Chapter 377: Chapter 377: Qin Keqin, who the hell said this marriage has no feelings?!

Translator: 549690339

Yin Bin was driving back to the villa.

Qin Keqin was sitting in the passenger seat, her gaze continuously fixed out the window.

Yin Bin wanted to start a conversation multiple times, but seeing Qin Keqin’s demeanor, he ended up not saying anything.

The car was eerily quiet.

Qin Keqin hadn’t planned on sleeping.

However, she couldn’t resist her body after having stayed up all night. Combined with the slow speed at which Yin Bin was driving, Qin Keqin was too tired. As soon as she closed her eyes, she fell asleep instantly.

The moment Yin Bin parked the car at the entrance of the villa, he turned his head to see that Qin Keqin was asleep.

Her figure was petite, no, more accurately, graceful.

She was curled up in the passenger’s seat, her head tilted to one side and her face quietly leaning against the backrest. Her lips were gently closed, as if she was in a deep sleep.

Yin Bin just sat there watching her.

Watching her lips… Was it because of the lipstick?

Why were they such a beautiful shade of pink?

Isn’t this woman already 45 years old?

Could she really be that old?

No matter how you look at it, her skin is so delicate that it seems like it could break at the slightest touch.

How does this woman manage to take such good care of herself!

Yin Bin reached out his hand.

As if out of his control, his fingers were itching to touch her cheek, yet he stiffened right before making contact.

Was he bewitched?

To get so close to this woman.

He promptly withdrew his hand, unbuckled his seatbelt, and got out of the car.

After getting out of the car, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Was it okay to leave Qin Keqin alone in the car?

What if she caught a cold from sleeping like this?

What if her neck became stiff from sleeping in such an awkward position?

What if…

No matter, he just walked over to the passenger side and opened the door.

He bent down to unbuckle Qin Keqin’s seatbelt, planning to carry her to bed.

As soon as his body got close, Qin Keqin suddenly opened her eyes.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw Yin Bin up close.

Her initially scattered thoughts instantly woke, her eyes tightened and she went on full alert, “What are you doing?”

Yin Bin and Qin Keqin stared at each other.

She seems so adorable when asleep.

Why did she act so different when awake?

Activating a mocking smile, he asked, “Guess what I’m about to do?”

Qin Keqin glared at him.

Her face showed pure repulsion.

Plain, bare repulsion.

What exactly did he do to deserve such detest?

At his age, there were still plenty of women throwing themselves at him, what was Qin Keqin so arrogant about?

Damn it!

Not knowing if it was due to anger or frustration, Yin Bin suddenly lost his self-control.

He approached Qin Keqin, moving his lips towards hers.

Just like a dragonfly lightly touching the water surface, he gave a quick peck.

At that moment, Qin Keqin was absolutely furious.

She violently pushed Yin Bin away.

Caught off guard, Yin Bin’s head hit the windshield, causing a thunderous sound.

“Holy shit, Qin Keqin, are you crazy?!” Yin Bin yelled, his face twisted into a look of extreme displeasure.

Did it warrant such retaliation for him to kiss his own wife?

Does she not care if he ends up with a concussion?!

This heartless woman!

Yin Bin gritted his teeth in pain.

At that moment, Qin Keqin unbuckled her own seatbelt. Still seeming furious, she violently kicked Yin Bin with her sharp high heels.

Yin Bin winced in pain.

“Qin Keqin!” Yin Bin cursed.

Qin Keqin had already exited the car.

Furious, Yin Bin hurriedly chased after her and grabbed her arm, “What are you putting on airs for!”

Qin Keqin glared at him.

“We are legal husband and wife! I’ve done nothing wrong, so what the hell is your problem!” Yin Bin was furious.

“Don’t forget, we are a couple preparing to divorce.”

“Divorce? Who the hell said I want a divorce!” Yin Bin declared shamelessly, “I’ll never divorce in this lifetime, you better give up that thought!”

“Do you find this fun?” Qin Keqin retorted, “Your first love has come back, hasn’t she? You’re still clinging to this marriage, don’t you feel guilty towards her?!”

