In the courtroom.
An Nuan kept staring at Ye Jinghuai.
Ye Jinghuai was brought to the designated spot.
Then he slightly raised his head and met An Nuan's gaze.
The two locked eyes.
An Nuan's eyes were slightly reddened.
Yet Ye Jinghuai managed a faint smile, appearing calm and composed.
Did he know the current situation?!
Hard to believe he could even smile.
Xia Qiqi looked at Ye Jinghuai's demeanor and sighed, "Ye Jinghuai has become so thin. He's almost just skin and bones now."
An Nuan's throat moved as she suppressed her emotions.
"A noble like Ye Jinghuai must be unaccustomed to life in prison," Xia Qiqi muttered. "What a pity for those perfect muscle lines of his. As an observer, I feel it's such a waste."
Xia Qiqi's focus was always different from ordinary people.
"But then again, even with this gaunt look, he's still so handsome," Xia Qiqi continued to comment. "I used to think Ye Jinghuai was just a playboy with a roguish air. I don't know when it started, but Ye Jinghuai seems to have become more reserved and composed, with a noble and refined handsomeness."
An Nuan didn't know why Xia Qiqi's descriptors were so peculiar.
But she had to admit they were quite apt.
Like Xia Qiqi, she used to think Ye Jinghuai's handsomeness was of the bad boy kind.
Now, however, she felt that the aura exuded by Ye Jinghuai was completely at odds with his rumored image.
He truly emanated a refined nobility.
An Nuan was speechless.
The somber atmosphere was abruptly derailed by Xia Qiqi.
Her gaze remained fixed on Ye Jinghuai.
She watched as this man showed not the slightest trace of cowardice, but instead sought to console her.
The more Ye Jinghuai acted this way, the harder it was for An Nuan.
She truly feared his forced composure.
The two silently gazed at each other.
The Ye family members also gradually arrived, including Ye Lu Ping, Yun Yu Qing, Ye Jing Chen, and Ye Jingxuan.
The entire family had been closely following this case and keeping in touch with An Nuan.
An Nuan didn't share much with them.
So it was clear that the Ye family members were anxious.
At 9 o'clock in the morning, the trial officially began.
In the courtroom, the clerk began announcing the order of proceedings.
After the explanation, he said loudly, "All rise!"
Everyone in the courtroom stood up from their seats.
The judge entered.
"All may be seated."
Everyone sat down.
The judge took the central seat and said, "Qing City Court is now in session. Today, we will publicly hear the first trial of Ye Jinghuai's corruption and rape resulting in death case. Court is now in session."
The courtroom fell silent.
The prosecutor stood up and said, "The suspect, Ye Jinghuai, was reported by name for accepting bribes by abusing his position in Jiang City's Ministry of Politics. Based on investigations by the procuratorate, 52.45 million yuan in cash was seized from Ye Jinghuai's home. Additionally, after cross-checking the financial statements of the projects under Ye Jinghuai's supervision at the Ministry, the amount of embezzled funds largely matched. Furthermore, on December 24th of this year, a female corpse surfaced in Qing City's moat. The victim was identified as An Xiao. The autopsy revealed that An Xiao had engaged in sexual activity before her death. Through investigation, it was discovered that the last time An Xiao was seen in public during the period of her death, as determined by the forensic report, she was with Ye Jinghuai. Thus, the procuratorate deduced that An Xiao's death was caused by Ye Jinghuai. The procuratorate provided multiple video evidence proving the existence of an intimate relationship between the two."
"Based on the above, the prosecution accuses Ye Jinghuai of corruption and rape. The defendant may now present a legal defense for his criminal acts!" After speaking, the prosecutor returned to his seat.
An Nuan's gaze was fixed intently on Ye Jinghuai.
At this moment, Ye Jinghuai's body appeared frail, yet he still stood upright with an air of arrogance, not at all like someone on trial.
"The defendant's lawyer, Mr. Wang, may now present the legal defense for the suspect," the judge announced.
Mr. Wang, the defense lawyer, stood up from his seat. He calmly organized his materials, then addressed the judge, "I will argue for my client's innocence!"
His voice was loud and firm.
The courtroom erupted in an uproar.
Audience members even let out mocking laughter, as if they had heard a joke.
After all, with the criminal evidence so evident, how could Ye Jinghuai have the gall to plead innocence?
"Silence!" The judge's expression turned stern.
The courtroom immediately fell silent.
Mr. Wang walked to the front and said, "My client did not commit any corruption during his tenure in Jiang City. The so-called evidence of his crimes is a frame-up. First, the prosecution claims my client accepted over 52 million yuan in bribes, which defies logic. To begin with, given my client's family background and origins, he would not even bat an eye at 52 million yuan. Here, I have a document detailing my client's family assets. As the foremost of Qing City's Four Great Families, the Ye family possesses a fortune exceeding a trillion yuan. In the face of such wealth, what is 52 million yuan? Would he risk committing corruption for such a paltry sum?"
"Next, here is a record of my client's typical spending habits. After joining the Ministry, my client clearly became more restrained, which was due to his dedication to work and starting a family. However, by comparing his spending before marriage, we can see that my client's monthly expenditure occasionally reached over 52 million yuan. For example, my client would casually spend 30 million yuan at an auction to buy gifts. Would someone of his means really resort to corruption for a mere 52 million yuan?"
Mr. Wang spoke with conviction.
Xia Qiqi couldn't help but laugh, "That 30 million you spent on a gift, that was for you, wasn't it?"
An Nuan pursed her lips.
That charity auction where Ye Jinghuai gifted her the blue diamond...
She suddenly felt that Ye Jinghuai's interest in her might have been premeditated.
Mr. Wang paused briefly, then continued, "Second, the prosecution accuses my client of rap*. This is simply ludicrous! Everyone in Qing City knows how popular my client is with women, who flock to him eagerly. With my client's wealth and looks, why would he need to resort to rap*?"
