Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 211 - 210: It’s Just Storytelling, Tan Yingying Joins In

Chapter 211: Chapter 210: It’s Just Storytelling, Tan Yingying Joins In

In the courtroom.

Zhu Tianying’s sobbing accusation continued.

It must be admitted, at this moment, Zhu Tianying could have walked the red carpet and even competed for the little golden man with her acting skills.

Under her tearful indictment, Ren Xinwei became a cruel, paranoid, radical, and vulgar beast who even wanted to assault her in the office on the day of the incident.

Of course, Zhu Tianying absolutely refused to comply. Compared to being the sole recipient of abuse, she longed for an equal and friendly exchange between both parties.

With one side holding back anger and the other resolutely refusing, the result was naturally...

"That day he said a lot of vulgar things and called me a wench, said I kept a young lover outside, and he knew all about it!"

"Then he... he took a knife out of the drawer and wanted to kill me; he really wanted to kill me!"

At this point, Zhu Tianying’s face showed panic and lingering fear.

In the front row of the spectator seats, Cheng Lisha saw this scene and her lips curled into a cold smile.

Good, very good!

Although the entertainment news in the past criticized you, Zhu Tianying, for having no acting skills.

But at this moment, I, Cheng Lisha, sincerely call you Zhu Tianying the strongest!

Your acting skills have reached the level of the number one woman in Dongfang Capital’s entertainment circle.

You truly deserve this title!

On the witness stand, you are already the Best Actress!

In the courtroom

Jiang Fengzhen and Hu Yaode on the defense side exchanged glances, both smiling.

Hu Yaode even made a covert gesture to Zhu Tianying, pointing his finger toward his collarbone, neck, and thigh.

Zhu Tianying immediately understood that she was supposed to play up her sorrow even more, to fuel the jury’s emotions.

"Your Honor, may I stand up to show you something?"

She immediately looked at Ni Qiuping and made the request.

"You..."

Judge Ni looked toward the prosecutor’s bench.

But neither Zhang Wei nor Tan Yingying raised any objection.

"Since the prosecution does not object, this court will not object either..."

Zhu Tianying was overjoyed; this was definitely a winning move!

She rose slowly, her movement pulling at her wounds, causing her to frown and show a trace of pain.

However, to win the lawsuit, this pain was worth it.

"My late husband, that day he inflicted indelible wounds on me. He grabbed my hair, pressed me against the desk, and then stabbed me fiercely with the knife!"

Zhu Tianying lowered her neckline to reveal a blood mark on her neck, and casually pointed to her heart and waist area.

"Here and here too, the doctor said it was only 1cm away; the blade would have pierced my heart as well as the organs in my abdomen, and then there’s the final stab..."

Zhu Tianying pointed to her thigh, near the artery on the inside of her leg.

The fourth stab was also a narrow escape; if it had been a little bit closer, the blade would have pierced her leg artery, and she would have bled to death.

Four stabs, entire four stabs, all nearly took her life.

Tears uncontrollably streamed down the corners of Zhu Tianying’s eyes.

Heaven knows how lucky she was to have survived in such a situation that day.

"Although I survived in the end, I am here to tell everyone how desperate I was at the time. Countless thoughts flashed through my mind, but most of all, I just hoped that all of this was a lie. I hoped my late husband was just acting on impulse, that he actually still loved me, but he..."

What happened next, everyone already knows.

In the end, Zhu Tianying accidentally counter-killed Ren Xinwei.

Ren Xinwei was pierced through the neck by his own weapon and died from excessive blood loss.

The irony is that at the time, he was holding the knife, and when he died, Zhu Tianying hadn’t even touched the weapon that was supposed to harm her.

The pushing between the two meant the weapon, due to inertia, cut through Ren Xinwei’s carotid artery. In fact, it turned out that he killed himself.

"Thank you, Miss Zhu, for your account. I believe everyone must understand now that it was Mr. Ren Xinwei who attempted to murder my client Miss Zhu on the night of the incident, forcing her to fight back for the safety of her own life!"

"When she was fighting back, she already had multiple wounds on her body. Ren Xinwei’s behavior was entirely aimed at killing her, at taking her life. Miss Zhu’s actions were all for the purpose of protecting herself from the threat,"

Jiang Fengzhen’s words elicited empathy from many in the jury box; they all nodded, indicating understanding.

