008 declared:

[We’re completely screwed.]

A funeral dirge began playing on an endless loop inside Ling Yu’s mind.

Once she grew tired of hearing it, she ruthlessly attacked the system and threw 008 into confinement.

Everyone in the corridor simultaneously turned toward Ling Yu, making her the unavoidable center of attention.

Ling Yu did not feel embarrassed.

In truth, the people who ought to feel embarrassed were Li Jun and Jiang Wei.

She did not spare either man a glance. Instead, she tilted her head and stared at Gu Qing.

The woman stood against the light, dividing her face into two halves. Nothing could be seen within her harsh eyes, yet their emptiness resembled only a surface calm.

Gu Qing’s question had clearly placed Ling Yu in an impossible position.

Ling Yu was not foolish. Gu Qing had always been scheming and unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss. She was probably taking revenge for Ling Yu’s relentless harassment earlier.

As though sensing Ling Yu’s stare, Gu Qing turned and met her gaze.

The moment their eyes collided, sparks crackled through the air.

Gu Qing was beautiful, but her beauty did not come from any single feature.

She was unlike Ling Yu, with her hibiscus-like face, peach-blossom eyes, delicate grace, seductive charm, and slender frame.

Gu Qing’s beauty lay in a glance—or in the cool, pristine aura she exuded while standing motionless, with elegant brows and a flawless complexion.

Wherever she appeared, she seemed to bring her own commanding presence.

Seductive yet impeccably upright, she possessed the imposing grandeur to dominate the entire room.

Ling Yu could not resist looking at her a few more times.

Then Gu Qing’s cold murmur sounded beside her ear.

“You don’t want to say it?”

Gu Qing narrowed her beautiful phoenix eyes.

The way she stared at Ling Yu was strange. Her deep-blue eyes resembled a perfectly calm sea in the middle of the night.

Ling Yu did not answer immediately.

Instead, she looked past Gu Qing’s shoulder and glanced separately at Jiang Wei and Li Jun.

Her gaze traveled in a circle before returning to Gu Qing.

“I have nothing to do with either of them,” she stated frankly.

Ling Yu was telling the truth.

Back then, Ling Taiguo had attempted to force her into arranged marriages everywhere. Although she had only recently transmigrated and lacked the ability to resist him directly, she had made her rejection perfectly clear the instant she met each prospective partner.

As for the grudges and relentless harassment that followed, Ling Yu refused to accept responsibility for them.

It was precisely because she encountered so many outrageous men like Jiang Wei and Li Jun that she later threw herself into Jiangcheng’s playboy circle without hesitation.

Her life had gone smoothly during the past two years. In her heart, she had already erased those old entanglements.

Yet now her exes were appearing one after another.

Some wanted revenge, while others intended to enjoy the love of two women simultaneously.

In the end, Ling Yu was the most miserable person of all.

She had clearly done nothing, yet she was repeatedly branded a scumbag.

Ling Yu sneered.

Since Gu Qing had already forced matters this far, there was no longer any reason to preserve her fabricated persona.

Previously, Ling Yu had restrained her temper and behaved like a turtle hiding inside its shell because she feared exposing herself.

Now that her persona had already shattered beyond repair, she might as well destroy it completely.

Ling Yu flexed her wrists and stepped around Gu Qing.

“It’s been a long time, Young Master Jiang…”

Her foxlike eyes tilted upward.

Her gaze swept across Li Jun’s face before finally colliding with Jiang Wei’s vicious stare.

Ling Yu lightly tapped the silver bracelet around her wrist.

The bracelet reflected a flash of silver light.

Jiang Wei’s formerly ferocious eyes abruptly froze.

As though recalling something unforgettable, his pupils contracted and more than half of his intimidating momentum instantly vanished.

Ling Yu curved her lips, the smile in her eyes hovering on the verge of disappearing.

She slowly began introducing Gu Qing.

“She is—”

“That’s enough,” Gu Qing abruptly interrupted.

“Let me finish the introduction.”

Ling Yu persistently wrapped herself around Gu Qing’s arm.

Gu Qing immediately shook her off and frowned tightly.

