Chapter 36.1: “Hey, mom, okay, this is my boyfriend.”

Even though Qian Heng had acknowledged her, Cheng Yao still felt a little uneasy.

In Bai Xingmeng’s case, as one of the representing lawyers, Cheng Yao had no moral qualms about taking it on. Xu Jun had intentionally manipulated his assets to reduce the portion given to his spouse—that was undeniably wrong, both legally and ethically.

But this case… Chen Qingmei was, without a doubt, a homewrecker. There was no way to sugarcoat it. Helping a mistress fight for a share of an illegitimate child’s inheritance from the long-suffering legal wife—it just didn’t sit right with Cheng Yao.

In the past, whenever Qian Heng took on cases like this, she wouldn’t have thought twice about it. After all, wasn’t he a cold, ruthless “cancer” in the legal world? Cancer don’t care about principles, justice, or morality. Accepting a high-value case like this was just par for the course.

But the more she worked with Qian Heng, the harder it was to equate him with the “cancer” label. Yes, he was practically the leader of a “Five Poisons Sect” in the legal world, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t an indiscriminate executioner. After all, someone who would step up to protect his subordinates, who would take the fall for them and endure criticism on their behalf—how could that person truly be a bad guy?

And yet, here he was, taking on Chen Qingmei’s case without a hint of moral struggle. Cheng Yao found herself at a loss for how to rationalize it…

Could it be because he grew up poor? Maybe he’d endured too many years of hardship, leading to an almost pathological reverence for money? Perhaps his difficult childhood had ingrained an obsessive need to accumulate wealth, like a hoarder who just couldn’t let go? Was that why he couldn’t resist taking on lucrative cases?

During lunch with her colleagues, Cheng Yao couldn’t hold back any longer and decided to ask Bao Rui.

“Hey, was Qian Par’s family struggling financially? Is that why he became a lawyer?”

Bao Rui’s eyes widened in disbelief, looking at her like she was an idiot. “You seriously don’t know? Qian Par’s family is literally the wealthiest in A City.”

Cheng Yao: ???

Slurping up some noodles, Bao Rui sighed. “Even though Qian Par keeps a low profile and never publicizes it, everyone at Junheng knows—it’s an open secret. How do you not know? Are you even a modern human, Cheng Yao?”

Hearing this, Cheng Yao suddenly remembered that A City’s richest man was named Qian Zhan. His family empire spanned everything from financial trusts and real estate to hotel chains. And based on his age, he could very well have a son around Qian Heng’s age. But…

“But I’ve seen interviews with Qian Zhan. He does have a son, but I remember his name being Qian Xin.”

Tan Ying leaned in with a knowing smirk. “Qian Xin is Qian Par’s older brother. Qian Par is Qian Zhan’s youngest son—his legitimate one, no less.”

“…”

Cheng Yao thought for a moment, still unwilling to give up. “Then… could it be that, as the younger son, he’s not favored? You know, rich families—two sons fighting over the inheritance. Maybe Qian Par lost? His parents handed everything to the eldest, and Qian Par had no choice but to become a lawyer to maintain his previous high-spending lifestyle?”

“Cheng Yao, has anyone ever told you that you have an overactive imagination?” Bao Rui looked at her with sympathy. “Qian Par is actually the most cherished and adored in his family. There was no inheritance battle at all. Qian Par simply wanted to be a lawyer. His older brother, who loves art and had zero interest in running the family business, was basically forced to take over for his little brother’s sake. He even had to cut his long hair, crying while he did it.”

“Then why doesn’t Qian Zhan ever mention his younger son in interviews?”

“Oh, that’s because in Qian Par’s first year as a lawyer, he immediately turned against his own family—took money from his aunt and represented her in a divorce case against his uncle, leaving the poor guy nearly destitute and almost begging on the streets. His dad was so furious he nearly had a stroke…”

“…”

But…

“Wait a minute, doesn’t the Lawyers’ Law state that attorneys cannot take on cases where there is a conflict of interest involving themselves or their close relatives? Wouldn’t representing his aunt in a case directly against his own uncle be illegal?”

“In civil litigation, ‘close relatives’ include: spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, maternal grandparents, grandchildren, and maternal grandchildren. A biological uncle doesn’t count,” Bao Rui said calmly, sipping his tea. “At the time, his uncle did try to use this argument to request Qian Par’s recusal, but Qian Par just slammed the judicial interpretation right in his uncle’s face.”

“…”

That… sounded exactly like something Qian Heng would do.

Alright, so if Qian Heng became a lawyer purely out of personal interest and not financial necessity, then why was he so indiscriminately willing to take on any type of client? Could it be that his parents had an unhappy marriage? Maybe his home environment was cold and loveless, leading him to develop a deep-seated resentment toward the idea of a happy marriage? Was he so emotionally damaged that he willingly represented clients who destroyed and betrayed marriages?

