Ch27 - Lady Justice

Wang Xian’s questioning continued.

“Mr Lu, you were junior high classmates with the other victim in this case, correct?” 

“Yes.”

“From what I’m aware of, in these last ten or so years, you two have not been in close contact.”

 

 

“We only met each other again in the winter of last year.”

Wang Xian’s expression morphed into one of doubt, “You two have not been in contact for over ten years, but you decided to to come out and involve yourself in this case for an old classmate,  who can’t even be called a friend. If I’m honest, this is an action that’s quite rarely seen. So then, could you tell me what motive you had when you left for the ‘Sacred Garden of Eden’ with my client? You also clearly anticipated that something would happen, as you hid your phone and recorded the evidence which you later submitted in court.” 

Meng Xuan Jun was right in her guesses, the defence really was making a big deal out of my relationship with Mo Qiu and on how trustworthy my account was.

 

I gave him a smile in return, taking my time and not rushing to jump in and defend myself, “I can tell that you’re someone who probably doesn’t have friends.”

There was a murmur of laughter arising from the jury and the public gallery of attendees as Wang Xian’s features stilled, his eyes reflecting clear annoyance at being the butt of a joke. If we weren’t at court right now, I really would like to add on a few words, so he could look even more like I had just hit him where it hurt.

“In junior high, Mo Qiu was my assigned partner and I was tasked to help him out by my homeroom teacher. I was in charge of assisting with his homework, and was also on the lookout to prevent him from being bullied by other classmates. Although I realise I am someone with a criminal record, back when I attended school my grades were quite excellent, and I was always more than willing to help other classmates.” I looked at Mo Qiu who sat on the prosecutors bench and found that his eyes were red rimmed, as if he was about to burst into tears again, and unwittingly sighed to myself, “Mo Qiu is someone who has an especially introverted and sensitive personality, at first I also tried to convince him to have the police involved in this, but because of the bullying he had endured when he was a student he has always cared a lot about how other people perceive him, so I wanted take this matter in my own hands and resolve this issue for him.”

 

Wang Xian seemed to be just waiting for me to say these words, as I saw his lips part slightly and jumped in again before he could speak, “Of course, this method was not smart, it subjected me to horrifying violence. Calling the police should always be the first call of action in any situation, I believe that the law will serve justice where deserved.” I looked to the jury, and directed all my emotions into my speech, “No matter what kind of person we were, whether we like men or women, no matter our sexual preferences or how many people we’ve slept with, none of these are excuses for someone to be violent to another person.”

The jury was formed of a few young females who after hearing my words, nodded in affirmation. The look on Wang Xian’s face worsened, clearly my speech was unexpected and had broken his tempo.

However, for him to be called an ‘ace’, he clearly would have to excel in adapting to any given situation. Wang Xian quickly expressed to the jury that Luo Zheng Yun within the entertainment circle had always had a good reputation and personal brand, and that he’d never had any negative rumours about being violent in bed. He was persistent in trying to create an image of an innocent gentleman that had been mistakenly accused and wronged in front of the jury.

 

In the following moments of the trial, the prosecutor and defence went back and forth, a stalemate forming on the battlegrounds. Meng Xuan Jun displayed even more evidence, many of which in the form of Mo Qiu’s private blog, to show the ramifications of Luo Zheng Yun’s actions to Mo Qiu’s body and psyche. 

From when he had entered a romantic relationship with Luo Zheng Yun, to his suicide attempt.

“For two months, he endured multiple counts of physical and sexual abuse from Luo Zheng Yun, there were more than ten instances recorded, yet the only place he could turn to was his own online blog, a place no one could discover apart from himself.” She picked a passage at random and began reading it out, “I really am terrified, he’s changed into someone I don’t recognise anymore. What should I do? No one can help me, I feel like I’m decaying and wilting, I’m in so much pain, what do I need to do to be free of him?”

Luo Zheng Yun’s expression was completely devoid of remorse as he sat on the bench of the accused, and had the nonchalance to play around with his fingers, admiring his nicely manicured nails.

