The Legal Abyss

The world I inhabited was built on meticulously crafted lies, a gilded cage I was told was home. For twenty years, I, Xu Yiluo, had lived the life of the cherished Miss Xu, excelling in the high-stakes world of law, believing my achievements were my anchor. The façade shattered the moment Xu Weiwei returned. The “real” Miss Xu, a biological daughter lost and found, arrived not as a young woman, but as a perpetual infant, a “Baby Syndrome” patient demanding the world bend to her childish whims.

Her demands were absurd, yet indulged by my adoptive parents, who, consumed by guilt for her lost years, gave her unconditional reign. Our prestigious law firm’s reception area now served lukewarm milk powder instead of coffee. Her bedroom was a pink palace of princess paraphernalia. Her ultimate weapon, however, was her innocence—a calculated shield she used to dismantle my life.

The final straw, the cruelest blow, came from Zhai Dianshen, my fiancé. The man who had once praised my fierce courtroom victories now looked at me with apologetic weariness. “Yiluo,” he’d pleaded, “you’ve lived her life for twenty years. Can’t you be generous just this once?” His words were a mirror, showing me my true status: an expendable imitation.

My first life ended in the bitter stench of betrayal. On the day of the year’s most critical corporate fraud trial—the same case that would secure my partnership—Weiwei overslept. I stepped into the courtroom, argued flawlessly, and won, not just saving the client’s $300 million, but securing my promotion. But my victory was her humiliation. In a drunken, childish rage, she stumbled and fell from the firm’s rooftop.

My parents and fiancé, swift in their grief, placed the blame squarely on me. “Why must you compete with her for everything? Could you not even yield this easy case?” My explanations were met with deaf ears. They locked me away, summoning every client I had ever defeated. Each one, nursing a venomous grudge, became my executioner. I died, choked by injustice, my final breath a raw, desperate cry of outrage.

Then, I woke up.

I was back in the familiar, suffocating elegance of the Xu mansion, precisely at the moment the real Miss Xu, with a pout on her babyish lips, was demanding the very case that had defined my fate. This time, I didn’t hesitate. I turned my back on the past, my steps firm and decisive, and walked straight towards the opposition’s law firm.

A simple win? Let me show you how to lose everything.

A saccharine, clinging voice trailed after me. “Jiejie, give that case to Baby, please?”

Xu Weiwei—in bespoke pink overalls, her hair tied in bouncing twin pigtails, her red lips forming a practiced pout—clung to Zhai Dianshen, her body nearly suspended from his arm. The tails of her pigtails brushed against him, an overt, calculated display of affection.

“The Gu Corp case, Baby wants to try it too,” she announced, her tone chirpy, as if discussing a children’s game.

Zhai Dianshen turned to me, his gaze clouded with that familiar, weary guilt. “Yiluo, Weiwei hasn’t been at the firm long. She needs a case to build confidence. You’ve handled so many. Why not let Weiwei learn from this one?” His tone was gentle, but the words sliced through me.

I remembered the last words of my past life, uttered by this man, his face cold with hatred: “Xu Yiluo, you owe Weiwei a life.”

Before I could speak, my adoptive father, clutching a milk bottle, frowned at me, his dissatisfaction undisguised. “For twenty years, you lived the life that belonged to Weiwei. Are you going to be petty over one small, sure-win case?”

A small, cold smile touched my lips. A “small case”? The Gu Corp fraud case involved $300 million. The prosecution had an ironclad chain of evidence. Last time, I sacrificed fifteen nights, pouring over a thousand pages of documents to find a single, almost-invisible loophole that saved them. And to them, it was just a small case. The bitterness ignited a slow, simmering fire inside me.

I suppressed the turmoil within. My voice was chillingly calm. “Fine. Give the case to her. I will compile all the relevant files and hand them over.”

The tension eased instantly. Xu Weiwei kissed Zhai Dianshen’s cheek gleefully. “Now Baby can stand next to my dearest Dianshen!”

He froze, looking at me with panic. “Yiluo, don’t misunderstand. Weiwei just has ‘baby mentality.’ She’s like this with anyone she likes. It means nothing.”

