DF Chapter 6

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

“Are you just realizing that now? Seriously…” Zhen Yi’s mouth hung open in disbelief, then her eyes lit up with a mischievous idea. “I could lend you the money, but I don’t lend money to strangers.”

“…”

“Hehe, but if I were your girlfriend, that would be a different story!”

“…”

“Hey, don’t walk away! Yan Ge, wait for me! You’re walking home? Great, how about I escort you? What if someone tries to rob you again? You don’t have money? What if they rob you for your looks instead? Hey, why are you running? Don’t run! Come back…”

From that moment on, she had been chasing him, like a ship sailing toward the sun, year after year, from middle school to high school. Soon, everyone at school knew, even the teachers knew, and eventually, the whole city knew.

…

It was as if overnight, the temperature suddenly rose, and new buds unfurled on the barren trees.

On Wednesday morning, Yang Zi was, as usual, the first to arrive at the office. A few months ago, she had discovered by chance that their boss, Bian Qian, would come in early and make his own coffee. Ever since, she had quit her habit of sleeping in.

Standing by the coffee machine for a moment, Yang Zi carefully timed it, listening for the sound of the elevator. The moment she heard it, she grabbed the watering can to water the plants on the windowsill of Bian Qian’s office.

“Azi, you’re here early.” came a voice—not Bian Qian’s, but Zhen Yi’s.

Her house was nearby, so she jogged to the office every morning. Out of breath, she filled her cup at the water cooler. The morning sunlight streamed in, casting a soft glow on her face, still flushed from her run, full of vitality. She bent over, the pink sporty outfit hugging her curvy figure, accentuating her slender legs—provocatively alluring. Back in middle school, the rebellious Zhen Yi always wore tight, low-waist pants, her slim waist and round hips firmly encased, making the shy Yang Zi and their classmates blush on her behalf.

Yang Zi was very beautiful, with a particularly feminine figure. Zhen Yi couldn’t compare in looks, but she radiated an indescribable liveliness and energy that made people want to keep looking at her.

After exchanging greetings, Zhen Yi headed into the restroom. When she came back out, she was completely transformed. Her hair was meticulously styled into a neat bun, and she wore a white sequined business dress that looked like a chic little cocktail dress—elegant, sophisticated, and playful, a stark contrast to everyone else’s stiff office suits.

From school to the workplace, Zhen Yi’s sense of style had always been a notch above the rest.

Yang Zi followed Zhen Yi into the break room. “Hey, did you see the news? Sunday night, Lin Ziyi was murdered at the Ecstasy private club in Lanting. They say it was brutal.” Saturday had been the day Zhen Yi and Si Gui went shopping at the mall.

“Yeah, I saw it.” Zhen Yi opened her laptop, moving the mouse. “The news didn’t give details, but there are rumors online that he was castrated. Though, of course, that could just be netizens being cruel.”

Yang Zi leaned in. “Now that he’s dead, the internet is going wild again. A lot of people are celebrating.”

“Ha.” Zhen Yi smirked. “When Tang Shang died, people were also celebrating, saying she killed herself out of guilt. Now Lin Ziyi’s dead, and they’re doing the same thing. Do they really have such a strong sense of justice and hatred for evil? No, they’re just empty and insignificant in real life, needing to vent the darkness and malice in their hearts. Their comments reflect who they are. Anyone who can’t even respect life doesn’t deserve to be called human.”

Yang Zi was startled by the hint of anger in Zhen Yi’s voice. “Yi, I thought you’d feel relieved hearing this news.”

Zhen Yi’s emotions were complicated and hard to describe. Yang Zi patted her shoulder. “You’ve been working nonstop for over three months. Now that it’s finally over, you can catch your breath.” Her eyes fell on the folder Zhen Yi had brought in, and she casually glanced at it. “New case? Weren’t you on vacation Monday and Tuesday?”

“Cases don’t take vacations, so my break was ruined.” Zhen Yi said as she jotted down notes on her tablet, not wasting a single second.

“You’re working yourself to death. Is Bian torturing you or what?” Yang Zi flipped through the folder, her eyes widening at the hefty retainer fee. It was enough to fund a divorce case for half a year. At their firm, a lawyer’s salary was tied to the cases they handled. Some lawyers made tens of thousands in a week, while others worked for months and earned less than construction workers.

“He wouldn’t dare torture you. You’re his star player.” Yang Zi teased.

“You’re the real talent here. Professionally, I can’t compare to you.”