Meng Xuan Jun held a file to the air, “I also would like to submit an expert opinion as evidence, I have in my hand a psychologists’s evaluation, diagnosing Mo Qiu with severe clinical depression, and that he is in immediate need of long term psychotherapy.” 

At this time, in the public gallery, someone from the last row stood up and passed the masses of people to excuse themselves. I took a look at them, and realised that it was the same lady that I had previously seen, wearing her black dress. Her head was lowered with her long hair obscuring her features, as she promptly left the courthouse.

This hearing lasted for around two hours, before it ended much like last time. Once Luo Zheng Yun walked out from the courthouse, he was once again swarmed by media reporters.

The next hearing would commence after five days, Meng Xuan Jun was not too concerned over it, the battle had just started, and the outlook for it ending in our win was very probable.

I always thought that her idea of a ‘win’ differed from my understanding of what it would be like. If Luo Zheng Yun was seen as guilty by the jury, then the prosecutor would have done their job and fulfilled their mission. However, if Luo Zheng Yun was just given a suspended sentence following community service, it wouldn’t bother him in the slightest, and this to me would not count as a brilliant ‘win’. 

Though at first I had involved myself not because I wanted to bring forth justice, but rather because of my personal rivalry with Sheng Min Ou, now that we’ve reached this point, if in the end Luo Zheng Yun didn’t get the punishment he deserved… then it would really be too frustrating and bitter to stomach.

“Let’s go, we’ll all go get hotpot, it’ll allow us to cleanse ourselves of this scum scent.” Yi Da Zhuang moved forward and hooked an arm around my shoulder, calling out to Mo Qiu as we left the courthouse.

 

I replied, “The scent of scum?”

“Once we stay in the same room as that scum Luo Zheng Yun for too long, we’ll be contaminated by his foul smell,” Yi Da Zhuang explained, “I’ve already told San Ge and Xiao Shi to get there first and get us a seat so we can head directly there.” 

Mo Qiu appeared slightly uncomfortable at this, ever since I knew him he wasn’t the type of person who was good at socialising, and for him to go out and eat with a group of people he wasn’t familiar with was really a big ask. If I was honest, I didn’t have much to talk to him about as well. If we were going to ask him to come eat with us, and it ended up with us leaving him out of our conversation, then it would be better to not call him to come at all.

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

So I told Mo Qiu, if he didn’t want to go then he didn’t have to, and that he could go home to rest up instead.

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I looked over to where his gaze was, and saw Sheng Min Ou leaving the courthouse with Wu Yi following suit.

Perhaps the courthouse was stuffy inside, as Sheng Min Ou took off his jacket and held it by the crook of his arm, revealing his pristinely fitted gunmetal blue suit shirt. From top to bottom, each button was tightly done up, and apart from his head and his hands, there was not another inch of skin exposed.

Wu Yi saw me and waved a hand in my direction as a means of greeting. Sheng Min Ou ignored his actions and walked forward, his gaze unwavering, never even looking this way.

“How about we call your brother along and go together?” Yi Da Zhuang said whilst nudging at my shoulders. 

I looked at him like he was an extraterrestrial species, “Are you crazy?”

If I went to go call him to eat with us, there was a ninety percent chance that he would have me get out of his sight straight away. Honestly, it was hard for me to imagine Sheng Min Ou wearing a full suit with proper leather shoes, eating hotpot with everyone, his expression stoic like he was practising abstinence the whole time.

Even now, I still could not imagine what he looked like when he did me.

If it wasn’t something I witnessed personally, that kind of scene wasn’t something that I could just conjure up with my barren imagination. 

Yi Da Zhuang touched his nose and mockingly stated, “Then I’ll go over there to just say two words to your brother, so wait here for me okay.” After saying so he didn’t wait for my response before he bolted towards where Sheng Min Ou was.