“There’s no point. Whatever grievances exist between you and them have nothing to do with me.”

Gu Qing stepped forward and brushed past Ling Yu’s ear. Lowering her voice so only Ling Yu could hear, she warned, “Ling Yu, listening to the three of you speak is nothing but a waste of my time. I warned you not to approach me. It doesn’t matter who you are. You won’t leave any impression in my memory.”

Ling Yu laughed in anger.

“Weren’t you the one who insisted that I introduce you?”

Gu Qing seemingly had no desire to continue speaking with her.

She gave Ling Yu a warning glance before turning toward the restless Jiang Wei at the entrance with a businesslike expression.

“Do you know how much it cost me to secure your release on bail?”

Jiang Wei froze and looked toward Li Jun.

When Li Jun nodded, confirming Gu Qing’s identity, Jiang Wei’s earlier arrogance immediately diminished.

However, whenever his peripheral gaze touched Ling Yu, his eyes remained filled with relentless hostility.

Gu Qing tapped the folder in her hand and added evenly, “Don’t blame me for failing to remind you. Your first hearing is tomorrow. Whether you spend today rehearsing your testimony or catching up and fighting is entirely your choice.”

His freedom for the rest of his life was at stake.

No matter how urgently Jiang Wei wanted to settle matters with Ling Yu, he could only suppress himself for now.

He glared fiercely at her, then turned and grinned at Gu Qing. Extending his hand, he greeted her.

“Attorney Gu, I’ve heard a great deal about you.”

Gu Qing’s gaze settled on Jiang Wei’s broad hand, disgust flashing through her eyes.

She refused him harshly yet without sacrificing politeness.

“I’m unaccustomed to shaking hands with strangers. If you insist, I can ask Director Li to shake it for you…”

Jiang Wei: […]

The archives department occupied the fifth floor of Kaihe Law Firm’s office building.

Ling Yu’s onboarding proceeded relatively smoothly.

Her department performed administrative work, primarily gathering and organizing records from various cases. It also prepared all court-related materials and submitted them to the business department.

Ling Yu spent the morning familiarizing herself with the department and learning the numbering system used to organize the files.

That afternoon, Sister Wang brought her over to print documents.

Ling Yu stood beside an old-fashioned printer that operated extremely slowly.

She had waited in the corridor for an hour, yet more than half the documents required for tomorrow’s hearing still had not emerged.

The weather was cold, so Sister Wang visited the pantry to prepare coffee and brought a cup back for Ling Yu as well.

“Ah, it looks as though we’ll have to wait another two hours.”

Sister Wang frowned and repeatedly checked her watch.

Noticing this, Ling Yu casually asked, “Sister, do you have plans after work tonight?”

Sister Wang was in her early thirties and a firm believer in remaining unmarried.

She did not have any children to pick up. However, she had reserved a ticket for a musical that evening.

It was already five o’clock. If she remained here another two hours, she would miss the entry time.

Sister Wang gloomily patted the printer’s control panel.

“I reported this printer’s aging problem several days ago, but the purchase request still needs

Chapter 18

008 declared:

[We’re completely screwed.]

A funeral dirge began playing on an endless loop inside Ling Yu’s mind. Annoyed by the sound, she ruthlessly dealt with the system and threw 008 into confinement.

Everyone in the corridor simultaneously turned toward Ling Yu, leaving her nowhere to hide as she became the center of attention.

Ling Yu did not feel embarrassed.

The people who should truly have felt embarrassed were Li Jun and Jiang Wei.

She did not spare either man a glance. She merely tilted her head and studied Gu Qing.

The woman stood against the light, her face divided into two halves. Nothing could be seen within her harsh eyes, yet their emptiness seemed to conceal something beneath her apparent calm.

Gu Qing’s question had obviously placed Ling Yu in a position where neither advancing nor retreating would be easy.

Ling Yu was not stupid.

Gu Qing had always been cunning and unwilling to accept a loss. She was probably taking revenge for Ling Yu’s incessant pestering earlier.

As though sensing Ling Yu’s stare, Gu Qing turned and met her eyes.

