When Zhang Yanyan arrived, the first thing she saw was Zhao Panpan lying on the hospital bed, lifeless and drained.
Then she noticed Snowball on the floor. Her heart tightened. She quickly turned, held Zhao Panpan’s hand, and said gently, “For now, just listen to the doctor and focus on getting better. When you’re well again, we’ll find a quiet, beautiful place and bury Snowball properly.”
The events of the day had completely exhausted Zhao Panpan. After seeing the messy and cruel comments spreading online, she didn’t even have the energy to explain herself anymore.
But hearing Zhang Yanyan say that, the tears she had been holding back suddenly poured out again.
At least… someone understood her.
Zhang Yanyan comforted Zhao Panpan and tidied up the hospital room. She found a small box and carefully placed Snowball inside.
After Zhao Panpan finally fell asleep, Zhang Yanyan went to ask the doctors and nurses about her condition and arranged everything needed for her hospital stay.
When she finished, she sat beside the bed, quietly keeping watch. She was afraid that after losing Snowball, Zhao Panpan might do something desperate.
She planned to call home to say she would stay overnight at the hospital. But as soon as she took out her phone, notification after notification popped up on the screen—every one of them filled with curses directed at Zhao Panpan.
People who didn’t know the truth were convinced that Zhao Panpan wanted to abort her child simply because her husband and mother-in-law planned to give her dog away.
They said she wanted a divorce, that she had even attacked her mother-in-law, and that she falsely accused her husband of domestic violence.
No matter how people looked at it, the internet had already decided she was a terrible, unforgivable woman.
Some people who knew Zhang Yanyan was close to Zhao Panpan even sent her messages, asking if the rumors were true.
Zhang Yanyan was furious. What kind of nonsense was this?
She wanted to go online and curse everyone out, but she knew one person couldn’t argue with tens of thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of angry netizens.
After thinking for a moment, she called a lawyer friend.
“Panpan, wake up for a moment.”
Zhao Panpan had been sleeping restlessly. When she opened her eyes, tear stains were still on her face.
Confused, she looked at the three people standing beside the hospital bed.
Zhang Yanyan introduced them. “This is Shu Ya. We used to work together doing bridal makeup. And this is her husband, Gu Chen. He’s a lawyer.”
When the two smiled and nodded at her, Zhao Panpan greeted them politely.
“Did you come to help me with the divorce?”
Zhang Yanyan shook her head.
“You really don’t understand how serious online harassment can be. If what’s spreading online isn’t dealt with right away, people will start digging into your personal information. Once that happens, your whole future could be ruined.”
Thinking about the topics trending online—clearly manipulated to stir people up—Zhao Panpan felt sick to her stomach. It had to be Zhang Jun and his people behind it.
Gu Chen spoke directly.
“Someone is deliberately guiding public anger step by step. The topics they’re pushing are sharp and provocative. It’s obvious there are professionals behind this. If you keep staying silent, by tomorrow morning you might have a crowd of angry netizens rushing to the hospital to confront you.”
Zhao Panpan suddenly realized how serious the situation was. In recent years, there had been many cases of people driven to death by online harassment. Even famous people with status and resources had been pushed to the edge.
She was just an ordinary person. How could she possibly escape unscathed?
“So… what should I do?”
Gu Chen seemed pleased by her straightforwardness.
“First, post a statement online explaining what really happened. Second, release the results of the medical examinations you had today, along with photos of your injuries. Third, issue warnings and lawyer statements to the accounts spreading rumors. If the public opinion still can’t be controlled, then we’ll move forward with lawsuits and legal notices.”
Zhao Panpan nodded. With everyone’s help, she began doing each step one by one.
After learning that Zhao Panpan had insisted on calling the police and contacting the Women’s Federation after suffering domestic violence, Gu Chen gave an approving nod.
“In cases like this, if the injury isn’t considered serious, the punishment for intentional harm is usually only about a week of detention and a warning. Because of that, I suggest you consider reaching a settlement.”
Zhao Panpan had insisted on filing the case precisely because she didn’t want to settle with them. If she agreed to reconcile now, what had all her persistence been for?
Gu Chen gestured for her to stay calm.
“He’ll need to write a formal letter of apology, compensate you for the physical harm, and publicly apologize. If he refuses, you don’t give him a letter of forgiveness. As for the Women’s Federation, I’ll have colleagues from my law firm follow up with them. Once all the evidence is ready, we’ll directly file for divorce.”
He paused before continuing.
“Court proceedings usually take three to six months. But as long as we can prove the relationship has broken down and confirm the domestic violence, your chances of winning are very high.”
Hearing this, the heavy weight in Zhao Panpan’s chest finally eased a little.
What she feared most was being endlessly entangled with Zhang Liang. Even more frightening was the one-month cooling-off period before a divorce—she was worried Zhang Jun might do something extreme during that time.
After a moment, Gu Chen added another reminder.
“Of course, if both sides can reach an agreement, it’s better to resolve things quickly. When faced with clear evidence, most people don’t want to waste time and energy fighting in court. By the way, do you have any disputes over property?”
If there was no property dispute, divorcing under these circumstances wouldn’t be very difficult.
Zhao Panpan remembered what her family had said about her putting money into the marriage.
“The house was bought after we got married. But Zhang Liang’s salary was always split in half—one part went to his mother for her retirement, and the other was used for daily household expenses. So most of the money used to buy the house actually came from my savings before marriage and the money I earned afterward.”
Gu Chen frowned slightly. That made things more complicated.
Still, it depended on what Zhao Panpan wanted.
“Do you want to recover that money? Is there any way to prove it?”
Zhang Yanyan immediately exploded with anger.
“Of course she should get it back! You have no idea how hard Panpan works. She started working at eighteen, and her father drained her money for years. She finally managed to save something. Why should that scumbag benefit from it?”
Shu Ya gently tried to calm her down.
“In most marriages, both people’s finances get mixed together. It’s often hard to separate what was earned before marriage and what was earned after. Even if Panpan can prove she was the one who earned the money to buy the house, it’s still considered marital property, and Zhang Liang would legally be entitled to half.”
Zhang Yanyan couldn’t help swearing.
“So the marriage law just protects men, is that it?”
Gu Chen rubbed his forehead. In divorce cases like this, anger didn’t solve anything. His gaze returned to Zhao Panpan as he waited for her answer.
Zhao Panpan frowned slightly.
“Zhang Liang’s salary card has always been with his mother. Every month, she receives his salary and then transfers him a small amount for living expenses. His mother lives back in their hometown, so the bank records should be easy to trace. As for me, my savings from before the marriage were kept in a fixed deposit on one bank card, and I never touched it. After the marriage, my savings went into another card. When we bought the house, I paid using those two cards. I think the evidence is in my favor. I want to recover the part that belongs to me—even if it’s only the money I saved before marriage.”
Gu Chen looked slightly surprised and confirmed again.
“So your savings from before marriage were only used once after the wedding—when you bought the house?”
Zhao Panpan thought carefully, then nodded.
“Yes. I’m sure.”
“Very good.”
Gu Chen pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and handed her a business card.
“Miss Zhao, my assistant will come tomorrow to have you sign the contract and arrange for you to transfer to another hospital. I’ll handle everything else on your behalf. You just focus on recovering.”
Zhang Yanyan walked Shu Ya and Gu Chen to the door, feeling deeply grateful.
“Thank you so much. It’s already so late, and you still came all the way here.”
She had only meant to call and ask how to deal with the online harassment. She never expected them to come in person.
Shu Ya smiled gently at her.
“We’re all women. I’ve been through a difficult time like this myself. If I can help even a little, of course I will.”