It was already late afternoon when Meng Jinyang arrived at Ming City, and it was pouring rain there.

Lu San, who came to the airport to fetch Meng Jinyang and Lu Qi, drove them to the neighborhood where Principal Fu lived. The latter was currently waiting at the entrance with Wu Luo, each sheltering themselves with a black umbrella.

The sound of the rain and splashing made by the car was noisy and annoying.

When a car gradually came to a stop near them, Principal Fu squinted his eyes and looked hard in the direction, only to see the car door open and Meng Jinyang getting out of it. He immediately went up to welcome her. “Jinyang.”

Meng Jinyang opened her umbrella. The raindrops were really loud, and she raised her voice a little to ask, “Principal Fu, Officer Wu, what are you two doing out here when it’s raining so heavily?”

However, Principal Fu only said, “Let’s head indoors first.”

They headed towards the building where Principal Fu lived. After shaking the water off their umbrellas, the group entered the lift. It was only then that Principal Fu spoke. “I came out because there are some things that aren’t convenient to talk about at home.”

Upon recalling what he had briefly told her over the phone, Meng Jinyang nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

“If I had found out about this matter any later, the child’s future would probably be ruined.” Principal Fu let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not in the position to go into the specifics, but when you go up later, make sure you have a good talk with her.”

Wu Luo looked at her. “Jinyang, that girl is very smart and resembles Ms. Gu a bit in terms of spirit. Pay more attention to her emotions when you talk to her. She might not necessarily listen to you.”

“Got it.”

“The university entrance exams are coming up. Being the first in her grade, she has a promising future. She mustn’t do anything stupid.” At the mention of this matter, Principal Fu became really agitated as he said in disbelief, “Stealing the keys to enter the chemistry lab to make potassium cyanide to murder her own father…”

The knowledge she learned at school isn’t supposed to help her break the law… Principal Ren sighed once more.

Meng Jinyang said nothing in response, for not everyone was fortunate enough to meet someone who would spare no effort to pull them out of the abyss when forced into a desperate situation.

Principal Fu felt very assured when it came to Gu Mang and Meng Jinyang. The two had become legendary figures in Ming City High School and held god-like existences. Thus, he wasn’t worried about leaving the matter to Meng Jinyang. “I’ll leave this to you then.”

“Okay.”

When they arrived at Principal Fu’s home, it was his wife who opened the door.

Meng Jinyang politely greeted, “Auntie Chen.”

“Jinyang, come on in.” Chen Hua quickly ushered them into the house.

Meng Jinyang scanned the living room, but no one else was around.

Chen Hua explained, “Those two kids are in my daughter’s bedroom.”

The bedroom of Principal Fu’s daughter was empty since she was currently studying abroad.

Meng Jinyang nodded. “I’ll go in and talk to her first. She’s already in Year Three. We have to settle this matter as soon as possible so that she can prepared for the university entrance exams with peace of mind.”

Principal Fu, who had the same sentiments, looked at his wife. “Dear, take Jinyang to the room.”

“Okay.”

Meng Jinyang got Lu San and Lu Qi to wait outside while she followed Chen Hua further inside to the side bedroom.

When she pushed open the room door, she found a girl huddled up on the edge of the bed. Her head was down, and her fringe and chin-length hair were scattered and covered almost all of her face. Her expression thus couldn’t be seen clearly. There was a boy with a crew cut squatting in front of the girl, his hands wrapped around hers.

Meng Jinyang also noticed that the back of the boy’s hand had several scratches and was dripping with blood. She could imagine how hard the girl had struggled.

The sound of movements made the boy turn his head back. His eyes were all bloodshot, and there were scratch marks all over his neck as well. His features were rather sharp and hostile, making him look fierce and aggressive. However, he had a lost and helpless look on his face at this moment.

Chen Hua knew that her presence wasn’t wanted. After exchanging a look with Meng Jinyang, she lifted her chin toward the room and then turned around to leave, closing the door behind her.

Meng Jinyang walked further into the room and pulled a chair to sit in front of the girl. She then looked at the boy. “Your name is Xie Hang, right? Go pour her a cup of hot water.”

Xie Hang nodded, his voice hoarse when he spoke. “Lawyer Meng, I can go get the water, but please don’t send me away. I want to stay with her.”

“Alright,” Meng Jinyang promised him and before adding, “We’re from the same school, so you can just call me ‘Senior’.”

“Okay.” Xie Hang then released the girl’s hands, opened the door, and strode out of the room. About ten seconds later, he came back with a disposable cup.

Throughout, the girl kept her head buried in her knees, seemingly refusing to communicate with anyone.

Meng Jinyang held the girl’s hand and put the cup in it while saying in a soft, gentle, and friendly manner, “Xu Ji, I’m Meng Jinyang. Here, have some water.”

Xu Ji slowly lifted her head and stared blankly at Meng Jinyang for several seconds before opening her mouth to call Meng Jinyang. Her voice was all husky. “Lawyer Meng…”

The girl recognized Meng Jinyang.

Meng Jinyang took a look at Xie Hang and then at Xu Ji. “Both of you are first in your grades. Are you trying to destroy your future?”

Both of them were supposed to be second year students. However, about six months ago, Xu Ji suddenly applied to skip a grade and thus became a Year Three student. Still, even though she skipped a grade, she still came in first for her grade and even in the city.

Standing at the side, Xie Hang clenched his fists so tightly that the scabbed wounds on the back of his hands tore and started bleeding again. “I don’t care about my future. I just want hers.”

“Get lost! I don’t need your concern! Scram!” Xu Ji roared agitatedly at him. “If you hadn’t told on me, I would’ve already killed that b*st*rd and avenged my mother!”

Xie Hang’s eyes were all red as he stood quietly on the spot.

“Who are you to care about me? I don’t need your concern! Just get lost!” Xu Ji hopped off the bed and switched between pounding and pushing Xie Hang. “Get out! I don’t want to see you!”

Xie Hang still didn’t say a word and just let her scold and hit him.

“I already told you to stay out of my business! Why did you have to butt in?!” Having gotten tired from hitting him, Xu Ji grabbed his clothes and sobbed. “Please, just ignore me and focus on your studies and get into Capital University. Don’t care about me anymore. Haven’t you got implicated enough? Have you forgotten how you got detained for fifteen days? You already have a record! Why won’t you learn from your mistake?!”

Xie Hang stubbornly stood there and clenched his chin. “You were the one who wanted to enter Capital University together, earn enough money to buy a house and fetch your mother over, and never to return to that hellhole again.” I don’t need to know the reason why she suddenly skipped a grade or broke up with me, but I can’t sit by and watch her going to jail because of a scumbag.

Due to family problems, Xu Ji had already deferred her studies twice and had turned eighteen long ago. During the period she stopped schooling, Xie Hang quit school and went to work in construction sites to earn money to give to Xu Ji because the latter needed money. He even fought with her scumbag of a father twice because of her.

Hearing that, Xu Ji choked, “It’s too late. I can’t fetch her anymore…”

“There are many ways to solve a problem. Why do you have to choose the most extreme method?” Meng Jinyang remained very calm as she watched the scene play out. “The worst thing is that your futures will be destroyed as well.”

Xu Ji suddenly looked up and stared at Meng Jinyang with red and swollen eyes while gritting her teeth. “That scoundrel beat my mother to death!”

Tears flowed from her bloodshot eyes. As she looked at Meng Jinyang’s indifferent expression, she understood that there was no empathy in this world. She didn’t expect anyone to understand her, and that was why she took the matter into her own hands.

“That *sshole killed my mother, but he was only given a three-year sentence! Three years! Four years of probation! He’s not even going to be locked up! He killed someone, but he doesn’t even need to pay the price!” Xu Ji’s eyes glowed red, and each of her words sounded like it was bleeding. “Abuse doesn’t equate to intentional homicide. What bullsh*t law is that?! Beating my mother to death isn’t murder? Just because it’s a family member, the punishment is less severe? Why?! That f*cker doesn’t even need to go jail for killing my mother! Why?!!! Isn’t it only right for a murderer to pay with his life?! Why the f*ck are there so many godd*mned reasons?! Isn’t it most horrifying that one gets killed by her own husband?!

“I thought the law could seek justice for my mother! I thought it would make that scoundrel pay with his life! But he’s fine! He killed my mother, yet he’s been let off scot-free?! My mother was beaten to death for goodness’s sake! Do you know how painful it is to be beaten to death?, Lawyer Meng?! The door was locked. My mother locked me out, so I couldn’t go in… And by the time the police arrived, she wasn’t breathing anymore… She was lying on the floor… with blood and bruises all over…”

Xu Ji’s throat twitched uncomfortably as she squatted on the ground and pulled her hair out of agony as if she wanted to rip her scalp off as well.

