Chapter 66

“That was terrifying; I’ve truly never seen such a deranged couple.”

On the way back to the law firm, Xu Mingmei couldn’t help but sigh, “Thankfully, Yiqing managed to bring her child back today. She’s gone home to quickly pack her things, worried that Xu Nan and his wife might try to take the child again. So, for now, she’ll be staying at a hotel, and she’s leaving the rest of the case in our hands.”

Thinking of this case, Lin Shu felt a tinge of melancholy. She sighed and said, “Actually, Song Yilan probably wasn’t inherently bad. I think she might’ve been brainwashed by Xu Nan. She loved and depended on him so much, and was afraid that her inability to have children would eventually lead him to leave her. She’d come to accept that a woman who can’t bear children is somehow failing her husband. So, when Xu Nan suggested they set up a situation to have someone else bear a child, she agreed without hesitation, thinking that doing so would save her marriage and keep her love.”

“She was a victim of that mindset herself, but ultimately became an accomplice to it, trying to transfer the pain of those beliefs onto another innocent woman.”

“It’s both hateful and tragic,” Lin Shu concluded.

Xu Mingmei, also deep in thought, added, “But from the way she looked at the child, you can tell she had real affection for them. That’s why she risked herself to push Lin Yiqing out of harm’s way to protect the child.”

“Maybe at first she selfishly wanted to be close, to work as Yiqing’s nanny, so she could monitor her and Xu Nan, fearing they’d develop a real relationship. But people have hearts. I’m a mother myself, and I could tell by the way she looked at Yiqing’s child that she genuinely loved them. She wanted to take the child and raise it as her own, which is why she was so devoted to caring for them. Her childcare skills were truly impeccable. She must have wanted children herself, yet couldn’t become a mother. That, in itself, is tragic.”

“If she wanted to be a mother, she could’ve adopted instead of helping Xu Nan commit fraud,” Xu Shijia pointed out bluntly, “It’s true that pitiable people often have detestable aspects.”

The breakthrough in this case, which allowed Lin Yiqing to reclaim her child, owed much to Xu Mingmei. Her keen observation of details led her to discover the perfume clue, and her dedication, working long hours, was crucial to solving it efficiently.

At this moment, as Lin Shu looked at Xu Mingmei, she noticed that while she appeared a bit tired, there was a triumphant smile on her face.

The sense of accomplishment from hard work can only be felt through direct experience; no one else can share it for you.

Xu Mingmei was clearly savoring the sweetness of her success.

“Mingmei, you’re truly amazing.”

Lin Shu, always generous with praise for dedicated employees, said warmly, “Having you on our team is a huge asset. I believe you’ll continue to surprise us. Just remember to balance work and rest—take a break these next few days. After all, good health is the foundation for everything.”

Xu Mingmei tried to appear calm, but her slightly upturned lips and sparkling eyes betrayed her joy.

Still, she replied matter-of-factly, “It’s nothing. I’ve developed the habit of observing details—it’s second nature now…”

As Xu Mingmei happily shared her thoughts, Xu Shijia, sitting nearby, began to cough repeatedly, his voice seemingly on the verge of interrupting her.

Lin Shu couldn’t resist giving him a discreet kick.

Finally, he quieted down, albeit looking a bit aggrieved, glancing at Lin Shu and then sympathetically at Xu Mingmei…

Meanwhile, Xu Mingmei continued, “As for balancing work and rest, I’m still pretty young, and this workload isn’t too much for me…”

Lin Shu had been waiting for that line.

With a wide grin, Lin Shu said, “That’s perfect! Just in time, there are three new cases involving bank bad debts. I’ll assign them to you.”

Xu Mingmei froze. “Huh? Lin, didn’t you just tell me to take it easy and rest?”

“Some people with exceptional abilities have boundless energy. They can’t stop—if they do, it makes them unwell. You said you can handle this pace, so I thought about it, and it’s probably best to keep you active. Stopping might actually harm someone as driven as you. For people like you, forcing a break would be the real disservice.”