He’d said the exact same thing before, blaming me for my “adult, filthy thoughts.” Yet, she only ever kissed him, and always when I was present.

I smiled faintly. “I understand. If Weiwei wants this case, I will withdraw. I’ll prepare all the necessary documents for the handover.”

“Wait!” My father called out. “Yiluo, you’ve followed this case for a long time and have courtroom experience. This time, you will be Weiwei’s assistant. You two sisters can win this together. It will be a glory for the Xu family.” He swallowed the unspoken threat: If we lose, you will be the scapegoat.

Seeing me nod, his face softened. He patted my shoulder. “Yiluo, don’t worry. We will be fair. No favoritism.”

His hollow promise—the very one that had moved me to tears in my past life—now tasted like ash. I knew they only took me in because I bore a slight resemblance to their lost daughter. Now that she was back, their eyes held nothing but contempt for the impostor.

Weiwei’s cloying voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “Dianshen, which robe should Baby wear? The pink one with the tiny sheep, or the blue one with the stars?”

Zhai Dianshen affectionately stroked her head. “It doesn’t matter what you wear. My Weiwei is always the brightest.”

He used to stroke my head after a victory and say, “My Yiluo will always shine like this.” Now, those words, my family, and my lover belonged to her.

I waited for what felt like an eternity at the firm’s lobby. Zhai Dianshen and Xu Weiwei finally appeared. Her attire was more outrageous than ever: a full-body dinosaur onesie. She waddled to the car, expertly climbing into the passenger seat. That’s when I noticed it—a pink safety car seat had been installed in Zhai Dianshen’s Mercedes. He skillfully fastened the five-point harness with practiced clicks.

He noticed my gaze and explained awkwardly, “Weiwei says she’s afraid of cars. Safety seats offer better protection.”

Weiwei piped up, waving a tiny fist. “Baby is not scared! Baby just values her life!”

I turned to the window, completely uninterested. “CEO Gu is waiting for us in the meeting room.”

CEO Gu’s deep-set eyes scanned me and Zhai Dianshen, finally settling on Xu Weiwei. His brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

Zhai Dianshen bowed slightly. “CEO Gu, this is the legal representative our firm has arranged for you: Xu Weiwei.”

CEO Gu’s expression remained impassive, his hand half-extended. Weiwei suddenly flinched back. “Strangers are dirty! Baby likes to be clean and won’t touch strangers!”

The air froze. The secretary at the door looked like he’d swallowed a fly. Zhai Dianshen’s face went white. He quickly tried to smooth things over. “CEO Gu, please excuse us. Weiwei is simple-minded and often jokes.”

CEO Gu slowly retracted his hand. His expression revealed nothing, but the air pressure in the room dropped significantly.

I stood silently, observing. Gu Jun, notorious for his ruthless business methods, has a reputation for operating in gray areas. He’s not a man who will play house with “Baby.”

Zhai Dianshen, feeling the CEO’s displeasure, stiffened. “Xu Weiwei is the Xu family’s biological daughter. She’s a bit playful, but she’s a legal genius. She topped the bar exam that year.”

Weiwei sprawled on the table, propping her chin on her hands, intentionally blinking her eyes. “Uncle Gu, Baby looked at your case. It’s super simple. The opposition are all bad guys. Baby will definitely help you win and make them cry.”

CEO Gu frowned, turning to me. “Xu Yiluo, you were handling my case previously. Are you sure this young lady can handle it?” His voice was low, carrying a repressed anger.

I remained calm. After a moment of silence, I looked directly at Xu Weiwei. “Xu Weiwei, the Gu family case involves $300 million in compensation and impacts the future of the Xu Law Firm. Are you certain you want to take it?”

Her face twisted. The contrived innocence gave way to raw resentment. “What do you mean? Are you saying Baby will lose? Baby is amazing, you know!” She stomped her foot, the dinosaur tail bobbing behind her.

Zhai Dianshen quickly comforted her while frantically explaining to CEO Gu. “CEO Gu, Yiluo is just sensitive because Weiwei just returned. Weiwei’s competence is absolutely fine.”

