My Ex Who Dumped Me Comes to Hook Me Up Every Day - Chapter 7

Liao Lianjing, unable to break free and hearing the ominous word “jail,” immediately deflated.

“I only said a few harsh words,” she muttered, “there’s no need to call the police like that…”

She grumbled under her breath as she squeezed through the crowd to find Chong Daqiang, who had been dragged away by security.

With the troublemakers gone, the onlookers dispersed.

The nurses offered a few words of concern before returning to their duties.

Only Jin Zhou and Jiang Yuhuai remained at the door.

Jin Zhou turned around, her expression utterly calm, betraying no emotion.

Jiang Yuhuai’s face showed a hint of surprise, as if she hadn’t expected Jin Zhou to appear so suddenly.

“Lawyer Jin, so it’s you?”

Jin Zhou’s lips twitched slightly, but she didn’t bother to expose the fact that Jiang Yuhuai had clearly seen her earlier.

Even noticing the mockery in Jin Zhou’s eyes, Jiang Yuhuai continued as if oblivious, “I’m so grateful for your help just now. Let me treat you to dinner later—”

Jin Zhou’s gaze remained cold as she brushed past Jiang Yuhuai and walked into the ward, leaving the awkward half-sentence hanging in the air.

“…consider it my thanks.”

Chong Sheng was sitting up in bed, looking as if she had been awake for some time.

But when she saw Jin Zhou, her expression became noticeably strained.

Her pupils dilated slightly, and her lips trembled involuntarily, as if resisting Jin Zhou’s approach.

Jin Zhou offered a reassuring smile. “Miss Chong, I’m Jin Zhou. Do you remember me?”

Chong Sheng replied softly, “I remember, Lawyer Jin…”

Relieved that she could still answer questions coherently, Jin Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.

“How are you feeling? Are you comfortable?”

Chong Sheng pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to answer.

That means she’s not doing well.

Jin Zhou persisted, trying to communicate with her. “Miss Chong… can you tell me what happened yesterday?”

Chong Sheng’s eyes instantly shifted, a mix of terror, helplessness, and fear swirling within them.

“I don’t know… I don’t remember…”

“Please don’t ask… please.”

Chong Sheng’s agitation suddenly intensified.

“I won’t ask anymore. Just relax,” Jin Zhou said, reaching out to comfort her.

But Chong Sheng pulled the blanket up, completely covering her face.

Jin Zhou’s hand hovered in mid-air, awkwardly suspended.

Just then, Jiang Yuhuai entered the room.

Having changed her clothes, she seemed to have transformed back into the cool, professional chief physician.

She calmly began explaining Chong Sheng’s condition.

“The patient experienced severe psychological trauma during the incident and is currently suffering from acute stress. We need to keep her under observation to assess her condition. Therefore, if we’re considering the patient’s well-being, I strongly advise against Lawyer Jin forcing her to recall the details of the crime at this time.”

Acute stress…

Jin Zhou frowned, her mind racing with possibilities.

When a victim is in acute stress and unable to communicate coherently, it becomes extremely difficult for the police to obtain clear and reliable testimony, significantly complicating the investigation.

To save time and resources, the case might be hastily closed as a domestic dispute.

And that wasn’t all.

If the stress progresses and develops into a severe mental illness, the scheduled trial date could be indefinitely postponed.

Jin Zhou took a deep breath.

“Is there any way to treat this condition quickly?”

Jiang Yuhuai shook her head.

“We can only adjust her environment and provide psychological intervention for gradual recovery.”

Though Jin Zhou had reservations about Jiang Yuhuai’s character, she recognized the woman’s solid professional competence.

If Jiang Yuhuai said rapid recovery was impossible, then there was truly no way.

This unexpected setback threatened to undo all their previous efforts.

But for Jin Zhou, it wasn’t time to give up yet.

Having obtained the answer, she didn’t linger at the hospital.

The screen flashed to 19:01:11.

A sharp ache shot through her cervical spine, making Jin Zhou realize she had been holding this posture for far too long.

That afternoon, Zheng Yi’s office reported that Liu Zhi had returned to C City at 1:00 PM and immediately turned himself in to the police, confessing his wrongdoing.

He claimed his marriage to Chong Sheng was genuine, and that he had acted impulsively out of desperation when she insisted on divorcing him.

At this point, the facts of the crime were clear.

Bringing the suspect to justice immediately would undoubtedly provide the greatest solace to the victim.

But could it really be that simple?

Of course not.

During their phone call, Jin Zhou had subtly probed Zheng Yi’s intentions.

It was clear he planned to have Liu Zhi seek the victim’s forgiveness, hoping to secure a lighter sentence.

As the lead investigator, Zheng Yi’s stance would heavily influence the case’s trajectory.

Yet he seemed to dismiss her deliberate, albeit subtle, warnings.

It was undeniable that Zheng Yi, having served in law enforcement for decades, possessed far more experience handling certain types of cases than Jin Zhou.

However, this also meant he tended to rely more on established practices than strict adherence to legal statutes.

The principle that minor injuries alone do not meet the threshold for filing charges of intentional assault was a well-known standard.

Similarly, the unspoken rule of prioritizing reconciliation over separation in marital disputes and minimizing intervention in family conflicts was universally understood.

