Chapter 37 Verdict

Chapter 37: The Verdict

The spectators in the gallery murmured again. The defense attorney seized the opportunity immediately: “At that time, my client couldn’t locate the witness; consumed by anxiety and panic, he feared she was in danger. In his urgency, he uttered those words solely to ensure her safety.”

“If the witness were truly in danger, the defendant should have contacted the police immediately—not taken it upon himself to threaten a citizen’s safety. Moreover, my client never harmed the witness. Based entirely on his own baseless assumptions, the defendant concluded my client endangered the witness—and proceeded to verbally threaten and intimidate him. What psychological toll would such conduct exact on my client?” retorted the plaintiff’s lawyer, indignant.

“This is no fabrication. As everyone knows, the witness and the plaintiff are estranged—so my client’s suspicion was entirely reasonable,” the defense attorney countered forcefully.

The presiding judge fell silent for a moment, then turned his gaze toward the witness stand. “Witness, what is your relationship with the plaintiff?”

Su Ruanruan kept her head lowered, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. “I… I have an excellent relationship with my sister. She has never hurt me.”

In the gallery, Su Mi watched her with a complex expression. At least the girl hadn’t completely lost her mind—but when it came to matters of the heart, she remained utterly bewildered.

Others, however, couldn’t help but whisper among themselves, convinced Su Ruanruan had been coerced into speaking. One was the legitimate heiress; the other, an imposter. How could Su Mi not resent Su Ruanruan—the fraud who had stolen her wealth and status?

“You’ve all heard it. The witness herself has affirmed her close bond with my client. The defendant’s speculation rested entirely on fantasy—yet he escalated to threats and intimidation against my client. This gravely jeopardized my client’s personal safety,” declared the plaintiff’s lawyer, voice ringing out.

Su Mi chimed in precisely at that moment. “The defendant repeatedly insists his love for the witness is genuine. Yet when the video surfaced and the witness was vilified by all, he remained silent—leaving her to bear that abuse alone. Is *that* the ‘love’ he claims?”

“Moreover, why did the witness disappear? Precisely because the defendant’s callous indifference wounded her—so she chose to withdraw from the world. Ultimately, it was the defendant’s own cowardice and incompetence. Yet he blamed *me* for her disappearance. What shameless conduct is this? Had he simply spoken up, would the witness have fled in despair?”

The gallery erupted in hushed exchanges. They recalled the truth of it: back then, everyone had condemned Su Ruanruan—yet when questioned, Qi Yun had cared only about retrieving the flash drive. He’d refused to step forward and clarify his relationship with her. If he truly cared, how could he stay silent? And he’d allowed Su Ruanruan to remain his mistress for years.

Meanwhile, members of the Su family frowned deeply—surprised that a supposedly deranged girl could articulate so coherently. Did she suffer from intermittent psychosis?

“My client’s statement was no delusion. It stemmed from the plaintiff’s documented mental disorder. During episodes, she becomes violently aggressive—so my client’s concern was entirely justified,” insisted the defense attorney, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

Hearing this, the presiding judge frowned. “However, per the mental health assessment report submitted by the plaintiff, she exhibits no diagnosable mental disorder.”

*No mental illness?!*

A wave of murmurs swept the gallery. How could she possibly be mentally sound? Just recently, they’d all witnessed Su Mi’s episode firsthand—overturning tables, striking people. What else could that possibly be, if not mental illness? What sane person would overturn tables and assault others in such a setting?

The Su family, however, knew better. They were certain Su Mi had tampered with the evidence. They would *never* believe this unstable girl was healthy—if she weren’t ill, psychiatric hospitals might as well shut their doors.

Yet they wouldn’t undermine her now. After all, Su Mi embodied the Su family’s reputation. A loss in this lawsuit would harm them too. Besides, the Qi family was hardly above reproach.

“Impossible! The plaintiff has suffered multiple episodes—many eyewitnesses observed them firsthand!” the defense attorney raised his voice sharply.

Qi Yun, seated, could only close his eyes in frustration. He’d never imagined being undone by a so-called “crazy woman.”

