"Qinqin, what's wrong with you? Is that fish not clean? Are you feeling unwell? Should we go to the hospital now?"
Pei Dai's nervousness was still palpable.
Mei Yeqin pursed her lips and frowned. "I'm a doctor. It's nothing. It's probably some gastrointestinal problem."
No matter how nervous Pei Dai was, he wasn't the type to force Mei Yeqin.
Back at the table, he could only scrape the dish and replace it with something lighter.
However, because of the vomiting incident, Mei Yeqin didn't eat much. She only took a few bites with her chopsticks and didn't touch anything else.
Her listless look made Pei Dai anxious.
As the two of them walked back to their apartment, Mei Yeqin suddenly craved ice cream. Pei Dai was reluctant, but Mei Yeqin hadn't eaten much, and she was craving something, so he bought her a small bowl.
To his surprise, Mei Yeqin devoured it with relish.
Pei Dai's brow furrowed ever deeper. He still wanted Mei Yeqin to go to the hospital, but Mei Yeqin refused to go. By the end, it looked like she was about to have a fight with Pei Dai, but it wasn't really an argument; it was more like a cold war.
When Pei Dai saw that Mei Yeqin didn't have any stomach discomfort during her sleep, he stopped talking.
The next morning, after making Mei Yeqin some refreshing millet porridge, he hurried to the police station.
Su Qing and Jiang Sui also went to the police station early in the morning.
The matter had finally come to an end.
The transcripts and other matters had to be taken, as they were the most important preparations for the court hearing. However, the exam was approaching, and there was no way to postpone the trial.
In the interrogation room, the young woman sat upright and answered questions.
"So, you're planning to skip the exam to attend this trial?"
The interrogators were still a little incredulous, but as Jiang Sui and Su Qing nodded, their expressions flickered with disbelief, but they still recorded the situation truthfully.
When Jiang Sui and Su Qing emerged, the sun was at its highest point in the sky, blazing red, as if it was melting the earth.
Su Qing, however, felt no heat at all; she even lazily basked in the sun, watching Jiang Sui.
"Jiang Sui, this will all be over soon, right?"
Everything was just waiting for the dust to settle, and Su Qing felt an indescribable sense of ease in her heart.
Jiang Sui looked at the girl, his lips pursed slightly, then nodded.
"Jiang Sui, do you regret this?"
"Regret what?"
The two of them walked hand in hand on the sidewalk.
"Regret not taking the exam. Didn't you see how incredulous they were about the decision we made?"
Appearing in court wasn't actually necessary, but it was preferable.
Jiang Sui didn't actually need to do it, but the young man was determined to do it.
If it was before, Su Qing thought, she would have stopped Jiang Sui, made him take the exam, instead of going crazy with her and not taking it.
It's just that the Su Qing now seems a little more selfish than before.
Her eyes flickered slightly, their shimmering brilliance captivating the gaze.
Jiang Sui shook his head.
"I'll regret it if I don't go."
As witnesses to the light, both of them are indispensable.
——
Time flew by, and besides the daily work involved in the investigation, a month had already flown by.
During this time, Su Qing and Jiang Sui had been spending their time not only at the law firm but also at the police station.
The two of them were so inseparable that many people envied them.
Their unwavering resolve, even those who initially found it unbelievable, felt that such sincerity was simply unattainable.
A pure heart.
Finally, the court hearing began.
Su Qing stood in court, a delicate young woman with a look of unwavering determination, her entire being radiating a luminous power.
The Li family father and son had become disgraced, yet they still seemed oblivious to what wrong truly was.
They had exhausted every possible avenue: expensive lawyers, powerful advocates.
How could evil triumph over justice?
The victory was expected.
Li Xu, already an adult, had been sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes including intentional injury and murder.
Li Fuguang, deprived of his rights for various bribery charges, also received a life sentence.
Tian Shasha was sentenced to five years for knowingly failing to report the crime and intentionally causing injury.