I could see from afar that Yi Da Zhuang approached Sheng Min Ou with an air of flattery and brought out his phone, looking like he was asking for Sheng Min Ou’s contact details. Sheng Min Ou did not entertain him and rather tilted his head back to speak to Wu Yi, who then quickly fished out a business card from his pocket and passed it over to Yi Da Zhuang.

Yi Da Zhuang was all smiles as he accepted the card, giving several nods to Sheng Min Ou as he watched them walk away.

“What are you doing?” I asked, watching Yi Da Zhuang come running back with a jovial expression on his face as I teased, “Did you catch feelings for Wu Yi or my brother?” 

“How could I, it’s just about the case, I wanted to ask your elder brother for his thoughts, given that he’s a professional in the field. It’s hard being a small journalist, you really have to hustle just to get food on the table.” He signed, the vexation evident in his voice, “I work in the entertainment circles, so who would’ve thought that one day I would have to follow a court case and tail everyone involved in it, life is really too difficult.”

Every case that caused a commotion and caught the attention of the public would unavoidably have multiple media companies fighting for coverage. To hold an edge over one another all reporting the same incident, each reporter would have to bring out all their own tricks and connections.

 

Camping outside the scene where all the action unfolded was a fundamental move that was expected of everyone, writing up an article that included an expert’s breakdown of what was likely to happen was however a significant bonus.

Yi Da Zhuang’s company was initially not one of those gossip magazines. The purpose of the paparazzi like articles were so readers could be updated on what had just happened, whilst the company could capitalise off popular incidents by covering it and attracting attention. Previously, the articles submitted were all typical of yellow journalism, dramatising information in whichever way to pique the reader’s interest. This approach was vehemently criticised by Luo Zheng Yun’s fans, and the general public also felt disinclined to help. 

However, Yi Da Zhuang’s most recent reporting not only clearly summarised the timeline of events, depicting both arguments put forward by the prosecution and the defence in previous hearings, but it even included a pencil sketch of Luo Zheng Yun sitting at the benches, his face a picture perfect embodiment of arrogance. Unlike the previous reports released which were of a lower tier quality, the writing style here was vastly different.

As the article was also thorough and exhaustive with its details, despite Luo Zheng Yun fans attempting to stop the piece from taking off, the number of shares continued to increase.

“A lawyer has determined that the appearance of the new victim perhaps wouldn’t be of much use and advantage to the prosecution, instead it would only serve to harm the amount of trust the jury is willing to place in the initial victim, as it provides the defence with new options and possibilities. Tsk, why does this lawyer’s analysis feel so familiar…” I sat in front of the computer, smoking as I slid the cursor down and continued scrolling.

Unlike the other reports which only focused on introducing the prosecutor, defence lawyer, and judge involved in the case, the article Yi Da Zhuang submitted read like it was for the general public who didn’t have any prior knowledge of the entertainment world, as it also thoroughly detailed Luo Zheng Yun’s birth, early life and how he established his career. 

Luo Zheng Yun came from an established family, with his ancestors being involved in trade early on. His mother and his uncle were both diplomats, and since he debuted in the entertainment industry five years ago his career has always been smooth sailing. Apart from having handsome looks and convincing acting skills, his tremendous success could also be attributed to his background. In the worst case scenario, all Luo Zheng Yun had to do would be to leave the entertainment circle, and he would still be able to go home to inherit the family business, enjoying life as an affluent heir and continuing to do his evil deeds.

No wonder Sheng Min Ou concluded that I was doomed to fail.

To pay a colossal price just in exchange for a smidge of justice, and in the end the mark left on him might not even compare to the white moon shaped crescents on Luo Zheng Yun’s fingernails.

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In the third hearing, Sheng Min Ou continued sitting in his original spot, and so did Yi Da Zhuang, however Wu Yi was not in attendance. I scanned the last row of the public gallery, finding that the woman in the black dress who was present both times earlier still had not made it to the hearing yet. 

Due to Wang Xian raising questions last time as to whether my account could be trusted, Meng Xuan Jun was left with no choice but to launch a counterattack. She invited the superintendent jailor that oversaw my sentence back when I was in Qing Wan City First Prison.