Xu Mingmei’s eyes widened as if she wanted to protest, but under the mountain of praise, she couldn’t quite find the words, managing only a weak smile.

Lin Shu, however, simply beamed, “Mingmei, you’ve truly taken on so much work for me. Hiring you was absolutely the right decision. You’re good with these three cases, right?”

Xu Mingmei could only reply in a small, dry voice, “Yes, no problem.”

With that settled, Lin Shu thought, *Time to get back to work!*

In her office, Xu Mingmei immediately set to work on the bank bad debt case files.

Meanwhile, Xu Shijia slipped into Lin Shu’s office again.

Watching Xu Mingmei hard at work, he hesitated and said, “She’s not exactly young anymore… maybe you shouldn’t push her so hard. Wouldn’t want her to get work-related injuries…”

“Then would you like to take over?”

“Me? My workload is already full, and I’ve just started seeing someone—I have a date tonight…” The moment Xu Shijia realized that dropping the work on Mingmei would mean taking it himself, he immediately changed sides, “Actually, it’s fine for Mingmei to handle it. She’s older, so she should have more opportunities, or she might retire in a few years without fulfilling her career dreams. Our team shouldn’t discriminate by age; we should give older people a chance.”

“…?”

Lowering his voice, Xu Shijia then asked, “So about tonight…”

Lin Shu was about to answer when a knock sounded on the office door, and in walked Tie Niu with an eager expression.

“Lin, are you free tonight?”

Tie Niu asked, a bit bashfully, “My father’s new book, Socializing in Pig Herds, just launched, and he’s doing a signing at the Rong City Library this afternoon. Since you mentioned you liked his book, he saved a copy just for you. He’d like to invite you to dinner and personally give it to you, signed.”

Xu Shijia looked calm and didn’t say anything, but Lin Shu’s phone had already received five frantic texts from him—

“Don’t go!”

“Say no to Tie Niu!”

“Don’t go!”

“You’re not even a true fan of his dad!”

“Are you really going to leave me behind for some pigs and cows?”

…

Lin Shu couldn’t help but find it funny.

Of course she wouldn’t.

She looked up at Tie Niu and said, “Sure, I’m free tonight.”

Then she gestured toward Xu Shijia, saying, “But Xu Shijia will be joining us, too.” Ignoring the surprised expression on Xu Shijia’s face, she continued, “He’s also a big fan of your dad and really wants a copy of *Socializing in Pig Herds*.”

Xu Shijia: “…”

“We’re all colleagues! Shijia, you’re a fan of my dad? Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Tie Niu, excited to learn Xu Shijia was also a fan, was thrilled. “Then let’s all get together tonight! I’ll ask my dad to prepare two signed copies, one for each of you!”

…

Once Tie Niu left, Xu Shijia naturally started to protest—

“Why’d you drag me along? I wanted a date, just the two of us! Since when do people bring two third wheels along on a date? And, by the way, I have zero interest in pigs or cows!”

“Who said it was a date?” Lin Shu glanced at Xu Shijia. “This is overtime. There’s a work task for you tonight at dinner, and only you can handle it.”

As soon as he heard about a work task that only he could handle, Xu Shijia’s reluctance eased, and he quickly regained his composure. “Oh—only I can handle it, huh?”

His expression shifted from stormy to sunny, and he looked at her with a gaze that was warm and a bit clingy. “So I’m indispensable to you in a lot of ways, huh? I really am important to you. If you’re saying this, how could I refuse to go tonight? After all, no one else could take on this role.”

Lin Shu ignored his teasing, efficiently listing a few things for him to remember and going over the task she needed him to handle. When it came to work, Xu Shijia’s behavior became serious, putting her at ease.

—

It seemed that Lin Shu’s luck had been on the upswing lately—not only had she successfully secured several new clients, but just as she finished planning the dinner, the front desk called to say that a new client had shown up in person.

Noticing Lin Shu’s unusual expression, Xu Shijia asked, “What’s going on?”