“Xu Ji!” Shocked to see this, Xie Hang immediately grabbed her hands and pried her fingers open, which already had a bunch of hair in between them.

Meng Jinyang frowned and hurriedly bent down to help her up.

All of a sudden, Xu Ji looked up, her tear-stained eyes filled with ruthlessness. “I want to kill him!”

If Xie Hang hadn’t followed her, found out that she was making potassium cyanide in the school’s chemistry lab, and then called Principal Fu over, she could’ve become an orphaned murderer and ended up in jail by now.

Meng Jinyang remained calm and composed. There were too many evils in the world, and she naturally understood Xu Ji since she had experienced them herself before. It was just that having handled all kinds of cases, she no longer wore her emotions on her sleeves. She brought Xu Ji to the bed and made her sit down on the edge. “Do you know why I’m here?”

Xie Hang’s gaze landed on Meng Jinyang as he squeezed his hands nervously. He had placed all his hopes on her.

Xu Ji looked into Meng Jinyang’s eyes and stubbornly wiped off the tears in her youthful eyes. “Yes, Principal Fu asked you to come and persuade me to do well in the university entrance exams.”

Meng Jinyang nodded. “That’s part of the reason.”

“Senior.” Xu Ji stared unblinkingly at her. “I know about your case. The culprit was only given the death sentence after twenty years. But during that period, have you ever thought about killing that person?”

Meng Jinyang shook her head.

“Not at all? But that jerk ruined your whole life!” Xu Ji found this unbelievable. He left such serious irreversible damage on her. Not only can she not get pregnant, she even has to keep going for regular checkups. She won’t recover at all. Doesn’t she hate him?

“I was only five at the time, so I was clueless about a lot of things. All I knew was that I was seriously injured. But Gu Mang wanted to kill him.” Meng Jinyang sat next to Xu Ji and turned her head to look at her. “So, I understand you.”

The law wasn’t perfect back then, so it couldn’t help Meng Jinyang in any way. It was also why Gu Mang wanted to settle it on her own. The same went for Xu Ji.

“Then you should know that I won’t listen to you. You can stop me once, but you can’t stop me the second or the third time,” said Xu Ji with conviction.

“Why did your mother push you out of the room?” Meng Jinyang suddenly changed the topic.

Upon recalling how she saw her mother for the last time through the gap of the door, tears started flowing uncontrollably. “She didn’t want to scare me since I’m currently in the critical period of my senior year.”

“Exactly. She wanted you to study hard and break free from your current situation.” Meng Jinyang looked at the girl. “Don’t you understand her intentions?”

Xu Ji cried even harder. “I do. I know that she wanted me to study hard and have my own life in the future so that I wouldn’t have to hear quarrels when I return home at night, hear things smashing when I’m doing my homework, or even wake up in fear in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t have to live in fear all day…”

“Since you understand, then don’t make her sacrifice her life for nothing,” said Meng Jinyang gently.

Xu Ji bit her lip and sobbed. “But I… I can’t just watch the person who killed my mother remain unrepentant and pretend to be the victim. He said to the judge that my mother was an immoral woman who cheated on him. He slandered her! He refuses to let her off even when she’s dead and said that he only beat her out of anger. He even had the cheek to cry! My mother lost her life, so there’s nobody she can air grievances to!”

Meng Jinyang was reminded of her own case whereby the man sitting in the defendant’s seat claimed that he didn’t know what he was doing because he had forgotten to take his psychotropic medications and that she had approached him first. In just a few sentences, he pushed all the blame onto her and then cried in remorse that he was inhumane to hurt such a little kid.

She had seen too many cases where the culprits passed themselves off as the victims. They claimed that they were helpless and had no choice, while the victims had nowhere to go to seek justice and had to hear people saying that they deserved it.

“The law shouldn’t be like this, right?” Xu Ji looked up with trembling lips. “The murderer is let off scot-free, while my mother lost her life just like that!”

Meng Jinyang put an arm around Xu Ji’s shoulders and gently patted her. “Listen to me and leave this matter to the adults. Your top priority now is to prepare for the university entrance exams. Don’t let your mother down.”

Xu Ji looked at her. “Just like how you didn’t let Senior Gu down?”

“Yes.” Meng Jinyang smiled.

It was Gu Mang who pulled her out of hell and accompanied her on her journey to the top.

“Don’t do anything stupid. You have to love yourself, given how far your mother went to protect you.” Meng Jinyang then added, “She’s watching you from above.”

Xu Ji’s eyes, which had been filled with ruthlessness moments ago, moved slightly. It seemed that she was starting to waver. All of a sudden, she grabbed Meng Jinyang’s hands. “Can you help me, Senior? I can’t take this lying down. I want to appeal.”

Meng Jinyang took a piece of tissue and wiped her tears. “Other than to persuade you to focus on your studies, I’m also here to help you with your case.”

“Really?” Xu Ji widened her eyes in excitement.

Meng Jinyang nodded.

“T-Thank you, Senior,” Xu Ji choked. At the thought of something, however, she looked down uneasily, pursed her lips, and then whispered, “But I don’t have much money to engage your services…”

Given Meng Jinyang’s current status, the fees she commanded could reach as high as tens of millions per case. She patted Xu Ji’s head. “It’s only right that I help my junior. I’m not charging you a single cent.”

Xu Ji’s eyes turned wet once more. “Thank you, Senior.”

Meng Jinyang wiped her tears away. “Alright, stop crying. Just leave this matter to the adults.”

Xu Ji nodded tearfully.

Seeing that Xu Ji had calmed down and was in a better mood now, Xie Hang finally could relax a little. He looked at her. “You don’t have to worry when we have Senior Meng around.”

I don’t have to worry? Xu Ji fell silent for a few seconds as she bit her lower lip. “Senior, can the law really be trusted? After the verdict was out, I looked into many similar cases. Domestic violence fatality and abuse are categorized under negligent death, and not intentional homicide. If found guilty, the culprit will be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than seven years. Even if the appeal is successful, that b*st*rd only needs to be locked up for seven years at most.”

Meng Jinyang patted her hand and looked straight into her eyes. “Believe in the law. Believe in me as well.”

Perhaps it was because of her persuasive look, hope sprouted in Xu Ji’s heart. She kept quiet for a moment before asking, “Can we really make that scoundrel pay with his life?”

Meng Jinyang fell silent and asked a couple of seconds later, “Are you sure about that? That’s your father after all.”

Hatred filled Xu Ji’s eyes as if she had heard something disgusting. “He’s not worthy of being my father.”

“Alright.” Meng Jinyang nodded. “But before that, there are a few things I have to warn you about.”

Xu Ji looked at her.

“Your father having a criminal record will have a great impact on your future prospects. Once he’s convicted and jailed, you…” Meng Jinyang stopped there.

“I don’t care. I want him to pay!” Xu Ji hissed as she stared into Meng Jinyang’s eyes. What’s there to be scared about when I’m even prepared to kill him?

“I got it.”

Xu Ji lowered her gaze. She had completely calmed down by now.

Seeing this, Xie Hang relaxed and handed the cup of water to her. “Have some water.”

When Meng Jinyang saw the wounds on his hand, she looked up and said, “Xie Hang, go treat your wounds later.”

At that, Xu Ji snapped back to her senses and looked at Xie Hang’s hands, which were all scratched up by her. She gasped at the sight and pursed her lips.

…

Meng Jinyang walked out with the two students.

Outside, Principal Fu and Wu Luo were currently chatting with Lu San and Lu Qi. Lu San and Lu Qi were Lu Chengzhou’s trusted aides and had high statuses. Principal Fu couldn’t help feeling very nervous even though Wu Luo was around as well. It was only when Meng Jinyang emerged from the room that he relaxed a little.

Chen Hua’s mind was put at ease when she saw how calm Xu Ji appeared. “Xu Ji, you may stay in my daughter’s room for the time being.”

However, Xu Ji shook her head. “Thank you, Auntie. There’s no need for that. I’ll go home.”

“But your father…” Chen Hua couldn’t help saying out of worry.

Xu Ji slung her backpack over her shoulder. “It’s fine. He’s currently on probation, so he won’t dare to beat me.”

Seeing how insistent Xu Ji was, Chen Hua didn’t force her to stay either. “Alright, give us a call if you need any help.”

