Chapter 327 - 207: Jiang Sifan Learns the Truth About Lu Fan’s Secret Help

Mrs. Xu quickly replied, "Okay, okay, I'll make sure he comes to apologize."

Jiang Sifan looked at her, his tone softening slightly. "Ma'am, I hope he apologizes sincerely, not just to get it over with."

"Don't worry, I'll make him apologize sincerely," Mrs. Xu nodded.

That evening, Mrs. Xu returned home to find Xu Junjie lying in bed, playing on his phone.

Because of this incident, Mrs. Xu had made Xu Junjie stay at home for the past two days.

She walked over, took his phone, and said sternly, "Jun Jie, I need to talk to you about something."

Seeing her expression, Xu Junjie felt a little guilty. "What is it?"

"I found Jiang Sifan. He agreed to settle, but he has two conditions. First, twenty thousand yuan in compensation for his losses. Second, you have to apologize in person," Mrs. Xu replied.

Xu Junjie's face turned pale when he heard this. "Twenty thousand? On what grounds?"

Mrs. Xu shot him a glare. "On what grounds? On the grounds of what you did! He has proof for every single loss and didn't ask for a penny more. You think I don't know about the mess you've made?"

Xu Junjie gritted his teeth and said nothing.

Mrs. Xu sighed, her tone softening. "Jun Jie, Mom already agreed. You'll come with me tomorrow to apologize. Have a good attitude, and this whole thing will be over."

Xu Junjie was silent for a long time before finally nodding.

...

「The next afternoon,」 Mrs. Xu brought Xu Junjie to Jiang Sifan's studio.

Jiang Sifan and Wen Wan were waiting inside.

He had told Wen Wan about the matter that morning.

After all, Wen Wan was part of the studio.

If Xu Junjie was going to apologize to him, he had to apologize to Wen Wan as well.

When they saw them enter, Jiang Sifan and Wen Wan stood up and gestured for them to come in.

Mrs. Xu came forward with an awkward smile. "Jiang Tongxue, I've brought my son. I'll have him apologize right now."

As she spoke, she gave Xu Junjie a push and whispered, "Hurry up and apologize."

Xu Junjie stood there, head down, without a word.

Jiang Sifan watched him, saying nothing.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

Mrs. Xu grew anxious and pushed him again. "Jun Jie!"

"Sorry," Xu Junjie finally muttered, lifting his head.

Jiang Sifan frowned. "What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."

Xu Junjie's expression was ugly, but he repeated himself, a little louder this time, "I'm sorry."

"Xu Junjie, is this apology of yours sincere?" Jiang Sifan asked, watching him with a calm tone.

Xu Junjie froze for a moment, then his expression changed.

He lifted his head and glared at Jiang Sifan, his voice tinged with anger. "What do you mean? I apologized, isn't that enough? Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble?"

"I just want to confirm whether you are truly sorry," Jiang Sifan said, shaking his head.

Xu Junjie sneered, his tone full of defiance. "Jiang Sifan, don't think you've won. If I hadn't made a reckless mistake and given you something to hold over me, I never would have lost this startup battle to you!"

Jiang Sifan looked at him, silent for a few seconds. Then he turned to Mrs. Xu, his tone growing serious. "Ma'am, you see his attitude. I can't accept this. I'm still going to file a lawsuit."

With that, he and Wen Wan turned and started to walk out.

Mrs. Xu panicked and grabbed his arm. "Jiang Tongxue, don't go! Give him another chance!"

Jiang Sifan stopped but didn't turn back.

Mrs. Xu turned her head, looked at Xu Junjie, and trembled with rage.

She walked over, raised her hand, and with a loud SLAP, she struck Xu Junjie hard across the face.

Stunned, Xu Junjie held his cheek and stared at her in disbelief.

Mrs. Xu's eyes were red-rimmed, her voice trembling. "Get out! I don't have a son like you!"

Xu Junjie's face was ashen. He shot Jiang Sifan a glare, then turned and stormed out of the studio.

Seeing this, Mrs. Xu immediately ran after him. "You get back here! Apologize right now!"