Under Zheng Yi’s handling, the case’s trajectory was already clear.

In the end, Liu Zhi would likely face no more than ten days of detention, perhaps accompanied by some earnest reprimands and educational lectures.

Jin Zhou refused to passively accept such an unsatisfactory outcome.

This stemmed from her professional ethics as a lawyer and her empathy as a woman, but also because—

There was a more procedurally sound resolution to this case.

While it was true that Liu Zhi’s actions only resulted in minor injuries, falling short of the threshold for intentional assault,

did that definitively rule out other potential criminal charges?

The answer was likely far from absolute.

Jin Zhou glanced at the faded newspaper lying on the desk—a report from several years ago about a domestic violence case in A City.

In both cases, husbands had used violence against their wives, but neither incident resulted in injuries severe enough to be classified as minor or worse.

Ultimately, the judge sentenced the husband to abuse under Article 260 of the X Law:

“Whoever abuses a family member under aggravated circumstances shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than two years, detention, or public surveillance.”

The beastly “husband” had already received his due punishment. As for this one—

Tomorrow, Jin Zhou planned to visit Chong Sheng in the hospital, both to check on her well-being and to confirm her wishes.

After that, she would go to the police station again.

The divorce proceedings would naturally proceed concurrently.

Based on the evidence Jin Zhou had gathered so far, both domestic violence and prolonged separation could serve as crucial factors indicating the breakdown of the marriage.

But this afternoon, an even more overwhelming weight had been added to the scales:

Chong Sheng and Liu Zhi’s child, Liu Yang.

Jin Zhou looked up at the character relationship diagram she had painstakingly constructed on the whiteboard.

According to her investigation, Chong Sheng had been childless for many years, only giving birth to her only son, Liu Yang, five years ago.

Due to their demanding work schedules, Liu Yang had been entrusted to his grandmother from a very young age and did not live with Chong Sheng and Liu Zhi.

Liu Yang, now five years old and in first grade, attends a private elementary school. His parents don’t keep him with them, instead having him live in a private residence near the school.

At first glance, they appear to be a couple too busy with work to properly care for their child—a seemingly unremarkable situation.

But when connected to another person, many seemingly logical details suddenly become riddled with inconsistencies.

Liu Zhi’s mistress: Yang Xiya.

Jin Zhou stood up and circled Yang Xiya’s name emphatically.

Five years ago, Yang Xiya was an ordinary employee at a company.

After meeting Liu Zhi, she quit her job within a month and vanished from public view, only reappearing a year later.

The Yang Xiya who resurfaced began spending lavishly, but when friends asked about her work, she always gave vague answers.

She never mentioned where she lived, though occasional photos on her social media revealed it was in a renowned high-end residential complex in C City.

Coincidentally, this luxury complex was located right next to a private elementary school—precisely the one Liu Yang currently attends.

Upon closer examination, the timing of these events—five years ago—seemed suspiciously convenient.

Coupled with Chong Sheng’s cold demeanor, the answer became almost transparent:

Liu Yang was not Liu Zhi’s legitimate son.

If this could be proven, Liu Zhi’s leverage in the property division during the divorce proceedings would be reduced to the bare minimum.

As the representing attorney, Jin Zhou naturally wanted her client to secure a more advantageous share of the assets in the divorce settlement.

Proving whether Liu Yang was legitimate or illegitimate was straightforward—a simple paternity test would suffice.

But there was one crucial point:

If her suspicions were correct, the fact that Liu Yang was registered as a legitimate son on the household registry meant Chong Sheng was aware of the truth.

So why would she continue to help Liu Zhi conceal this secret, even at such a critical juncture as the divorce proceedings?

This was the only piece of the puzzle that remained elusive.

Jin Zhou rubbed her temples, trying to ease the throbbing tension in her nerves.

Just then, the grandfather clock chimed crisply.

It was eight o’clock, the hourly chime Su Yun had specially set for her.

When Jin Zhou first started her law firm, she would get so engrossed in cases that she’d forget to eat, sometimes skipping meals entirely. She grew so thin she looked like a strong gust of wind could blow her away.

One day, Jin Zhou collapsed from hypoglycemia right in the office, scaring Su Yun half to death.

After that incident, Su Yun began nagging Jin Zhou incessantly, even setting a special alarm to remind her to eat.

It wasn’t until recent years, when Jin Zhou started exercising regularly and maintaining a balanced diet, that Su Yun finally eased up.

Still, Jin Zhou kept the alarm as a memento.

Jin Zhou glanced out the door. The lights were dim, and most people had already left.

It was indeed time for her to go home.

Closing her eyes to rest for a moment, Jin Zhou saved her data, grabbed her coat, and headed out.

Though tired from the day’s work, Jin Zhou felt relatively relaxed. With the case nearly resolved, much of the pressure had lifted.

She planned to go home, rest well, and recharge for tomorrow.

But this peaceful, detached mood didn’t last long.

As she stepped out of the elevator, that persistent figure reappeared.

Jiang Yuhuai, seemingly oblivious to Jin Zhou’s strained expression, tilted her chin slightly and greeted her.

“Lawyer Jin, you’re back.”