Chapter 34 Shen Pianran Manages the Divorce Case

At 7:30 AM, Chen Ang left the house.

Wen Huilin and her son didn't seem to be up yet; the door to the master bedroom was tightly shut, and there was no sound.

He found a decent breakfast shop, had a meal, and then headed straight to Shen Pianran's law firm.

On the way, Chen Ang opened his phone and checked the location of his old phone.

Discovering that the phone was in motion, he immediately knew that Wen Huilin had taken the old phone he had left on the nightstand in the bedroom.

Once confirmed, he stopped paying attention to it. He shifted gears, pressed the accelerator, and headed towards the Financial Center.

When he arrived at the law firm, it was just past 8:30 AM. As he entered, Shen Pianran had already brewed coffee and was preparing to start her day.

She was wearing a light gray blazer today, her hair tied back loosely, and she looked very relaxed.

"So early?" She gestured for Chen Ang to sit and instructed her secretary to make tea. She sat down on the sofa opposite him and picked up her coffee cup. "Is there something urgent?"

Chen Ang took the kraft paper envelope given by Yu Fei from his briefcase and placed it on the coffee table.

"This is evidence of Tu Yuandong's tax evasion. Take a look and tell me how to handle the timing and details for reporting it."

Shen Pianran wasn't surprised; Chen Ang had long stated that he intended to take down this Company.

She put down her coffee, took the envelope, opened it, and flipped through the contents for about ten minutes.

"The evidence is very solid." She closed the file and looked up. "However, the timing of the report is indeed critical."

After a pause, she continued: "The Company has just been acquired. If you cut off supplies and then report him immediately, Tu Yuandong might still have the ability to pay the fines, which would significantly lower the chances of a criminal case being opened. Furthermore, the window between the Company cutting off supplies and the report is too short; it would be easy for people to see the connection."

"Then how long do you think is appropriate?" Chen Ang wasn't surprised by Shen Pianran's attention to detail.

"At least a month." Shen Pianran thought for a moment. "Let Tu Yuandong breach the contract first. When the supply cut leads to his projects stalling and the Road and Bridge Bureau puts pressure on him, his capital chain will be completely broken. That is when you report him. This way, he won't be able to pay the back taxes, nor will he be able to secure new financing. All his paths of retreat will be cut off."

Chen Ang felt a sense of admiration; this woman had a sharp eye, meticulous thoughts, and ruthless methods. Her plan aligned perfectly with what Yu Liang had suggested earlier regarding the timeline.

"Alright, we'll do as you say." Chen Ang nodded.

Shen Pianran put the documents away and looked up at him.

She noticed that Chen Ang was quieter than usual today, with an imperceptible gloom between his brows.

She didn't press him, just leaned back on the sofa, holding her coffee cup, and waited.

Chen Ang was silent for a while before speaking: "There is one more thing. Can you take my divorce case?"

Shen Pianran put down her coffee cup and observed his expression, confirming he wasn't joking. "Boss, I work in finance; divorce lawsuits are not my area of expertise."

"I don't need you to appear in court," Chen Ang said. "I need someone who knows my entire situation to coordinate this matter. You understand evidence, strategy, and timing better than I do."

"Besides, we can find a specialized litigation lawyer for the court appearances, but I want you to be the one orchestrating things behind the scenes."

Chen Ang had his own calculations in mind before he spoke.

Shen Pianran was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. "Alright, I'll take it. But you must tell me everything; nothing can be left out."

Chen Ang certainly trusted her ability. He leaned back into the sofa, his gaze falling on the pothos plant on the coffee table, a shadow seeming to seep into his eyes.

"Seven years ago, I opened a bar in the University Town called 'Night Light.' Later, something happened to my family; our family Company was set up by someone, and I prepared to sell the bar to pay off debts."

Shen Pianran wasn't surprised; she just listened quietly without interrupting. She had her own judgment and had long known that Chen Ang was not an ordinary person.