Gu Jun’s eyes flickered between the three of us. Finally, he spoke with cold indifference. “I am not interested in the Xu family’s domestic issues. I only care about the result. Win, and your firm will be the best in the capital. Lose…” He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes. “$300 million. I don’t mind burning you all to the ground.”

We were politely ushered out. As soon as we were in the car, Xu Weiwei’s mouth pouted, tears streaming down her face. “He was mean to Baby! He scared Baby!”

Zhai Dianshen nervously wiped her tears, pulling a lollipop from his tailored vest pocket.

I reached for the door handle and stepped out. Zhai Dianshen called after me. “Where are you going?”

I stood by the roadside, hailing a taxi. “I’m going back to organize the files for Xu Weiwei.”

“Can’t you have a better attitude? Can’t you see Weiwei is crying?”

The taxi pulled up. I smiled, a cold, hard smile. “Soothing ‘Baby’ is your job. My job is to ensure ‘Baby’ doesn’t lose too miserably.”

The car door shut, muffling Weiwei’s cries and Zhai Dianshen’s ashen face.

A taxi is slower than a Mercedes. By the time I arrived at the firm, Xu Weiwei was already sobbing hysterically in my mother’s arms. “Mommy, they are all bullying Baby! Uncle Gu was mean, and Jiejie was mean too!” She hiccupped, a mouthful of milk splashing out.

My mother, heart-broken, glared at me. “Xu Yiluo, what have you done this time?”

Zhai Dianshen rushed to explain. “Auntie, it’s a misunderstanding. Yiluo just…”

I cut him off calmly. “I merely told her the case was important and she should be cautious.”

SMACK!

A stinging blow landed on my face. My ears rang, but I could hear my father’s furious roar. “We raised you for twenty years just so you could threaten Weiwei like this? Do you really think you’re important? Without the Xu family, you’d be rotting in some ditch! Get out! Get out now! From this day forward, the Xu family has no daughter named you!”

Guards escorted me out. My office supplies were hastily stuffed into a box and tossed onto the pavement, scattering everywhere. I quietly began to pick them up. Zhai Dianshen rushed over, whispering, “Yiluo, don’t make a scene. Apologize to my aunt and uncle. I’ll speak up for you.”

I looked at him, the man I had loved. He hadn’t lifted a finger when I was struck, and now he was advising me to bow and admit fault. My hand brushed a framed family photo from my desk. I hesitated only for a moment before throwing it straight into the trash can.

An hour later, I sat across from Jiang Yihang in his office, meeting his sharp, scrutinizing gaze. “The Gu Corp fraud case. I want to represent the plaintiffs, your side.”

He paused, then chuckled softly. “Why?”

My voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “Because Gu Corp will lose, and I don’t want to affect my winning record.”

He frowned, tapping his finger on the desk, then suddenly asked, “What happened to your face?”

“A slap.”

“Who?”

“Xu Jianming.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Your adoptive father?”

“Ex-adoptive father,” I corrected him.

Jiang Yihang smiled faintly, shaking his head. “Xu Jianming is declining with age.” He dropped the smile, his expression serious. “Are you sure you want this case? This means you will go head-to-head with the Xu family, Gu Corp, and your fiancé. There will be no turning back.”

I looked out the window. The sky was overcast, yet my heart felt clear. I had never intended to look back.

Jiang Yihang smiled, extending his hand. “Welcome to the battlefield.”

A week later, I entered Courtroom Number Three. My former adoptive parents sat in the front row, Zhai Dianshen next to them, nervously checking his watch, thick beads of sweat on his forehead. The defense attorney’s chair was empty. Xu Weiwei had not arrived.

The judge was already seated, flipping through the documents. The court clerk kept glancing at the door, clearly impatient.

Seeing me, the Xu couple frowned. My father nearly lunged at me, grinding his teeth. “What are you doing here? You are no longer our firm’s lawyer. Don’t you know when to quit?”

I looked at his enraged face and calmly replied, “I’m here to observe.”

He was cut off by the judge. “Has the defense counsel for the defendant not arrived yet? It is 2:05 PM, five minutes past the scheduled time. We will wait five more minutes. If they are still absent, the right to defense will be forfeited.”

