A Fatal Attraction from Lawyer A - Chapter 19

Ruixing Hospital had changed lawyers.

Gu Yu Xi looked at the lawyer across the table. He was naturally familiar with the face, having clashed with him many times in court.

“Attorney Gu, long time no see.”

Gu Yu Xi saw the man extend his hand confidently and generously. His expression was indifferent; he kept his hands clasped on the table, showing no intention of shaking hands: “Attorney Song, it’s been a while.”

It seemed Ruixing Hospital was making a move.

Attorney Song met Gu Yu Xi’s indifferent gaze, as if there was nothing in the world that could break this cold Alpha. He smiled, seemingly accustomed to the rejection: “I truly didn’t expect us to meet again on this case. Are you surprised by my arrival, Attorney Gu?”

“Not at all,” Gu Yu Xi calmly replied. He met Attorney Song’s eyes: “So, what do you want to negotiate this time?”

The previous three times, Galaxy Group was handling the negotiations, but once Galaxy Group obtained the autopsy consent form, the tide had truly turned. This time, Ruixing Hospital had taken the initiative to contact Galaxy Group to attempt mediation.

Unfortunately, Galaxy Group wouldn’t back down.

“Attorney Gu, it’s true that Galaxy Group has the autopsy consent, but that won’t be the key evidence. You haven’t presented the crucial evidence yet.”

Gu Yu Xi was unfazed: “First, I think you should be clear that once the autopsy results are out, all the ‘normal’ reports during the deceased’s hospitalization will be exposed as forged evidence.”

Attorney Song’s smile was like a spring breeze: “How can you be so sure? The autopsy results aren’t out yet, are they? Based on current evidence, Galaxy Group is still at a disadvantage. The sharp drop in stock prices shows how panicked people are, doesn’t it? Recently, many people who injected the BO Sex Agent have gone to the hospital for check-ups, all afraid there’s an issue with the agent.”

“Even though Galaxy Group is cooperating with the investigation, they still haven’t released the sex agent formula, have they? Even if the sex agent is a patent, in the face of a case with such widespread impact, why not hand it over to an appraisal agency? If Galaxy Group is truly upright, why wouldn’t they? Is Galaxy Group afraid?”

Gu Yu Xi’s face remained calm: “It seems Attorney Song is unaware of the key element of this case: what exactly caused the sex agent to have such a strong rejection reaction with the deceased, leading to this tragedy. And do you know whether the deceased, within 42 hours of injecting the sex agent, was sexually assaulted by an Alpha named Mo Wen Bin, triggering a secondary differentiation into an Omega?”

Attorney Song’s expression remained composed: “How would Attorney Gu know that? And how do you know the deceased differentiated into an Omega?”

“I interviewed the deceased’s partner. She told me herself. Also, the observation report shows the pheromone concentration reached as high as 72% at one point. I believe Attorney Song has the common sense to know that the pseudo-Alpha pheromone concentration differentiated by a Beta who injected the BO Sex Agent cannot reach that level. That concentration belongs to an Omega.”

Gu Yu Xi looked at the man across from him. This man was a typical proceduralist. When he had sufficient evidence and operated within reasonable bounds, he would maximize his concern for his client’s self-interest, whether he was defending for justice or otherwise.

Attorney Song smiled: “Sexual assault? Attorney Gu, do you think the words of a mentally ill patient can be trusted?”

Gu Yu Xi knitted his brow. Mentally ill patient? Who? Song Yin Ling?

“Attorney Gu, are you unaware that Song Yin Ling suffered a mental breakdown because she couldn’t accept her partner’s sudden death?”

The look in Gu Yu Xi’s eyes behind his glasses gradually darkened. How is that possible? When he met Song Yin Ling that day, she was clearly coherent. She was, at most, overcome with grief; how could she be mentally ill?

“The truth will be revealed when the autopsy results are released,” he replied.

The key now was the autopsy. Once the results were out, everything—whether the deceased had been sexually assaulted and if there were any other Alpha pheromones in their body—would become clear.

“It seems Attorney Gu is very confident that the autopsy results will be exactly as you wish. But what if they aren’t?”