“Are Qian Par’s parents… not on good terms? Like one of those rich couples whose marriage is just for show?”

“Nope, they’re super loving. When they team up to scold Qian Par for refusing to take over the family business, you can see just how in sync they are.”

“…”

“Then… has Qian Par ever been emotionally scarred in a relationship? Like maybe he had a girlfriend he gave everything to, only to be brutally betrayed and turned into a heartbroken cuckold, swearing never to love again?”

“Our Qian Par loves making money. Before surpassing his father to become the new richest man, he had no interest in romance and remained single since birth.”

…

Cheng Yao was puzzled. Cheng Yao was silent. Cheng Yao was lost.

So if Qian Heng had a happy life, a wealthy family, harmonious parents, and a good relationship with his brother—and had never suffered emotional trauma—how did he end up being such a “cancer” in the legal world?

Bao Rui seemed to read the confusion in Cheng Yao’s mind. He patted her shoulder like a wise elder. “I used to wonder the same thing. But now, I’ve figured it out. Some people don’t become extraordinary due to external circumstances. They are simply born that way. From the very moment of their birth, they are destined to be an anomaly.”

Pausing for dramatic effect, Bao Rui then smirked. “Inspired by the concept of ‘natural rights,’ I’ve come up with a term for people like him: ‘Innate Anomaly.’ What do you think?”

“…”

After the case was assigned to Bao Rui and Cheng Yao, the two of them discussed the details and organized the evidence over lunch.

Cheng Yao then arranged a meeting with Dong Shan’s father. The elderly man was resting in a high-end nursing facility. Coincidentally, just as she arrived, Dong Min had just left. The two didn’t cross paths, but Cheng Yao caught a glimpse of her retreating figure entering the elevator.

Sure enough, upon stepping into the hospital room, Cheng Yao immediately noticed a fresh fruit platter on the table, neatly cut and peeled—tangerines, already segmented and ready to eat. It seemed that while Dong Min was undoubtedly spoiled, she was also quite devoted to her grandfather.

After introducing herself, Cheng Yao got straight to the point. She explained the situation regarding Chen Qingmei and her unborn child, and respectfully requested the elderly gentleman’s cooperation in conducting a paternity test.

But in Cheng Yao’s heart, she felt a little uneasy. After all, it was clear that Dong Min and her grandfather had a good relationship. There was no reason for the old man to jeopardize that bond for the sake of an illegitimate child…

Although the elderly man was in poor health, his mind was still sharp. He listened patiently to everything Cheng Yao said, then fell silent for a moment before finally speaking.

He asked just one question: “Is it a boy or a girl?”

Cheng Yao immediately understood—he was referring to the child Chen Qingmei was carrying.

“It’s a boy.”

“Are you sure?”

“They went to Hong Kong for a gender test.”

The old man hesitated. “Are those tests reliable? I remember people used to get ultrasounds, and sometimes they’d get it wrong—think it’s a boy, but it turns out to be a girl in the end.”

Cheng Yao patiently explained, “The test in Hong Kong was a chromosome analysis. It clearly detected a Y chromosome, confirming that the baby is a boy. It’s not like an ultrasound, which can be inaccurate.”

Almost as soon as Cheng Yao finished speaking, the old man nodded without hesitation. “If it were a girl, I wouldn’t do it. I have Minmin—that’s enough. I don’t want an outsider coming in to divide her inheritance. But if it’s a boy, then since he carries the Dong family bloodline, he should be recognized and acknowledged by the family.”

He coughed and took a deep breath, as if speaking to both Cheng Yao and himself. “This is also for Minmin’s sake. Our Dong family has a massive business, and someone will have to take over one day. But she has no interest in running it, and she doesn’t understand the industry. She’s a girl—eventually, she’ll get married and have children. It’s always been the case that women focus on the home while men handle external affairs. I don’t want her to be burdened with both raising a family and managing a business—it’s too much pressure. These things should be left to the men. A boy should take on the family’s responsibilities. Even if he has to carry a heavier load, I wouldn’t feel bad about it.”

“Show me the gender test report. If it confirms the baby is a boy, I’ll do this paternity test,” the old man said. Then, as if suddenly worried, he added, “Can these reports be forged?”

“They can’t be forged,” Cheng Yao explained. “For the paternity test, we need to verify the presence of a Y chromosome to prove the child comes from the same paternal lineage. If the baby isn’t a boy and doesn’t have a Y chromosome, then a paternity test with you wouldn’t even be possible. The test itself is only feasible if the child is a boy.”