Chapter 263 Checking Evidence
The night was deep.
In the study of the Yu family's old house, Shang Wu had been staring blankly at the deep night outside the window for a long time.
The aggrieved look in Lu Rang's eyes before he left was still vivid in my mind.
She should trust him.
Lu Rang never drinks alcohol. He has a severe alcohol allergy and feels uncomfortable even from the strong smell of alcohol, let alone drinking to the point of unconsciousness.
But Lin Ruan didn't seem to be bluffing.
“A-Wu”.
A deep voice sounded at the doorway.
Shang Wu turned around and saw Lu Zheng.
He came in carrying a glass of warm milk and placed it on the desk.
“The dock work is important, but there’s no need to stay up this late. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.”
"Thank you, I'm fine." Shang Wu forced a smile.
Lu Zheng looked at her, his gaze clear: "Still thinking about this?"
Shang Wu lowered her eyelashes and did not deny it.
Lu Zheng said calmly, "He came back in a rage this afternoon, then drove off in a daze, not even hearing me call him. The only person who could make him like this is you, Shang Wu."
Shang Wu's heart clenched.
Yes, Lu Rang has always been completely open and honest with her.
Even when she was jealous of Chen Chunzhi, and they had a childish cold war for a few days, he was the one who couldn't hold back in the end and came to find her, travel-worn and exhausted.
She pursed her lips, her heart in turmoil.
At the same time, Lu Rang went to the apartment under Lin Cheng's name.
Cheng Zhou sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, looking at Lu Rang across from him with a gloomy expression.
"So, Ah Wu kicked you out because of a few words that woman said?"
Lu Rang glanced at him: "She doesn't believe me."
Cheng Zhou shrugged. "You, Attorney Lu, can't go home now, you're depressed but can't even drink, so you come to me to vent your frustrations. How amusing."
He paused, then said seriously, "However, there's been some progress on the matter Lu You asked me to investigate."
Lu Rang immediately sat up straight: "Speak."
“That Lin Ruan, her resume shows signs of being falsified. More importantly, I retrieved the CCTV footage from the back door of the restaurant on the day you had your dinner party. The footage shows her and a strange man helping you into the car.”
"Your condition at the time was clearly not drunk, but completely unconscious. Moreover, the timing doesn't match up. When she claimed you were drunk and taken away, the drinks at your table had just been served."
Lu Rang's eyes instantly turned cold.
"In other words, it's all part of a scheme from beginning to end."
“That’s right. My people followed her and found that she’s been to several private clinics and hospitals in the past few days. It doesn’t seem like she’s going for prenatal checkups. It seems like she’s asking about something or looking for someone.”
Cheng Zhou stroked his chin. "Lu You suspects that she might not be pregnant at all, or that the child..."
Lu Rang's eyes turned cold: "The child is not mine, absolutely not."
“I know, I know,” Cheng Zhou reassured him, “but we need evidence, evidence that can completely put Shang Wu at ease.”
Lu Rang took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
He took out his phone, found Shang Wu's number, edited it for a long time, and finally sent only one sentence.
Ah Wu, give me some time, and I'll prove it to you.
…
At the Yu family's old house, Shang Wu's phone screen lit up briefly on the table.
She looked at the brief message, her eyes welling up slightly.
The fact that he took the initiative to send this message at least shows that he is still trying to maintain the trust between them.
Was she too caught up in her emotions and hurt the person who truly loves her now?
She picked up her phone and replied:
Okay. I'll wait for you.
The next day, Shang Wuqiang roused himself and threw himself into the affairs of the dock.
Only by keeping busy can she temporarily forget these troubles.
When Chen Chunzhi heard that she had returned, he came to talk to her about a collaborative project.
Shang Wu received him in a businesslike manner, but deliberately maintained a greater distance.
However, Lin Ruan did not want them to have peace of mind.
A few days later, she somehow found the Yu Family Wharf.
"Miss Shang,"
Lin Ruan stood at the door of Shang Wu's office, a provocative yet pitiful smile on her face. "I know you don't welcome me, but I really have no other choice. Master Lu won't answer my calls or see me. I just want some security, for the sake of the child."
Looking at the woman in front of him, Shang Wu's last trace of hesitation vanished.
