It should have been a night for blushing hearts and racing pulses, but perhaps Cheng Yao hadn’t had enough excitement for one day—halfway through the heavy metal show, the bar’s manager suddenly came downstairs and began evacuating the crowd.
“Fire! Everyone head to the emergency exit!”
In an instant, the heavy metal music dissolved into chaotic, panicked shouting. Fear flashed across many faces, but for some reason, Cheng Yao wasn’t particularly scared—as long as she was beside Qian Heng, there seemed to be nothing to worry about. She barely had to think; all she needed to do was hold his hand and follow him.
The one thing she hadn’t anticipated was that, in the rush, the ten-centimeter heel of her shoe snapped clean off.
Qian Heng said nothing. He simply crouched down slightly.
Cheng Yao was confused.
“Get on,” he said, his expression perfectly calm, as though this were the most natural thing in the world. “I’ll carry you.”
“No need, the parking lot isn’t far, just support me a little and I’ll be fine.”
Even as she refused, limping along, she took only a few steps before Qian Heng scooped her straight up into his arms.
“There. Happy now.”
“Huh?”
Qian Heng snorted. “You didn’t want me to carry you on my back, you wanted me to carry you like this so you could see my face, didn’t you? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.”
“No… no I didn’t!” Cheng Yao protested, trying to wriggle free.
“Stop squirming.” He shot her a warning look. “Keep moving around like that and my back won’t be able to take it, carrying you this way.”
Cheng Yao’s body stilled, but not her mouth. She glanced pointedly at his waist. “This kind of thing… a man really shouldn’t admit his back can’t take it…”
Qian Heng was quiet for a moment before saying, “Cheng Yao, if you don’t stop talking, why don’t you just sleep with me tonight and find out firsthand whether my back holds up.”
“…”
That shut her up completely.
After the chaotic, thrilling, sweet night came the ordinary business of the next day’s work.
Cheng Yao had thought seeing Qian Heng again might be a little awkward, that she wouldn’t be able to control how she looked at him without her colleagues noticing something was off. But fortunately, that problem never arose. Qian Heng flew out to City B early the next morning for a family trust dispute case; Bao Rui, who went with him, could return the same day once the hearing wrapped, but Qian Heng would need to stay behind for two or three more days to handle other client matters before coming back.
Cheng Yao didn’t have much time to dwell on him either. The filing materials for Lin Fengjuan’s child support case had already been submitted to the court, and the presiding judge had called to discuss the proceedings. Given the complexity of the evidence, and to save time at trial, the judge had requested a pre-trial evidence exchange, which Cheng Yao welcomed readily.
A pre-trial evidence exchange allowed each party to clarify the evidence supporting their claims before the formal hearing, so that parties could cross-examine it during trial, and gave the judge a clearer picture of the evidence involved. It also prevented a party from ambushing the other side with new evidence mid-hearing, which could disrupt proceedings and force a second hearing and cross-examination, delaying the whole process.
Though the final decision rested with the judge, a pre-trial evidence exchange generally had to be requested by a party first. Curious, Cheng Yao asked, “Did Lu Jian request the evidence exchange?”
“His lawyer did.” Judge Meng, who was handling the case, said with a laugh over the phone. “I happen to be free this afternoon at two. The other side has no objection either—if you’re fine with it too, let’s exchange evidence quickly. Two o’clock, pre-trial conference room number four.”
Somewhat surprised, Cheng Yao readily agreed.
After a few more exchanges with Judge Meng, she asked casually, “Which firm is representing Lu Jian?”
“Oh, Lawyer Deng Ming from Dewei Law Firm. Do you know him? He’s fairly well known.”
After Judge Meng hung up, Cheng Yao found she couldn’t calm down.
Deng Ming.
Of all people, this case had run into Deng Ming.
He had once been the very reason Cheng Yao aspired to become a family law attorney in the first place—the hope that one day she’d stand honorably in court and face off against him, exposing the false benevolence and righteousness he projected, along with his hollow claims of expertise.
She hadn’t expected to run into him this soon, on the very first case she was handling entirely on her own.
