Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Cai Shengnan couldn’t help but sneer, “Lawyer Gu, do you not understand human speech? Auntie Xing was very clear; my client was merely passing on Bai Jinyi’s medical advice! How is it that when it comes to you, it’s my client’s fault? In order to slander my client, you are willing to go to unscrupulous lengths!”
“You say that I am going to unscrupulous lengths?” Gu Nianzhi couldn’t help but laugh, “This is really a case of a thief shouting thief.”
She turned around and walked to the plaintiff’s stand. Without looking back, she said, “If you insist that Luo Jialan was merely relaying Bai Jinyi’s medical advice, please provide evidence. Medical advice is not just a doctor’s verbal advice. Only if the doctor had given an official prescription can it be considered medical advice.”
Although Bai Jinyi did not have the professional qualifications to practice psychiatry, she still retained Song Jinning’s medical records from all these years and even had her own “prescriptions”.
These were all evidence that had already been exposed during the trial of Bai Jinyi for the murder of Luo Xinxue.
Gu Nianzhi dared to insist that Bai Jinyi had not given any of this “medical advice” because she had read all the “medical records” and “prescriptions” that Bai Jinyi had left behind.
Moreover, Gu Nianzhi had a photographic memory and remembered all the materials that she had read.
As long as someone mentioned anything related, she could recall all of these materials that she had read through.
“… Make Song Jinning’s room more cramped. Don’t talk to her. Let her stay alone in the attic all year round…”
Gu Nianzhi remembered very clearly that these few items had never appeared in the medical records and prescriptions that Bai Jinyi had recorded.
Thus, she concluded that Luo Jialan had used Bai Jinyi’s name to order Auntie Xing and Auntie you to gradually send Song Jinning to her death.
If Gu Nianzhi hadn’t appeared, Song Jinning would have been dead by now.
Cai Shengnan looked at Gu Nianzhi’s back and said with a solemn face, “Are you asking me for proof of what was said all those years ago? Are you sure you are not just saying it for the sake of argument?”
Gu Nianzhi turned around, her expression cold, “I never do something as pointless as that in court. Lawyer Cai, if you can’t produce evidence of Bai Jinyi’s ‘medical advice’, then I’m afraid that I can’t accept you blaming Bai Jinyi. I insist that Luo Jialan is the culprit behind Ms. Song Jinning’s murder. Furthermore, Auntie Xing’s words just now have confirmed our accusations.”
Gu Nianzhi looked at Luo Jialan and said plainly, “Luo Jialan has indeed been scheming to kill Ms. Song Jinning. She has been planning this since a few years ago, and even has planned for a scapegoat to take her place.”
“Objection!” Cai Shengnan quickly interrupted Gu Nianzhi.”I object to the prosecution making assumptions about my client’s actions!”
The judge looked at her without moving, ignoring her cry of “Objection”. He looked at her from behind the top of his glasses, rolling his eyes at her.”…Does the defense lawyer still want to call the second witness?”
This meant that he did not permit Cai Shengnan’s objection.
Cai Shengnan felt sullen. He gritted his teeth and replied, “Yes.”
Soon, Auntie Xing was taken away, and Auntie You was brought in.
Auntie You and Auntie Xing had always been close to each other in the Huo family, and their words were almost exactly the same.
There were a few discrepancies, but that was expected.
If the two of them had said the exact same things, then they would have surely colluded.
When it came to the acts that had worsened Song Jinning’s living environment, Auntie You also first said that Bai Jinyi had instructed her to do so. However, under Gu Nianzhi’s questioning, she finally admitted that it was Luo Jialan who had relayed Bai Jinyi’s “medical advice”.
Auntie You’s testimony ended and she was taken out of Court No. 1.
Gu Nianzhi glanced at the judge and stood up to give her concluding statement.
“By now, the situation is already very clear.”
“Luo Jialan did intend to kill Song Jinning.”
“This was not an accidental killing, nor was it a murder committed in the spur of the moment. It was a ploy that had she had plotted for many years!”
“I implore the court to deliver a fair trial, and a long-deserved justice for my client!”
The judge nodded and looked coldly at Cai Shengnan and Luo Jialan. “Do you have any new witnesses and evidence? If not, I think the court can pass judgment already.”
Cai Shengnan and Luo Jialan did not say a word.
Gu Nianzhi became nervous.
Her large, dark eyes looked in the direction of Cai Shengnan and Luo Jialan. There was a glimmer of light in her eyes, like a single spark burning stubbornly.
It shouldn’t be like this…
She silently thought to herself, “Cai Shengnan shouldn’t only have these two tricks up her sleeve. She must have something else planned.”
Sure enough, Cai Shengnan and Luo Jialan exchanged a glance. As if she had made up her mind, she looked up and said, “Your Honor, we still have another witness and other evidence. They will be submitted to the court immediately.”
The judge folded his hands and looked at her expressionlessly for a moment and said, “This will be permitted. However, your client is suspected of homicide. According to law, after the first trial, she has to be detained.”
Luo Jialan was shocked.
She was going to be convicted just like that?!
Furthermore, her freedom would be restricted?!
She looked at Cai Shengnan in panic and pleaded in a low voice, “Lawyer Cai, please help me. I don’t want to be locked up…”
She wanted even less to be convicted.
Cai Shengnan, however, was helpless.
After the first trial, Gu Nianzhi unexpectedly countered every move she made and foiled their first two plans in the blink of an eye.
She had forced them to come up with a third plan!
This was also their last plan.
