58: Chapter 58 My Great Lawyer

At half past two, he opened his eyes, got out of the car, and walked along the sidewalk into the school.

Jiangcheng University's campus was very large; walking from the main gate to the Law School's teaching building required crossing the entire teaching area.

He didn't walk fast, his gaze lingering for a moment on each building he passed: the library, the Run Run Shaw Building, and the student canteen.

The School of Finance's teaching building was in the East District; he rarely came here.

The Law School's moot court was on the third floor of the Liberal Arts Building.

When Jiang Chen arrived, a crowd had already gathered at the door. He followed the crowd inside and found a corner seat in the back row of the gallery.

The courtroom wasn't large, but it was set up almost exactly like a real one.

About twenty or thirty people were sitting in the gallery. Jiang Chen leaned back against his chair, draped his jacket over his knees, and waited quietly.

At exactly three o'clock, the presiding judge struck the gavel, and the trial began.

The prosecutor entered first, followed by the defense counsel.

When Lin Wan walked in through the side door, Jiang Chen's gaze immediately followed her.

She had changed into a black suit, and her hair was pinned up, revealing a section of her fair neck.

As a Law School top student who had obtained an internship lawyer qualification in her sophomore year, she possessed a composure that didn't match her age.

Holding a folder in her hand, she walked to the defense table, sat down, opened it, and checked the materials inside once more.

Her partner was a boy wearing glasses who sat next to her, looking a bit nervous.

Lin Wan turned her head and whispered a few words to him; the boy nodded and relaxed a little.

The prosecutor first read the indictment, accusing the defendant of the crime of fraud.

Sitting at the defense table, Lin Wan made marks on the materials as she listened, her handwriting small and written in the margins.

Once the prosecutor finished their statement, the presiding judge turned his gaze toward the defense table.

"Next, the defense counsel will present the defense's opinion."

Lin Wan stood up.

The moment she stood up, her entire aura changed.

The quietness and softness she had shown while sitting were completely tucked away, replaced by a cold, unquestionable sense of professionalism.

Her back was very straight, her gaze fixed directly on the judicial bench. Her voice wasn't loud but was clear enough, each word articulated distinctly.

"Presiding judge, members of the court, the defense believes that the facts alleged by the prosecution regarding the defendant's crime of fraud are unclear and the evidence is insufficient; therefore, the charges cannot be sustained."

She didn't rush to present a conclusion but instead dismantled the opposing party's chain of evidence step by step.

She pointed out that there were breaks in the timeline of the chat records submitted by the prosecution and that the transfer vouchers could not prove the defendant had the intent of illegal possession.

The most crucial point was that after obtaining the funds, the defendant never transferred assets, never concealed their whereabouts, and even took the initiative to maintain contact with the victim.

The prosecutor opposite her tried several times to interrupt her statement, but she wasn't led astray, her responses crisp and decisive every time.

At one point, the prosecutor threw out a seemingly tricky question. Lin Wan only paused for a second before finding the loophole in the other's logic and easily countered it.

Her partner sat beside her, his mouth slightly agape, clearly stunned by her performance.

A judge on the panel in the front row took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on, his gaze full of approval.

Jiang Chen leaned back against his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping his knee.

He looked at Lin Wan on the stage, a trace of an imperceptible smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

In his eyes, she was not just his lover at this moment, but an unpolished yet already stunning piece of jade.

For a split second, her gaze drifted toward the gallery, swept across the back row, and then stopped.

She saw him.

Her lips curled ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly, before she quickly returned to normal and continued her statement.

The trial lasted for an hour and a half.

The presiding judge struck the gavel once and announced a recess, with the verdict to be delivered at a later date.

People in the gallery stood up one after another and walked out, some discussing in low voices: "Who is that defense counsel? A sophomore? That's incredible."

"That's Lin Wan, the Law School's top student. She passed the bar exam in her sophomore year and is currently interning at a top law firm."

While Lin Wan was bowing her head to pack her things at the defense table, her partner, the boy with glasses, rubbed his hands together and plucked up the courage to speak.

"Lin Wan, your performance today was amazing. Um... are you free tonight? Shall we grab dinner together to celebrate?"

Without even looking up, Lin Wan didn't stop what she was doing. Her tone was flat: "Sorry, I already have plans for tonight."

The boy was stunned for a moment but didn't give up: "Then how about tomorrow at noon? Or..."

"I have plans tomorrow as well."

Lin Wan closed her folder and finally looked up at him, a polite but distant smile on her face.

"And the day after tomorrow too. Besides, my boyfriend is quite petty; he'll get jealous."

The boy opened his mouth, his face flushing slightly, and nodded sensibly: "Then... we'll talk about it another day."

Several girls nearby who were eavesdropping exchanged "as expected" looks.

Lin Wan carried her bag toward the side door. When she reached it, she stopped and looked back at the gallery.

Jiang Chen stood up, went around through the gallery passage, and waited for her in the hall.

A few minutes later, Lin Wan walked out of the side door.

She had already taken off her suit jacket and draped it over her arm, and her hair was let down, cascading over her shoulders.

When she saw him, her eyes lit up, and she walked over quickly.

"Have you been waiting long?"

She looked up at him slightly, having shed all the assertiveness she had during the trial, her voice carrying a hint of bashfulness.

"Not long."

Jiang Chen said, naturally taking the bag and folder from her hand, his fingers lightly brushing through her hair that had been tousled by the wind.

"Great performance, my great lawyer."

Lin Wan's cheeks flushed slightly as she shot him a glare: "Who's your great lawyer? I'm still just an intern."

"Still great."

"Were you watching seriously?"

"I was."

"Then which part do you think I handled best?"

"The part about the break in the chain of evidence. The angle of entry was very sharp; it was smarter than taking them head-on."

Lin Wan was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a professional evaluation from him.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with a bit more surprise and a bit more softness.

"You really were paying attention."

She said, her voice softening, "Aren't your classes in the Department of Finance busy? Didn't you say you had a case analysis to hand in this week?"

"Finished it," Jiang Chen said flatly.

"Oh, okay."

Lin Wan reached out and took his arm.

The movement was natural, as if she had done it many times before.

The two walked out of the Liberal Arts Building side by side.

The sun was setting, and the golden afterglow bathed the entire Wutong Avenue.

In October's Jiangcheng, the evening wind carried a chill, making the leaves rustle.

Their shadows were stretched long, overlapping, separating, and then overlapping again.