Chapter 37.2: Qian Heng, will you die if you let me be moved?!

As if to validate Cheng Yao’s thoughts, the first trial of the Dong Shan inheritance dispute was held. Unsurprisingly, under Qian Heng’s representation, and faced with the irrefutable chain of evidence, Jiang Wenxiu and Dong Min had nothing to say. The first-instance verdict ruled that out of Dong Shan’s estate, 210 million yuan would belong to the unborn child in Chen Qingmei’s womb.

When it comes to inheritance and gift acceptance, laws protecting fetal rights treat an unborn child as having civil capacity. Therefore, this share of the inheritance would be set aside until the child was born. If the baby was born alive, the inheritance would be officially processed. If the baby was stillborn, the reserved portion would be reclaimed and redistributed according to legal succession.

After the trial, Jiang Wenxiu looked pale but remained composed and dignified. Dong Min, however, broke down emotionally, crying as she confronted her grandfather.

The truth was clear—it was precisely because he had agreed to the paternity test that Chen Qingmei was able to turn the tables.

Before this, Jiang Wenxiu and Dong Min must have trusted him wholeheartedly. They never imagined he would become the weak link that led to their downfall.

They had never guarded against him, assuming he was on their side, only to be betrayed from within.

The feeling of trusting someone completely only to be utterly betrayed… Perhaps only those who have experienced it can truly understand.

“Grandpa, how have Mom and I treated you all these years? Do you even have a heart?” Dong Min’s eyes were filled with tears and disbelief. “You always said Mom was the only daughter-in-law you recognized, but behind our backs, you were secretly supporting that homewrecker!”

“When you had a stroke and couldn’t move, when your temper was bad, who was there for you every day? Mom gave up so many business opportunities to take care of you. Did she ever complain?”

“You always said I was your only granddaughter, but what now? Grandpa, this is the last time I’ll call you that. From now on, I, Dong Min, no longer have a grandfather.” Her tone was fierce and resolute. “I’ll change my surname to Jiang. From now on, there is no Dong Min—only Jiang Min.” She laughed bitterly. “Not that you care. After all, the Dong family already has a new heir.”

Then she turned to Qian Heng, Bao Rui, and Cheng Yao. “And you! You lawyers who support homewreckers! Do you have no conscience?” Her voice trembled with hatred. “I curse you all to experience betrayal and heartbreak for the rest of your lives! You’re all immoral, selling out for money! The law? The law is a joke! There’s no fairness or justice—just a cover-up for scum like you! The Marriage Law doesn’t protect marriages—it protects the illegitimate children of mistresses!”

“Minmin, enough.”

Dong Min was hysterical, but Jiang Wenxiu, though visibly shaken, remained calm. She nodded slightly at Qian Heng in a silent apology before leading Dong Min away.

She understood that lawyers were just professionals doing their jobs, and representation did not equate to personal endorsement. Even at this moment, she remained poised, earning Cheng Yao’s respect, sympathy, and an indescribable sense of shame.

With the first-instance ruling confirming the child’s legal paternity, the case was essentially settled. Even if Jiang Wenxiu and Dong Min appealed, they could only argue over the inheritance share at most.

The case might have been a victory, but representing someone like Chen Qingmei… there was no sense of joy, no sense of achievement.

Was this really what it meant to be a lawyer? What was the purpose of her job? What was the true value of being a lawyer?

On the way back to the firm, Cheng Yao was quiet. Qian Heng, accustomed to such cases, remained composed, only glancing at her thoughtfully. The most excited one was Bao Rui.

“This case might make it into the top family law cases of the year! Also, the attorney fees were generous. I think it’s time for a new car. What do you guys think? Audi? But people say Audi owners are more likely to cheat—bad omen. Maybe a Volvo instead?”

…

Cheng Yao’s feeling of emptiness lingered until the end of the workday.

In the past couple of days, Qin Qin had returned from her trip, and Megatron was given back to her. Now, when Cheng Yao went home, there wasn’t even a dog to cuddle. Just thinking about it made her feel even worse…

Meanwhile, Qian Heng coldly declined Chen Qingmei’s invitation to a thank-you dinner. Then, with a single internal phone call, he summoned Cheng Yao into his office.

Cheng Yao walked in cautiously, afraid that she had made another mistake and was about to get scolded again.

But as soon as she sat down, Qian Heng pulled open a drawer and tossed a big piece of chocolate at her. He averted his gaze slightly and said in an oddly unnatural tone, “Eat it. Quickly.”

Cheng Yao: ???

What’s wrong with Qian Heng? Why was he suddenly giving her chocolate?

“It’s about to expire. If you don’t eat it, it’ll just go to waste.”

“…”

However, Cheng Yao quickly realized something was off. She checked the expiration date on the packaging. “No, it’s still good for another year.”

