The Return Of The Scorned Son In-law

The Lawyer and the Trap

Liu Xia’s law office sat above a tea shop—cramped, dusty, and nothing like the corporate glass towers Lin Yue grew up in. Files stacked to the ceiling. A single assistant typing furiously at a desk that barely fit a laptop.

“So this is what getting blacklisted looks like,” Lin Yue muttered as we climbed the narrow stairs.

Liu Xia stood when we entered. Mid-twenties, sharp eyes behind wire frames, hair pulled tight. The kind of woman who’d bite if cornered.

“You finally did it,” she said, hugging Lin Yue fiercely. “Told that dragon lady to go to hell.”

Lin Yue laughed, half a sob. “Took me long enough.”

“Better late than never.” Liu Xia turned to me, hand out. “You must be the husband. The guy who convinced Tang Mei’s perfect daughter to give up billions.”

“Li Feng,” I said, shaking it. “And she made her own choice.”

Her grin was quick. “Good answer. Sit. Start talking.”

We did—prenup, disownment, land auction. She listened without a word, scribbling notes fast.

“So you’re after Eastern District land—Plot 47A,” she said finally.

“How—”

“I checked the listings. Only plot in your price range, and the value’s suspiciously low. That screams insider information.” She leaned forward. “Which means someone knows something the public doesn’t.”

“What kind of information?” I asked.

“The kind that makes land explode in value overnight. Usually government connections.” Her eyes narrowed. “You have inside info, don’t you?”

“That’s illegal,” Lin Yue cut in.

“Only if it’s stolen,” Liu Xia said smoothly. “If you just did smart research, that’s strategy. So—did you get it illegally?”

“No.” I met her gaze. It wasn’t a lie. Time travel wasn’t in any law book.

“Good. Then we’re safe. For now.” She tossed her pen aside. “The real problem’s your mother.”

Lin Yue’s shoulders stiffened. “What about her?”

“She’s already working to block your bid. I called around. The land bureau’s director, Chen Guowei, is her lapdog. He’ll find a ‘technical error’ and reject your application.”

Lin Yue’s voice cracked. “So we can’t win?”

“I didn’t say that.” Liu Xia smiled, sharp and dangerous. “There’s a deputy—Wang Min. Hates Chen Guowei’s guts. If we file through her office and make the documents flawless, your mother won’t see it coming.”

“Might work,” I said.

“Might is the best you’ll get against Tang Mei.” Liu Xia’s tone hardened. “She won’t stop after this. Are you ready for what she’ll do next?”

Lin Yue’s jaw set. “Let her come. I’m done being afraid.”

“Good.” Liu Xia opened her laptop. “I’ll need your marriage cert, IDs, bank records, and one boring little thing—a character witness.”

“We don’t have anyone,” I said. “Her family won’t help, my parents are gone.”

“What about your landlord, Zhang Wei? You said he helped you before?”

“He might… but signing anything against Tang Mei—”

“It’s not against her. Just a standard character reference—‘reliable tenants, on-time rent,’” Liu Xia said, typing fast. “She’ll ignore it.”

For the next three hours, we filled and signed paper after paper. Liu Xia checked every comma like it might explode.

“The auction’s June fifteenth, two p.m.,” she said finally. “I’ll be there. If anyone challenges your paperwork, don’t argue—just let me handle it.”

“How much do we owe?” I asked.

“Nothing. Yet. If you win, we’ll discuss fees. If you lose—consider it a wedding gift.”

“Xia—”

She cut Lin Yue off. “Your mother blacklisted me for refusing to bow. Helping you ruins her day. That’s enough payment.”

We left as the sun dipped low. On the bus back, Lin Yue stared out the window, silent.

“You okay?” I asked.

“I’m just realizing how many people she’s crushed—Xia, Old Zhang… maybe hundreds. And I kept telling myself it was just business.”

“You were her daughter,” I said quietly. “You saw what you had to see to survive.”

Her lips curved bitterly. “That’s a generous excuse.”

“It’s the truth.” I squeezed her hand. “Now you’re seeing her clearly. That’s what matters.”

When we got home, an envelope lay under the door—Tang family seal, heavy paper.

Lin Yue froze. “It’s from my father.”

Inside: a card and a note.

‘Yue—Your mother is being unreasonable. I’ve always supported your happiness. This card has 500,000 yuan. Come home. Bring your husband if you must. We can work something out. —Father.’

“It’s a trap,” I said instantly.

“I know,” she whispered. But her eyes lingered on the card. “Five hundred thousand yuan, Li Feng. We could buy the land and still have—”

“Strings,” I cut in. “All of it. Your father doesn’t defy her. He’s just bait.”

“What if he really wants to help?”

“Then he’d call. Not sneak letters under doors.” I snatched the card. “This is her test—to see if we’ll crawl back.”

My phone buzzed.

[Warning: Accepting Tang family money will result in mission failure and timeline collapse. Offer is a trap. Tang Mei has hired a private investigator to watch you. He’s outside now.]

I moved to the window—sure enough, a man in a sedan across the street, camera trained on our building.

“We’re being watched,” I said. “Even keeping this card looks like submission. She’ll use that to brand you as weak.”

“So what do we do?” Lin Yue asked.

I smiled. “We show her we’re not.”

Ten minutes later, I crossed the street straight to the car and knocked on the window.

The man jumped, trying to hide his camera.

“I know who you work for,” I said calmly. “That’s fine. But I want you to record this.”

I held up the bank card—and ripped it in half. Then quarters. Then shreds. The envelope too.

“Tell Mrs. Tang,” I said evenly, “we don’t want her money. Or her mercy. We’re done.”

His mouth hung open.

“You got that?” I pointed to his camera. “Good. Send her the footage.”

I turned and walked back, heart hammering. Stupid? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. Tang Mei would explode.

Lin Yue stood waiting at the stairs. “Did you really—”

“Rip it up? Yeah.”

“That was five hundred thousand yuan.”

“That was five hundred thousand chains,” I said.

She laughed—soft at first, then loud, reckless. “We’re insane.”

“Probably.”

“My mother’s going to lose her mind.”

“Perfect.”

She wiped her eyes. “Let her choke on it.”

That night, we counted every coin. Sixty-three yuan for food. Thirty for utilities. Every other cent for the bid.

“What if we lose?” she whispered in the dark.

“We won’t.”

“But if we do—”

“Then we start over.” I faced her. “But we won’t lose. I promise.”

My phone buzzed again.

[Final Warning: Auction day will have three sabotage attempts. Chen Guowei will reject your paperwork. Tang Mei will send an outbidder. Chen Hao will appear in person. Trust Liu Xia. Trust yourself. The future depends on this.]

Three traps. Three enemies.

Not this time.

This time, I was ready to fight.