Chapter 65: The Lie

I see, so it's a culprit-hunting combo!

I never would have expected Lin Xiu, but upon reflection, it feels quite reasonable. Because when they first met and exchanged glances, I had a feeling they already knew each other.

Seeing Lin Xiu in a wheelchair, I actually understand why none of us guessed it. Ordinary people simply aren't that ruthless, intentionally causing a car accident to achieve their goal.

This is the very embodiment of the phrase "throwing caution to the point of risking life and death" that I learned back then. Since ordinary people can't bring themselves to do it, we naturally couldn't imagine it (with Sister Sang being the exception, which is why she was able to guess in that direction).

The livestream chat was buzzing with heated discussion, and even late at night, they chose to stay awake and wait.

There was no choice; missing even a single segment would leave them bewildered and unable to follow what comes next.

Ye Sang桑 gazed at the pitch-black scenery outside the window for a while, then turned to look at the two quiet figures.

Although obsession was mentioned, she had no idea what kind of obsession it actually was.

Regarding many things, Ye Sang桑 did not understand them, but she respected them.

She didn't know why Qi Qin wanted to get involved in this case, because on the surface, he had nothing to do with it.

Perhaps it stemmed from a sense of justice?

No understanding was needed, simply because Qi Qin wanted to do it.

Ye Sang桑 looked at Lin Xiu in the wheelchair, feeling a twinge of curiosity: why would the other person go as far as risking their life to achieve such an uncertain goal?

Because a momentary lapse in attention could have cost them their life in that car accident.

The risks were extremely high, yet the rewards were potentially nonexistent.

Because the other party might not hire Qi Qin, and Qi Qin might fail to deceive them or win their trust.

In the end, once their own committed crime erupted, the perpetrator might choose a different lawyer entirely.

To Ye Sang桑, every single link in the chain carried immense risk.

She did not understand it, but fortunately, miracles do happen in life.

Though the exact reality remained unknown, within the game, over half of this plan had already been executed to perfection.

Now, all that remained was to wait for the prey to take the bait.

Lin Xiu and the victim's older brother, who should have been the most anxious ones, both appeared somewhat calm, sitting quietly as they waited.

Perhaps it was because they had already done everything in their mortal power and were now leaving the rest to fate.

Ye Sang桑 naturally returned to her seat and prepared a cup of pure black coffee for herself.

Compared to the connections between those people, she was currently waging a mental battle against the black coffee.

Because she truly disliked it, yet as an elite lawyer, this person's home was stocked exclusively with various coffee beans—aside from plain water and coffee, there were no other beverages.

To maintain her persona, she forced herself to drink the black coffee.

For the very first time, she experienced the emotion of being troubled.

This was, indeed, a very novel sensation.

Unbeknownst to Ye Sang桑, time slipped away quietly amidst these thoughts.

In the blink of an eye, it was time for her to log off.

Amidst the wails of the audience, Ye Sang桑 logged off.

Opening her eyes, Ye Sang桑 felt the reality of genuine sunlight and fresh air.

She got out of bed unaided, choosing not to use the wheelchair. Instead, leaning against it for support, she walked step by firm step into the bathroom to wash up.

Her physical condition was quite good; with abundant energy and a rapid recovery rate, her rehabilitation progress was exceptional.

Ye Sang桑 estimated that in another ten days or so, she would be able to walk completely unassisted.

After washing up, she sat back on her hospital bed just as breakfast arrived.

She ate with a blank expression, took her medicine, and took the wheelchair out for some fresh air, encountering Zhang Jingyue shortly after.

The other woman seemed to be intentionally looking for her, and upon spotting her, hurried over in two quick strides.

Ye Sang桑 raised her head slightly to look at her, feeling somewhat puzzled about the purpose of this visit.

"I've come to give you a mental checkup a bit early because I'm taking a three-day leave," Zhang Jingyue said, her expression still masking lingering anger.

Looking at her, Ye Sang桑 asked in confusion, "There's really no need for that. Your three-day leave won't have any impact on me; you didn't need to inform me."

"I watched your video game livestream last night, and I felt it was necessary to have another chat with you," she said, suppressing her emotions.

Ye Sang桑 still didn't understand, but deciding it wouldn't require much effort, she nodded in agreement.

Zhang Jingyue pushed Ye Sang桑 to a relatively quiet corner, where the only people around were patients occasionally passing by for some fresh air.

The breeze brushed past the hollowed-out corridor framed by stone pillars, gently swaying the blue and red flowers atop it, looking exceptionally beautiful under the sunlight.

While Ye Sang桑 could not comprehend emotions, she could appreciate the beauty of flowers and plants.

"Where are you planning to start your questions?" she asked, out of a rare spark of curiosity.

Zhang Jingyue asked, "Let's start from the moment you found the coffee bitter and refused to drink it. In fact, as your attending psychiatrist, I believe your emotional state and cognitive functions have stabilized significantly, and you've developed everyday emotions typical of ordinary people. In other words, I think you've entered the recovery phase."

"If you can maintain emotional stability for a certain period, I think you'll be leaving the hospital before long."

"Of course, this assumes you have no history of violent behavior whatsoever."

Ye Sang桑 looked at her in confusion, "And so?"

"And so I hope that during the three days I'm away, you'll be very careful. There are rats in the sewer plotting against you. They want you to remain uncontrollable so they can get what they want."

Zhang Jingyue spoke with absolute bluntness, hoping to keep things stable by telling Ye Sang桑 to bite her tongue, ignore outsiders, get discharged first, and only then plot her next moves.

Judging by her performance in the holographic game, she believed Ye Sang桑 was capable of doing so.

Her gaze landed on Zhang Jingyue.

Had she heard something? Or witnessed something?