I thought that when I left the prison that day I would never cross paths with Old Huang again, yet who would’ve guessed in less than a year I would see him again, and it was in such an awkward setting in court.

“Do you think Lu Feng is an honest person?”

“Yes.” 

“Could you tell us more about how you see him as a person?”

Old Huang shrugged as he spoke, “He’s a soft hearted person, but he would never admit it, and he would also never admit that he’s always more than willing to help others, but everyone all knew that the kid in cell 67 was different from those malicious and wicked criminals there.”

I sat in the prosecutors bench and felt my face heat up at his remarks, even feeling a bit startled at his words. I knew that Old Huang was fond of me, but I didn’t realise that he had such a high opinion of me.

Meng Xuan Jun continued, “Lu Feng is someone who wouldn’t shy away from his honest thoughts at any time or in any situation, and this exemplifies his strong moral and ethics code. He’s not someone who would use lies and deceit to reach a goal. I hope that the jury can consider the differences that exist between a figure in public and how they might conduct themselves in private, and not hold any prejudice against any marginalised groups, thereby accepting the witness testimony coming from Lu Feng. Thank you.” 

When it was time for Wang Xian to question Old Huang, he stood up and adjusted his collar.

“How many years have you served as a superintendent jailor?”

 

“Twenty years.”

“And for how many years have you overseen Lu Feng?” 

“Eight years, from when he was eighteen.”

“Then you must hold strong feelings for him, you’ve pretty much seen him grow up.”

“It’s alright, I’m able to still distinguish between private and public matters without having feelings intrude.”

Wang Xian started out with simple questions, then slowly introduced questions with more latent intentions as he exposed his fangs. 

“Has he been held in solitary confinement back when he was serving his sentence?”

Old Huang thought about it for a second then replied, “He has.”

Wang Xian instantly morphed into a shark that had caught the scent of blood, his expression becoming excited. Being the ace that he was, he would not let go of any opportunity.

“Only prisoners that have made a mistake get held in solitary confinement, correct?” 

Old Huang clearly did not want to respond to the question, however the Judge started urging him on, “Witness, you must answer.”

With no other alternative, he could only nod his head and answer, “Yes.”

Wang Xian let out a satisfied smile, clearly the current status quo was favoured towards the defence, however he did not stop his questioning just yet.

“And what was the reason for that?” 

He seemed to think that if the reason for me being held in solitary confinement was told to the jury, no matter what the cause or how little the matter was when it started, he would have a way to narrate the events so that I came out as an amoral and unrepentant scum criminal to society.

Old Huang intertwined his fingers as he placed his hands on the stand, his tone slightly exasperated as he enunciated each word clearly, “To prevent five prisoners from sodomizing and raping another child. That kid was only eighteen that year, and was a new prisoner. This can’t be blamed on Lu Feng, however… rules are rules, in the end all of them involved were held in solitary confinement.”

“Wow,” Meng Xuan Jun remarked using a very low voice, delighting in the mistake that Wang Xian had made, “What a good question indeed.”

I looked at Sheng Min Ou who sat in the public gallery, his chin was lifted slightly and both his arms were crossed, his eyes full of uncertainty and disgust. As if in a symphony where every note rang out beautifully, a sound that didn’t fit in had inexplicably appeared, and it had ruined the whole performance. 

Wang Xian clearly realised this too, that he shouldn’t have asked the last question but the damage was done. Since he had already asked it, he could only continue with his line of interrogation with a darkened expression and swallow the bitter mistake that he had made.

When the hearing was complete that day, Luo Zheng Yun wore a mask and hurriedly headed out. Yi Da Zhuang chased after him for pictures, with Mo Qiu and I intentionally waiting for a while before leaving the courtroom, just so we could put more distance in between us and Luo Zheng Yun.

 

The next hearing would be the final hearing, whether or not Luo Zheng Yun would be found innocent or guilty would be revealed then.

