Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gu Nianzhi had prepared a list of questions that Jin Wanyi might ask, but this question was not on the list Gu Nianzhi had prepared. The questions that Gu Nianzhi had prepared for him were all related to the inheritance and technical computer stuff.
As for questions about relationships, although Gu Nianzhi had known that Jin Wanyi might ask them as well, she had considered Ye Xuan’s feelings about them and did not venture into that area. She was not the type of lawyer who would do whatever it took to win a lawsuit, even if it meant hurting people.
Ye Xuan had not thought about what questions Jin Wanyi and Gu Yanran would use to torment him. He had actually guessed that they would be using his and Gu Yanran’s past relationship to make a big fuss out of things, but now that the question was really being asked, Ye Xuan still felt lost for a while.
He looked fixedly in the direction where Gu Yanran was. Even though Gu Yanran had lowered her head, looking uncomfortable, it seemed like she totally had no intention of stopping Jin Wanyi.
Memories that belonged to only the two of them were now being exposed in public this way, in front of everyone. No matter how beautiful a relationship was, it would not be able to withstand such exposure.
The struggling look in Ye Xuan’s eyes slowly disappeared, and what replaced it was a pair of eyes that looked extremely emotionless. He curled one side of his lips upwards and smiled an evil smile with his handsome features. “How long have I been together with Gu Yanran? Lawyer Jin, why don’t you ask your client that question?”
“Ye Xuan! I am asking you a question. Please answer it.” The vein on Jin Wanyi’s temple throbbed. She had also sensed the change in Ye Xuan’s attitude and could not help but look at Gu Yanran.
To be frank, Ye Xuan had some feelings for Gu Yanran still. However, he really could not stand it that Gu Yanran had used him so thoroughly…
Jin Wanyi sighed secretly within herself. However, this was her career. Since she had signed the agreement, she had to defend Gu Yanran no matter what.
The judge intervened as well. “Witness, please stop playing around and answer the question,” he told Ye Xuan sternly.
Ye Xuan touched his exquisite nose and leaned back in the soft, black office chair. His other hand was on the table. He tapped his fingers like he was playing the piano. The smile was still lingering purposefully on his lips. He looked at Jin Wanyi. “Lawyer Jin, you really want to know my answer?”
Seeing that Ye Xuan was trying various ways and means to avoid her question, Jin Wanyi thought that Ye Xuan had a guilty conscience and laughed coldly before trying to force an answer out of him. “Of course, please say what you must. What is there left to hide?”
Ye Xuan’s eyes darted to Gu Nianzhi. Gu Nianzhi touched her nose as well and looked at the table with hooded eyes.
Ye Xuan understood what she meant and turned to look at Gu Yanran. He softened his voice. “Yanran, I still remember the first time we got together. It was during mid autumn, four years ago. Do you remember? The moon that night was extraordinarily round…”
Gu Yanran did not expect Ye Xuan to say that. Her heart skipped a beat. She remembered that night so very clearly…
She had had some wine and was on the balcony of the Gu family’s mansion, facing the sea. She had used the excuse of being inebriated in order to rest in Ye Xuan’s embrace. They were looking up at the moon together.
Ye Xuan had said that the moon on the fifteenth of the lunar month was indeed as people say—it was big and round.
Gu Yanran smiled and flirted with Ye Xuan. “I have got something that is even more round, and bigger than the moon. It’s even fairer in comparison as well. Do you want to take a look?”
Of course, being young and having raging hormones, Ye Xuan could not resist such seduction. Moreover, he had already made up his mind to protect this family his entire life, including Uncle Gu’s only daughter, Gu Yanran…
Gu Yanran thought about how they were whispering sweet nothings to each other then but snapped back to reality. She looked at how Ye Xuan was siding with Gu Nianzhi and opposing her, and felt extremely angered.
Jin Wanyi coughed and knocked on the table. She looked at Ye Xuan and asked coldly, “The first time that you guys had intercourse was because you used the excuse that you were drunk and forced yourself on my client, didn’t you?”
Ye Xuan laughed. “I seduced your client and forced myself on her? Did you mean the opposite, by any chance?”
“Ridiculous!” Jin Wanyi slammed her hands on the table. “You tore my client’s dress then, ignored her countless protests and pleas for you to stop, and continued having your way with her, didn’t you?!”
