The day of trial soon arrived.
On that day, the entrance of the Intermediate People's Court of City A was surrounded by the media and the public. Everyone's eyes were focused on this trial of the century.
Jiang Wan was wearing a well-tailored black suit, her long hair was neatly tied behind her head, and her face was not made up, but it could not hide her beautiful features and calm aura. She got out of the car, faced countless flashes and microphones, without dodging, her eyes calmly looking straight ahead, and walked up the steps of the court step by step.
After five years, she can finally stand here again with a clean slate.
Following closely, Gu Hanshen also arrived. He looked much more haggard, with dark circles under his eyes, and his former vigor and vitality were gone. He ignored any reporters and walked into the court quickly with his head down, escorted by his bodyguards.
The last person to appear was the protagonist of this case - Jiang Rou.
She was escorted by the bailiff, wearing a gray prison uniform and handcuffs. The once glamorous Mrs. Gu was nowhere to be seen. Her hair was messy, her face was sallow, her eyes were empty, like a puppet with its soul taken away.
When she saw Jiang Wan not far away, her empty eyes instantly burst into hatred and madness. She struggled and tried to rush over, screaming miserably: "Jiang Wan! You bitch! You hurt me! I won't let you go even if I become a ghost!"
The bailiff held her down forcefully and dragged her into the courtroom.
The trial officially began.
Jiang Wan sat in the plaintiff's seat, looking solemn. Opposite her was Jiang Rou, who was in the defendant's seat and looking distraught. In the audience seat sat Gu Hanshen, who looked solemn, and her parents, Jiang Zhengming and Liu Xuemei.
When they saw Jiang Wan, a trace of surprise and discomfort flashed across Jiang's father and mother's faces. They didn't seem to have expected that their daughter, whom they hadn't seen for five years, would reappear in front of them in such a strong manner.
The judge banged the gavel and the courtroom fell silent.
Jiang Wan's lawyer Zhang Bo stood up first. He stated the reasons for the appeal with clear logic and sharp words, and presented the first piece of evidence to the court - the complete surveillance video.
When the big screen clearly played the scene of Jiang Rou climbing out of the driver's seat on that rainy night five years ago, the entire courtroom was in an uproar.
Jiang Rou suddenly raised her head, stared at the screen, and her body began to tremble violently.
"No... this is not real! It's fake! She made it!" she screamed frantically.
"Silence!" the judge warned.
Then, Attorney Zhang Bo summoned the first witness - the technical police officer who was responsible for handling the surveillance at that time.
In court, the police officer described in detail how he deleted and edited the original surveillance footage under the coercion and inducement of Gu's assistant, and made the blurry screenshot as "evidence."
Afterwards, the taxi driver at that time also appeared in court to testify, proving that Jiang Wan arrived at the scene after the car accident.
Both human and physical evidence are present, forming a complete chain of evidence.
Jiang Rou's legal team tried to attack the "legal source" of the video, but Huo Yunchen had already made all the preparations for this. Lawyer Zhang Bo presented the legal proof of the source of all the evidence, making the other party's defense look pale and powerless.
Jiang Rou's face turned paler and paler.
Finally, Attorney Zhang Bo looked towards the dock and said in a loud voice, "Now, I request the court to summon the key witness in this case, who was also one of the biggest beneficiaries, Mr. Gu Hanshen, to testify in court!"
The focus of the entire audience instantly shifted to Gu Hanshen.
Gu Hanshen slowly stood up and walked to the witness stand step by step. Every step he took was like walking on the edge of a knife.
When he stood still, his eyes involuntarily met Jiang Wan who was sitting in the plaintiff's seat.
Eyes met.
Jiang Wan's eyes were cold and calm, like a bottomless cold pond.
Gu Hanshen's eyes were filled with guilt, pain, regret, and a faint, unrealistic plea.
"Mr. Gu," Lawyer Zhang Bo asked, "Five years ago, as Miss Jiang Wan's fiancé, why did you quickly get engaged to her sister, Miss Jiang Rou, after she got into trouble? Was there any form of exchange of interests involved?"
Gu Hanshen clenched his fists and spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse: "Yes... Back then, the Jiang family was facing bankruptcy, and they found me, hoping that I could... marry Jiang Rou and inject capital into the Jiang family. In exchange, they would take care of... take care of Jiang Wan's affairs."
As soon as these words were spoken, Jiang's father and mother, who were in the audience, turned pale instantly.
"Mr. Gu, do you know that Miss Jiang Wan took the blame for someone else?"
Gu Hanshen closed his eyes and nodded painfully: "I... I was deceived at the time... It was not until recently that I discovered the truth."
"Then, are you willing to apologize to Miss Jiang Wan for your wrong choice and the harm you caused her?"
Gu Hanshen suddenly opened his eyes, looked at Jiang Wan, and used all his strength to say the words that were five years late: "Wanwan, I'm sorry."
However, Jiang Wan just looked at him coldly, without any change in her eyes.
This apology is too late.
It's too cheap.
