Chapter 50 Mission

Chapter 50: The Court Date

On the day of the trial, Su Mi was in the audience. Since the victims were Su Ruanruan, Zhao Yun, and Liu Zhiyun, Su Min had initially not wanted Su Ruanruan to appear, fearing she might have another impulsive moment and spout some nonsense about forgiving Qi Yun.

However, Su Ruanruan insisted on testifying, so no one stopped her.

In truth, her appearance wasn't crucial, as her statement was already on record. But Su Mi wanted her to appear before the male lead, to completely shatter that pretentious asshole's smug confidence.

He definitely wouldn't believe she would testify against him. After all, he thought he had her completely under his thumb—how could she possibly betray him?

These entitled men were always so full of themselves. If he wants to screw up his own life, that's his business. But kidnapping someone else's family? What is that if not criminal behavior?

"On March 2nd, the defendant's estate manager visited him. According to their phone records, the defendant instructed the manager to take victim Su Ruanruan to a villa abroad. The manager stated that Su Ruanruan was currently in the countryside and might be unwilling to leave."

"The defendant then hinted to the manager that Su Ruanruan was extremely filial to her parents. Subsequently, the manager sent people to kidnap all three victims and take them abroad. The location of their illegal confinement was precisely the villa mentioned by the defendant," the prosecutor stated gravely, consulting the documents.

Hearing this, the lawyer beside Qi Yun immediately began to object. "My client merely stated that Su Ruanruan was filial to her parents, implying that the manager should try to persuade her parents. Perhaps then she would be willing to leave. It was the manager who misunderstood my client's meaning and took it upon himself to have the three kidnapped and taken abroad. None of this was my client's intention."

Seeing the Qi family intended to make the manager the scapegoat, Su Mi wasn't surprised. This was standard operating procedure for these capitalists—whenever something happened, they'd find someone to take the fall.

"I remember this lawyer is quite famous. I heard he's never lost a case. It seems the Qi family is going all-in this time."

"This Su Ruanruan is quite cunning too. Seeing the Qi family is unreliable, she immediately learned to save her own skin. I always said she was no good. What kind of decent girl gets tangled up with her fiancée's brother?"

Hearing the whispers from the public gallery, Qi Xi, sitting in the first row, clenched his fists but forced himself to suppress his anger, keeping his eyes fixed on Su Ruanruan.

He didn't understand why everything had turned out this way. Why did Big Brother do this? If he liked Ruan Ruan, why didn't he say so from the beginning? If he had been clear from the start, none of this would have happened. Dad wouldn't have suddenly passed away, Mom wouldn't be in a deep depression, and the entire Qi family wouldn't be full of people wanting to divide the assets. Only now did he realize how useless he was.

But if he didn't step up now, the entire Qi family would truly fall apart.

"The defendant's manager worked for the defendant's family for decades and was extremely familiar with the defendant's way of doing things. If he couldn't even grasp such a basic implication, why would the defendant entrust him with this matter?"

The prosecutor submitted evidence. "According to our investigation, the defendant's illegal confinement of victim Su Ruanruan was not an isolated incident. He previously hired two female bodyguards to keep watch over the victim twenty-four hours a day; she wasn't allowed to leave the house or use any electronic devices to contact the outside world. This shows he was already accustomed to treating the victim this way."

Hearing this, the Defense Attorney countered calmly. "It's quite normal for young couples to have their own games, like some kind of role-play. If the victim felt violated, she would have chosen to report it to the police. But she didn't, indicating she accepted this mode of interaction. This does not prove my client is guilty of kidnapping."

This lawyer was indeed a master at finding loopholes. No wonder those tycoons always managed to escape the law. As long as you had money, you could naturally hire the best lawyers to get you acquitted.

The law was equal, but there was always an insurmountable chasm between the rich and the poor.

Su Mi simply looked over at the victim's seat. Su Ruanruan sat there with her head bowed, silent, tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, as if still wavering.

"I... I managed to get a maid's phone midway and recorded the manager admitting that Qi Yun kidnapped me and my parents," Su Ruanruan sobbed, producing a USB drive from her clothing.

Seeing she actually had evidence, the prosecutor immediately took it to examine.

Only Qi Yun stared at her with turbulent, dark eyes, his expression gradually losing its composure. Even his original hairstyle had been shaved into a buzz cut.

"The one he wants is me, so why involve my parents? Please, Manager, let my parents go. I promise I won't leave this place." A female voice, thick with sobs and pleading.