Meng Jinyang then said, “Focus on your studies and leave the rest to me.”

“Mm, I won’t let my mother down.”

Meng Jinyang smiled gently at her.

After Xu Ji and Xie Hang left, the rest of the people sat in the living room. Principal Fu looked at Meng Jinyang. “Jinyang, it’s all thanks to you that that child was persuaded.”

Lawyers were good at negotiation in the first place.

Upon recalling the look in Xu Ji’s eyes earlier, Meng Jinyang knitted her eyebrows slightly.

Principal Fu, who was surprised to see the grave look on her face, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wu Luo looked in the direction of the door. “Xu Ji has her own views. Once she decides on something, nobody can change her mind.”

Having been in touch with Xu Ji for a long time because of this case, Wu Luo had come to know of the girl’s character.

“Then what’s going on just now?” Principal Fu frowned. She seemed to have calmed down and changed her mind.

“It’s just an act to make us drop our guard around her. If her father isn’t given the death penalty during the second trial, she’ll take action on her own.” Meng Jinyang sipped on her cup of water. How could someone—someone who deferred her studies twice but still managed to skip a grade halfway through her second year and remain at the top of her grade and so calmly went to the chemistry lab to make potassium cyanide—possibly give up what she wants to do because of a few words from others?

“But…” Principal Fu and Chen Hua exchanged a worried look.

…

At the pharmacy.

As Xu Ji carefully cleaned Xie Hang’s wounds with an iodophor cotton swab, she asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

“No.” Xie Hang looked at her face. “Tell me, are you up to something again?”

Having grown up together, Xie Hang knew Xu Ji’s character very well. Although he might not have realized it earlier, he naturally realized that something was odd with her as he looked at her now. She had calmed down too quickly and was behaving like a completely different person from the hysterical girl she was that morning.

The girl froze and looked up. “Pardon?”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Xu Ji shoved the cotton swab into his hand. “It’s time I go home. Settle it yourself.”

After saying that, she took her backpack and moved to leave.

Xie Hang grabbed her arm. “Senior Meng has already promised to help you. Don’t do anything foolish.”

“It’s none of your business.” Xu Ji shook his arm off and left the pharmacy without so much of a head turn.

By the time Xie Hang kept the ointment and ran out of the pharmacy, Xu Ji had long gone up to her rental apartment.

…

When Xu Ji returned home, she saw her paternal and maternal grandparents sitting in the living room and chatting happily with her *sshole of a father.

Five hundred thousand. That was the amount of compensation settlement her maternal grandparents received for agreeing to settle. Her paternal grandparents bought her mother’s life with half a million yuan, which was just ridiculous. Not only did her maternal grandparents not care about her mother’s death, they even used her death to make a windfall. With such parents, it was no wonder that her father dared to beat her mother up for so many years without any qualms.

“Ah Ji, you’re back.” Old Master Ji straightened his back slightly against the sofa.

Xu Ji ignored them and headed straight to her bedroom.

“Ah Ji,” Xu Kangping called out, acting like a normal person in the presence of others. It was like he was a completely different person from the person who had whipped his wife and smashed her head against the wall.

Xu Ji remained indifferent to his calls and went back to her room, slamming the door close behind her before locking it from the inside.

Old Master Ji said somewhat awkwardly, “She’s always been a hot-tempered kid. She only has you now. As her father, you have to teach her well.”

“Don’t worry, she’ll be taking the university entrance exams soon. Given how good she is at studying, we might be able to produce a top scholar in our family.”

The four elders nodded their heads.

After pondering for a few seconds, Old Master Ji said, “When her results come out, we have to throw her a banquet. It’ll help to squash your foolish mistake down.”

“I got it.” Xu Kangping readily admitted to his mistake. “I’ll go talk to Ah Ji about it.”

He then got up, walked over to Xu Ji’s room, and knocked on the door. “Ah Ji, it’s Dad. I want to talk to you.”

Xu Ji took out all the exam papers and review materials from her school bag and put them down on the table before looking down to see a white weighing paper that was wrapped into a ball at the bottom of her bag. She continued to ignore her father as she took out that ball and unwrapped it.

Inside were white granular crystals of potassium cyanide that she had secretly hidden. If the verdict of the appeal remains the same, I’ll…

Outside, Xu Kangping continued speaking when he didn’t receive a reply from his daughter. “It’s fine even if you don’t want to talk to me, Ah Ji. I know my mistake. What’s important for you now is the university entrance exams. Don’t let these trivial matters affect your studies.”

Xu Ji tugged the corners of her lips. Trivial matters? Mom’s death is a trivial matter?

Xu Kangping added, “It’s only the two of us now. What happened to your mother was my fault. I’ll make it up to you and see you to university.”

Xu Ji remained quiet as she wrapped up the potassium cyanide and looked around her room. Eventually, she went to her bedside and shoved the white packet into the mattress slit.

“I won’t disturb you from studying any longer. Don’t stay up too late and go to bed early.” After saying that, Xu Kangping turned around and returned to the living room.

Old Master Xu didn’t think that his daughter-in-law’s death was a big deal. After all, given how rich they were, there would be no problem with his son finding another wife. “Ah Ji is still angry. Let’s talk about this again when her anger subsides.”

Xu Kangping nodded. “I’ll find a chance to talk to her properly. I won’t make the same mistake again. She’s the only child I have.”

“I’m glad you have this awareness.” Old Master Xu then got up and exhorted his son before leaving, “You’d better behave yourself for the next four years.”

“Will do.”

After the elders from both families left, Xu Kangping closed the door and smirked. He then stretched and swaggered his way to the master room. While passing by Xu Ji’s bedroom, he kicked the door and said smugly, “Did you think I was going to be jailed for sure, you little b*tch?”

Xu Ji was doing a mock exam paper when she heard that, and the tip of her pen poked through the paper.

“How well do you think you’ll be able to live after sending your father to jail? There will be nobody to give you pocket money and provide for you.” Xu Kangping kicked the door again. “Have you no conscience? How dare you say that I intentionally killed your mother in court? Did you think you were the judge? What right do you have to show me attitude when I’m the one who provides food and shelter for you?! I gave you your life! If you hate me so much, why don’t you just go die?”

Xu Ji tensed up. Her chest undulated fiercely, and she had a murderous expression on her face.

Xu Kangping let out a laugh. “Your mother was just a lowly b*tch, yet you dream of sending me to jail because she’s dead? Ptooey! She’s better off dead.”

Feeling better after cursing to his heart’s content, he turned around to head to his room to sleep. However, his daughter opened the door all of a sudden and shoved him hard from behind before he could react.

With a bam, his head crashed against the wall, and he hurriedly tried to support himself up with the corner of the wall. Xu Ji had pushed him with all of her might, so one could imagine just how hard he had banged against the wall.

His head hurt and was spinning. He shook his head for a bit and could hear a ringing sound in his ears. It took a long time before he recovered. He then turned around and glared at his daughter while raising his hand to slap her in the face.

Xu Ji lifted her face in defiance with no intention of hiding or avoiding his slap. She stared at him with narrowed eyes.

However, just as Xu Kangping’s hand was about to land on her face, he suddenly stopped. His expression was sinister as he pointed a finger at her. “You have some nerve! You’re trying to make me hit you so that the police will take me away and detain me, right?”

“Yeah, don’t you love beating people up? Beat me if you dare,” Xu Ji sneered.

Xu Kangping’s expression darkened, but he eventually controlled himself and put down his hand. “Just you wait, you little b*tch.”

“I warn you, if you dare to say a word about my mother again, believe it or not, I’ll stab you to death in your sleep.” Xu Ji’s eyes were glacial when she said that.

“I dare you—” The rest of Xu Kangping’s words got stuck in his throat when he met his daughter’s cold eyes.

“Try me.”

Xu Kangping looked at her for a long time and eventually burst out laughing. “Xu Ji, do you hate me a lot? Unfortunately, no matter how much you hate me, your last name is the same as mine. Even when you make a name for yourself in the future, you’ll just be bringing honors to me and the Xu family. Everyone who mentions you will say that you’re Xu Kangping’s daughter. I gave you your life, you know.”

Xu Ji’s face darkened.

Xu Kangping deliberately said the things that annoyed her the most. Seeing how she was about to lose control of herself, he smirked and patted her cheek. “You’d better not provoke me again, or I won’t give you a single cent, and you’ll even be kicked out of my house.”

He then patted Xu Ji’s head and turned around to enter his room.

