MWC – Chapter 37 Attacking the Heart

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

In room 302 of the Husky Hotel, Lu Ming had just returned from the Wind Bao Club when he heard some shocking news.

Li Mingxuan and Xiaocui announced that once this case was over, regardless of whether he won or lost, they would get married.

“If I lose, then that’s it,” Li Mingxuan sighed as he held Xiaocui’s hand.

Under the orange wall lamp, Xiaocui’s face turned even redder. She shyly shook her head, “No, I’m willing…”

Lu Ming quietly observed Li Mingxuan.

“Lawyer Lu, aren’t you going to bless us? I really want your blessing,” Li Mingxuan said calmly, smiling at Lu Ming.

Lu Ming smiled, “Hmm, I will prepare a big gift for you.”

Li Mingxuan was taken aback, “Lawyer Lu, I think we should talk.”

…

“Do you think Xiaocui and I are a good match?” Li Mingxuan asked, turning his head after closing the door to the tea room.

“That depends on you two. Outsiders’ opinions don’t mean much.” Lu Ming sat by the tea table, boiling water to make tea.

“Stop beating around the bush. What do you really think? Give me some hope and then crush me, is that it?” Li Mingxuan sneered, “I’ve always underestimated you, thinking you were just a spoiled brat. But it turns out you’re the most insidious one. If it weren’t for the case in Wu’an forcing you to reveal your true nature, I might not have known how I died in a few years, right?”

Lu Ming smiled and continued making tea. From Li Mingxuan’s perspective, it wasn’t wrong to see him this way. Originally a prodigal son wasting away his family fortune, Lu Ming’s deep understanding of the law naturally made Li Mingxuan feel like he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“I don’t want to fight this case anymore. Give me a straightforward answer. I don’t want false hope only to be buried by you personally!” Li Mingxuan’s eyes were filled with hatred as he stared at Lu Ming.

“There’s never been much hope. Do you think you can withstand Liu Hanming’s cross-examination in court tomorrow?”

A thin stream of tea poured from Lu Ming’s high-raised teapot into the cup, swaying gently in the air as if it had a life of its own.

“Here, you should think carefully about how to deal with Liu Hanming tomorrow.” Lu Ming pushed a small teacup towards Li Mingxuan.

“Maybe, you won’t need me to act. Tomorrow you might bury your own hopes.”

Lu Ming stood up, pointing at a few sheets of paper on the tea table. “This is the victim’s story I wrote. I hope you read it and understand it! You need to see her as a living person, not just someone trying to take over your life. Got it? Take your time to comprehend it. Whether you live or die depends on you.” After giving Li Mingxuan a look, Lu Ming slowly walked out.

Li Mingxuan sat still for a long time before picking up the teacup and drinking it all in one gulp.

Then he picked up the sheets of paper and began to read.

…

Li Mingxuan, as the suspect in this case and the only person who ostensibly experienced the crime, naturally became the focal point of cross-examination.

He sat in the witness box, looking a bit anxious and often sneaking glances at the jury.

Liu Hanming walked slowly to the witness box. “Mr. Li Haoran, or should I call you Mr. Li Si, which do you prefer?”

Li Mingxuan leaned forward slightly, speaking into the microphone, “Either is fine…”

“Alright, Mr. Li Si, can you tell us your real name?”

“Objection,” Lu Ming raised his hand. “The question is baseless.”

“Alright, let me rephrase. Mr. Li Si, where is your hometown?”

“Objection, this concerns my client’s safety!” Lu Ming raised his hand again.

Liu Hanming nodded, “Then, Mr. Li Si, what do your relatives and friends in your hometown call you?”

“Objection, the prosecution is harping on the same false issue.” Lu Ming raised his hand once more.

Liu Hanming shook his head helplessly, “I withdraw the question.”

Even if not withdrawn, Judge Cao would have sustained the objection. The intention was to make the jurors doubt the suspect’s credibility, and that had been achieved.

“Mr. Li Si, you admitted at the police station that you killed Li Xiaoyan, didn’t you?”

Lu Ming stood up abruptly, “Objection, the police have already dismissed that invalid confession! The prosecution is misleading the jury!”

Judge Cao gestured for both lawyers to approach the bench.

Covering the microphone, Judge Cao frowned at Liu Hanming. “Lawyer Liu, I have always maintained enough respect for you. I hope you will respect me as well and not use such tricks in my court!”

