Chapter 43 Stubbornness: Clues to the Truth Behind the Death of a Close Relative
The next day, Gu Mingxia and Xiao Yan went to work together. During their lunch break, Gu Mingxia called and arranged to meet Lawyer Jiang at the 7UP Hotel. As soon as she and Lawyer Jiang entered the hotel lobby, they saw Liu Yan standing at the door of a private room downstairs, waving at them.
"Attorney Jiang, this way please."
Gu Mingxia walked over with a man who looked to be about fifty years old. When Liu Yan saw Lawyer Jiang behind her, her mouth dropped open. She never expected that Gu Mingxia would actually hire Lawyer Jiang Linhai, who had long since switched to academic research, to handle this divorce case with Bai Zixuan.
After entering the private room, Gu Mingxia pointed to Liu Yan and Zhang Yunyi and began to introduce them to Jiang Linhai.
"Attorney Jiang, this is Liu Yan, this is Zhang Yunyi. This is Attorney Jiang Linhai."
After the three greeted each other politely and shook hands, they all sat down. Zhang Yunyi took a file folder and handed it to Gu Mingxia.
"Mingxia, these are some pieces of evidence that my sister-in-law and I have been investigating over this period of time. We hope they will be helpful to you."
Gu Mingxia opened the file bag, took out some photos and photocopies, and glanced at them casually. Bai Zixuan had a long history of misdeeds. Was it because he was too good at acting in front of her, or was she just too slow to realize it?
After putting the items into the file bag, Gu Mingxia nodded gratefully to Zhang Yunyi, then placed the file bag in front of Jiang Linhai.
"Attorney Jiang, could you please see if these things can help me with my claim that Bai Zixuan should leave with nothing?"
Jiang Linhai nodded, took everything out of the file bag, and carefully examined each item. On the table were photos, a printed list of hotel check-in times, copies of surveillance footage, and some rental agreements. Jiang Linhai looked at them meticulously, and after about fifteen minutes, he put everything back into the file bag and looked up at Gu Mingxia.
"These things are indeed very helpful for your divorce, and with so much information, it's enough to prove that Bai Zixuan is the party at fault in the marriage! But I must point out that although we have so much information to prove that Bai Zixuan is the party at fault during the marriage, it can only be used as a reference for the judge's final judgment. Whether we can truly make Bai Zixuan leave with nothing, I'm not 100% sure!"
Jiang Linhai spoke humbly and cautiously, and Gu Mingxia knew that he was worried about damaging his reputation, so she nodded understandingly.
“Attorney Jiang, I understand all of this! Regardless of the outcome of this case, I am very grateful that you have come out of retirement to help me with this divorce case!”
“Miss Gu, there’s no need to be so polite. If it weren’t for your mother’s help back then, I, Jiang Linhai, would have starved to death on the streets long ago. How could I have achieved my current success? So, whatever is your business, I will treat it as my own!”
So he had a connection with Xiaxia's mother! No wonder so many nouveau riche in the city couldn't hire a top lawyer even with huge sums of money, yet he took on such a small divorce case. These days, it's true that having connections makes things easier!
"So many years have passed, yet Attorney Jiang still remembers that little incident. If my mother could know from beyond the grave that you have achieved such great success today, she would surely be happy for you!"
Gu Mingxia spoke from the heart. Sometimes she herself was very puzzled. Her mother was kind and gentle, so why did she give birth to such a scheming and ruthless daughter like herself?
"If Ms. Gu decides to divorce, I will go back, prepare the complaint, and submit it to the court!"
"No problem. Also, Attorney Jiang, you can just call me Mingxia. You don't have to keep calling me Miss Gu!"
After parting ways, Gu Mingxia threw herself back into Maoguang's busy work and continued to investigate who had hacked her phone. Just as she was making a breakthrough, she received a call from Jiang Linhai.
"Mingxia, the court notice has arrived. Your divorce case will be scheduled for the 28th of this month. You'd better be prepared!"
"Okay, thank you, Attorney Jiang!"
After hanging up the phone, Gu Mingxia felt inexplicably good. The thought that she would be completely free of Bai Zixuan in just one week made her feel exceptionally relaxed.
Just as she hung up the phone, Bai Zixuan called, clearly having received a court summons. After hesitating for a moment, Gu Mingxia answered.
"What's up with calling me?"
"Gu Mingxia, all you want is for me to take you back to the Bai family, right? Fine, I'll take you back. You'd better hurry up and withdraw the lawsuit in court. Our Bai family can't afford to lose face like this!"
Bai Zixuan's voice was still full of arrogance. Gu Mingxia used to think he was very ambitious, but now she thought he was just an annoying narcissist. What made him think he would want a man who had cheated on her more than once? It was ridiculous!
"Bai Zixuan, I think you're really sick, and quite seriously! You know, once you're sick, you have to get treatment, you know?"
Gu Mingxia said this softly and was about to hang up when Bai Zixuan's voice came from the other end of the phone. Instead of being angry, it sounded a bit mocking.