“You’re not old enough to deal with me. Not even the law can do anything to me, what more a young lass like you.” He snorted and then closed the door. However, it seemed that he was really afraid that his daughter might really go crazy and kill him, for he locked the door immediately after.

“Xu Kangping, this matter isn’t over yet. I’ve appealed to the court. Just you wait!” After saying that, Xu Ji returned to her room.

When Xu Kangping heard that, he let out an indifferent snort. I’ve already consulted my lawyer. Her appeal will definitely be rejected because I’m the only one who can take care of her. The court will surely consider all these factors and not do anything to me. Appeal? Dream on!

…

The next day.

Xu Ji was attending chemistry class when the classroom door suddenly opened. Xi Yan, who was already six months into the pregnancy, turned her head and saw a murderous-looking Xu Kangping standing at the doorway.

The smell of alcohol wafted into the classroom.

Xu Kangping’s enraged gaze landed on Xu Ji. He stormed up to her, grabbed her by the collar, and lifted her from her seat before slapping her in the face.

Xu Ji was sent crashing to the ground from the impact. Blood dripped from her nose and stained the floor with its glaring red color.

Everything happened so quickly that nobody had the chance to react in time.

Blood drained from Xi Yan’s face as she threw her chalk aside and stepped down from the lectern. “What are you doing, Mr. Xu?!”

“B*tch! how dare you find a lawyer and appeal to court!”

Just as Xu Kangping aimed a kick at his daughter, the boys in the classroom came back to their senses and immediately stood up and swarmed forward to pull him back by his neck. The girls, on the other hand, went to help Xu Ji up and took her far away from her father. Someone even brought over a pack of wet napkins for her to wipe her blood.

“Wench, I feed and cloth you, yet you want me to end up in jail?! Why you little!” Xu Kangping’s snarls resonated throughout the entire school building as he struggled to kick Xu Ji but ended up accidentally kicking Xi Yan on the back.

The girls in the classroom shrieked in alarm while a few boys hurriedly went forward to support their pregnant teacher. The entire classroom was a mess when Chen Bo from the mathematics class next door rushed over to check out what was happening.

…

Someone had called the police. In less than thirty minutes, Wu Luo and his team arrived at the classroom and took Xu Kangping away in handcuffs. Xu Ji, on the other hand, had already been sent to the infirmary.

It had already been a few years since Xi Yan had gotten married to Wu Luo, and she was now expecting their second child.

Wu Luo nervously held Xi Yan’s shoulders as he looked at the footprint on her back. “How are you feeling? Did you get hurt?”

Xi Yan shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks to the boys in my class who helped support me. Xu Ji, however, bled a lot. I have to check on her.”

She then worriedly turned around and walked forward, only to make a U-turn and head back to the classroom again when she suddenly remembered something.

The originally noisy classroom became silent the moment she walked in. She looked sternly at her students and instructed, “Quietly study on your own, and no talking. Class reps, maintain order in the classroom.”

“Yes, Ms. Xi, ” responded the class reps.

After settling her class, Xi Yan immediately trotted towards the stairway.

Wu Luo, who was right next to her and supporting her by the arm, wore a grim expression. “I really didn’t expect that lunatic to barge into the school and beat Xu Ji.” Who knew that that scumbag was so crazy?!

…

Meng Jinyang had come together with Wu Luo. While the latter headed to the school building, the former went straight to the infirmary to look for Xu Ji.

Xie Hang, who had rushed over as soon as he received the news when his class ended, was currently taking care of Xu Ji.

The girl was lying on the sick bed with one side of her face swollen and red. There were even bloodstains on her face that couldn’t be washed off at the moment.

When Xie Hang saw Meng Jinyang coming in, he greeted, “Senior Meng.”

Meng Jinyang nodded an acknowledgment to him while he pulled a chair over for her to sit.

She thanked him and sat down before looking at Xu Ji. “What did you say to him last night?” Why was she the first person Xu Kangping came looking for after receiving the news of the appeal from court?

Xu Ji looked down. “It’s no longer important. He’s been detained anyway.”

Still, even without her answer, Meng Jinyang could guess why. Xu Ji just wanted to tell Xu Kangping that she was appealing to court.

Xu Kangping didn’t take his daughter’s words seriously at first. He thought that it was just an empty talk, for the latter didn’t have money and had to rely on him for support. He didn’t expect her to be serious about it, much less expect the court to approve her appeal.

Lu Qi, who could also guess the reason, couldn’t help but be impressed by this young girl for using herself as bait to send her father into the detention center. Her face is all swollen. She sure is cruel to herself.

A hint of appreciation shone in Lu Qi’s eyes. She has some potential. Once this matter is over, I can try and recruit her to Red Scorpion.

Meng Jinyang looked at Xu Ji and didn’t ask any more questions. Instead, she gently said, “Alright, get some rest before you go back to class. The university entrance exams are important, right?”

Xu Ji nodded.

After thinking about it for a moment, Meng Jinyang asked, “Do you want to transfer to another school? This matter has blown up so much that you’ll be in the center of gossip. If you’re afraid of being affected, I can help transfer you to another school. You can enter Capital University Affliated High School with your current results.”

Xu Ji looked up. “It’s okay, Senior. I don’t care about all that.”

Her answer reminded Meng Jinyang of what Wu Luo had said to her about Xu Ji resembling Gu Mang a little. Looks like she doesn’t care about being gossiped about.

Just then, they heard anxious footsteps coming from outside.

All four of Xu Ji’s grandparents were quickly walking toward the infirmary. Walking along with them was a middle-aged man in a suit carrying a briefcase, while further behind were Wu Luo and Xi Yan.

Old Master Xu didn’t know who Meng Jinyang and Lu Qi were and just assumed that they were the teachers here. He didn’t spare them a single glance as he made a beeline to Xu Ji’s bed and coldly questioned, “Did you get a lawyer to sue your father?”

Xu Ji sat up, her gaze devoid of any warmth as she replied, “Yes, what about it?”

“That’s your father!” Old Master Xu rarely flew into such a huge rage. “Withdraw the lawsuit right away.”

“That’ll never happen,” retorted Xu Ji.

“You!” Old Master Xu stared silently at her. The lawsuit came as a complete surprise to him, and never in the world did he think that the court would actually approve his granddaughter’s appeal request.

Old Madam Ji stepped forward and said anxiously, “Ah Ji, what’s wrong with you? How could you sue your own father? Even if he doesn’t deserve any credit, he’s taken great pains to bring you up. Your father’s blood flows in you. You can’t be so ungrateful. Now, listen to me and go withdraw that lawsuit. Don’t let others see us as a joke.”

“See us as a joke?” Xu Ji retorted. “My mother was the biggest joke of all. As her biological mother, your blood flowed in her, but did you ever try seeking justice for her when she got beaten to death by that scoundrel?”

Old Madam Xu chided, “How could you talk to your elders in that manner!!”

Xu Ji ignored her and kept her gaze on Old Madam Ji. “My mother was abused by him for nineteen years. When she was in her postpartum confinement after giving birth to me, she was beaten by him and sent to the hospital. I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you how many times she had been admitted to the hospital after that because of him. Have you ever thought of speaking up for my mother? Have you ever protected her? When my mother wanted a divorce, you even threatened her with your death. Are you happy now that she’s been beaten to death by that b*st*rd?”

“Xu Ji!” Old Master Ji sternly barked her name.

Old Madam Ji didn’t think that she had done anything wrong, though. “It was all for your mother’s good. Every family has their own sets of problems. The family would’ve fallen apart if they had split up. Would that still be considered a family?”

“Was it really for my mother’s good or for your convenience of asking the Xu family for money through my mother?” Xu Ji scoffed. “Aren’t you afraid of my mother coming back to haunt you at night for taking that five hundred thousand?”

“What nonsense is a young girl like you spouting?!” Old Master Ji pointed a finger at her. “What’s the use of studying?! Is this the way you should speak to your grandmother?!”

Old Master Xu calmly watched this scene and then turned to face Xi Yan and Wu Luo, who were standing at the side. “Ms. Xi, Officer Wu, we’d like to speak to Ah Ji alone.”

He reckoned that it wasn’t wise to take the hard approach as it would only provoke Xu Ji further and that they could only find a way to appease her first before they talked terms with her. Not to mention that he didn’t want to wash their dirty laundry in public.

“Sure.” Xi Yan agreed to his request and then turned to look at Xu Ji. “I’ll be right outside. Just shout for me if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Ms. Xi.” Xu Ji’s tone was very respectful when speaking to Xi Yan.

