Chapter 29.3

“She reported it. My mom stopped her. I stopped her too, because as a lawyer, I know how much harm this kind of case can cause the victim. So she reported it, and then denied she had. But in the end, my sister decided to report it again, not for money, not for extortion, but just to seek justice.”

“Your Honor,” Ye Nianwen, in tears, pleaded as he looked at the judge, “For an ordinary woman, to be able to press charges already takes immense courage. I believe that justice should not extinguish that kind of courage. She deserves fairness.”

The judge looked at him quietly, seemingly moved. However, after a long pause, he finally spoke, “Justice should never extinguish anyone’s courage, and we must do our best to ensure fairness for all. But judges are not gods. We must rely on the law and do our utmost to deliver fairness.”

After speaking, the judge announced a recess, and all court officials entered the deliberation room to discuss the final verdict.

Qin Nan and Zhang Yong returned to the courtroom entrance. Zhang Yong appeared relaxed and asked, “After the trial ends, are you staying in Nancheng, or going somewhere else?”

“It depends on Sibei.”

Qin Nan smiled. Zhang Yong, curious, asked, “Actually, I’ve been wondering something.”

“Hmm?”

“If Ye Sibei hadn’t married you, would you still treat her this well if it were someone else?”

Qin Nan seemed slightly embarrassed and chuckled.

“How could that be?”

“After just over a year of marriage, you’re already so deeply in love?”

Zhang Yong thought for a moment and added, “Could it be you knew each other before?”

“No.”

Qin Nan shook his head, “We never met.”

“Really? What school did you go to?”

“Seventh High.”

“Alright,” Zhang Yong sighed, “I was thinking if there was a chance you two were alumni. But Second High is pretty far from Seventh High, right?”

“Yeah.”

As the two chatted, the noise around them grew louder. Qin Nan heard footsteps approaching, and when he turned, he saw witnesses being led out one by one. Among them was Ye Sibei, her eyes red and her stance exhausted.

Qin Nan looked at her silently. She forced a smile and was about to walk over when the courtroom doors suddenly opened.

One by one, people exited the courtroom, and the crowd separated them.

The first to come out was Meng Xin, his face grim and indifferent. Behind him, Fan Jiancheng wore a joyous expression, rushing to embrace his wife and child. The family and relatives who had come with them excitedly exchanged words.

Zhao Shuhui seemed overjoyed, and eventually, under Fan Jiancheng’s comforting, she broke down into quiet sobs. Then she turned and rushed out of the courthouse, shouting at the reporters outside.

“Innocent!”

She screamed with all her might, sobbing and shouting, “My husband is innocent! Did you hear that? My husband is innocent!”

Ye Sibei was momentarily stunned. Her vision blurred, and then she saw the prosecutors approaching. They stood in front of her and quietly said, “We’re sorry.”

Ye Sibei stared at them blankly, unable to speak. After a long silence, the prosecutors finally left.

Qin Nan and Ye Sibei’s parents came over, standing behind her. After a long while, Ye Nianwen, with red eyes, also emerged.

Huang Guifen hurriedly stepped forward, “What happened? What’s the result?”

Ye Nianwen didn’t respond. Huang Guifen, growing anxious, grabbed his arm and cried out, “Say something! Say something!”

“Calm down!” Ye Ling pulled Huang Guifen aside, shouting, “Let him process it! Nianwen,” Ye Ling looked at him with concern, “Did we win or lose?”

“I…” As Ye Nianwen began to speak, he broke into sobs, “I’m sorry… Sis… I’m sorry…”

Ye Sibei remained silent.

She felt like she was suddenly submerged underwater, just like the countless times she had dreamt of being inside a coffin. The water rushed in, and this time, she couldn’t escape. It was as if someone had nailed the coffin shut.

“Let’s go home.”

Qin Nan was the first to react, “There are too many people here, let’s leave.”

“Yes,” hearing Qin Nan’s words, Zhang Yong stepped forward, remaining much calmer, “Ye Sibei needs time to process. Let me take you all home.”

Ye Ling, taking a deep breath, nodded as he helped the dazed Huang Guifen. “Let’s go home.”

The family walked out of the courthouse together, and as soon as they stepped outside, a light rain began to fall, hitting their faces.

Reporters in raincoats swarmed toward them, asking questions to Ye Sibei:

“Will you appeal?”

“What’s your take on the verdict of Fan Jiancheng’s innocence?”

“Did you falsely accuse Fan Jiancheng for money, or was there another reason?”

