Chapter 210

Chapter 210: Mingyue, Have You Found Yourself a Boyfriend? Shu Mingyue's case was a shareholder equity dispute. The case was complex, the evidence incomplete, and the litigation risk considerable. For a young lawyer like Ruan Chutang, who had only been practicing for a little over three years, this was indeed a tough bone to gnaw on. Shu Mingyue's visit was ostensibly to retain her services, but in reality, she was there to cause trouble. If Ruan Chutang refused to take the case, she could justifiably question Ruan Chutang's professional competence. If Ruan Chutang accepted it and lost, that would also prove her abilities were lacking and that she was nowhere near Shu Mingyue's level. At least for now, in terms of career, she was far more successful than Ruan Chutang. After discussing the basic details of the case, Chu Tang had a general understanding of it. She also reviewed the materials Shu Mingyue had sent over and got a sense of where things stood. Ruan Chutang asked with a calm expression, "So you want to retain me personally to handle this case, is that right?" Shu Mingyue smiled. "That's correct. I trust Lawyer Ruan." "All the lawyers at our firm are excellent, and their professional competence is beyond question." Chu Tang's expression remained indifferent. "But since you've specifically requested me, I'll take it." Shu Mingyue was somewhat surprised. Ruan Chutang agreed that readily? Did she not fully understand how difficult and complex this case was, or how high the litigation risk was? "Lawyer Ruan, that was quick. Don't you want to think it over a bit more?" Chu Tang smiled. "The evidence is incomplete and the case is complex. Miss Shu, the risk of losing this case is considerable. Are you aware of that?" "I know." "Litigation has never been a guaranteed win." Chu Tang's expression remained composed. "Every case carries some risk. This one is high-risk, but it's been a while since I've encountered such a complex case. I'd like to take on the challenge." A spark of light shone in Chu Tang's eyes, her gaze resolute. "I enjoy taking on challenging cases like this. If I handle this one well, it'll build my reputation. For me, it's both a challenge and an opportunity. I want to try." Shu Mingyue was stunned. In Ruan Chutang's eyes, she saw courage, confidence, resilience, and vibrant vitality. Before coming here, she had assumed Ruan Chutang was nothing more than a pretty face relying entirely on family resources. She hadn't expected her to be so courageous and confident. "Alright then." Shu Mingyue's opinion of Ruan Chutang shifted. "Let's sign the retainer agreement now." "Okay." ... After leaving the law firm, Shu Mingyue went to Jiang Shixu's private villa. She rang the doorbell at the gate, and a man in his fifties came to open it. "Miss Shu." The man was lean and had a kind face. "May I ask what brings you here?" Shu Mingyue smiled. "Butler Lin, I'm here to see Ah Xu. I have an appointment with him to discuss a collaboration." Butler Lin was very courteous. "Please wait a moment. I'll go announce your arrival." Shu Mingyue nodded politely. "Alright, thank you for your trouble." A few minutes later, Butler Lin returned. "Miss Shu, the madam invites you in." Butler Lin opened the gate and made a "please" gesture toward Shu Mingyue. Madam? Shu Mingyue frowned. When she reached the living room on the first floor of the villa and saw Lin Yueying, she realized that the butler's "madam" referred to her. Scared her half to death—she'd thought it was Jiang Shixu's wife. She walked over and greeted her with a smile. "Auntie Lin." "Mingyue, you're here. Please, have a seat." Lin Yueying smiled politely, though her attitude was hardly warm. Shu Mingyue sat down beside Lin Yueying. A servant served tea to Shu Mingyue. Shu Mingyue's gaze swept around the room, but she didn't see Jiang Shixu. Lin Yueying took a sip of tea and said in a casual tone, "Shixu is upstairs in the study discussing business with someone. He'll be down in a bit." Shu Mingyue nodded and replied, "Oh, alright. I'll wait for him here. No problem." Lin Yueying hummed in acknowledgment and made small talk with Shu Mingyue. She could see Shu Mingyue's intentions toward Shixu. But Lin Yueying wasn't pleased at the thought of her son being with Shu Mingyue. In her heart, Tangtang was her daughter-in-law. Whenever she thought about Tangtang and Shixu's relationship issues, Lin Yueying felt melancholy. Now that Fu Yuanzhou and Xu Jingxuan had both been arrested, and Elder Mrs. Jiang had passed away, there was no one left in the family to oppose their being together. It was just that Ruan Shaodong's approval would be hard to win, and whether Tangtang could get past her own feelings was still up in the air. If only Tangtang and Shixu could reconcile. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Tangtang in quite a few days. At that thought, Lin Yueying couldn't help but sigh. Shu Mingyue heard Lin Yueying sigh and cast her a concerned look. "What's wrong, Auntie Lin? Is something on your mind?" Lin Yueying smiled and sighed again. "Ah, I'm just worried about Shixu's marriage prospects. He and Tangtang broke up and haven't gotten back together yet. I pray every day that they'll reconcile. I'm also hoping Tangtang will marry into the family soon and give me a grandson or granddaughter. Shixu is already thirty and still unmarried. I'm so worried..." The smile on Shu Mingyue's lips froze. Lin Yueying pretended not to notice and took a sip of tea, smiling as she said, "Mingyue, have you found yourself a boyfriend?" Shu Mingyue shook her head. "Not yet, Auntie." "How old are you this year?" "Almost twenty-seven." "Oh dear, you're not getting any younger. Why haven't you started dating?" Lin Yueying put on an air of a nosy, meddling busybody. "How about I introduce you to a few eligible young men who'd be a good match for you? My sister has a son who's a year older than you, and he just came back from abroad recently. I'll set up a meeting for you two another day." Shu Mingyue's heart sank to the bottom of the lake. She understood now—Lin Yueying only recognized Ruan Chutang as her daughter-in-law. No matter how outstanding Shu Mingyue was, Lin Yueying would never support her being with Jiang Shixu. "No need, Auntie Lin. I already have someone in my heart." Shu Mingyue concealed her emotions with a smile. "Other than him, I don't want anyone else." Lin Yueying played dumb. "Which young master is it? Do I know him?" Shu Mingyue played along, smiling as she said, "You don't just know him—you know him very well." Lin Yueying said, "Then bring him around to see me another day. Auntie will help you check him out." "Sure." Another ten-plus minutes passed. Jiang Shixu came downstairs. Two men followed at his side. One was his assistant, Lin Sen. The other man was a stranger—Shu Mingyue didn't recognize him. Once the unfamiliar outsider had left, Shu Mingyue asked, "Shixu, who was that man just now?" Jiang Shixu sat down on the sofa and answered off-topic: "Why are you here?" Shu Mingyue paused for a moment. "Didn't you say yesterday that we'd discuss the collaboration another day? I came today to talk business with you." Jiang Shixu gave a cold, indifferent "Mm." "Did you bring the project proposal?" "I did." Shu Mingyue took out a USB drive and handed it to Jiang Shixu. "It's on the drive." Jiang Shixu sat still without moving, not even lifting a hand. It was Jiang Shixu's assistant, Lin Sen, who took the USB drive from Shu Mingyue's hand. Lin Sen opened the laptop he carried with him, plugged in the drive, and opened its contents for Jiang Shixu to review. Jiang Shixu skimmed through it rapidly. After finishing, Jiang Shixu shook his head. "No good." Shu Mingyue froze. "If you want to collaborate, bring something decent." Jiang Shixu's expression was cold, and his words were utterly heartless. "Next time, don't waste my time with this kind of material." With that, he paid no heed to Shu Mingyue's reaction, stood up, turned around, and walked away.