Xi Yan, Wu Luo, and Xie Hang thus left the infirmary.

Old Master Xu then shifted his gaze to Meng Jinyang and Lu Qi. “I’d like to trouble the two of you to leave as well.”

Meng Jinyang stood up and swept her gaze across the group of people in front of her. “Hello, I’m Xu Ji’s lawyer, and I’m responsible for her mother’s case. This person here is my assistant.”

She then introduced Lu Qi.

It was only then that Old Master Xu took a proper look at Meng Jinyang. However, when he realized that she was just a young lady in her twenties, he ignored her and sent a signal to his own lawyer instead.

Said lawyer was a middle-aged man who had some reputation in Ming City. He was wearing a pair of rimless glasses and looked very capable and experienced.

Xu Ji was just a penniless student, and there was a limit to how much money she could borrow. Old Master Xu’s lawyer didn’t think the lawyer she engaged could be compared with him, given how young the other party looked. Hence, he didn’t take Meng Jinyang seriously and said to Xu Ji instead, “You should withdraw the lawsuit, Miss. Nothing good will come out of this.”

Xu Ji looked up, her expression frosty.

The lawyer smiled at her before launching into a lengthy explanation. “First, your father didn’t know what he was doing because he was inebriated that night. He got into a verbal argument with your mother but ended up beating your mother because of his drunken state. He didn’t mean to beat her to death. That was a complete accident.

“In the blood report provided by the police, alcohol was detected in his blood. All the evidence pointed to manslaughter and abuse, not intentional homicide. Even if you appeal, there’s no way the judge would give a different verdict with the same evidence presented. The verdict will remain the same, and you’ll just be wasting everyone’s time.

“Second, do you think you have achieved your goal just because the police took your father away for slapping you? Before going to the school to look for you, he had consumed some alcohol, which was why he got a bit impulsive. Also, you pushed your father last night and caused him to injure his head, but he didn’t do anything to you in return. Once that becomes evidence, do you think it’ll be beneficial to you, young lady?

“Third, that’s your birth father. You can’t be so ungrateful when he’s the one providing you food and shelter and even sending you to school. What good will it do if you fall out with him? You’re his only child, and all of his assets will eventually go to you. If you fall out with him, not only won’t you get a dime, nobody will pay for your tuition anymore.

“Fourth, I understand that you’re angry with your father for beating you. I’ve discussed it with your grandparents, and they’re willing to transfer the ownership of one of their houses to you. Since you’re already 18 years old, you can live there from now on. You can focus on your studies, and there’ll be no one to disturb you. They’ll even give you a lump sum of money that will last you until you graduate from university and make sure that your father doesn’t disturb your studies again.

“Fifth, I can clearly tell you that there’s no way that your father will end up in jail. Don’t waste your effort. Both of you are father and daughter, not enemies. It’ll do everyone good if you withdraw that lawsuit, and you can even get a house and a sum of money.” The lawyer then looked askance at Meng Jinyang and smiled. “I don’t know where you found this lawyer or how good she is. You’re still young. You have to be careful of getting swindled by some people with bad intentions.”

Meng Jinyang just quietly stood at the side while Lu Qi curled his lips into a smirk.

Old Master Ji looked at Xu Ji. “Ah Ji, quickly withdraw that lawsuit. It’s so embarrassing that we have to meet in court!”

Old Madam Ji spoke up too. “Look, your paternal grandparents treat you so well and are even so considerate of your wellbeing. Why do you have to be stubborn?”

“Ah Ji, listen to me. Don’t be angry with your father anymore. He already knows his mistake.”

Old Master Ji didn’t say anything and just kept his gaze on Xu Ji.

Meng Jinyang looked at Xu Ji as well. “Do you want to withdraw the case?”

Xu Ji looked at the people around and slowly shook her head. “No.”

Upon hearing that, her grandparents’ expressions instantly darkened. “Ah Ji, you—”

“Okay.” Meng Jinyang then looked at the other lawyer. “First, you’ll see the new evidence in court. Second, since Mr. Xu Kangping is still consuming alcohol, how can you be sure that it was my client who pushed him and not him falling over himself? Didn’t you say that he doesn’t know what he’s doing when he’s drunk?”

The lawyer frowned and stared at Meng Jinyang.

“Third, I believe that with my client’s grades, she can enter Capital University right away even without taking the university entrance exams. Not only will she be on scholarship, but she’ll also even receive award money. She doesn’t need the Xu family to pay for her education.

“Fourth, even if the verdict remains unchanged, Mr. Xu Kangping caused a scene at the school, beat my client up in public, and reduced her to this state. This is enough to immediately execute his sentence. Fifth, whether or not the verdict remains unchanged, we’ll only know in court. Lastly, my client needs to rest. I ask that you leave at once.”

Meng Jinyang spoke in such a logical and refined manner that she gave off a gentle image. However, each of her words rendered them all speechless, and the other lawyer even felt as if an invisible force was pressing down on him.

No, I must be mistaken. Upon realizing that he was being overpowered by a young female lawyer who wasn’t as experienced as him, the lawyer’s face completely darkened.

Old Master Xu’s expression was strained as he looked at his granddaughter. “I’ll ask you for the last time. Are you bent on suing your father?”

Xu Ji met his gaze squarely, and her words seemed to be coated with ice when she said, “It’s only right that a murderer pays with his life.”

Old Master Xu pointed a trembling finger at her in anger. “Fine, fine. We’ve produced an ingrate in the family.”

After saying that, he turned around and left the infirmary in a fit of anger. The others followed him and left as well.

Before the lawyer took his leave, he looked at Meng Jinyang. “So you’re planning to charge my client with intentional homicide again?”

There was no expression on Meng Jinyang’s face, nor the natural aggression that a lawyer would have. Instead, her voice was light and gentle as she replied, “Yes.”

The lawyer let out a meaningful laugh as if he were mocking her for overestimating her capabilities before he retracted his gaze and left.

Once the unwanted guests had left, Xu Ji looked at Meng Jinyang and asked somewhat uneasily, “Senior…”

In response, Meng Jinyang patted her shoulder in assurance.

…

Outside the school’s infirmary.

Old Master Xu turned to his lawyer. “Lawyer Hu, I don’t want any mistakes this time.”

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t be feeling so confident if the other party intends to make an issue of Xu Ji’s injuries to bring forward Mr. Xu’s sentence.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Old Master Xu with puzzlement.

“They intend to sue your son for intentional homicide.” Lawyer Hu pushed up his glasses and said with a smile, “You can rest assured that they’ll definitely lose this case and that your son will be fine.”

Old Master Xu’s mind was put at ease slightly when he saw how confident the lawyer was. “Thank you.”

…

Xu Ji attended classes as usual and paid no attention to the gossip around her. As usual, her total score on her weekly exam was nearly thirty points ahead of the second place.

Capital University sent someone over to admit Xu Ji in advance, but she rejected them. When Meng Jinyang heard about this, she was even more certain that Xu Ji had her own plans in mind and was waiting for the verdict of the second trial.

Jiang Shenyuan had come to Ming City as well and worked with Meng Jinyang to organize the evidence and documents needed for the trial that would take place three days later. The two of them stayed in Gu Mang’s Seal Palace apartment, which was just across Lu Chengzhou’s.

He actually had his own residence in Ming City, but knowing that Meng Jinyang wouldn’t go there, he decided to stay here as well since the apartment had two rooms anyway.

That night.

After organizing a portion of the information, Meng Jinyang called Gu Mang and stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with a cup of warm water in hand. “Her name is Xu Ji, and she’s similar to you in some sense.”

“Is that so?” Gu Mang was currently sitting on the edge of the bed and drying her hair with a towel. When Lu Chengzhou came into the bedroom, he walked to her side and took over by taking the towel from her. She then picked up the glass of milk and sipped a mouthful of it. Her lips curled into a smirk. “Potassium cyanide? I wouldn’t let him die so easily if I were her.”

The case reasoning in Dark’s high IQ crime mystery novels was all amazing, after all.

Xu Ji saw her mother dying in front of her… Meng Jinyang sighed and said, “When Xu Ji comes to Capital University, I’ll introduce you to her.”

Gu Mang knew that Meng Jinyang liked Xu Ji and wanted her to help take care of the girl. There was an underlying meaning to this sentence as well. It meant that Meng Jinyang was leaving. “You’ve decided?”

Meng Jinyang looked at the lights and neon sky outside the window.

