Chapter 7

The afternoon session stretched well into the evening.

Outside the courthouse, the once-bright sky had turned a soft shade of orange. Office workers hurried home, neon signs flickered to life, and Shanghai gradually transformed into a city of dazzling lights.

Inside Courtroom Three, however, time seemed to stand still.

Judge Chen glanced at the clock mounted on the wall before addressing both legal teams.

"This court has heard sufficient testimony for today."

He closed the file before him.

"We will adjourn until nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

His gavel struck once.

"Court is adjourned."

A collective sigh swept through the room.

The spectators slowly rose from their seats, conversations immediately breaking out as reporters rushed toward the exit to prepare their evening reports.

Lin Xinyue carefully organized her documents before placing them back into her briefcase.

She never packed in a hurry.

Every file had its place.

Every note was arranged according to the order in which she planned to use it.

It was a habit she had developed during her first year as a lawyer.

"Attorney Lin."

She looked up.

Judge Chen had stepped down from the bench and was walking toward her.

"Your Honor."

"You handled today's cross-examinations well."

"Thank you."

The judge adjusted his glasses.

"This case is... unusual."

"I've noticed."

"There are inconsistencies on both sides."

Lin nodded.

"I intend to clarify them tomorrow."

"I hope you do."

He offered a courteous nod before leaving through the judges' corridor.

Those simple words lingered in Lin's mind.

The judge had noticed the inconsistencies.

That meant her arguments were making an impact.

It also meant tomorrow's evidence would matter even more.

---

Outside the courtroom, Zhao Ming caught up with her.

For the first time since the trial began, his shoulders seemed less tense.

"I owe you dinner."

Lin laughed softly.

"The trial isn't over yet."

"I know."

"But today gave me hope."

She smiled.

"Hope isn't enough."

"We still need the truth."

He lowered his voice.

"My wife called during the break."

"She asked whether she should prepare our children..."

He hesitated.

"...for the possibility that I won't come home."

Silence settled between them.

Lin looked at the middle-aged businessman standing before her.

To the media, he was a man accused of stealing hundreds of millions of yuan.

To his family...

He was simply a husband and a father.

"I'll keep fighting."

She met his eyes.

"As long as there's a legal path forward, I won't stop."

Emotion flickered across Zhao Ming's face.

"Thank you."

He bowed deeply.

Lin quickly stepped aside.

"You don't have to do that."

"I do."

"When everyone else abandoned me..."

"You didn't."

She watched as he walked away toward the waiting area where his wife stood with their two young children.

The little girl ran into her father's arms.

The boy clung tightly to his hand.

Lin quietly looked away.

Moments like these reminded her why she had chosen this profession.

Not for recognition.

Not for prestige.

But because justice affected real families.

Real lives.

---

By the time she left the courthouse, night had fallen.

The cool evening breeze carried the familiar sounds of the city.

Street musicians played gentle melodies near the subway entrance.

Food vendors called out to passing customers.

The aroma of grilled meat and steamed dumplings filled the air.

For the first time that day, Lin allowed herself to breathe.

She decided to walk home instead of taking a taxi.

It helped her think.

Her phone vibrated.

**Mom.**

She answered almost immediately.

"Have you finished?"

"Court just ended."

"I've been keeping dinner warm."

Lin smiled.

"I'm on my way."

"Don't work while you eat."

"I won't."

"And no reading legal files at the table."

Lin laughed.

"You know me too well."

"Someone has to."

They ended the call.

The warmth in her mother's voice eased the tension she had carried all day.

---

Nearly forty minutes later, Lin arrived at the small apartment building.

The familiar scent of ginger and sesame oil drifted into the hallway.

Before she could unlock the door, it opened.

"I knew you'd be hungry."

Lin Meiling stood there wearing a simple apron, smiling as warmly as ever.

"I made your favorite."

"Braised pork?"

"And lotus root soup."

Lin wrapped her mother in a gentle hug.

"I don't deserve you."

Her mother chuckled.

"I know."

They both laughed.

Inside, the apartment felt peaceful.

The dining table had already been set.

Fresh flowers rested in a small vase near the window.

Everything about the home reflected quiet comfort.

As they ate, Lin avoided discussing the details of the trial.

Instead, they talked about ordinary things.

A neighbor's new puppy.

The weather.

A customer who had finally paid an overdue invoice to her mother's textile company.

It was refreshing.

For one hour, Lin wasn't Attorney Lin Xinyue.

She was simply a daughter enjoying dinner with her mother.

After washing the dishes together, Lin carried her briefcase into her bedroom.

She placed it carefully on her desk.

Tomorrow would be the most important day of the trial.

She intended to present the forensic accounting report.

She reached for the blue folder.

Then stopped.

Not tonight.

She was tired.

The report had already been reviewed dozens of times.

There was no need to read it again.

She smiled at herself.

"You're overthinking."

Closing the briefcase, she turned off the desk lamp.

Outside her window, rain began falling softly over Shanghai.

---

Across the city...

Gu Yichen sat alone in his penthouse office overlooking the river.

Most of the employees had already gone home.

Only the lights in the president's office remained on.

A knock interrupted the silence.

"Come in."

Chen Wei entered carrying a thick stack of folders.

"You asked for profiles."

He placed them on the desk.

Gu Yichen glanced down.

Each folder contained the background of a woman from Shanghai's elite circles.

Heiresses.

Executives.

Entrepreneurs.

Daughters of influential families.

Candidates everyone expected him to consider.

He opened the first profile.

Closed it after less than a minute.

The second.

Closed.

The third.

Closed again.

Chen Wei waited patiently.

After nearly twenty minutes, Gu Yichen pushed the entire stack aside.

"None of them."

His assistant blinked.

"None?"

"They're choosing a business alliance."

"Not a partner."

Chen Wei hesitated.

"Chairman Gu may disagree."

"My grandfather asked me to find a fiancée."

"He didn't tell me where to look."

A thoughtful silence settled over the room.

Finally, Gu Yichen spoke.

"Expand the search."

"To whom?"

"Anyone."

Chen Wei looked genuinely surprised.

"You mean... outside the upper class?"

Gu Yichen stood and walked toward the window.

"I want someone who can't be bought by status."

Someone who understood responsibility.

Someone who wouldn't mistake a contract for affection.