Chapter 22: Cheng Yao felt that he was gentler than ever before.

Xu Jun’s body was discovered by a sanitation worker in the greenery at around five in the morning. He had jumped from his expensive high-rise apartment, ending his own life.

However, public opinion had already begun to spiral hours before his body was found.

Because before his death, Xu Jun had posted a long message on Weibo.

It was a farewell letter in which he detailed his despair and suffering.

The company he had built from the ground up was on the verge of going public, only to be derailed by a lawsuit from his ex-wife, with no possibility of reconciliation. Half a lifetime of effort was about to be destroyed. His broken marriage with his ex-wife had been dragged into the public eye, dissected and criticized. His image had been completely distorted—false accusations had smeared his reputation across the internet, plunging it to an all-time low. Even many of his friends had begun to doubt his character. And the final straw came at 2 a.m. when he received news from New York that someone had informed his investors about the lawsuit, making reconciliation impossible. Investors were beginning to withdraw their funds, some even switching to invest in his competitor, Kanxun TV, which was also preparing for an IPO. While Tuantuan Online’s listing prospects crumbled, Kanxun TV was thriving…

“Did you see that? Just yesterday, I was gossiping about how Xu Jun and Bai Xingmeng were actually married, and before I could even process that, he posted a suicide note.”

“Yeah, yesterday the entire internet was calling Xu Jun a scumbag, but now that he’s dead, his words are subtly painting Bai Xingmeng as no saint either—he even accused her of a marriage scam…”

Early in the morning, as Cheng Yao waited for the subway, she overheard a couple of girls chatting about the incident.

In his final statement, Xu Jun painted himself as the victim. He claimed that Bai Xingmeng had meticulously plotted to get close to him, that her kindness and gentleness before marriage were nothing but an act.

He had been fully devoted to his career, having never dated before. Bai Xingmeng had seemed warm, considerate, and understanding, and he had fallen hard for her. But after marriage, she completely changed—becoming hysterical, extreme, and paranoid…

One wrong step, and everything unraveled from there.

When Cheng Yao arrived at the firm, she was still reeling from the shock of Xu Jun’s suicide, a mix of disbelief and unease weighing on her.

Of course, Xu Jun’s accusations against Bai Xingmeng on Weibo had no evidence. They could very well be fabricated slander, an attempt to tarnish her name in his final moments. Or perhaps, frustrated by his failed IPO, he had lashed out at Bai Xingmeng, unwilling to let her have peace even in death.

And yet, something felt off. Cheng Yao thought of Bai Xingmeng—helpless and vulnerable. Then she recalled Xu Jun from just yesterday, speaking so confidently and without any trace of despair. What exactly was going on between these two?

No matter the truth, Xu Jun’s death was an extreme price to pay for a post-divorce asset redistribution lawsuit.

She suddenly remembered the words she had spoken to Xu Jun the previous day and was overcome with unease. How much pressure had he already been under at that time? Had she inadvertently added to his despair?

Online, chaos had erupted. Some celebrated his death, declaring that karma had finally caught up to a scumbag. Others mourned. But the loudest voices were those now condemning Bai Xingmeng, blaming her relentless pursuit of the lawsuit for driving her ex-husband to his death.

Cheng Yao glanced at the comments. Bai Xingmeng’s Weibo was flooded with insults—crude, vicious, and utterly vile.

The entire morning, Cheng Yao felt restless and on edge. She tried calling Bai Xingmeng, but there was no answer.

“Cheng Yao, come look at this!”

Just as she was spiraling deeper into her thoughts, Tan Ying called out to her. “Bai Xingmeng just released a statement!”

“I hope she doesn’t let the online hate get to her.”

“You’re still worried about her?” Tan Ying sounded exasperated. “Do you even realize what she just did? She dumped all the blame on her lawyers—on our firm, Junheng!”

Cheng Yao froze. “Let me see.”

The statement was not particularly long or complex, yet as Cheng Yao finished reading, her mind went blank, and her hands started to tremble.

Bai Xingmeng’s legal statement had been issued through Dewei Law Firm—

“In this case, Miss Bai Xingmeng’s lawsuit against Mr. Xu Jun for post-divorce asset redistribution was a lawful pursuit of her marital property rights. Miss Bai Xingmeng had always been open to reconciliation, believing that even after separation, mutual respect should remain. Trusting in professional legal counsel, she entrusted all communication with Mr. Xu Jun to Junheng Law Firm’s lawyers and had never directly spoken with Mr. Xu Jun herself. Due to a lack of transparency from her legal representatives, Miss Bai Xingmeng was unaware that Mr. Xu Jun had repeatedly sought direct dialogue with her. She is deeply saddened by the tragedy that has occurred as a result.”

….

“As for Mr. Xu Jun’s false accusations on Weibo, out of humanitarian considerations, Miss Bai Xingmeng will not pursue legal action. However, regarding certain media outlets, self-media accounts, and marketing accounts that have distorted facts, fabricated stories, defamed, and spread rumors, we will pursue legal responsibility in accordance with the law.”

