Chapter 73

Chapter 73

◎ Defamation or Right to Reputation? ◎

Chen Lun’s statement, once released, immediately caused an uproar online.

“Oh my, a lawyer’s letter has been issued. It seems Lawyer Chen is indeed on the side of justice.”

“I said it before—Lawyer Chen looks so kind, hardly a villain. Too bad you didn’t believe me then and instead chased me with thousands of angry replies.”

“This is so annoying. Every time there’s a reversal, and now another one. I’m never joining online arguments again.”

“...”

Upon seeing the shift in public opinion, Xin Ying immediately went to find Shen Ruzhen and told her about it. Worried, she said, “This is bad. I didn’t expect him to react so quickly.”

But when Shen Ruzhen’s gaze landed on the last line of Chen Lun’s statement, a strange smile curled at the corners of her lips. She whispered, “I have my own ways.”

That night, Shen Ruzhen responded on social media with a single sentence: “If truly innocent, why sue for the right to reputation instead of defamation?”

As the other party in the dispute, her words immediately sparked widespread discussion online.

“What does she mean by that? What’s the difference between the right to reputation and defamation?”

“Yeah, what’s the difference? Doesn’t it just mean Lawyer Chen is innocent?”

“Is she trying to divert attention?”

Soon, legally knowledgeable netizens pointed out: “Reputation infringement and defamation are very different. Defamation involves fabricating and spreading false facts to damage someone’s reputation; you need to prove the fabrication to win the case. Reputation infringement, however, only requires proving that the reputation was harmed to bring a claim.”

“So you’re saying, even if Lawyer Shen didn’t fabricate facts, as long as her statements affected Chen Lun’s reputation, she could still be accused of reputation infringement?”

“I get it now! Lawyer Shen’s point is that Chen Lun doesn’t dare sue for defamation and only goes for reputation rights precisely because he can’t prove her statements are fabricated!”

“That’s it! I almost fell for his trick. So doesn’t this indirectly prove that Lawyer Shen’s claims are actually true?”

The tide of opinion subtly turned once again.

But for Shen Ruzhen, winning public support was only one aspect—what truly mattered was the evidence that would decide the case.

One night at 11 p.m., Wei Xin quietly snuck into the law firm’s office.

She had been watching the entrance for a long time, confirming that all the lights were off and no one was around before slipping inside.

As an overburdened law firm staffer, being exploited by the boss was a given. Normally, they were forced to work overtime until midnight on weekdays, with weekend offs never guaranteed.

But these past few days, with Chen Lun consumed by his conflict with Shen Ruzhen, he had little energy left for work or micromanaging his staff. As a result, the firm’s overworked colleagues could finally leave a bit earlier.

This gave Wei Xin an opportunity.

Instead of going home after work, she stayed at a café across the street, sitting by the window and watching her colleagues leave one by one.

Half an hour earlier, the last colleague had taken a taxi home.

Only then did she carefully make her move.

For days, she had been carefully gathering evidence against Chen Lun to help Shen Ruzhen.

But not all of it was readily available.

She knew some crucial evidence was hidden in Chen Lun’s desk drawer, but during the day, she had no opportunity to access it. So she had to wait until the office was empty at night to sneak inside.

Even though she knew no one was there, her heart raced. Stealthily entering the office, she used the faint light from her phone’s flashlight to approach the door of Chen Lun’s personal office.

Taking a deep breath, she gently pushed the door open.

*Creak—* The sound, barely noticeable during the day, was deafening in the silent night. She nearly jumped but forced herself to stay calm as she stepped into the office—a space that represented ultimate authority and was virtually off-limits.

The office was clearly empty.

Wei Xin let out a relieved breath. She scanned the walls with her flashlight until she found her target—the light switch.

She flipped the switch, and in an instant, the office was flooded with light, revealing everything.

Turning off her flashlight, she bent down and reached for the drawers beside the desk.

She remembered placing that stack of documents herself—in the very last drawer.

Pulling it open, she carefully moved aside the assorted items and papers on top.

The next moment, her eyes widened as she pulled out the exact stack she was looking for.

Flipping through it quickly, she confirmed that, exactly as she'd remembered, the documents were complete—not a single page was missing!

Thrilled but careful, she put everything back precisely in place before closing the drawer.

But just then, she heard a voice full of surprise: “Who’s there?”

[Author's Note]

Goodnight!