As another witness took the stand, everyone recognized him as the vice president of Zhouyuan Group—apparently having chosen to align with the Qi family at this juncture.

“This witness also attended that engagement banquet. His seat was adjacent to the plaintiff’s, and he personally witnessed her overturn the table without warning and violently assault my client’s younger brother. What else could this possibly be, if not mental illness? Therefore, I have grounds to question the authenticity of this assessment report,” stated the defense attorney confidently.

Su Mi spoke, her face impassive: “Why did I overturn the table and strike someone? That question belongs to the defendant’s brother. Oh—the jury may not be aware: my sister was engaged to the defendant’s brother since childhood; they were childhood sweethearts. Yet the defendant—already betrothed himself—seduced my sister, Su Ruanruan. Our Su family holds considerable standing. Tell me—how could anyone *not* see red in such circumstances?”

The jurors drew sharp breaths. They’d known the case was complex—but not *this* intricate.

“That day, the defendant’s brother repeatedly provoked and insulted me—calling me vicious, accusing me of bullying Su Ruanruan. I endured again and again—until he pushed too far, and I finally struck back.”

“What baffles me even more is this: when a man strikes someone publicly, it’s dismissed as a verbal dispute. Why, then, does a woman striking someone instantly brand her as mentally ill? Are women born to swallow their rage?”

“Yes—I struck him. But he actively provoked and incited trouble. And yes—I kicked the defendant too. Because I simply couldn’t tolerate this scoundrel, perpetually eyeing both bowl and pot. Let him sue me for assault—I’ll compensate accordingly. But labeling someone with a mental illness—isn’t *that* defamation? Once the public believes I’m mentally ill, my future—and my inheritance of the family business—will be irrevocably severed. Can the defendant bear responsibility for such losses?”

Silence descended upon the courtroom. The defense attorney felt cold sweat trickle down his spine. Every favorable piece of evidence they’d prepared had just been overturned by the plaintiff—placing them at a severe disadvantage.

Yet President Qi had claimed Miss Su suffered from mental illness—and lashed out when upset. Yet the opposing party showed no signs whatsoever of mental instability.

“But the plaintiff isn’t striking someone for the first time. Previously, while filming a show, she assaulted a guest so severely he required hospitalization. We therefore have reason to suspect intermittent manic episodes. In such a state, endangering the witness would be entirely plausible—so my client’s assumption wasn’t unfounded,” he insisted, though his voice wavered.

At this point, Du Yu also approached the witness stand as a defense witness—yet visibly squirmed under the weight of collective scrutiny.

Seeing him, Su Mi leaned toward the microphone and said coolly: “Why did I strike him? *He* knows in his heart. He sexually harassed me. What’s wrong with defending myself? When did society become like this—that women must simply endure violation? Then who will compensate me for my psychological trauma?”

“Some may argue I could have refused verbally—no need for violence. But some men are arrogantly overconfident. Even after verbal rejection, they assume the woman is playing hard to get. *This* witness belongs to that self-righteous trash. I made my disgust unmistakably clear—yet he asked if I wanted to sleep with him. Tell me—what else could I say in that moment? If I hadn’t used force to protect myself, who knows whether he’d escalate to further illegal acts against me?”

The jurors exchanged glances. The plaintiff bore no resemblance to someone suffering manic episodes. Moreover, there was the official assessment report. Perhaps she was merely wealthy, entitled, and intolerant of grievance—hence her propensity to strike. But her argument held merit: a woman striking someone doesn’t automatically indicate mental illness. This, too, fell squarely within the bounds of self-defense.

Su Mi sat motionless, expressionless. It was fact she’d struck the male lead. Even if he sued her, she’d face at most a few days’ detention. But by then, everyone would know Qi Yun had been beaten by *her*. Who’d be more humiliated was obvious.

So what if he was a domineering CEO? With solid evidence, she doubted he could truly cover the sky with one hand.

Moreover, her luck value now surpassed the female lead’s. There was no way she’d still be suppressed by the male lead’s aura.

Later, court adjourned briefly. After deliberation, the judge delivered the first-instance verdict.