Immediately after, a helpless voice filled the courtroom. "Please don't make things difficult for me. Wait until the young master is released, then beg him properly. Perhaps he'll be willing to let your parents go. Actually, as long as you behave, the young master definitely won't harm your parents."

As the recording played, the gallery buzzed with discussion again. The manager had worked for the Qi family for so many years; how could he misunderstand? It was most likely Qi Yun who ordered the kidnapping. It's just that he messed with Su Mi from the start. Now, it seemed like the Su family might have set a trap to take him down.

"From the recording, we can see the manager himself admitted the defendant instructed him. Therefore, the manager also had no authority to release the other two victims. Furthermore, we have a new witness: the defendant's former assistant," the prosecutor stated solemnly.

As the handcuffed assistant was brought in by the police, Qi Yun's eyes darkened further. Indeed, he had been too soft-hearted. If he had gotten rid of him back then, none of this would be happening now.

As if sensing his terrifying gaze, the assistant could only lower his head and speak helplessly. "I worked as Qi Yun's Special Assistant for five years, essentially managing his personal life. He did subject Su Ruanruan to multiple instances of illegal confinement. It's just that Su Ruanruan was too weak-willed to resist."

"Later, after Mr. Qi was detained, I visited him. He hinted that I should deal with Su Mi. Coincidentally, Pei Yun had similar intentions, so Mr. Qi settled for cooperating with him, wanting to completely break Su Mi. But later, things came to light. Mr. Qi told me to hide abroad. Who knew he would change his mind? Instead, several assassins came for me."

"I understand Mr. Qi's character better than anyone. In his world, only he matters. No one can be above him. As for kidnapping, it's exactly the kind of thing he would do because no one has ever dared to defy him."

Hearing his testimony, the gallery erupted in whispers again. Their glances at Su Mi held a touch of astonishment. They hadn't expected her to find Qi Yun's assistant and get him to testify. With this, Qi Yun was probably done for.

But who could they blame? They all knew not to provoke Su Mi. When she went crazy, was there anything she wouldn't do? Only the Qi family refused to believe it, insisting on crashing headlong into a brick wall.

"Ruan Ruan, did they force you?"

Qi Yun's voice sounded particularly abrupt in the courtroom. This seemed to be the first time he had spoken voluntarily during the several court sessions.

Su Ruanruan, who had been sobbing with her head down, slowly looked up. Gazing at the man she had liked since childhood, the depth of her past infatuation was now matched by the depth of her current doubts.

Did she really like him? Or was it a sick kind of love?

Perhaps Sister was right. Both she and Qi Yun were abnormal, which was why they ended up hurting everyone around them.

She couldn't let anyone else around her die. Since all this started because of her, it should also end because of her.

"Wasn't it you who kept forcing me?" Her eyes brimmed with tears. "By your side, I lost all my freedom, yet I still found it sweet. Yes, I'm despicable. Grandpa was so good to me, yet I angered him to death. Uncle Qi was the same. Qi Yun, it's the two of us who need to wake up. Do you still want to watch the people around us leave us one by one?"

She had never thought of recording that conversation. It was only after her sister's reminder that she clumsily managed to gather evidence. Fortunately, the manager didn't become suspicious. But the source of all this was Qi Yun. The manager shouldn't bear the blame for these crimes.

If a love loses its moral and ethical foundations, it is destined to be selfish. And that was not what she wanted to see.

"They died because of Su Mi. It has nothing to do with you or me," Qi Yun said gloomily, staring at the girl across from him.

Seeing him still trying to gaslight the female lead in public, Su Mi really wanted to slap him a few times. He actually dared to slander her in court. It seemed he hadn't spent enough time on the sewing machine.

"Defendant, mind your language," the prosecutor warned, rapping the table.

"It is indeed my fault. I should have killed her earlier. Then none of this would have happened. You should blame me. It was my soft-heartedness that led to this outcome." He clenched his fist, spitting out one cold word after another.

The lawyer beside him immediately looked horrified. "Mr. Qi, don't talk nonsense!"

Even with a bad outcome, a good attitude of admitting guilt could lead to a reduced sentence. But now, this guy was spouting nonsense in front of the judge. He would definitely get a heavier sentence.

"Defendant, watch your attitude!" the Presiding Judge said disapprovingly.

"Don't say anymore, please don't say anymore..." Su Ruanruan sobbed uncontrollably, covering her mouth. She didn't know what to do. If only she had died instead, then others wouldn't have been hurt.

Su Mi couldn't help but take a deep breath and close her eyes. The female lead's crybaby nature never failed to make an appearance.

Perhaps seeing she was too emotional, the bailiffs had to temporarily escort her out of the courtroom.