If this plan did not work…
Cai Shengnan shook his head and refused to think further down this path.
It would definitely work.
This was the ultimate plan they had prepared for Gu Nianzhi.
Cai Shengnan pressed her lips together, and her gaze flitted past Gu Nianzhi’s face and settled on Song Jinning who was sitting next to Gu Nianzhi.
She could vaguely make out Huo Shaoheng’s handsome profile from her gorgeous face…
Cai Shengnan closed her eyes and asked the judge, “May I ask what the bail amount is?”
“You can go to the office next door to handle the paperwork.” The judge did not say how much the bail was. He closed the case file and knocked on the gavel, “The first trial is over. We’ll wait for the defendant’s lawyer to submit the new evidence. We’ll hold the next trial another day.”
Cai Shengnan and Luo Jialan left Court No. 1 with a dark expression on their faces. They went to the office next door to submit the bail.
Gu Nianzhi and Song Jinning walked out of the courthouse together.
Huo Guanchen stood in front of a military vehicle in front of the court, waiting for them silently.
He had a cigarette in his hand. His expression was solemn as he stood upright.
Seeing them walk out, Huo Guanchen threw the cigarette from his hand into the trash can under the big tree and walked up to them.
“Jinning, let me take you home.” He said apologetically as he looked at Song Jinning.
Song Jinning smiled and said politely, “No need to trouble yourself. Nianzhi can send me home.”
Gu Nianzhi initially wanted to stay as far away as possible, but when Song Jinning glanced at her, she did not dare move. She stood obediently at the side as an awkwardly cute third wheel.
Huo Guanchen looked at Gu Nianzhi and said amicably, “Nianzhi, thank you so much for today. Come back home with Shaoheng more often if you’re free on the weekends.”
Gu Nianzhi had never heard Huo Guanchen speak in such a cordial way, so she was slightly shocked.
However, past the shock, she understood that Huo Guanchen was beginning to accept her as his daughter-in-law.
Although deep down she didn’t really care whether Huo Guanchen accepted her or not, there was no doubt that it was better that Huo Guanchen accepted her.
This way, Huo Shaoheng could worry less, and did not have to feel caught between his wife and father.
Gu Nianzhi silently imagined how uncomfortable Huo Shaoheng would feel caught between his father and her, and could not help but laugh secretly.
She knew that Huo Shaoheng would never be caught in a dilemma like this.
If Huo Guanchen did not accept Gu Nianzhi, Huo Shaoheng would never return to that home.
Gu Nianzhi knew he had the determination to do so.
She smiled at Huo Guanchen, “Okay, I’ll go back with Young Master Huo when I’m free.”
Huo Guanchen smiled at her and looked at Song Jinning again.
Song Jinning smiled politely as well. She did not isolate herself from him, but her distant and polite attitude made him feel worse than if she had scolded him, hit him, or even rejected him.
If she had scolded him, hit him, or rejected him, it meant that there was still a place for him in her heart.
Now that she wasn’t even angry anymore, it was clear that the last bit of warmth she felt for him had vanished completely.
The three of them stood awkwardly in front of the military vehicle at the entrance of the courthouse.
That was, until the sound of a car horn broke the awkward silence between them.
Gu Nianzhi looked in the direction of the source of the car horn, and saw that it was Huo Shaoheng’s car. She instantly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, “Young Master Huo is here.”
Huo Guanchen and Song Jinning looked up together.
Huo Shaoheng opened the car door and got out. He walked up to the three of them and nodded at Huo Guanchen. “You’re here.”
He then asked Song Jinning, “Do you want me to send you back?”
Song Jinning quickly agreed and politely said goodbye to Huo Guanchen. “We’ll be leaving first. Goodbye.”
She got into Huo Shaoheng’s car without looking back.
Gu Nianzhi said to Huo Shaoheng, “I’m driving too. It’s in the parking lot.”
Huo Shaoheng reached his hand out to her. “Pass me the car keys.”
Gu Nianzhi took out the car keys and placed them in Huo Shaoheng’s palm.
Huo Shaoheng turned around and said to the car, “Xiao Ye, go drive Nianzhi’s car. I’ll send the address to your phone.”
Huo Shaoheng’s car door opened once more, and a tall, gorgeous woman pushed the door open and got out.
She had long, wavy hair, the ends of which were dyed wine red, making her skin look especially fair and delicate.
The curves on her body were way too perfect.
Gu Nianzhi stared at it.
Sigh…
“Where did this beautiful lady come from?!” She thought.
“I’ve never seen her before!”
Xiao Ye took Gu Nianzhi’s car keys from Huo Shaoheng and smiled at Gu Nianzhi, “Yes, chief.”
She then asked Gu Nianzhi, “Miss Gu, is your car in the court parking lot?”
Gu Nianzhi nodded and pointed out the location for her. She watched Xiao Ye walk elegantly towards the parking lot.
“Young Master Huo, is this your new recruit?” Gu Nianzhi asked curiously as Huo Shaoheng sat her down in the car.
Huo Shaoheng fastened her seatbelt as he said casually, “She’s not new. She’s been training abroad and returned a few days ago. She just re-joined us after her vacation.”
“Oh.” Hearing that she was Huo Shaoheng’s subordinate, she was not bothered by her anymore.
She looked at Song Jinning who was sitting on the other side of the car, and asked softly, “Ms. Song, how are you? Are you tired? Do you want some water?”
Song Jinning leaned against the car door and muttered, “… Nianzhi, can I not appear in court next time?”