“After trial, this court finds that the defendant, Qi Yun, defamed the plaintiff’s reputation through groundless speculation—damaging her social standing. Furthermore, the defendant threatened the plaintiff with malicious intent, demonstrating blatant disregard for law and regulation. This court therefore finds the defendant guilty of defamation and intimidation.”

“The defendant, Qi Yun, is sentenced to one year and three months’ imprisonment for defamation and intimidation—suspended for two years—and ordered to pay the plaintiff two million yuan in compensation for psychological damages.”

“If dissatisfied with this judgment, an appeal may be filed within fifteen days of receipt of the judgment—either through this court or the Hu City Intermediate People’s Court.”

Hearing the verdict, the gallery stood stunned. Commercial disputes fought to the death were commonplace—but suing for defamation and landing someone in jail? Unprecedented. And Su Mi had *won*.

Learning the sentence was suspended for two years, Su Mi still found it insufficient. A two-year suspension meant Qi Yun avoided jail *now*—and if he committed no further crimes during that period, he’d never serve the one-year-and-three-month term.

But if he engaged in any illegal or disciplinary misconduct within those two years, he’d be arrested immediately.

Given this fool’s character, gathering evidence of his wrongdoing shouldn’t be difficult. The concern was that he might grow more cautious and guarded moving forward.

Still—winning at first instance was already a victory. Now that the verdict was public, regardless of any appeal, the mere knowledge that this fool had been convicted of defamation would inevitably damage his company’s stock price and product sales.

It would also strip him of face—completely, irreversibly. Let him keep up his pretentious act. Let’s see how long he lasts.

Before even exiting the courthouse, Su Mi immediately called Sister Zhou, urging her to issue press releases immediately—and purchase top trending spots. Foreign media coverage would be ideal. She wanted this arrogant jerk disgraced worldwide.

“I’m sorry, sister.”

Soon after, Su Ruanruan approached, eyes red-rimmed. “I… I’ll prove to you that Qi Yun truly loves me.”

Su Mi glanced sideways. “Oh.”

If the other party insisted on playing the tragic heroine, she had no choice but to respect that. After all, *she* wouldn’t be locked in a dark room.

Seeing she wasn’t even scolded, Su Ruanruan felt a pang of loss. Indeed—her sister had utterly given up on her.

Just then, a hand abruptly pulled her away. Qi Yun stared coldly at the person before him. “Good lawyer.”

The lawyer beside Su Mi maintained a polite smile. He’d accepted Chairman Su’s payment—he owed his employer full effort. Winning lawsuits inevitably meant making enemies. Still, this victory owed largely to Miss Su’s stellar performance. Without her, he’d never have been so confident.

Su Mi sized him up with undisguised disdain. “Trash never looks inward for answers—that’s why they’re called trash.”

With that, she turned and strode straight out of the courthouse—while the butler promptly opened the car door for her.

Only Qi Yun stared grimly at the lawyer beside him. “What purpose do you serve?”

The latter stood frozen, drenched in sweat, too terrified to utter a word. How could he have anticipated the opposition’s ferocity—and meticulous preparation? They’d even dismantled the mental-illness narrative. Naturally, the situation had turned disastrous for President Qi.

The assistant didn’t dare utter a word. Miss Su was indeed a handful. No one had ever filed a lawsuit over mere verbal altercations before—but she had orchestrated such a massive spectacle that he wasn’t even sure whether she was genuinely mentally ill.

The pre-drafted statements required only minor revisions. The moment she arrived home, Su Mi saw headlines flashing across various apps.

#Heyuan Group CEO Sentenced to 1 Year and 3 Months for Defamation and Intimidation# instantly exploded onto the trending charts.

Closely following were topics like #Qi Yun and Su Ruanruan’s Romance# and #Su Mi Wins Lawsuit Against Qi Yun#, all rapidly surging in popularity.

Gemo: Ahhhhhhhhhh—what on earth happened?!

Watermelon-Flavored Chips: Holy crap! The gossip accounts weren’t lying—there really *is* a huge scandal today!!!

Chili Sauce: That scumbag is actually Heyuan Group’s CEO?! I just bought a laptop from them yesterday—I’m returning it *right now*!!!

