The courtroom walls appeared to have been freshly painted, leaving a thick odor of oil paint hanging heavily in the air that induced a dull headache.
With his hands securely cuffed, Fan Shenggang stood facing the exaggerated accusations of the witnesses with calm composure.
The judge drooped his eyelids listlessly, bearing a striking resemblance to a convenience store cashier simply waiting out the clock until the end of a shift.
Everyone present understood that if Fan Shenggang failed to clear his name today, his conviction would become absolute.
Accompanied by Chu Muyao, Chu Fengyuan sat near the very back of the public gallery with an air of calculated discretion; the moment today passed, the acting general would formally secure his permanent commission.
Naturally, he had to be present for Fan Shenggang’s sentencing.
As for Chu Muyao, she had initially held a degree of admiration for Fan Shenggang, but discovering that the man’s heart belonged entirely to his late wife left her enduring a long, bitter marriage in name only, breeding deep resentment toward him.
Naturally, she had no intention of missing his sentencing.
Just as the witnesses finished testifying and Fan Shenggang sat silent without evidence to counter the claims, the judge raised his wooden gavel to conclude the proceedings.
The courtroom doors swung open.
Defying every cliché of drama, the figures who stepped inside were two young men walking hand in hand.
Attired in crisp, refreshing men’s wear and holding fast to Mu Heng’s hand, Yu Xingliang carried an extraordinary inner calm.
“Mu Heng?!” Startled just as he prepared to applaud, Chu Fengyuan bounced to his feet in fury. “What are you doing here?!”
Lunging forward to grab her father’s arm, Chu Muyao pleaded, “Father, there are so many people watching. Mu Heng is my husband now, let us discuss whatever matters remain back at the residence.”
Fixing a glare on Mu Heng, Chu Fengyuan let out a cold scoff. “Mu Heng, for the sake of the Chu family’s reputation, I will let this pass for now.”
Disguised and lingering in the gallery, Fan Ruyi and Chu Muxuan could no longer remain seated; Chu Muxuan leaped up to urge the family to stop bickering, while Fan Ruyi dropped a verbal bombshell that struck terror into the hearts of Chu Fengyuan and Chu Muyao.
“Of course Mu Heng has to come! He and Dr. Yu are here to help my father clear his name!”
Softening his tone while locking his eyes onto Mu Heng, Chu Fengyuan cajoled, “Mu Heng, you would never do such a thing. I have betrothed Muyao to you after all, we are family now. You cannot side with outsiders to harm your own blood!”
Echoing her father’s sentiment, Chu Muyao chimed in, “Mu Heng, you certainly would not throw away everything you have achieved just for Fan Shenggang, would you? Have you forgotten how agonizingly difficult your climb to this position was?”
Father and daughter sang in perfect harmony, attempting to appeal to past sentiments in hopes of coercing Mu Heng into abandoning his current course of action.
From beginning to end, Mu Heng did not spare the Chu family a single glance.
Instead, his gaze rested with infinite tenderness upon Yu Xingliang, his lips curving into a sweet, gentle smile. Before setting out for the courtroom, Mu Heng had grilled fresh fish and purchased roast chicken for Yu Xingliang.
He had prepared every single dish he knew Yu Xingliang cherished, then sat quietly by his side as he ate.
Yu Xingliang had savored every bite of each dish, offering genuine, positive feedback.
In a fleeting reverie, Mu Heng envisioned the decades of their future together, imagining how he would treat Zheng Lele with such devotion for the rest of his days, preparing his beloved meals each and every day.
“Lele.” Utterly immune to the clamor raised by the Chu family, Mu Heng gazed deeply into Yu Xingliang’s eyes. “I truly wish I could cook delicious meals for you every single day of the future, and stay by your side every waking moment. That would be ideal.”
Meeting Mu Heng’s gaze, Yu Xingliang felt moisture prickle the corners of his eyes.
