Chapter 5 – Is This Cake Still Available?

At eight o’clock in the evening, Yan Ankuo rushed off the high-speed train and met his client at a nearby coffee shop to the station. To mask the fatigue of his narrow escape, he deliberately donned his glasses. He wasn’t severely nearsighted, so he wore them only occasionally during reading or work, rarely otherwise.

His phone screen lit up, displaying a barrage of messages from Yan Fanxuan. He glanced at it from afar, didn’t reply, and continued his conversation with the person opposite him, “Ms. Wu, good evening.”

Wu Hongying’s eyes were red and swollen from crying, lacking the energy to respond much, “Mm.”

“You mentioned on the phone that there’s new evidence to submit?” Yan Ankuo went straight to the point.

Wu Hongying nodded.

Yan Ankuo advised, “The evidence submission period has already passed, we need to apply for an extension to add more.”

Ms. Wu was insistent, “Then let’s apply.”

Yan Ankuo’s expression soured, but he patiently asked, “Could you tell me about the new evidence?”

Wu Hongying, like a soulless puppet, mechanically pulled out a voice recorder from her bag and started playing it.

The coffee shop was almost empty, extremely quiet. Despite Yan Ankuo turning down the volume to a minimum, he was still startled by the lewd panting sounds.

In truth, the case wasn’t complicated. Wu Hongying’s husband had cheated, she demanded a divorce and the division of marital assets. However, her husband disagreed. Not only did he have his elderly family members harass and pressure her, but he also tried to take away custody of their child under the pretense of her unstable employment. In a fit of anger, Ms. Wu obtained recordings of her husband and his mistress in bed using a bug, intending to present it as new evidence to increase her chances of winning.

As Yan Ankuo listened, his expression darkened. He abruptly shut off the machine and coldly asked, “Please tell me, where did these recordings come from?”

Wu Hongying raised her head, her eyes vacant and sorrowful, “I installed a listening device at home to watch the cat. I just thought to check the records today.”

“Ms. Wu,” Yan Ankuo leaned forward, tapping his index finger on the recorder on the table, “I’m your lawyer, and I share your hope for a favorable outcome. Please don’t withhold any details about the case or how the evidence was acquired.”

The client’s gaze flickered, revealing a hint of evasion. She tightened her grip on her purse and forced herself to remain calm, “No withholding.”

“The purchase record of the listening device,” Yan Ankuo didn’t back down, maintaining his stern posture, his tone firm, “Can you produce it?”

Wu Hongying glanced at him, conceding defeat, “I can’t find it.”

Yan Ankuo didn’t believe her explanation, reminding her, “You should know that illegally bugging and recording someone in private spaces violates their rights. The court won’t accept such evidence.”

“What do you mean?” Ms. Wu began to panic, her eyes wide.

Yan Ankuo’s index finger circled a document on the table, as if highlighting key points for an exam, “If my worst guess turns out to be true — if you purchased the listening device recently and the place of eavesdropping wasn’t your own home — not only will this evidence likely be invalid, but you could also face counter-suit.”

When Yan Ankuo didn’t smile, he exuded a sense of pressure, both in the courtroom and when conversing with clients. He used to specialize in labor law, only switching to matrimonial and inheritance cases in recent years. Thus, his style seemed somewhat overbearing compared to others. Lawyers like him weren’t typically popular for emotional disputes, but his reputation for high success rates made him sought after. When he represented a party with little chance of winning in a marriage-related inheritance case, he secured the majority of the inheritance for them, leading to a continuous stream of similar cases.

Wu Hongying was referred by the defendant in that previous case, who had supported her husband through their arduous entrepreneurial journey, only to be left alone when he achieved fame and fortune.

Struck at her sore spot, Wu Hongying finally couldn’t contain herself, collapsing on the table and sobbing, “Then tell me what to do… He’s threatening me with the child! He cheated, it was him who cheated! Why can’t I win?”

People long-suffering from harassment and stress tend to be emotionally unstable. Yan Ankuo had encountered too many clients on the brink of breakdown, making him experienced in handling such situations. He didn’t correct Wu Hongying’s clearly confused logic, instead, he handed her a glass of water, waiting until she calmed down before continuing, “We’ve already submitted numerous photos, chat records, and bank statements as supporting evidence of your husband’s infidelity. These are all in your favor.”

Ms. Wu shook her head, the fragility in her eyes suddenly turning into a fierce determination, “Not enough! I want to crush him!”

“But your additional materials have unclear sources, which will harm the verification process,” Yan Ankuo explained the reason before offering his opinion, “The trial is imminent. My suggestion is to supplement our argument with further details of his misconduct, but it’s best not to include this surveillance in the evidence list.”

Ms. Wu couldn’t absorb these words, her sobs hadn’t ceased, “I don’t care about anything else, I just want the child! With your method… Can I get the child back? How confident are you?”

Yan Ankuo never promised victory before trials, but he patted her shoulder encouragingly, “During the trial, if you can follow what we discussed, leave the rest to me. You can trust me.”

Yan Ankuo’s tone was reassuringly firm, and his deep voice was comforting. Ms. Wu paused for a moment, her emotions finally settling.

Yan Ankuo pushed the tissue box closer to her, listening to her recount twenty minutes of heartbreak and anger over her man’s betrayal, thus concluding their conversation for the day.

After wiping her tears, Ms. Wu noticed that Yan Ankuo’s attire seemed more disheveled than usual and belatedly asked in concern, “What happened to your clothes?”

“A minor incident on the plane,” Yan Ankuo replied, pushing his glasses up, “Rest well tonight, see you tomorrow.”

It was late, so Ms. Wu nodded, gathered her things, and left in a daze, letting in a gust of cold air as she opened the door.

After seeing Ms. Wu off, Yan Ankuo opened the spreadsheet his sister had sent him, scrutinizing it like the Code of Hammurabi for a long time before simply replying, “Okay.”

Listening to the drizzling rain outside, Yan Ankuo felt this downpour had lasted too long, unsure if tonight’s flights would go smoothly. He hadn’t remembered to buy an umbrella at the intersection, leaving him stranded for the time being.

He opened WeChat and found over a dozen short messages and a long voice message from Yan Fanxuan. Her last WeChat read, “Oh, by the way, Brother, happy birthday.”

Yan Ankuo looked at the rain outside and his rather disheveled self today, grateful he had eaten a decent cake on the plane.

Now, the coffee shop was nearly empty, even the pastry chef was idle, sitting by the bar watching videos.

“Excuse me,” Yan Ankuo stood up, flipping through the menu, finally pointing to a yellow dessert that resembled the complimentary treat on the plane, “Is this cake still available?”

The staff member looked up, said “Yes,” and quickly went backstage to prepare it for him.

Yan Ankuo didn’t often buy sweets; to be precise, he hardly ever did. Maintaining workout hours under intense work pressure was already challenging, so he strictly controlled his diet.

Today, he’d indulge himself as a birthday treat, Yan Ankuo consoled himself.

The small mango cake was almost identical to the one the flight attendant had given him, but the jam carried a tart sweetness unfamiliar to Yan Ankuo, so he couldn’t finish it as he’d hoped.