“The front desk says Zhao Zhongcheng is here to see me about a case, and he’s waiting in the conference room. Xu Hui and Mingmei are busy with their cases, and Tie Niu can’t handle clients, so you’ll come along with me.” Lin Shu was a bit puzzled. “But I hadn’t even heard of Zhao Zhongcheng until today. How did he end up here?”

Since he had shown up in person, she definitely needed to meet him, as in-person inquiries generally had a higher success rate than phone inquiries.

In the conference room, Lin Shu quickly learned why Zhao Zhongcheng had reached out.

“Hello, Attorney Lin! We met at the Jinyan Annual Gala. I can’t see, but your direct and decisive speech left a strong impression on me. I thought you were amazing! So when I ran into a legal issue, you were the first person who came to mind as my attorney. I even asked the folks at Jinyan Media for your firm’s address so I could come over and retain you.”

To Lin Shu’s surprise, Zhao Zhongcheng, who was visually impaired, had come alone. Holding a cane and wearing sunglasses, he had a trendy, edgy look for a pianist, complete with hair dyed in a popular color.

Lin Shu smiled and replied, “You’re too kind. But I think you’re the one who’s truly impressive, Mr. Zhao.”

Zhao Zhongcheng laughed, tapping his cane to navigate and casually asked for help. “Attorney Lin, could you help me find a seat? I’m visually impaired.”

He extended his hand, moving in Lin Shu’s direction.

Before she could act, Xu Shijia stepped forward to assist him. “Let me help.”

Lin Shu took the opportunity to introduce him, “I forgot to introduce you. This is Attorney Xu Shijia, my colleague and a part of our team.”

Xu Shijia politely greeted Zhao Zhongcheng, who responded enthusiastically, “Attorney Xu sounds young and accomplished! That voice suggests you’re a rising star!”

He reached out as if to shake hands with Xu, but perhaps due to his blindness, he ended up walking directly toward Lin Shu instead, his hand almost reaching her waist.

Before Lin Shu could react, Xu Shijia quickly stepped in front of her, grasping Zhao Zhongcheng’s hand in a handshake to prevent him from bumping into her.

Slightly embarrassed, Zhao Zhongcheng apologized repeatedly. “I’m sorry to both of you. My blindness can be such a nuisance sometimes.”

After getting him seated with Xu Shijia’s assistance, they all sat down.

Lin Shu, as usual, got straight to the point, quickly understanding his main concern.

Zhao Zhongcheng’s issue was straightforward:

“Recently, there have been unauthorized recordings of my live performances circulating online. Some even have complete videos of my classic pieces, despite our clear ‘No Recording’ policy on the tickets. These leaked recordings are hurting my future ticket sales. I’d like to retain your team to pursue legal action against this infringement.”

Unauthorized recordings certainly fall under copyright infringement, but Lin Shu clarified, “In cases like this, your company, Jinyan Media, could simply file a copyright complaint to have the videos removed from the platforms. Most social media sites are cautious about copyright issues, and they’ll typically remove content once the copyright holder files a complaint and verifies their identity. Legal action is only necessary if these recordings are causing significant damages.”

As a lawyer, Lin Shu naturally knew that the more cases she took on, the more money she would make. However, she wasn’t willing to make money against her conscience. Zhao Zhongcheng’s request could be easily addressed by Jinyan Media filing a complaint to remove the content, without the need to waste time and money hiring a lawyer to send cease-and-desist letters.

Although some performers prohibit unauthorized recordings to preserve the surprise effect for live audiences, given the sheer number of people attending, it’s hard to truly enforce. Unauthorized recordings are inevitable, but very few copyright holders actually go to the extent of filing lawsuits, since most of these infringements can be remedied through other means.

Yet, Zhao Zhongcheng seemed adamant. “Attorney Lin, you know I’m blind, and aside from my fans who love me, there are plenty of people who use my disability against me. Some of these videos were clearly taken by trolls who twist my words and use them to attack me, calling me all sorts of vile names. I want to sue a few of them, to use the law to send a message and make them pay damages. Real financial losses might discourage other trolls from being so brazen.”