Mu Heng offered a faint smile. “Yet, compared to all of that, I desire even more to grant you an innocent and upright partner. A man who possesses the courage to shoulder full responsibility.”
Squeezing Mu Heng’s hand tightly, Yu Xingliang longed with all his heart to remain, yet he knew he did not truly belong to this world. He was not Zheng Lele; he was Yu Xingliang.
Thus, he would never allow Mu Heng to die. Mu Heng had committed wrongs, but his offenses did not warrant capital punishment.
Nor did Fan Shenggang deserve to bear this unmerited stigma.
Therefore, taking full responsibility upon himself was the finest resolution possible.
“Order! Order in the court!” Smashing his gavel against the desk with a sharp crack, the judge glared at Mu Heng and Yu Xingliang. “Who do the two of you think you are?”
Yu Xingliang stepped forward. “I am here to prove that Fan Shenggang has been wrongfully accused.”
Raising her hand from the gallery, Fan Ruyi shouted along, “That is right! My father is innocent, and I can prove it too!”
Stating the rule flatly, the judge replied, “Family members are not qualified to act as witnesses.”
Lowering her hand, Fan Ruyi pinned all her remaining hopes entirely upon Yu Xingliang.
A cunning glint flashing in her eyes, Chu Muyao immediately seized the opening. “Family members cannot testify, and as everyone knows, Zheng Lele was forcibly married by Fan Shenggang as his seventh concubine. Therefore, Zheng Lele is legally disqualified from testifying as well.”
Panicking, Fan Ruyi protested, “That is not how it happened at all! Everything my father did was for the country…”
“Ruyi!” Cutting her off abruptly, Fan Shenggang barked a sharp warning, shaking his head with fierce determination to signal that she must say no more.
Sniffling hard, Fan Ruyi pressed her lips together and fell silent.
Yu Xingliang spoke up. “I am not testifying as Fan Shenggang’s seventh concubine. It is true that Fan Shenggang previously engaged in unconventional actions that ordinary people struggled to comprehend, and he cared little for maintaining his public reputation. However, anyone who grew close to him knew he was no villain, and could even be called a genuinely virtuous official!”
“I can prove his innocence!” Concealed within the audience, Juan Gu raised her hand high. “My family of four was driven to desperation by bandits, and it was General Fan who rescued us and took in our homeless family. I have worked within the general’s residence for years, and the general is nothing like the wicked tyrant portrayed by outsiders. He possesses a boundless heart of compassion!”
Tears spilled freely down Juan Gu’s cheeks as she choked out, “You cannot frame a general like this! He has suffered enough sorrow since the passing of his wife! I have witnessed it all with my own eyes through the years. Despite his grief, he continued safeguarding our land without a single instance of bandit invasion. All the peace and security we enjoy today are the direct fruit of General Fan’s devotion!”
“I can offer testimony as well!” Another voice rang out from the gallery as a spectator stood up. “General Fan is a truly honorable man. When disaster struck our region previously, he was the very first on the scene to rescue countless lives. Our village has always remained deeply grateful to him.”
“Count me in, I can testify too!”
“I also vouch that General Fan is a good man!”
“General Fan would never hoard contraband!”
“We beg the honorable court to restore General Fan’s innocence!”
Voices rose throughout the gallery as more and more citizens stood to their feet. Juan Gu wept openly, staring directly at Fan Shenggang as she cried, “General, look! Everyone remembers the kindness you showed them!”
Terrified by the surging public sentiment, Chu Fengyuan never imagined Fan Shenggang commanded such widespread backing.
“Order! Order in the court!” Striking his desk repeatedly, the judge demanded, “Zheng Lele, your relationship with Fan Shenggang is far too intimate; you indeed cannot serve as a valid witness.”
“I did state earlier that I came to prove Fan Shenggang’s innocence, but not in the capacity of a witness.” Yu Xingliang had resolved to clear Fan Shenggang’s name through a full confession of guilt.
