Chapter 395: Is He Really Innocent?
She went back to her house to get her bag and jacket. She had prepared everything beforehand, so after finishing her breakfast at Yan Huaian’s, she could go straight to the company without returning to her place.
She walked for a bit and reached Yan Huaian’s house. It was her first time being inside.
She discovered that his house was tidier than she had imagined. There was not even the slightest mess, and it was as if he had been here for a long time and had already established a habit of tidying up the house every day.
As soon as she entered through the front door, she caught a whiff of the bacon and omelet from the kitchen.
Yu Zi was about to speak, but as looked up, she saw Yan Huaian looking at her with a gentle expression.
His expression was as though he was looking at his lover.
Yu Zi told herself that it must be an illusion, but she could not help but blush under Yan Huaian’s gaze.
Although she had no intention of starting a new relationship now, it did not mean she could remain indifferent after being watched attentively by such an outstanding man.
Her heart was not made of stone, so it was normal for her to be shy.
Due to awkwardness, Yu Zi was racking her brain, trying to search for a topic to get rid of the tense atmosphere. However, the more nervous she was, the emptier her mind became. She was usually sharp and eloquent with her words in court, but at this moment, she could not come up with anything to say.
After thinking about it for a long time, she thought of the worst conversation starter. She blurted out, “The balconies of our houses are so close. If only I could come straight by climbing over, then there would be no need for me to walk so far to get here.”
After saying this, Yu Zi realized that it was so inappropriate. If Yan Huaian was not around, she would have banged her head on the wall and probably split it open. She would have done this just to see what was going on inside of it recently.
Why did she always blurt out stupid stuff when she talking to Yan Huaian?
Yan Huaian looked at Yu Zi silently cussing at herself but still pretended to keep unperturbed. He tried to hold his laughter back and did not say a word.
He was afraid he would laugh out loud if he said a word, so he turned around and mentioned to her that breakfast was ready and that he wanted to set the table.
“I made coffee. Do you have coffee for breakfast? If you don’t, there’s still milk and juice in the fridge,” Yan Huaian said.
“Coffee’s good,” Yu Zi replied.
Yan Huaian took the coffee pot over and brought along creamers and sachets of sugar for the coffee.
Yu Zi liked her coffee sweet, so she put three sachets of sugar in hers.
Yan Huaian did not add creamers and only poured a single sachet of sugar in his.
She did not know whether it was the origin of the coffee beans, or perhaps Yan Huaian had a talent for brewing coffee, but Yu Zi felt that it was even better than the ones at the coffee shops. It lacked intricate latte art, but the deep taste of the coffee was rich and mellow.
“Are you used to drinking coffee in the morning?” Yu Zi asked casually.
“It’s a habit I formed during my younger years when I was studying in the UK. It gives me a clear head in the morning, so I think it’s good,” Yan Huaian nodded as he explained.
Yu Zi cut up the egg whites and bacon at the same time and gobbled it down. The egg whites were slightly burnt on the bottom, and there was a hint of spiciness from the freshly ground black pepper. The bacon was salty and crispy, so when it was all layered together, the flavors were distinct and delicious.
“Most of the time, my breakfast in the morning is relatively simple because I have to rush to work,” Yan Huaian said.
“It’s already terrific. Sometimes I’m just too lazy to make mine in the morning. I just go out and buy it on the way to work, or I’ll buy a sandwich at a convenience store the night before and eat it at home in the morning.” Yu Zi’s face was filled with joy. “It’s been a while since I ate this sort of steaming hot savory breakfast in the morning. If the breakfast is good, I feel like it puts you in a good mood all day long.”
“Then, you should just come for breakfast next time.” Yan Huaian suggested.
Yu Zi let out a hollow laugh and did not give him a clear answer.
The two finished their breakfast, and Yan Huaian offered to drive Yu Zi to work. Yu Zi’s law firm was really near to Yan Hui, so Yu Zi did not refuse.
Thus, she followed Yan Huaian to the underground parking lot.
Yue Jingchen saw a black Benz SUV coming out of the residential area, but he did not respond to it. He still waited for Yu Zi with a blank expression.
Then, he saw the person that was sitting in the passenger seat through the slightly lowered window. Yue Jingchen’s facial expression changed, and he dashed straight to the car, “Yu Zi!”