Childhood Story: Finally got the full scoop on this scandal! The scumbag is Qi Yun, and that “white lotus” is Su Ruanruan. Perfect—lock them up together!

Sister-in-Law’s Restaurant: Hahahahaha—Sister Mi actually *won* the lawsuit!

Tom Cat: I’ll never buy their products again. How dare that scoundrel and that white lotus covet Sister Mi’s family fortune? They should just drop dead.

Light as a Feather Milk Tea: I feel physically ill! How can such despicable people even exist? Actually colluding with a white lotus to scheme for Sister Mi’s family assets!

Hesitant Speaker: So the white lotus is the real gold digger, right? And she even framed Sister Mi for it. Why doesn’t she just die?

Undoubtedly: Let me drop some knowledge: Qi Yun and Huo Xuan—the eldest daughter of Zhiming Technology’s chairman—were already engaged. Su Ruanruan is, at most, a mistress. I heard she’s now been promoted to official wife. Truly, a scoundrel and a white lotus deserve each other.

Three Cats: Judging from the verdict, this scoundrel even threatened Sister Mi. Never expected Sister Mi to sue him right back.

Oh My: I actually used to think he was quite handsome. Never imagined he could be so vile. Thankfully, the Huo family called off the engagement—or else they’d definitely have been bled dry by this scoundrel.

Errr: Could it be that his family built their fortune by bleeding others dry?

Here We Go: My heart aches for Sister Mi—guarding such a massive family business all alone while fending off outsiders’ greed. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind helping Sister share some of that burden.

How Could I Forget: Upstairs, your calculating beads are practically hitting me in the face.

When it comes to gossip, no one lacks the appetite to watch the drama unfold. Public opinion intensified, even affecting Heyuan Group’s product sales. Su Mi immediately instructed Sister Zhou to fan the flames even higher. She wanted to see how that idiot would keep up his act.

She even ate an extra bowl of rice at dinner. Yet Su Min and the other person kept secretly observing her, looking like they had something to say but hesitated.

Clearly, both suspected something about her mental health certificate. After all, in their eyes, she definitely had issues—so how could the certificate possibly be clean?

Still, neither dared ask directly. They merely condemned the shameless Qi family and, in passing, criticized the female lead for her muddled judgment. They’d raised her all these years, never sparing anything—and now she’d run off with a man.

Indeed, if the female lead had cooperated, she could’ve landed the male lead several more years in prison—no probation. But the female lead still believes it’s true love, spending all day lovey-dovey. Wait until the day her kidneys are harvested and she’s chopped into pieces—then let him love her from the underworld.

By evening, public opinion was virtually unstoppable. All Heyuan Group’s social media accounts were flooded. The female lead’s account could only disable comments—so fans swarmed the studio’s page instead, forcing the studio to disable comments overnight.

Su Mi messaged Woman Three, suggesting they meet the day after tomorrow to discuss the matter from last time.

As long as Woman Three was willing to cooperate, toppling that idiotic male lead wouldn’t be difficult. No need to dirty her own hands and end up with mutual destruction.

Woman Three didn’t say anything else—just agreed to meet.

Every life saved counts. Regardless of whether the other party cooperated, she’d already done her utmost.

When she woke up the next day, she saw the male lead’s company stock had plummeted 19.78%, and Huamao Technology seized the moment to release an advertisement:

Huamao Technology: Brand-new technology—N18 front and rear 100-megapixel cameras—illuminating the true face of scoundrels.

Farmhouse Fun: Hahahahaha—you really dare ride any trend!

Taking Off: After all, they almost became brothers-in-law. The boss definitely has the right to speak.

Self-Awareness: I suspect the CEO logged in himself to defend his wife.

I’m Doing Homework: Sister Mi dumped him ages ago. Sister Mi doesn’t need a man.

Mo Mo Mo: Stop bouncing around. What if Sister Mi exposes your boss one day?

Woo Woo: Hahahahaha—my Sister Mi really does expose everyone when she goes full berserker.

Oh Oh Oh Oh: Tell your boss to be more assertive! Hurry up and improve product performance to win her back—that’s better than sneakily posting ads like this.

