CH 77

After giving his testimony, Ji Yao was directed to the spectator area to continue observing the trial.

Once relieved from the intense scrutiny of the courtroom, Ji Yao’s nervousness began to ease. He wiped the cold sweat from his palms and took his seat.

Li Linghua was seated in front of him, and Ji Yao stole a glance at her. His gaze inadvertently passed over Li Linghua’s shoulder and landed on Jiang Heng.

In a public prosecution case like this, even Li Linghua could only sit in the gallery. The plaintiff’s bench in the civil litigation was occupied by Jiang Heng alone, making him seem somewhat isolated and outnumbered.

However, Jiang Heng didn’t show any signs of being overwhelmed or outnumbered. He had carefully organized his materials, neatly arranged on the table in front of him, and a list of evidence lay beneath his hand, with several items already crossed out.

Ji Yao’s heart rate returned to normal as he took a deep breath. Finally, he had the chance to observe Jiang Heng for a while.

When Jiang Heng had just uttered the words “intentional manslaughter through inaction,” Li Linghua’s emotions had clearly surged once more. She struggled to contain herself, leaning on Li Nan’s shoulder, unable to stop her sobs. There were even moments when she had difficulty breathing and needed to use a portable oxygen tank.

Women who had lost their children in middle age were often met with empathy, and even though Ji Yao had some past grievances with Li Linghua, he couldn’t help but feel pity upon witnessing her current state.

The judge seemed to sense her pain as well. He glanced at Li Linghua a few times but did not request her to maintain silence.

In contrast, Jiang Heng lowered his head slightly, attentively reviewing the documents in his hand without giving Li Linghua even a single glance.

Jiang Heng held respect and sympathy for Li Linghua, but it was limited to that. He had never seen her as a pitiable, bereaved mother who had lost everything. Therefore, he did not consider himself her savior.

He was merely doing his job, striving to secure the best outcome for her from a legal standpoint.

However, Ji Yao couldn’t help but find this “detached” side of Jiang Heng more attractive than the image of a “champion of justice.”

The defense attorney for the accused hadn’t anticipated Jiang Heng’s move. Most of his preparations had been focused on countering the charge of “attempted murder.” Now, Jiang Heng had suddenly introduced a new element, catching the opposing side off guard.

However, the experienced defense attorney quickly regained his composure and returned to his usual pace.

The case was complex, and it had garnered significant media attention. The judge proceeded with great caution, calling for three adjournments to review the evidence during the proceedings.

During the several hours of recess, Jiang Heng’s phone rang continuously.

Li Linghua had initially intended to make the case as public as possible and had engaged various media outlets. However, once public opinion began to take hold, it was challenging for her to manage. Consequently, she had handed over full control to Jiang Heng.

Jiang Heng had been busy during the entire trial, and Ji Yao could hear him answering calls in the adjacent room while passing by with a paper cup. Jiang Heng’s voice had grown hoarse from the continuous phone conversations.

Ji Yao hesitated for a moment while holding the paper cup but ultimately couldn’t resist. He turned and fetched a glass of water, bringing it into the room.

In the midst of his busy schedule, Jiang Heng took the glass with a nod of thanks and quickly drank the water.

“How’s everything, any bad news?” Ji Yao asked.

“It’s still within manageable limits,” Jiang Heng replied. He was in the courtroom, and he couldn’t be too close to Ji Yao. Maintaining a polite distance of about one meter, he continued, “At least public opinion is leaning towards Li Linghua’s side.”

Ji Yao nodded in understanding, not saying much. He held the paper cup that Jiang Heng had just used and, along with the used tissue, disposed of them together.

Jiang Heng had prepared extensively, and the defense attorney was no pushover. The case continued from 9:00 AM until 3:30 PM before a verdict was finally reached.

The judge delivered the verdict, announcing that Jiang Heng’s argument of “intentional manslaughter through inaction” had been effective. Zhou Fang had twice had the opportunity to save Li Wen from danger but had shown indifference, demonstrating malicious intent. She was also convicted of indirect intentional harm, and the multiple charges were sentenced to ten years and eight months in total.

While this outcome may not have provided complete closure for Li Linghua, it was satisfying to some extent.

Just before the final verdict, Ji Yao had stepped out briefly. When he returned, the verdict had already been announced.

Zhou Fang was taken away by court officers, and Jiang Heng rose from his seat. He appeared somewhat unsteady on his feet.

The defense attorney waited at the door, and when he saw Jiang Heng coming out, he shook hands with him.

“Well done,” he said.

“You flatter me,” Jiang Heng politely responded. “It was a close call.”

After the court session, the atmosphere between the two lawyers became less tense. The opposing attorney smiled kindly, patted Jiang Heng on the shoulder, and then walked away.

Ji Yao saw them finish their conversation, and Jiang Heng put away his phone. He approached Jiang Heng.

“The verdict is out online already,” Ji Yao said. “Do you want to check it out?”

The entire trial had been live streamed, and the verdict had appeared on the internet during the announcement. Someone had captured those minutes and posted them online. Ji Yao briefly skimmed through it and was surprised to find that there were quite a few discussions about Jiang Heng.

“Many people are praising you,” Ji Yao said with a smile. “You might become famous.”

“Are you jealous?” Jiang Heng teased, and then he added, “anyway, enough of that. I’m tired after a day of the trial; my head is throbbing.”

Online public opinion ultimately had nothing to do with Jiang Heng, and he didn’t care much about what people were saying. As long as he had done his job in court and upheld the law, he was satisfied.

“Nevertheless, you performed exceptionally well,” Ji Yao said. “And you looked especially handsome.”

Jiang Heng chuckled.

“Really?” Jiang Heng glanced at Ji Yao with a playful look. “Someone once regarded me as an intimidating, unreasonable, evil lawyer.”

Ji Yao thought, “Still holding a grudge,”

At that time, Ji Yao had been somewhat worried upon seeing Jiang Heng, as he had been haunted by nightmares of Jiang Heng cross-examining him relentlessly.

However, over time, his perception of Jiang Heng had changed. Jiang Heng no longer seemed as hostile as before, he began to picture him as a mountain hidden in the mist—steady, calm, capable of hurling rocks at enemies when needed, and serving as an impregnable fortress against a thousand foes.

Ji Yao’s imagination reached its peak at this moment, and he couldn’t help but picture a cartoonish version of Jiang Heng as a mountain tossing stones. He couldn’t hold back his laughter, which resonated in the room.

“Why are you laughing?” Jiang Heng asked.

“You know, I just realized that despite everything, I still have a clear understanding of your abilities,” Ji Yao said with a grin. “You should be happy because even during our break-up, my perception of you remains uninfluenced by external forces.”

Jiang Heng snorted and said, “Sly reasoning.”

Ji Yao then took out his phone from his pocket, tapped it a few times, and then handed it to Jiang Heng.

Jiang Heng glanced down and found two pre-booked plane tickets.

On March 6th, from Shanghai to Tokyo.

“Jiang Heng,” Ji Yao said almost simultaneously. His voice whispered in Jiang Heng’s ear, “Take me to Hokkaido again.”