Attention Sir, I Have Your Heart Handcuffed!-Chapter 623 - 465. The Heart Also Has Reincarnation (First Update)
Marina closed her eyes briefly, then opened them with a defiant smile: "Enough. I admit it: I killed Zhou Guanghan!"
"Who told him to mind other people’s business? Buying and taking medicine is one thing, but he had to pay undue attention to the drug traffickers’ business chain and expose it... he brought his death upon himself!"
Shi Nian lowered his head, a burden finally lifted, but it was replaced not by joy.
He only felt that in the vicissitudes of the world, each life, each human heart, when pondered carefully, all could not help but evoke a sigh.
Later, the police took Marina’s statement separately, while outside, Shi Nian found Zhong Kui.
The two sat down in a small conference room, and Shi Nian poured Zhong Kui a cup of hot water. Zhong Kui held the hot water in his hands, but his face remained pale.
He asked Shi Nian, "Will she be sentenced to death?"
Shi Nian nodded, "Very likely. Besides, she killed to protect her family’s business; you know the public resents her family’s background greatly."
Zhong Kui lowered his head deeply, "That’s why I hid the truth for so long."
Shi Nian shook his head lightly, "There’s still a chance; the key is whether Marina is willing to cooperate with the prosecution. If she is, there might be a chance to fight for a sentence more favorable to her."
Zhong Kui lowered his head, "She doesn’t want to harm her family. That’s why she’s been holding on."
"I understand," Shi Nian looked at Zhong Kui, "So the key is you now. As things stand, perhaps only you have the ability to persuade her. Besides, not everything is as she thinks; betraying her family isn’t necessarily needed for a reduced sentence — as long as she reveals a party involved in the incident, that’s enough."
Zhong Kui’s eyes flickered, then dimmed again.
Shi Nian continued to encourage, "Actually, even if Marina doesn’t confess, there’s still you, Zhong Kui. You’re well-versed in the details, and you’ve witnessed their occurrence. If you’re willing to testify, you might use that as leverage to negotiate a more favorable sentence for Marina with the prosecution."
Zhong Kui laughed bitterly, "I understand. Betraying her family is hard for her, but not so difficult for me." He looked up, "But you know her temperament; if I testify against her family with what she’s told me, then there would be no future between us."
Shi Nian nodded, and couldn’t help but sigh, "This is indeed a hard choice. But Zhong Kui, only you can weigh the gains and losses: her life or your future together." Shi Nian smiled sorrowfully, "If she’s executed, what future could there be between you two?"
Zhong Kui was silent for a long, long time.
Shi Nian took a small velvet pouch out of his pocket, opened it, and revealed a tiny pearl inside.
"Zhong Kui, you’re Marina’s boyfriend, so you’ve seen her private clothes and jewelry. You must recognize this pearl. I believe the item or clothing it originally belonged to is still in Marina’s wardrobe; it shouldn’t be hard for the police to find it when they search."
Zhong Kui’s expression changed, "How did you know this belonged to her?"
Shi Nian sighed, "Remember when S claimed she lost a diamond necklace? She hid it in Marina’s wardrobe and framed Spicy Girl. As a result, the crowd witnessed Marina’s closet being opened, leaving her defenseless."
"At that time, S couldn’t have known that this event would lead to her fatal disaster, could she?"
Shi Nian raised his eyes, "Because even S couldn’t know that Marina’s hatred wasn’t over the necklace itself. Sean and others knew Marina’s true identity and that she cared nothing for a diamond necklace. Marina hated S because she feared the missing pearl from that piece of evidence would be found when her wardrobe was opened, unveiling the truth that she was the real murderer of Zhou Guanghan!"
"So she even harbored murderous intent towards S, who never realized she met her end because of a tiny pearl."
Zhong Kui began to breathe rapidly.
Shi Nian smiled bitterly, "So you see, if you unravel the series of incidents, it’ll gradually reveal that Marina committed more than just poisoning Zhou Guanghan. The subsequent deaths of S, and even Sean, are inseparable from her. With so many offenses, her bargaining chips with the prosecution become fewer and fewer."
"Enough, I beg you, stop talking." Zhong Kui closed his eyes, "I thought if I stayed silent, you’d never catch her flaw. But it turns out, you discovered clues so early."
Shi Nian took a deep breath, "Out of all of you in Room 507, only the two of you remain. Did you truly think that Mr. Tang was deceived by you, and that’s why only the two of you were exempted from investigation?"
Zhong Kui was also taken aback.
