Ch57 - Strong fuckboy vibes

“Ge ge!’”

I entered the courthouse with Shen Xiao Shi and was about to head into the courtroom when I heard a shout from not far away. Shen Xiao Shi seemed to recognize this voice, as he stiffened when he looked towards the source of the sound. 

The cherubic youth ran over, panting heavily as he glanced gingerly at Shen Xiao Shi before finally speaking with red-rimmed eyes, “Ge, I’m sorry.”

He wanted to reach out and tug at Shen Xiao Shi’s hand but Shen Xiao Shi stepped back and avoided him, as the boy’s features flashed with evident pain.

Shen Xiao Shi looked at him emotionlessly, “The person who you should be saying ‘I’m sorry’ to is not me, and there’s nothing you have to be sorry for when it comes to me.”

Tang Zhuo instantly paled after hearing this and became speechless. 

A myriad of emotions swirled in Shen Xiao Shi’s eyes. He seemed like he wanted to say something else when in the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the Tang family marching over towards us with an air full of hostility. Afraid of the potential conflict, I hurriedly tugged Shen Xiao Shi’s sleeve to indicate this.

Shen Xiao Shi looked at the incoming mob approaching and sighed as he said to me, “Feng Ge, let’s go.” After which, he ignored Tang Zhuo as he left.

Halfway down the hall I turned around to look back and saw the young boy remaining fixated and alone in his original spot, his eyes following Shen Xiao Shi, his figure appearing particularly lonely.

This time during the trial, Sheng Min Ou summoned Dr. Xu Wei Bo from the mental health center as an expert witness to prove that Shen Xiao Shi’s mother was depressed and mentally unstable due to years of suffering domestic violence.

The prosecution had long been prepared for this. They launched a cross-examination in an attempt to raise doubts regarding the doctor’s professionalism and expertise, as they aimed to sway the jury into believing that their assessment of Yao Jing’s mental state was not credible.

The prosecutor held a pile of materials in his hand as he showed it to everyone, “Dr. Xu’s complaint rate in the health center over the past five years has remained high with no signs of it decreasing. Many patients believe that their condition has not improved as he promised under his diagnosis and treatment. Evidently. Dr. Xu has had a habit of exaggerating his speech so as to highlight his authority.”

In light of being questioned in front of the public like this, Dr. Xu’s face went green as his lips trembled with anger, “This is defamation!”

Sheng Min Ou gestured to Dr. Xu as a reminder to keep his calm before standing up and nodding to the judge: “This is not the first time that Dr. Xu has been asked to testify as an expert witness. No one has ever questioned Dr. Xu’s professionalism before. Since the prosecution does not appear to find Dr. Xu’s opinion credible, we can use an expert that the prosecution recommends instead. Regardless, there is nothing to be afraid of if one has done nothing wrong. Ms. Yao’s diagnosis on her mental state will not change just because the doctor has differed.” 

The judge looked towards the prosecutor and frowned, “Does the prosecution require a different appointment to fill in for the expert witness? I would like to remind the prosecution that when the defense submitted their application, you did not raise any objections towards their choice of candidate.”

I heard from Shen Xiao Shi previously that because of the attention this case had received, the judge was keen on not having any additional complications thrown into the case, and hoped to conclude this as soon as possible. Therefore, this judge was particularly averse to any unnecessary delays.

The prosecutor didn’t seem to expect that Sheng Min Ou was willing to go to such lengths, and seeing the judge’s stern expression his spirit seemed to diminish at once.

“No need, your Honor.” He stated as he sat down resentfully. 

After that, the prosecution summoned Tang Zhi Peng’s colleagues and neighbors, and both witnesses only had good things to say about Tang Zhi Peng. They recalled that he was an honest and loyal man, friendly to everyone, and they did not believe that he was capable of violence.

Shen Xiao Shi pressed his lips tightly, his eyes a tempestuous swirl of anger. If it weren’t for the fact that we were currently in court, I would’ve suspected that he had it in him to immediately stand up and yell at the witnesses testifying, pointing a finger to their nose and asking if they were blind.

Halfway through the trial, I suddenly received a call from Yi Da Zhuang. I saw how serious the atmosphere was in this trial and so refused his call. Just as I was about to send a message to tell him that it was inconvenient to answer the phone right now, my phone vibrated again.

It must really be urgent if he was showing such perseverance. Afraid that it was a life or death event awaiting me on the other side of the call, I had to dash outside the courtroom to answer the phone. 

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

“Qtja’r atf wjaafg? Wljb Vtl’r wbatfg lr meggfcais bc aglji.”

Tl Gj Itejcu rffwfv ab yf bc atf wbnf jr tf rbecvfv rtbga bo ygfjat bnfg atf qtbcf, “Mfcu Xf, P rfca rbwfatlcu ab sbeg jvvgfrr, bcmf sbe gfmflnf la… bcmf la mbwfr, xffq la rbwfktfgf rjof. P klii mbwf bnfg lc j ofk vjsr ab ufa la ogbw sbe atfc.”

