Chapter 27.1

“At that time, I was so scared. I couldn’t see anything; my mind was in chaos. All I could think about was that I had to survive.”

After everything was over, Ye Sibei and Qin Nan sat together on the carpet by the bed. She had a blanket wrapped around her, gazing at the half-set sun outside, recounting those painful memories.

“So whatever he told me to do, I did.”

It was as if she was tearing open an old wound, exposing the raw flesh inside, then using tweezers to dig in, searching for the biggest shard of glass buried deep within.

She described every detail of what happened. His hand rested on her shoulder as he listened quietly, without any sign of turmoil.

When she finished, she turned to look at him. Seeing the puzzled look in his eyes, she realized that the pain does, indeed, slowly heal over time.

She watched the sun dip below the horizon and couldn’t help but ask, “Qin Nan, if I hadn’t pressed charges and just taken the money, would things have been better?”

“If you hadn’t reported it, they would never have offered you any money.”

Ye Sibei lowered her eyes and spoke softly, “What if?”

Qin Nan didn’t respond immediately. He looked at the setting sun for a long time before speaking, “My father was a very weak man. Our family was small, and everyone in the village bullied us. One New Year, my parents came home, and my mom got into a conflict with a local thug. My dad was beaten by his four sons, and they broke one of his ribs.”

“I was standing right there, watching them beat my father,” Qin Nan gestured to indicate he was about the height of a small child at the time. “Just this tall.”

“Did you report it to the police?”

“Report it?” Qin Nan chuckled, lowering his head. “My father didn’t dare to. He was afraid they would retaliate later, so he took the money and didn’t report it, didn’t make a fuss.”

“After that, my dad became more and more cowardly. He was afraid of so many things. My mom would yell at him, and he just took it. Later, she found another man, and he knew, but he pretended not to. When I was in high school, he died on a construction site.”

“And I kept remembering that moment for years. Whenever I closed my eyes, I felt like I was still a child, standing next to my father, watching him get beaten.”

“So, Sibei,” Qin Nan turned to look at Ye Sibei, “reporting it is like cutting through the chaos with a sharp knife. Not reporting it would slowly consume your life.”

“You have to report it, and you have to win. Otherwise, you’ll end up like me, trapped in that moment for the rest of your life.”

As Ye Sibei listened to him, she sensed, faintly, that this verdict would affect more than just her life and future. It would affect Qin Nan too.

Perhaps he had been stuck in the humiliation of his youth all his life, constantly questioning the rules of this world. Only if she won could she give him the answer he had been seeking.

She nodded gently. “I know.”

“We will win.”

He looked at her as if he were looking at a candle’s flame, at hope. “We will win.”

From that day on, Ye Sibei no longer went outside or browsed the internet.

Qin Nan handed over all the shop duties to Chen Jun, and apart from buying essential supplies, they no longer went out.

The two of them lived in their small room, day and night blending together.

Ye Nianwen would occasionally call to update them on the outside world and the progress of the case.

They heard that Zhao Shuhui had been detained again, and her recording was submitted as new evidence, leading the prosecutor’s office to delay filing charges and continue the investigation.

They also heard that the internet was in an uproar, and Ye Nianwen specifically advised her not to go online.

She didn’t dare to.

Their lives had been reduced to one thing: waiting.

Day after day, they watched countless sunsets, enduring the torment of time.

Every day, Ye Sibei reminded herself to wait. Once the verdict was reached, it would all be over.

Once the trial was over, she would get a fair judgment. Maybe she would still have to face rumors in the future, but at least the wound in her heart, her shaky understanding of the world, could begin to heal.

She needed a resolution to tell her that she had won this time, that she could win in life.

While she hid like a turtle in its shell, the outside world was in chaos.

Some accused her of orchestrating a “honey trap,” while others accused Fan Jiancheng of slandering her.

Many people also turned their attention to Zhao Chuchu, who had left Ye Sibei in the car.

Zhao Chuchu had always been proud and flamboyant, with many enemies. So after the incident, countless photos and rumors about her flooded the internet.

Netizens pieced together a rough image of Zhao Chuchu.

She didn’t take her studies seriously when she was young, started dating in middle school, barely made it to a vocational school, and was arrogant and domineering on campus. After graduation, she latched onto a law school graduate, forced him to buy a house, and together, they relied on their families.

As for Ye Sibei’s case, various stories circulated about her role.

Some said she was a pimp who helped Fan Jiancheng harm Ye Sibei;

Others concocted an elaborate tale, claiming she was the real victim but sold out Ye Sibei to protect herself;

Some even said she and Ye Sibei conspired to extort money through a “honey trap” to solve her housing problem.

Every day, she received all kinds of messages, criticizing her appearance, her fashion choices, her past behavior, her early start in dating, her lack of restraint, and her flamboyance.

At the same time, different people kept asking her the same question: Why did she leave Ye Sibei that day?

She gradually stopped going out, locking herself in her room and rapidly losing weight.

Several times, Ye Nianwen visited her and found her sitting by the window, staring blankly at the yard outside.

Ye Nianwen knew what was troubling her. He gently put his arm around her and comforted her, “Don’t be sad. I believe you.”

But as he held her, her mind was filled with the words of netizens.

“If that Zhao person really left Ye Sibei in the car while she was unconscious, then she’s an accomplice to the rapist. How can Ye’s brother not mind that?”

“If she really abandoned Ye Sibei, then she’s a criminal and deserves to die.”

“It’s obvious that the Ye family colluded to frame this as rape. If it was really rape, how could the sister-in-law leave her drunk sister-in-law in a car? What kind of person does that?”

“Nianwen.” Zhao Chuchu spoke up, voicing the question that tormented her most. But as she uttered his name, she suddenly lost the courage to continue.

“What is it?”

“Nothing,” Zhao Chuchu rested her forehead against his chest. “I just feel so tired.”

“Exhausted.”

Everyone was waiting, enduring the torment.

It was hard to say how much time had passed, but soon the green leaves of summer turned to the yellow of autumn, and the weather began to cool. People on the streets started wearing light sweaters. It was around this time that Ye Sibei finally received a court summons.

That evening, Qin Nan cooked beef for dinner. After they had eaten, they stood on the balcony, smoking.

Out of nowhere, Qin Nan suddenly said to her, “After we win this case, let’s quit smoking and drinking together.”

Hearing his words, Ye Sibei turned to look at him, feeling a bit confused. Qin Nan smiled, “I want to live a little longer.”

“What for?” she asked.

“To see what this world will become,” Qin Nan replied after thinking for a moment.

They hardly slept that night, only dozing off at dawn and getting woken up by the alarm just a few hours later.

They got up and washed together, standing side by side in front of the mirror. Qin Nan noticed Ye Sibei wearing her sports clothes and couldn’t help but suggest, “Why not wear a dress?”

“I’m not brave enough yet,” Ye Sibei said with a faint smile. “It would make me too nervous and scared.”

“Then promise me this,” Qin Nan said, placing his hands on her shoulders, “if we win today, I’ll buy you a dress.”