"In any case, I want to play the role of a female rogue!" Qi Xi exclaimed. On this matter, she was resolute, "Why should women just sit idly by and become victims? I want to go against the grain and portray a perpetrator's image. Moreover, playing an antagonist like this challenges my acting skills and showcases my abilities even more!"
Because of Qi Xi's persistence, Gu Yan had no choice but to agree to her plan. However, before confirming, he reiterated with Qi Xi several times—
"You can take on the role, but do you understand the potential impact it might have on you after it's aired?" Gu Yan paused, hinting, "Although it's just an educational legal video, many internet users are not rational. Insults could escalate to a personal level, your private information might be exposed, and you might even face harassment."
Qi Xi brushed off his concerns, saying, "It won't go that far. You're probably overthinking it."
Gu Yan pursed his lips. "I'm not overthinking it." His gaze, calm and composed, met Qi Xi's, then he lowered his eyes. "These are real things you might encounter."
Qi Xi wanted to argue, but just as she was about to speak, Gu Yan looked at her again, repeating—
"Qi Xi, everything I mentioned earlier are things you might experience after the video is aired."
Gu Yan's tone was even, without any hint of blame, but Qi Xi suddenly realized.
Why was Gu Yan so certain she would actually face these issues?
Was it because of that video from her graduation ceremony? Even though Qi Xi had reported and deleted all the links she saw, it still had a certain level of circulation. Was this circulation alone enough to cause the kind of impact Gu Yan mentioned?
Throughout this whole matter, Gu Yan had never scolded Qi Xi, nor had he brought it up on his own. He hadn't exploited the situation to ask anything from her. However, this made Qi Xi feel even more guilty and uneasy, solidifying her determination to play the antagonist role.
If it could lead to the effects Gu Yan described, then she couldn't let him experience it all over again. She needed to empathize with what he went through.
Therefore, Qi Xi practically made up her mind in one fell swoop. With unwavering determination, she said, "Anyway, I'll do it!"
**
On one hand, Qi Xi had finally secured the role of the "female rogue" and began to revise the script. On the other hand, Cheng Junliang brought back feedback from his supervising attorney—
After listening to his account, his supervising attorney indeed held the same view as Gu Xuehan. They completely disagreed with his previous attempt to evade responsibility for losing the original loan agreement.
"Now my supervising attorney also believes that he had a responsibility to remind me at the time. So, he's willing to use his professional liability insurance to compensate me," Cheng Junliang said, visibly relieved. "However, he also mentioned that although I admitted my mistake in losing the documents, I can't just lie down and let Lu Juan exploit me. As for dealing with Lu Juan, my supervising attorney is asking me to find a way myself, to communicate and handle the situation. Whether it's finding evidence to prove the 120,000 debt between her and her ex-boyfriend or any other approach, my supervising attorney wants me to put in more effort and not just rely on his insurance to cover it all."
Cheng Junliang paused and continued, "He said that even though I'm an intern lawyer, I should uphold the dignity of being a lawyer. I should make every effort to clean up the mess I made due to negligence."
Gu Xuehan didn't seem surprised by this outcome. She took a sip of tea and remarked, "He's right. You created this mess, so it's your responsibility to clean it up. Learning to face your mistakes and taking responsibility isn't just a lesson for you, but also a chance for growth."
Thinking about facing Lu Juan, Cheng Junliang was visibly nervous. "But can I handle it on my own..."
Gu Xuehan smiled and looked at Qi Xi and Gu Yan. "How about this? I'll lend you Qi Xi and Gu Yan. Let them help you as fellow students. Three heads are better than one, and surely you three can come up with a way to deal with Lu Juan?"
After stating her proposition, Gu Xuehan confirmed with Qi Xi and Gu Yan, "As fellow students, your help won't come with a fee, but if the three of you can't resolve the issue, and you need to come back to me for advice, then I'll charge you for legal services."
She glanced at Cheng Junliang. "My fees are quite high, so it's best if you come up with a solution yourselves."
Naturally, Cheng Junliang was more than eager to accept this arrangement, and Qi Xi and Gu Yan were also willing to help. Successfully resolving Cheng Junliang's issue was what they all wanted to achieve.
**
Timing was crucial. After leaving Gu Xuehan's office, Qi Xi immediately brought Gu Yan and Cheng Junliang into a nearby conference room.
"Let's discuss how to gather evidence," Qi Xi said as she twirled a pen. "Getting Lu Juan or Pan Zhendong to voluntarily provide evidence to patch up the loan records isn't feasible. They must have already planned that out. We need to approach this from a different angle."
The moment this issue was brought up, Cheng Junliang looked visibly troubled. "Maybe we can ask Lu Juan and Pan Zhendong's friends or colleagues from that time. See if anyone knows about this loan between them. Or perhaps there are mentions of this loan in their chat records with others? I could spend the next few days reaching out to their social circles, trying to collect some evidence."
