Chapter 60: He doesn't believe you, he doesn't love you...

Xie Tangcai finally understood why Xiang Shaoyun was so fearless and dared to talk so openly about framing Zuo Meng in front of her.

It wasn't that he wasn't wary; rather, he was certain she couldn't resist.

If she doesn't comply, she probably won't even be able to leave this coffee shop.

But even if she terminated the commission, what makes him so sure she wouldn't dare to report it?

This almost self-destructive and arrogant logic chilled Xie Tang to the bone—this man was a true desperado.

Gu Chang watched Xiang Shaoyun walk away, then immediately turned to Xie Tang: "How are you? Did he give you any trouble?"

Xie Tang coldly returned her gaze: "What do you think?"

“We’ve agreed on the terms. You drop Zuo Meng’s case, and he promised he won’t touch you.” Gu Chang’s tone was urgent. “Did he hurt you?”

"What good would it do to tell you? Would you cut off your hand for your boss?" Xie Tang stood up to leave. "You wouldn't."

Gu Chang immediately stood up: "A-Tang, listen to me, don't touch Zuo Meng's case. Xiang Shaoyun is crazy, you can't afford to mess with him! You have plenty of cases to handle..."

Xie Tang whirled around, her eyes filled with rage: "You knew he was crazy, yet you still worked for him? You know what crime he committed! You became his lawyer, helping him get acquitted? Don't you care about your future, your morals?"

Faced with Xie Tang's anger, Gu Chang's smile deepened, his gaze intense: "Tang, you do care about me after all, don't you? I'm really happy... You have no idea how much I've missed you, how much I've wanted to see you..."

His voice was filled with an undisguised longing.

"Gu Chang!" Xie Tang interrupted sharply, "I've said it countless times, we can't be together!"

"Why is it impossible? You and my brother are about to break up! I know you moved out of his house. He doesn't trust you, he wronged you, he hurt you..."

Xie Tang said coldly, "Even if I break up with him, it's not your turn! Do you understand?"

Gu Chang's face darkened: "He doesn't trust you, he doesn't love you! He only cares about his own interests! He can't protect you! Only I can! Only I will unconditionally trust you, love you, and protect you! Why can't you give me a chance? This time I will definitely..."

"Feelings aren't something you can give charity." Xie Tang's voice was tired but firm. "No matter how much you give, it's just wishful thinking on your part. I don't love you, that's a fact."

She turned away resolutely, saying, "If you want to save your future, leave Xiang Shaoyun."

Gu Chang suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her tightly into his arms: "You care about me! You care about me! Why can't you..."

"Let her go!" a voice filled with anger rang out.

Li Zan frowned, strode forward, and forcefully pulled Xie Tang out of Gu Chang's embrace.

He glared at Gu Chang: "What are you doing!"

"Who the hell are you?!" Gu Chang's eyes burned with rage.

"Who I am is none of your business!" Li Zan shielded Xie Tang behind him, pointing at Gu Chang without backing down. "Can't you see my sister is fed up with you? If you dare to bother me again, I won't let you off the hook!"

Xie Tang didn't even look at Gu Chang, and grabbed Li Zan's arm: "Let's go."

In the car, Li Zan asked her, "Who was that person?"

“Friend, not anymore.” Xie Tang rubbed his dizzy temples and took out a small metal pen from his coat pocket.

Li Zan asked in confusion, "This is..."

Xie Tang ran his fingertips along the pen, his expression grave: "What Xiang Shaoyun said... might be somewhat useful, or it might be completely useless."

Looking at Xie Tang's furrowed brows, Li Zan said firmly, "Sister, whatever decision you make, I will support you. If you want to continue working on Zuo Meng's case, Pan Shuai and I will work with you; if you don't want to, I won't either."

Xie Tang looked at his young and sincere face, the gloom in her heart dissipated slightly, and she smiled: "The most urgent thing is for me to prepare well for the bar exam. If I don't pass, how will I be able to practice as a lawyer?"

"Huh? What's so hard about the bar exam? It can't possibly be harder than the college entrance exam!"

Seeing that she smiled, Li Zan started the car.

-----------------

Three days later.

Xie Tang had just finished her court hearing and walked out of the courthouse, her throat feeling uncomfortable and sore.

She saw Pan Yu's message: All the evidence materials that had been transferred had been submitted to the police in accordance with the law.

Police have officially opened a case to investigate Zuo Meng's accusation of rape against Xiang Shaoyun, and have summoned Xiang Shaoyun to the police station for questioning.

But he deliberately kept the recording pen.

Xie Tang immediately called back to inquire about the reason, as it was crucial evidence that could bring Zuo Meng out.

Pan Yu explained, "Let's keep it for now. I'm worried about your safety if we hand over that recording now. Besides, Zuo Meng's meaning is very clear: she feels that the detention center is safer than outside, and she doesn't want to come out for the time being."

Xie Tang remained silent for a moment, then did not insist further.

"Your cold sounds worse; your voice is so hoarse. You should see a doctor right away," Pan Yu urged. "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on Zuo Meng's case."

Xie Tang felt guilty and uneasy.

After Pan Yu took over the case, Xiang Shaoyun's people never stopped harassing him. The most terrifying incident was when a package was delivered to the law firm, and inside was a snake with its tongue sticking out.

The entire institute was terrified.

Although Pan Yu quickly determined that the snake was not venomous and calmly directed the security guards to handle the situation, his expression was still quite grim.

He reported it to the police afterward, but such harassment is often difficult to trace back to its source.

