Chang Mingde was arrested and investigated by the judicial bureau for bribery and framing a colleague. Ultimately, with conclusive evidence, he was sentenced to five years.
Gao Jing'an was also investigated for his past actions. Coupled with the exposure of his background, he ended up disgraced, with his company's stock plummeting.
Upon learning the full truth, Lin Zhuyin felt as if all her strength had been drained. Her vision went black, and she nearly fainted.
Fortunately, she managed to brace herself against a nearby table, just barely keeping her balance.
She could never have imagined that the truth would be this way.
In the afternoon, she went to the cemetery with a bouquet of roses she had personally wrapped. Her parents and Jian Mubai's father were buried there.
Looking at the photos of her parents on the tombstone, tears streamed down her face.
"Dad... Gao Jing'an has finally paid the price for everything he's done. He has nothing now, like a rat crossing the street. His children will also be pointed at, insulted, and bullied, just like I was back then."
"And Chang Mingde, he's not a good person at all. It wasn't Shen Zhengcheng who took Gao Jing'an's money back then, but Chang Mingde. From the very beginning, he never intended to win."
Thinking of this, Lin Zhuyin gritted her teeth in anger. "It's my fault too, for being unable to see through people and for always believing his lies, believing he truly wanted to overturn your case, believing he was a good lawyer who served the people. I never expected he only wanted to use me to bring down Shen Zhengcheng."
Lin Zhuyin claimed she wanted revenge, but aside from getting close to Shen Liubai, she was like a headless fly with no plan at all.
That was until Chang Mingde approached her and offered his advice.
The reality proved that in this world, unless it's the person you love most, everyone who is good to you has an agenda.
For Chang Mingde, Shen Zhengcheng was like a mountain blocking his path, one he could never overcome no matter how hard he tried.
Chang Mingde knew very well that even with all his efforts, he would lose Lin Boshi's case. So, he took Gao Jing'an's money and used it to expand his law firm.
For years, he had never won a case against Shen Zhengcheng. Over time, he harbored resentment towards Shen Zhengcheng.
When he learned that Lin Zhuyin was involved with Shen Zhengcheng's son, he immediately guessed Lin Zhuyin's intentions and approached her.
He originally thought that by bringing down Shen Zhengcheng, he would become the number one lawyer in Jinghua City.
Shen Zhengcheng had no scandals, so he had to fabricate evidence. But he forgot that Shen Zhengcheng had the Shen family behind him, and Shen Chiyan.
"Dad, I avenged you, but I've been hating the wrong person all along... I've also paid a heavy price for it. I lost the person who loved me the most."
Thinking of Shen Liubai signing the divorce agreement without hesitation, Lin Zhuyin felt heartbroken to the point of near death.
A sound of footsteps suddenly echoed. She quickly wiped away her tears and looked back, only to see Jian Mubai, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.
Jian Mubai placed the flowers one by one before the elders' tombstones. After kneeling and kowtowing several times, he stood up and looked at Lin Zhuyin.
"Heh... it turns out we were the most foolish, being played by Chang Mingde."
Lin Zhuyin bit her lip tightly, remaining silent. In the span of a week, she had become even thinner, with dark circles beneath her eyes.
As if thinking of something, she looked at Jian Mubai with concern. "Shen Chiyan's people have been looking for you lately, haven't they? And you still dare to show yourself."
Jian Mubai shrugged. "Didn't you say it yourself? We can't hide forever."
Besides, he wanted to see Shen Keqin and find out how she was doing.
"What about you? What are your plans now? Are you really going to separate from Shen Liubai?"
Lin Zhuyin gave a bitter smile. "We're already divorced."
A hint of surprise flashed across Jian Mubai's face. However, given Lin Zhuyin's personality, she would always find a way to resolve her marriage with Shen Liubai.
Lin Zhuyin continued, "From now on, I'll continue to run my flower shop. As for anything else, I'll take it one step at a time."
Jian Mubai was silent for a moment.
"Actually... if you love Shen Liubai, you can try to get back together with him. He..."
Jian Mubai's words were cut off by Lin Zhuyin. "I'm too ashamed to ask for reconciliation."
Although the incident back then had nothing to do with Shen Zhengcheng, she had indeed deceived Shen Liubai.
How could she dare to hope for Shen Liubai's forgiveness.
Jian Mubai reached out and patted Lin Zhuyin's shoulder. He didn't know how to comfort her, so he simply stayed by her side in silence.
...
Shen Zhengcheng's return home brought the most joy to Shen Keqin.
She clung to her parents every day, wishing she could be with them twenty-four hours a day.
This matter could not be kept from the old lady for long, after all, how could they not notice if someone was missing from the house.
Upon learning that Shen Liubai and Lin Zhuyin had divorced, she let out a heavy sigh.
Why were the romantic lives of the grandchildren so fraught with hardship.
"Grandma, don't worry, I'm fine."
Shen Liubai was the one who needed comforting the most, yet he was the one comforting others.
Seeing him like this, the old lady's heart ached even more. She reached out and stroked his head. "Our Liubai is such a good child, he will surely meet a good girl who truly loves him."
Shen Liubai smiled and nodded. "Okay."
After Jian Mubai left the Shen family, Shen Keqin felt an emptiness every time she came home.
Now that two people were gone, the emptiness felt even greater.
Staying at home, her mind involuntarily drifted to Jian Mubai and Lin Zhuyin. Feeling annoyed, Shen Keqin invited some friends out for drinks.
Guan Mingxu saw Shen Keqin drinking glass after glass and helplessly snatched the wine glass from her hand. "That's enough, drink less. Do you really want to make yourself sick!"
"Tsk... why are you acting like an old busybody? I called you here to drink with me, not to nag me."
Shen Keqin reached for the wine bottle again. Guan Mingxu knew that her family had gone through a lot.
After a moment of hesitation, he seemed to resign himself. "Alright, I'll drink with you. Today, we're just drinking, not thinking about anything else. We'll drink until we're drunk."
Shen Keqin threw an arm around Guan Mingxu. "That's more like it, that's my good brother."
As the two were downing two bottles straight from the neck, the door to the private room was suddenly flung open.
A woman in a revealing outfit with dyed red hair strode in, followed by several others. They all looked arrogant and ostentatious, clearly there to cause trouble.
"Oh, isn't this the little princess the Shen family dotes on? Why are you here drowning your sorrows in alcohol so late at night?"
Shen Keqin looked up and cast a cold glance, then snorted. "Waiter, go call your boss over. I want to ask him why his bar accepts poultry."
Shen Keqin said, letting out a hiccup. "Everyone's having fun, what's the meaning of letting a turkey in? Do you want us to have roast turkey?"