The truth was finally revealed.
It had been a long time.
It left one with a sense of exhaustion after exerting too much effort.
After the court adjourned, Jiang Sui saw the girl, lazily sitting on a chair, as if all her strength had drained away.
Her eyes welled with tears as she looked at Jiang Sui.
"Jiang Sui, the truth is out."
Tears welled up in her eyes, catching Jiang Sui off guard and leaving him helpless.
Su Qing felt the sunlight breaking through the earth when she saw Tang Lihui as she left the courtroom.
Tang Lihui had been standing there for too long. She found Su Qing in the crowd and walked straight towards her.
Tang Lihui looked at Su Qing, her clear eyes as if she had always known why she was being targeted.
"I'm sorry, Su Qing. I've wronged you all these years."
Tang Lihui's eyes were filled with guilt, causing Jiang Sui to frown.
He had no idea what this person was apologizing for.
"Su Qing, I always thought that Ruanruan..."
Su Qing had always been the cause. Like her sister and the others, she, as a righteous woman, felt that it was Su Qing's fault, even believing it was Su Qing's fault.
Only when she learned that her sister and her family had taken the money did Tang Li realize she was wrong, but there was no chance anymore.
Until today, when everyone was trying to dissuade Su Qing.
When her sister and her family were just muddling along, Su Qing was the only one struggling to find truth. This made Tang Li feel a sense of self-doubt.
Her guilt was evident on her face.
Hu Ruanruan's parents, who had learned the truth, felt even more guilty.
They avoided discussing the matter in interviews with reporters, which is why Pei Dai initially chose to have the prosecutor prosecute.
Part of the reason was that Hu Ruanruan's family didn't want to pursue the matter further. However, Tang Lihui, as Hu Ruanruan's aunt, had indeed, upon seeing Su Qing, assumed the incident was inextricably linked to her.
She was filled with guilt, and the sight of Su Qing was utterly embarrassing.
Su Qing pursed her lips, her eyes clear. She seemed the same girl from the first time they met, yet she seemed changed.
"We must all move forward. The truth will never be extinguished. Time will reveal all the truth."
Hate? Hatred?
Su Qing couldn't put it into words. Her senses, her emotions, and the depths of her heart were always blocked.
When she went to find Ruanruan's family, they had already chosen to compromise.
Angry?
Su Qing couldn't put it into words either. While reading a law textbook, she had come across a very ambiguous statement.
It's about choosing or learning to forgive, because that's the only way to survive.
At the time, Su Qing didn't quite understand, but when she saw Ruanruan's parents, she suddenly understood everything.
Her family might be even more miserable than her own.
Not only was daughter gone, but her father was constantly bedridden, also had a younger brother who needed to go to school, and her mother was also frail.
With a family that couldn't even provide for itself, what right did she have to demand anything? How could they then seek the truth?
Therefore, Su Qing chose to donate all the compensation to Ruanruan's family.
In her mind, she always felt a strange warmth, indescribable, for that smiling girl who, like herself, dared not do this or that.
Perhaps Su Qing felt that she was very similar to her.
After the court adjourned.
This case caused quite a stir in public opinion.
It wasn't just the case that was causing a stir, but also Su Qing and Jiang Sui.
The media, from nowhere, had gotten wind of the rumor that Su Qing and Jiang Sui were actually students at Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, exceptionally good students.
However, because of this incident, which conflicted with their exams, both chose to pursue their true dreams and sacrifice their futures.
Therefore, this incident generated considerable influence, generating both positive and negative public opinion.
However, before Su Qing and Jiang Sui could even hear these rumors, Jiang Chenghua had already intervened.
He sat in front of the TV with a wry smile.
Watching the camera, the young man took the girl's hand, still he completely exhausted, and walked to Jiang Sui's side.
In the young man's eyes, he was an unforgivable sinner who had let Mei Yehua down.