"Gu Mingxia, if you hang up this phone, you'll never know the truth about your mother's and brother's deaths!"
That one sentence was enough to make Gu Mingxia stop hanging up the phone. Her mother and younger brother were the loves of her life. Anything involving them would be Gu Mingxia's weakness, and Bai Zixuan had just seized on this weakness to blackmail her!
The truth behind their deaths? Her mother died in the hospital and her brother died of a heart attack, wasn't that right? Or was there something she didn't know? Just thinking that their deaths weren't natural but a premeditated conspiracy sent chills down Gu Mingxia's spine.
"What did you say? Let me tell you, don't talk nonsense, or I'll sue you for defamation!"
Gu Mingxia forced herself to calm down and her tone became stern. To her surprise, Bai Zixuan laughed instead of getting angry, chuckling on the other end of the phone for a while before stopping.
"If you really want to know the truth about your mother and brother's deaths, then come to the Peninsula Hotel tonight!"
After saying that, Bai Zixuan hung up the phone before Gu Mingxia could say anything else. Gu Mingxia sat blankly in the chair, holding her phone, not even noticing when Xiao Yan walked up to her.
"Xiaxia? Xiaxia?"
"Oh? What's up? I've already sent last month's financial statements to your email!"
When Gu Mingxia came to her senses and saw Xiao Yan, she quickly put down her phone and subconsciously said something. Xiao Yan frowned deeply. Although Gu Mingxia tried her best to calm herself down, she was still too nervous, and even Xiao Yan could see it clearly.
Are you alright?
Xiao Yan asked with concern, wanting to pat her shoulder to comfort her, but then he remembered the request Gu Mingxia had made to him before, so he had to hold back. Gu Mingxia held her phone, looked at the sky outside, bit her lip, and sat on the chair somewhat restlessly. Although Xiao Yan found it strange, he didn't force her to tell him since Gu Mingxia was unwilling to talk about it.
Finally, after looking up at the sky outside the window for the third time, Gu Mingxia grabbed her bag, got up, and ran outside.
"I have to go now. You can go home by yourself after get off work!"
"I can go with you if there's anything you need. There's no need to rush out like this!" Xiao Yan didn't say this aloud because he knew that even if he did, Gu Mingxia definitely wouldn't let him go with her!
After taking a taxi, Gu Mingxia sat in the car, thinking about what Bai Zixuan meant the whole way. Her mother had passed away fifteen years ago, and Bai Zixuan was just a child at that time. How could he possibly know what happened back then?
She was there when her younger brother died, watching helplessly as he suddenly succumbed to a heart attack. But... what if her mother and brother hadn't actually died from a heart attack? What would she have done then? Gu Mingxia kept asking herself this question! Finally, she had an answer: if her mother had indeed been murdered in a conspiracy, then she would avenge her mother and brother at all costs!
Soon, the taxi arrived at the Peninsula Hotel. After entering the lobby, Gu Mingxia called Bai Zixuan.
I've arrived. Where are you?
"Take the elevator to room 1309. I'm sure you won't forget this place!"
Bai Zixuan's sleazy voice came through the phone to Gu Mingxia's ears, making her feel inexplicably disgusted. But for the sake of things she wasn't even sure about, she could only force herself to endure the disgust and do as Bai Zixuan said.
She took the elevator and quickly arrived at room 1309. To her surprise, the door wasn't locked; she simply pushed it open and went inside. As soon as she entered, she saw Bai Zixuan sitting on the bed in a bathrobe. He gave her a knowing smile when he saw her.
This is... the very place where he once plotted a honey trap to scheme against her. Gu Mingxia suppressed her excitement, took a few steps forward, and stood a few meters away from Bai Zixuan.
What did you mean by what you said on the phone?
"That's exactly what I mean. I believe that with your intelligence, Mingxia, you probably know what I'm trying to say, right?"
Bai Zixuan winked at her, thinking he was being charming, unaware of how ridiculous and laughable he appeared to Gu Mingxia. She didn't want to continue living with him; did he really think he could seduce her with his good looks? If good looks worked on her, Xiao Yan would have succeeded long ago!
"Are you trying to say that the deaths of my mother and my brother were a conspiracy?"
"If you want to know what kind of conspiracy is behind this, then obediently go to court and withdraw the lawsuit, then come back to the Bai family with me and live a quiet life as my wife, Bai Zixuan's wife. Don't come out here and make a fool of yourself!"
Gu Mingxia looked at Bai Zixuan as if he were a joke. In the end, he was just afraid that if she and he had a big divorce case, it would make a big fuss and embarrass the Bai family. Just how selfish is this man!
"Bai Zixuan, when you were flaunting Ye Xiaorou in public, did you ever think about how I felt? Now that I've only filed for divorce, the Bai family can't even handle it? What a joke!"
Bai Zixuan wasn't angry. He simply took his phone from under the bed, found a photo, enlarged it, and showed it to Gu Mingxia. After Gu Mingxia saw it, her face turned pale.
"Where...where did you get this photo? No...it couldn't be her who harmed my mother!"
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