Several seconds passed, but there was no response on the phone. Gu Mang didn’t say anything either, and it was only a while later that she heard a soft “mm.”

“Alright.” Gu Mang had nothing but support for whatever decision her friend made. After thinking about it, she added, “I’ll attend the trial and meet her then.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, Meng Jinyang turned around, only to realize that Jiang Shenyuan had come out of the bathroom after his shower and was lazily leaning against the back of the sofa. His damp black fringe dangled above his sharp brow bone, and he smiled at her when he saw her turning around. Her fingers curled uncontrollably at that.

He was wearing loose gray home clothes—long sleeves top and long pants—and had a white towel dangling around his neck. Gone was the stern and aloof appearance he had when he wore a suit. His home clothes were casual and could close the distance between the two of them without seeming rude.

It was the first time Meng Jinyang had seen this side of him, and she fell into a daze for several seconds.

Jiang Shenyuan straightened up and approached her while asking in a magnetic voice, “Was that Gu Mang?”

Meng Jinyang snapped back to her senses and unconsciously lifted her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear to disguise her earlier distraction. She nodded. “Yes.”

Jiang Shenyuan had always been very careful around Meng Jinyang as he was afraid that she might feel uncomfortable. Hence, he stood just outside her safe distance, which was nearly a meter apart. He looked at the empty cup in her hand. “Need a refill? I’ll get it for you.”

Meng Jinyang’s hand tightened around the cup as she shook her head. “It’s okay.”

Probably because the two of them had never been alone in a room before, the atmosphere was getting quieter and quieter as if something had become different.

As Jiang Shenyuan studied her face, he nervously dug his fingers into his palms and pursed his lips, feeling the impulse to say something. Eventually, he mustered up his courage and said, “Jinyang, I—”

“Brother Jiang,” Meng Jinyang suddenly interrupted him. “I just remembered that I still have a set of documents that I haven’t printed. I’ll go print them out now. You should rest first.”

After saying that, she quickly walked away from Jiang Shenyuan.

Jiang Shenyuan lifted his hand slightly but didn’t dare to grab her. Instead, he turned around slightly and watched her flee before looking down, deflated.

…

Three days later, Friday.

The court hearing was at 2 PM.

Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou had informed the rest in advance that they would head straight to the court after getting off the plane. Hence, Meng Jinyang and the others waited at the entrance.

When Principal Fu saw Gu Mang and her entourage, his legs nearly gave way out of shock. He opened his mouth and silently mouthed, Holy moly… Gu Mang, Lu Chengzhou, Qin Fang, and Yun Ling… These big shots who don’t usually reveal themselves are all here…

Flying Serpent and Responsive Dragon had even brought Lu Jilai and Lu Jixing here. The twins were dressed in black and wearing black children’s masks. Their caps were worn in reverse, revealing their youthful and pretty features. Their gazes, however, were cold, aloof, and unbelievably arrogant.

He Yidu, on the other hand, carried his daughter with one hand and held Lin Shuang’s hand in the other. The He family now had a taboo, and that was the twins from the Lu family. If the two families had to unfortunately meet, He Yidu would then keep carrying his daughter, He Qingyue.

This was all because the two little imps gave his darling daughter a pink submachine gun wrapped in lace for her birthday present during her third birthday. It was from then on that He Yidu classified the twins as dangerous.

Everyone in the group had such insane visuals and strong auras that they seemed like a landscape when walking over.

Principal Fu already found it quite surprising that Jiang Shenyuan had come all the way here to assist with this case. He didn’t expect that the lineup would be even more impressive on the day of the trial.

Although he didn’t know Lin Shuang, Yun Ling, Flying Serpent, and Responsive Dragon, he naturally knew that they must be people with some background, given his experience. Besides, if they were hanging out with Gu Mang and Lu Chengzhou, there was no way they could be some average folks.

Principal Fu suddenly felt that even if Xu Kangping received the death penalty, he should be able to die without regrets as he was able to see so many bigwigs before he died, which was as good as the most luxurious treatment for death row inmates. And it truly was, considering that not even the Head Elder, Leng Xuan, and Xu Ying had such unique treatment.

Gu Mang was a bit speechless when she saw Wu Luo and Principal Fu’s dumbfounded expressions. Upon hearing that she and Lu Chengzhou would be coming to Ming City to attend the trial, the others decided to follow them here and join in on the fun.

Meng Jinyang was a bit taken aback too. “You guys…”

Gu Mang put her arm over Meng Jinyang’s shoulders and lowered her head slightly as she lazily said, “Ignore those idiots. They have nothing better to do.”

Flying Serpent crossed his arms in front of his chest at that. “Fifth Sister, we’re not deaf, you know.”

Gu Mang coolly looked up, which got Flying Serpent immediately saying, “Yes, yes, yes. Mo I’m deaf. My name is Deaf Dragon.”

“Deaf my *ss!” Responsive Dragon moved to kick Flying Serpent right away, but the latter swiftly dodged it.

Principal Fu was speechless. Do big shots behave so childishly?

Wu Luo was very excited to meet Gu Mang since it had been a long time since they last saw each other. “Ms. Gu.”

Gu Mang nodded, then stood properly and inclined her face while politely greeting Principal Fu, “Principal Fu.”

Principal Fu’s heart started racing when he saw that Gu Mang was actually very respectful of him. I can’t believe that these big shots are all here because of Xu Ji’s case.

Meng Jinyang took Xu Ji’s hand and brought her to Gu Mang. “Xu Ji, this is Senior Gu Mang.”

Although Gu Mang’s profile was on Ming City High School’s Hall of Fame, this was the first time Xu Ji saw her in person. The latter was wearing a black mask, and her black cap was in Lu Chengzhou’s hand. Despite her cold eyes, overwhelming presence, and unapproachable aura, there was something about her that could calm people’s hearts. It was like everything would be alright as long as she was around.

Xu Ji had always admired Gu Mang for her strength, her omnipotence, and her abilities to multitask and protect everyone. The latter was different from her, who failed at even protecting her own mother. She looked at Gu Mang and greeted her in a polite and solemn manner, “Senior Gu.”

Gu Mang pulled down her mask to her chin and looked at Xu Ji with her dark eyes.

Had it been someone else attending this sort of court hearing, they would surely start to hesitate when it was really time to stand in front of the court no matter how much they wanted their father to die. It was human nature to be overcautious and indecisive. Regardless of their big talk, few could really make up their mind and be ruthless when times called for it. Not to mention that Xu Kangping was Xu Ji’s birth father. Even though it was ridiculous that he was her father, it was true that one could never get rid of their blood ties.

Xu Ji was different, though. She remained calm throughout as she had a clear goal in mind. That said, hints of worry showed in her eyes because nobody knew for sure the punishment Xu Kangping would be sentenced to as long as the court verdict wasn’t out. What she wanted was a death sentence. She wanted him to pay back with his life, but it was a really difficult thing to do.

Gu Mang patted her shoulder and said lightly, “Believe in Senior Meng.”

Xu Ji looked up and met Gu Mang’s dark eyes. The latter nodded at her. She then pursed her lips and took a deep breath to calm herself down. “Mm, I believe in her.”

What she didn’t believe in was the law. The verdict of the first trial made her feel that human life was worthless and that murderers didn’t have to pay the price for their evil doings.

Lu Chengzhou had heard from Lu Qi that he wanted to recruit Xu Ji to Red Scorpion, so he had looked at her information in advance. Just based on the fact that she could remain calm and composed in the face of troubles and had a clear goal in mind made her very suitable for Red Scorpion.

The other people were also studying Xu Ji as well as Xie Hang, who had been standing at the side.

He Yidu and Lin Shuang exchanged glances and could see the smidge of appreciation in each other’s eyes. Both thought highly of Xu Ji as well, and that included Qin Fang, Yun Ling, and others.

After greeting each other, Wu Luo said, “Let’s go inside first.”

Everyone nodded and turned around to enter the court building.

Just then, a large group of people entered the court from the front doors. Walking in the lead were the grandparents from the Xu and Ji families, followed by Xu Ji’s uncles and aunties. It looked like their families were quite big.

Although the Xu family wasn’t a prestigious family, they were rich enough to deck themselves in luxurious clothes and bags. Just one bag could easily cost several hundred thousand yuan.

They were currently also sizing up Meng Jinyang and Gu Mang’s group. Apart from Principal Fu, almost all of them looked very young. Their clothes seemed simple and ordinary and didn’t seem to be of any big brands. The way they regarded them soon turned contemptuous, as if they were mocking Xu Ji for finding some kind of rabble.

