The Guide to Rising to Power: The Ultimate Schemes of a Green Tea Beauty

The lawyer presented the sealed, encrypted USB drive, along with a forensic report and witness statements.

Shen Yao sat in the audience, her palms slightly clenched.

The top eight law firms in China, often referred to as "red circle firms," ​​are generally unwilling to handle such thorny cases.

She and Zheng Wenrui carefully screened each candidate, and with recommendations from various parties, they finally settled on Shen Yao's senior.

He holds a Master of Criminal Law degree from the Fifth Academy and the Fourth Department, and a PhD from Yenching University. He previously worked in the criminal prosecution department of the Yenching Procuratorate for eight years.

When the senior student finished reviewing the case file, she calmly and objectively revealed the truth to Shen Yao without uttering a single falsehood:

"Mr. Liang is well-versed in the law, and he knows very well which actions Mr. Xue should be held responsible for. If it weren't for the evidence provided by Liang Zhenghe's son, this wrongful conviction would be very difficult to overturn."

Shen Yao remained calm after hearing this.

She doesn't regret her complicated entanglement with Liang Xiheng.

The obsession of a cold-blooded animal is difficult to deal with, but without that obsession, the evidence would never have fallen into her hands.

What awaits Xue Huaiqing is likely imprisonment, bearing infamy and injustice, never to be able to turn his life around.

It was precisely because Xue Huaiqing knew all this that he avoided her, kept it from her, and sent her away.

Zheng Wenrui sat down next to Shen Yao, his gaze fixed ahead, and said in a low voice, "Thanks to you."

People are not as good as the sky.

Who would have thought that Liang Xiheng would be willing to hand over such fatal evidence for his sister, and even ultimately save Xue Huaiqing?

Shen Yao snapped out of her thoughts and turned her gaze back to what was ahead.

As the senior student finished her presentation, a subtle commotion arose in the audience.

All eyes turned to the defendant's dock.

Xue Huaiqing was there.

A calm and cold demeanor, honed by years of imprisonment, settled between his brows and eyes, beneath which lay unfathomable depths.

The public expected the man to feel wronged, indignant, or lose his composure. But he simply stood there quietly, his eyes calm and expressionless.

Xue Huaiqing remained silent throughout the entire process, calmly listening to all the accusations, rebuttals, and evidence breakdowns.

Shen Yao looked at him from across half the hall.

Her gaze was too clear, or perhaps the man was too familiar with her.

Xue Huaiqing lowered his head, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The defense then rang out again, each word resounding:

"Liang Zhenghe used his adopted son Xue Huaiqing and biological son Liang Xiheng to carry out all the illegal operations, completely disappearing without leaving any trace, intending to perfectly escape punishment, use his son to take the blame, and frame others!"

"Throughout this case, the entire chain of culpability has absolutely no substantial connection to the defendant, Xue Huaiqing!"

Arguing point by point, overturning each point layer by layer.

Old evidence was shattered one by one, while new irrefutable evidence was laid down layer by layer.

Ten minutes later.

The presiding judge raised his hand, and everyone in the courtroom rose to their feet. His solemn, steady, and uncompromising voice resounded throughout the courtroom:

"After examination and verification of all new evidence, witness testimonies, and forensic appraisal results in court."

"The evidence used to convict in the original trial was fabricated, and the charges were unclear, lacked sufficient evidence, and were not established."

"The defendant, Xue Huaiqing, is acquitted in court."

The gavel fell heavily.

A single note sealed the deal.

The dust has settled.

From the moment Xue Huaiqing chose to report the crime himself until now, the stigma, guilt, imprisonment, and public condemnation that had weighed on him for a whole year have been completely, cleanly, and entirely overturned by the law.

The gallery was silent for a few seconds, then erupted into a wave of silence.

Won!

Shen Yao's shoulders collapsed completely at that moment.

She deliberately dressed in a low-key manner today, with long, straight black hair, a white long skirt, a white cardigan, and a mask covering half of her face, blending into the shadows of the audience seats.

But at this moment, she couldn't care less about keeping a low profile. She turned around and hugged Zheng Wenrui tightly.

Zheng Wenrui was taken aback when she pounced on him.

He lowered his head, unable to see her expression behind her mask, but he understood the full weight of that hug.

Zheng Wenrui raised his hand and hugged Shen Yao back.