Gu Yan didn't hold high hopes for this approach. "This method might not be very effective. First, Lu Juan and Pan Zhendong were a couple living together, so they might not have disclosed their loan relationship to other friends or colleagues. Additionally, even if they had friends or colleagues who knew, why would they betray them and share that information with a stranger lawyer?"
With that, the quest for evidence seemed to hit a dead end...
Just as everyone fell into silence, Qi Xi contemplated for a moment and suddenly had a bold idea. "What if Pan Zhendong actually started a new relationship before breaking up with Lu Juan? Essentially, he had already betrayed her back then. Do you think we can undermine their current alliance?"
Because Pan Zhendong and Lu Juan were former lovers and might even be secretly back together, this relationship allowed them to present a united front to the outside world. But if there was a flaw in this foundation, wouldn't it lead to their alliance falling apart without external attack?
Qi Xi became more convinced of this line of thought. "Think about it, even though Lu Juan is shrewd, when it comes to Pan Zhendong, she might still be a bit love-struck. She practically threw money at him in their relationship, supported his business venture unconditionally, and even borrowed money for him. It's evident that Lu Juan invested more in this relationship. People who invest more, due to higher sunk costs, are slower to withdraw and more likely to get trapped."
Cheng Junliang hesitated. "Is that really the case?"
Qi Xi was about to nod when she heard Gu Yan emit a thoughtful "Hmm".
Gu Yan wasn't one to speak easily, but when he did, it was usually from personal experience.
At this moment, Gu Yan seemed calm, yet Qi Xi sensed an unease within. That "Hmm" of his was probably related to the unforgettable lost love that still lingered in his heart.
Qi Xi felt a pang of bitterness. They hadn't even spent a day together, hadn't gone on dates, held hands, kissed, or even slept beside each other. How deep could one fall into such emotions? What kind of modern-day enchantress was this "white moonlight" of Gu Yan?
But this thought was fleeting. Soon, discussions about the follow-up regarding Cheng Junliang and Lu Juan's situation brought Qi Xi back into work mode. The group engaged in a rapid exchange of ideas.
With guidance from Qi Xi and Gu Yan, Cheng Junliang finally began to think along the suggested lines. "So, if we can find evidence of Pan Zhendong's infidelity towards Lu Juan and then reveal it to her, it's highly likely that she'll break up with him in anger, right?"
"Exactly," Qi Xi nodded. "I assume Pan Zhendong managed to reconcile with Lu Juan by coaxing her. They both planned to exploit your loss of the loan agreement to extort 120,000 yuan. But if we find evidence of Pan Zhendong's affair, and Lu Juan sees it, what do you think will happen?"
"As a woman, let me put myself in her shoes," Qi Xi said, tapping her fingers on the table. "I've invested so much, even resorted to extorting my own lawyer for his sake. I've been harassed by all sorts of loan sharks, lost my job, and even my hard-earned savings I'd accumulated over time were wasted on his business venture. I wholeheartedly supported him in his endeavors, only to find out I was a joke. He cheated on me a long time ago, squandering my hard-earned money on other women. The love I once felt runs deep, but so does the hate that's growing."
Qi Xi pursed her lips. "Lu Juan isn't the type to be weak. If Pan Zhendong has betrayed her for so long, she won't just cry and move on. She won't accept defeat so easily. She will make Pan Zhendong pay a price. And how does she make him pay? By holding him accountable for the 120,000 yuan debt. When that happens, she'll be more than willing to cooperate with us for evidence and provide proof of Pan Zhendong's debt."
Qi Xi tapped the table again. "Once Pan Zhendong's infidelity comes to light, this shifts for Lu Juan from being a simple debt dispute to a woman's ruthless revenge. She won't be content with just getting the money anymore."
Gu Yan approved of Qi Xi's plan. "Instead of starting from their friends, it's better to target their relationship directly. Their alliance is already on shaky ground. If we find a breach point that leads to the dissolution of Lu Juan and Pan Zhendong's partnership, Lu Juan will naturally turn to us for support, seeking a settlement. That's a significant advantage for you."
"I understand!" Cheng Junliang's eyes also lit up. "I'll immediately focus on investigating Pan Zhendong's social connections, looking for any suspicious links!"
**
With the guidance and help of Qi Xi and Gu Yan, Cheng Junliang's goal became clear this time. He was a capable student during his school days, and though the incident with the 120,000 yuan debt had thrown him off balance, he was now calm and back to his usual self.
Before the end of the day, Cheng Junliang surprisingly achieved results at a rapid pace—
"I infiltrated the KTV where Pan Zhendong used to work, pretended to be a customer, struck up a conversation with the staff there, and I actually discovered something!"