“You’re sending your things to me?” I asked, perplexed. “Did you enter the wrong address when you were online shopping or something?”

“Y-Yeah, pretty much. Make sure that you get that parcel for me. I’ll definitely treat you my good mate to dinner afterwards.” 

After repeating his instructions a times more, he hung up the phone apparently in a hurry.

I stared at my phone screen, which had returned to the default home screen, feeling a strange, inexplicable feeling arise within.

All he did was send over a parcel to the wrong address. Did he have to act in such a hurried way? People who had no context on the situation might have guessed that he behaved like this because he had a huge sum of money sent my way or something.

Lowering my body as I snuck back to the public gallery, I saw that the prosecution had once again summoned Tang Zhuo. The cherubic boy took his position on the witness stand for the second time, and perhaps due to there being more people at this hearing compared to the first time, he appeared to be more uncomfortable. 

The prosecutor’s questions were similar to what he had asked previously, but this time, when he asked Tang Zhuo whether he had witnessed his father carry out violence against his mother, Tang Zhuo responded with silence.

The youth stared down at the ground, as if there was something particularly interesting there, grabbing his attention.

The prosecutor frowned and asked again, “Tang Zhuo, have you ever witnessed your father commit acts of violence against your mother?”

The court was blanketed in silence, and even the typing of the reporters stopped. The only sound audible was a slight noise from the overhead air conditioner. 

Whilst the environment was held in a standstill silence, the youth slowly raised his head.

“Yes.” His voice was simple and powerful.

An uproar ensued, with the media present all glancing at each other before their ten fingers were a blur striking at their keyboards.

The prosecutor was stunned for a moment, and even suspected his hearing, “What?” 

Tang Zhuo swallowed, his voice now louder than before, “Yes, I’ve seen it! That year, on my birthday, my dad grabbed my mum’s hair and smashed it against the wall, whilst dealing punches and kicks at her. I wanted to stop him, but he pushed me into a room and locked the door behind me, preventing me from going out. Who he was outside in the public and who he was at home were two entirely different people. He treated me very well, but he was not a good husband!”

Yao Jing’s expression went blank for a moment, and then, overcome by emotion, she moved her body towards Tang Zhuo, tears welling up in both her eyes.

Tang Zhuo’s sudden change in his testimony caught the prosecutor by surprise, as he hurriedly asked for him to be listed as a hostile witness. The judge agreed.

“Are you currently being coerced by your mother?” The prosecutor asked, pointedly looking at the public gallery. “This wasn’t what you said last time.” 

Tang Zhuo trembled as he stammered, “Last time I lied.”

Sheng Min Ou stood up and objected, “I oppose the prosecution’s unfounded malicious speculations. From what we can see, the witnesses’ statements are contradictory, and this points more towards the witness having received undue pressure from the prosecution instead.” His lips curved upwards, and he looked as if he was polite and cordial, however the words which left his mouth were scathing. “I really want to know, did the prosecution instead coerce a minor in order for Yao Jing to be convicted as soon as possible?

The prosecutor, having been so directly and bluntly questioned on the spot, felt shamed by Sheng Min Ou and retorted angrily, “This is also a malicious speculation!”

“Then I take it back.” 

“You……”

“Enough!” The judge seized this chance to knock the gavel, interrupting the confrontation between the two.

“In consideration of the unique relationship this witness has with the case and the inconsistency perceived from his two testimonies, I have decided not to accept his testimony. I hope that the jury will form their own judgment on this.” Then he announced that there would be a one-hour adjournment, following the closing statements provided by both sides.

That also meant that the jury would have to come to a verdict by today, so that the case would receive its end. 

During the adjournment, the prosecutor made a final attempt at a plea deal to Yao Jing, for her to plead guilty in exchange for a three-year probation, but Yao Jing refused.

In the discussion room, Wu Yi was elated to the point where he wanted to dance the Cha-Cha, “Victory is in sight, victory is in sight! In this final hour, the jury should be coming to a general consensus. The closing statements which follow later will only make their decision easier, and at most in half an hour we’ll be able to hear the results.”

Though he hadn’t said it explicitly, from his various actions it was evident that victory was in our hands.

The defense advocated that Yao Jing’s actions were carried out as legitimate self-defense. If the jury declared that Yao Jing was not guilty, then she would be released on the scene. 

For Shen Xiao Shi, his mother’s court case had weighed heavily on his mind recently, as it became hard for him to sleep and eat. Today was the day that he would finally be able to see the conclusion of this case, so it was unsurprising that he was excited over this.

I had a hand on the table, and after Shen Xiao SHi heard Wu Yi’s words he clasped my wrist tightly, as he exclaimed, “I’ve troubled you all these past few days. No matter what the result is, I will reserve a table at a restaurant and set up a time to properly thank everyone!”