To issue such a warning meant she must have caught wind of something; no wonder she had rushed over with lingering anger still visible on her face.

It seemed not everyone in this hospital was driven solely by greed—there were only one or two bad apples. If that was the case, subsequent cleanup would be much easier.

Finishing her train of thought, Ye Sang桑 snapped back to reality and replied crisply, "Alright, I understand. Dr. Zhang, trust me, trust your patient—I'll be waiting for your return in three days."

Hearing Ye Sang桑's response, Zhang Jingyue felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance settle in her heart.

This young girl possessed a strength beyond imagination; there was truly no need to worry about her. Yet, recalling the things she had overheard, unease still lingered deep within.

Sensing her anxiety, Ye Sang桑 offered words of comfort.

Zhang Jingyue had no choice but to choose to trust Ye Sang桑.

Bidding farewell, Zhang Jingyue turned and left the hospital.

Watching her departing figure, Ye Sang桑 knew the talk of a vacation was a lie. Since the other person hadn't specified a reason, merely mentioning a leave while coming to warn her, it was likely not a vacation at all, but rather being forced into one.

Her own existence would probably hinder certain people's plans.

The breeze gently brushed through Ye Sang桑's hair, causing the strands to flutter slightly. Her fingertips gently traced the raised patterns on the cover of the book in her lap.

How boring. They are simply too greedy.

Have they already forgotten the fear of being dominated by her?

On her way back, Ye Sang桑 caught sight of an uninvited guest.

He was lurking under the corridor, his face half-hidden in the sunlight's shadow, staring at her with burning intensity.

That familiar, cloying, disgusting gaze.

Manipulating the wheelchair, Ye Sang桑 turned her direction toward her ward, acting as if she hadn't seen a thing as she rolled away.

Upon entering, the caregiver was busy changing the clean bed linens and tidying up the room.

Looking at the caregiver's back, Ye Sang桑 said calmly, "Keep a closer eye on things lately. Those people are getting impatient and want to make a move."

The caregiver had a wheat-toned complexion, her hair neatly combed back and tied, wearing a deep-blue uniform whose movements revealed the smooth, graceful muscle lines of her arms.

Though called a caregiver, she was only around thirty-four or thirty-five, and her deep, sharp eyes gave off a do-not-approach vibe.

"Understood, I'll pay attention," she replied immediately upon looking up at Ye Sang桑.

She extended a hand to offer support.

Using that momentum, Ye Sang桑 stood up and walked step by step to the neatly made bed, sitting down.

After a moment of thought, she asked, "Do we need to call for another helper?"

Looking at her fragile and beautiful employer, even knowing she wasn't delicate porcelain, the caregiver couldn't help but worry about her getting hurt.

"No need," Ye Sang桑 declined.

Logging back into the game after seeing Lin Xiu and the others off, Ye Sang桑 skipped the timeline forward.

She returned to her usual routine of going to work at the law firm.

The cement-encased corpse case was gradually causing a stir locally. The development of internet and digital technology in this world outpaced other sectors significantly, and short-video platforms had already matured by 2016.

With everyone constantly scrolling on their phones, public opinion spread with astonishing speed, and even many non-locals began seeing the videos.

Naturally, this required a little bit of behind-the-scenes instigation; otherwise, many people would never have stumbled upon it.

Dongti Construction, of course, wasn't going to sit around waiting for their demise; they swiftly filed complaints and had numerous comments mentioning their company deleted.

Whenever a comment popped up, they would contact people to take it down, or directly reach out to the video creators to request deletion.

Messages soon flooded Ye Sang桑's phone, indicating that the trending momentum was steadily dropping.

She remained calm, switched to a backup phone, and purchased promotional traffic for the video with the highest view count.

As for the comments about Dongti Construction, she deleted only those involving misinformation while keeping the rest intact.

Then, she quietly waited.

Paid traffic proved effective; the video's likes quickly doubled, and the incident's popularity surged once again.

Putting her phone down, she knew the other side wouldn't be able to sit still much longer.

Just then, a knock sounded at her office door.

"Come in," Ye Sang桑 said gently.

Zhang Xiaoxiao pushed the door open, her face displaying a touch of aloofness as she looked at Ye Sang桑 sitting in the chair. "These are the materials Lawyer Ding asked me to give to you, Lawyer Qi."

She placed the documents on the desk beside Ye Sang桑, a lingering sense of resentment hidden deep within her eyes.

That temperament of hers was truly intense, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of justice.

"Alright, thank you," Ye Sang桑 said.

Qi Qin was a man of great composure, even when Zhang Xiaoxiao was giving him the cold shoulder. Understanding her dissatisfaction, he had simply arranged to transfer her to intern under another lawyer without engaging in excessive debate.

Zhang Xiaoxiao's emotions toward Ye Sang桑 were exceedingly complex; she stood in place, taking several deep breaths. "Lawyer Qi, are you really just going to do nothing about this?"

Deep down, she still wanted to believe that the person she admired wasn't that kind of person. It was too disillusioning—to think he was actually wrapped up in a toxic infatuation. She would often wake up in the middle of the night, sitting straight up just to exclaim how surreal the world had become.

"Could you please stop asking that question? Focus on your duties; what the workplace requires is doing more and talking less, especially when it comes to arguing with your superior." Ye Sang桑 raised her gaze and looked at her blankly.

Zhang Xiaoxiao drew in a sharp breath. Before she could walk out, however, another knock echoed on the door.

After Ye Sang桑 called for them to enter, an assistant walked into the office accompanied by someone else.

Seeing the newcomer, Zhang Xiaoxiao completely lost her composure, pressed her lips tightly together, and walked out without a word.

"What's wrong with Zhang Xiaoxiao?" the assistant asked, looking toward Ye Sang桑.