After considering the various testimonies, evidence, and Qi Yun's defiant attitude, the court temporarily adjourned. Following that, the Presiding Judge formally announced the verdict.

"After trial and investigation by this court, it is established that the defendant, Qi Yun, disregarding laws and regulations, through hiring others, is guilty of the charges of intentional kidnapping and illegal confinement of victims Su Ruanruan, Zhao Yun, and Liu Zhiyun. Furthermore, his attitude in admitting guilt is extremely poor, and his actions have already impacted public safety."

"The defendant, Qi Yun, is hereby sentenced to fourteen years and three months of fixed-term imprisonment for kidnapping and illegal confinement of others. He is to be taken into custody immediately upon issuance of this judgment."

"If dissatisfied with this judgment, an appeal may be filed within fifteen days from the second day after receiving the judgment, through this court or the Intermediate People's Court of Hucheng."

Hearing the verdict, Qi Xi instead closed his eyes. He had specifically not let his mother come, fearing she wouldn't be able to accept the outcome.

But as long as Big Brother served his sentence properly inside, he would surely get a sentence reduction and be released earlier.

This time, he definitely wouldn't let anyone visit Big Brother in prison. That way, Big Brother wouldn't be able to have people kidnap Ruan Ruan again or engage in any other illegal activities. Otherwise, he would only dig himself into a deeper hole.

This is all his fault. If he had discovered earlier that the eldest brother had sent the butler to kidnap Ruan Ruan, none of this would have happened.

As the police were taking Qi Yun out of the courtroom, Su Mi followed. You get detained for hitting someone in court, but outside it's another matter.

"Mr. Qi, that shaved head really has character. The food inside must be delicious, right? Otherwise, why would you keep going back for more?"

Hearing the voice, Qi Yun abruptly stopped. When he saw who it was, his hands clenched into fists, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes, as if he was furious he hadn't taken her out first.

"Don't worry, I'll find a nice family for Ruan Ruan. By the time you get out, she might already have two kids." Su Mi crossed her arms sincerely.

At this, Qi Yun finally snapped. Clenching his fist, he swung at her, only to be kicked several meters away the next moment, so forcefully that even the police officers on either side couldn't steady him.

"You all saw it. He tried to hit me first. This was just instinctive self-defense."

Su Mi walked step by step to where Qi Yun lay, then slowly crouched down, meeting his sinister gaze. She reached out and tapped his face. "Want to kill me? Too bad, you don't have what it takes."

"Just wait and see how I torment Su Ruanruan. I'll have her marry some old man in his fifties or sixties. It can serve as a marriage alliance for the Su family, making the most of our investment. That's making the most of things, right?"

Watching the man on the ground have a meltdown, she elegantly turned and walked away, step by step, down the corridor.

The sun was blazing outside today. The moment she stepped out of the courthouse, she felt the heat of the sun on her skin. She looked up at the piercing beams overhead, feeling as if a burden in her heart was lifting.

What was the original Su Mi thinking when she went inside?

Probably no one cared.

If she hadn't increased her luck value, perhaps she would be the one going in today.

The protagonists never cared about the lives of NPCs; they only cared about their own love.

This world shouldn't be like this. Since she now had the highest luck value, she had a responsibility to change this absurd world. No ordinary person should be trampled on; they shouldn't become sacrifices for someone else's love story.

When she returned home, she found the female lead had already packed her things. She was standing at the door with Zhao Yun and Liu Zhiyun, saying goodbye to her father, Su Min. Probably to show her determination, she didn't want to stay in the Su house a moment longer.

Seeing Su Mi return, Su Ruanruan's eyes welled up again. In truth, her quick departure was also to avoid her sister, as she didn't want Su Mi to see her crying again.

"Alright, enough. I'll invest in a family melodrama for you later so you can cry to your heart's content every day." Su Mi stood at the staircase, not going over to say goodbye.

Hearing this, Su Min let out a wry chuckle. Her daughter certainly knew how to spot people's strengths. With her tendency to cry, starring in a tearjerker might just let her shine.

"I'm sorry..." Su Ruanruan turned away, wiping the tears from the corner of her eye.

Su Mi stepped forward and hugged Zhao Yun, reminding them to tell her if anything happened. Seeing the female lead still weeping uncontrollably, she frowned and said, "Apologies are cheap. You have to walk the talk. Otherwise, what's the difference between that and a two-faced white lotus? If you don't want to keep apologizing, control your words and actions. Don't lose your mind over every little thing. You're living just fine without a man, aren't you?"

Su Min cleared his throat. His daughter's words were as sharp as ever.