"I was in a bad state during that time, drinking every day. One night, I drank too much, and a friend helped me to the Wanli Hotel next door and opened a room for me to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, there was a woman lying next to me."

"Your current wife?" Shen Pianran asked.

"Yes." Chen Ang nodded. "She was a receptionist at the hotel at the time, but it wasn't her shift that night. She said she came to find a colleague to get something and went to the wrong room. She said she had also drunk too much and didn't remember anything. We both agreed it was an accident, exchanged phone numbers, and parted ways."

Shen Pianran's brows twitched slightly, but she didn't speak, continuing to listen.

"More than half a month later, she called me and said she was pregnant. Her family came to Bin City to find me, saying that if I didn't marry her, they would sue me for rape. At that time, my family's debts were in chaos, people were blocking my door every day, and I had no energy to deal with any of this."

"So you married her." Shen Pianran spoke at the right moment, like a straight man setting up a punchline.

"A dowry of 388,000 yuan, no wedding banquet, just registering the marriage." There was no resentment in Chen Ang's voice, only calmness. "When her family asked for the dowry, they set a very high price, saying their daughter couldn't suffer a loss for nothing."

Afterwards, he gave a scoff and continued: "They thought my family was still wealthy and wanted to cash in. Naturally, I didn't tell them that my family was about to go bankrupt."

Shen Pianran lowered her eyelashes, and when she raised them again, there was a light in her eyes that was hard to describe.

She understood Chen Ang's intention; it was nothing more than to disgust them.

"Did you have a girlfriend at the time?" she asked afterwards.

Chen Ang didn't answer directly. His heart was suddenly pricked, and the light in his eyes dimmed. "It's all in the past."

It was destined to be a relationship without a future; she had also married and had children, and both love and hate had to be buried deeper.

Shen Pianran stared at him for a few seconds, then spoke: "She was lying. There is only one possibility: you were targeted by her a long time ago."

Chen Ang looked up; he believed Shen Pianran's words.

Back then, in the vicinity of the University Town, many people knew he was a rich second-generation heir who owned a bar, so it wasn't strange for him to be targeted by a scheming bitch.

"Have you ever thought about it? A receptionist who isn't on duty returns to the hotel in the middle of the night to get something from a colleague? This in itself is full of holes. What could a hotel receptionist possibly need to hand over that requires a personal trip in the middle of the night? She wasn't on duty; why did she come? And she just happened to have drunk too much alcohol, too."

Shen Pianran leaned forward slightly, her hands folded on her knees. "So, she wasn't drunk at all. She knew exactly which hotel you were in and which room you were in. She didn't go to the wrong room; she came specifically for you."

Chen Ang looked at her, so serious, and let out a dry laugh.

"Actually, I did have suspicions at the time, but I was going through the darkest moment of my life, and I had already decided to give up on myself."

He didn't hide his past cowardice.

Shen Pianran shrugged slightly to show her understanding. "What about the pregnancy? Did you confirm it?"

"No," Chen Ang said. "I knew what I had done that night, and I saw the blood on the sheets. And... it was indeed quite..."

"Most importantly, Chen Zetian was born full-term. Looking back now, she likely faked the prenatal check-ups as well." Spreading his hands, Chen Ang helplessly indicated that he hadn't been framed without reason.

"Then, how did you discover it now?" Shen Pianran asked.

"When I picked up the child, I saw him call Tu Yuandong 'Dad,' so I went and got a paternity test done." Chen Ang pointed to the envelope on the coffee table.

Shen Pianran lowered her eyes, let out a soft breath, and then looked up at him. After a few seconds of silence, she said: "I'll take this case."

"Divorce litigation, civil compensation for fraudulent upbringing, return of the dowry—I can handle all of these." Afterwards, she sat up straight on the sofa and picked up the notebook and pen from the coffee table. "Now, I need to know what evidence you have in your hands."

Chen Ang took several document folders out of his briefcase and placed them one by one on the coffee table.