Yan Huaian had already seen him before he called out for her. At that moment, Yu Zi was looking down and searching for something in her bag, so she did not notice him.
When Yue Jingchen rushed over, Yu Zi took a black rubber band from her bag and was trying to tie her long hair into a neat ponytail.
She could not see Yue Jingchen because her arms were blocking both sides of her face.
It was not until she had finished tying her ponytails that she heard Yue Jingchen’s cry, “Yu Zi!” She quickly turned around in shock.
At this moment, Yan Huaian suddenly stepped on the accelerator, and the car quickly pulled away. Yue Jingchen’s efforts to chase after the vehicle was futile.
Yan Huaian looked at her with an innocent expression. “What’s wrong?”
Yu Zi paused and shook her head. “Nothing.”
Yan Huaian sent her to the entrance of the law firm, after which Yu Zi turned her head and said, “Thank you very much for today.”
Yan Huaian smiled warmly and looked deep into Yu Zi’s eyes. “We’re neighbors, there’s no need to be so polite.”
It wasn’t until Yu Zi walked into the elevator that she realized that she had become so familiar with Yan Huaian. There was nothing strange about their interactions whatsoever.
It had only been a night!
She had only just entered the company when she saw her mentor, Song Dashen, coming out.
“Mentor,” Yu Zi called out immediately. She had not even made it to her seat yet.
However, Song Dashen simply said, “Come with me to the police station and meet our new client.”
“Yes!” Yu Zi hurriedly carried her bag and followed Song Dashen out of the office.
Song Dashen’s reputation in the industry was not as good as Yu Gesheng, but he was still a reputable figure. Yu Zi had also consulted Yu Gesheng before when she was applying for jobs.
Seeing that she did not want to work under Yu Gesheng, he recommended some other lawyers instead.
Song Dashen was the first person nominated by Yu Gesheng. Fortunately, Yu Zi was later accepted into the firm.
Song Dashen was a few years younger than Yu Gesheng, and he was also old enough to be Yu Zi’s father. Yu Zi was talented and very resilient, which was why Song Dashen liked this apprentice very much. He actually thought that she was the best he had ever taken in. Thus, he taught her with all his heart and treated her almost like his own daughter.
As the two walked to Song Dashen’s car, Song Dashen chatted idly, “How did the engagement on Saturday go?”
Yu Zi was silent for a while. Her other colleagues in the office did not know about her engagement, and only her mentor Song Dashen knew about it.
“It fell through. My and my boy… ex-boyfriend and I broke up,” Yu Zi said.
Song Dashen was not surprised at all, as he was fortunate enough to have met Yue Jingchen’s mother once.
At the time, Pan Yunfeng had been passing by the office, and it was noon. She came to look for Yu Zi and asked Yu Zi to buy her a meal.
It just so happened that they had come down from the office together, so Song Dashen had greeted Pan Yunfeng too.
Song Dashen had been a savvy person for more than half of his lifetime. Even if they had only exchanged a few words, he was able to get a thoroughly feel of Pan Yunfeng’s personality.
Therefore, Song Dashen was not surprised that Yu Zi would break up with Yue Jingchen. In fact, he felt that it was just a matter of time.
Song Dashen felt this way since the day he met Pan Yunfeng.
It was just that since this was his apprentice’s personal matter. Affairs regarding relationships and families were one and the same – no one was allowed to simply intervene. No matter how close they were, Song Dashen did not say anything.
After hearing Yu Zi’s words, he did not prod further either. He was well aware of what had happened.
He merely patted Yu Zi’s shoulder. “Let it go and start a new life. Don’t say that your mentor had never warned you about these things. As humans, we fear repetition the most. Of all the things in this world, your mentor hates repeating things the most. When breaks up are not done so completely and absolutely, it causes unceasing unhappiness for me. I know you’re this way as well.”
Yu Zi nodded and said with a smile, “Mentor, please rest assured, and don’t worry too much.”
Seeing her response, Song Dashen said nothing else and simply drove to the police station.