Their gazes collided in midair, and sparks instantly crackled between them.

Gu Qing was beautiful, but her beauty did not come from any single feature at first glance.

She was also unlike Ling Yu, whose hibiscus face, peach-blossom eyes, supple grace, and delicate figure gave her a naturally seductive appearance.

Gu Qing’s beauty lay in a single glance or in the way she stood perfectly still. Her clear, cool elegance would wash over anyone nearby. Her brows were long and graceful, her complexion exquisite.

Wherever she appeared, she seemed to bring an imposing presence of her own.

She was both alluring and upright, with a magnificence that dominated the entire room.

Ling Yu could not resist looking at her several more times.

Then Gu Qing’s cold murmur reached her ears.

“Don’t want to say it?”

Gu Qing’s beautiful phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.

The way she stared at Ling Yu was peculiar. Her deep-blue eyes were as still as a calm sea in the middle of the night.

Ling Yu did not answer immediately.

Instead, she looked over Gu Qing’s shoulder and glanced separately at Jiang Wei and Li Jun.

After allowing her gaze to circle the corridor, she finally returned it to Gu Qing.

“I have nothing to do with either of them.”

Ling Yu was telling the truth.

When Ling Taiguo had tried to force her into arranged marriages everywhere, she had only just transmigrated and lacked the ability to resist him.

However, from the first moment she met each prospective partner, her refusal had been written clearly in her eyes.

As for the grudges that arose from their later refusal to leave her alone, Ling Yu refused to accept responsibility.

It was precisely because she had encountered too many outrageous men like Jiang Wei and Li Jun that she later joined the playboys’ group without hesitation.

Her life had gone smoothly over the past two years, and she had long since erased those old entanglements from her mind.

Yet now her former partners were appearing one after another. Some wanted revenge, while others intended to enjoy the affection of multiple women at once.

No one was more miserable than Ling Yu.

She had clearly done nothing, yet she was repeatedly branded a scumbag.

Ling Yu laughed coldly.

Since Gu Qing had pushed matters this far, there was no reason to continue suppressing her temper.

Previously, she had behaved like a turtle hiding inside its shell because she feared destroying her fabricated persona. Now that the persona had already collapsed into pieces, she might as well destroy it completely.

Ling Yu flexed her wrists and walked around Gu Qing to stand before her.

“It’s been a long time, Young Master Jiang…”

Her foxlike eyes tilted upward. Her gaze passed over Li Jun’s face before finally colliding with Jiang Wei’s fierce stare.

She lightly tapped the silver bracelet around her wrist.

The bracelet reflected a flash of light.

Jiang Wei’s ferocious eyes suddenly froze.

As though he had remembered something unforgettable, his pupils contracted, and more than half of his intimidating manner immediately vanished.

Ling Yu curved her lips, amusement hovering in her eyes as she slowly began introducing Gu Qing.

“She is—”

Before she could finish, Gu Qing abruptly interrupted.

“That’s enough.”

“Let me finish introducing you.”

Ling Yu persistently wrapped herself around Gu Qing’s arm.

Gu Qing immediately shook her off, frowning tightly.

“There’s no point, regardless of whatever grudges exist between you.”

Gu Qing stepped forward and brushed past Ling Yu’s ear. Lowering her voice so only the two of them could hear, she warned, “Ling Yu, listening to any of you speak is merely a waste of my time. I’ve already warned you to stay away from me. I don’t care who you are—you won’t leave a lasting impression on me.”

Ling Yu laughed in anger.

“Weren’t you the one who insisted I introduce you?”

Gu Qing seemingly had no desire to speak with her. She merely gave Ling Yu a warning glance before turning toward the restless Jiang Wei at the entrance.

Her manner became entirely professional.

“Do you know how much it cost me to secure your release on bail?”

Jiang Wei froze.

He looked back at Li Jun. After the latter nodded and confirmed Gu Qing’s identity, Jiang Wei’s earlier arrogance immediately subsided.

However, whenever his peripheral vision touched Ling Yu, his eyes remained filled with relentless hostility.

Gu Qing tapped the folder in her hands.