His eagerness to follow her to her workplace was over-the-top and showed a strong sense of purpose.
Shang Wu stood up, her aura icy: "Ms. Lin, this is a workplace, we don't discuss personal matters here. Lu Rang will handle everything concerning you."
"If he confirms the child is yours, you'll receive everything you're entitled to, but if..."
Shang Wu took a step closer, staring at her coldly. "If there is anything untrue in this, I believe that Lu Rang, as a top lawyer, will let you know what price you have to pay for defamation and fraud."
Lin Ruan was intimidated by her imposing manner, her expression changing slightly, but she still forced herself to remain composed: "You, you don't believe me? I can show you the medical report..."
"No need."
Shang Wu coldly interrupted her, "The authenticity of the report is for professionals to judge. Please leave, or I will call security."
Lin Ruan looked embarrassed.
She originally wanted to annoy Shang Wu, but who would have thought that Shang Wu would be so difficult to talk to, so hard to shake or influence once she cheered up.
No wonder my cousin always fell for this woman.
Lin Ruan had no choice but to leave dejectedly.
Shang Wu immediately called Lu You.
“Sister You, Lin Ruan came to the dock to see me just now. She seemed very anxious. I think you could focus your investigation more on why she was in such a hurry.”
Lu You chuckled on the other end of the phone: "I understand. Cheng Zhou and I have found something interesting. It seems it's time to close the net."
But she received the news as soon as she hung up the phone.
Cheng Zhou's investigation has reached a stalemate.
Lin Ruan's background was as clean as a blank sheet of paper.
Lin's family is an ordinary family. Her joining the law firm was a legal and compliant process. The surveillance footage from the dinner party only showed her kindly helping the drunk Lu Rang leave, and there was no image of a third man.
She even went to the hospital for an early pregnancy test, and the report showed that she was about four weeks pregnant, which happened to coincide with that night.
All the evidence points to a fact that is extremely unfavorable to Lu Rang.
Lu Rang was speechless and could only send messages to Shang Wu repeatedly.
"Ah Wu, I absolutely didn't touch her! I'm allergic to alcohol, you know that!"
Shang Wu believed him, but reason told her that there was more to the story.
What is Lin Ruan after?
Is it just for the money?
Shang Wu took a deep breath. Coupled with the fact that she had not yet fully recovered from the depression after the miscarriage, there seemed to be an invisible wall between her and Lu Rang. She was still unwilling to open up to him and communicate.
Looking at Shang Wu's silent expression, Lu Rang felt as if his heart was being roasted over a fire.
He intensified his investigation, but each time he returned empty-handed.
Shang Wu's several encounters with Chen Chunzhi at Yujia Wharf, which were necessary for official business, made him even more uncomfortable.
Lu Rang dared not show his jealousy, so he could only devote more energy to his work, almost to the point of self-torture.
The two communicated less and less.
Things seem to have reached a dead end.
Until that day, when Shang Wu was checking a batch of newly arrived goods at the dock warehouse, he overheard two female employees chatting.
"Hey, you said last time you took those sleeping pills, and the next day you felt dizzy and had a hangover?"
"That's right! I was so dizzy, I could barely stand. People would really think I was drunk..."
Sleeping pills.
Shang Wu's heart skipped a beat.
A detail that everyone had overlooked came to mind.
Lu Rang was not only unconscious that night, but he did experience brief dizziness and weakness when he woke up the next day.
At the time, I just thought he was drunk, but what if he had taken a strong sleeping pill? That perfectly explains why he looked like he had a hangover.
As a law firm assistant, Lin Ruan had access to information about certain cases handled by the firm, which might include the source of the drugs.
All the clues instantly connected in Shang Wu's mind.
Lin Ruan's background was clean, so Cheng Zhou couldn't find any problems.
But she is definitely not a clean person!
They couldn't wait any longer; passively waiting would only cause Lu Rang more pain and deepen the rift between them.
Without telling anyone, Shang Wu quickly packed her bags and booked the earliest flight to Yecheng.
She was going to Lu Rang's law firm, to Lin Ruan's former office, to find the evidence herself.
As soon as Shang Wu left, Lu Zheng informed Lu Rang.
Lu Zheng simply sighed and said nothing.