“Why the hell should I feel guilty towards her!” Yin Bin stomped his foot.

If he should feel guilty towards anyone, it should be towards Qin Keqin, not Lin Ximeng!

What kind of logic is it for a wife to push her husband towards another woman?!

Is Qin Keqin trying to kill him with anger?!

“Yin Bin, I don’t want to argue with you right now…”

“When did you ever want to argue with me?!” Yin Bin coldly asked.

“With so many things happening at home right now, can’t you stop being so childish!”

“How the hell am I being childish!” Yin Bin was on the verge of exploding.

Qin Keqin also looked unhappy.

The two people confronted each other in a deadlock.

Yin Bin snapped, “What the hell did I do wrong by wanting to kiss my wife?”

Qin Keqin stared at Yin Bin.

It seemed like this was the first time in her life that she heard him call her his wife.

Qin Keqin plainly told him, “I don’t want to.”

Yin Bin’s face turned cold in an instant.

“I don’t want to, so stay away from me! It’s not anybody’s fault, it’s just that this is a loveless marriage! So, don’t do these things that we shouldn’t do!” After dropping these words, Qin Keqin walked away briskly.

Yin Bin watched her confident gait, glaring at her angrily.

A loveless marriage!

Who the hell said there was no love?!

Hospital VIP luxury suite.

Yin Qin stayed by Luo Xiaolang’s bedside all the time.

Neither of them spoke.

Luo Xiaolang was lying on the bed, looking out the window.

Yin Qin watched Luo Xiaolang, a man who used to be very talkative was now silent.

Nurses came in and out, giving Luo Xiaolang an IV drip, and checking her conditions.

Most of the time, it was just the two of them.

Luo Xiaolang seemed to really be fed up with this, she wasn’t used to being stared at like this. She turned her head and faced Yin Qin, “Go get some sleep. If anything happens, I’ll call you.”

“I’m not going to sleep.” Yin Qin said, sounding rather stubborn.

Luo Xiaolang wanted to say something, but ended up not saying anything.

She was never good with words.

Though she wanted to ask him, didn’t he stay up all night? Shouldn’t he be tired?

The silence returned.

Suddenly, Yin Qin broke the silence, “Do you want some water? The doctor said I could use a cotton swab to moisten your lips, with some water.”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

“I’ll get you some water anyway.” Yin Qin said regardless.

And Luo Xiaolang just watched him.

She was not used to being taken care of like this.

She was not as weak as they thought, she believed that depending on her physical condition, she might be able to walk around as soon as the effects of the anesthesia wore off by tomorrow, and perhaps even be able to run by the day after.

But, in that moment, she allowed Yin Qin to do as he wished.

Yin Qin fetched a bowl of water, and with a cotton swab carefully soaked in boiled water, he gently moistened Luo Xiaolang’s lips.

Luo Xiaolang initially believed she wasn’t thirsty, but the warm water on her lips moistened her parched lips, and she instinctively licked them, slowly swallowing the remnants of the water.

She had never appreciated plain boiled water so much; it tasted like a sweet spring, and it made her want more.

Yin Qin seemed to understand Luo Xiaolang’s thirst as he patiently moistened her lips with the cotton swab soaked in water. Luo Xiaolang swallowed little by little the moisture it gave.

The atmosphere was oddly harmonious.

And Ji Baixin just stood in the doorway watching.

She hesitated before knocking on the semi-closed door of the sickroom.

She could’ve entered then and there, or she could’ve walked away but she strangely found herself frozen in place, watching Yin Qin. Always considering him a brutish man, the gentle and diligent care he was showing as he fed Luo Xiaolang water took her aback.

Ji Baixin felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Never did she imagine that she would find herself emotionally moved by Yin Qin.

She thought that even if the man wasn’t Li Wenjun, she would never consider the likes of Yin Qin, a playboy, as a potential partner. She always thought such a child of privilege was nothing but a parasite, born only to attract disapproval.

Yet she never thought she would one day be proven wrong.

Ji Baixin turned away to leave.

She was well aware of the growing distance between herself and Yin Qin.