In such circumstances, no one would quibble over whether Zhu Tianying had acted accidentally.

You’re about to die; any action can be understood.

Ever heard of imminent peril?

Even if it means killing the assailant, it’s still considered imminent peril.

"Defense attorney, do you have any further questions?"

"Your Honor, we have no further questions for Miss Zhu!"

Jiang Fengzhen nodded to Zhu Tianying and the bench before calmly walking back to the defense table.

She knew that, following Zhu Tianying’s emotionally charged testimony, the sentiment in the courtroom had completely shifted.

She was also aware that the prosecution would counterattack, but no matter the counter, she could guess their tactics.

They would undoubtedly focus on emphasizing Miss Zhu’s infidelity, using it to build their case, but this was merely a moral issue, whereas this trial concerned a murder charge.

The prosecution using an affair to bolster their case has minimal impact on a murder conviction.

Jiang Fengzhen and Hu Yaode had spent the entire previous day conducting countless mock trials with Zhu Tianying, preparing her with over a dozen sets of responses.

No matter how the prosecution questioned, she could respond smoothly.

It could be said that the advantage in this trial was definitely on our side, the defense!

"Let’s see what kind of storm the prosecution can stir up now!"

Confidence filled Jiang Fengzhen’s eyes.

In the prosecution’s area.

Zhang Wei was having his final exchange with Tan Yingying.

"Remember, let her admit to certain things first, then you unleash your trump card, cornering her with no avenue for escape, no place to hide. That’s when you’ll be persuasive!"

"Mm-hmm, I got it!"

"Go now, Xiao Tan, this is your chance to prove yourself!"

"Mm-hmm, I am doing it!"

Tan Yingying picked up the documents in her hand and took steps toward the courtroom.

The gallery, the jury box, the prosecution table, including the witness stand, countless pairs of eyes converged.

Everyone wanted to see how the prosecution would make its move in the end.

Because this round of cross-examination would determine the final outcome of the case.

If Zhu Tianying succeeded in proving her case, then the trial would also come to a close.

Tan Yingying took a deep breath, then walked to the front of the witness stand.

She faced Zhu Tianying, and both women’s expressions were composed.

"Miss Zhu, you said earlier that the deceased, Mr. Ren Xinwei cursed at you, calling you a slut?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, how could I not be sure?"

"Why did he call you a slut?"

Zhu Tianying inwardly uttered a ’just as expected.’

Why did Ren Xinwei curse at me calling me a slut? Because I had an affair. It seems the prosecution does indeed intend to harp on this matter.

Fortunately, Jiang Fengzhen had gone through it countless times with her yesterday. If the prosecution fixated on this matter, they would be playing right into their hands.

The more time you waste on the affair, the more it shows your lack of confidence.

Following Jiang Fengzhen’s instructions, even if she was at fault, Zhu Tianying strived to present herself in the light of a victim.

She sobbed, her voice filled with distress, "Because, he said I had an affair... so he called me a slut... I admit I did something deserving his disapproval, but he wanted to stab me to death, he... wu wu wu..."

As she concluded, Zhu Tianying truly broke down and cried in court.

In the jury box, more than half of the twelve jurors appeared somewhat distressed.

Even though Zhu Tianying had made a mistake, did the prosecution really need to relentlessly pursue the affair?

"The woman on their side openly admitted it; at worst, she’ll face moral condemnation. There’s really no need for the prosecution to go on!"

Yet, Tan Yingying looked at Zhu Tianying and continued to ask, "Are you sure?"

"Ah, sure about what?" The latter was slightly taken aback.

"Are you sure about what you just said, that Ren Xinwei cursed at you, calling you a ’cheap woman’, and said he wanted to kill you because he found out about your affair?"

"Of course, I’m sure!" Zhu Tianying nodded blankly.

These were the very details she had repeated countless times and emphasized over and over again; what was there to be unsure about?

What’s the deal with you, the prosecution?

You’ve been telling this story for so long, didn’t you hear a word of it?

