Chapter 342: She Is Fake

Lin Shutong suddenly kicked two iron plates: one was Jiang Lai, the newly awarded national-level scientific researcher; the other was the head of the Ke family, who wields tremendous power.

Whether in politics or business, who has the gall to stick a foot in? Especially officials—who would dare not cherish their own reputation?

The evidence of Lin Shutong's attempted murder is solid; a prison sentence is a foregone conclusion.

Gu Zhiyan, being a lawyer, quickly realized that even if a sentence was inevitable, it wasn't hopeless—if the term was three years or less, he could apply for a suspended sentence.

A suspended sentence means no jail time—just serve it at home or in the community; if one behaves during the probation period, the original sentence is completely nullified.

To get a sentence of three years or less, Gu Zhiyan knew he couldn't achieve it by his own ability; his father, upright and unyielding, would certainly not help him, so only his mother, who dotes on him, could.

Gu Zhiyan knelt before Song Shiwei and swore that if he could secure a sentence of three years or less and obtain a suspended sentence for Lin Shutong, he would never contact Lin Shutong again, would be a law-abiding lawyer, wholeheartedly prepare for the selection, and marry Qu Mei.

Song Shiwei readily agreed.

After her efforts, and given that Lin Shutong's crime was relatively minor—a crime of passion, with confession and acceptance of punishment, and being a first offender, he was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison.

Gu Zhiyan breathed a sigh of relief; next came the second-trial defense for a suspended sentence.

A suspended sentence requires submitting five documents: a confession and acceptance of punishment affidavit, a handwritten remorse letter, a community evaluation and correction opinion letter, personal background materials, and most importantly, a letter of forgiveness from the victim.

The first four documents posed no difficulty, but the crucial victim's forgiveness letter left Gu Zhiyan struggling.

How could Jiang Lai possibly write a forgiveness letter?

The grudge between them is too deep.

Although Shen Xun's incident seems to be over, it actually remains forever in their past; Jiang Lai never went easy on Lin Shutong regarding that matter—how could it be possible now?

But Gu Zhiyan will still try.

He wanted to go find Jiang Lai, but his father stopped him and asked bluntly, "Are you going to find Jiang Lai to ask for a forgiveness letter?"

"Yes."

"You may not go," Gu Sen said. "Three years is already lenient for Lin Shutong; your mother has fulfilled what she promised you. If you still care about your mother's feelings, you should fulfill your promise."

"I don't intend to break my promise, but this is something to discuss after I help Shutong obtain the suspended sentence." Gu Zhiyan looked at his father: "Dad, I don't understand why you always side with outsiders."

"I am your son, yet you praise Ke Zhongyu to the skies, while Yin Xue is your daughter, and you do nothing to help her win the person she likes. We are so sensible and obedient, yet we still cannot get what we want."

Gu Sen looked at his son, furious yet helpless, as if he had something to say but ultimately held it in, stating a fact: "It was Lin Shutong who hit someone first—where do you get the nerve to ask others for a forgiveness letter?"

Feeling upset because his father never took his side, Gu Zhiyan's chest rose and fall slightly as he blurted, "Isn't she fine? Ke Zhongyu saved her."

"How could you say such a thing, Gu Zhiyan!" Gu Sen, furious, knowing he couldn't stop his son, said coldly, "With your current status, you simply cannot see Jiang Lai."

Gu Zhiyan said nothing and walked straight out the door.

Gu Sen suddenly remembered that his wife and daughter had left this morning and hadn't returned, so he immediately called his wife.

"Have you finished shopping?"

Song Shiwei: "Yin Xue and I are preparing to eat, so I won't come back to keep you company."

As soon as he hung up, he knew his wife had surely contacted Ms. Nian and Ke Yue.

He called Ke Yue, who confirmed that his wife had indeed made plans to have dinner with Ms. Nian.

Gu Sen, utterly helpless, said: "Sorry, Ke Yue."

Ke Yue: "A parent's heart aches for their child."

