All Rise Episode 23 Recap
> All Rise Recap
He Fan's online accusation against Bai Xiao, alleging she subjected her to improper persuasive and aggressive questioning that caused excessive mental stress and fainting, ignited a firestorm of online criticism. Ren Jiatong's mother, upon learning Bai Xiao was a mentor at Jun An, messaged her daughter to maintain distance, a warning that caused Ren Jiatong to recall past events concerning her own father.
This led Ren Jiatong to question whether Bai Xiao’s actions might genuinely have caused He Fan's condition, drawing a worrying parallel to her family's history. Meanwhile, Guo Xiaoyu vehemently defended Bai Xiao, expressing outrage at the unfair cyberbullying. Guo Xiaoyu, leveraging her extensive internet experience, observed that the online attacks against Bai Xiao were meticulously orchestrated.
She noted a precise three-step strategy: first, a late-night information leak to catch Jun An off guard; second, the strategic deployment of paid commenters to provoke conflicting opinions in the comment section, with some labeling Bai Xiao a "killer lawyer" and others dismissing the claims as rumors; and finally, a "show evidence when dissed" approach to release new information. Guo Xiaoyu concluded that someone was deliberately targeting Bai Xiao.
Jiang Chen and Guo Xiaoyu diligently worked to clear Bai Xiao's name and offer support. While touched by their efforts, Bai Xiao reminded them to prioritize their final assessment. She explained that after many years in the profession, she was accustomed to such baseless attacks and preferred to focus on her work rather than engaging with baseless accusations. Later, Song Yifan visited Bai Xiao after learning that a client had canceled a meeting due to the negative public opinion.
Bai Xiao lightheartedly recounted her extensive history with rumors, ranging from alleged affairs with corporate executives and forcing her ex-husband to leave with nothing, to insulting clients and even keeping a male colleague from the firm. She found the current allegations "boring" by comparison. Shifting to the case, Bai Xiao confirmed that Eddie, whose real name is Jiang Yutai, was indeed a childhood friend of Yan Da.
Their relationship remained good, but their respective companies were fierce rivals, and Xingke's aggressive overseas expansion made the underlying motives behind the current situation appear complex. Bai Xiao also discovered that the legal director of the opposing company was an old acquaintance, Wang Qing, with whom she had a deep connection.
Song Yifan mentioned that he had a tennis buddy who was an industry contact for both Eddie and Yan Da and arranged a dinner for the following evening, inviting Bai Xiao to join, which she readily accepted. That evening, Ren Jiatong and her teammates were still working late at the law firm. Guo Xiaoyu observed that despite Bai Xiao's seemingly cold exterior, she was similar to Ren Jiatong in needing friends and emotional support.
This reflection moved Ren Jiatong, who immediately rose and caught Bai Xiao at the elevator before she could leave. Ren Jiatong apologized for not assisting with He Fan's case due to family matters, acknowledging that her absence indirectly contributed to Bai Xiao's current predicament. Bai Xiao, unfazed, expressed concern for Ren Jiatong's mother's health and invited her for a hot drink.
During their conversation, Ren Jiatong hesitantly revealed her deep-seated "emotional knot": her father, Ren Ping, had suffered a sudden heart attack and died shortly after discussing a compensation settlement with Bai Xiao concerning a construction accident case years ago. She explained that this tragic event made it difficult for her to trust Bai Xiao fully, despite her admiration.
Bai Xiao thanked Ren Jiatong for her candor but stated that she could not definitively say whether Ren Ping's death was related to their discussion. The next morning, Jiang Chen noticed a subtle shift in the atmosphere between Ren Jiatong and Bai Xiao. Elsewhere, Zhou Nian checked on Yan Fei and, finding her in better spirits, took her to their usual spot on a mountaintop to watch the stars.
Yan Fei, gazing at the night sky, shared mythological connections between stars, suggesting that loving someone sometimes necessitates setting aside rational cost-benefit analysis and the fear of getting hurt, even for lawyers for whom risk assessment is an occupational instinct. Zhou Nian listened thoughtfully. While preparing late-night snacks for Ren Jiatong, Jiang Chen sought to understand her complex emotions regarding Bai Xiao.
Ren Jiatong confessed that through their time working together, she had come to view Bai Xiao not just as a mentor, but as a friend and comrade-in-arms. She expressed her determination to not only uncover the truth behind the cyberbullying but also to find her own personal answers. Puzzled by Ren Jiatong’s words, Jiang Chen searched "Ren Ping" online and discovered an old construction accident case from many years ago, listing both Bai Xiao and Wang Qin as involved lawyers.
When Ren Jiatong visited her mother, her mother warned her against dredging up old matters with Bai Xiao, fearing repercussions. However, Ren Jiatong firmly believed Bai Xiao was not that kind of person. Shortly after, Guo Xiaoyu called with urgent news: the opposing company had leaked an audio recording of Bai Xiao's interrogation of He Fan.
The three of them immediately suspected the recording's authenticity and decided to seek a voiceprint identification expert, with Ren Jiatong noting that her Mr. Lin might be able to help. Jiang Chen later spoke to Ren Jiatong privately, revealing his suspicion that Wang Qin, Bai Xiao's former colleague on her father's case, was likely the same individual as Wang Qing, the current legal director of the rival company.
He gently advised Ren Jiatong that while her commitment to her father's memory provided strength, it could also become a mental burden, and her father, if he were still alive, would not want her to carry such a heavy load. Ren Jiatong then approached Bai Xiao with the theory about Wang Qing and Wang Qin, and apologized for her previous questions and misunderstanding.
Bai Xiao dismissed the apology, assuring Ren Jiatong that she did not hold it against her and that it wouldn't affect her evaluation of Ren Jiatong's work. With their honest conversation, Ren Jiatong's emotional knot finally unraveled, leaving her feeling a great sense of relief. Later, Bai Xiao examined a selfie posted by Zhang Xiaomei and noticed a critical detail: a loose-leaf notebook on a table had alternating pale yellow and white pages.
She inferred that someone had secretly swapped some of the notebook's original pure white inner pages, mixing in pale yellow ones, potentially to fabricate or frame the evidence held by local police, which included pale yellow contact book pages. Amidst these developments, Zhou Nian received an interview invitation from Hangzhou Lvlin Law Firm and informed Yan Fei via phone that he would be going on a business trip.
Yan Fei, sensing more to his departure, nevertheless wished him a smooth journey. Meanwhile, Wang Qing directly contacted Bai Xiao. The call was ostensibly a friendly catch-up, but Bai Xiao quickly realized Wang Qing was subtly probing for information. Bai Xiao discussed this with Song Yifan, interpreting Wang Qing's actions as an attempt to smear her reputation to protect Eddie, thereby safeguarding his own position within his company.
Song Yifan then drove Bai Xiao home, noting he was still too impaired from alcohol the previous night to drive his own car, and expressed a wish to see her daughter, affectionately calling her his god-daughter.