Jin Wanyi produced the torn dress that Gu Yanran wore that day as evidence as she questioned Ye Xuan fiercely. “Everyone, please take a look at this. This is the evidence of my client being raped. These past four years, my client had to force herself to give in to Ye Xuan’s countless unreasonable requests. She did not want to have a falling out with him. However, unfortunately, he was still greedy. After failing to get his hands on the Gu family’s inheritance, he got into cahoots with outsiders to sue my client.”
Ye Xuan closed his eyes. He had not expected Gu Yanran to have told Jin Wanyi that it was like that…
Their first time was indeed intense, but he did not force himself on her. It was because Gu Yanran wore a button-down dress with many tiny buttons that night. No matter how he tried, he could not manage to unbutton those countless buttons. Therefore, Gu Yanran asked him to just tear the dress open.
He did just that, and buttons flew everywhere. That long, flowing dress dropped to the floor and revealed the beautiful, naked body that was underneath it. He arranged that dress on the ground for them to lie on top of and had their first time. It was also Ye Xuan’s first time.
Although it wasn’t Gu Yanran’s first time, Ye Xuan did not mind it at all.
After that, Gu Yanran had said that the dress would be their memento, and that she would keep it properly and cherish it forever. He had thought that that dress was the sweetest memory for both of them…
That torn and tattered dress was never washed. The evidence of them having intercourse was still on it. The dress was kept not as a memento but only to be used as evidence against him.
So this was a case of rape?
Jin Wanyi looked at Gu Nianzhi triumphantly.
Gu Nianzhi looked shocked. Her bright eyes were darting between Gu Yanran and Ye Xuan, as though she did not expect that this strong and solid evidence from Gu Yanran had been waiting for them.
“Your honor, how can such a person be qualified to be a witness?” Jin Wanyi mentioned the previous “abuse” case again. “The other time my client was physically abused by Ye Xuan, he had engaged a capable lawyer to threaten us strongly. We had no choice but to drop all charges. Now they have upped their game but still insist Ye Xuan be their witness. My client took this evidence out as her final resort.”
Jin Wanyi walked to Gu Nianzhi and shook the dress in front of her. “Miss Lawyer Gu, the other time you had used ‘CCTV footage’ that you got from god-knows-where as Ye Xuan’s alibi. What I want to say is, my client remembered the time incorrectly. That was why you were able to win with that ridiculous loophole. This time around, however, you and your witness will not be so lucky again!”
Seeing that the defendant had brought out such a solid piece of evidence, everyone in the court was silent. If Ye Xuan had really forced himself on Gu Yanran that time, he would totally lose his right to be a witness, even if Gu Yanran did not press charges against him.
Everyone looked at Gu Nianzhi instinctively. She had been sitting quietly behind the plaintiff’s stand all this time. Her beautiful face had a slight smile to it, like she was telling everyone that she wouldn’t be swayed no matter what evidence the defendant had.
Yin Shixiong looked at how Gu Nianzhi was behaving and thought he was seeing Huo Shaoheng’s shadow… Every single time something huge hit all of a sudden, Huo Shaoheng would look exactly like that.
He could not deny that such an attitude was the key to providing the entire army with confidence, especially so in the Special Forces.
Although she looked calm and collected, her mind was arranging her thoughts extremely quickly, thinking of ways to get out of this maze. Last time, she did not wish to argue too much about the case of “abuse” and chose to just let her drop all charges, exactly because she did not wish to face a situation as ugly as this.
Normally, females would be the ones on the losing end of cases like these. However, to people like Gu Yanran, she would very much prefer to make the mess as complicated as possible.
Therefore, to be fair, for cases between a man and a woman, no matter the male or female, no matter which side won or lost, the side that cared more about reputation would be on the losing end. The one who did not care about their reputation would win no matter what.
However, there was still that reminder—do not go overboard. When you sail when the winds are strong, the chances of your boat capsizing definitely multiply. For example, this time around…
Gu Nianzhi lowered her head to look at the information she had in front of her, then looked at Ye Xuan and Gu Yanran’s biography and background introductions. This was compulsory homework that she had to do prior to the hearing. Jin Wanyi would definitely have that information, too.
