Lady of Law Episode 17 Recap
> Lady of Law Recap
Wang Tao and Song Xiu shared drinks, both burdened by recent events. Wang Tao felt awkward with his girlfriend after his parents made a surprise visit, causing chaos. Song Xiu, on the other hand, was frustrated by his assistant Chen Ke's high-profile behavior in front of Director Huang, which put undue pressure on him. As Song Xiu had not yet been officially promoted, he couldn't even participate in Bar Association activities.
Wang Tao, taking advantage of this, invited Song Xiu to join him at Chengtai, but Song Xiu declined while assuring him their friendship would remain unchanged. At the hospital, Jian Peiran diligently cared for Damao, who was recovering from an injury. Damao, touched by his attentiveness, offered him half her bed when she saw him dozing in a chair. They chatted comfortably, growing closer as they discussed their difficult career paths and Damao’s wish to visit Jinghai.
Jian Peiran readily promised to cover all her travel expenses, sealing the deal with a pinky promise. Just then, Chen Ran called, and Jian Peiran stepped out to answer, deceptively telling her he was still at the office and hadn't returned to his dorm, implying he was busy with work. Chen Ran, who had wanted to discuss her father's situation, hung up after hearing he was occupied. The competition for senior partner at Mingtang Law Firm officially began.
Lawyers like Attorney He boasted annual revenues exceeding fifteen million, making it a daunting challenge for Chen Ran’s second group, which currently had less than four million. Despite the pressure, Chen Ran decided to remain at Mingtang, a decision that delighted Xu Jie and Liu Fang.
Chen Ran then took on a new pro bono case involving Zhuang Wenhua, a student from the closed-campus Yixue Education institution, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the death of his classmate, Xu Qingwen. The court had sentenced Zhuang Wenhua to five years in prison and ordered him to pay 200,000 yuan in compensation. Xu Qingwen’s parents, heartbroken by their daughter's death, were suing Yixue, unwilling to accept the institution’s mere apology.
They had sent their daughter to Yixue, a highly-rated IELTS training program, hoping she could study abroad for a better future, as her domestic academic prospects were limited. Chen Ran and Xu Jie investigated Yixue Education, discovering significant management flaws. During the investigation, they revisited the scene where Zhuang Wenhua had brought Xu Qingwen to a classroom late at night under the pretense of studying, only for an accident to occur.
The IELTS crash course classroom remained unlocked until midnight, but there was only one dormitory supervisor, who was often absent from her post. This allowed male students, like Zhuang Wenhua, to easily enter the girls' dormitory. Furthermore, Xu Qingwen’s homeroom teacher failed to promptly follow up or report her absence, causing Xu Qingwen to miss crucial time for medical aid.
In court, Chen Ran and Xu Jie presented evidence of Yixue's negligence, highlighting surveillance screenshots showing Zhuang Wenhua entering the girls' dorm unhindered, and the dormitory supervisor’s frequent absence. They also demonstrated how the homeroom teacher’s inadequate response violated school policy and led to the delay in rescue. Chen Ran presented Xu Qingwen's attendance records, which showed her marked present on days she was known to be on leave, exposing the school's lax roll call enforcement. The lawyers demanded 1.
37 million yuan in compensation for the family, emphasizing that Yixue's regulations existed to evade responsibility rather than protect students. The court adjourned after their powerful arguments. Meanwhile, Tian Mao shared a new development in Chen Wenguang’s case with Chen Ran: a self-incriminating video from Li Yi, Lianchuang’s General Manager of Business Development, also known as Jason Li.
In the video, Li Yi confessed to privately bribing Chen Wenguang with 20 million yuan for personal dealings, claiming the company was not involved. However, the confession lacked any supporting account transaction details, making the evidence chain weak. Xu Jie suspected Li Yi was merely a scapegoat.
She informed Li Gongming that the 20 million transferred to Chen Wenguang’s account originated from YAF, a shell company in the Cayman Islands that had since been dissolved with its bank accounts closed, rendering the transaction records untraceable. Chen Ran felt the immense pressure of the situation.
Tian Mao also shared that her brother, Chen Ke, was now at Chengtai investigating the case, but noted that their mother, Zhang Qinglan, was unaware of these new developments and urged Chen Ran to comfort her on their father's behalf. Unexpectedly, Xu Qingwen’s parents decided to withdraw their lawsuit.
Chen Ran and Xu Jie were perplexed, knowing the family wasn't motivated by money, especially after observing the meticulously arranged collection of figurines in their home, indicating their deep love and understanding of their daughter's hobbies. Xu Jie theorized that the withdrawal must be related to Xu Qingwen. Later, in the office, Song Xiu expressed jealousy when a "handsome client" had left expensive full-body checkup cards for Xu Jie and the team. Xu Jie reassured him, downplaying the client's intentions.
Song Xiu, still feigning a "hurt heart," tried to get a kiss from Xu Jie, but Chen Ran's arrival interrupted the moment, and he quickly made an excuse to leave. Determined to understand the Xu family's decision, Chen Ran and Xu Jie went to a figurine shop, where they correctly anticipated finding Xu Qingwen's father, Xu Kailong, buying new items for his late daughter's collection.
He explained that Yixue Education had contacted them, offering a financial settlement to drop the lawsuit. While they initially refused, the relentless online rumors slandering Xu Qingwen—claiming she was a "bad girl" for being out late—forced their hand. Yixue proposed a joint statement fabricating a story that Xu Qingwen suffered from depression and was out to get medication when the accident occurred.
Xu Jie vehemently rejected this, stating that conceding to such slander would only pave the way for more "Xu Qingwens" in the future. She asserted that the decision ultimately belonged to Xu Qingwen's memory, and that if Xu Qingwen were alive, she would not want other girls to suffer similar fates. Xu Jie powerfully concluded that fairy tales offer fantastical protection, but in reality, only the law can truly safeguard one's rights.
