Chapter One: Fleeting Ashes
The moment Qiao Yuan stepped into the courtroom, the previously low whispers suddenly froze.
Hearing footsteps, Lin Tang turned around and saw Qiao Yuan. Her pale fingers twisted the hem of her plain cheongsam, her eyes looking away in panic, with only a slight tremor in her shoulders.
The judge tapped his gavel, about to signal the lawyer to continue, when Qiao Yuan raised his hand to stop him.
He walked straight to the defendant's dock, but instead of sitting down, he turned to Lin Tang's lawyer: "Just now you listed all the accusations against me, Qiao, for being heartless and ungrateful, for allowing my subordinates to injure my mistress, and for having ambiguous relationships with women? Fine, I will refute you point by point."
Lin Tang realized what he was about to say, and her pupils contracted slightly.
Lin Tang's nails dug into her palms, causing her to wince slightly in pain, but she refused to lower her head.
Lin Tang's face was as white as paper, but she suddenly laughed, her laughter laced with unspeakable sarcasm: "Mr. Qiao, you are truly generous!"
Qiao Yuan's gaze was fixed on Lin Tang's face, his eyes unfathomably dark: "Lin Tang, you should know that all this is enough for you to live a good life in Jiangcheng for the rest of your life. The shopping mall and the land in Hongkou? That's the empire I, Qiao Yuan, built. Why should it be given to someone who wants to leave?"
The two argued fiercely.
The judge's gavel slammed down, momentarily freezing the air in the courtroom: "Both plaintiff and defendant, please maintain order in the courtroom! This is a civil dispute; you must follow legal procedures when presenting your opinions and refrain from any extreme words or actions."
Lin Tang suddenly stood up, her face as white as a sheet of rice paper soaked in water: "Mr. Qiao, you say that's your empire? Don't forget who bought the stocks, who invested in the banks, and who runs the shopping mall every day?"
Qiao Yuan remained silent, only sneered. He took out a cigar, slowly lit it, and said, "Lin Tang, isn't all this what I'm talking about the capital I've given you? Without me, what could a poor student like you do? Are you crazy to ask me for this?"
Lin Tang didn't want to confront him in court, but his words hurt her pride. Tears streamed down her face, but she refused to bow her head. "These things are what I deserve! My leg, my child, and the health I've lost—aren't they worth it?"
Qiao Yuan's eyes darkened, and he said, "I know all of this, and I will do my best to make it up to you! Jin Tang, I know you have feelings for me, so don't let a moment of anger or the instigation of others lead you to divorce me!"
These words were almost a direct reference to Chen Kan, who was sitting to the side.
“Qiao Yuan!” Chen Kan reached out and grabbed Qiao Yuan’s wrist, his fingertips applying slight pressure: “This is a courtroom, not your Crescent Moon Gang headquarters.”
Qiao Yuan stared at Chen Kan's hand, then looked at Lin Tang, who was cowering behind Chen Kan, her eyes filled with fear yet also with dependence. That dependence was like a thorn, pricking his heart with pain.
He sneered, "I didn't expect that Chairman Chen, with his handsome appearance and young age, would also follow in others' footsteps and insist on becoming a third party in a marriage?"
Chen Kan felt countless eyes gathering around him, and his face turned red. He hurriedly explained, "No! I'm just Jin Tang's friend!"
Qiao Yuan smiled mockingly.
Whispers immediately broke out in the hall.
Lin Tang felt utterly humiliated, and her face turned as red as a pig's liver.
Qiao Yuan raised his head again, looked at the judge, and said firmly, "In short, I will not agree!"
After saying that, he turned and left, the hem of his black robe sweeping past, stirring up a gust of wind.
...
Inside the courtroom.
The court postponed the divorce hearing, and because the judge had a personal relationship with the Chen family, he offered Lin Tang all sorts of comfort.
Lin Tang stood up. When she looked up, her eyes were dry, only calm as still water. "Thank you for your justice, Judge." She turned and walked towards the courtroom door.
Chen Kan supported her arm, his gaze sweeping over her pale face, his tone filled with concern: "Are you alright?"
The two walked to the entrance of the courthouse.
Qiao Yuan was still smoking when he saw them holding hands intimately. His face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he said sarcastically, "President Chen is really thoughtful. He just said they were friends. What kind of friends hold hands like this?"
Lin Tang's face was flushed.