Deng Ming might cultivate the public image of a conscientious lawyer, but in reality, when it came to taking cases, his heart was entirely set on money. Cheng Yao already knew from Lin Fengjuan that Lu Jian’s family was well-off, but apparently it was more than just well-off—likely wealthy or powerful, enough to afford someone like Deng Ming. A predator like Deng Ming only showed up where he smelled fresh blood.
If Qian Heng were on this case, even ten Deng Mings wouldn’t be able to win against him.
But she had already cut off that path herself, resolutely refusing to let Qian Heng get involved.
Was she ready for this?
Or should she go back and ask Qian Heng for help?
If she just asked, he’d never refuse.
Yet her hand, hovering over Qian Heng’s name in her contacts, ultimately stopped short.
He could stand behind her, but she couldn’t rely on him forever.
In the Bai Xingmeng case, she’d been humiliated by Deng Ming. This time, she wanted to try facing him head-on herself.
If her dream had always been to defeat Deng Ming in court, then this was the moment to go for it.
Knowing that Lu Jian’s lawyer was Deng Ming, Cheng Yao threw herself into preparation with even greater urgency. She had already gone with Lin Fengjuan to the hotel where she and Lu Jian had stayed, having her check her own hotel registration records to confirm the date. She had also gathered testimony from several classmates who had attended the reunion with Lin Fengjuan and Lu Jian, confirming that the hotel stay occurred on the same day as the reunion, and that Lu Jian and Lin Fengjuan had indeed been alone together afterward. Combined with the earlier recording, this evidence could support the claim that Lu Jian and Lin Fengjuan had indeed gone to a hotel and had a relationship after the reunion. Given that Lin Fengjuan’s son Hanhan had been born full-term, working backward from his birth date, the timeline lined up perfectly for the encounter between Lu Jian and Lin Fengjuan, with no contradictions. Cheng Yao had also gathered testimony from many of their high school classmates, confirming that Lin Fengjuan and Lu Jian had dated for two years in high school, each other’s first love, with an established emotional foundation between them.
Before heading to the pre-trial evidence exchange, Cheng Yao rehearsed every possible scenario and her responses over and over, making sure that the moment she laid out her evidence list, it would land a decisive blow against Deng Ming.
Cheng Yao informed Lin Fengjuan about the pre-trial evidence exchange, and the two of them headed separately to the court.
As it happened, they arrived at the pre-trial conference room at almost the exact same time as Lu Jian and Deng Ming.
Deng Ming wore a tailored, slim-fit suit, his hair fixed in a classic, meticulously combed pompadour, doused liberally in men’s cologne. Cheng Yao’s gaze passed briefly over his briefcase and the flashy designer logo on his belt.
The more she looked at him, the more her contempt grew—he seemed less like a lawyer to her, more like some knockoff-designer-clad pyramid scheme con artist. Still, however much she loathed him inwardly, Cheng Yao knew to keep her emotions in check. She held fast to every word Qian Heng had ever told her, determined not to repeat past mistakes and let personal feelings compromise her client’s case. To win this case, she’d have to set her own biases aside first and approach it entirely from her client’s perspective.
Cheng Yao remained calm and professional throughout, while Deng Ming’s reaction was far more pronounced. He was clearly startled to see her there, pausing for a moment before quickly returning to a professional demeanor.
Once both parties and their attorneys were present, Judge Meng began the pre-trial evidence exchange according to procedure. “In the case of Lin Fengjuan versus Lu Jian, regarding confirmation of paternity and child support, presiding judge Meng Dongmei, with court clerk Shen Su recording. Do either party request recusal…”
Neither Lin Fengjuan nor Lu Jian requested recusal.
Judge Meng clarified some basic facts of the case, then addressed Deng Ming’s side regarding the evidence materials Cheng Yao had submitted. “Ms. Lin and her attorney have compiled a very detailed chain of evidence. Based on this chain of evidence, Ms. Lin’s side has evidence sufficient to infer a probable parent-child relationship between Lu Jian and Hanhan. If Lu Jian and his attorney have no counter-evidence, yet still refuse to undergo a paternity test, then once formal litigation proceeds, the court may, per legal provisions, rule that Ms. Lin’s claim asserting the paternity relationship stands, while your side, having failed to cooperate with the court-ordered paternity test, will bear the legal consequences of an unfavorable ruling.”
