Chapter 32

Chapter 32

◎"May I Be Your Attorney, Miss Chi?"◎

The day Chi Xiaoyi received the "Nebula Award" coincided with her 23rd birthday. She stood on the awards stage, bathed in the gaze of reporters and audience alike.

As she reached to accept the trophy from the presenter, it remained stubbornly in place—the presenter's fingers still clasped around it.

A flicker of surprise crossed her face, and then, a deep voice emanated from the presenter: "May your star shine brightly, never to fall."

Her smile rippled like a lotus pond. "Thank you."

The moment she grasped the trophy, she caught the lingering scent of wood in the air.

Even as the presenter descended from the stage, Chi Xiaoyi never got a clear look at his face. He was cloaked in an all-black robe, a dark hood obscuring the upper third of his features, while a mask, eerie and spectral, covered the lower half. Reporters below snapped photos ceaselessly, their flashes illuminating Chi Xiaoyi’s face with stark brightness, yet the presenter remained shrouded in shadow throughout.

Chi Xiaoyi suddenly wondered—had the host even introduced this presenter’s name?

It seemed they had.

Reportedly, he was a renowned senior designer. An eccentric fashion sense, then, wasn't entirely out of place.

Before she could dwell on it, she took the microphone from the host and began delivering her meticulously prepared acceptance speech.

After the ceremony, she politely declined invitations from other award winners and left the venue alone.

Yet, the moment she stepped into the night, a hand clamped over her mouth and nose.

Her eyes widened in terror, but all she could discern was the assailant’s black robe, the familiar mask, and the pervasive woody scent.

She was knocked unconscious.

Pain.

Tears.

Pleading.

Finally, she was callously abandoned on a park bench.

Before the demon departed, a whisper brushed her ear:

"I’ll come back for you."

In the quiet art gallery, a young woman’s sobs gradually emerged. Chi Xiaoyi absently tore off two tissues to dry her tears. She appeared heartbroken and wronged, yet her posture remained unyielding.

A hand rested on her shoulder, patting gently in comfort.

The little boy had been entrusted to the staff for temporary care, leaving only Shen Ruzhen and Chi Xiaoyi in this small, private space.

Shen Ruzhen softly offered, "You can cry. It’s alright."

But Chi Xiaoyi shook her head, her voice laced with bitterness. "I’ve cried far too many times already. I’ve been submerged in a vortex of darkness and despair for far too long. I have no right to wallow in such helpless emotions anymore."

Shen Ruzhen squeezed her hand, attempting to convey some strength.

"Did you report it to the police?"

Chi Xiaoyi nodded.

Shen Ruzhen let out a soft breath. "Then he must have been brought to justice?"

She thought the rapist’s identity should have been easily ascertainable, given his prominent role as a presenter. But as the words left her lips, she realized her mistake; if that were the case, Chi Xiaoyi’s reaction wouldn't be this.

Indeed, Chi Xiaoyi quietly stated, "I reported it, but they couldn’t find the perpetrator. Because the originally scheduled presenter that night wasn’t that person at all. No one admitted to orchestrating the switch or bringing him backstage to present the award to me."

Chi Xiaoyi let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Later, I discovered I was pregnant."

"My health was poor, so I had no choice but to carry the pregnancy to term."

At this point, Chi Xiaoyi lifted her head, her gaze open and vulnerable as she looked at Shen Ruzhen. Slowly, she began, "Miss Shen, I know you must think I’m pitiful—that something like this happened to me precisely at the peak of my success. And ever since then, I’ve plummeted. I can no longer create the effortless artworks I once did!"

"You must also think I’m weak. So many people can rise from rock bottom, fighting their way back, yet I can’t. I…"

What stopped her next words was Shen Ruzhen’s embrace.

Chi Xiaoyi’s eyes widened in shock, then she heard the voice of this usually composed and self-possessed lawyer—now trembling, with a hint of a choke: "You’ve done so well. You’ve already done so well…"

At that moment, all of Chi Xiaoyi’s past paintings on the walls silently observed the two women’s embrace, devoid of any distorted emotions, offering only support and encouragement.

After an indeterminate time, Shen Ruzhen gently released her and asked in a soft tone, "Do you still want revenge?"

Chi Xiaoyi’s voice was a caged fury: "Of course I do! How could I not? Every single day, every month, every year, I’ve wanted to see that person brought to justice! But what good are my wishes alone? I can’t even find the target of my revenge…"

Shen Ruzhen interrupted her. "I can help you."

"Don’t forget, I’m a lawyer."

Shen Ruzhen took a stack of papers from her bag and, as she handed them to Chi Xiaoyi, thoughtfully included a pen.

Chi Xiaoyi paused, then took the stack. The top sheet was titled "Power of Attorney," followed by the contract.

With a faint smile, Shen Ruzhen asked, "May I be your attorney, Miss Chi?"

Chi Xiaoyi offered a small, knowing smile and swiftly signed her name on several documents, murmuring, "It’s such a relief to have someone help me."

Shen Ruzhen collected the papers, her gaze sharpening. "Without a confirmed defendant, the prosecutor’s office issued a decision not to prosecute. We can only get the police to reopen the case if we find new leads on the perpetrator ourselves."

"I’ve thought of two paths."

"First, re-interview the staff from the awards ceremony to see if any new clues emerge."

Chi Xiaoyi: "But the police already questioned them repeatedly back then."

Shen Ruzhen: "If the perpetrator was someone powerful, they might not have dared to speak then. But now, it could be different."

Chi Xiaoyi: "And the other path?"

Shen Ruzhen’s expression grew serious. "The other path, Miss Chi—please recall carefully. Among the people you’ve encountered since then, was there anyone suspicious?"

"I don’t believe his parting words about coming back for you were empty threats."

Chi Xiaoyi’s face instantly turned ashen.

Just then—

Shen Ruzhen heard a somewhat familiar male voice:

"So you are here."

Ji Xiang had appeared at some point, his eyes smiling as he gazed at Chi Xiaoyi. When he noticed Shen Ruzhen standing nearby, a flicker of surprise crossed his features.