Chen Kan retorted sharply: "Since Jintang has already filed for divorce, why won't you let her go? Is it because you can't bear to part with her, or because you can't bear to part with the property?"
Qiao Yuan stared at Chen Kan's hand supporting Lin Tang, a sinister glint in his eyes: "So, Chairman Chen, are you so eager to be Lin Tang's protector, is it for her sake or for money?"
The two men started arguing.
Lin Tang looked at them, her voice tinged with weariness. She said, "Qiao Yuan, I can give up these assets. I just don't want to drag this out any longer... I want a divorce as soon as possible. Please, just let me go..."
Qiao Yuan stared at Lin Tang, his Adam's apple bobbing, and stubbed out his half-finished cigar against a nearby stone pillar. He stepped forward and said coldly, "Jin Tang, if you want to leave, I won't stop you! I can give you cash and easily liquidated shares. But the shopping mall and land you want, I won't give them to you!"
Lin Tang suddenly looked up, "Why?"
Qiao Yuan sneered, released his grip, and pulled a pocket watch from his pocket. The metal case gleamed in the sunlight. He opened the watch, glanced at the hands, then looked up at Lin Tang, his eyes filled with undisguised ruthlessness: "Because I, Qiao Yuan, don't want to give my assets to other men for no reason!"
Lin Tang was taken aback at first, then laughed, a laugh tinged with unspeakable irony and sorrow. She raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, her fingertips still stained with fragments of foundation, leaving a faint mark on her cheek: "Qiao Yuan, do you still think I asked you for these things to give to Chen Kan?"
She stepped forward, staring into his eyes, her voice trembling yet exceptionally firm, "I, Lin Tang, am not your appendage, nor anyone's pawn! I want the shopping mall because I personally negotiated the concession agreement; I want the land in Hongkou because I want to open a factory! These things are what I earned through my own abilities, not gifts from you, Master Qiao!"
Chen Kan stood beside her, looking at Lin Tang's reddened eyes, and reached out to help her, but she gently avoided him.
She then turned to Qiao Yuan, "Mr. Qiao, I'll say this one last time: I don't want your money, I want my own things. If you don't respect the law, then we'll see each other in court again."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the black sedan parked by the roadside. Ah Chen quickly opened the back door. Qiao Yuan bent down and got in. When the window rolled down, he glanced at Lin Tang again and a mocking smile appeared on his lips: "Lin Tang, you will regret this."
Chen Kan glanced at Qiao Yuan provocatively, smiled triumphantly, nodded, and helped Lin Tang walk towards the car.
Qiao Yuan stood there, watching their backs as he crushed the summons in his hand. The scraps of paper floated up in the wind and landed at his feet.
Lin Tang and Chen Kan had driven their car a short distance when a sharp screech of brakes was heard, followed by the sound of metal colliding.
"Bang!"
A sharp, explosive sound! It wasn't a gunshot, but it was even more terrifying! The driver's side window shattered, spiderweb-like cracks spreading instantly, and tiny shards of glass flew in like hail!
"Get down!"
Chen Kan reacted swiftly, letting out a sharp shout and forcefully shoving the still-shocked Lin Tang down onto his lap! Almost simultaneously, a hail of bullets rained down like a storm!
The car body shook violently, and dull thuds echoed continuously!
The roof, doors, and rear window were instantly riddled with holes! Shattered glass, flying leather scraps, and a strong, pungent smell of gunpowder filled the entire cramped car instantly!
Lin Tang was held down tightly, her cheek pressed against Chen Kan's cold suit trousers. The deafening gunshots, the tearing sound of bullets piercing metal, the screeching of a car crashing into the curb, and… the sensation of warm liquid dripping onto the back of her neck. Her body was stiff, her mind blank, only her heart pounding wildly in her chest, as if it would burst out of her chest!
"Qiao Yuan! What ruthless methods! He really did have a backup plan!" Chen Kan's voice rang out above him, filled with barely suppressed rage and a hint of barely perceptible fear. He held Lin Tang's head tightly with one hand, while his other hand had already reached into his clothes and grasped the cold gun handle.
The car finally came to a screeching stop after hitting the curb, lying askew across the middle of the road. The gunfire paused briefly, followed by a deathly silence filled with the suffocating smell of gunpowder and blood.
Lin Tang's consciousness was pulled into a pitch-black vortex by this sudden terror.
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