“Lawyer Pan, I don’t know if it’s right or wrong to involve you in this…” Xie Tang’s voice was low.

“This was a mutual decision, we’ve been partners for a long time.” Pan Yu interrupted her self-blame, his tone calm. “Don’t you know me? I’m stubborn. These underhanded tactics won’t scare me. We’ve dealt with much more difficult situations before.”

He comforted Xie Tang, saying that he had extensive experience in dealing with this kind of malicious harassment and that he would make the other party understand that this tactic was useless.

"Okay, stay in touch, and be careful." Xie Tang hung up the phone and took a deep breath.

This breath triggered a cough, and she walked wearily out of the courthouse.

Outside the door, Gu Chang was leaning against a black car, clearly waiting for someone.

Upon seeing her appear, his eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly went to meet her.

"Did the trial go smoothly?" he asked, his tone deliberately familiar and concerned.

Xie Tang was slightly taken aback, as if she had been transported back to the past for a moment, but she quickly regained her senses and simply nodded: "It went fairly smoothly."

Gu Chang gazed at her, his eyes swirling with emotions, a complex tenderness masking a deeper obsession.

Xie Tang met that gaze, her heart tightened, and she quickly looked away.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was slightly hoarse.

"I've been waiting for you." Gu Chang's lips curved into a smile. "I've been waiting for as long as your court hearing lasted. I used to have the least patience for waiting people... but now, because it's you I'm waiting for, the time doesn't seem so unbearable."

His words remained blunt, but the eagerness in his eyes was unsettling.

Xie Tang felt that Gu Chang had indeed changed, but this change increased her pressure.

His emotions and persistence were meaningless to her, only adding to her burden.

"Don't do this again." Her voice was cold as she turned to leave.

Gu Chang quickly grabbed her wrist.

Xie Tang frowned and shook her off: "What is it now?"

"Today... is my stepmother's birthday, and we're having a banquet at home." Gu Chang paused, lowered his voice, and added a rare pleading tone, "Could you come with me? Xiao Yun mentioned you back in college; she's always wanted to meet you. Not just you, I've invited other friends too. Just this once, like friends, okay?"

He added, trying to allay her concerns, "I won't do anything to make you uncomfortable."

Xie Tang recalled that Chu Yun had mentioned that Gu Chang's biological mother had died early and he was raised by his stepmother, with whom he seemed to have a distant relationship.

His family background may be the root of his cold-hearted nature.

Exhaustion and a persistent low-grade fever made her thoughts somewhat muddled. Faced with the almost fragile expectation he was showing, Xie Tang hesitated for a moment, then nodded as if possessed.

A surge of immense joy erupted in Gu Chang's eyes. He instinctively wanted to hug her, but he raised his arm and then restrained himself, afraid of disturbing her rare agreement.

"That's great! Thank you, Atang!"

Chu Song had just gotten off the plane, still covered in the fatigue and dust of the journey, and rushed to Huasong Building without stopping.

Inside the car, the enclosed space amplified his agitation. He loosened his tie, trying to dispel the lingering feeling of suffocation.

"There's a high-level meeting at four o'clock, and at five-thirty the legal counsel team will give a special report on the risks and countermeasures of US and European chip restrictions." Assistant Tong Lan's voice rang out calmly, clearly listing his upcoming schedule.

"No overtime tonight," Chu Song interrupted her, his voice weary. "Nothing else planned, right?"

"That's all." Tong Lan paused, then thoughtfully reminded, "Today is your aunt, President Chu's, birthday banquet, being held at home. The gift has been prepared and is in the side pocket of the suitcase containing the gift for Attorney Xie."

"Understood." Chu Song closed his eyes and pressed his fingertips heavily against the throbbing temples.

Xie Tang… This name was like an invisible string that had been repeatedly plucked in his heart since the moment he stepped out of the plane, making him restless.

Stepping into the office, he quickly concealed all his fatigue, his suit was impeccably tailored, and his expression returned to its usual cold and solemn demeanor.

Tong Lan watched him switch states in an instant, feeling both admiration for his extraordinary self-discipline and a pang of heartache.

If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight; that's just how it is.

After a forty-minute meeting, Chu Song leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest for a moment before Tong Lan led in the legal counsel team.

Only Yin Xi came.

"President Chu, Attorney Gu and the others had something come up and asked me to report this to them," Yin Xi explained.

Chu Song raised his eyes, his eyes revealing impatience. He merely raised his hand to signal the start, clearly unwilling to waste a single second on anything unimportant.

Yin Xi's report was well-organized, and Chu Song then raised several legal questions on key points, which she answered appropriately.

Once everything was over, Chu Song asked her to send the report to Fu Xiu, and then indicated that she could leave.

But Yin Xi stood still, staring intently at him, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Chu Song closed the document in front of him and coldly raised his eyes: "Is there anything else?"

"President Chu," Yin Xi's voice rang out clearly, "How is A-Tang...?"

A string in my heart was suddenly plucked, and it hummed.

Xie Tang has been away from his place for a week now, and every day feels like an eternity.

Her image lingered in my mind at all times.

During his business trip, he repeatedly savored the moments he spent with Xie Tang, and the feelings that had been quietly growing and that he had deliberately ignored finally sprouted.

This realization stirred his emotions, but it also left him feeling more confused and helpless than ever before.

She possessed a strange magic that could easily dispel all his gloom.

At this moment, upon hearing Yin Xi mention this name, an indescribable restlessness mixed with a secret joy instantly surged into his heart.