Cheng Junliang's tone was quite excited. "Qi Xi, you were absolutely right. In fact, Pan Zhendong has a girlfriend outside. He's been using the money Lu Juan lent him to support this girlfriend. This girlfriend is actually a former waitress that was recently hired for the KTV. They've become involved, and sometimes when he tells Lu Juan he's at work, he's actually staying with this girlfriend. He's even paying for her living arrangements."
As he spoke, Cheng Junliang presented evidence. "A few of the other KTV managers are envious of Pan Zhendong for having the ability to manage two girlfriends. I've recorded these conversations. I even found out where the girlfriend lives. Pan Zhendong is living there now. If Lu Juan doesn't give up, I can even accompany her to stay."
This time, Cheng Junliang put in extra effort to make up for his previous mistakes in handling the case. He had clearly put in a lot of work this time. Not only did he obtain audio evidence, but he also secured other forms of evidence.
Cheng Junliang took out a document from his bag. "Although Pan Zhendong used his manipulation to evade repaying the 120,000 yuan debt to Lu Juan, I discovered that his previous business venture investment was far from legitimate. It seemed to resemble a pyramid scheme product. Now, he's invested all his money into it and is in significant debt to others. Because he's facing pressure from debt collection, he's in desperate need of money."
"I found out that Pan Zhendong rented a two-bedroom apartment for that girlfriend. They are currently living together in the master bedroom. Originally, there was a spare bedroom. When he had money to spare, it was manageable. However, now that he's financially tight, I'm sure he's considering subletting that spare bedroom to make some extra cash."
As Cheng Junliang continued speaking, he became more engrossed in his thoughts. His eyes lit up. "I thought that if I approached it this way, I could contact several real estate agencies in the nearby area, saying I wanted to rent a spare bedroom. It's a sought-after neighborhood due to the schools, so finding available rentals is tough. Most people rent out the entire unit, and there aren't usually spare bedrooms lying around. I figured there wouldn't be many vacant sublet bedrooms. As expected, the real estate agency only provided two options for available spare bedrooms."
Handling a case is sometimes like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, where at first glance, the tiny pieces seem indistinguishable, leaving you clueless. However, with careful examination and extracting useful information from each piece, trying every possibility with patience, investing time and effort, you'll eventually complete the puzzle.
From his initial panic and almost causing a major blunder to now, with assistance from Qi Xi and Gu Yan, guidance from Gu Xuehan, and his own determination, Cheng Junliang had transformed from a novice to a composed and rational individual.
Qi Xi watched as he explained the case meticulously, unraveling the details. She couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
It hadn't been long since Cheng Junliang was a young man who seemed incapable of handling the responsibilities of a lawyer. Yet, within a short span of time and with the right environment and guidance, he had grown so quickly.
Great lawyers aren't born; they evolve from interns who make mistakes, correct them, and continuously strive to improve.
Although it was just a small case Cheng Junliang had encountered, Qi Xi couldn't explain why she felt so inspired by it.
Gu Xuehan exuded elegance, composure, and strength, as if she were capable of anything. This often led Qi Xi to feel inferior and unable to compare in contrast. However, at this moment, she suddenly realized that even though she might be weak and not as skilled or professional right now, even though she made mistakes quite often, it was okay.
Because as long as she could rectify her mistakes promptly, take responsibility for them, and not give up on the career of being a lawyer just because of minor setbacks, she knew that if she persisted and worked hard, she could one day become a formidable female lawyer like Gu Xuehan. She could become a lawyer who even her father would admire.
Cheng Junliang had no idea what Qi Xi was thinking. He was completely immersed in the investigation evidence related to Pan Zhendong, earnestly explaining to Qi Xi and Gu Yan the evidence he had gathered throughout the afternoon. "I got lucky. The first person I encountered was related to Pan Zhendong's rental property. Luckily, it wasn't Pan Zhendong himself, but his girlfriend. They were subletting, essentially acting as sub landlords. I asked to see the lease agreement they signed with the landlord to prove their eligibility to sublet the spare bedroom. She didn't suspect anything and showed me their lease agreement."
"Perhaps they were in a hurry to sublet to recover some costs, so she was quite enthusiastic towards me. She even let me make a copy of the lease agreement. The lease agreement was signed in the names of both Pan Zhendong and his girlfriend, and the money came from Pan Zhendong!"
Cheng Junliang reached into his bag and pulled out the copied document. "This entirely proves that Pan Zhendong and his girlfriend are living together, and he's financially supporting her!"
This wasn't a case of marital dispute, and evidence of infidelity didn't need to be presented in court. Cheng Junliang's recorded conversations and the copied lease contract were intended to bring clarity to Lu Juan. As such, this kind of evidence was compelling and convincing enough.
After discussing, the three decided to act swiftly and decisively, arranging to meet Lu Juan again that very evening.