“Don’t blame me for failing to remind you. Your first hearing is tomorrow. Whether you spend today rehearsing your testimony or catching up with an old acquaintance and starting a fight is entirely your choice.”

His freedom for the remainder of his life was at stake.

No matter how urgently Jiang Wei wanted to cause trouble for Ling Yu, he could only suppress his emotions for now.

He glared fiercely at her before turning toward Gu Qing with a broad smile and extending his hand.

“Attorney Gu, I’ve heard a great deal about you.”

Gu Qing’s gaze settled on Jiang Wei’s broad hand, disgust flashing through her eyes.

She refused him harshly yet without sacrificing politeness.

“I’m unaccustomed to shaking hands with strangers. If you insist, I could ask Director Li to shake it for you…”

Jiang Wei: […]

The archives department occupied the fifth floor of Kaihe Law Firm’s office building.

Ling Yu’s first-day registration proceeded smoothly.

Her department performed clerical work, primarily collecting and organizing files from different cases. They also prepared and arranged every document required for court before submitting everything to the business department.

Ling Yu spent the morning familiarizing herself with the department and learning the numbering system used to organize the various files.

That afternoon, Sister Wang asked her to help print documents.

Ling Yu stood beside the printer in the hallway.

Because it was an old machine, it operated extremely slowly.

She had already waited beside it for an hour, yet more than half the materials needed for tomorrow’s court appearance remained unprinted.

The weather was cold. Sister Wang went to the pantry to make coffee and brought a cup back for Ling Yu as well.

“Ah, it looks like we’ll have to wait another two hours.”

Sister Wang frowned and repeatedly checked her watch.

Seeing this, Ling Yu casually asked, “Sister, do you have plans after work tonight?”

Sister Wang was nearly thirty and a confirmed believer in remaining unmarried.

She did not need to deal with the inconvenience of collecting children after work. However, she had reserved a ticket for a musical that evening.

It was already five o’clock. If she waited another two hours, she would miss the admission time.

Depressed, Sister Wang patted the printer’s control panel.

“I reported several days ago that this printer was deteriorating, but it’ll take a few more days to obtain a signature. The firm recently accepted the Jiang family’s case, and Attorney Gu has been so overwhelmed that she hardly has time to breathe. Otherwise, she would have signed the purchase request already…”

Ling Yu looked surprised.

“Doesn’t Attorney Gu only manage the business department? She still has one month before completing her master’s degree, and I’ve heard her legal qualification won’t be issued until a month from now. Technically, aren’t both of us still interns? Why does she possess so much authority at the firm?”

Ling Yu had asked only from curiosity.

She was unfamiliar with the legal profession’s practices, and much of the information she currently possessed had come from rumors.

She knew Gu Qing was impressive, but she did not know exactly how impressive.

After Sister Wang listed Gu Qing’s many past achievements in a somewhat disorganized manner, Ling Yu finally gained a clear understanding.

“She’s so capable that she must enjoy appearing in court even more. It’s a shame she still has to wait another month before she can—”

Before Ling Yu could finish, Sister Wang shook her head.

“Most people think the same way you do, but Attorney Gu may not actually want to travel all over the country for court appearances.”

Ling Yu made a questioning sound.

“Why?”

Sister Wang sighed.

“Family reasons. She can’t leave Yuncheng. Court appearances often require traveling all over the country, and Attorney Gu may be unwilling to do that.”

Ling Yu displayed an appropriate amount of curiosity.

“That’s strange. Attorney Gu earns so much from litigation every year. She could easily hire a caregiver or place her relatives in a nursing facility.”

Sister Wang set down her coffee and gave Ling Yu a complicated look.

She had not intended to say anything more, but Ling Yu continued asking.

Unable to resist the curiosity in Ling Yu’s eyes, Sister Wang hesitated before discreetly patting the seat beside her after confirming no one else was around.

Once Ling Yu sat down, Sister Wang lowered her voice.

“Two years ago, the firm organized a company trip to Sanya. Everyone from the firm attended. Attorney Gu had only recently joined us and initially didn’t intend to go, but everyone kept urging her, so she came along.”