Gu Yu Xi looked at the man across from him, a ripple spreading in his eyes behind the cold glasses. He gently rubbed the cool steel body of his pen: “Even if they aren’t, they won’t be as you wish, either.”

Attorney Song laughed aloud: “Adam Smith said that our dinner comes not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, but from their regard to their own interest. But I’ve noticed, Attorney Gu, you are breaking the rules.”

“You consistently place yourself in the position of the hero, making your opponents into scoundrels. Will you truly be victorious, you who disregard all obstacles and temptations? Our job is not to pursue the truth, but to protect our client, regardless of whether he committed murder or arson—that is irrelevant to us. Therefore, an acquittal due to insufficient evidence is what the law dictates.”

“Mo Wen Bin died fourteen years ago. How could a dead man commit a sexual assault? Attorney Gu, wouldn’t you agree?”

Gu Yu Xi didn’t immediately answer Attorney Song. He then looked down, his lips pressed into a concave line that held a cold, mocking chill. He closed his files and gathered his things, the rustle of papers against the table creating a sound as he stood up.

“Attorney Song, there are so many people with the same name in this world. How do you know which Mo Wen Bin I was referring to?” Gu Yu Xi stood at the table, reaching up to adjust his glasses. When he looked up, his eyes were full of derision. He picked up his files: “See you in court.”

He left the meeting room expressionlessly.

If one paid close attention, a faint displeasure radiated from him, all stemming from Attorney Song’s final words:

—Mo Wen Bin is dead.

In the Elevator

The elevator door slowly opened. Gu Yu Xi’s eyes fell upon a patient in a wheelchair. The sight of the glaringly green outfit made him look again instinctively.

It was the middle of summer, yet the person was wearing a long, ankle-length green down jacket over a thin hospital gown. They wore the jacket’s hood and a mask, with no skin exposed except for their eyes.

Gu Yu Xi withdrew his gaze and pressed the elevator button for the first floor.

“Hello.”

Gu Yu Xi had just retracted his hand when he heard a voice from behind him. The voice was extremely unpleasant, like crushed dirt mixed with pebbles and gravel—turbid and heavy—making it impossible to tell the person’s age.

He turned his head slightly. The person hadn’t looked up. Were they calling him?

“Excuse me, are you an Alpha?”

The turbid voice echoed in the elevator. In the small space, the bizarre question carried an inexplicable sense of unease.

Gu Yu Xi frowned imperceptibly, but out of basic courtesy, he still answered: “Yes.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he saw the person in the wheelchair suddenly extend a hand toward him.

The hand emerging from the down jacket was broad and large, with very rough knuckles. It was clearly a man’s hand, and on the back of it was a distinct, hideous scar from a burn.

The sight of that scar made Gu Yu Xi’s pupils violently contract. His mind roared, the sight provoking a deep, soul-level disgust and hatred that triggered a physiological feeling of nausea. His face instantly went pale.

Just then, the elevator door chimed “ding” and opened. Two men walked in, laughing and talking, and immediately squeezed past the hand that was about to touch his suit jacket.

The elevator door slowly closed again.

“What are we eating tonight?”

“I heard there’s a new hot pot place on West Street with really good food. Want to try it?”

“Sounds good.”

The two men who entered laughed and walked directly behind Gu Yu Xi, starting an oblivious conversation. They completely blocked the person in the wheelchair, acting like a screen, separating the two entirely.

Gu Yu Xi didn’t hear what the people behind him were saying. He felt stiff and cold all over, staring blankly at the elevator door.

In the reflection of the elevator door, he saw the person in the wheelchair with the hood on tilt their head, as if trying to see him. Even through the mask, he could discern the trace of a wide grin on the person’s mouth. The gesture was like a rigid person performing a clownish act.

That scar…

Mo Wen Bin?

Gu Yu Xi’s hand gripping his briefcase abruptly tightened. His breathing was slightly ragged. He looked up at the descending numbers on the elevator screen. He had never felt the seventh floor was so high, and the air in the elevator was suffocating.

“So you’re not an Omega.”

The turbid, unpleasant voice sounded in the elevator again, and at the same time, a “ding” signaled the elevator’s arrival at the first floor.