"Are you really sure that Ren Xinwei knew about your affair and then wanted to kill you, resulting in his death by your retaliatory actions?" Tan Yingying asked again unexpectedly.

"Yes!"

"Do you swear to God that this matter is exactly as you’ve said, with nothing else to it?"

"Yes, I swear!"

"Can you promise in front of the judge and everyone in the courtroom that what you’re saying is the truth?"

"Of course, I can, what I’ve said is the truth!"

Although she was unclear why Tan Yingying was fixated on this issue, Zhu Tianying naturally affirmed it.

"Your Honor and everyone in the courtroom, I can tell you all, I, Zhu Tianying, haven’t lied. Everything I’ve said is the truth!"

Tan Yingying looked towards the court clerk, and when she saw that the latter had accurately recorded everything, she then addressed the judge, "The prosecution requests that everyone in the courtroom remember Ms. Zhu Tianying’s words!"

Hearing this request, even Ni Qiuping was somewhat speechless.

This isn’t nonsense—you’ve repeated the question so many times already, who could forget?

She believed that as long as there was no deaf person in the courtroom, it would be impossible for anyone to forget, especially since it had been stressed so many times.

Seeing everyone subconsciously nodding, Tan Yingying once again approached Zhu Tianying.

"Miss Zhu, although you’ve emphasized it once and sworn to the judge, I still have to ask you one more time. Can you take an oath in the courtroom that everything you’ve said is true, that what you’ve said is the exact truth of what happened that day?"

Zhu Tianying, growing impatient, looked at Ni Qiuping, "Your Honor, why does the prosecution have to ask me so many times? Where have I not been clear enough?"

"Prosecutor, please don’t waste everyone’s time anymore. The court understands that you want to ascertain the facts, but could you please not repeat the same questions again!"

Ni Qiuping was on the verge of saying "Are you at a loss, hence fixated on repetition?"

However, she ended up saving some face for the prosecution.

"Sorry, Your Honor, I was just trying to make sure that the defendant wouldn’t have any excuses for the evidence my side is about to present. Now it seems she is unlikely to change her testimony, right?"

Change her testimony about what?

Zhu Tianying’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, a trace of unease rising in her heart.

On the defense’s side, Jiang Fengzhen and Hu Yaode both felt a sudden jolt of apprehension.

What does the prosecution plan to do? They still have evidence to present? Hasn’t everyone already seen the evidence published by the investigative department?

If there was new evidence, how could they possibly not know?

Tan Yingying, however, didn’t care about what others were thinking and walked to the front of the witness stand.

"Defendant, I would like to ask when is your birthday?"

"Huh?"

Tan Yingying’s question perplexed Zhu Tianying.

You’ve been building up to this moment and this is the question you ask?

Similarly, the hearts that Jiang Fengzhen and Hu Yaode had just picked up were once again put at ease.

Is this the big move you’ve been holding back all this time? Just this?

Asking someone’s birthday, just this...

The whole audience, the 12 jurors, and the judges at the bench were all left speechless.

What do you mean by asking someone’s birthday?

"Prosecution, do you even know what you’re asking anymore?" Ni Qiuping could no longer hold back, deciding to give Tan Yingying a warning.

"Your Honor, I am aware of what I am asking, and I can tell you that this question is intimately related to the case!"

Ni Qiuping was speechless for a moment. What did the defendant’s date of birth have to do with the murder case?

But she still waved her hand, signaling Zhu Tianying to answer.

"My birthday is at the end of this month, which is the end of April!"

The question wasn’t difficult, and Zhu Tianying did not conceal her answer.

"May I ask if Mr. Ren celebrated your birthday for you?"

"For the first three years of our marriage, he would throw a birthday party for me each year, but after the fourth year, our relationship became tense, and he stopped organizing them for me."

"Thank you for your response."

Tan Yingying, upon hearing the answer, was very satisfied.

She then walked to the center of the courtroom and nodded to Zhang Wei at the prosecutor’s table.

"Your Honor, and everyone in the courtroom, please allow me to tell a story!"

"Go ahead," said Ni Qiuping, waving her hand. She knew the prosecution didn’t have many tactics left, so she graciously allowed it.

"Thank you, Your Honor!"