Finally, the judge announced the verdict in court:
"After retrial, the original defendant Jiang Wan's traffic accident case was found to have unclear facts and insufficient evidence. The original verdict is revoked. Jiang Wan is declared not guilty!"
"The defendant Jiang Rou was convicted of perjury and traffic accident, and was sentenced to seven years in prison!"
"The defendants Jiang Zhengming and Liu Xuemei are guilty of harboring a criminal and are sentenced to one year in prison!"
The gavel falls, and the final word is given!
Jiang Wan's charges were completely cleared!
When Jiang Rou heard the verdict, she collapsed to the ground like a puddle of mud and let out a desperate wail.
Jiang's father and mother looked dejected. They couldn't believe that they would also be thrown into prison.
Jiang Wan slowly stood up and walked out of the court surrounded by countless cameras.
Five years of injustice were finally redressed.
Her revenge was the most beautiful first strike.
The verdict is over and the dust has settled.
Jiang Wan was cleared of her grievances, Jiang Rou was imprisoned, and Jiang's parents received the punishment they deserved. This feud between the wealthy and powerful families came to a temporary end in the most dramatic way.
The sympathy of the media and the public poured out to Jiang Wan. She became the synonym of strength and independence, a female idol who was reborn from the ashes. Various interviews and program invitations came in like snowflakes, but she rejected them all.
She doesn't need these false names.
She just wanted to complete her reckoning quietly.
After the verdict, Gu Hanshen was surrounded by reporters and could not escape. He did not avoid them, but made a public statement facing the camera.
"I express my deepest apologies to Jiang Wan for my mistakes and stupidity five years ago. I am willing to take full responsibility and do my best to make up for the harm I caused her."
He kept a very low profile.
Many people who did not know the truth even felt that he was also a victim and had been deceived by Jiang Rou for five years.
But Jiang Wan knew that this was just another weighing of the pros and cons by Gu Hanshen. Because of this scandal, Gu Group's stock price plummeted and its reputation was damaged. His apology and confession at this moment were more of a public relations means to restore the company's image.
A few days later, Jiang Wan received a call from Gu Hanshen, who used an unfamiliar number.
"Wanwan, can we meet?" There was a hint of pleading in his voice.
Jiang Wan was silent for a moment and agreed.
She also wanted to see what kind of affectionate drama this man could perform.
The meeting place was one of their favorite Western restaurants, in a private room on the top floor that overlooked the entire river.
When Jiang Wan arrived, Gu Hanshen was already there.
He was wearing casual clothes, lacking his former vigor and looking a little haggard. On the table were Jiang Wan's favorite white roses and her favorite red wine. Everything was exactly the same as he remembered.
"Wanwan, you're here." Seeing Jiang Wan, he immediately stood up, feeling awkward like a child who had done something wrong.
Jiang Wan sat down opposite him, not looking at the flowers or the wine, but just looking at him calmly: "Tell me, what do you want from me?"
Her indifference and alienation made Gu Hanshen's heart feel like being pricked by a needle.
He smiled bitterly and poured her some red wine himself: "Wanwan, I know that no matter what I say, it can't make up for the harm I have done to you. In the past five years, there has not been a single day that I have not blamed myself. I..."
"You blame yourself?" Jiang Wan interrupted him, her lips curled up with a hint of sarcasm, "Do you blame yourself for sending me to jail, or do you blame yourself for taking wedding photos with my sister on the day I was jailed?"
Gu Hanshen was speechless because of her, and his face turned pale and blue.
"I admit that I was blinded by the benefits at first." He admitted with difficulty, "Jiang Rou and her family used every means to deceive me. I thought... I thought you really..."
"So, you want to tell me that you are also a victim?" Jiang Wan picked up the wine glass and gently swirled the scarlet liquid. "Gu Hanshen, put away your hypocritical attitude. You are not stupid, you are just selfish. You chose Jiang Rou not because you were deceived, but because under the circumstances at the time, marrying her was the most beneficial to you and the Gu Group. Isn't it?"
Jiang Wan's words were like a scalpel, accurately dissecting all his hypocritical excuses and revealing the truest and most unbearable selfishness underneath.
Gu Hanshen's face turned completely pale.
He found that Jiang Wan in front of him was no longer the girl who could be manipulated by him. Her eyes were so sharp that he could not escape.
"Yes, I admit it, I'm selfish, I'm a bastard!" Gu Hanshen simply stopped defending himself. He stood up, walked to Jiang Wan, and suddenly knelt down on one knee with a "thump".
He pulled a velvet box from his pocket, opened it, and inside was a huge pink diamond ring.
"Wan Wan, I know I was wrong. So wrong." He looked up at her, his eyes full of regret and pleading, "But my feelings for you are real. In the past five years, the person I love most in my heart has always been you. Jiang Rou, she is just a substitute for you."
"Now, the liar has been punished. There is no obstacle between us anymore. Can you come back? Let's start over and go back to the way we were at the beginning. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, loving you, and spoiling you into the happiest woman in the world."
He held up the ring and looked at her expectantly.
He thought that no woman could refuse such a confession and a diamond that represented wealth and promise.