However, when they were faced with “solid evidence,” Jin Wanyi would definitely be too complacent with herself and forget about the most important thing…
If Jin Wanyi had not brought the matter up of her own accord, Gu Nianzhi would really not know that Ye Xuan and Gu Yanran had their first time in that kind of condition. Gu Nianzhi’s eyes sparkled. She looked at the judge and said clearly, “Your Honor, I do not agree with the defendant’s point of view.”
The judge looked at her with pity and said, “Plaintiff, unless you have evidence to prove that the defendant and her lawyer are lying, Ye Xuan’s right to be a witness will have to be revoked.”
Hearing the judge say that, Jin Wanyi and Gu Yanran breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously. They looked each other in the eyes and looked away again, smiling to themselves. They were still wary of the situation, but one could see the happiness in their eyes.
Gu Nianzhi stood up from the plaintiff’s stand and walked to the defendant’s stand where Gu Yanran and Jin Wanyi were. She covered her nose and looked at the torn and tattered dress that Jin Wanyi was carrying, and her eyes darted to Gu Yanran again. “Gu Yanran, are you sure that this dress was the dress that Ye Xuan tore open at that time?” she asked abruptly.
Gu Yanran nodded eagerly. “You can get it tested for DNA if you do not believe me.”
Gu Nianzhi. “Why should I test it for DNA?”
“The remnants of Ye Xuan’s semen are on the dress…” Gu Yanran wrinkled her nose suddenly, like she felt that it was disgusting. “You can get it checked to see if it is Ye Xuan’s…”
Gu Nianzhi shook her head. “Gu Yanran, must you be so cruel?”
“If he did not choose to be so cruel, would I do this?” Gu Yanran laughed coldly. “I had initially intended to keep quiet about everything. However, he decided to divulge so much. What else could I do? I am merely trying to defend myself!”
“Oh,” Gu Nianzhi replied softly. “For self defense? You bore with it for so many years, it must have been hard on you.”
Gu Yanran and Jin Wanyi were both taken aback for a bit. Both of them narrowed their eyes in unison and observed Gu Nianzhi. They did not believe that Gu Nianzhi had just spoken for them!
Gu Nianzhi nodded, seemingly sympathetic, and asked, “Gu Yanran, you said that the previous civil lawsuit was due to you remembering the time incorrectly. Then would there be any possibility that you remembered the time and date incorrectly for the first time between you and Ye Xuan?”
Gu Yanran became wary and said quickly, “Of course not. It was mid autumn, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, four years ago. I remember it very well and would never forget it in my entire life!” With that, she looked at Ye Xuan, who was on the stand, with her eyes full of grudges. She wiped her tears while looking away again.
Gu Nianzhi raised her voice. “Gu Yanran, can you please verify that the first time you and Ye Xuan had intercourse was on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, four years ago?!”
“Yes, yes, yes! It would still be a ‘yes’ even if you were to ask another one hundred times!” Gu Yanran was seeing red.
She did not lie about it this time around. Their first time had indeed happened in mid autumn four years ago! Actually, she had truly loved Ye Xuan before. Would she feel good opposing him in court?!
Right at that moment, Gu Nianzhi interrupted her wails. “You do not have to wail and shout.” With that, Gu Nianzhi turned around and looked at the judge. Raising her voice, she said, “Just now, the defendant, Gu Yanran, confirmed multiple times, that the first time Ye Xuan and herself had intercourse was on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, four years ago, which was shortly after Ye Xuan had returned to Barbados from America. However, please take a look at Ye Xuan’s birth records and passport!”
Gu Nianzhi showed Ye Xuan’s birth records and passport to everyone in court. “Ye Xuan had only turned 22 years old in October this year. His birthday was on the second day of October on the Gregorian calendar! In mid autumn four years ago, which was on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, it would be the nineteenth of September on the Gregorian calendar! This would mean that when Gu Yanran first had intercourse with Ye Xuan, Ye Xuan had not even turned 18 years old yet!”
Gu Nianzhi spun around and threw Ye Xuan’s birth records in Gu Yanran’s face with a smack. “Gu Yanran, you seduced a minor and made him have intercourse with you but attempted to turn the tables on him, and yet you dare to say that you were forced?! You are so utterly shameless!”