…

“Due to the negligence of the attorneys at Junheng Law Firm in fulfilling their duties, we hereby declare the termination of our agency agreement and reserve the right to pursue legal action. Moving forward, all related legal matters will be handled by Lawyer Deng Ming from Dewei Law Firm…”

If Cheng Yao had still managed to hold herself together up to this point, the final two words—”Deng Ming”—felt like being shoved into an abyss.

This statement had actually been issued by Deng Ming.

When Cheng Yao entered the legal profession, she had two goals: first, to become an elite lawyer with both integrity and compassion, and second, to defeat Deng Ming in court, exposing his hypocrisy.

But now, what she had considered a humane gesture—shielding Bai Xingmeng from Xu Jun’s “harassment”—had turned into evidence of her supposed lack of professionalism, a mistake that Bai Xingmeng had bitten back at her for. And ultimately, it was Deng Ming who had the last word, slapping her in the face with this statement.

This statement caused another explosion on the internet.

The controversy spread from Bai Xingmeng to Junheng Law Firm. With Bai Xingmeng’s influence and the heat of Xu Jun’s suicide case, the situation quickly spiraled out of control. Bai Xingmeng’s fans, along with online bystanders who thrived on drama, fueled yet another public spectacle.

Junheng Law Firm’s official Weibo account was overrun—notifications surged wildly, and the comments were flooded with insults, curses, and threats.

Their website’s message board was also filled with attacks. Even senior partners and experienced lawyers who had their profiles and photos listed online were dragged into the mess. People speculated about who Bai Xingmeng’s representing lawyer was, openly discussing and ridiculing various attorneys’ appearances with blatant disrespect.

Cheng Yao had no idea how she got through the past few hours. Every few seconds, her phone screen would light up with new notifications—each one another wave of abuse directed at the firm.

When she received Qian Heng’s call, she was almost in a daze.

Since he was on a business trip, Qian Heng hadn’t immediately seen what had happened with Bai Xingmeng. But sooner or later, the storm had to come.

Cheng Yao bit her lip, bracing herself for the inevitable. She was prepared for Qian Heng to scold her, maybe even fire her.

But to her surprise, Qian Heng didn’t blame her at all. He simply stated matter-of-factly, “I’ll be cutting my trip short. I’m at the airport now. Don’t do anything—just wait for me to get back.”

Three hours later, Qian Heng arrived at Junheng, travel-worn but composed.

“Cheng Yao, come to my office.”

Cheng Yao had endured three agonizing hours. The moment she saw Qian Heng, she suddenly felt the urge to cry.

“Tell me, what happened?”

Stammering, Cheng Yao finally managed to explain everything.

“I didn’t stop Xu Jun and Bai Xingmeng from meeting—it was Bai Xingmeng’s own choice. I thought I was just helping my client. I felt like her marriage had been so miserable, and I just wanted to do something for her.”

“I warned you,” Qian Heng said, his voice calm and steady. “You need to keep your distance from your clients.”

“Being a lawyer is a profession. Clients are just that—clients. No one asked you to pour your heart out for them. Not everyone has a taste for offal.”

…..

At a time like this, Qian Heng was still cracking dry jokes with a straight face!

Yet, the weight of Cheng Yao’s near self-destructive guilt did ease slightly because of his words.

Still, she chose to take responsibility for her mistake. “I’m sorry, Boss. I’ve brought disgrace to Junheng.” She bit her lip hard. “If you don’t want to see me anymore, I’ll resign immediately.”

Qian Heng’s expression remained unreadable. “Resign? In your dreams.”

???

“You made this mess, and now you think you can just quit and walk away?”

Cheng Yao could barely lift her head. “I’ll compensate for the losses. I’m also willing to issue a statement clearing Junheng of any responsibility and take full accountability for my mistake.”

“Heh. You think you can afford to compensate?”

“…”

“Then… then what should I do?” Under Qian Heng’s gaze, Cheng Yao forced herself to ask, “Boss, please give me instructions.”

Qian Heng gave her a meaningful look. “What do you think?”

Silence.

Cheng Yao took several deep breaths, running through countless mental defenses before finally mustering the courage to say, “Boss, I’m willing!”

Qian Heng paused. “You’re willing to what?”

“I’m willing to work like a horse for you… to devote myself entirely! No need for any official title!”

“Cheng Yao, just how much do you hate me? Or rather, how low do you think my standards are?”

“…”

Since she was the one who messed up, Cheng Yao figured she deserved whatever ridicule came her way. She simply continued apologizing sincerely. “It was my lack of professionalism that gave Bai Xingmeng an excuse to terminate her contract with Junheng, causing us to lose the legal fees, damaging the firm’s reputation, and ultimately escalating things to this uncontrollable situation.”

Qian Heng neither agreed nor disagreed. His face was sharp and handsome, an appearance that exuded an air of detachment, yet at this moment, Cheng Yao found it oddly reassuring.

