Lady of Law Episode 32 Recap
> Lady of Law Recap
Bai Ning and Xiao He were mediating a breakup dispute over relationship gifts and shared assets. The male party, furious about being unable to reclaim gifts and red packet money, hurled insults at Bai Ning and her client. As he threatened to throw coffee, Xiao He quickly shielded Bai Ning, taking the splash on his own shirt. Bai Ning stopped Xiao He from retaliating, reminding him of the professional consequences, like Attorney Song's previous suspension.
Xiao He, slightly burned and sticky, then quickly dried his shirt in the restroom under Bai Ning's impatient direction. Bai Ning emphasized that she views life as an Olympics, where winning is essential for a sense of presence, worth, superiority, and security. Meanwhile, Chen Ran took on a case for Liao Real Estate, which was being sued by the Zhao couple.
The couple claimed that formaldehyde from renovations led to the wife's miscarriage and demanded a 10 million settlement, a sum vastly exceeding Liao Real Estate's proposed 200,000. Chen Ran knew that the opposing lawyer, Shi Qi, was adept at manipulating public opinion and social discourse. Shi Qi's strategy was to exploit Liao Real Estate's imminent public listing and its desire to avoid negative publicity, using the case to elevate her own profile.
Chen Ran instructed her colleague, Chen Ke, to investigate, concluding that if the case went to court, Shi Qi would likely achieve her goal of self-promotion regardless of the verdict. In his personal life, Jian Peiran was on a video call with his son, Yangyang, while his mother complained about Chen Ran's constant work commitments. Later, a friend joined Jian Peiran for dinner and noticed his low spirits.
Jian Peiran then received an urgent call regarding a construction site incident, and he and his friend rushed to the scene. The newly built structure had collapsed, causing Jian Peiran immense stress, though fortunately, there were no casualties. Working late at the office, Chen Ran was completing a report when she noticed Attorney Jiang also working. Suddenly, Bai Ning deliberately pulled the circuit breaker, plunging the office into darkness and causing Chen Ran to realize she hadn't saved her work.
During this period, Li Gongming, facing his own health challenges, secretly transferred several client accounts with expiring contracts to Chen Ran's team for renewal, aiming to boost her performance in the senior partner race. Chen Ran, however, was hesitant, worried about being criticized for unfairly receiving cases and wanting to return them to Li Gongming. Xu Jie sought to secure the legal representation rights for Dr. Ye's family hospital, hoping to pass the opportunity to Chen Ran.
However, Dr. Ye had already promised these rights to Sun Zhewei, acknowledging his pivotal role in helping the hospital establish itself in Jinghai. Through a friend, Xu Jie arranged a meeting where she directly confronted Sun Zhewei about the representation rights. Sun Zhewei readily agreed to hand them over. As Xu Jie was leaving, he attempted to reconcile, asking why she couldn't forgive the past.
Xu Jie rebuffed him, accusing him of merely wanting to compete with Song Xiu due to his own bruised ego from a broken engagement, rather than genuinely caring for her. She warned him to stop his "dirty tricks" and behave like a "decent human being." The Lianchuang case, handled by Chengtai, was rapidly approaching trial. The deaths of Chen Wenguang and Sun Jian's suicide created immense pressure.
Huang Yaoqing assigned Song Xiu to assist Sun Zhewei with compiling the witness list. Sun Zhewei, seizing an opportunity to provoke Song Xiu, falsely claimed that Xu Jie had left her lipstick at his office after seeking his help. This blatant lie ignited Song Xiu's anger, leading him to furiously rub the lipstick flat against paper.
Huang Yaoqing's niece, Jiajia, an assistant lawyer, then imperiously demanded that Song Xiu accompany her to investigate the Hunter Restaurant case, asserting her uncle's authority. Still seething from Sun Zhewei's provocation, Song Xiu reluctantly agreed. At the Hunter Restaurant, the owner explained his "courtesy menu," which presented prices only to male diners, as a way to embody European chivalry and elegance, not to discriminate.
