Shen Nian immediately took a step back, pulling the duck-tongue cap further down her head and lowering her masked face.
She knew that seeing her face would remind the two members of the Lu family of their ill-fated daughter, Lu Lingrui. Therefore, whenever Shen Nian met them, she would proactively wear a hat and mask, and keep her head down, minimizing her presence as much as possible.
Lu Lingchuan instantly noticed the pitiful, slender figure hiding behind Xu Xiping.
Perhaps it was the black dress she wore that made her look so thin, but her slender frame gave the impression that a gust of wind could blow her away.
Lu Lingchuan averted his gaze and said to his father and the others, "Let's go in."
"Yeah."
Today was another court hearing for Lu Lingrui's case. Shen Nian had lost count of how many times she had come here over the past five years.
The defense lawyer hired by the other party was notorious for his sharp tongue. Even though the facts were already clear, he stubbornly insisted that his two clients were drunk at the time of the incident and had lost control of their faculties – it was simply a drunken mistake without malicious intent. His clients had shown remorse and good behavior, and should receive a lighter sentence.
If the Lu family insisted on claiming premeditation, then they should provide evidence of such intent. Otherwise, his clients would not admit to it.
It was evident that the defense had put a lot of effort into exploiting this loophole.
Alcohol affects everyone differently; the level of intoxication varies from person to person. Only the individuals themselves truly know whether they were genuinely drunk or just pretending.
Yang Hao and Wang Yong seemed to have coordinated their stories in advance, stubbornly refusing to admit they were faking drunkenness.
Yang Hao said, "At the time, Wang Yong and I had drunk too much. We could barely walk straight and had no idea what we were doing."
Wang Yong added, "When I'm drunk, I usually have no memory of what happened. I'm not sure what I did myself."
Xu Xiping frowned, anticipating the difficulties of this case.
First, the Lu family's demands were too high, with almost zero possibility of being met.
Additionally, the other party now had a high-ranking lawyer who was exploiting the alcohol angle, seeking to prove that Yang Hao and Wang Yong were intoxicated to the point of losing their rationality, without any intent to harm. This could potentially lead to a lighter sentence.
Furthermore, Lu Lingrui committed suicide; they did not physically harm her. At most, their presence provided a reason for her suicide.
No matter how significant the reason, it did not change the fact that Lu Lingrui took her own life.
If the defense gained the upper hand, the best-case scenario would be immediate release with compensation, or perhaps a few months to a couple of years in prison at worst.
However, as long as their lives were spared, whether they served time or not became irrelevant. Both families had connections and influence, making it easy to get the two released from prison without anyone being the wiser.
"As for the plaintiff's claim that Lu Lingrui's suicide was directly caused by my two clients, I strongly disagree. According to my investigation, Lu Lingrui had just finished her college entrance exam a month before her suicide."
"As we all know, the college entrance exam is the most important test a student will take from elementary school through university. In recent years, many students have succumbed to extreme stress and exhaustion, losing hope for their future and taking their own lives. At the time, Lu Lingrui had just completed this highly pressurized exam, and the mental strain and fatigue from relentless studying had likely not subsided..."
His tongue was indeed venomous. Although it was clearly their fault, he was now openly questioning Lu Lingrui's mental state.
Nowadays, many students suffer from depression due to academic pressure. If he could insist that Lu Lingrui was depressed from the exam stress, and that her fragile mental state made her more susceptible to the actions of Yang Hao and Wang Yong, which merely catalyzed her suicide, then the blame would shift.
If Lu Lingrui did not have depression, her suicide would undoubtedly be directly caused by Yang Hao and Wang Yong.
However, if it could be proven that Lu Lingrui had pre-existing depression due to stress, it would indicate she already had issues, and Yang Hao and Wang Yong's actions were simply the unfortunate final straw that pushed her over the edge, reducing their culpability.
After all, there is a significant difference between being directly responsible and being an indirect cause.
Xu Xiping, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and exuding an aura of untainted elegance, contrasted starkly with the smug, branded defense lawyer opposite him.
Adjusting his glasses, Xu Xiping coolly stated, "According to my understanding, our client Lu Lingrui was typically cheerful and lively. Even with the pressure of the college entrance exam, it did not significantly impact her sunny disposition, as attested by her classmates and teachers. Therefore, the defense lawyer's speculation is entirely unfounded."
"Happiness can be faked," the defense lawyer persisted. "True depression is often hidden in one's heart. Many patients appear perfectly normal in their daily lives, eating and drinking as usual, yet tests reveal they suffer from severe depression. So outward displays of joy and laughter cannot prove her mental state was sound, unless you can provide a psychological evaluation from that time, confirming her condition was good."
Well said... Who would specifically get tested for depression when they appeared perfectly normal and cheerful?
"..." Xu Xiping's expression grew grave. After a few moments of silence, he turned to the judge. "I request that our witness be allowed to speak."
The judge nodded, "Proceed."
Shen Nian, as a witness, stepped forward, standing between the two smiling culprits, their wives, and lawyer on one side, and the grim-faced Xu Xiping and Lu Lingchuan on the other.
Despite being the plaintiffs, they appeared troubled and gloomy.
As instructed by Xu Xiping, Shen Nian understood the importance of focusing on the crucial details while summarizing the less relevant aspects concisely.
As one of the victims, no one knew the events of that night better than her.
"Although the two were drunk that night, they still retained their rationality. The alcohol merely amplified the demons within them, causing them to act on their malicious impulses. I can confirm that when they surrounded us, preventing our escape, they were indeed sober enough to act with purpose and clarity. If they had truly been blacked-out drunk, they would have passed out on the ground or gone into an alcoholic frenzy, not deliberately trap us with one person ahead and the other behind."
Shen Nian recounted the events dispassionately.
"..." The case had taken another unexpected turn.