Tan Yingying opened the folder and, according to the notes made by Zhang Wei, began to narrate.

"Zhang San was a girl who came to the big city from the countryside. She was very beautiful and had a great figure. After arriving in the big city, her ambitions and desires were gradually ignited. She longed for a luxurious life. It was at this time that she met Li Si, a big boss with money and power, worth tens of billions. Coincidentally, Li Si had just divorced his former wife and was looking for a new woman to marry, and he took a fancy to Zhang San."

"Zhang San and Li Si hit it off, one had money while the other had beauty, and both got what they needed from the relationship. However, Li Si was a successful businessman. He set a prenuptial agreement with Zhang San, agreeing to pay her 10 million a year, for a total of five years, that’s 50 million, for her to be his wife for that period, fulfilling the duties expected."

"Although this clause seemed harsh, for Zhang San, it was a huge sum of money. With only five years of commitment, she would get 50 million—like a pie falling from the sky. Zhang San agreed, signed the prenuptial agreement with Li Si, and thus began to lead the luxurious life she desired. Starting from the day they got married, she lived in a mansion, drove luxury cars, used expensive cosmetics and luxury goods, travelled with bodyguards, and was addressed as Mrs. Li by people of high status in public and private. That time for Zhang San was like heaven on earth."

"Unfortunately, human desires are insatiable. After living a luxurious life, Zhang San’s desires were far from being satisfied. On the contrary, the prenuptial agreement seemed like a thorn in her heart. Her opulent life was only for five years, and what happens after the third, fourth, and finally the fifth year?"

"Once the five years were up, if Li Si lost interest in Zhang San, would he kick her to the curb? Just like he did with his former wife, could Li Si do something even more ruthless?"

"The fear of the five-year term, and the fear of losing her opulent life completely changed Zhang San. Her temper worsened, her unsatisfied desires made her irritable, capricious, moody, and even caused many conflicts with Li Si, leading to frequent arguments."

"Unfortunately, this didn’t help, and as the end of the five-year term approached, Zhang San became even more terrified of losing everything. She didn’t want to go back to a life of hardship and lose it all."

"At that point, a terrible plan formed in her mind, a cruel plan!"

As Tan Yingying said this, she suddenly looked toward the witness stand and slowly said, "Why can’t I just kill Li Si and then, as a spouse, legally inherit his fortune of several billions?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Tianying’s expression changed.

At the same time, a portion of the courtroom showed signs of shock, followed by a dawning realization.

If they were in Zhang San’s shoes, would they have such thoughts?

Having grown accustomed to the wealthy lifestyle, could they accept its sudden disappearance?

Apparently, it seemed quite unbearable...

Wait, why does this story seem so familiar?

Tan Yingying continued, "It has to be said, the idea was vicious and evil, but Zhang San felt that there was a chance to execute it. If she did it well, she could possess money that would last several lifetimes!"

"So, a bold thought took shape in Zhang San’s mind. She decided to kill Li Si and then create a scenario where Li Si had intended to kill someone and was instead killed by her in self-defense. Only this way could she evade legal punishment and, as the rightful heir, obtain Li Si’s entire fortune!"

"The plan ultimately succeeded. Li Si was dead, and Zhang San put on a pitiful act, beseeching the mercy of the jury, attempting to convince everyone that Li Si had intended to kill her, and thus he died by her retaliatory hand, while she acted in self-defense and was also a victim."

"But the truth was, Li Si died by Zhang San’s knife, and she staged the scene of being attacked after his death. The wounds on her body were all self-inflicted after Li Si’s demise."

"Likewise, Zhang San’s actions were not self-defense but premeditated murder. She had been plotting to kill Li Si for a long time!"

Tan Yingying paused, looking at the last sentence in the file and then helplessly toward the prosecutor’s table.

Did she really have to say that last line?

It felt embarrassing.

But Zhang Wei glanced at her sternly.

Tan Yingying sighed inwardly, realizing there was no escaping it.

She turned around, faced the jury, and tried to make her face take on a "mocking" expression.

"This Zhang San is just rotten to the core~"

After speaking, Tan Yingying felt utterly embarrassed.

In front of so many people, to say such a sarcastic comment in a courtroom.

It was so damn embarrassing...