Zhai Dianshen’s sweating intensified. CEO Gu’s eyes made him fidget. He stood up, bowing slightly to the judge. “Your Honor, Lawyer Xu Weiwei is likely stuck in traffic. I apologize.”

The judge cut him off coldly. “Traffic is no excuse. The court has its discipline.”

As the clock ticked down to the final seconds of the five-minute grace period, Zhai Dianshen finally broke. He stood up. “We request a change of defense counsel.” He pointed at me in the audience. “Lawyer Xu Yiluo is also an excellent attorney from our firm. She can take over the defense.”

All eyes immediately turned to me. The Xu parents looked at me, their eyes pleading.

The judge adjusted his glasses. “Lawyer Xu Yiluo, do you agree to take over the defense?”

I ignored Zhai Dianshen’s frantic gaze and slowly said, “I cannot. I was fired by the Xu Law Firm one week ago.”

“Xu Yiluo!” Zhai Dianshen exclaimed. “This is no time for games! Being fired was just a formality. You can come back anytime!”

I calmly shook my head. “I’m not playing games. I truly cannot.”

My father leaped up, yelling. “Weiwei couldn’t make it, so you’re gloating? What other tricks are you playing?”

“Order!” The gavel slammed down, maintaining courtroom discipline.

Zhai Dianshen glared at me, about to continue, when Xu Weiwei’s whining voice rang from the door. “Baby is here! Baby is here!”

My father shot me a smug look, clearly saying, I gave you a chance, you idiot.

But the next moment, the entire courtroom fell into dead silence.

A giant, pink toddler walker appeared at the door. Xu Weiwei, dressed in a doll-like dress and a soft, plush sleep bonnet, grasped the handles of the walker, slowly wobbling in. In the quiet courtroom, the only sound was the rolling of the walker’s wheels. Behind her, a trembling assistant carried a diaper bag full of milk bottles and comfort toys.

Everyone was speechless. Even the judge forgot to hit his gavel, mouth agape, watching the pink walker roll up to the defense table.

Xu Weiwei took out her pacifier. She complained with a pout, “Baby didn’t get enough naptime. Why did the session start so early?”

The judge had likely never witnessed a more farcical scene. His voice was slightly shaky as he addressed Zhai Dianshen. “Are you certain this is your defense counsel?”

Zhai Dianshen looked at her, struggling to climb into the chair, his forced smile strained. “Your Honor, please rest assured. Our lawyer’s professional competence is not an issue. Personal habits, I believe, are not a criterion for evaluation.”

The judge’s cheek twitched. Unable to say anything, he finally shook his head in resignation. “Then, let the session begin.” The gavel fell. “Plaintiff, please present your claim.”

I, holding my case files, walked towards the Plaintiff’s podium amidst the stunned silence.

“Your Honor, members of the court. My name is Xu Yiluo, and I represent the plaintiff.”

CRASH.

Zhai Dianshen’s chair fell backwards. He stood frozen, hearing nothing but my name.

Xu Weiwei’s pacifier dropped to the floor. She screamed. “Jiejie! How can you be a lawyer for the bad guys?”

“Order!” The gavel slammed again. “Defense counsel, mind your courtroom discipline.”

I smiled inwardly. Good or bad? A lawyer only has a client.

I opened my files, calm and firm, reading the claim line by line. The chain of evidence I presented was a precision-tooled machine.

In the audience, CEO Gu shifted his posture, his hands clasped on his knee, his eyes fixed on me, not with rage, but with appraisal—a hunter watching a rival step into his territory.

“According to Articles 23 and 107 of the Contract Law…”

“Baby needs to pee-pee!” Xu Weiwei suddenly raised her hand, her shrill voice cutting through my presentation.

Everyone stared. A vein throbbed on the judge’s forehead. “Lawyer Xu, please…”

Before he could finish, Xu Weiwei started wriggling. The bells on her infant outfit jingled. “Can’t hold it anymore! Dianshen, Baby really needs to pee-pee!”

Zhai Dianshen’s face was beet red. “Weiwei, try to hold it.”