Song Xiu noted that Shen Mingyue, the plaintiff, remained steadfast in her refusal to settle the case. Jiajia insisted on dining at the restaurant, and Song Xiu eventually waited for her, having only a glass of water. During their conversation, Jiajia casually revealed that Huang Yaoqing was her uncle. Chen Ran, overwhelmed, assigned the Hunter Restaurant case to Xu Jie. Xu Jie soon arrived at the restaurant, joining Song Xiu and Jiajia.
When Xu Jie requested a menu, the restaurant, having temporarily changed its policy due to the lawsuit, offered only one type of menu—the one with prices. As Xu Jie and Song Xiu discussed the case's complexities, Jiajia repeatedly and unprofessionally interrupted. Losing his patience, Song Xiu sharply reprimanded her to stick to her duties as an assistant, causing Jiajia to retreat to the restroom in embarrassment.
Noticing Song Xiu's uncharacteristic anger, Xu Jie prompted him, and he handed her the now-flattened lipstick. Upon learning of Sun Zhewei's manipulative act with her lipstick, Xu Jie arranged a meeting with him through a friend. She promptly slapped him and issued a stern warning: if he ever resorted to such "dirty tricks" or meddled in her affairs again, she would retaliate every time she saw him.
Later, Song Xiu expressed satisfaction at the news of Xu Jie slapping Sun Zhewei. The intense competition for the senior partner title at Mingtang continued. Bai Ning confronted Chen Ran and Xu Jie, accusing them of unfairly boosting their performance by taking on client accounts transferred from Li Gongming. Xu Jie countered that these were legitimate renewals of expired contracts, lawfully handled by their team.
Feeling the weight of the accusations, Chen Ran suggested returning the cases to Li Gongming to maintain fairness. However, Xu Jie strongly disagreed, arguing that Li Gongming was already overburdened and that emotional decisions should not compromise legitimate business practices. Frustrated and angry, Bai Ning sought Tang Ying's help, asking her to transfer some case sources to her, but Tang Ying, critical of Bai Ning's irrational demands, refused to interfere.
The Hunter Restaurant case proceeded to trial at the Jinghai City Jingjiang District People's Court. Song Xiu represented the restaurant, while Xu Jie represented Shen Mingyue. The judge inquired about the failure to reach an out-of-court settlement. Xu Jie stated that Shen Mingyue's primary demand was for the restaurant to abolish its "women's menu" to uphold female consumers' rights, a demand the restaurant deemed unreasonable.
Song Xiu argued that the restaurant had tried to find a satisfactory solution, but Shen Mingyue's strong emotions had prevented a resolution. Xu Jie's side declined the judge's offer of court-mandated mediation. In court, Xu Jie argued that providing a menu without prices to women violated the principle of equal legal status in civil activities.
Song Xiu countered that the restaurant did not intentionally conceal prices or restrict choices, and that the "courtesy menu" was a gesture of consideration, unrelated to gender discrimination. The restaurant manager testified that customers with reservations received priced menus regardless of gender, and that a priced menu would be provided if requested. He also revealed the restaurant tracked an 8:2 male-to-female ratio for who paid the bill, but claimed this was to understand customer needs.
Xu Jie seized on this, arguing it implied the menu was based on the assumption that men pay, thus promoting gender discrimination. Shen Mingyue's boyfriend testified that he felt pressured by his girlfriend receiving an unpriced menu, fearing appearing stingy if he looked at the prices. He asserted that the menu created pressure for both genders, suggesting male payment was expected and thus discriminating against men.
Song Xiu countered by likening this to men opening car doors for women—a gesture of courtesy, not discrimination—and urged the court to focus on legal principles rather than personal emotions. After hearing both sides, the judge adjourned the court, stating the verdict would be announced at a later date.