"If you want an apology, you apologize yourself!" Xu Junjie roared as he left the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Building.

When Mr. Xu returned home that evening, he recalled a text he'd received at work. It showed a 20,000 yuan transfer out of his bank account, which was quickly transferred back.

His heart sank. He found Mrs. Xu and asked in a low voice, "What's this about the 20,000 yuan?"

Mrs. Xu stammered, unable to meet his gaze.

"What exactly happened? Explain yourself!" Mr. Xu stared at her, his tone growing harsher.

Mrs. Xu knew she couldn't hide it any longer, so she told him everything about what Xu Junjie had done.

After hearing the story, Mr. Xu flew into a rage on the spot, slamming his palm on the table. "That rebellious son! I warned him not to mess with that Jiang Sifan! But he refused to listen! And now look, he's caused such a huge problem!"

"I already begged Jiang Sifan for forgiveness, and he agreed. As long as Jun Jie apologizes, this will all be over," Mrs. Xu said through her tears.

Mr. Xu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

If Jiang Sifan were to sue Xu Junjie, it wasn't just a question of whether Xu Junjie could graduate smoothly from the university.

It would very likely affect his and his wife's jobs at the court.

So, Mr. Xu opened his computer, searched for a while, and found Jiali's contact information.

He picked up his phone and made the call.

The phone rang a few times before Jiali's voice came through. "Hello."

Mr. Xu's tone was humble. "Hello, is this Lawyer Jiali? I'm Xu Junjie's father. I'd like... I'd like to have a word with President Lu, Lu Fan."

Jiali was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Please hold."

A moment later, a man's voice came over the line—cool and condescending. "Who is this?"

Mr. Xu quickly said, "President Lu, hello. I'm Xu Junjie's father. I... I wanted to apologize to you. My son is immature and has made many mistakes. You're a magnanimous person; could you please let him off this one time?"

"I know about this matter. I'm aware of every single thing your son has done. Do you think a simple 'sorry' is enough to resolve it?" Lu Fan replied slowly after listening.

Mr. Xu's heart sank again. He hurriedly said, "President Lu, I know my son was wrong. I'm willing to pay compensation, willing to apologize. I'm begging you, please give him a chance."

"The decision on this matter isn't mine to make. It rests with my son. If he insists on pursuing this to the end, then I will certainly protect his legal rights," Lu Fan said after a few seconds of silence.

With that, he hung up the phone.

Mr. Xu stood there, phone in hand, not moving for a long time.

"That good-for-nothing brat! He's going to be the death of me."

...

「That night,」 Jiang Sifan returned to his dorm and lay in bed, his mind still on the day's events.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed.

It was a message from Jiang Silu.

Jiang Silu: [Bro, how did it go today? Is the thing with Xu Junjie settled?]

Jiang Sifan looked at the message, thought for a moment, and replied: [That guy refused to apologize sincerely. I've decided to just sue him!]

Jiang Silu: [Do you need a lawyer then? I can ask Dad for help.]

Jiang Sifan: [No need. There's a nice lawyer sister from legal aid who's great. She's the one who helped me for free last time when I was scammed by that startup.]

Jiang Silu was a little surprised when she saw this message.

She had a faint feeling that something was off.

So she asked curiously: [What's her name? What does she look like? Is she pretty?]

Jiang Sifan couldn't help but smile and replied: [Her name is Jiali. She's very pretty, and she's a really nice person.]

Jiang Sifan scrolled through his phone, found a photo taken when he and the others had dinner with Jiali, and sent it to her.

It was a group photo. Jiali was sitting across from him, wearing a white shirt and smiling at the camera.

Jiang Silu stared at the photo for a few seconds, then froze.

She rubbed her eyes and looked again, more closely this time.

'This person... isn't this Dad's assistant, Sister Jiali?'

Jiang Silu: [Bro!! Do you know who this "sister" is?!]

Jiang Sifan was taken aback by her reaction and replied: [?]

Jiang Silu: [That's Dad's assistant, Sister Jiali! I've met her several times!]

Jiang Sifan stared at his phone screen, completely frozen.

'Dad's assistant?'

'Jiali?'