"I understand. I will control my words and actions." Su Ruanruan slowly raised her head, as if wanting to say something more, but ultimately turned decisively and left, pushing her suitcase.

She would definitely correct her habit of crying at the drop of a hat. Even if she couldn't completely stop, she couldn't let it affect other people's normal lives anymore. Returning to the Liu family was always meant to be her life; now, she was just setting things right.

Seeing the female lead's resolute expression, Su Mi was at a loss for words. It was just a return to the countryside; one would think it was a life-or-death parting.

"We will take good care of Ruan Ruan." Zhao Yun patted her head affectionately, then looked at Mrs. Su. "We've caused you so much trouble. We will definitely reflect on ourselves from now on, just as Mimi said—walking the talk."

"Alright, alright. We can video chat tonight. Why are you going on like Ruan Ruan?" Liu Zhiyun pulled her toward the car.

Su Min smiled as he watched the three get into the car, which then gradually drove away from the villa's greenbelt.

Su Mi took a deep breath, looking at the blue sky, and a wide smile unconsciously spread across her lips. After sending those pests away, the world finally felt normal again.

Seeing that her mother was planning to cook extra dishes to celebrate today, she took the opportunity to message Lin Yue, asking if he wanted to come over for dinner and be her sparring partner.

He replied almost instantly, saying he just happened to have time.

Too lazy to reply further, Su Mi also advised Huo Xuan. Qi Yun was going to be inside for many years; there was no need for her to take drastic action and end up sending herself in as well, resulting in mutual destruction.

But that pretentious jerk was indeed disgusting. In court today, he had the audacity to publicly slander her for causing the old man's death. Most people would find it hard to resist the urge to finish him off.

Someone should slap that pretentious jerk's mouth shut, so he can't keep flapping his lips with that coffin-like face.

Huo Xuan's reply remained calm. She said she hadn't left much evidence behind; even if charged, it would likely only be for assault.

But her parents had forbidden her from taking action again, so she probably wouldn't target Qi Yun in the future. There was no need to live in the past; she shouldn't trap herself for a lifetime over a scumbag.

Whether she had truly moved on or was just pretending, Su Mi didn't press further. Even if convicted, such assault charges typically carried sentences under three years, unless there was evidence of attempted murder. That was for them to sort out themselves.

Even if she got sentenced, there was nothing to be done. The law applied equally to everyone. She had already warned her; now, she could only hope the other woman would come to her senses completely.

As the verdict was announced, the headlines on major online platforms were replaced with Qi Yun's photo—still that pretentious, deep-in-thought pose in a suit, but now with iron bars superimposed beside him. The titles were particularly provocative and eye-catching.

#Qi Yun Jailed Again for Kidnapping# #Former Handsome CEO Sheds Tears Behind Bars Once More# instantly topped the trending searches.

Pink Panther: The tipster didn't lie! This scumbag is back inside [crying-laughing emoji]

WowWowWow: Of all people to mess with, he had to mess with Sister Mi [crying-laughing emoji]

Eating BBQ Outside: Sister Mi single-handedly cleaned up the entire CEO circle [crying-laughing emoji]

Silent Observer: I just find it ironic. If Su Mi weren't equally wealthy, who knows if this scumbag would have faced justice? [smiling face emoji]

Cilantro Steamed Bun: So he kidnapped Su Ruanruan? Is that white lotus going to try to whitewash herself now?

Wuwuwuwu: Seeing her sugar daddy is unreliable, she cuts her losses and uses Qi Yun to clean up her image. What a clever move by the white lotus [melon-eating emoji]

XO Sauce: Just games of capital. Without the Su family's backing, how could that white lotus win the lawsuit? [melon-eating emoji]

Pop Rocks: Hope Sister Mi tears that white lotus apart and doesn't let her bounce back later [smiling face emoji]

Practicing Scheming: Alright, I declare Mr. Lin the overwhelming winner in this battle for the billionaire family fortune [smiling face emoji]

Together Forever: Mr. Lin fought his way to the top among the CEO circle by marrying in [crying-laughing emoji]

Heart-to-Heart: Don't underestimate Mr. Lin. He has looks, a good figure, and knows how to be humble. That beats all the competitors [melon-eating emoji]

Seeing the heat surge again, Su Mi instructed the marketing department to quickly ride the trend and sell products. Her own popularity should be put to good use; she couldn't always let Lin Yue benefit.

He arrived quite quickly, showing up before five o'clock. Then, he chatted with Su Min in the living room about the current market situation and which industries were worth investing in for the future.

During dinner, the two kept talking non-stop until, perhaps realizing something, they both fell silent and focused on eating.

