He opened his eyes wide in disbelief, his fingers trembling.
His face drained of color, and he turned his head in a panic, looking towards the doorway.
Mother Shen stammered, "What? Throwing stones at people? Are you sure you haven't got the wrong person? Our Baibai would never do such a thing."
The lawyer smiled calmly, "I've already obtained the community's surveillance footage, and the evidence is conclusive. I'm here today to ask about your stance. My employer is very adamant about filing a lawsuit, and I hope you can hire a lawyer as soon as possible so we can negotiate."
Mother Shen panicked instantly.
Her daily life revolves around mundane matters like cooking and cleaning; lawsuits and such are far removed from her life.
She turned her head helplessly to look at Shen Anbai: " Baibai, what's going on?"
Shen Anbai stood up, scratching his head in anguish. "Mom, let's hire a lawyer."
Mother Shen's face turned pale instantly.
-
After the lawyer left, the room fell into a deathly silence.
Shen Anbai asked, "Mom, how much money do you have left?"
Mother Shen: "We're out of money. All the money went to Dad's medical treatment."
Shen Anbai said irritably, "I still have the money to hire a lawyer, right? That day was an accident. If Jiang Nan hadn't provoked me, I wouldn't have done something so impulsive."
"I've inquired, Jiang Nan's injury is very minor, just a small cut on his scalp. He's really making a big fuss over it; he's probably still holding a grudge against me."
Mother Shen shook her head. " Nannan isn't that kind of person."
Her voice was as gentle as ever, but her tone was firm.
These words were like a needle, piercing Shen Anbai's already fragile self-esteem.
He choked on his breath. "What do you mean? You think Jiang Nan wouldn't do something like falsely accusing me, but that I would do something like throwing a stone at him?"
Mother Shen was pale and remained silent.
Shen Anbai: "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Didn't I hit the nail on the head? If you could, wouldn't you prefer Jiang Nan to be your son? Even now, you're still biased towards him, even though I'm your child. Why do you always side with him?"
Mother Shen: "I'm not taking his side, I just simply feel that Nannan isn't that kind of person."
Shen Anbai's chest heaved. "Right now, it's me and him who have the problem. If you think he's not that kind of person, then wouldn't I be the one who made the mistake?"
Shen Anbai's face was filled with malice. "Even if you love him a lot, he already has his own parents. Your love is worthless; he doesn't care about you at all."
Mother Shen was trembling all over. "If it's not worth mentioning, then it's not worth mentioning. Anyway, I'm the one who wronged him."
For a moment, Shen Anbai doubted his ears. "You wronged him? Are you only being fair to me?"
Mother Shen: "How have I wronged you? Although your father and I don't earn much, we provide for your food, clothing, and education, ensuring you have a decent life. How have we wronged you?"
Shen Anbai took a few deep breaths. "I don't want to talk to you about this. The most important thing right now is to find a lawyer and file a lawsuit."
Mother Shen stood still.
There was still some unfinished food on the table, and a pair of chopsticks on Mother Shen's bowl.
Shen Anbai's chopsticks had fallen to the ground.
Silence enveloped the old house.
After a moment, Mother Shen moved.
She went to the bedroom and pulled a plastic bag from under the mattress.
Shen Anbai followed and saw his Mother Shen sitting on the edge of the bed, opening a plastic bag containing a stack of cash.
At the top were neat five-yuan notes, then ten-yuan notes, twenty-yuan notes, fifty-yuan notes, and at the bottom were one-hundred-yuan notes.
Mother Shen counted the bills one by one on her fingers, while Shen Anbai.
Mother Shen didn't really trust the idea of depositing money in a bank; she preferred to keep it at home, as it gave her a sense of security.
After counting it, she reluctantly handed it to Shen Anbai: "This is the money your dad and I saved up for almost half a year, more than ten thousand yuan. Take it and hire a lawyer. I don't know anything about these things."
Shen Anbai, unusually feeling a pang of conscience, said, "I understand, thank you, Mom."
Mother Shen waved her hand. "It's good that you're alright."
-
The trial was held at the end of June, and Jiang Nan didn't even attend.
Although his injuries were minor, he could not escape the charge of intentionally injuring someone with a stone.
There's also the past incident of secretly taking photos, and the defamation case involving the real and fake young masters.
Shen Anbai ultimately received the "gift" of two years in prison.
Compared to Fu Jinchuan, he actually still has hope.
Two years is neither a long nor a short time.
He was only twenty-two years old when he was released from prison, and he still had time to enjoy life.
However, given Shen Anbai's personality, internal strife is likely to be severe.
A year ago, he was a glamorous superstar with countless fans.
His acting skills are also solid; he's one of the rising stars in the acting world.
In just one year, he will be going to prison.
His life will forever be marked with a criminal record.
-
On the last day of June, Fu Xingli's college entrance examination results were released.
Five hundred and eleven, while not a high number, represents a rapid improvement compared to the last time.
By then, Jiang Nan's hair had grown long, and he had dyed it back to pink.
Jiang Nan didn't feel anything about this hair color at first, but after so long, she's gotten used to it.
I've even come to like it.
I guess he'll get tired of it someday and change his hair color.
On the day of Fu Xingli entrance banquet, Jiang Nan met his father, who loved to travel, for the first time.
Second Uncle Fu smiled kindly and handed Jiang Nan a large red envelope when he saw him.
Jiang Nan touched the thickness of the red envelope and immediately smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Hello, Second Uncle! You look so young!"
Second Uncle Fu said, "Why are you calling me 'Uncle'? Shouldn't you call me 'Brother'?"
Jiang Nan: "???"
Fu Jingzhou then stopped in his tracks.
Fu Xingli was wearing a black suit, which made him appear slender, with fair skin and handsome features. He glanced at his father but remained silent.
Jiang Nan asked guiltily, "Second Uncle, what makes you say that?"
Second Uncle Fu said with a smile, "I saw Little Star's post on WeChat Moments."
Fu Xingli, holding a glass of orange juice, absentmindedly searched the room for his wife. Hearing this, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, "Last time you forced me to post on WeChat Moments, making me call you Dad, my own father saw it."
Jiang Nan: "..."
Jiang Nan awkwardly pulled out two Magic Fairy Castles.
He turned to look at his wife, his eyes filled with pleading.
Fu Jingzhou stepped forward and said casually, "Second Uncle, how about we go talk about that overseas project?"
Second Uncle Fu laughed heartily, "Let's go."
The two walked side by side, and Jiang Nan vaguely heard Second Uncle Fu say, "You're a pretty good husband, aren't you?"
Jiang Nan indignantly, "I am the husband."
Fu Xingli rolled her eyes. "Are you daydreaming again?"
"Get out," Jiang Nan cursed at him fiercely.