“Oh?” Pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose, the judge peered down. “Then you…”
Stepping forward, Mu Heng interrupted, “Pardon me, Your Honor! If Zheng Lele is disqualified, surely I, having no familial ties whatsoever to Fan Shenggang, am qualified to testify?”
The judge cast a sharp, knowing look toward Mu Heng. “I am familiar with you. You are Chu Fengyuan’s son-in-law.”
Chu Fengyuan and Chu Muyao exchanged smug, reassuring smiles with the judge.
The judge continued, “You must realize that should Fan Shenggang fall, your father-in-law assumes the post of general. Coming forward to absolve Fan Shenggang brings you zero personal advantage.”
With an indifferent chuckle, Mu Heng replied, “Yet a courtroom exists to uphold justice and the law, not to calculate personal gains. Am I correct, Your Honor?”
With a solemn expression, the judge stated, “Naturally, the courtroom is a sanctuary of justice and law.”
“Precisely.” Lifting his chin, Mu Heng declared, “I can prove that Fan Shenggang was framed. On the day of the film screening, the general’s residence permitted visitors from all walks of life to enter, rendering access virtually unrestricted. Furthermore, no security or contraband inspections were conducted on incoming guests at the gates. Consequently, smuggling contraband into the estate to frame Fan Shenggang would have been a trivial endeavor.”
The judge countered, “With the nation enforcing strict anti-contraband crackdowns, bringing illicit goods into the general’s residence would inevitably trigger the patrol sniffer dogs stationed along every route. As everyone is aware, uncovering that contraband stash was the direct achievement of the state-bred anti-contraband canine unit.”
Mu Heng glanced sideways at Yu Xingliang, who immediately returned his gaze.
Yet while Mu Heng’s eyes held only an agonizing wave of reluctant adoration, Yu Xingliang’s gaze carried a sharp trace of bewilderment.
He was well aware that Mu Heng was the one who had smuggled the contraband into the residence to frame Fan Shenggang. However, given that society harbored a deep abhorrence toward illicit goods and maintained canine checkpoints on every single street, with no less than ten stations surrounding the general’s residence on the main thoroughfare, how on earth had Mu Heng accomplished it?
Drawing a slow, steady breath, Mu Heng explained, “It was actually quite simple. One merely needed to encase the contraband in ice beforehand.”
A sudden flash of realization lit up Yu Xingliang’s eyes.
Mu Heng elaborated further, “Then, posing as a theater construction worker carrying a tool chest, one simply placed the ice-sealed contraband inside…”
Jumping in to finish the sentence, Yu Xingliang addressed the judge directly. “On that day, I simply wrapped the contraband in thick ice to insulate the scent. Naturally, the inspection dogs could detect nothing initially; only after the ice melted did the dogs pick up the scent and track it down. That was the method used to frame Fan Shenggang.”
The moment those words left his lips, shock reverberated through every single person present, not only Mu Heng, but Fan Shenggang, Fan Ruyi, Chu Muxuan, and even Chu Fengyuan and Chu Muyao sat paralyzed in disbelief.
“Lele, what on earth are you saying?”
Turning to offer Mu Heng a gentle smile, Yu Xingliang confessed, “The truth is, I am not Zheng Lele. Anyone within the general’s residence can attest that I served as the estate’s resident psychologist, a position that earned me Fan Shenggang’s absolute trust.”
“Zheng Lele, what nonsense are you spouting!” Yanking Yu Xingliang backward with sudden force, Mu Heng pulled him unsteadily into his arms.
Glaring down at the beloved young man in his embrace, Mu Heng choked out in anguish, “Do you have any idea what you are saying?”
Leaning close, Yu Xingliang whispered, “I love you.”
Before Mu Heng could recover from his shock, Yu Xingliang broke free from his grasp, leaped onto a chair, scrambled up onto the defense table, and raised his voice in a ringing declaration to the judge: “I am the true mastermind behind the hidden contraband. I am here to surrender myself. I beg the court to restore General Fan’s innocence!”