Qian Heng’s expression turned slightly annoyed, as if he had been caught in a lie. “You shouldn’t question your boss so easily. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that? Whatever the boss says, that’s how it is.”

“Uh…” Cheng Yao hesitated and carefully pointed out, “But Boss, you once said that as a lawyer, we shouldn’t just believe whatever people say. Words alone aren’t evidence. Only after verifying things ourselves can we trust them…”

“You’re really going to nitpick just because I gave you some chocolate?”

“…”

Qian Heng cleared his throat. “I noticed you’ve been looking downcast ever since we got back from court. Eat some chocolate and lift your mood. Otherwise, if you keep spreading this negative energy, the whole office will end up looking miserable. And if that happens, can Junheng still do business?”

Cheng Yao clutched the chocolate in her hands, feeling unexpectedly touched. Qian Heng might have a sharp tongue, but he had actually noticed her mood and tried to cheer her up. It was surprising. Even though it was just a small piece of chocolate, to her, it felt as heavy as a mountain—a rare display of kindness.

“Here, take this.”

Just as she was feeling touched, Qian Heng handed her a small slip of paper.

Cheng Yao looked at it in confusion. “What’s this?”

“The invoice for the chocolate.”

Cheng Yao: ???

“I’ll deduct it directly from your salary.”

Cheng Yao: WTF???

Qian Heng spoke with absolute confidence, “I personally lowered myself to buy you chocolate. I suggest you keep this invoice well—as a memento.”

Qian Heng, are you the devil?! I’m already feeling this down, and you still expect me to pay for the chocolate myself?!

Although Cheng Yao was screaming internally, she obediently played along. “Thank you, Boss! I’ll head out now!”

“Eat it here.” Qian Heng was firm. He crossed his arms and stared at Cheng Yao. “I have something else to say.”

Cheng Yao: ???

“You have a lot of opinions about this case, don’t you?”

“No… no, I don’t…”

“Really?”

Cheng Yao shook her head vigorously. “Really, I don’t.”

“Well, just so you know, since Bao Rui was the one who went to court for this case and your contribution was relatively minor, you won’t be getting a share of the commission.”

Cheng Yao exploded. “If I had known there was no commission, I wouldn’t have taken this case at all! Representing a mistress—what justice does that uphold?! If I had the choice, as long as I wasn’t on the verge of starvation with no other cases, I would never take a case like this! People should have principles! A bottom line!”

Qian Heng raised an eyebrow. “See? You do have an opinion.”

“…”

“You will get your share of the commission.” Qian Heng pressed his lips together. “Now, let’s talk about your opinions about me.”

“…”

Qian Heng had clearly set a trap, just waiting for Cheng Yao to walk right into it. Now, he watched her leisurely, as if ready to bury her alive…

At this point, there was no point in pretending. Cheng Yao decided to go all in. “Representing Chen Qingmei—was that fighting for justice? Speaking up for the weak? Promoting truth, goodness, and beauty? Does it align with core socialist values?!”

“Cheng Yao, this is your biggest mistake.”

“You’re saying that being a lawyer is just a job and shouldn’t be idealized as a fight for justice, right? That once we take on a client, we should fight for them, without getting sentimental about what’s right or wrong.” Cheng Yao lowered her head. “I understand. A lawyer shouldn’t have a predetermined stance when representing a case. This profession isn’t as idealistic or glamorous as people think. Once we accept a case, we must see it through responsibly. But you have the right to choose your clients. You wouldn’t starve without this one. So why take on Chen Qingmei? There’s no justifying her being a mistress. On top of that, she doesn’t even love Dong Shan—her affair with him was purely for money…”

Cheng Yao had too many doubts. She couldn’t understand why Qian Heng would take on a client like this. “And representing someone like Chen Qingmei is bad for your reputation. Why do it? So many people call you the industry’s cancer, but you’re not!”

Qian Heng was momentarily stunned. No one had ever said that to him before.

Cheng Yao’s eyes were too bright. Qian Heng instinctively looked away. “You are fighting for justice.”

Cheng Yao thought she misheard. “What?”

Qian Heng’s voice was deep and magnetic. He repeated, word by word, “Every case you work on—so long as you collect evidence and defend your client within the bounds of the law—is a fight for justice.”

“Your understanding of justice is too narrow. You’re only focused on individual case justice. But for the progress of law and legal systems, procedural justice is more important than substantive justice. Because with substantive justice, sometimes you can never truly know what’s real and what’s fake, what’s right and what’s wrong. Lawyers aren’t judges. Lawyers aren’t present at every dispute. It’s not a lawyer’s job to determine right and wrong. And given the imperfections in legal development, no matter how discerning a judge may be, absolute justice will never exist.”

Cheng Yao pressed her lips tightly together and stared at him.