He had a child with another woman, and she herself was discussing marriage with Li Wenjun.

The fluttering in her heart at this moment was merely a small ripple in her life that would be forgotten in a few days’ time.

In a few days.

She would still despise Yin Qin.

She would still detest the man for his lack of ambition and achievements.

The man who once appeared before her like a hero, offering her a sense of security she had never experienced in her life. This was probably just a temporary infatuation which would soon dissipate, like smoke in the wind.

These were what she was thinking as she was leaving.

Just as she was about to go, she heard Yin Qin’s voice.

She heard Yin Qin say, “Luo Xiaolang, would you marry me?”

Her heart suddenly hurt a little.

Hurt without a hint, out of nowhere.

Even if she wanted to ignore it, it was hard for Ji Baixin to overlook this.

Luo Xiaolang, who was lying in bed, was also shocked.

She just stared at Yin Qin.

She watched as he put down the boiled water, as he earnestly asked her.

She didn’t fully understand what marriage meant, but she gathered it meant two people would have to live together for the rest of their lives.

Didn’t Yin Qin dislike her? Why did he want to spend the rest of his life with her?

Was it because of their child?

She did not understand the supposed warmth of familial love, as she had never experienced it. However, she did not think there was anything wrong with growing up alone, or growing alongside her master and fellow disciples at Wulin Temple. She felt her life at Wulin Temple was quite happy, and she believed her son would also be happy growing up with her.

She didn’t need anyone to accommodate her or make adjustments for her, she was perfectly fine on her own.

That was what she decided.

She was about to refuse the proposal.

When suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Both Luo Xiaolang and Yin Qin turned to see Ji Baixin standing there.

She was also looking at them.

She really didn’t think she would do such a thing.

That she would deliberately try to interrupt Luo Xiaolang’s response.

She also… feared hearing Luo Xiaolang’s answer, even though she knew that Yin Qin and Luo Xiaolang should be together.

She managed to pull out a slight smile and said, “I came to see Xiaolang.”

Yin Qin immediately left Luo Xiaolang’s bedside.

Luo Xiaolang watched Yin Qin’s departing figure.

Whenever Ji Baixin was around, Luo Xiaolang often saw Yin Qin leaving like this.

She also felt a fluttering in her heart, but she chose to ignore it.

She really didn’t like causing trouble for others, and Yin Qin once said, her ignorance had caused him a lot of trouble!

She looked at Yin Qin, watching him wanting to reach out and support Ji Baixin, who still seemed very weak. At that moment, he seemed to fret that Ji Baixin would feel disgusted, and eventually, he withdrew his hand.

Yin Qin said, “You’re so weak right now. What are you doing out of your bed? The doctor said you need to rest well after having a miscarriage.”

“I heard that Xiaolang was badly hurt, so I wanted to come and see her,” Ji Baixin said, guiltily admitting, “It’s because of me that Xiaolang ended up this way.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine,” Yin Qin said. “The injuries Xiaolang sustained were caused by me, not you, and you don’t need to feel guilty.”

Ji Baixin looked at him.

Yin Qin seemed reluctant to say more, he quickly changed the subject, “Why don’t you go sit by Xiaolang’s bed.”

Ji Baixin nodded.

She walked over to Xiaolang’s bedside and sat down as she nodded.

Luo Xiaolang looked at Ji Baixin.

Ji Baixin felt very guilty, “I’m sorry, Xiaolang.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Luo Xiaolang mutedly replied, “I’m fine, my external injuries will heal soon, and before long I’ll be able to move around and even run.”

“Silly.” Ji Baixin smiled at Luo Xiaolang’s innocent response, “You just had a baby, once your wounds heal and you’ve recovered, you still need to take good care of your body.”

Lu Xiaolang frowned.

“Anyway, you must listen to the doctor,” Ji Baixin reminded.

Lu Xiaolang nodded.

Ji Baixin said earnestly, “Xiaolang, I really want to thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Luo Xiaolang replied.

“You rest, I won’t disturb you any longer.”

“Okay.”

Ji Baixin got up.