Mo Mo: Is this indirectly confirming Qi Yun is a scoundrel? Since they almost became brothers-in-law, he must know things we don’t.

Heh Heh Heh: Hahahahaha—I feel like your boss is also in danger.

It has to be said: that bastard is truly brilliant at marketing. Just one new product broke consecutive sales records. No wonder their marketing department has been subtly diverting traffic. She’d originally planned to tell them to stop these petty tricks—but since they’ve officially broken up, they should sever ties completely to avoid constant association.

Yet recalling how she’d once used him to quell a public opinion storm, Su Mi chose to ignore it—for now.

The reason for meeting Woman Three the day after tomorrow was because there was another board meeting today. The last one ended badly—so another was inevitable.

Early that morning, she rose for breakfast, then headed to the company with her father. Her current luck points weren’t enough to convert into financial management talent points. Otherwise, her overall luck value would dip below the female lead’s at any moment—so she needed to save up a bit more before converting.

Once conversion succeeded, she’d attend classes and gradually assume control of the company. Taking over immediately wasn’t advisable. After all, to forge iron, one must first be strong oneself. She needed to strengthen her own capabilities before making the company profitable.

Still, her father planned to appoint her Vice President first—to familiarize her with operations and build experience, making her eventual promotion to CEO feel natural.

This time, the meeting room was eerily quiet. No one made a fuss. The few elderly men from last time sat grim-faced, as if forced to attend.

After everyone settled and the door closed, Su Min opened by addressing the lawsuit against the Qi family. No objections arose. After all, business is about profit. Now Heyuan Group’s stock was falling, while theirs was rising—nobody would oppose such a welcome development.

“Additionally, starting tomorrow, I’ve decided to appoint Mimi as Vice President of the main group. She still has much to learn—I hope everyone will be understanding and supportive.”

No sooner had Su Min finished speaking than an elder spoke up: “What a joke! Her mental health status hasn’t even been clarified—and now you want her as Vice President? Nurturing youth isn’t wrong, but you can’t gamble with our interests!”

The other Su family members remained silent. Though Su Min bringing Su Mi into the company was unexpected, it didn’t matter—the board would never allow someone with potential mental health issues to hold a key position.

Su Mi said nothing. She simply pulled out the mental health certificate and flung it onto the elder’s face—then smiled at everyone. “I understand everyone’s concerns. We’re all here to make money. Naturally, I won’t let the company lose money—that would mean losing my own interests.”

“If everyone wants to make money, then let’s work together properly. But if anyone plays both sides or engages in underhanded schemes—don’t blame me, a junior, for being impolite.”

Her expression grew steadily darker. “I’m no delicate little girl. I have plenty of strength—and methods. If anyone’s looking for trouble, they have only themselves to blame.”

The entire meeting room fell silent. Everyone seethed—but dared not speak. She’d sued Qi Yun and won. Clearly, she wasn’t just some ordinary unstable girl. The deed was done. If they opposed her now—who knew what this ‘crazy girl’ might do?

After a brief silence, someone began clapping—and soon the room erupted in enthusiastic applause, as if no one objected to her appointment.

Only Su Min sat there, wearing a strange expression. He’d expected a tough battle today—never imagining his daughter’s sheer威慑力 would prove more effective than a thousand words.

“Mimi is still inexperienced,” Su Yi interjected immediately. “Perhaps it’s better for her to start from the grassroots level—to gain experience and avoid gossip from subordinates. I’m not opposing—I’m just thinking of Mimi’s best interest. After all, her taking over the company is only natural.”

Su Mi glanced sideways at him. “How come Fourth Uncle didn’t start from the grassroots level back then? Gossip? Apart from you—who else would gossip? If you don’t clean up your own mess of accounts—don’t blame me for calling the police and sending you in too.”

Hearing this, Su Yi’s face instantly paled—and he broke into uncontrollable coughing. “Sorry, sorry! Fourth Uncle was shortsighted. Your abilities are absolutely sufficient for the Vice President position.”

Seeing this, Su Mi turned her gaze to the others. “I’m a democratic person. If anyone else has opinions—feel free to speak up. We can discuss and resolve them together.”

Instantly, everyone waved their hands frantically. “No, no!”