“No! No! Baby can’t hold it!” Xu Weiwei stomped her foot, crying and shouting. “Pee-pee!”

A few uncontrollable chuckles erupted from the audience. The judge closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. “Five-minute recess. Lawyer Xu, please address your personal issue.”

Zhai Dianshen almost dragged Xu Weiwei into the restroom. Jiang Yihang walked up to me, handing me a bottle of water. “Good rhythm.” His fingertip brushed my hand. It was warm.

Five minutes later, the session resumed. After I finished my presentation, the judge turned to the defense. “Defense counsel, please begin your cross-examination.”

No one replied. Xu Weiwei was slumped over the desk, motionless. Zhai Dianshen nudged her. Her body swayed, and a soft snore emanated from her.

She was asleep, a corner of the legal file already soaked with drool.

Zhai Dianshen’s voice trembled. He used all his strength. “Xu Weiwei! Xu Weiwei!”

Shaken awake, she rubbed her eyes, her voice drowsy. “What? Baby didn’t sleep enough. So sleepy.”

The laughter from the audience could no longer be contained. CEO Gu stood at the defendant’s table, silent, but the temperature of the entire courtroom plummeted. The Xu parents in the audience trembled, their lips pale.

The judge took a deep breath, his gavel striking the desk with thunderous force. “Final warning, Lawyer Xu Weiwei. If you continue to…”

“But the judge is so mean!” Xu Weiwei pouted, immediately burying herself in Zhai Dianshen’s embrace. “He scared Baby!”

The gavel stopped mid-air. The judge stared at Xu Weiwei for ten seconds, then his hand softened, dropping the gavel. His voice was heavy with exhaustion. “Recess. The session will resume in one hour. Lawyer Xu, I hope you will be sober by then.” His black robe swept across the table, his retreating back screaming: I give up.

The one-hour recess turned the courtroom into a boiling pot. The noise of discussion mixed with undisguised ridicule for Zhai Dianshen and Xu Weiwei.

The Xu parents charged towards me but were stopped by the bailiffs. My father pointed a trembling finger at me. “Xu Yiluo, what do you want? Are you going to ruin the Xu family?” My mother’s refined makeup was cracking. “Yiluo, I beg you, stop causing trouble.”

I sat at the plaintiff’s table, calmly organizing the next batch of evidence, not looking up.

Zhai Dianshen’s voice rang out in front of me. “Xu Yiluo, why? Why did you betray us? Just because we let Weiwei take the Gu Corp case, you wanted to go against us to this extent?”

His morally righteous questioning made me want to laugh. “Did you all forget something? I was kicked out of your house and lost my job. I found a new job based on my own ability. What is wrong with that?”

His pupils contracted. He opened his mouth but couldn’t form a counter-argument.

I leaned in, lowering my voice. “You’d better sober up. Xu Weiwei is useless. If you don’t get serious, this case is a sure loss.”

He staggered, unconsciously turning to the defense table. CEO Gu was whispering to his assistant, occasionally glancing over, his eyes icy. Zhai Dianshen’s face was pale.

Xu Weiwei tugged at his sleeve. “Baby is hungry. Wants milk porridge.”

Zhai Dianshen suddenly shook her hand off. “Shut up! Go back to your seat and sit still!”

Xu Weiwei froze. This was the first time Zhai Dianshen had yelled at her. Tears instantly welled up, but she dared not cry aloud, only glaring at me with hateful resentment.

One hour later, the session continued. The judge’s first words were, “Lawyer Xu Wei, if you sleep in court again, I will charge you with contempt of court and have you arrested on the spot.”

Xu Weiwei nodded rapidly in her seat.

It was the defense’s turn for cross-examination. Zhai Dianshen stood up. He held the file I had prepared, flipping clumsily through the first piece of evidence presented by the plaintiff. “We believe that…”

I listened to his stuttering voice, my heart unmoved. When he reached the third point, he began to fumble, citing laws erratically. Seeing the judge frown with impatience, Zhai Dianshen’s forehead broke out in sweat. “I… I need time to object.”

I raised my hand. “Objection. Defense counsel is wasting the court’s time.”