Lin Shu now understood—Zhao Zhongcheng wanted to make an example of them.

It wasn’t the unauthorized recordings he minded so much as the malicious ones used to incite attacks against him.

Although he wore sunglasses and occasionally reached for the wrong direction when walking or shaking hands, as Lin Shu spoke, he lifted his head toward her. “Attorney Lin, while people praise my talent and I have a lot of supportive fans, I do feel a bit insecure inside. The online comments under those videos really get to me.”

Zhao Zhongcheng looked genuinely pained. “Attorney Lin, would you look down on someone with a disability like me?”

Lin Shu was momentarily taken aback.

They were supposed to be discussing business—how did it turn into this?

Perhaps people with disabilities were more prone to sensitivity and self-doubt?

This wasn’t a suitable topic for a professional setting, but out of courtesy, Lin Shu shook her head.

Before she could speak, Zhao Zhongcheng sighed, sounding hurt. “Attorney Lin, you must be lying. You must be looking down on me.”

Lin Shu reassured him, “Mr. Zhao, I don’t think you need to dwell on this so much. If you’re too concerned about your own flaws, you’ll always feel like others are, too. Besides, it’s your resilience and dedication to music that brought you to where you are, despite your imperfections.”

“If you truly don’t look down on me, then how about we have a meal together sometime? We could find a restaurant with a piano, and I’d love to play a song just for you.”

“Just one request—no male lawyers, please. I may be blind, but I’ve been bullied by other men because of my blindness. Even though I know Attorney Xu is a good person, the thought of being in close quarters with a man for a long time makes me very anxious and uneasy.”

“Honestly, when Attorney Xu helped me earlier, I felt so uncomfortable that I wanted to run away. I managed to hold it together, though, since it was only for a few minutes. But if it’s a long dinner, with prolonged close contact, I just can’t handle it. I’d have a serious reaction.”

Perhaps because of his background as an artist, Zhao Zhongcheng’s topics jumped around. After explaining his discomfort with long interactions with men, he switched topics. “Attorney Lin, if you really respect me, then we should be able to work together. Start by suing these trolls for me, and afterward, I’d like to sign an ongoing legal advisory agreement with you for my personal affairs.”

…

Lin Shu didn’t immediately agree to take on Zhao Zhongcheng’s case. She said they’d discuss it later, as she hadn’t had time to investigate the extent of these trolling videos and assess the feasibility and value of the case.

Zhao Zhongcheng didn’t press her. However, as he left the conference room, his cane caught on something near Lin Shu, and he nearly fell into her. Fortunately, Xu Shijia reacted quickly, catching him and then escorting him downstairs, even hailing him a taxi.

A few moments later, Xu Shijia returned to Lin Shu’s office, slightly out of breath and visibly agitated. “We can’t take this case.”

Lin Shu looked up, “Why not?”

“That guy’s a fake! Didn’t you notice?” Xu Shijia’s frustration was apparent. “All that nonsense about being bullied by men because of his vision issues? He just wanted an excuse to have dinner alone with you! And didn’t you see? He kept ‘accidentally’ bumping into you.”

“Normally, a blind person is highly attuned to sounds, so how could he end up reaching toward you instead of me for a handshake? And if he has trouble getting around, why would he come here alone with just a cane? Why did he almost trip every time he walked past you?”

“I could hardly stand him. If I hadn’t been there, he probably would’ve found an excuse to touch you, and you’d just have to brush it off because he’s supposedly blind. You couldn’t even call it harassment.”

Xu Shijia scowled. “I thought he was suspicious from the start. On the way down, I noticed that someone had dropped an ice cream cone in front of the elevator, melted into a sticky mess. Based on his path, he should’ve stepped right in it, but he adjusted his steps at the last second and avoided it completely.”

“Xu Shijia.”