Gu Sen: "Are you with Ms. Nian?"

Ke Yue: "I'm with the three kids."

Gu Sen: "Three kids?"

Ke Yue: "Yeah, Jiang Lai is there too."

That one sentence diverted Gu Sen's thoughts; he fell silent, wanting to ask something but ultimately didn't.

Ke Yue: "If you want to come over, I'll send you my location."

Thus, Gu Sen went over and saw the person his wife and son wanted to see.

On Song Shiwei's side, she didn't even see a shadow of Ke Zhongyu or Jiang Lai—only Nian Zhaoning.

Song Shiwei frowned, then a second later smiled and sat down, saying, "Zhaoning, why are you alone? Wasn't Zhongyu supposed to come too?"

Song Shiwei only wanted to see Ms. Nian and Ke Zhongyu, not Jiang Lai.

Since Jiang Lai is already Ke Zhongyu's girlfriend, she surely wouldn't ignore her boyfriend's and elders' advice, would she?

"You said you were looking for me, right? What's with bringing the kids? Besides, they're almost thirty." Ms. Nian asked knowingly, glancing at Gu Yinxue and Song Shiwei's faces, unable to help recalling what her son had told her that day when he came home.

Gu Yinxue and the Gu family really don't resemble each other.

But there is a parentage test.

If the parentage test is true, Jiang Lai is an illegitimate daughter?

She had never before heard the principal wife fear seeing an illegitimate daughter.

It's utterly discordant.

Gu Yinxue suddenly felt scrutinized, her heart tight; Ms. Nian was too sharp, and she feared being seen through.

For instance, she already knew Jiang Lai was her mother's biological daughter.

For instance, the parentage test she just took showed she had no blood relation to her mother.

She has taken over Jiang Lai's identity.

She is fake.

Upon learning this result, she immediately tore up the test and burned it to ashes.

As for the friend who helped her with the test, they didn't know whose samples those were.

Gu Yinxue took a sip of water to conceal her anxiety.

Ms. Nian did not clarify why Song Shiwei had come to see her, and they ate their meal properly.

In the end, Song Shiwei couldn't sit still; a few words pulled the conversation onto what she wanted to say.

"My son doesn't know what kind of love potion the Lins have given him, insisting on helping her; as a mother, I can't always see him exhausting himself, his mind not on proper business—I just want to ask, Zhaoning, since Zhongyu is fine and the Lins have confessed and accepted punishment, why not just write a forgiveness letter?"

Ms. Nian smiled faintly: "Since you don't even like Lin Shutong as your daughter-in-law, why are you still thinking of helping her? He's in prison—hasn't Zhi Yan calmed down? You can't even see his face."

Song Shiwei didn't want to mention using her son's marriage alliance as a bargain with her, lest she become a laughingstock.

She took a sip of water and also chuckled: "If Lin Shutong's matter isn't settled, he won't be at peace and won't settle down."

Ms. Nian didn't call her out, but said: "Chongyu's injury has indeed healed, but the letter of understanding is to be sought from Jiang Lai; looking for me or my son is useless."

Song Shiwei: "You can try to persuade her."

Ms. Nian shook her head: "I haven't even become her mother-in-law yet, and I'm already meddling in her affairs—there's no boundary at all."

Song Shiwei frowned: "You're an elder."

Ms. Nian: "Actually, if my daughter and Jiang Lai called me sister, I wouldn't mind; what I've always minded is my son."

It sounded like an evasive answer, but the intention to refuse could not be more obvious.

Song Shiwei looked at Ms. Nian, not wanting to drag this on: "Zhaoning, our families have known each other for years—help me, help my son; Zhi Yan has grown up under your watch, you don't want him to keep sinking further into decadence, do you?"

Ms. Nian also looked at her seriously: "We are we, the children are the children; if you're looking for me, you might as well go straight to Jiang Lai."

Thinking of something, she added another question: "Or is it that you dare not go see Jiang Lai?"