“The trip was supposed to last three days. Unexpectedly, something happened to Attorney Gu’s younger brother the very next day.”

Ling Yu looked confused.

Sister Wang paused.

“Xiao Ling, you probably don’t think that sounds particularly strange. But what’s frightening is that after that, Attorney Gu’s brother began having an incident every month. Whenever something happens, he refuses to calm down unless Attorney Gu personally goes to the hospital…”

Ling Yu listened in stunned silence.

Remembering the gloomy boy she had seen before, she inexplicably felt a chill crawl over her body.

“I suspect Attorney Gu’s brother has problems here…”

Sister Wang pointed toward her forehead, then toward her arms and legs.

“…and here.”

Ling Yu nodded distractedly and asked vaguely, “Could he have schizophrenia?”

Sister Wang shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

As the end of the working day drew increasingly close, Sister Wang grew more depressed.

The materials they were printing contained every strategic arrangement Gu Qing had prepared for tomorrow’s appearance in court regarding Jiang Wei’s rape case.

Ling Yu noticed that every document had been numbered.

All they needed to do was wait for the pages to print, then arrange and bind them according to those numbers. The process was extremely simple.

Thus, Ling Yu volunteered to take over the work for Sister Wang.

When Ling Yu finished organizing the documents and prepared to leave, the lights on the top floor remained illuminated.

She had originally planned to wait near the entrance so she could leave work with Gu Qing.

However, at approximately seven thirty, the hospital called her.

Her great-grandmother was scheduled to undergo a gastroscopy the following day, and Ling Yu needed to sign the consent form.

By the time she reached the hospital, it was already eight thirty.

As always, the corridor in the VIP ward was quiet.

Ling Yu first visited the elderly matriarch. After waiting until the old woman closed her eyes and fell asleep, she left the room and went to the nurses’ station to sign the paperwork.

The corridor outside, however, was not entirely peaceful.

A fierce argument erupted from the ward area on the far left.

The VIP rooms had good soundproofing, yet the shrill shouting remained audible from the corridor.

Ling Yu lazily leaned against the wall beside the nurses’ station while waiting for the night-shift nurse to locate her great-grandmother’s examination form.

A middle-aged man with a limp approached on crutches and complained to the young nurse.

“Ah, could I apply to change rooms? I’ve only been here for a month, but there have already been three arguments in Room 309!”

Difficulty appeared on the nurse’s face.

After hesitating, she replied, “Don’t worry. The moment another bed becomes available, I’ll transfer you.”

The middle-aged man had not come to cause trouble.

He smiled bitterly and began chatting casually with the nurse.

“That mother and son in Room 309 truly aren’t human. I’ve never seen anyone torment their adopted daughter and sister like this. That daughter is exceptional in both appearance and ability. She spends an enormous amount of money placing those two in such an excellent room. What else could they possibly be dissatisfied with?”

“But look at the things they do. That mother and son are obviously narrow-minded and afraid their adopted daughter will abandon them. They cause a scene every day. If they aren’t slaughtering a chicken inside the room, they’re cutting open a goldfish and throwing it onto their daughter.”

“Any normal person saddled with that mother and son would eventually be driven insane.”

…

The nurse could not openly discuss a patient’s private affairs, so she merely made occasional noncommittal sounds.

Throughout the quiet corridor, only the middle-aged man’s sighs could be heard.

Ling Yu held the pen and accidentally drew a long diagonal line across the section reserved for a family member’s signature.

When she returned to her senses, she hurriedly signed her name.

After politely saying goodbye to the nurse, she inexplicably found herself walking toward the area where the argument had erupted.

From a considerable distance, she could hear the boy laboriously demanding:

“Sister, look at the dead dog beneath your feet. Does it resemble the way our father looked when he died saving you?”

Ling Yu had heard the boy ask a similar question before.

That time, it had been a cat. This time, it was a dog?

She had always known that human emotions were not universally shared.

But she had never known someone could be as cruel as Gu Qing’s younger brother—using the name of family to cut off every possible escape route before Gu Qing.

He repeatedly dragged her blood-soaked past into the open and desecrated it, deepening her memories and intensifying her guilt.