Transform into a human

Li's request was within a reasonable range, and Xue Ji agreed. Shortly after, Wei Cheng arrived at the witness stand.

Since she came into view, Bryce's eyes had never left her.

Wei Cheng met his gaze calmly. Donald, worried about her identity as a liar, insisted on waiting until the long "unraveling" process was completed, eliminating any possibility of her lying, before continuing with the interrogation and statement taking. Wei Cheng had only recently learned what had happened at the police headquarters.

But in fact, she had no intention of hiding the truth after her arrest.

Seeing Bryce's disheveled appearance, she suddenly laughed hysterically:

"We've really become the villains."

"Cheng, if there is any sin, it belongs only to me."

"How could I not be evil? You manipulate my heart, and I manipulate all those who trust me. If it were ten years ago, I would have shot myself without hesitation."

Xue tapped the table lightly with her fingertips with extreme impatience, but the sound, like a booming bell, drowned out all the noise:

"Gentlemen, this is not the place for you to reminisce."

"Okay," Wei Cheng shrugged, "Grindelwald Blythe sent me to kill Ji Yungui."

The audience reacted sparsely; they were even still lost in thought about the Chain Crystal Network, worrying about whether their newspapers could attract traffic—compared to the big news that Yue Lai had just broken, Ji Yungui's death seemed so insignificant.

"Let him have his way?" Austin Song keenly noticed Wei Cheng's choice of words. The deputy referee of the temporary committee spoke for the first time, "What is your relationship with him?"

"Yes, what is our relationship...?"

Wei Cheng was lost in memories: "We graduated from this very university together. Later, I fell in love with him, but who would dare accept the love of a conman like us?"

Li subconsciously turned her head, diverting some of her gaze towards Yue Lai's direction, then panicked and quickly returned to normal before anyone noticed.

Unexpectedly, this little trick couldn't escape her own mother's notice. Lost in thought, Love seemed to have a "daughter radar," keenly sensing Li's movements, and then—

She felt like she had bumped into something.

Bryce: "Cheng, I've never doubted that."

"But Grindelwald, I can see the hesitation in your eyes."

The conversation between the two did not conform to the hearing procedure at all. Normally, the person making the statement should take an oath. However, the oral statement should only be given 5 minutes.

During the question-and-answer session, committee members have the right to question witnesses and are subject to the "5-minute rule." The order of questioning is arranged according to factional alternation or seniority.

There was no witness interview segment at all.

With Yue Lai's "excellent example" already set, Xue Ji and Austin had long since stopped bothering with these procedural issues.

After Wei Cheng said these words, Blythe fell silent. Having already concluded his fate, he was too lazy to offer any further explanation.

Wei Cheng smiled broadly: "See, you didn't refute it, did you?"

She looked at Austin again:

"I chose the path to becoming a talent when I first entered university. I have never regretted it so much since graduation. I chose to deceive my family simply because it was 'interesting,' but I did not receive any emotional response as a result."

"To prove myself, I had no choice but to work for him relentlessly: slandering colleagues in the newspapers, infiltrating gangs to gather intelligence, and even committing murder..."

Austin interrupted him: "Haven't you asked for anything in return?"

"no."

The senator frowned.

The Central faction wouldn't waste time on a nobody like Bryce; Avery was the key to their power struggle with the Imperial faction. To that end, he hoped to use the Bryce case to establish his image of impartiality, so as to accumulate hidden bargaining chips for the future.

But the woman's testimony made him, who had long held a high position, feel uncomfortable.

He confirmed again: "You mean you didn't ask for anything in return, and just willingly did all that dirty work for Bryce for a relationship that wasn't even official during your college years?"

"Yes."

Austin frowned even more deeply.

"May I continue?"

"please."

"Later on, I couldn't stop at all. Dedicating myself to him has become a part of my life, and if I stop, it will feel completely empty."

"But what would be the result of continuing forward? No, we can't use the word 'forward.' I'm just standing still for his ideal, while he can't bear any doubt or risk for his own ideal."

"Perhaps liars are simply not meant to have pure and innocent love."

For the first time, Bryce lowered her head to hide her expression. The light from the left swept across the bridge of her nose and cast a shadow on her right cheek, like a tear stain spreading across her face.

Austin finally realized where his discomfort came from. It wasn't that he no longer believed in genuine human kindness, but rather that he hadn't experienced it firsthand for a long time... Even his wife wouldn't go to such lengths for him, would she?

Yue Lai was lost in thought. Wei Cheng's story didn't fit the descriptions of "thrilling" or "bizarre and tortuous," but it felt as if someone had gently touched his heart with their fingertips, causing a strange itch, as if he could feel the warmth of their fingertips.

This was not because he felt pity for the evildoers, but because he deeply felt the meaning of the word "human".

A strange change was happening silently inside his body.

But Yue Lai's unusual behavior made Xia Du's heart skip a beat—oh no, what if it left a stereotype in Yue Lai's mind that "liars don't deserve to be loved"? That would have an irreversible impact on his quest to find a partner!

A "good liar" shouldn't learn from a "bad liar."

So Xia Du quietly pried open Yue Lai's loosely clenched fist, and then used his old trick—hooking the other's little finger.

Yue Lai's heart skipped a beat. The palpitation he felt at that moment was even more intense and rapid than that fleeting kiss in the starry sky. He had never experienced the meaning of the word "life" so profoundly.

The old monster blushed, a rare occurrence, and whispered, "Stop fooling around."

Xia Du released his grip with satisfaction.

"Hmph, let's see if you're still embarrassed to talk to me with that fatherly tone."

On the podium, Austin sighed slowly and looked at Xueji beside him.

The latter didn't bother to consult Love's opinion again. It was clearly a power struggle between the Imperial faction and the Central faction, but this girl acted as if she was just watching a show, making people wonder about her motives for attending the hearing.

Does the Empire faction think victory is assured?

"Bryce, is there anything else you'd like to say?"

"there is none left."

The hearing wasn't a court trial; Xueji didn't have a gavel to strike. She simply changed the envelope:

"Next, we will hear the case concerning Damian Middleditch. Witness: Ms. Winona."

Journalists busy with their work offline and political commentators online simultaneously turned their attention back to the hearing.