Lu Xiuting, who was in the distance, saw this scene.

He leaned against the back wall, his gaze passing through the throng of people and landing on Shen Yao's upturned eyebrows. Even through her mask, he could see she was smiling, a light and bright smile.

Shen Yao's eyes met his.

She looked at Lu Xiuting's slightly haggard face; he had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

Shen Yao hesitated for a moment, then genuinely moved her lips, making a very slight mouth shape:

【Thanks.】

Lu Xiuting saw it clearly. He was stunned for a moment, as if nailed to the spot by those two words.

Those bloodshot eyes, from years of staying up late, widened slightly, then slowly, slowly softened.

The man subconsciously shifted his gaze to the defendant's dock in front of him, where it landed on Xue Huaiqing.

Did he really take on this hot case solely for the sake of fairness and justice? Did he really work so hard and not get a good night's sleep for a whole year just for procedural justice?

Lu Xiuting asked himself the question, but couldn't answer it.

He looked at Xue Huaiqing sitting there, and suddenly, a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

It was a mixture of sourness, admiration, and a vague sense of grievance; it was a belated realization of the hurt he felt towards Shen Yao's starkly different attitudes towards him and Xue Huaiqing.

The complex emotions were manipulating Lu Xiuting, causing this usually open-minded person to inexplicably get stuck in a strange rut at this moment.

How could Xue Huaiqing's feelings at this moment not be complicated?

The sunlight streaming through the high windows slanted across the man's shoulders.

He slightly raised his eyes and looked out at the clear sky.

_

The heavy door slowly opened.

Shen Yao rushed forward and hugged Xue Huaiqing tightly.

He hugged her back tightly.

A perfectly legitimate hug.

Shen Yao once joked, "We always meet secretly. Are we people who coexist in the dark?"

At that time, one was imprisoned, trapped in layers of nets, never seeing the light of day; the other stood in the sea of ​​people, navigating the game of fame and fortune, taking each step with utmost care.

They shared a childhood bond, a deep concern unknown to others, and a glimmer of light that supported each other in the darkness.

Year after year, we gaze at each other from afar, avoiding public attention.

But today is different.

Shen Yao looked at the man beside her whom she had not seen for a long time.

The youthful spirit has been worn down by the years, and a faint trace of frost has been left on his brows, yet he remains a pine tree that cherishes youth and upholds righteousness, enduring the cold and snow without changing his true nature.

"Xue Huaiqing".

With a sob in her voice, she called out his name.

"Yaoyao, I'm here."

The man's voice was gentle yet firm.

Shen Yao looked at him with tears in her eyes, which welled up again and again before finally rolling down her cheeks.

She sniffed and suddenly yelled at him:

"You silly Qing! Weren't you exhausted that year when you drove that truck like your life depended on it to fight Aunt Manchun's lawsuit and save up for my tuition?"

Xue Huaiqing was completely stunned, as if he had been electrocuted.

tired?

Yes.

How can I not be tired?

But Xue Huaiqing only said softly, "I'm not tired at all."

"If you care about me, I won't feel tired."

Shen Yao felt a mix of sadness and pain in her heart.

How could she not feel sorry for him?

When will he learn to cry out his suffering? How much more hardship and pain will it take for him to finally confide in someone?

Xue Huaiqing raised his hand to wipe her tears, but Shen Yao slapped his hand away.

"You lied to me!"

The man's jaw was tense.

He turned his face away, awkwardly avoiding her gaze, in order to suppress the intense surge of arousal.

After a long while, he finally gave a soft "hmm".

Once he stopped pretending, he was sometimes not much different in front of her than he was when he was a child.

They are both inarticulate and keep their thoughts to themselves.

To cheer her up, and also because of the overwhelming emotion in his heart, Xue Huaiqing lowered his head and kissed her.

When their lips touched, he tasted the slightly salty flavor in her tears, but he felt it was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted in his life.

After a long pause, Xue Huaiqing said, "It's all in the past."

Shen Yao nodded with tears in her eyes.

"My Aqing has the most resilient heart in the world. May he be happy forever."

Xue Huaiqing did not answer.

His wet eyelashes gently lowered, and a quiet, happy smile curved his lips.

The long night is over, and the day is coming.

They finally saw the light of day and were able to be together again.