Without Lu Ming’s threats of further legal actions, the matter of forced confession had been settled quietly. Liu Hanming’s mention of it was clearly to sway the jury.

“Understood, Judge Cao,” Liu Hanming nodded to the judge.

From the prosecution’s table, Zhang Jingjing was stunned by the proceedings. She couldn’t believe her mentor was using such tactics against a rookie lawyer. Her mentor, usually so proud and dignified, had resorted to basic tricks, clearly pressured by this young adversary. Zhang Jingjing watched Lu Ming’s back, speechless.

“Mr. Li Si, you were an employee of the victim, Ms. Li Xiaoyan, correct?”

Returning to his seat, Liu Hanming continued questioning Li Mingxuan.

“Yes.” Li Mingxuan answered softly into the microphone.

“Before being hired by Ms. Li Xiaoyan, you were a street vagrant, without legal status, no residence, no job, and constantly at risk of being expelled, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Ms. Li Xiaoyan can be considered your benefactor, right?”

“Yes…” A sigh flickered in Li Mingxuan’s eyes.

“You claim the valuable items found in your home were gifts from Ms. Li Xiaoyan, correct?”

Li Mingxuan hesitated, “Yes, but…”

Liu Hanming interrupted, “Please present evidence D, photos 3 to 7.”

Soon, court assistants handed the evidence photos to the court and the jury.

Even as photos, the value of the items was evident, especially the jade pendant, which looked priceless.

Holding the photo of the jade pendant, Liu Hanming said, “Evidence D3, let’s talk about it. It was a token of love from Ms. Li Xiaoyan’s husband, cherished by her, with multiple witnesses able to testify to its importance to her.”

“I have five witnesses who can confirm Ms. Li Xiaoyan’s deep affection for this pendant. They’re on the witness list and can be summoned if the defense objects.”

Casting a glance at Lu Ming, Liu Hanming turned to Li Mingxuan, “Ms. Li Xiaoyan gave you such a precious gift? Are you sure?”

“No, the particularly precious ones, sometimes she would take back after a couple of days. She was very…”

Intending to say she gave away precious things when angry, Li Mingxuan was interrupted again.

“Do you think this statement is reasonable?”

The jury murmured, shaking their heads. They clearly found Li Mingxuan’s explanation, shifting from claiming they were gifts to saying they were temporarily given, absurd.

“You don’t understand women…” Li Mingxuan suddenly sighed.

“What did you say?” Liu Hanming was taken aback.

“Ms. Li Xiaoyan loved her husband very much, though she was just a concubine and her husband had seven or eight other concubines, each younger and prettier…”

“Witness, I did not ask you this!” Liu Hanming frowned.

Li Mingxuan continued, “But Ms. Li Xiaoyan was his first concubine. At that time, she was so young and beautiful, and her husband loved her so much. He bought the jade pendant for fifteen thousand yuan and gave it to her.”

The jury audibly gasped at the pendant’s value.

“Objection, witness, I did not ask you this, please stop talking!”

Li Mingxuan shook his head, “She thought she had won the world, but didn’t realize that happiness in life is often short-lived.”

“Men are fickle. Her husband had a third concubine, then a fourth, and a fifth…”

“She could only numb herself with alcohol, taking out the pendant to pretend she was still that happy girl.”

“But she was still unhappy. She would throw her most precious and painful memories at her attendants, making them take those memories away!”

“But when she sobered up, she realized that whether the memories were painful or joyful, they were her life. She didn’t want to abandon her life or lose the meaning of living, so she would have her servants bring those memories back…”

Li Mingxuan’s gentle narrative brought the courtroom to silence, vividly portraying the victim as a living, breathing person for the first time.

Liu Hanming’s repeated objections seemed out of place and inappropriate. Judge Cao, initially ignoring Liu’s objections, eventually let him interrupt.

Judge Cao nodded, “Mr. Li Haoran, please control your emotions and just answer the prosecution’s questions.”

Li Mingxuan sighed and nodded slightly.

Liu Hanming’s face was grim. The following questions felt jarring. Staring at Li Mingxuan, he realized he had underestimated him. Li Mingxuan was no ordinary person; treating him as a simple vagrant was a grave mistake. From the start, he had not taken the case seriously, but now it seemed he had made a fatal error.

Standing for a moment, he said, “Your Honor, the defendant’s emotional state is unstable. I request a recess to allow the defendant to rest.”

Judge Cao nodded slightly.