I saw Sheng Min Ou slowly exit as one of the last people in the room, and subsequently quickly let Mo Qiu know before running over to that side. 

I knew that Sheng Min Ou didn’t want to see me, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to mess with him even though I had nothing to say. Seeing him frown over my antics had become a peculiar hobby of mine.

Maybe in my last lifetime I was a beyblade, that would explain why I kept doing things now that was just asking to be hit.

“Esteemed Lawyer Sheng, after today’s hearing will you change your predictions on how this case will go?” I raised a hand, grasping an invisible microphone and brought it in front of him.

Sheng Min Ou probably used this to confirm the fact that there was indeed something wrong with me as his eyes slanted over to my side, as without any hesitation he moved to descend down the steps in big strides. 

Yet it was just at this moment that numerous screams suddenly erupted from outside the courthouse.

I looked towards where the sound was coming from and found masses of people dispersing in waves, panic and shock conspicuously shown on their faces. An ill-boding feeling arose within me as I couldn’t help but descend down the steps.

Amongst the escaping crowd, I saw Yi Da Zhuang stumbling as he raced his way up the stairs. Without even thinking about it, I went forward to help him.

In front of me, one of the court officers roared, “Do you hear me, put down your weapon!” 

The bellows continued for a few more times,when suddenly there was a piercing shriek from a woman, grief entrenched in her wail.

“My son, your mother is coming to find you!”

In the next second, three shots of gunfire went off as I reflexively crouched down and subconsciously looked towards where the sound came from.

Through the crowd of people, traces of a black dress fell to the ground, a dagger stained with blood clattering as it dropped in sync. Not far from her was Luo Zheng Yun, who had collapsed on the floor in a puddle of blood, a large blossoming stain of red emerging from his chest, his face alabaster white and completely unresponsive to the crowd around him calling his name. 

The person closest to him, Wang Xian, seemed to have his legs give out as he fell to the ground and was unable to get back up.

“That scared the shit out of me!” Yi Da Zhuang’s face was pale as he crawled to sit beside me, turning his head back to witness the scene, his voice still shaking uncontrollably, “God knows where this lady came from, she charges up to Luo Zheng Yun and before you know it he’s been stabbed five, six times. Each puncture was fatal, and she was yelling for him to return her son back… my god, that’s way too gory, I’m going to throw up…”

I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but for some reason my heart seemed to be in a mess right now.

Crouching on the steps, I looked at the woman in the black dress who had several bullets put through her and had long since taken her last breath and inexplicably started recalling the scene I saw at the previous hearing. 

Before I went to the smoking area, wasn’t she speaking to Sheng Min Ou?

But… even if they were talking, what significance does that have?

 

She could have been just borrowing a lighter from Sheng Min Ou, and there may have been no definite connection between that incident and what had happened today. I shouldn’t be letting my thoughts diverge in that direction, I didn’t even know what I was thinking about all of this for.

Without even thinking about it, I looked back up the long flight of steps. 

The towering courthouse cast its elongated grey shadows down on the steps below, where everyone else looked scrambled and pitiful except for Sheng Min Ou, who stood at the pinnacle of the stairs and cast his eyes downwards, taking in everything that had happened. A calm gaze, which watched all the crime, hatred, bloodshed and violence unfold.

The cool, icy emotion made me think of the Lady Justice in front of the courthouse, with her left hand holding a set of scales, symbolic of fairness and righteousness, and in her right hand a sword, representing the desire to never rest until justice is served. Finally, the blindfold covering her eyes, conveying that she would always be rational and a voice of reason, never to be influenced by other, inconsequent noises.

Jiraiya (translator): Hi everyone! Thank you for your support so far, I won’t be responding to every single comment from now on as it usually takes me an hour to do so, but please know I really appreciate every single comment and I read all of it! As things get busier for me I’m sure all of you would prefer if I spent that hour on translating, but know that I really am grateful for each comment! Thank you again and see you in the next chapter.

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