She didn’t know if she was too weak, or because of the sudden change from sitting to standing, but her vision suddenly became dizzy.

Yin Qin quickly came forward and supported Ji Baixin.

Ji Baixin paused.

Yin Qin asked worriedly, “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Should I call the doctor?”

“No, it’s nothing, I might just be a bit anemic,” Ji Baixin steadied herself and replied.

Yin Qin let go of her arm.

Ji Baixin watched his actions.

Yin Qin asked, “Where’s Li Wenjun?”

“He had a fashion show today, he couldn’t always stay with me, he just left.”

Yin Qin frowned, “Is a show that important?”

To designers, it’s indeed a very important promotional event.

But …

If it were her, she might give it up.

But she understood Li Wenjun, he worked hard to climb to where he is now, once he relaxed a bit, he could easily be replaced by a newcomer or competitor in the fashion world.

Despite the disappointment, she let Li Wenjun go.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you back to the ward,” Yin Qin said bluntly.

“No need, you stay with Xiaolang, I can go back by myself.”

“It will only take a moment, come on,” Yin Qin urged.

Ji Baixin turned her head to look at Lu Xiaolang.

Lu Xiaolang didn’t show any particular emotion.

Ji Baixin hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Yin Qin accompanied Ji Baixin out.

Lu Xiaolang just watched as Yin Qin and Ji Baixin left.

In fact, she was used to it.

She was accustomed to the fact that in Yin Qin’s world, Ji Baixin was his only one.

She just sat there looking at the room door.

Actually.

She kind of wanted to go see her son now.

She heard he looked like her.

She wasn’t pretty.

Yin Qin had said that several times. Every time he mentioned it, he looked so disgusted!

She also knew that she was not good-looking. She hadn’t noticed it when she was at the Wulin Temple but as she lived in Jin City for a while, she gradually developed the ability to distinguish beauty from ugliness, and then understood that Song Zhizhi was what you call good-looking, and her appearance is considered ugly.

But she probably wouldn’t consider her son ugly.

She was different from Yin Qin, she had never cared about appearance. If she could throw her life away for someone else, it’s because she believes that person is worth it.

There she was, lying bored.

She had no idea how long she would have to lay there.

She had an increasing longing to meet her unborn son who she has yet to see…

The Milky Way’s CEO office.

Weng Cheng was holding the phone, his face extremely ugly.

Ye Wenhan roared on the other end of the phone, “Weng Cheng, is this your way of handling matters huh?! Now not only did we fail in getting that one billion, but even the kidnapper got arrested. If this gets out, do you wish to die?!”

“I also didn’t expect those kidnappers to be so incompetent! A Luo Xiaolang, along with a pregnant Luo Xiaolang, was able to knock them out!” Weng Cheng was also very frustrated, “I’m also now worried about what will happen if the kidnappers wake up and betray me?! I’ve finally managed to control that five percent share holding!”

Ye Wenhan was too angry to even speak.

He initially just wanted Luo Xiaolang to have a miscarriage, thereby teaching Song Zhizhi a lesson. Isn’t Luo Xiaolang and Song Zhizhi emotionally close?!

What he didn’t even consider was that Luo Xiaolang could still fight five men at once while being pregnant.

She directly beat those five people into serious injuries, causing them to fall unconscious!

He heard that Luo Xiaolang only suffered a premature delivery and wasn’t in life-threatening danger. Even the baby was still alive!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got!

“Mr. Ye, you must help me.” Weng Cheng nervously spoke into the phone, “You must help me. It took me so much effort to finally get a chance to let my uncle step down, I refuse to die mysteriously at this critical moment. Rest assured, in the future, I will absolutely stand by your side, whatever you say, I will do!”

Ye Wenhan’s face turned somewhat ugly.

Since the matter wasn’t handled properly, he had no choice but to bear his father’s scolding.

“Mr. Ye, I beg you. If you help me this time, I can do anything in the future. I will swear to follow you till the end!”

Ye Wenhan coldly said, “I can only try my best!”

“Thank you, thank you, Mr. Ye.”

Ye Wenhan hung up the phone.