Jiang Chenghua's protection had been effective, but neither Jiang Sui nor Su Qing knew.
Pei Dai considered revealing the truth to them, but he still wanted Jiang Sui to discover it on his own.
When Pei Dai learned that Mei Yeqin was pregnant, he was so overjoyed that he stared at her blankly.
He was in disbelief, completely stunned.
Mei Yeqin didn't seem surprised at Pei Dai's expression at all.
People say doctors can't heal themselves.
Mei Yeqin didn't realize it, but somehow, she had a blood test and discovered she was pregnant.
Looking at the now stunned person, she felt strangely amused and heartwarming, but she didn't know how to express it.
Pei Dai took Mei Yeqin's hand.
"Qinqin, let's get married."
At home, Pei Dai searched his pockets and finally found a ring in his pants pocket. Unexpectedly, he knelt on one knee.
Mei Yeqin was also stunned, unsure.
The man frantically rummaging through his pockets actually found a ring.
"Qinqin, I've had this ring in my pocket for a long, long time. I've never had the chance to take it out. I've kept it in my pocket, thinking about the time to confess my feelings to you, or even propose to you."
Pei Dai was unsure when facing Mei Yeqin. He felt so weak, and he always felt ill-prepared, let alone in such a rush.
But there would never be a better opportunity than now.
Pei Dai thought, if he was taking advantage of someone's misfortune, then now was the time.
Mei Yeqin pursed her lips, her expression utterly embarrassment.
As for marriage, Mei Yeqin had always been reluctant to touch upon it, due to Mei Yehua's reason. Not to mention marriage, even romance wasn't considered the norm.
Pei Dai knew her concerns, so the kneeling man stared at her.
"Qinqin, I know you're afraid and worried. You can accept the ring. We can just be in a relationship, okay? If you want to get married, tell me whenever you want. I'm always available."
The man's eyes were intense, making him sound too cheap.
But the sincerity and intensity in his eyes made Mei Yeqin feel like she couldn't escape it.
Ever since she discovered she was pregnant, Mei Yeqin knew the life inside her belly was probably only the size of a bean sprout, but she always felt like she had two hearts.
As one heart recoiled, the other told her:
Accept it, accept it boldly.
So, with Pei Dai's guidance, Mei Yeqin accepted the ring, ultimately not disappointing him.
The man, overjoyed like a child, lifted Mei Yeqin up, spinning and dancing with her, but then seemed frightened, and think Mei Yeqin would felt like vomiting. Then, he carefully set her down.
"Qinqin, are you okay?"
Pei Dai seemed a bit foolish, extremely cautious.
Mei Yeqin also felt for a moment that this feeling was not bad.
She pursed her lips and smiled, but didn't say anything.
Just this smile stunned Pei Dai. He leaned over and kissed the corner of Mei Yeqin's lips. He felt like he was living in a honey pot, and even dying now would be worth it.
——
The following summer.
When the college entrance exam scores came out.
Su Qing was poring over a medical textbook, while Jiang Sui lay on the sofa, his eyes languidly fixed on Su Qing.
Over the past year,
Jiang Sui's condition had stabilized considerably.
Since they were both adults, they planned to get engaged when the results came out.
One ranked first in the city, the other ranked second, both outstanding.
The two of them didn't dwell on the past for long.
They were both exceptionally talented.
On the day the scores came out, Jiang Sui brought Su Qing to Mei Yehua's grave.
The young man stood in front the tombstone, his gaze softer than ever.
"Mom, I haven't seen you long time."
Jiang Sui's voice was still uncontrollably low and hoarse. His condition had stabilized, but he wasn't completely recovered. Su Qing stood by the young man's side.
"Hello, Jiang mother. I'm Su Qing, Jiang Sui's fiancée."
As Su Qing spoke, Jiang Sui turned his head and stared at her intently, his mouth slightly open, unable to close...