Her father didn't mention her relationship with Lin Yue at all, treating it as just an ordinary conversation.

After dinner, Su Mi went to the gym to show Lin Yue the Wing Chun she had just learned.

Recently, her martial arts training had hit a plateau, so she found a new teacher. She had been practicing on this wooden dummy for a while now.

Most people thought Wing Chun was founded by a man, but that wasn't the case. According to her research, it was actually founded by a woman, making it more suitable for women to practice.

"Come on, try to punch me in the face," she beckoned to Lin Yue.

He paused, taken aback, thinking the sentence sounded oddly familiar.

As if remembering something, the look he gave Su Mi grew even more complicated.

He knew some people had a natural gift, but he never expected Su Mi's to be this strong.

Not holding anything back, he threw a heavy punch at her face. However, her movements were unbelievably fast—with just a light parry, she deflected his force. At the same time, a dark shadow shot toward his left eye like lightning.

Su Mi quickly changed her spear-hand into a half-fist, so she only struck his brow bone.

“Not good enough, you’re too slow. If you can’t improve, I’ll have to find someone else,” she said, then punched the sandbag with her bare fist.

Lin Yue’s expression was complicated. “Sorry, I’ll work harder to improve.”

Suddenly remembering that not everyone could have such exceptional talent, Su Mi comfortingly patted his shoulder. “It’s fine, if you can’t do it, you can’t. It’s all the same if I find someone else.”

At least as a “boyfriend,” he was exceptionally gifted. These days, finding a partner with compatible sexual chemistry isn’t easy. As long as he didn’t act up, they could still be boyfriend and girlfriend.

“I can definitely do it. You don’t need to find anyone else,” Lin Yue said, maintaining a smile as he looked at her.

Seeing him dig in his heels, Su Mi didn’t argue. She was doing this for his own good—if he wasn’t afraid of getting beaten up, he could keep pushing himself.

After training for two hours, she went to take a shower, covered in sweat. When she came out, she saw Lin Yue sitting on the bed reading her philosophy book, wearing only a tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt. Under the light, his muscle definition was exceptionally sharp.

After drying her hair, she pulled back the covers and lay down to sleep.

Not long after, a warm presence pressed against her back. Unable to help herself, she slapped him on the head—wasn’t he just pretending to be into it?

Instead, what she got was hot, dense puffs of breath against her neck and a scorching hand resting on her waist.

A charged, intimate atmosphere filled the room, finally fading as dawn approached.

Su Mi took a bottle of herbal tea and went out to the balcony to catch the breeze. Gazing at the moon hanging high in the night sky, she frowned.

It had been a long time since she had triggered a mission, and her luck points had stagnated. This wasn’t a good sign—it was like having a cheat code but being unable to use it.

You live and you learn; getting complacent and stagnant was a no-go. If she had a lot of luck points, she could convert them into other skill or talent points at any time. Once she maxed out her investment talent, she might really be able to lead her companies to become the world’s richest.

But what she really wanted was to unlock the cultivation talent points. Once she maxed that out, wouldn’t she be completely free to go wherever she pleased?

“System, if I go to another world to complete a mission, will time in this world pause?”

“It won’t pause; there’s just a time difference. If you spend a year in another world, only one minute will pass in this one.”

“…Thanks for the explanation.”

“Does the host want to take on a mission? As a veteran’s bonus package, you can choose between two missions.”

No newbie gift package, but now a veteran’s package shows up. Su Mi just wanted to smack it until it crashed.

Taking a sip of herbal tea to cool her temper, she thought for a moment. “What missions?”

“A campus novel where the female supporting role is bullied into suicide by jumping off a building, or a tragic novel where the second female lead has her eyes and uterus gouged out by the male lead. The host can choose one.”

With every word the system uttered, Su Mi’s frown deepened. Such vicious novels—no wonder the female characters were so full of resentment. Just hearing the character setups made her fists tighten.

“Why are you drinking that?”

Lin Yue suddenly walked out from the room onto the balcony. Seeing the herbal tea in her hand, his eyes flickered slightly.

“I feel like hitting someone. If I don’t drink this, what should I drink?” Su Mi took another big gulp, then crushed the can with one hand.

It had been so long since she had gone on a rampage—no wonder her temper was flaring up.

“…You can hit me. I should still be able to take it,” Lin Yue’s eyebrow twitched.

Su Mi looked him up and down. “Forget it, I have a meeting tomorrow.”

She was just in a bad mood, not actually crazy. Better to take on a mission then—it would boost her luck points and let her practice her skills along the way.