Qian Heng had a kind of presence that made it feel like there was nothing in this world he couldn’t handle. As long as he was there, things wouldn’t be completely hopeless.

He was like the ultimate fallback clause in the law. No matter how many situations were unaccounted for, impossible to predict, or difficult to cover, as long as the fallback clause existed, everything could still run within the framework of order and stability.

This man was not only handsome—he was powerful, as sharp as his looks suggested.

Even in such an unpleasant situation, Qian Heng showed no signs of distress, anger, or misplaced blame. He maintained an eerie level of calm.

“You say it was due to your lack of professionalism. Then tell me, in this case, exactly where were you unprofessional? Where did you go wrong?”

“First, I didn’t heed my boss’s wise advice and failed to keep my distance from the client. Second, I shouldn’t have contacted the opposing party without your approval, even if it wasn’t about the case itself. Third, I let emotions get involved and wasn’t rational or neutral enough in my work.”

“That’s all?”

Cheng Yao thought for a moment. Flattery never hurt, so she added, “I shouldn’t have such a good boss and still cause trouble…”

“What else?”

“I shouldn’t have gotten a dog.”

“Oh? Go on.”

Realizing that Qian Heng was deliberately giving her a hard time, Cheng Yao had no choice but to push through. “I shouldn’t be late to work. It’s disrespectful! It’s utterly rebellious! It’s wasting the boss’s salary! It’s a crime!”

Qian Heng pressed his thin, well-shaped lips together and silently stared at Cheng Yao for a few minutes before finally speaking.

“Cheng Yao, you claim that everything you did was under Bai Xingmeng’s instruction, but I have my doubts. Are you sure it wasn’t your own decision?”

Cheng Yao was taken aback. “You… don’t believe me?”

“Mm, I don’t.” Qian Heng’s tone was cold. “You know, there are many lawyers these days who act with personal motives during cases—playing both sides, taking bribes from plaintiffs and defendants alike. For example, let’s say you convinced Bai Xingmeng not to meet with Xu Jun while secretly contacting him yourself, using the opportunity to demand a kickback. In exchange for his payment, you’d ensure a meeting and facilitate a settlement. A perfect, seamless plan—except for one miscalculation. You underestimated Xu Jun’s mental resilience. Instead of playing along, he took his own life.”

“I didn’t! I never once sought to profit from this!” Cheng Yao’s face turned pale. She had managed to endure the public’s online attacks, but facing Qian Heng’s doubt and rejection made her feel as if the armor she had painstakingly built around herself was about to shatter.

She had never even considered the possibility that Qian Heng might not believe her.

“I swear on my reputation—I, Cheng Yao, have never done anything like that, nor will I ever!”

“When couples get married, they swear to love each other for better or worse, in sickness and in health, until death do them part. But when they get divorced, no one remembers those vows.” Qian Heng’s voice was cold and unforgiving. “I don’t care for oaths. Show me evidence.”

“You claim you dealt with Xu Jun directly and that Bai Xingmeng instructed you to keep them apart—do you have any written proof? Did she send you an email or a text message?”

“No, she told me verbally.”

“Did you record it?”

Cheng Yao bit her lip and shook her head.

Only now did she realize—she had left no evidence at all. Against Bai Xingmeng’s accusations, what could she use to defend herself? Against Qian Heng’s doubts, how could she prove her innocence?

She lowered her head, rubbing her eyes to hide the tears threatening to spill over.

At this moment, all the humiliation and insults thrown at her online, the shame and regret over her own naivety, the pain and confusion about her career—everything crashed over her like a tidal wave, suffocating her.

Only now did she understand how foolish it was to feel smug over uncovering hidden assets. She was still so far from being a competent lawyer.

Just as she braced herself for another round of Qian Heng’s relentless sarcasm, she instead saw a pair of long, slender hands extending a tissue toward her.

“Cheng Yao, when I told you to keep your distance from clients, it wasn’t because I feared you’d mess up a case. It was because I wanted you to learn how to protect yourself. Lawyers face professional risks too. Passion and kindness alone aren’t enough. Plenty of public-interest lawyers have ended up getting their licenses revoked—or even thrown in jail.”

“As a lawyer, you need to recognize which clients pose risks and keep those risks within a controllable range. You must preserve evidence throughout the entire legal process. You are a lawyer—you should know where the legal boundaries lie and how to operate safely.”

Qian Heng’s voice was as cold as ever, yet at that moment, Cheng Yao felt he was gentler than ever before.

Then, he said, “I believe you.”

“And one more thing—I need to correct you on something. Bai Xingmeng’s legal fees? I’ll be collecting every last cent.” Qian Heng’s lips curved slightly, his well-shaped mouth carrying a touch of devilish charm. He let out a soft chuckle.

“In my dictionary, there’s no such thing as a case spiraling out of control. There will never be a situation that I, Qian Heng, cannot handle.”