He knew that his father rarely acted in domestic affairs, because it was too easy to expose himself by doing so. But now, if the kidnapper is not killed, it is highly likely that Weng Cheng will be exposed. Weng Cheng is still of use. It would be a pity if he died after all the effort to bring him up to where he is now. What’s more, if Weng Cheng sells him out too, it would be a total loss for him.

He reluctantly approached his father.

Qian Guanshu looked at Ye Wenhan.

Ye Wenhan spoke bluntly, “The kidnapping of Ji Baixing was initially very successful, and we also got five percent of Yin Bin’s shares. Now, Yin Bin only holds forty-nine percent of the shares, while Weng Cheng has secretly won over all the remaining directors to his side. From now on, the decision-making power of the entire Milky Way lies in Weng Cheng’s hands! But now, there has been some unexpected developments in Weng Cheng’s kidnapping case.”

Qian Guanshu’s face darkened, but he still managed to maintain his composure and waited for him to continue.

Ye Wenhan clenched his teeth and said, “In order to teach Yin Qin a lesson, Weng Cheng got Luo Xiaolang to carry out the exchange. Weng Cheng initially plotted to cause Luo Xiaolang to abort Yin Qin’s child during the exchange, but he didn’t expect Luo Xiaolang to be so skilled. She directly injured the five kidnappers.”

Qian Guanshu stared at him coldly, his face getting worse.

Ye Wenhan spoke tremulously, “The police have become aware of this now and have arrested those five kidnappers. Fortunately, at present, all five kidnappers are unconscious, and nothing regarding the matter has been exposed by them. I was thinking that Weng Cheng is currently very useful to us and it would be a waste to just disregard him like this, especially after the hard-earned control we finally have over the Milky Way. So, I was thinking… if it’s possible, we could secretly eliminate those five kidnappers.”

He asked gingerly.

Fearing that his father would scold him.

Qian Guanshu’s face remained cold as he was silent for a long time.

Ye Wenhan didn’t dare to say any more at this point.

Qian Guanshu said, “Helping Weng Cheng out may not necessarily be a bad thing!”

Ye Wenhan looked at his father in disbelief.

Looking at him, who surprisingly wasn’t furious at him this time.

Qian Guanshu said coldly, “Why do you think Weng Cheng is under our control? Besides mutual interests, the most important thing is that we must have a hold over him that makes him afraid to resist us from within his heart. I’ll help him sort out this kidnapping incident, but the fact is, Weng Cheng did carry out the kidnapping. When the kidnappers die, we could frame Weng Cheng for their deaths. This way, he will absolutely follow our commands!”

“Father, you’ve thought this through so thoroughly.”

“Wenhan.” Qian Guanshu spoke heavily to Ye Wenhan, “I’m not trying to lecture you, but you need to think more about many things. Your status is not the same now, you are the helmsman of a commercial management institution, with a position that is second to none. You need to learn how to strategize, how to control everything!”

“Father, you are right in your teachings, I will definitely learn well.”

“Go out now, I’ll handle the rest. Right now, you need to settle the matter with Song Zhizhi for me! I don’t want to see her stirring up any more trouble again!”

“Yes.” Ye Wenhan immediately agreed, his blood boiling.

He had been waiting for this day for a long time.

He said, “Father, then I’ll start implementing our next plan now.”

Qian Guanshu nodded his head.

Ye Wenhan left Qian Guanshu’s room.

A cold and sinister smile crept up the corners of his mouth in that moment.

Song Zhizhi.

It’s about time that you regret for the rest of your life!

Song Zhizhi slept.

There’s no need to work now, nor rush to get up.

However, she couldn’t sleep due to the many things on her mind.

She felt that this accident wouldn’t be that simple.

Xiaolang and Yin Qin, what happened? Xiaolang suddenly going into labor, and with Yin Qin’s current state, she couldn’t bear to disturb him. He now needed to face Xiaolang, facing their child…

Song Zhizhi tossed and turned.

Suddenly hearing the doorbell, she confirmed she hadn’t heard wrong. She got up, went downstairs, and opened the door.

