Chapter 465 He was the one who wronged me first.
Zhou Mubin placed a copy of the relevant legal provisions on top of the documents and leaned back in his chair to wait quietly.
Without any further prompting, Xiao Hong was left staring blankly at the documents piled on the table, her fingers unconsciously stroking the inside of her coffee cup.
A few minutes later, Xiao Hong suddenly raised her head, a resolute blush rising on her originally pale face. "I can give up other things, but I will never give up custody of the child to him."
She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white, her voice choked with suppressed sobs, "He betrayed the family first, why should he take the child from me?"
Zhou Mubin's eyes remained expressionless as he lightly tapped the table with his fingertips. "Ms. Xiao, I understand your feelings, but the law only considers evidence. Since you are adamant, we have no choice but to proceed with the litigation process."
As he spoke, he got up and tidied up his documents, his movements steady and orderly. "The court summons will be sent to your company or your registered residence. I suggest you hire a lawyer as soon as possible and prepare evidence for the custody and property disputes."
Xiao Hong bit her lip and remained silent. Just as Zhou Mubin stuffed the documents into a file bag and prepared to leave, a series of steady footsteps came from the entrance of the coffee shop.
Xiao Hong's tone was calm but tinged with inquiry, "Attorney Zhou, do you know Vice President Cui?"
Zhou Mubin paused in his work of collecting documents, looked up at her, and a hint of complexity flickered in his professional composure.
Xiao Hong said, "You want to pursue our Vice President Cui? Over the years, many men have pursued her. It's a pity. Based on my understanding of Vice President Cui, you have no chance."
Zhou Mubin's lips curled into a very faint smile as he looked at her, neither nodding nor shaking his head. He simply tossed the file bag over his shoulder and said, "I wish Ms. Xiao a successful defense."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the entrance of the coffee shop, sunlight streaming through the glass window and falling on his back.
Xiao Hong stumbled back to the company clutching the folder. As soon as she sat down at her workstation, she felt her palms were covered in cold sweat, and the plastic cover of the folder was wrinkled from being gripped so tightly.
The computer screen still displayed the expense details she hadn't finished processing that morning. The dense numbers swayed in front of her eyes, and she stared at the screen for a full five minutes without noticing a single one.
Two images kept replaying in my mind: one was Zhou Mubin's ambiguous smile just now, and the other was the moment of stagnation when Zhou Mubin and Cui Xiao looked at each other downstairs this morning.
That was not the look between strangers; it contained far too many complex emotions.
The more she thought about it, the more certain she became. However, she was afraid that asking for help would seem abrupt. After hesitating for more than ten minutes, she finally gritted her teeth and made up her mind.
Xiao Hong took a freshly printed quarterly report from the printer, held it in her hand and repeatedly stroked the edges, then walked quickly toward Cui Xiao's office.
Her fingertips were still trembling slightly as she knocked on the door. "Vice President Cui, the marketing expense ratio in this report is a bit unusual. I'd like to check it with you."
After sitting down, she pushed the report in front of Cui Xiao, but her eyes kept drifting towards the door. She didn't dare to bring up the main topic for a long time, and her fingers unconsciously picked at the edge of the report.
Cui Xiao had noticed her unusual behavior long ago. She stopped typing, tapped her knuckles lightly on the table, and looked up to ask directly, "Director Xiao, is the report just an excuse? You can't hide the panic in your eyes. Just say what you have to say."
When her thoughts were exposed on the spot, Xiao Hong's cheeks instantly turned bright red, and even the tips of her ears felt hot.
She hurriedly pulled the report back, clasped her hands together under the table, her fingertips twisting together, and said in a low voice with obvious pleading, "Vice President Cui, I really have no other choice... The lawyer Zhou downstairs this morning is my husband's lawyer. He just laid out the evidence clearly in the coffee shop, saying that I transferred assets, didn't have time to spend with the children, and that if we go to court, I will lose both custody and property."
She stole a glance at Cui Xiao's expression, and seeing that the other party did not interrupt, she mustered up her courage and said, "I saw it clearly this morning. When he looked at you, his eyes were very different. You must know each other, right? Please help me put in a good word with him."
By the end, her voice was trembling with tears, her shoulders slumped slightly, and the usually capable CFO was now filled with helplessness.
Cui Xiao's fingers, which were typing on the keyboard, suddenly stopped. The fingertips on the keyboard froze for two seconds before slowly withdrawing.
When she looked up, her previously calm gaze turned cold, and her eyes fell on Xiao Hong's face with a hint of barely perceptible aloofness. "Do you think knowing someone can sway a lawsuit with a complete chain of evidence?"
She picked up the pen on the table, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the cap, her voice tinged with a hint of bitterness, "I do know him, but it's not the kind of relationship you're thinking of. He hates me more than he can bear."
Cui Xiao paused, her tone becoming even more serious, "If you ask me to plead on his behalf, given his personality, it won't help you, it will harm you."
Xiao Hong froze on the spot, her mouth agape for a long time, her eyes wide open, never expecting that the two of them were enemies.
She swayed, instinctively reaching out to grab the sofa armrest to steady herself. Her shoulders slumped instantly, and she covered her face with her hands, suppressing sobs leaking through her fingers. "What am I going to do... My child is so young. He cries when he can't see me at night. I can't lose him."
She lifted her tear-streaked face, grasping at the last glimmer of hope, "Vice President Cui, could you recommend a good lawyer for me? I'm willing to pay any price, as long as I can save my child."
Seeing her distraught state, Cui Xiao remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, her tone heavy with objective certainty, "Don't waste that money. Zhou Mubin is a renowned top lawyer in the legal field, with a perfect record of sixteen years. He excels at finding loopholes in evidence. No matter how good your lawyer is, if he's the opposing party, you can't win this case."
Xiao Hong's sobs were particularly jarring in the quiet office. She slumped onto the sofa, her back pressed against the cold leather, but she didn't even have the strength to straighten her back. Her hands repeatedly rubbed the folder on her knees, and tears soaked a small wet patch on the table.
Seeing her distraught appearance, Cui Xiao finally softened his heart.
When she joined Mingda Technology, Xiao Hong was already the CFO.
Xiao Hong is usually hardworking and righteous. Even if she had made a mistake in her personal life, it wouldn't be right to watch her be kept in the dark and lose completely.
She got up and poured Xiao Hong a glass of warm water, placing it beside her. Her voice was calm as she said, "Drink some water to calm yourself down. If you trust me, tell me what happened."
Clutching the warm water glass in her hand, Xiao Hong's sobs gradually subsided. She sniffed, lifted her tear-streaked face, and looked at herself with long-suppressed grievances in her eyes. "He was the one who wronged me first."
With trembling hands, she pulled a screenshot of an encrypted photo album from her phone and handed it to Cui Xiao.
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