When walking past Xu Ji, Old Master Ji stopped and turned his face to look at her. “Ah Ji, I’ll ask you for the very last time. Are you willing to drop the lawsuit?”

Xu Ji’s expression was glacial as she spat out, “Murderers should pay with their lives.”

“He’s your birth father! Do you have to go such extremes?” Old Master Xu raised his voice a little out of anger.

“He spent money and took care of her for over ten years, only to have her become a little ingrate.” A middle-aged woman’s shrill voice rang out. “Even a dog would know how to be grateful. I can’t believe you actually colluded with outsiders to deal with your father. Xu Ji, are you even human?”

“Ah Ji, why are you wasting your time? Your cousin said that she saw you checking out Lawyer Hu’s profile, so you should know what he’s capable of. What, do you really expect a rookie lawyer to help you win this case?” A middle-aged man with a beer belly let out a sneering laugh as he cast a disdainful glance at Meng Jinyang. Has this lassie even represented anyone in court before?

Lawyer Hu smiled condescendingly at Xu Ji. “Young lady, your grandfather has already offered you some very generous terms. You should think it over, lest you don’t get anything in the end.”

A wicked smirk formed on Gu Mang’s face. She pulled the mask at her chin to her nose bridge, then rested her arm on Meng Jinyang’s shoulder and turned around to head into the building. The rest of their party didn’t bother wasting their breaths on the Xu and Ji families either and just followed Meng Jinyang and Gu Mang up the steps.

Old Master Xu narrowed his eyes as he watched Xu Ji leave with them. He let out a breath and then exchanged looks with Lawyer Hu, who nodded and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll win this lawsuit for sure.”

…

Right before the trial started, Meng Jinyang stepped out for a bit. But when she came back, Xu Ji was surprised when she turned her head and saw her.

Meng Jinyang had changed into her lawyer’s robe and was walking in her direction with a black rubber band in her mouth. She was currently gathering her hair to tie it up.

Xu Ji saw her pulling the heavy bangs that usually covered a large part of her face behind and tying her hair into a neat and high ponytail that revealed her beautiful and youthful face.

Meng Jinyang looked down at the watch on her wrist, and when she looked up again, her gentle and affable aura disappeared, and she became cold and stern instead. The contrast in the two auras was displayed vividly on her.

While the usual Meng Jinyang was low-key, introverted, and very much like a wallflower, she was like a sheathed sword in court. The only thing that didn’t change was her dark eyes remained as if they would devour all the lights. It was like they were stained with a deep and dark ink. There wasn’t a single trace of light in them.

Meng Jinyang walked to the corner of the last row of the gallery, where Gu Mang, Lu Chengzhou, Lu Qi, and the others were sitting.

When Xu Ji saw Meng Jinyang talking to Gu Mang, she noticed that her eyes were shining brightly as if a beam of light had shone into them and chased off all the darkness.

…

The court trial soon began.

Lawyer Hu presented the same evidence from the first trial and claimed that Xu Kangping was a diligent father who treated everyone well. A few of Xu Kangping’s drinking buddies even stood witness and said that he was generous, kind, had a good temper, and that they had never seen him get angry before.

The lawyer did his best to prove that Xu Kangping had only resorted to violence out of desperation and that his wife was at fault in the first place. After accusing Xu Ji’s mother, he then painted Xu Kangping’s image as a good husband and a good father.

There was no expression on Xu Ji’s face as she watched the trial with indifference. She didn’t lose control like how she had in the first trial when they accused her mother of committing adultery.

Xie Hang frowned when he saw from the side that Xu Ji was clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles had turned white.

Immediately after, Lawyer Hu said that Xu Kangping had only hit his wife out of anger and drunken impulse, but he didn’t expect her to die as a result. He then tried to persuade Xu Ji to forgive her father.

When Xu Kangping dropped to his knees in Xu Ji’s direction in front of the crowd, whispers broke out among the audience.

Xu Kangping cried bitterly, “Ah Ji, I know that you can’t forgive me, but I’d still like to apologize to you.”

There wasn’t a ripple of emotions on Xu Ji’s face as she coldly watched her father put on an act. Meng Jinyang, on the other hand, only quietly looked down and read the dossier.

The second trial was completely different from the commotion that broke out in the first trial. It was so quiet that even the judge couldn’t help but rub his eyes in confusion.

Lawyer Hu presented all their evidence and tried to move the judge with both reason and emotion. He listed the laws in a clear and justified manner and even said that everything was done all for the sake of Xu Ji’s future. He then pleaded with the judge to exercise discretion.

He spoke for a good thirty minutes without any interruption before saying, “Your Honor, I’ve finished my statement.”

After saying that, he glanced at Meng Jinyang, who was on the opposite side, with a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. This was the first time he had finished presenting all the evidence without the opposing counsel saying a single word. In his past experiences, the other party would always interrupt him. It looks like I’ve shut her up.

Lawyer Hu then sat back in his seat, picked up his glass of water, and took a sip of it.

Meanwhile, the people from the Xu and Ji families in the gallery below were shaking their heads as they looked at Meng Jinyang. The middle-aged woman who scolded Xu Ji earlier quietly sneered, “Has that lawyer been scared silly? Why isn’t she saying anything? She’s got a pretty face but no abilities at all. I guess this case is just a practice for her.”

Just as she said that Meng Jinyang finally stood up and presented the evidence that had been underneath her hands to the judge.

The judge was slightly taken aback that she decided to present the evidence to him first instead of presenting her case.

Meng Jinyang swept her gaze across the crowd and said, “Hello, Your Honor and everyone else. I’m Meng Jinyang, a lawyer from Shenyuan’s Law Firm.”

Lawyer Hu, who was originally feeling rather smug, was thunderstruck to hear Meng Jinyang’s introduction, and the color drained from his face. Meng Jinyang’s name was well-known within the legal profession, but there was no chance for a small lawyer like him to meet her in person.

How did a student like Xu Ji hire a lawyer like her? Could she just happen to have the same name? He stared wide-eyed at her in disbelief as he asked, “Which law firm did you say you’re from?”

Meng Jinyang politely answered, “Jiang Shenyuan’s Law Firm from the capital.”

Lawyer Hu’s mind went blank. Impossible.

His assistant beside him quietly tugged on his sleeve and whispered softly, “Lawyer Hu!”

He jolted back to his senses.

Seeing this, the people from the Xu and Ji families immediately took out their phones and started looking up Meng Jinyang’s name on the internet. However, they snickered when they saw her information. There’s no way she could become a professor at such a young age. She must’ve resorted to some dirty tricks to climb to that position. I bet she’s just a pretty face.

Meng Jinyang looked at the judge. “With the authorization of the plaintiff, Ms. Xu Ji, I’ll be representing her in the second trial of this case, and I disagree with all the evidence and claims provided by the defendant’s lawyer.”

Lawyer Hu frowned. She disagrees with all of them?

His assistant was shocked too. “But everything you stated were facts. What is she trying to do?”

The lawyer looked at Meng Jinyang and then returned his full attention to the case. He didn’t forget that she was trying to charge Xu Kangping with intentional homicide, though he reckoned that it would never happen.

For domestic violence cases in their country, very few people had ever been sentenced to death, and those were the cases with extremely bad circumstances. Hence, he didn’t think it was possible for Xu Kangping to be given the death penalty.

This is just a case of abuse. I’m certain the verdict of this trial will definitely remain the same! Lawyer Hu, who was initially shocked by Meng Jinyang’s background, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as a gleam flashed across them. If I can win against Meng Jinyang, my status in the legal profession will surely soar.

He then glanced at Old Master Xu and nodded his head slightly to reassure him.

Meng Jinyang unhurriedly stated her case, “The evidence I just submitted includes Madam Ji Zhi’s death certificate, her hospitalization information, and injury reports for the past 19 years, as well as some circumstantial evidence. I’ll be refuting the points of the defendant’s lawyers with the following four points.

“First, Madam Ji Zhi’s death certificate from six months ago reveals that she had ruptured internal organs and serious hemorrhage in her abdomen. The cause of her death was repeated heavy blows to the head, which led to the fractured skull, serious cranio-cerebral injury, and her eventual death. The external damage must’ve been very serious for her to sustain such grave injuries. The victim, Madam Ji Zhi, had died from such cruel means. According to Article 234 of the Criminal Law, the defendant intentionally injured the victim resulting in serious injury and death. Such behavior constitutes the crime of intentional injury. Hence, I do not agree with the defendant’s lawyer’s claim of abuse.”