At the door were two uniformed policemen, “Song Zhizhi, we are the police from Jin City Public Security Bureau. Someone has accused you of hiring others to threaten and retaliate against the residents of the Airport District Demolition Bureau. Please come with us.”

“Do you have proof?”

“The suspect has been arrested and he has named you explicitly,” the police stated sternly.

Song Zhizhi clenched her teeth.

As expected.

Guanshu and Ye Wenhan were using a deception tactic.

They probably had planned this all along, bribing a so-called suspect to frame her. It was all a sham, meticulously designed to mislead the public by delaying for two days to let the news ferment and convince everyone that the hitman escaped after the incident and was later captured by police.

Song Zhizhi was quite calm, she said, “I’m going to change my clothes.”

“2 minutes.”

Song Zhizhi turned to change.

While dressing, she quickly called Ji Baijian, “Ji Baijian, two things. First, Yin Qin and Luo Xiaolang had an accident, I suspect it’s related to my own situation. It’s quite likely Ye Wenhan is secretly controlling the Yin He Corporation since they have been reporting news in my favor lately. They want to control public opinion. Secondly, I will be taken away by the police, and I suspect I don’t qualify for bail. I worry there might be danger for me inside, so you must have Jun Mingyu take over this case to at least ensure my safety inside.”

“Okay,” Ji Baijian answered, “leave the rest to me.”

“Mm.”

Song Zhizhi hung up.

She trusted Ji Baijian.

Having changed into a set of outdoor clothing, she descended the stairs.

The police arrested her and led her out of the house.

The gate of the community was crowded with reporters who seemed to have been informed beforehand and were all waiting for her.

Song Zhizhi didn’t need to think to know it was all facilitated by Ye Wenhan.

“Song Zhizhi, you previously said this had nothing to do with you, so why are you being taken away by the police now, is it because of conclusive evidence? Are you still going to argue?”

“Song Zhizhi, you did such a terrible thing for your own benefit, and now the victims are being slandered. Most people are condemning their selfish actions, don’t you feel guilty?”

“Song Zhizhi, can you share your thoughts right now?”

“Song Zhizhi…”

Song Zhizhi was escorted into the police car.

The reporters chased after the police car.

The police car moved very slowly and it took quite a while to shake off the reporters and hit the main road.

Song Zhizhi watched the group of reporters.

This time, Ye Wenhan probably thinks he will definitely win!

She was taken to the police station.

The police put the testimony of the hiring suspect in front of her.

Song Zhizhi took a look, staring impassively.

She didn’t need to think to know that it would be a flawless accusation.

“Do you confess?” Asked the police.

“No,” Song Zhizhi replied. “How can it be said that I masterminded this based on their one-sided allegations? I can suspect that someone deliberately instructed him to frame me!”

“Your account is suddenly 500,000 less. And the hired thug’s account is just 500,000 more. Even if there is no direct transfer, there’s no such thing as a coincidence. Besides, the hired thug explicitly said it was you who gave him the money to force Liu Wen’s family to move immediately by violently suppressing the residents of the demolition area!” the policemen pressed on. “The fact is in front of you. What else do you want to say?”

Song Zhizhi coldly stared at the police in front of her.

Song Zhizhi stated, “I need to see my lawyer. I won’t answer any of your questions before my lawyer arrives.”

The cop’s face turned sour.

Song Zhizhi wasn’t afraid.

The policeman stood up and said to another cop, “Take her to the detention center first.”

“Yes.”

Song Zhizhi was then taken to the detention center.

Fortunately, it was a single cell.

She was surrounded by walls on all four sides.

She sat on the hard bed in the detention center, thinking carefully.

She wondered how her 500,000 had just vanished from her account… If the cops hadn’t mentioned it, she wouldn’t have noticed.

However, she believed that the police couldn’t have fabricated it, so she definitely lost 500,000 from her bank account.

Did the bank manipulate this 500,000?

Did Ye Wenhan secretly bribe the bank to operate it behind the scenes?

But even if they did, wouldn’t they leave traces, wouldn’t they be afraid of getting caught?