“There are rumors online that you tried to break up his marriage out of revenge. What’s your response to that?”

…..

Countless humiliating questions bombarded her, but Qin Nan shielded Ye Sibei in his arms as she walked forward in a daze.

Not far away, Fan Jiancheng’s wife was loudly shouting at reporters, “I told you, she extorted our family for money! Jiancheng has always been a good husband, a good father, kind to everyone.”

Hearing these words, Huang Guifen suddenly stopped.

Ye Sibei looked up in confusion, just in time to see Huang Guifen scream and lunge at the woman. “I’ll tear you apart!”

The elderly woman shoved through the crowd, grabbing Fan Jiancheng’s wife’s hair. Her slow, slightly overweight body struggled, while the other woman screamed and began to fight back.

A man next to Zhao Shuhui pushed Huang Guifen, and Ye Nianwen shouted, “Don’t touch my mom!”

As Ye Nianwen rushed forward, Fan Jiancheng’s men retaliated, and chaos ensued. Ye Ling stumbled as he charged in, with Qin Nan joining the fray.

The crowd erupted in screams, and both families became entangled in a brawl.

The rain poured harder, the sky growing darker. Ye Sibei watched everything unfold with numb detachment.

She saw her always timid, elderly father pushed to the ground, her high-blood-pressure, gray-haired mother grappling with Zhao Shuhui.

Her scholarly brother, who had never been in a fight, was pinned to the ground and punched repeatedly. Qin Nan, like a cornered lion, roared and struggled as he was surrounded.

They all fought like trapped animals, desperately battling for survival.

Rain lashed against her face. Trembling, Ye Sibei looked up and saw Fan Jiancheng in the crowd.

He and several men were fighting Qin Nan. Fan punched Qin Nan in the face, finally releasing his pent-up hatred. He cursed, “Damn it! I’ll kill you today!”

He was fine. He had faced no punishment.

Despite all her efforts, despite practically destroying herself, she had failed to bring him down.

It was like every rebellion, every struggle of her life.

In the past, she could tell herself it was because she hadn’t tried hard enough, hadn’t been brave enough.

But now?

She had tried. She had fought. She had battled against the tide, as everyone said she should.

And yet?

Why was she the one suffering, when she had done nothing wrong? Why was the one who had wronged her still standing tall?

Something collapsed within her. Watching her family in the downpour, her rationality shattered completely. She let out a scream, grabbed an umbrella, and rushed at Fan Jiancheng, hitting him hard on the head!

Fan Jiancheng turned and slapped her. She bit down on his hand.

She fought like her life depended on it, a ferocious glint in her eyes startling him into retreating. But the pain in his hand enraged him, and he swung a punch at her. Qin Nan leaped forward, tackling Fan to the ground just as the police finally arrived and pulled them apart.

Ye Sibei was forcefully dragged away. As soon as they released her, she lunged forward again.

It took several men to hold her back. She lashed out at anyone in her way, biting, hitting. Her eyes were locked on Fan Jiancheng, consumed by a wild fury.

“Let go of me! I’ll kill him! I’ll kill him!”

She struggled against the officers restraining her. She saw nothing but the need for vengeance—she would drag him to hell with her.

There must be retribution for injustice, compensation for harm.

“Let go of me! I just want justice! I just want justice!”

She kicked and punched, fighting with all her strength.

She fell, got back up, and charged again.

She barreled through the crowd, screaming and shouting, her eyes locked on Fan Jiancheng.

The police tried to hold her back, but in the end, someone hugged her from behind.

“Sibei, stop,” the voice said, letting her hit and kick.

She didn’t even register who it was and fought harder. “Let me go! Let me go!”

“Sibei!”

That voice shouted her name, and she finally regained a sliver of clarity.

The person knelt on the ground with her, holding her tightly, as if trying to merge her with their very being.

Huang Guifen, Ye Ling, and Ye Nianwen were still trying to charge forward. Many people were holding them back, many standing in their way.

They were surrounded by a sea of people, stopping them from their desperate actions.

Ye Sibei stood there, rain pouring down on her, staring at the world that seemed determined to bury them all.

Held by Qin Nan, she collapsed, her spine hunched as she wailed.

“Ah!!!!”

“Ahhhhhh!!!”

She watched as Fan Jiancheng was escorted away, and her screams and sobs filled the air.

For the first time, she felt completely defeated by the world.

No more hope, no more expectations, no more beauty, no more fight.

The candle that had flickered in her soul through all the darkness was finally snuffed out by the storm.