CH 53.1

When she heard Ning Wan's words, Cai Zhen was completely shocked. "How did you know?" she blurted out. "I... I didn't say anything to anyone!" Her voice was full of panic. "He said that if I said anything, he would sue! How did you... how did you know? Did he tell you?"

She tensed instantly and looked at Ning Wan, her eyes alert and fearful.

"Don't be afraid, no one told me."

Before Cai Zhen's doubts, Ning Wan took a deep breath. "It's because I've been through the same thing as you. Just like he harassed you, Jin Jianhua has also harassed me."

In shock, Cai Zhen seemed to come out of it slowly. "No wonder Sister Lili said just now that you had rejected his invitation before! I see!"

Ning Wan held her gaze. "So if Jin Jianhua wasn't there, would you want to stay in Zhengyuan Law and remain in Rong City?"

Cai Zhen's walls fell. Nothing could arouse empathy more than being a fellow victim. She no longer attempted to force a smile. Her whole being wilted and she poured everything out to Ning Wan. "Yes; I actually really like Zhengyuan Law. It deals with so many well-paying cases, and I've got so much to learn. I don't want to leave Rong City, but..."

Frowning, Ning Wan said seriously, "What did he do to you? If you're comfortable telling me, I'll help you figure something out."

Although Jin Jianhua was a partner at Zhengyuan Law, he was only a junior partner and far from dominated the legal circle. If Cai Zhen stayed, she might be excluded and have a hard time, but the school Cai Zhen had graduated from was much better than hers. There were plenty of other firms to choose from in Rong City besides Zhengyuan...

Cai Zhen had evidently suffered a great deal due to this matter. She had been so panicked and anxious, and now that she encountered someone with the same experience as herself, she seemed to crumble apart and even started tearing up. "I felt  so lucky to be selected to practice at Zhengyuan. A few months into my internship, Jin Jianhua said that he felt that I was conscientious and hard-working, and was willing to take me on, so I helped out on his team. It was really good at first, he took such good care of me and taught me a lot. Whenever I had any questions, he would explain things to me in detail, and when he went on business trips he would often bring back gifts for everyone on the team, even me..."

"I felt so lucky to have met him right at the start of my career. I worked so hard to prove myself to him and hoped I could formally enter his team after my internship was over. I mean, it's not easy to meet such a good boss. He often spoke to me about my future career and life, and his advice was always spot-on, He felt so approachable, a teacher and a friend. I once really admired him..."

Now recalling the past, Cai Zhen's eyes were full of regret. "I was so young and stupid. I let my guard down in front of him. Later, there was a case located in Lincheng. Jin Jianhua claimed that the other lawyers in the team were all busy and asked if I would like to come along as his assistant. I didn't think much of it. I went along happily and thought of it as a rare opportunity..."

"And in the end he harassed you during that business trip?"

"He was actually very polite at the beginning. He even booked two rooms at the hotel. I didn't suspect anything at all. It was only after 9 o'clock at night that he suddenly sent me a text message asking me to bring a copy of some documents to his room, so I went..." When she got to this point, Cai Zhen couldn't help it. Tears began rolling down her face. "But then, as soon as I entered the room and gave him the documents, he suddenly threw me onto the bed, and kissed me, and tore my clothes open..."

Ning Wan took Cai Zhen's trembling hand into hers and patted it gently. "Don't be afraid. Speak slowly. It's all over. Did he force himself on you?"

"No... I fought fiercely the whole time, and bit his hand. While he was distracted, I ran out of the room. I didn't care about the case after that. I booked a train ticket that night and fled back to Rong City."

Gazing at Cai Zhen's shivering, fearful appearance, Ning Wan's heart was full of both indignance and self-reproach. History repeats itself. What Cai Zhen was going through now, she had also gone through. 

Back then, Ning Wan had been able to enter Zhengyuan Law despite her subpar school due to the firm expanding, but had been unable to enter a partner's team. At that time, Jin Jianhua had appeared, taken care of her, showed her how to handle cases, and had also been a teacher and friend. Even today, Ning Wan clearly remembered the excitement and anticipation she had felt when she learned that he had been willing to accept her into his team - even if she hadn't graduated from a prestigious school, her efforts had paid off!

Unfortunately, reality had soon slapped her hard in the face, because almost at the same time she nodded, Jin Jianhua's hand had touched her cheek. Ning Wan still remembered the look in his eye and his flirtatious tone as he had said--

"Ning Wan, when you're as beautiful as you are, it's perfectly fine for you to have a little fun playing at being a lawyer. Why tire yourself out? Let me help you carry the load. All you need to do is be as lovely as a flower, and leave the cases to me. You'll have nothing to worry about as long as you're with me, if you know what I mean..."

As he said that, the hand on her face seemed to slither down to caress her waist. Though she soon escaped his touch, that oily, nauseating feeling remained imprinted in her mind.

Afterward, she would occasionally dream of that moment. It always felt like a dream. Like a bystander, she would stand to the side, watching her angry, humiliated self slap Jin Jianhua, watching him curse her viciously, listening to him threaten that she didn't know what was good for her and that in the future she had better watch out while she was at the office...

It had to be said that he had kept his word. Shortly afterward, Zhengyuan Law had established a nominal community branch for the sake of reputation, and Ning Wan had been "exiled" there following Jin Jianhua's "recommendation". This "exile" had already lasted two years, and this year Zhengyuan had even renewed its contract with Yuelan Community...

Being stationed here was more in the nature of volunteer work. There was not much here in the way of money to be earned or tasks to be done. No one wanted to be there, and they would often simply skip their agreed-upon shifts. Ning Wan hadn't really needed to be on duty either at the beginning, but Jin Jianhua had intervened. He kept an eye on her and sought to persuade the office that having a 'false resident' was impermissible, and that there always had to be a lawyer on duty. Feeling that she might as well put forth an effort, she had remained there ever since.

When it first happened, the incident had been sudden, and at a time when Ning Wan had had little in the way of practical experience. She hadn't even thought about making a recording as proof. In any case, Jin Jianhua had never pestered her again after being slapped, merely invisibly hindering her from the shadows, something for which she couldn't obtain evidence either. What lawyers cared most about was evidence. Since she had no proof and Jin Jianhua was a junior partner, in the end she was left with no choice but to outwardly take it on the chin.

Ning Wan had always felt before that this was the right way to handle it, but now, looking at Cai Zhen's anguished, teary eyes, she guiltily reproached herself.

People didn't change. If Jin Jianhua had dared reach out for her, he would dare reach for another. If she had stood up bravely then, even without any proof, and made a ruckus to shatter his hypocritical façade, would Cai Zhen still have suffered?