When Lu Rang heard that Shang Wu had gone to the airport alone, heading towards Ye City, his first thought was that she had gone to find Chen Chunzhi.
After all, Chen Chunzhi was the only one who could stay by her side during her most despondent time.
Lu Rang clenched his fists and drove with a livid face.
He cannot allow anyone to take advantage of this situation.
"Get the car ready and head to the airport immediately."
Lu Rang gave instructions to the driver.
He had to go and get Shang Wu back.
...
Yecheng.
The firm.
Shang Wu went directly to the law firm.
Without notifying Lu Rang in advance, she calmly walked into the assistant's office area where Lin Ruan had previously worked, posing as the boss's wife.
"Miss Shang." An assistant recognized her and quickly stood up.
"I'm here to retrieve a document for Attorney Lu. He mentioned before that it was with his former assistant, Lin."
Shang Wu remained calm and composed, speaking naturally, leaving no room for doubt.
The assistant, unsuspecting, pointed to Lin Ruan's workstation: "After Assistant Lin left, she still has the drawer key. The documents are probably locked, but they're not anything important."
"It's okay, let me see if it's left outside." Shang Wu walked to Lin Ruan's workstation, her eyes quickly scanning the desk before finally landing on a small humidifier in the corner.
It was a very common office supply, but Shang Wu noticed that there seemed to be a tiny bit of white powder stuck on the edge of the humidifier's water tank.
She discreetly dipped her fingertip in the liquid, took a gentle sniff, and found it had no smell.
But her premonition grew stronger.
Shang Wu bent down, reached down, and touched a small, hard paper package stuck to the inside corner of the table with tape.
Shang Wu's heart suddenly raced.
She quickly tore off the small paper packet.
"Did you find it?" the assistant asked with concern.
"No, he might not be here. Sorry to bother you." Shang Wu maintained her composure, clenched the thing in her hand, and turned to leave the law firm.
She had just reached the law firm building when a familiar Cullinan screeched to a halt in front of her.
Lu Rang got out of the car, his face still showing anxiety.
"Awu, why did you come to Yecheng without saying a word? Are you going to find..."
The name Chen Chunzhi was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back, leaving only bloodshot eyes and a sense of grievance.
Seeing him like this, Shang Wu felt a pang of heartache.
She didn't explain, but instead opened her palm and handed the slightly crumpled paper packet to Lu Rang.
“Lu Rang, I’m not here to see Chen Chunzhi.” Shang Wu’s voice was soft, but it carried a calming power. “I’m here to help you, and to help us, find out the truth.”
Lu Rang froze, staring at the inconspicuous little paper packet in her hand.
Shang Wu carefully opened it; inside were several white pills without any markings.
On the inside of the paper package, the name of the sleeping pills was printed in very small print.
Lu Rang's pupils suddenly contracted.
This is a potent sleeping pill, one of the side effects of which is drowsiness and dizziness. It looks similar to some other drugs and dissolves in water without color or taste.
He used to eat this when he was in poor mental health and couldn't sleep.
"This was found under Lin Ruan's desk."
Shang Wu looked at him, her eyes clear and firm. "Now, are you still going to ask me if I believe you?"
Lu Rang felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders and hugged Shang Wu tightly, so tightly that he almost wanted to meld her into his body.
She wasn't there to find someone else; she was there to find out the truth for him.
His Ah Wu never gave up on him.
"I'm sorry, Awu, I shouldn't have thought that you were with Chen Chunzhi."
“This is not the time to talk about this.” Shang Wu gently struggled in his arms. “Lu Rang, we have a lead. This kind of medicine has a special source, and it would be difficult for an ordinary assistant like Lin Ruan to get it. Check her recent bank statements and all her social relationships.”
"Focus on investigating hospitals, pharmacies, or anyone with access to prescription drugs. If she was able to obtain the drugs, she would definitely leave traces."
At this moment, Shang Wu was no longer the woman who needed to be comforted and was immersed in sadness.
Her eyes were sharp, and she displayed the same determination she had shown when she took revenge by boat.
Lu Rang looked at Shang Wu, who seemed to be glowing in his arms, smiled slightly, and nodded: "Okay, let's investigate together."
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