“Objection sustained.” The judge looked at Zhai Dianshen, his face stern. “Lawyer Zhai, please improve your efficiency.”

He gritted his teeth, turning to the next page. He stopped. The page was blank. It was the one I had intentionally left empty, with only a small note at the bottom: Needs counter-argument for Evidence 3 according to specific clause in Civil Code.

The counterpoints, the chain of logic, and the legal basis I had painstakingly prepared over sleepless nights—he clearly hadn’t even looked at them. He had trusted my capability, allowing him the luxury of playing games with Xu Weiwei.

The judge urged him from the bench. Zhai Dianshen opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

CEO Gu let out a soft snort. That delicate sound, however, carried the weight of thunder, causing Zhai Dianshen’s legs to buckle. He slumped into his chair.

The subsequent court session became a one-sided slaughter. Every piece of evidence I presented, he couldn’t counter. Every law I cited, he couldn’t withstand.

Three hours later, with the slam of the gavel, Gu Corp lost the case—a complete and utter defeat. The victory hinged entirely on me.

As the verdict was announced, Zhai Dianshen slumped in his seat, his eyes vacant. Xu Weiwei was crying, but no one comforted her this time. CEO Gu stood up, calmly adjusting his suit, as if the person about to pay $300 million wasn’t him. Only when he passed the defense table did he pause, offering a humorless smile. “The Xu family has done very well.”

My father fainted right there at the courthouse entrance.

The sunset was blood red. My father was supported by my mother, his face the ashen color of death. Xu Weiwei trailed behind, sobbing. The gigantic toddler walker was gone. See? She can walk perfectly fine.

Zhai Dianshen rushed in front of me, his eyes bloodshot. “Xu Yiluo, are you satisfied? Just for one case, just to compete for affection, you’ve completely ruined the Xu family and the law firm!”

My mother’s gentle facade finally shattered. Like a furious fishwife, she rushed forward, cursing. “You ungrateful wretch! The Xu family raised you for twenty years, and this is how you repay us?”

I stopped, slowly turning to look at the couple. “You raised me because I looked like your lost daughter. I was merely a spiritual substitute.”

“To make me look more like her when she was little, you broke and reset my joints.”

“She liked mangoes. Even though I was severely allergic, you forced me to eat them three times a day.”

“During puberty, to match her idealized image in your memory, you forced me to fast for a week, causing a gastric hemorrhage.”

“Before Xu Weiwei returned, I was your doll. After she came back, I became the pedestal for her grand success.”

Zhai Dianshen had never heard any of this. He staggered back, his words jumbled. “Yiluo, why… why did you never tell me this?” His heartache looked genuine, but I was no longer moved by pity.

My father, who had just regained consciousness, heard my words. His face turned purple, and he gasped for air. “So what? If you didn’t look three-parts like Weiwei, would I have spent money raising you? You owe the Xu family for life!”

I sneered, pulling out my phone, opening the expenditure log I had kept for years. “After college, all my expenses were covered by scholarships and student loans. And the money you spent on me? I’ve calculated it all. The money I earned winning cases for you has long exceeded that amount many times over.”

The Xu family froze. Zhai Dianshen grabbed my wrist, his voice pleading. “Yiluo, don’t be like this. We hurt you. Come back. We can review the case together, overturn the verdict for CEO Gu on appeal.”

I gently pulled my hand away, my voice calm. “Did you forget? Today was the intermediate court ruling. Zhai Dianshen, you have no chance left. Gu Jun must pay the $300 million.”

The faces of the three Xu family members and Zhai Dianshen instantly turned paper-white.

Jiang Yihang’s car quietly pulled up beside me. “Xu Yiluo, get in.“

I ignored the four people before me, turned, and opened the car door. As the car pulled away, I heard Zhai Dianshen chase after me for a few steps, his voice hoarse. “Xu Yiluo, do you think you’ve won? Gu Jun will never let you off! That kind of person holds a grudge. Yiluo, be careful!”

The car sped through the night, the scenery outside the window rushing by. Jiang Yihang put one hand on the steering wheel, the other reaching for a pack of cigarettes. “Smoke?”