Sheng Min Ou was sitting just across from us. Hearing that he raised his head from the phone, giving a shallow smile as he said, “That’s too kind of you.”

As if it was a conditioned reflex, it was like my hand had been sliced by a knife, and I hurriedly fought to get my hand out of Shen Xiao Shi’s grasp. I moved a chair with me as I pulled away and created distance from Shen Xiao Shi. 

Shen Xiao Shi was immersed in his emotions and didn’t notice, but Wu Yi suddenly burst into a coughing fit, as he turned his head to the side, his ears turning red from his continuous coughs.

“Lawyer Wu, are you okay?” Shen Xiao Shi asked with concern, noticing his coughing fit.

Wu Yi didn’t look back, instead he raised a hand as he waved it around, indicating that he was okay.

After the one hour adjournment, everyone resumed their seating as they reentered the courthouse in order. 

Both the prosecution and the defense were to provide a closing statement. This was essentially the last chance for them to win the trust of the jury so this part was crucial.

This was the first time that I had witnessed this section of a court hearing in the public gallery. Compared with the solemn seriousness of the sections preceding, this part was more akin to a showcase of the prosecution and defense’s public speaking ability.

Their speeches here had to be clear and logical, easy to understand, and tug at the heartstrings.

“I was an orphan. When I was three years old, I met my adoptive parents.” Sheng Min Ou paced slowly in the open area of the courtroom twirling a pen in his hand. “When I was fourteen, my adoptive father died in a car accident. He was caught under a truck from behind, and after he was taken to the hospital, the doctor took one look at his wound and immediately covered him back up with the bedsheet, indicating that there was no point trying to try save him. That day, my younger brother cried his heart out, I had never seen him cry like that.” 

He paused for a moment, then continued, “Questioning why Ms. Yao didn’t leave her husband and why she didn’t call the police at that moment is like questioning why my adoptive father didn’t get out of the truck’s way to avoid it back then.”

“Couldn’t he hear the sound of a car coming?”

“Couldn’t she tell that he was drunk?”

“If a stranger on the street suddenly rushed up to you and was violent towards you, would you fight back? The answer is yes, of course. Then in the case of husband and wife, why is everyone questioning the wife’s choice to fight back? In this fatal scenario where you’d have to choose one out of the two options, when it’s either your death or my demise, if Ms. Yao is a normal person, she would inevitably try her hardest to survive out of biological instinct. However, this is not murder, nor was it deliberate. It was an act of legitimate and reasonable self-defense.” 

After the prosecution and defense had finished their closing statements, the judge gave the jury ten minutes to come to a consensus.

During these ten minutes, Shen Xiao Shi was extremely nervous, as rubbed his hands constantly, making me nervous too.

I looked at Sheng Min Ou, but he seemed completely unperturbed, with his eyes half-closed sitting motionless at the defense table. If one didn’t look closely, they might have thought that he was asleep.

Ten minutes later, the jury representative stood up and bowed to the judge. 

Everyone in the audience focused their gaze on him, waiting for him to reveal the jury’s decision.

Time seemed to stand still as everyone held their breath.

The representative cleared his throat and announced, “The jury has unanimously found that the murder charge was not established and that the legitimate defense has been established, therefore Yao Jing was ruled…not guilty.”

As soon as the words “not guilty” came out, it felt like a big bell hammer slammed into my heart, as my whole soul felt shaken in the aftermath. 

I took the first chance I got to glance at Sheng Min Ou, just in time to see him lift his eyelids, a small smile curving upwards on his features.

I wasn’t sure who started first but the audience gradually burst into applause, before everyone joined together in unison.

Shen Xiao Shi hugged me all of a sudden, crying tears of joy. “We won, Feng Ge, we won!”

My eyes were glued to Sheng Min Ou, if it wasn’t for the fact that everyone was watching, then I would’ve ran towards him and held him in a tight embrace as I spun around him. 

Sheng Min Ou stood up at this very moment, placing one hand in his trouser pocket, his gaze sweeping past the public gallery before meeting my eyes.

I flashed him a silly grin, however upon seeing me the smile on his expression quickly vanished, as he quickly averted his gaze and shook hands with Yao Jing who was next to him.

Huh? Something was wrong with the way he looked at me.

Shen Xiao Shi was jumping and screaming as he held me in his arms and I suddenly returned to my senses. It was as if I was caught in the howling cold January wind, as I shivered and hurriedly pushed him away. 

It was over for me, why was it that I felt like a husband who stole and cheated all the time, as I constantly became worried now about getting caught by my wife?

I had really dug my own grave this time. The trap that I had set up back then to force the gull to descend was effective, but also had a bunch of sequelae that followed and was now a burden instead. Now, no matter what I did, it felt like I was giving off strong fuckboy vibes. I also appeared to be the player type too, the type that called everyone ‘baby’ and ‘my love’, the type of filthy scumbag who would play multiple girls at the same time.