Gu Yu Xi rushed out of the elevator without a second thought.

But just as he stepped out, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and pulled him away. His eyes widened in shock, staring in astonishment at the person who had grabbed him.

“What’s with that expression? You really don’t want to see me?”

A deep voice sounded in his ear. The faint scent of Oolong Brandy pheromones brushed past his nose. Gu Yu Xi stared blankly at the suddenly appearing Luo Pan Zhi, his eyelashes fluttering. The man’s image was reflected in his pupils, and his previously tightly locked pupils immediately relaxed.

In that instant, the fear and irritation that had nearly overwhelmed him, buried deep in his heart, slowly subsided.

Gu Yu Xi felt the warmth radiating from the grip on his wrist. Luo Pan Zhi had appeared at the exact moment he needed him.

Too perfectly timed.

He looked down and let out a soft sigh of relief.

Luo Pan Zhi saw the man’s face was pale. He looked down at the hand he was holding—it was both cold and trembling. What happened to him? He instinctively glanced at the two acquaintances exiting the elevator.

The two acquaintances acted as if nothing was wrong, walking out of the elevator with their arms around each other.

“What are we eating tonight?”

“How about barbecue?”

“I heard a new barbecue place on West Street has good food.”

“Barbecue it is, then.”

Luo Pan Zhi only caught a glimpse of the green figure in the wheelchair inside the elevator before the door slowly closed. He then turned his attention back to Gu Yu Xi’s face, frowning when he saw the man’s state:

“What’s wrong? Did the negotiation go badly?”

Gu Yu Xi saw the elevator door close and subtly breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled his hand away from Luo Pan Zhi’s grip: “No more talking. See you in court.” He then started to walk away.

Luo Pan Zhi quickly caught Gu Yu Xi’s hand, firmly holding it. Feeling how truly cold it was, his expression darkened: “Then why are your hands so cold?”

Was he scared by someone?

Sure enough, what those two said was right: Gu Yu Xi was being targeted at the hospital.

Gu Yu Xi tried to pull his hand away, but the other man held on tightly. He instinctively glanced at the people walking in and out around them and didn’t make any sudden movements. He looked down and whispered softly: “Little CEO Luo, this is a hospital. There are a lot of people. Aren’t you afraid of being photographed by the media?”

Luo Pan Zhi immediately interlaced their fingers, leaned slightly forward, and spoke close to Gu Yu Xi, smiling: “So what if we’re photographed? The CEO is young and handsome, and he needs to date too, right, Attorney Gu?”

Gu Yu Xi was speechless, wearing an expression that said, “You’re the boss, everything you say is right.” He tried to pull his hand away again.

Only to be held even tighter.

Luo Pan Zhi simply slipped Gu Yu Xi’s hand into his suit pocket, keeping their fingers interlaced. He completely ignored the onlookers’ stares and pulled the man out of the hospital.

The sunlight outside the hospital was very bright. Gu Yu Xi found it a little dazzling and tilted his head, his gaze inadvertently falling on Luo Pan Zhi’s profile.

Luo Pan Zhi’s profile was sharply defined. He stared blankly at the slight upward curve of Luo Pan Zhi’s lips. Putting all else aside, this Alpha was truly stunningly handsome. The next second, Luo Pan Zhi turned his head.

Gu Yu Xi was caught off guard, meeting Luo Pan Zhi’s smiling gaze. He felt like a hunted animal caught red-handed when peering out of the bushes.

Luo Pan Zhi shook their tightly clasped hands in his pocket, looking at him with a smile: “Attorney Gu, with me here, what are you afraid of?”

Thump, thump.

The palms of their tightly clasped hands were beginning to sweat.

“We won’t negotiate with them. If they’re not willing to talk, I’m not willing to let my lawyer see them. We’ll see them in court,” Luo Pan Zhi laughed, seeing the man was stunned, his eyes full of indulgent affection: “Right, Attorney Gu?”

Gu Yu Xi felt a little dazed, because Luo Pan Zhi’s smile was even more dazzling than the summer sun.

It made his heart flutter.