However, Jiang Wan just looked at him quietly, with no emotion or touch in her eyes, only a desolate indifference and a trace of pity as if she was watching a clown show.
She slowly stretched out her hand.
Gu Hanshen was delighted, thinking that she would accept it.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Wan just picked up the glass of red wine on the table.
Then, she tilted her wrist and slowly poured the entire glass of scarlet wine over Gu Hanshen's head.
The cold wine flowed down his precious hairstyle, across his handsome face, and soaked his expensive shirt.
In a miserable state.
"We start over?"
Jiang Wan stood up, looked down at him, parted her red lips and uttered three words, each word sounded like icicles soaked in poison.
"Are you worthy?"
After saying that, she turned and left without even looking at him again.
Gu Hanshen was left alone, kneeling on the ground, soaking wet, like a dog abandoned by its owner. The pink diamond in his hand reflected an extremely ironic light under the light.
Coming out of the restaurant, the cool night breeze blew away the last bit of irritability in Jiang Wan's heart caused by Gu Hanshen.
She knew that completely rejecting Gu Hanshen was not only an emotional break, but also a formal declaration of war against him and the Gu family.
The feud between her and them will never end with a victory in a lawsuit.
A black Bentley slid silently to her side and stopped. The car window rolled down, revealing Huo Yunchen's well-defined face.
"Get in the car." His voice was as concise as always.
Jiang Wan opened the car door and got in.
"Is everything settled?" Huo Yunchen asked as he drove. He didn't ask what she and Gu Hanshen talked about, but it was clear that everything was under his control.
"Yeah." Jiang Wan leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
"Would you like to go somewhere and celebrate?"
"What are you celebrating?"
"Congratulations to you, for finally being able to openly say 'no' to the past." A rare smile appeared on Huo Yunchen's lips.
The car did not drive towards the city center, but instead drove along Binjiang Avenue all the way to a secluded river beach.
This place is far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with only the sound of the river lapping against the shore and a few scattered stars in the sky.
Huo Yunchen took out a bottle of champagne and two glasses from the trunk.
With a "pop", the champagne was opened and the bubbles splashed happily in the night.
"To you." Huo Yunchen handed a glass of champagne to Jiang Wan, "To your rebirth."
"To you as well." Jiang Wan clinked glasses with him, "Thank you for your help."
"I told you, we are in a cooperative relationship." Huo Yunchen took a sip of wine and looked at the twinkling fishing lights on the river in the distance. His eyes became a little deep.
The two drank in silence, and the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.
"Next, how do you plan to deal with the Gu family?" After a long time, Huo Yunchen spoke to break the silence.
"I want to make him feel the feeling of having nothing." Jiang Wan's voice sounded particularly cold in the night. "I want to completely destroy him from the point that he is most proud of."
"Gu Group?" Huo Yunchen's eyes flashed with admiration, "This is not an easy task. Gu Group has a deep foundation and it cannot be shaken by a public opinion crisis."
"I know. So, I need your help." Jiang Wan looked at him, "Can you tell me your plan to deal with the Gu family now?"
Huo Yunchen turned his head and looked at her deeply. His eyes were no longer the scrutiny he had used to look at a partner, but were filled with something more complicated: admiration, heartache, and a hint of emotion that she couldn't understand.
"Jiang Wan," he suddenly called her name, his tone serious, "Before I tell you my plan, I want to tell you one more thing first."
"What's up?"
Huo Yunchen put down his glass, stood up, and walked in front of her. He was a head taller than her, and his tall figure gave her an inexplicable sense of oppression in the night, but also a strange sense of security.
"From today on, our relationship is more than just cooperation."
Jiang Wan's heart skipped a beat.
"I stand on your side." Huo Yunchen's voice was low and firm, as if he was swearing an oath, "Not because we have a common enemy, nor because I want to use you. It's because I want to help you, want to protect you, and want to see you truly laugh."
He paused, as if he was organizing his words, which was very rare for him as he was always concise.
"I heard about you when I was in prison. At that time, I just thought you were a silly woman. But when I saw you lurking in this city like a lone wolf, seeking revenge in your own way, I admit that I was attracted to you."
"You are smart, strong, and fragile. You wrap yourself in a thick shell of ice, but your heart longs for warmth more than anyone else."
"Jiang Wan, I don't want to be a bystander standing by and watching you fight alone anymore."
He held out his hand to her, his palm warm.
"From now on, let me be your ally, your backer, and your most solid support. I will avenge you and walk with you into your future."
This is not a fancy "I love you", but it can touch Jiang Wan's already broken heart more than any other love words.
In the past five years, she has heard too many lies and betrayals. Only this man in front of her saw her unbearableness and her strength. He did not say to her "I will support you", but "I will fight with you".
This is what she needs most.
Jiang Wan looked at his outstretched hand, and at her own little self reflected in his dark eyes.
After a long time, she slowly raised her hand and placed her hand in his palm.
The cold little hands were tightly wrapped by the warm big hands.
A long-lost warmth spread from the palms of my hands to the bottom of my heart.
"Okay." she said softly.
Just one word was the beginning of her rebuilding her trust in the world.