Chapter 63: A High-Risk Profession

Zhang Xiaoxin screamed, clutching her face, so terrified that her very soul nearly fled her body.

At that moment, they were like fish trapped in a barrel.

Lu Yao forced herself to suppress the fear and unease roiling within her, gripping Zhang Xiaoxin’s hand tightly as she tried to reassure her. “Xiaoxin, don’t be afraid. In our line of work as lawyers, it’s inevitable that we’ll encounter danger like this. The more we show panic, the more brazen they’ll become.”

“But… Attorney Lu, what should we do now?” Zhang Xiaoxin’s voice trembled, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Stay calm, and get into the back seat. I’ll drive us out!” Lu Yao patted the back of Zhang Xiaoxin’s hand.

Zhang Xiaoxin nodded slightly, forcing herself to endure the churning nausea in her stomach as she struggled into the back seat.

Lu Yao leapt into the driver’s seat, her mind racing to recall the basic operations her instructor had taught her when she was learning to drive. Her hands gripped the steering wheel, but before she could act, her heart pounded furiously—she was even more nervous than her first day in court.

She had gotten her license almost three years ago, but had never once driven alone.

Back then, the car had been bought, but she never mustered the courage to actually drive it on the road.

Seeing her hesitate, Zhang Xiaoxin asked anxiously, “Attorney Lu, can you do this?”

Could she?

It seemed she couldn’t, but she had no choice—she had to.

Without further thought, she pressed down on the accelerator and turned the steering wheel. She meant to drive forward, but the gear was still in reverse, so the car lurched backward. Realizing her mistake, she shifted gears and stepped on the gas, this time intending to turn left but instead steering right. Noticing the error, she quickly spun the wheel in the opposite direction.

Forward, then back. Left, then right.

The burly man on the car couldn’t keep his footing and tumbled off the hood, his back slamming hard against the ground, pain flashing stars before his eyes.

The rest of the group, frightened by the car’s erratic movements, hurriedly retreated to the side, afraid of being run over.

Having shaken off their assailants, Lu Yao, relying on memory, pressed the gas with one hand on the wheel and sped toward the exit of the underground garage.

Before they left, they caught a fleeting glimpse in the rearview mirror of the men chasing after them in a fury, their figures growing smaller and blurrier until they disappeared.

Lu Yao drove onto a crowded main road and only then found a safe place to slam the brakes.

Zhang Xiaoxin, caught off guard, banged her head against the back of the seat. Clutching her forehead in pain, her eyes reddened as she sobbed, “Attorney Lu, I’m scared to death. Those men were terrifying!”

Lu Yao took an unopened bottle of mineral water from the glove compartment and handed it to Zhang Xiaoxin, sighing. “On the very first day of university, our professor warned us that law is a high-risk profession, and we should be cautious when choosing our specialization. Especially criminal defense lawyers—every day is spent on edge, afraid we’ll implicate our families.”

Zhang Xiaoxin’s hands were shaking uncontrollably; it was clear she had been badly frightened. Her crying hadn’t ceased. “Is it too late to change careers now? I’m scared—I haven’t lived enough yet.”

Lu Yao’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. She rummaged through the car for a while before finally finding her phone at the bottom. The moment she unlocked the screen, her fingers instinctively pulled up Ye Zehong’s number. She was about to hit “call,” but hesitated and stopped.

In the end, she sighed and sent a message for help to Xu Wenjie instead.

Less than five minutes later, a luxury car pulled up beside them.

She thought Xu Wenjie had arrived, but when she saw Ye Zehong step out of the driver’s seat, her heart clenched painfully and tears welled in her eyes.

She was like a wounded child, pretending to be strong for so long—now, finally seeing someone she could rely on, all her grievances and vulnerability broke through.