“Professionally? Once you enter the real world, you realize expertise doesn’t always get the final say.” Yang Zi sighed. She had always worked hard, and as a result, felt even more confused about her future. Zhen Yi paused her writing, then looked up seriously. “Azi, you’re smart, beautiful, capable, and full of charm. I envy you.”

Yang Zi froze, glaring at her playfully before saying, “Yi, I’ve talked to the boss. I want to switch to criminal law. When that happens, you’ll have to take me under your wing. Oh, and yesterday the boss gave me a criminal case, one that’s been making waves in the media.”

“Really? Congratulations! You’ll do great.”

As work hours began, the office gradually filled with activity.

Yang Zi returned to her desk to deal with her own cases, but during a break, she habitually glanced at Zhen Yi’s cubicle. A tall woman wearing sunglasses had just walked in—it was someone familiar. Was that Song Yi? The famous actress Song Yi? No wonder the retainer fee was so high!

Their law firm had gained significant fame from the Tang Shang case, and Zhen Yi had become the firm’s rising star. Back when Bian Qian had accepted the case, many of the more experienced lawyers at the firm had been too afraid to touch it. Now, they all regretted it.

Yang Zi looked at her own case file: a top student from K University, Yao Feng, had thrown acid and stabbed people in his classroom, resulting in four deaths and three injuries. Yao Feng’s family was too poor to afford a lawyer, so the court had assigned the case to the firm. The pay was abysmal, but Yang Zi was focused on the public attention and gravity of the case.

Getting such a high-profile criminal case for her first one was already a stroke of luck.

Zhen Yi had received Song Yi’s case on Sunday afternoon.

Footage from the Ecstasy private club showed that Song Yi had passed by the hallway near the crime scene at the time of the incident. She had glanced down the hallway—right in the area where no security cameras were present. She was a key witness, but she refused to cooperate. When the police questioned her, she remained silent. Eventually, a “kind” officer had warned her, “Miss Song, would you prefer to be a witness or a suspect?”

That’s when Song Yi sought out Zhen Yi. She had seen the suspect but was adamant about not testifying. Her reasons were simple: she was a public figure and didn’t want to get involved, and she feared retaliation from the killer.

Her exact words to Zhen Yi had been, “I don’t want to ‘be suicided.’” Clearly, she believed there was something suspicious about Tang Shang’s supposed suicide.

Zhen Yi knew that refusing to testify as a witness wasn’t against the law, but Song Yi’s timing and location in the footage were too crucial to ignore.

Lin Ziyi had a powerful background, and the pressure on the police was immense. Song Yi was their only lead, and they would no doubt try every tactic to get her to talk—maybe even turning her into a suspect under extreme pressure.

Once inside the office, Song Yi sat down, smiling as she removed her sunglasses and scarf. “I trust you, Lawyer Zhen. Do you think this can be resolved quickly?”

“Mm, it’s easier than when you testified last time.” Zhen Yi replied without lifting her head. She was focused, serious, and all business when it came to work.

“But this time, we’re up against the police. Not that I doubt you, of course.” Song Yi offered polite flattery. “Lawyer Zhen, you’ve always fought against injustice and evil. It’s truly inspiring…”

“I charge by the hour, so let’s cut the small talk.” Zhen Yi interrupted. “Did you memorize the materials I gave you?”

Song Yi’s expression shifted slightly. As a big celebrity, she wasn’t used to being spoken to so bluntly. “I’ve memorized them.”

Last weekend, Song Yi had recounted the events of that day to Zhen Yi in full detail. Zhen Yi had then crafted ninety-three potential questions that the police might ask, along with standard answers. The plan was for Song Yi to cooperate without lying, while also providing no useful information.

“Good.” Zhen Yi said as she stood up. “Let’s head to the conference room for a mock interrogation.” She picked up the phone and called out, “Zi, help me run a mock questioning for my client… Yeah, sign a confidentiality agreement first.”

In the small conference room, Yang Zi sat across from Song Yi, her expression stern. Zhen Yi stood beside Yang Zi, her gaze sharp.

Song Yi knew they were deliberately creating the tense atmosphere of a police interrogation room, exaggerating the pressure. She trusted Zhen Yi’s abilities. The questions and answers had been crafted flawlessly, and she had memorized them perfectly, so she wasn’t nervous. To her, it was just a review.

Yang Zi’s expression remained neutral as she began the questioning:

“Name?”

“Song Yi.”