Deng Ming’s expression remained composed, showing no trace of panic. He glanced at Cheng Yao and smiled with total confidence, then pulled a document from his briefcase. “Judge Meng, this is the evidence we’re submitting. We also hope this evidence exchange will make our position clear to the opposing party.” He paused before continuing, with weighted emphasis, “My client, Lu Jian, has been medically diagnosed with azoospermia, and is an incurable case of congenital anorchia.” He glanced at Cheng Yao. “Unfortunately, Mr. Lu was diagnosed with congenital anorchia at birth. These are his complete medical records and annual physical examination results from birth to the present.”
Cheng Yao knew that if Deng Ming had proactively requested this pre-trial evidence exchange, he must have had counter-evidence in hand—she simply hadn’t expected it to be something this game-changing!
She took the evidence from Judge Meng. Judging by the dates of the signatures, the documents did indeed span a long period of time, and the paper of the medical records looked genuinely yellowed with age, while the annual physical examination records were meticulously organized and categorized. To make things easier to review, Deng Ming had highlighted the relevant portions of each medical record with marker, making everything clear at a glance.
If Lu Jian truly had no testicles, then there was no way viable sperm could exist! No matter what, the child couldn’t possibly be his! With this piece of evidence from Deng Ming, even if Lu Jian refused a paternity test, this alone could rule out any parent-child relationship!
Lin Fengjuan had seen the evidence too, and immediately cried out in disbelief. “That’s impossible!” she muttered to herself, looking to Cheng Yao as though pleading for help. “This can’t be right! That night, I saw clearly, he definitely had— he was completely healthy! How could this turn into some congenital anorchia thing?!”
Deng Ming ignored her outburst entirely, glancing instead at Cheng Yao. “You’re welcome to challenge the authenticity of this evidence, but what we’ve submitted is entirely genuine, and we’re not afraid of any authentication testing.” He spoke with confident bravado. “Rather, Ms. Lin should think carefully about what other schemes she plans to use to slander and extort my client.” He pushed up his glasses. “Whether your acting skills are good or your voice is loud has nothing to do with what’s actually true.”
Just then, before Cheng Yao could stop her, Lin Fengjuan suddenly stood up and, in a fit of hysteria, tore apart the medical and physical examination records in her hands.
Her face flushed red with fury. “This is fake! This evidence has to be fake! Lu Jian, you have no shame at all, you’re a perfectly healthy man, did you forget what happened that night? You even told me you loved it when I touched you there, that it worked just fine, and now you’re claiming you were born without testicles? Are you joking with me?! Or did you get yourself castrated just so you wouldn’t have to claim Hanhan?!” Lin Fengjuan’s eyes blazed red. “You’re truly shameless! How could I have ever believed your sweet lies!”
Lin Fengjuan had completely lost control, not even registering that she was in a courthouse. She stood up on the spot, pulling out her phone to show a photo of the baby, her hands trembling as she tried to hand it to Lu Jian. “This is the baby’s full-month photo, just look at it! Look at how he’s got your features, look at his expression, it’s practically a carbon copy of you! Anyone can tell at a glance this is your child! And you still deny it, claiming you can’t father children! Hanhan is so beautiful, so precious, but because of his congenital heart condition, he’s lying in intensive care right now, his life hanging by a thread, and you, his own biological father, won’t even acknowledge him or pay support, haven’t even come to see him once! If something happens to this baby, aren’t you afraid he’ll come back to haunt you as a vengeful ghost?!” As she spoke of the baby, tears welled up in her eyes.
