"""
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Wang stood still for several seconds before he managed to suppress the emotions surging within him. He smiled and walked over, first greeting Wang Hongying and Gao Zhenbang standing next to her.
"Professor Wang, Lawyer Gao, nice to see you again..."
Upon seeing Zhou Wang, both Wang Hongying and Gao Zhenbang stood up. Wang Hongying grasped Zhou Wang’s hand while smiling and complaining,
"Zhou Wang, we finally see you again. The professor has been waiting for you to come over for dinner, waiting impatiently..."
Due to the connection with Jiang Mo, Wang Hongying naturally had a more affectionate attitude towards Zhou Wang. In contrast, Gao Zhenbang appeared much more formal.
"Mr. Zhou, this should be our first meeting, but for me, it feels like I’ve been acquainted with you for a long time."
Gao Zhenbang said with a hearty laugh.
"Professor Wang, Lawyer Gao, I apologize, I’ve really been quite busy lately, just returned to Ming City yesterday..."
After the last meeting, Wang Hongying had called him quite a few times, inviting Zhou Wang to their home under the pretense of coming as a couple. Zhou Wang truly didn’t have much time, so he offered a somewhat apologetic explanation.
"We know you’re busy, even Jiang Mo said she couldn’t see you, how could the professor really blame you?"
Wang Hongying laughed, "You should talk with Jiang Mo first, we as a couple need to sort out some materials, we can talk after the trial ends."
Zhou Wang nodded, and at that moment, a hand had already reached over, gently holding his fingertips.
Zhou Wang turned around and saw Jiang Mo, who at some point had stood by his side. She had little expression, but her eyes seemed misty.
Zhou Wang didn’t know why, but he could read all the emotions in her eyes in just one glance.
Longing, apprehension, unease, anticipation...
Zhou Wang felt an inexplicable sadness and gently hugged her. After thinking for a moment, he couldn’t help himself, and ignored the fist-sized camera in the corner, lightly kissed Jiang Mo’s lips.
"It’s okay, don’t you trust Professor Wang’s ability?"
Zhou Wang said with a smile, "Besides, from what you usually share with me, there’s still a good chance of sentence reduction."
"Mm..."
Jiang Mo gently nodded, and after Zhou Wang helped her sit down, she leaned her head on his shoulder. Though her expression didn’t change much, her gaze obviously became more settled.
"I missed you."
A moment later, a voice so soft it was barely audible reached Zhou Wang’s ears.
Zhou Wang was momentarily stunned, then tightened his grip around Jiang Mo’s waist, and after a pause, responded with, "I did too..."
...
The second trial of Jiang Yunfei’s case was held privately.
Technically, Zhou Wang wasn’t even qualified to attend.
But Professor Wang gave him the status of an assistant, allowing him to go in as well.
As for why Wang Hongying was the best choice for the second trial’s defense attorney, the reason wasn’t complicated.
Aside from Wang Hongying’s own exceptional skills, her influence in the legal field had an intangible boost as well...
For instance, among the two judges in the second trial tribunal, one was once Wang Hongying’s schoolmate, and another didn’t know her openly, but their mentor was actually a roommate of hers from back then...
Moreover, in the prosecution, there may be someone who was once a student of Wang Hongying...
Gao Zhenbang whispered to Zhou Wang because the person looked quite familiar to him.
It’s not to say having these connections meant bending the law, but it certainly offered a slight advantage.
...
The trial lasted a long time, from nine in the morning until almost noon.
In this serious judicial process, Wang Hongying fully demonstrated her prowess as a criminal defense expert. On one hand, she overturned part of the evidence; on the other, she presented almost all the letters of forgiveness from the victims during the trial.
Naturally, the letters of forgiveness were backed by sufficient monetary support.
After obtaining Zhou Wang’s consent, Jiang Mo would provide compensation amounting to almost eight million to all the victims...
Jiang Mo’s Desire Consumption Gold was enough to cover it, and it was her own money, so Zhou Wang had no objections.
After the trial ended, given the clarity of the facts, with only sentencing disputes remaining, the tribunal decided to pronounce the judgment immediately.
At two in the afternoon, after a brief recess, the tribunal announced the final result:
The final verdict of Jiang Yunfei’s case was reduced from thirteen years of imprisonment in the first trial to eight years.
Upon hearing the result, Jiang Mo, who had been holding back, shuddered and buried her head in Zhou Wang’s embrace. The tears she had been holding back for who knows how long finally flowed freely.
"Sobbing..."
It was the first time Zhou Wang heard Jiang Mo cry; her past tears were always silent yet heart-wrenching. This time, she made a sound, but it was mostly relief and joy...
...
Two hours later, at four in the afternoon, Zhou Wang accompanied Jiang Mo to a detention center in Ming City.
This was the last chance to meet Jiang Yunfei before he was transferred to prison.
Through the glass window, Zhou Wang saw Jiang Yunfei for the second time that day. Unlike when they were distantly in the courtroom, this time, it was face to face.
As Zhou Wang and Jiang Mo entered the room, Jiang Yunfei, who had been waiting, almost couldn’t help but rush to the window, but under the watchful eyes of the guard, he restrained himself.
Jiang Yunfei, whose hair was completely white, didn’t look like he was in his forties or fifties. Rather, he seemed like an old man on the verge of death, but only Jiang Mo could tell that compared to the last meeting, there was clearly something more in Jiang Yunfei’s eyes...
Besides surprise and joy, the slightly emotional Jiang Yunfei was evidently quite perplexed. After all, he had already resigned to his fate; who knew the second trial would really reduce his sentence by five years...
Five years, that’s a long time, you have no idea what these five years... oh, whatever, five years is enough to change so much.
It could even be said, at certain moments, those five erased years were the hope that kept him striving to live.
"Dad, this is Zhou Wang."
Jiang Mo seemed to know what Jiang Yunfei wanted to ask. She pointed at Zhou Wang, a slow smile spreading across her face.
It was a brightness Zhou Wang had never seen before, blossoming like a secluded orchid valley from Jiang Mo, mingling with falling tears, causing both men separated by a window to lose themselves momentarily.
Before Jiang Yunfei could say anything, Jiang Mo didn’t know where she had found a small red flower and gently pinned it onto the chest of her white dress.
Zhou Wang was stunned.
No wonder he always felt the style of this white dress was unconventional. When Jiang Mo completed the floral adornment, he suddenly realized—
It turned out to be the simplest style of wedding dress.
At this moment, Jiang Mo had already taken Zhou Wang’s hand and, with a very solemn demeanor, reintroduced Zhou Wang to Jiang Yunfei:
"He is my boyfriend, also my husband, and will be... the entire meaning of my life hereafter."
"""