Otherwise, who could it be?!

Her current situation had all the evidence against her.

Dealing with Ye Wenhan, no, it should be Qian Guanshu, was much harder than dealing with Nie Wenzhi!

She clenched her teeth.

She wouldn’t let this old fox off!

Jin City has been particularly chaotic recently.

The news of Song Zhizhi’s arrest by the police was immediately exposed! For a while, the people of Jin City believed that Song Zhizhi hired thugs to forcefully demolish properties, even without official sentencing, the public was swayed by the news reports.

That’s why Ye Wenhan and Qian Guanshu were so eager to control the Milky Way, the largest news media outlet.

At the height of the uproar concerning Song Zhizhi’s news, the news of Mu Cidian’s murder trial today came to light.

The case should have been tried long ago, but it was delayed for many months because of Mu Cidian’s health condition.

The trial was scheduled for 3 p.m. at the highest people’s court of Jin City.

By noon, journalists were stationed at every gate of the court.

Xin Zaozao arrived at the main gate at 2:40 in the afternoon.

As soon as she got off the car, she was surrounded by a crowd of reporters.

The reporters asked hurriedly, “Miss Xin, what are your thoughts on Mu Cidian’s case? As the only eyewitness, did Mu Cidian commit premeditated murder?”

“Some say that Mu Cidian killed for you, will you hide the truth of the incident for him?”

“Will you be moved by what Mu Cidian does now, and is it possible for you two to reconcile after all?”

Xin Zaozao pushed through the reporters.

She wouldn’t answer their questions, because they would never stop.

All she wanted was to get in as soon as possible.

But the reporters kept crowding her, leaving her no way out.

She gritted her teeth, thinking she wanted to break free from the reporters through sheer brute force.

One of the reporters suddenly shouted, “It’s Mu Cidian!”

All of a sudden, all the people left Xin Zaozao and went after him.

Xin Zaozao paused for a moment.

Then, without turning back for a glance, she started climbing the high stone steps to the courtroom.

Behind her.

Mu Cidian, under police custody, saw Xin Zaozao from a distance, saw that she had left.

“Mu Cidian, I heard that you almost died for Xin Zaozao, do you like her?”

“Mu Cidian, did you really kill someone intentionally?”

“Mu Cidian…”

The police forcefully pushed away the reporters and led Mu Cidian into the courtroom.

At exactly 3:00 p.m.

Mu Cidian was brought to the defendant’s dock.

Xin Zaozao was brought to the witness dock.

After the long time since the incident occurred, the two met face-to-face for the first time.

The previous encounter outside the court didn’t count.

Because Xin Zaozao didn’t see Mu Cidian, and Mu Cidian only saw Xin Zaozao’s back.

But now, they both saw each other.

Then.

Indifferently passing by, no one stopped.

In the courtroom, the secretary reported the court’s information to the Judgment Chief, who pounded his gavel and declared, “Now the Jin City People’s Court will hold a trial on the murder case of Mu Cidian. This council is composed of me and four jurors. I officially announce the opening of the court session, everyone please rise.”

Everyone stood up.

The venue was quiet, solemn.

“Sit down,” said the Judgment Chief, “Please let the judge explain the facts of this case.”

The judge stood up from his seat, bowed to the Judgment Chief, and said solemnly, “At 7 a.m. on September 6, Officer Wang Zhengwu received a 911 call reporting a death. Wang Zhengwu and his three colleagues rushed to the scene and found the corpse of Liao An. At that time, only Mu Cidian and Xin Zaozao were in the room. Based on the situation at the scene and the statements of the persons involved, the deceased was killed by Mu Cidian.”

“The prosecution presents the following criminal facts of the suspect, Mu Cidian: 1. The deceased died from a knife wound, bleeding to death from a severed carotid artery. The murder weapon, a kitchen knife, bore Mu Cidian’s fingerprints; 2. The only eyewitness, Xin Zaozao, confirmed that the deceased was killed by Mu Cidian. In summary, the prosecution charges the suspect, Mu Cidian, with murder. However, from the investigation of the case, it was found that the deceased, Liao An, had committed indecent acts towards the eyewitness, Xin Zaozao. Mu Cidian claimed to have killed Liao An while trying to rescue Xin Zaozao. The suspect can defend his actions.”