He frowned. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“I do,” Lin Shu replied with a slight smile. “I knew he was faking it all along.”

“Huh?”

“When he asked if I looked down on him, I only shook my head—I didn’t say anything. Yet he instantly accused me of lying, as though he’d seen me shake my head. If he couldn’t see, how could he so confidently accuse me?”

“And all those little ‘accidents’—they were too suspicious.”

Lin Shu turned her computer screen toward Xu Shijia. “While you were taking him downstairs, I looked up some news on him. Turns out his personal life is pretty colorful. Although he says he’s been bullied by men and feels insecure, he’s very popular with women. Just among his documented ex-girlfriends, there are seven, and there are even photos of him checking into hotels with three others whose identities haven’t been confirmed. He’s definitely not as innocent as he claims.”

“However, what’s surprising is that all of his ex-girlfriends or rumored girlfriends are extremely beautiful, with great figures, and they all have similar looks and styles.”

Lin Shu smiled. “May I ask, if he truly is blind and can’t see the faces of others, how is it that every one of his ex-girlfriends or rumored girlfriends is a beauty, and they all seem to fit the same aesthetic standard?”

“Only men who can see care about looks and body shape. They subconsciously pick a certain aesthetic template, which is why all of his ex-girlfriends have similar styles.”

Xu Shijia glanced at the photos of Zhao Zhongcheng’s past girlfriends and quickly figured it out: “You completely match his aesthetic template—big eyes, high nose, fair skin, an oval face, and a curvy figure…”

He looked at Lin Shu, his tone sour. “And you’re even prettier than them, with a better figure…” Xu Shijia’s voice turned bitter. “This fake blind man must have been so captivated by you after that ‘one brief encounter’ that he’s trying to find an excuse to get close to you, pretending to have big business to hand over. It’s all just a pretext to approach you. After all, suing to remove unauthorized videos is easy for a copyright holder—he could have his assistant do it. There’s no need for a lawyer. His true intention clearly has nothing to do with the lawsuit.”

“Some men today are really scum!” Xu Shijia stared at Zhao Zhongcheng’s image on the screen. “He’s such a scumbag!”

“It’s no wonder his stolen videos were so heavily criticized—he plays terribly, with awful pitch and rhythm. If he were a normal person, he wouldn’t even get a chance to play in a bar, let alone in a concert hall.”

Of course, for ordinary people trying to make it through normal competition, it’s like crossing a narrow bridge amidst a sea of people, but if you claim to be disabled, add a touch of an inspirational story, and market yourself as a grassroots success story, the path becomes much easier.

Since Zhao Zhongcheng was able to fake blindness, Lin Shu reasonably suspected that the initial hospital performances, where he played free piano for patients, were all just part of a publicity stunt and scam. After all, if his original intention was to bring healing music to patients, why did he stop appearing in hospitals as soon as he became famous and started booking paid performances?

Recently, many of her team’s projects were on track and making solid profits, so Lin Shu was no longer as indiscriminate with the cases she took on. She wasn’t particularly interested in Zhao Zhongcheng’s case.

However, Xu Shijia still deserved some praise:

“You’re very observant—this is an essential skill for a successful lawyer.”

Xu Shijia, who had been fuming earlier, now seemed to calm down at her compliment, though he still couldn’t resist flirting.

He looked at Lin Shu with a feigned pout. “How can I not pay close attention to the men around you? One or two of them are clearly trying to steal me away.”

“They’re all bad, all trash—only I’m good.”

Xu Shijia spoke with firm conviction: “I’m the best.”

“Look at that fake blind man, Zhao Zhongcheng—under those sunglasses, he definitely has a pair of squinty little eyes. If the sunglasses weren’t in the way, who knows how shamelessly he’d be staring at you? He kept looking at your face the entire time. How has no one exposed him as a fraud?”

This was the pot calling the kettle black!

Xu Shijia probably thought that his gaze toward her was pure?

There really were a lot of shameless men in this world.