Chapter 29: Qian·old father·Heng is online!

Although she was somewhat discouraged by being assigned such a simple case, Cheng Yao still carefully and thoroughly reviewed all the materials related to Dong Shan’s divorce case before giving him a call.

Since Dong Shan was available, she arranged to meet him at the café downstairs from Junheng.

Family law cases were different from other types of cases—they often involved deeply personal matters and private lives. Holding the first meeting in a conference room would make things too formal and put the client on guard, which wasn’t ideal for open communication.

Qian Heng had never taken the time to explain this to her, of course. But Cheng Yao was an observant learner. After scheduling several initial client meetings for Qian Heng, she noticed that he always chose a quiet, private café near the firm instead of the office. She made a mental note of this approach.

Dong Shan arrived on time. As always, he dressed in a way that was almost excessively plain. His expression showed none of the shrewdness or slickness common among middle-aged businessmen. Instead, he appeared simple and honest, even a little naive.

If Qian Heng hadn’t told her otherwise, Cheng Yao would never have imagined that this man—who had built a business alongside his wife—was now seeking a divorce because he had cheated on her.

As she debated how to start the conversation, Dong Shan spoke first.

He smiled gently at her, his eyes kind. “You’re about the same age as my daughter.”

“Dong Min?”

“Yes.” Dong Shan sighed. “I have no idea what she’s doing these days. This divorce has been really hard on her. I’m worried. She’s had a smooth life so far. My wife and I went through so much just to have her—she’s been our treasure. We spoiled her too much. She’s used to getting her way, so when something happens that she can’t control, she has a hard time accepting it.”

As he spoke, he shook his head helplessly, though there was still a trace of indulgent affection in his expression.

It was clear that he adored his daughter, yet even her distress wasn’t enough to change his mind about the divorce. Most women would endure a failing marriage for the sake of their children, but Cheng Yao rarely saw men making the same sacrifice.

Putting her thoughts aside, she switched to work mode. “Mr. Dong, Lawyer Qian asked me to set up this meeting to discuss your legal strategy.” She took out a document. “This is a summary of your joint assets with your wife.”

Then, she placed another document in front of him. “This is an outline of how those assets might be divided under the current Marriage Law , including your shares in Zhenwei Catering. We’ve also prepared an analysis of how the division of assets could impact your business.”

She laid out the reports she had meticulously compiled and explained them in detail. “We’d like to hear your thoughts on this.”

But instead of reviewing the materials, Dong Shan simply flipped through them briefly before placing them back on the table. “I don’t have any thoughts on it,” he said, lowering his head. “I’ve wronged Wenxiu.”

Qian Heng had already told her that Dong Shan was willing to concede on the division of assets in order to finalize the divorce. But Cheng Yao knew that no matter what, people always had certain needs. She tried to guide him carefully.

“There’s no need to feel bad. As your attorney, my job is to protect your interests. Even if there were mistakes in the marriage, you still put effort into building Zhenwei Catering. It’s perfectly reasonable to make claims regarding joint assets.”

“Lawyer Cheng, I know what you’re getting at. You want to understand the minimum share I’m willing to accept in the divorce settlement, right?” Despite his seemingly straightforward demeanor, Dong Shan was still an experienced businessman—he saw through her intentions immediately. Adjusting his posture, he continued, “I truly don’t care about the division of assets. I’m willing to let Wenxiu take more if it means finalizing the divorce quickly.”

He paused before emphasizing, “The sooner, the better.”

When talking about Dong Min, his face showed a mix of guilt and sadness. But the moment the topic turned to his divorce, his suppressed excitement was impossible to hide.

He was willing to pay any price—so long as he could get divorced as soon as possible.

A sudden thought flashed through Cheng Yao’s mind. “Your… your partner, is she pregnant?”

Dong Shan’s eyes lit up. “That obvious?”

Now that Cheng Yao had figured it out, he no longer bothered to hide it. He let out a hearty laugh, instantly shaking off his previous gloom. His whole demeanor seemed to glow with excitement. “She’s due in two months—it’s a boy!”

Talking about this son, Dong Shan was practically ecstatic. “That’s why I need to get everything settled before he’s born, to give him a proper status. Otherwise, he won’t even be able to get registered, and growing up with an incomplete family might leave psychological scars.” His voice was filled with warmth and excitement as he spoke about his illegitimate child. “I’ve waited for this son for decades! I’ve finally lived up to my ancestors—our Dong family’s lineage won’t be cut off! My father is already eighty-nine, and his health is failing. I want to surprise him and give him this good news before it’s too late…”

He was so concerned about protecting his unborn illegitimate son from psychological trauma. And yet, the emotional devastation this might cause to his daughter—who had lived with him for over twenty years—was nowhere in his considerations.

Perhaps realizing he had gotten too carried away, Dong Shan quickly reined in his expression, once again putting on his usual simple and honest facade. In a seemingly sincere tone, he explained, “You know, with a business as big as Zhenwei Catering, and all my investments across different industries, I need a son to take over someday.”

Looking at the middle-aged man in front of her, who was so eager to share his joy of fathering a son in his later years, Cheng Yao found the whole thing utterly ridiculous.

A wife who had built a business with him from scratch. A daughter in the prime of her youth. None of them could compare to the importance of a male reproductive organ.

Dong Min had once tearfully asked Qian Heng why her father was divorcing her mother. She might never realize that from the moment she was born, she had already been placed in a discardable position—simply because she was a girl.

But no matter how deep his preference for sons over daughters ran, it was still no justification for having an affair and fathering an illegitimate child.

Cheng Yao held back for a moment, but in the end, she couldn’t help herself. “Did it never cross your mind to have another child with Ms. Jiang? Even back then, during the one-child policy, someone in your position could have easily afforded the fines.”