“Does the defendant have anything to add to the judge’s exposition?” the Judgment Chief asked Mu Cidian.

“No,” answered Mu Cidian.

His voice was very hoarse.

The Judgment Chief declared, “Please let the defense attorney make a legal argument for the defendant.”

The defense lawyer was hired by Wan Quan for Mu Cidian.

Wan Quan was also present in the audience, looking very nervous.

No matter what, Mu Cidian was her own son, and she worried about the outcome of his trial today.

The lawyer stood up from his seat and said, “My client pleads not guilty to the charges presented by the prosecution, asserting a claim of self-defense.”

Xin Zaozao glanced at the lawyer.

The lawyer, calm and experienced, clarified, “On the night of the incident, Xin Zaozao was kidnapped. My client had been searching for Xin Zaozao’s whereabouts and finally found the suspect, Liao An, at the property management office. Liao An, haunted by his personal past where his fiancée chose suicide after being abused by her own family, became obsessively possessive of Xin Zaozao, who had a similar experience. He subsequently kidnapped Xin Zaozao with intent to molest her. My client, Mu Cidian, killed Liao An during a violent struggle to rescue Xin Zaozao and ensure their safety. According to Section 20, Chapter 5 of Yanshang Country law, my client acted in self-defense and should not bear legal responsibility.”

The Judgment Chief nodded and turned to the prosecution, “Does the prosecution have any issues with the defense’s legal argument?”

“Yes,” said the prosecution’s lawyer as he rose.

The Judgment Chief allowed it.

The lawyer for the prosecution said, “The defense attorney has just described Mu Cidian’s killing of Liao An. According to the law of Yanshang Country, Mu Cidian indeed acted in self-defense. However, this account is only the defendant’s side of the story, so I have several questions that need to be clarified by the eyewitness, Xin Zaozao.”

“Granted.”

The prosecutor turned to Xin Zaozao, “What is your name?”

“Xin Zaozao.”

“How are you related to the suspect, Mu Cidian?”

“He is my stepbrother, although we’re not related by blood.”

“At the time of the incident, were you kidnapped by the deceased, Liao An, and subjected to indecent actions?”

Xin Zaozao hesitated.

“Please answer truthfully in the court.”

“Yes.”

“Was Liao An killed by Mu Cidian while he was performing indecent acts on you?”

“No,” Xin Zaozao said.

She spoke coldly.

“Please elaborate on the sequence of events,” the prosecutor asked seriously.

“At that time, I was indeed kidnapped by Liao An. He did have indecent intentions towards me. When Mu Cidian arrived, Liao An was indeed performing indecent acts on me. As soon as Liao An saw Mu Cidian barge in, he immediately let me go and started to fight with Mu Cidian…”

“So it was during the fight that my client killed the deceased,” the defense attorney interrupted.

Xin Zaozao looked at the defense attorney.

“Defense attorney, please do not interrupt the eyewitness,” the Judgment Chief warned.

“I’m sorry, Your Honor,” the defense attorney apologized.

Xin Zaozao continued, “Yes, it was during the fight that Liao An was killed.”

The defense attorney breathed a sigh of relief.

Wan Quan, sitting in the audience, relaxed noticeably at that moment.

She was gambling, betting that Xin Zaozao would not seriously accuse Mu Cidian, betting that Xin Zaozao wouldn’t have the nerve to lie in court.

She was certain that her son would never kill without cause, it must have been in self-defense.

A triumphant smile emerged at the corner of Wan Quan’s mouth.

At that moment, on the defendant’s bench, Mu Cidian was also looking at Xin Zaozao.

Looking at her clean face, devoid of any expression, calmly stating a fact.

Xin Zaozao too felt a gaze, a gaze on her.

She ignored it.

Her face still calm, she added, “However, it was only after Liao An had fainted that Mu Cidian picked up the kitchen knife and killed him.”