Shi Nian sighed softly, "He’s Prf.T, the one who could see through all of us with his piercing eyes during behavior analysis class. The reason he has allowed you this freedom until now, the reason why he still lets you two have the opportunity to officially develop into lovers and enjoy a beautiful romance, is because he believes you will eventually find your way back to the light. Especially you, Zhong Kui, he believes you can use the power of love to encourage her, to guide her."
Shi Nian gazed deeply at Zhong Kui, "You know, when I first joined 507, your name left the deepest impression on me. Because, in Chinese culture, Zhong Kui is the one who can see ghosts and even catch them. I know since you chose such a Chinese name for yourself, you must also recognize and respect the justice that Zhong Kui represents."
Zhong Kui’s shoulders began to tremble gently, he lowered his head deeply, not wanting Shi Nian to see his face.
Shi Nian reached out and placed her hand on his arm, "No one can choose the environment they are born into; it’s not Marina’s fault she was born into such a family. Her worldview, her words, and actions are all influenced by her family, which is something she cannot avoid. And her desire to protect her family, willing to sacrifice herself rather than sell out her family, this is something we can all understand."
"It isn’t her fault she was born into darkness, but she cannot continue down that dark path into deeper darkness. Since you love her, since you want to protect her, you have to take her with you, accompany her through the hardest journey. Only then will it live up to your name Zhong Kui, only then will your encounter in this life be worth it, only then will having loved her be worth it."
After Shi Nian finished speaking, she got up and walked out the door, quietly closing it tightly behind her.
She stood outside the door, closing her eyes, only feeling that her own eyes were burning too.
I’m sorry... but she herself couldn’t achieve this.
She hoped that Zhong Kui and Marina, who were in the same situation, would ultimately still have the chance to walk back together, side by side.
.
Shi Nian returned to her office in the afternoon to sort through manuscripts, and a call from An Cheng came in.
An Cheng chuckled softly on the phone, "Zhong Kui agreed to be a witness for the prosecution. Shi Nian, I should treat you to a meal."
Shi Nian smiled, "This in itself is the best reward, no need for a meal."
The two chatted casually for a couple of minutes before An Cheng hesitantly asked, "Are you still bringing Jieyou... do you still dare enter the Tang Family’s house?"
Shi Nian understood An Cheng’s concern.
The Tang Family is still the Tang Family. Even though perhaps the Tang Family members might not be so concerned, the Tang Family still needs to maintain a certain status in the eyes of outsiders. And the traditional views of overseas Chinese are sometimes even more deeply rooted than those in China. From the perspective of societal norms, she is indeed no longer so perfect, and in the future, she will inevitably appear somewhat lesser in front of the Tang Family’s relatives and friends.
Shi Nian understood that this might also be the reason An Cheng herself wasn’t willing to enter the Tang Family.
Shi Nian thought for a moment, but then smiled faintly, "Still, I have to enter. It’s not like I’ve never been to the Tang Family; it’s not that scary." She playfully smiled, "Besides, I have the secrets of everyone in the Tang Family, and if anyone dares to scold me, I’ll just reveal their secrets one by one."
"As for the friends of the Tang Family, it’s the same principle. After all, I’m a journalist, there’s nothing I can’t dig up. If they really want to provoke me on purpose, I’ll just throw scoops in their face."
An Cheng laughed in disbelief, "Shi Nian, did you really say this? You’re scaring the baby."
Shi Nian smirked teasingly, "An Cheng, you always act so aloof and beautiful, how come you turn so timid when it comes to the Tang Family? Actually, I know you’re not really afraid of them; you care about and cherish them too much, which is why you subconsciously lower yourself in your heart."
"Don’t talk nonsense," An Cheng denied, but her voice lowered.
So Shi Nian laughed, "An Cheng... how about we go hand in hand together into their house?"
On the other end, An Cheng was instantly flustered, hastily claiming she had work affairs to attend to, so she hung up quickly.
Shi Nian smiled, got up, and carried her briefcase to the door to call Qi Xiuqi.
Qi Xiuqi, from across the ocean, gave a definitive answer: it turns out the old grandfather who accompanied Jieyou growing up was indeed the Mr. Huangfu who had given Huangfu Huazhang many years of cold shoulders — Huangfu Huazhang’s grandfather.
In Huangfu Huazhang’s recounting, the old gentleman was a scholarly old man who never granted affections; however, in Jieyou’s recounting, he was an old man who loved listening to storytelling every day, sitting by the water holding Jieyou and telling stories, and often dozing off while telling them...
The old man did not accept Huangfu Huazhang but accepted Huangfu Huazhang’s daughter, and gently, patiently, and carefully, accompanied Jieyou as she grew up.