As soon as she said that, Lawyer Hu immediately stood up and interrupted, “Objection! My client only did it out of anger because he wanted to make the victim feel the same pain he suffered from her cheating. He didn’t intend to cause injury or death!”

Meng Jinyang carried on speaking, “Second, in the 21 years of Madam Ji Zhi’s marriage, she had been hospitalized for a total of 59 times for domestic violence. The severe head injuries she had sustained resulted in serious memory impairment and the loss of hearing in one ear. She also had two steel nails drilled into her ankles because the defendant pushed her down the stairs and caused her to end up with fractured ankles. With such a horrifying number of hospitalization admissions, was the defendant really only trying to make her suffer? Not to mention that Madam Ji Zhi didn’t cheat on him. She only exchanged a few words with her colleagues on WeChat about work. The evidence is behind the reports.”

The judge flipped through the thick pile of hospital records and chat records, which Meng Jinyang had prepared very thoroughly and even highlighted the key points with a red pen.

The victim got beaten up so badly that she ended up in the hospital 59 times?! What a horrifying figure! The judge looked at Lawyer Hu. “Objection overruled.”

Lawyer Hu’s face sank as he sat back in his seat and clutched onto it tightly. A bad feeling loomed over him. With this solid evidence, it’ll be impossible for us to fight for the crime of abuse. Looks like we can only try for intentional injury to get a lighter punishment.

Meanwhile, Xu Ji was still very calmly looking at the judge and waiting for the final verdict. Xie Hang, too, showed no emotions as he glanced at the girl beside him.

Gu Mang and the others, who were sitting behind, looked at the two high school students.

“They’re quite calm,” remarked He Yidu. The crime of intentional injury is basically confirmed, and it’s several times more serious than the crime of abuse. With this, they’ve already won a large part of the lawsuit.

However, the girl still remained very calm, for her goal hadn’t been achieved yet.

Lin Shuang nodded in agreement. “What’s the girl’s name? I want to take her to the Shadow League.”

“Lu Qi had his eye on her first. Get in line!” said Qin Fang.

While Lu Qi was desperately trying to reduce his presence and not to be cued, Responsive Dragon egged on, “Fight, fight, fight.”

Everyone else was rendered speechless.

Jiang Shenyuan gazed at Meng Jinyang, who he had groomed to become so outstanding, carefully protected with all his might, and watched her become increasingly outstanding and prettier. But he dared not to even lift his hand in her presence, lest the action frightened her.

At the plaintiff’s bench, Meng Jinyang continued speaking in a light tone, “Third, the head is the most vulnerable part of the human body, and it is common knowledge that a severe blow to the head can cause death. These are the exact words said by the defendant’s lawyer for a case two years ago, so I can assume that the defendant’s lawyer agrees with me with this point. The trial transcript is included in the pile of evidence. Despite knowing that severe head injuries can cause death, the defendant continued to inflict cruel and severe head injuries on the victim. Under Article 232 of the Criminal Law, the defendant committed an act of intentional homicide, which constitutes the crime of intentional homicide.”

Intentional homicide… Lawyer Hu panicked for real this time, and he stood up in a fluster. “Objection! The evidence provided by the plaintiff’s lawyer is irrelevant to this case.”

The judge looked at Lawyer Hu. “So you deny the common knowledge that a severe blow to the head may cause death?”

“I…” Lawyer Hu was at a loss for words, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He never thought that Meng Jinyang would make him shut up with his past court records.

“Fourth, I have a recording here that I’d like everyone to listen to.” Meng Jinyang then handed the flash drive to the court staff.

Soon, a familiar voice was heard in the courtroom.

…

“Did you think I was going to be jailed for sure, you little b*tch?

“Your mother was just a lowly b*tch, yet you dream of sending me to jail because she’s dead? Ptooey! She’s better off dead.”

…

It was a recording of Xu Kangping’s voice from the other night, and it formed a stark contrast to the image he was presenting in court by kneeling to his daughter earlier. All the statements about him having a good temper and a good persona were overturned just like that.

Lawyer Hu’s face instantly became as pale as a sheet as he weakly fell back to his seat. This is solid evidence! With this recording, there’s no way for me to even fight for leniency…

Meng Jinyang looked at the judge. “In summary, the defendant committed the crimes of intentional injury and intentional homicide with extremely cruel means, which have very negative impacts. Your Honor, I ask that you sentence the defendant Xu Kangping to death and for immediate execution.”

Her evidence was sufficient and presented in a clear, logical, and concise manner, and each of her points was supported with strong evidence.

Xu Kangping completely lost his cool when he heard what Meng Jinyang said. He glared aggressively at Xu Ji and growled, “B*tch! How dare you do a recording?!”

He stood up and wanted to lunge at Xu Ji but was subdued by the police officers next to him.

The faces of the people from the Xu and Ji families sitting at the gallery were all ashen. It turned out that Meng Jinyang wasn’t some pretty face, and she managed to convict Xu Kangping’s crimes with just a few statements. It hadn’t even been ten minutes, yet she managed to get everyone to understand all the details of the case.

It was absolutely a brilliant court trial.

Xu Kangping’s circumstances had worsened when he ignored the judge and tried to hurt Xu Ji. Thus, the case came to an end very quickly.

The judge announced, “I announce that the defendant Xu Kangping is guilty of intentional homicide. He’ll be sentenced to death and will be executed immediately.”

When Xie Hang heard this news, he turned to Xu Ji excitedly and cried, “Ah Ji! You’ve won! You’ve won the case!”

Even though Xu Ji sat blankly in her seat with no emotion whatsoever, tears leaked out from her eyes and dripped onto the back of her hands.

…

Because domestic violence had been a trending term in recent years and it was a case of a daughter suing her father, the news about the second trial hit the headlines in no time. The comments on Weibo about Xu Ji’s actions were mixed, with some people finding that she was an ingrate who was too ruthless toward her own father, while others felt that she had done a good job.

In any case, talk was cheap to the netizens.

Meng Jinyang told Xu Ji not to look at Weibo for the time being as there were all sorts of bad things, especially people, online. However, Xu Ji didn’t care about that and even finished every single popular comment.

“Senior, doesn’t the fact that these people are calling me a ruthless ingrate prove that I’ve succeeded in getting justice for my mother? I can now live the life my mother wants me to live. Although I’ll be alone, I won’t have to live in fear anymore,” said Xu Ji with a smile.

“Yes, there are two sides to everything.” Meng Jinyang smiled gently at her and asked, “Have you thought about which major you want to study in university?”

Xu Ji, who had a clear goal in mind, didn’t hesitate to say, “I want to enter Senior Gu’s traditional Chinese medicine class and the medical institute.”

Meng Jinyang nodded and patted her shoulder encouragingly. “It won’t be easy getting into her class. You have to work hard.”

“Mm.” Xu Ji promised, “I will.”

Meng Jinyang then posted her view about the domestic violence case on Weibo. [Violence is violence. It shouldn’t be labeled as “domestic violence” and dealt with behind closed doors… The Anti-Domestic Violence Law still has a long way to go…]

It was a post with a comprehensive analysis using sharp and precise words to point out the current problems from a fresh and strong perspective. The post was shared by many bigwigs in the legal sector and received unanimous praise.

Because of this, Meng Jinyang even ended up trending online, and her childhood incident was unsurprisingly mentioned again.

[Seeing how outstanding and well Meng Jinyang is now, I really want to cry…]

[I thank Lawyer Meng for speaking on domestic violence.]

[Lawyer Meng is so pretty! I see Lawyer Jiang too! The ship has finally sailed!]

[Waiting to hear news of their wedding!]

[Wedding? Have you ever considered Lawyer Jiang’s feelings? Meng Jinyang was r*ped when she was young. He’ll only become a laughingstock if he marries her! This bigwig can only be admired.]

[Agreed. She shouldn’t get married. The truth might sound unpleasant, but will a prestigious family like the Jiang family agree to let Lawyer Jiang marry her? Is he even willing?]

[He’s just taking care of her out of pity. It’s not love. Some of Meng Jinyang’s fans are being delusional.]

[Pity? Did he tell you that? Did you hear that from under his bed?]

[I don’t expect them to get married. I just hope that they shine on their own!]

Whenever Meng Jinyang appeared in the public eye, her past would be mentioned, and there would always be a few nasty comments about her.

However, it didn’t take long before all the articles about Meng Jinyang were removed and deleted.