I shook my head, pushing the pack back. “I quit. Smoked too much in my past life. My lungs hurt.”

His fingers froze. “What did you say?”

I didn’t change my expression, taking the pack from him and casually tossing it into the glove compartment. I spoke softly. “Nothing. Today just felt so surreal, like a continuation of my past life.” Seeing my ordinary expression, he believed it was a slip of the tongue.

The car was silent for a moment. He chuckled softly. “You were truly sharp in court today. The title ‘Legal Amazon’ truly fits you.”

That was a nickname given to me by peers, half admiration, half mockery. Mockery for only taking cases based on the probability of winning, regardless of right or wrong, cold-blooded, and opportunistic.

“Just won you a case, and you’re already teasing me?” I saw the self-mockery in my eyes.

Under the swirling smoke, his face was indistinct. “Your first case, Haoyuan Real Estate, was equally ruthless, leaving the opponent no way out. I was so frustrated losing that one, it lasted for three days.”

I remembered. That was the start of my career. And the first time my father praised me for being like a Xu. To gain their recognition, to prove I deserved to be a Xu, I only looked at the difficulty and the fee. Who the client was, what they did—I didn’t care. All I cared about was winning.

I had taken on cases for real estate developers, pharmaceutical companies, and Gu Corp. I remembered the eyes of those who lost to me—fury, despair, curses. The people who killed me in my past life included the old father whose home was foreclosed, the mother who lost her child due to a faulty vaccine, and the investor Gu Corp had defrauded into ruin.

They said, “My child was only 21. Xu Yiluo, this is your retribution.”

I looked down, whispering to myself. “As a lawyer, I did my best for my clients. I don’t regret it. But suddenly, I want to ask, what is a lawyer truly fighting for?”

Jiang Yihang didn’t answer immediately. The car stopped at a red light. He turned to me, his eyes bright behind his glasses. “Fighting for your client. But when choosing a client, you can choose which side you stand on.”

He took me to a hotel and booked the room right next door to mine. Seeing my skeptical look, he chuckled softly. “Zhai Dianshen was right. Gu Jun won’t let this go easily. You’ll have a lot of trouble soon. I’ll watch over you tonight, and tomorrow, I’ll arrange a bodyguard.”

I watched his seamless arrangements and suddenly asked, “Why help me so much?”

“Because you can win,” he smiled, his eyes curved, faintly beautiful. “Because you are Xu Yiluo. And because we are the same kind of people.”

In the hotel mirror, I saw my own pale, exhausted face—calm, rational, and tearless. Xu Yiluo, this is the look you should have.

Gu Jun’s revenge arrived even faster than expected. The next morning, my phone exploded. Unread messages: 99+. Missed calls had almost encrypted the entire screen. I opened WeChat. The hot search board was displayed. The top result was my name: Lawyer Xu Yiluo Suspected of Fraudulent Evidence Collection.

The long article detailed how, in the Gu Corp case, I had allegedly moved between the plaintiff and defendant, using illegal methods to gather evidence and induce witnesses. It claimed serious flaws in the evidence chain and even accused me of historically serving the elite. This time, unable to extort Gu Corp, I had turned on them.

The comments section was a cesspool. Always knew this woman was ruthless to win. It’s $300 million, who knows what deals were made behind the scenes. A gentleman judges actions, not intentions. Maybe she had a conscience and wanted to do the right thing.

I scrolled through the lines, my fingers cold. The phone vibrated. An unknown number. The voice on the other end was robotic, altered by a device. “Lawyer Xu, you’ve made enemies. Be careful when you walk. Accidents happen every day in this world. One less lawyer is a very normal thing.”

I hung up. Jiang Yihang stood outside the door, carrying breakfast, his expression grim. “You saw it.”

“Mhm.” He handed me the bag, urging me to eat quickly. “Finish eating. We’re going to a press conference.”

At the large hall of Hanguang Law Firm, dozens of media outlets pointed cameras and microphones at us. He stood before the lens, his voice echoing with force and authority. “Regarding the false accusations against Lawyer Xu Yiluo online, I, representing Hanguang, officially issue a response. The entire process…”