In the car, Song Dashen told her about the client’s situation, “This time the client’s name is Zhao Yuxuan, male, 26 years old. He’s an accountant from Cheng Ke Investment. Cheng Ke provides customers with investment and financial management services on the surface, but they were also laundering money for the Yan Qing Gang under wraps. Zhao Yuxuan’s being pushed out to take the blame for everything, even though, all said and done, he’s a very average person. His family has a small business, so he certainly isn’t willing to become the scapegoat. This is why he approached us.”
“Is he really innocent?” Yu Zi asked, “After all, he’s Cheng Ke’s accountant. He deals with the company’s accounts on a regular basis. Why didn’t he notice that something was amiss? Or did he falsify accounts for the company?”
Song Dashen smiled slightly, “Who knows, I personally think he’s not innocent due to his position in the company. Did he take the initiative to get involved or was he coerced and threatened by the company into working for them? In any case, we still need to head over and talk to him.”
When they arrived at the police station, they explained their intentions and were taken to the interrogation room.
Perhaps Zhao Yuxuan watched a lot of TV in his free time or had been briefed by someone from higher up earlier on, but he did not answer a single question before they arrived.
Song Dashen asked the police to give them space so they could talk alone, and the police left.
As Song Dashen was asking questions, Yu Zi kept an eye on Zhao Yuxuan. He was really nervous as he placed his hands on the table and held them together. His fingers had turned pale due to him gripping them so hard, but he did not seem to realize this. One of his legs continuously tapped against the ground, and when he got tired, he changed to another leg.
After hearing his statements that were not completely honest, Yu Zi said coldly, “Mr. Zhao, since we are your attorneys, we hope that you can cooperate with us and tell us everything you know so that we can get you the best results. If you hide the truth from us, we can’t help you.”
Zhao Yuxuan pursed his lips and was obviously looking at them with wary eyes.
Song Dashen had been hired by Zhao Yuxuan’s parents. They had paid not only expensive attorney fees but also relied on connections by giving out many gifts to request for Song Dashen.
Yu Zi knew this, and no one needed to say it out loud.
When an attorney reached the levels of Song Dashen and Yu Gesheng, they no longer needed to look for cases. Instead, the cases would come to them. It all depended on whether they had spare time, and if they found the case challenging. Everything was willful and relied on whether they even wanted to accept the case.
Therefore, Yu Zi could not bear to see Zhao Yuxuan waste his parents’ hard work. “Your parents paid a hefty price for my mentor to be here today. We signed an agreement that the conversations between the clients are to be kept confidential; we’d never leak them. If you don’t trust us, that’s fine. We’ll ask your parents to look for another expert. However, no matter which attorneys come to you, if you keep up this attitude, you’ll never be discharged.”
“Can I really be released without any charges?” Zhao Yuxuan asked after being somewhat stirred up.
“That will require you to tell us everything without hiding anything. Only then will we be able to make any judgments. There must be no secrets between us. Otherwise, if you’re exposed in court, you will be in more trouble, and your charges will add up.” Yu Zi said, “You should think about it properly now and tell us what you know. However we question you, we ask that you do not hide anything from us. Afterward, we’ll first bail you out of here.”
…
It was noon when they came out of the police station. Song Dashen and Yu Zi soon got Zhao Yuxuan released on bail, allowing him to meet his parents who had been waiting outside for a long time.
Seeing Zhao Yuxuan coming out, the crying Mrs. Zhao rushed over and hugged Zhao Yuxuan.
Zhao Yuxuan was also shocked to his core from the whole ordeal. The grown man began hugging his mother and cried out, “Mom.”
“First, let’s go back to the office and discuss the details,” Song Dashen said as he interrupted their cries.
Zhao Yuxuan and Mrs. Zhao finally separated themselves and looked at Song Dashen. Mrs. Zhao clutched at Song Dashen’s clothes and said, “Lawyer Song, you have to save my son!”
Song Dashen said calmly, “Let’s head back to my office, this is not the place to talk.”
Mr. Zhao pulled Mrs. Zhao’s over, no longer letting her bother Song Dashen anymore.
Fortunately, he was a little calmer than Mrs. Zhao. He nodded, and said to Mrs. Zhao, “Lawyer Song is right. Let’s go to Lawyer Song’s office for now. It doesn’t matter what you say here. Let’s go back and discuss how we can be of help to our son.”
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