But before the photo reached Lu Jian, Deng Ming intercepted it, glanced at it briefly, and coldly tossed the phone back onto the table. In sharp contrast to Lin Fengjuan’s outburst, Deng Ming remained composed and icy. “Ms. Lin, please calm down. You’ve just destroyed the original evidence submitted by my client. Under the Civil Procedure Law, this constitutes destruction of key evidence, obstructing the court’s ability to hear the case, and I believe Judge Meng will impose appropriate penalties. As critical evidence for establishing paternity in this case, if these medical and examination records have now been destroyed beyond recognition, the court may rule that the party who destroyed the evidence bears the unfavorable legal consequences.”
This turn of events had caught Cheng Yao completely off guard too. Deng Ming wasn’t wrong—given that Lin Fengjuan was still nursing, she might well face a fine for this, and worse, her impulsive act could now put her at serious risk of losing the case entirely.
However mild-mannered and righteous Deng Ming appeared on the surface, when it came to protecting his client’s interests, his whole demeanor turned sharp and aggressive. Lin Fengjuan, cowed by his intensity, began to grow anxious herself. She calmed down and looked to Cheng Yao for help.
Judge Meng clearly found this chaotic pre-trial evidence exchange a headache as well. She gave the clerk a few instructions, and, since she had another hearing to rush to, had the clerk record everything that had happened before ending the session.
As she was leaving, Deng Ming called out to stop her. “Oh, Judge Meng, I heard your daughter wanted braces done. My child went to a great private dental clinic in Singapore recently, excellent service, very professional orthodontic work. I’ll send you the information.”
Judge Meng paused, looking somewhat surprised, then nodded her thanks before hurrying off.
Cheng Yao didn’t think much of this small exchange, unaware that every one of Deng Ming’s actions carried a purpose—and that, in Lin Fengjuan’s mind, it would be read very differently.
“That Lawyer Deng seems quite close with Judge Meng.” Once everyone else had left, Lin Fengjuan fell silent for a moment before finally speaking, her face ashen. “Discussing their kids together like that—they must be pretty close. In that case, this judge is bound to favor them, isn’t she.” Lin Fengjuan said, despairing and indignant. “That’s just how this society works, isn’t it—people with money and power can afford good lawyers, can build connections. In this day and age, everything runs on relationships, doesn’t it?! Even the courts are corrupt! It’s all about who you know!”
“That’s not true. You should trust the court and the judge.” Despite the sudden turn of events, Cheng Yao quickly regained her composure. “Knowing each other privately is one thing, but I trust in the judge’s professional integrity. If we can eventually find evidence to turn the case around, the judge won’t rule in the other side’s favor just because of a personal connection.”
This only made Lin Fengjuan more indignant and helpless. “Lawyer Cheng, I swear to you, Lu Jian is absolutely not infertile, and definitely doesn’t have congenital anorchia.” At this point, she’d abandoned any pretense of modesty or shame. “I saw it very clearly, he’s a completely normal man. His medical records must be forged!”
If this had been any other lawyer, Cheng Yao might not have suspected foul play. But with Deng Ming involved, instructing a client to fabricate evidence wasn’t out of the question at all.
The immediate difficulty, though, was this: most of the original evidence had already been torn apart by Lin Fengjuan. Though it could be roughly reassembled through piecing the fragments together, such reconstructed material likely wouldn’t meet the requirements for authenticity testing of an original document. Furthermore, Deng Ming surely hadn’t anticipated Lin Fengjuan’s outburst and destruction of the evidence, which meant that if he’d dared to present this original in the first place, he had likely already covered his tracks thoroughly at the source of the forgery—meaning even sending it for authentication testing probably wouldn’t turn up anything. And this case couldn’t follow the same path as the Dong Shan case with a paternity test either, since Lu Jian’s parents would never consent to a test that might jeopardize their family’s arranged marriage over a child with a health condition. The case had hit a wall.
“I noticed all these medical diagnoses and examinations came from the same private hospital. It’s very possible this hospital was complicit in the forgery. I’ll be following up on that lead,” Cheng Yao said, trying to comfort Lin Fengjuan. “Don’t panic. Fake things can’t stay hidden forever—they always slip up eventually.”
Lin Fengjuan wiped away her tears and nodded. “I hope Lawyer Cheng can get justice for me and my baby!”