“It’s not that I didn’t think about it,” Dong Shan sighed. “I could have paid the fines, but Wenxiu had health issues. It was already difficult for us to have Minmin. Trying for another child was almost impossible, and I couldn’t bear to put her through that kind of suffering just to have a son…” He looked troubled. “My father doesn’t have much time left. His greatest wish has always been to have a grandson. I had no choice.”

He hesitated before continuing, “You know how it is in business—we have to entertain clients, socialize. That night, I had too much to drink and mistook her for Wenxiu. And then… she got pregnant. And it’s a boy. I just couldn’t let him go.” His voice was filled with emotion. “It feels like fate, like a gift from the heavens. And besides… this is a life. How could I bear to end it?”

The whole picture was now clear. A few simple rounds of conversation had laid out the entire story.

If this had been the old Cheng Yao, she would have simply smiled and ended the meeting at this point.

But after handling the Bai Xingmeng case, she had become much more cautious.

More often than not, mistakes didn’t come from overlooking the big picture—but from missing the seemingly insignificant details hidden within the case.

“Mr. Dong, may I ask you one more question? If Ms. Jiang is willing to accept this child, raise him as her own, and doesn’t want a divorce, would you agree?”

Dong Shan was momentarily stunned. Then, somewhat awkwardly, he replied, “If that’s the case, of course, that would be even better. I definitely wouldn’t get a divorce then.”

Cheng Yao nodded. After confirming a few more details with Dong Shan, she finally saw him off.

In any divorce case, the first step is to understand the mindset of the parties involved—why they want a divorce, whether reconciliation is possible—so that the lawyer can be fully prepared for any scenario when filing or defending the case.

Unlike commercial disputes, where black is black and white is white, family law cases are far more fluid. A party may start off adamantly wanting a divorce, only to break down in tears and reconcile during court mediation, promising never to part again. That’s why lawyers must always have contingency plans for every possible turn of events.

As soon as Cheng Yao returned to Junheng, she was called into Qian Heng’s office.

“You’re done talking with Dong Shan?” He sat in his executive chair, hands crossed, looking down at her from his elevated position.

“Mm, it’s settled.”

“Did you run into any problems?” Qian Heng’s tone carried a hint of something unusual. He cleared his throat. “I happen to have some free time and am in a pretty good mood. If you encountered any difficulties, I can begrudgingly answer your questions—so you don’t end up making the same mistakes as you did in the Bai Xingmeng case. If word gets out that a lawyer from my team is this incompetent, it’d be quite embarrassing for me.”

…

Though his tone was as infuriating as ever, the fact that he was proactively following up on such a straightforward case—and even offering guidance—made Cheng Yao suspect that he had just won the lottery. His mood seemed extraordinarily good…

However, she was confident she had handled this case cautiously. She shook her head. “No issues.”

“The judge will most likely attempt mediation before the trial. Have you discussed mediation with the client? We need to prepare a response plan based on his stance.”

Cheng Yao nodded.

Qian Heng’s mood was almost suspiciously good today. He was practically hand-holding her through the case—something almost unheard of from a law firm partner!

“Alright, you can go now.”

Just as Cheng Yao turned to leave, Qian Heng’s office phone rang. He picked it up, listened for a moment, then frowned. “Dong Min? She’s here again? Tell the front desk not to let her in. If she causes trouble, call the police immediately.”

Cheng Yao hesitated, feeling a twinge of sympathy. “I’ll go talk to her.”

Qian Heng frowned slightly. “Be careful…”

Cheng Yao smiled. “I know, boss. I’ve learned my lesson from last time. I won’t let my personal emotions affect the case, and I definitely won’t disclose any details of the case or my conversation with Dong Shan just because I sympathize with Dong Min.”

Hearing her promise, Qian Heng finally looked at her with the satisfaction of a father who could rest in peace.

However, just before she stepped out, he called out to her again. “This case may be much simpler than the Bai Xingmeng case, but don’t let your guard down. Every case is different, and every detail must be scrutinized with obsessive precision to ensure nothing is overlooked.”

With that, he waved her off, dismissing her from his presence.

**

As expected, Dong Min looked utterly haggard and lost. Seeing her, Cheng Yao first took out a tissue.

“There’s no point in coming to us lawyers. We’re only representing your father as his legal counsel, and we have a confidentiality agreement with our client. Due to professional ethics, there are many things we simply can’t disclose,” Cheng Yao said gently. She patiently waited for Dong Min to calm down before offering comfort. “Lawyers aren’t the ones involved in a marriage. If you have any issues, you need to talk to your father directly. Coming to us won’t help.”

Dong Min’s eyes were red. “I know there’s no use talking to you lawyers—I have to talk to my dad. But that’s only possible if I can even find him! My mom is still in the hospital because of all this, and I just want him to visit her! But he completely ignores me! I don’t even know what he’s so busy with every day. I’ve tried catching him at his company, but he’s never there. Who knows where he’s running off to?”

…

Dong Min continued venting for a while before finally calming down and leaving.

But while Dong Min had found peace, Cheng Yao had not.

Wasn’t he the one who claimed he still had feelings for Jiang Wenxiu? That the affair was just a drunken mistake? That he was only divorcing for the sake of his son and his aging father who desperately wanted a grandson? That he was even willing to make concessions in the property division out of guilt?

Then why, when Jiang Wenxiu was lying in a hospital bed, hadn’t he even visited her once?

Dong Min’s offhanded complaint tightened a string in Cheng Yao’s mind—completely taut.

Dong Shan had lied.

Just like Bai Xingmeng, this client of hers hadn’t told the truth.