

“Yeah, she just left.”

It was a bit surprising that Lin Shu had left early today, considering she usually stayed late. She must have had something personal to attend to.

Still, even with something urgent, Lin Shu had shown concern for Xu Mingmei. Before leaving, she specifically walked by Xu Mingmei’s desk—

“Mingmei, you’ve done well. You’ve only been here for a few days, and even during your internship, you’ve already brought in a new case with your own ability.”

Xu Mingmei still vividly remembered the sincere and focused look in Lin Shu’s eyes as she spoke, along with the smile on her lips—

“You’re really amazing, far better than I was when I first started.”

Lin Shu’s voice was gentle and soft: “Don’t let age limit your potential. In my team, whoever is capable gets to rise, and we don’t look at anything else. I’m only telling you this—work hard, because I really believe in you.”

Xu Mingmei had been married for many years, and her youngest son was even older than Lin Shu. But truthfully, when Lin Shu encouraged her so kindly, her heart couldn’t help but race.

It was a completely different kind of excitement from what love and family life brought. It was the feeling of being recognized in a competitive environment, the resonance of finding someone who truly understood her.

Now, Xu Mingmei only wanted to live up to Lin Shu’s recognition and shine in her work.

She thought she should land another case or two, after all, not only could she earn money on her own merit, but it would also indirectly help Lin Shu earn more!

After all, a boss like Lin Shu was a rare and valuable opportunity.

However, before Xu Mingmei could share these feelings with Xu Shijia, she heard him cough and say, “Oh, Lin Shu left? Then I’ll leave too. I’m going downstairs to buy some things. Watching the game, I’ll need beer and snacks for supper. Since no one else is off work yet, I’ll take advantage of the time and avoid the checkout lines later.”

After Xu Shijia finished speaking, he headed towards the elevator.

Xu Mingmei watched his hurried figure and couldn’t help but feel speechless.

Did he really have to rush that much?

There were still a few minutes left before work officially ended. Couldn’t he wait until after work to go buy things? Even if there was a line at checkout, it would only take a few minutes!

He talked about staying in the team to work hard for Lin Shu, even indulging in the belief that he was the team’s core, yet in reality, he avoided overtime to watch a game with friends and even had to use work time to buy snacks for the game!

And then he specifically asked whether Lin Shu had left yet. Once he heard she was gone, he completely lost his work ethic and left right away! Is this what a good employee does? A good employee should be self-disciplined whether or not the boss is around, not only perform well when the boss is present!

In Xu Mingmei’s view, Lin Shu should kick him out of the team.

This kid, Xiao Bao! He’s just too spoiled!

Xu Mingmei shook her head. Actually, Xu Shijia didn’t leave much earlier. He’d only been gone for a few minutes, and soon enough, it was time to clock out. Watching her colleagues gradually leave, Xu Mingmei suddenly remembered that her case preparation notes were nearly finished, so she decided to head downstairs to the supermarket and pick up another notebook to help her organize Lin Yiqing’s case.

Who knows, maybe she’d run into Xiao Bao.

Then she could remind him to eat fewer snacks like chips and other junk food, drink less beer—it’s not healthy! He’s getting older now, and his metabolism is slowing down. If he keeps eating like this, he’ll ruin his figure, and no one will want him in the future.

However, when Xu Mingmei reached the supermarket downstairs and grabbed the notebook she needed, she didn’t find Xu Shijia in the snacks or drinks section.

This kid is fast?

Had he already finished shopping and checked out?

It was the usual busy time after work, and there was even a long line at the self-checkout.

Xu Mingmei was about to sigh when, in the long line, she saw Xu Shijia.

Of course, the one checking out was none other than Xiao Bao!

Xu Mingmei’s face brightened, and she quickly walked over to him, planning to have him pay for her notebook as well to save herself the wait in line.

But as she got closer, she saw what Xu Shijia was scanning and immediately froze.

Her son, who claimed he was going to watch a game with friends tonight, hadn’t bought beer or snacks. Instead, he had four boxes of condoms…

Who buys condoms with friends to watch a game, and buys four boxes at once?

At this point, Xu Mingmei finally understood.

Xiao Bao was clearly planning to engage in some “adult” activities tonight!!!

Had he finally gotten together with that “white moonlight” of his? Or had he moved on to someone else?

Xu Mingmei thought she would be deeply concerned, but now she found that she didn’t care as much as she thought she would.

She had always been so vigilant about every little detail involving Xiao Bao, but now her focus had shifted more toward her work.

After all, she had made a great start—she’d already landed a new case shortly after joining the company!

At this moment, all she could think about was overtime.

If Xiao Bao was distracted with romance, that just meant more time for her to work and earn more.

On the other hand, Xu Mingmei couldn’t help but feel some disapproval about her son’s behavior.

No wonder he refused to go home and insisted on staying out!

No wonder he was in such a hurry to leave work!

And he still had the nerve to say he’d work hard for Lin Shu?

This was how he was working hard?!

Lin Shu had been so good to him and even kept him on the team, but did he still have any respect for her or for the job? Couldn’t he at least work hard for Lin Shu at night? Instead, he was being two-faced—slacking off the moment she left! This was clearly just laziness!

A boss like Lin Shu was rare, and she deserved the dedication of both work hours and after-hours from him!

Xu Mingmei felt that Lin Shu was just too kind and should kick Xiao Bao out of the team.