Chapter 352: Hard and Soft Tactics
As the case officially got underway, the Yang Family and Bai Xinyue found themselves powerless against the ironclad evidence.
Ge Ba was still hospitalized as his fracture hadn’t fully healed, but the investigation continued to progress steadily without interruption.
Before the case officially went to trial, Ge Ba’s grandmother, the one from the Yang Family, finally went to see Wu Sheng.
Wu Sheng knew her very well. Since he had grown up playing with Ge Ba, she had always treated Wu Sheng like one of her own grandsons.
Whenever there was good food or fun to be had, she never left Wu Sheng out.
Seeing Grandma Ge again, Wu Sheng’s gaze flickered. After a moment of hesitation, he still greeted her, "Grandma Ge."
She had far more gray hair now. The moment she saw Wu Sheng, tears began to stream down her face before she could even speak.
"Wu Sheng, Little Eight is just sick. Please, just let him go. Don’t let them send him to prison, okay?"
Wu Sheng pressed his lips together and said nothing.
"I don’t know how it all happened. When I suddenly found out, my mind just went blank. I... I was only trying to cover it up before..."
When Wu Sheng didn’t answer, Grandma Ge explained her previous actions, tears streaming down her wrinkled face.
"I’d heard about this... sickness before, a few years ago... That boy was nearly beaten to death by his own father. When the story got out, his parents were so ashamed they couldn’t face anyone and just moved away."
Grandma Ge reached out and grabbed Wu Sheng’s hand. "Oh, Wu Sheng, I’ve never asked you for a single thing. This one time, I’m begging you. Please, just let Little Eight go, okay?"
"I promise, I’ll keep a close eye on him from now on. I’ll make sure he never does wrong again. I’ll even send him away, where you’ll never have to see him again."
"You... Don’t be disgusted by him. Don’t think he’s repulsive..."
Grandma Ge’s heart ached terribly.
But Wu Sheng felt even worse.
"Grandma Ge, let me be honest with you. If he had done this to me, I could forgive him. But he did it to Su Li. I can’t forgive that."
’Such a vicious intent... it was even more malicious than murder. How could I possibly forgive that?’
"I know, I know it was Little Eight’s fault. He was the one who did such a beastly thing."
Grandma Ge squeezed Wu Sheng’s hand tightly. "But Wu Sheng, you and Little Eight grew up playing together! That’s a bond of over twenty years! For the sake of all that time, can’t you just let this go?"
Wu Sheng sighed. "Grandma Ge, this is no longer about whether I want to press charges or not. I don’t have the power to decide this."
"The police are handling this impartially. No one can obstruct justice."
Grandma Ge nodded. "I know what you’re saying. And I’m not asking you to interfere with the investigation, it’s just..."
She grit her teeth. "I’ve made some inquiries. If your fiancée is willing to drop the case and negotiate a private settlement, that’s also an option."
Wu Sheng’s eyes darkened, and he fell silent.
Grandma Ge knew he wasn’t pleased, but she had to continue.
"I know this is hard for you to accept, but I can’t just sit by and do nothing. Wu Sheng, Little Eight and I will apologize to Su Li together."
"Whatever she demands, as long as it’s within my power, I will grant it."
Grandma Ge had already investigated Su Li from top to bottom. "I will undo everything I did before. As long as she agrees, I will offer my utmost sincerity."
A scornful smile touched Wu Sheng’s lips.
"Sincerity?" He exhaled. ’What sincerity? It’s nothing but throwing money at the problem.’
’The Yang Family has deep pockets. First, they threw money at the homeless man, at Yang Jiu. When they realized that didn’t work, they came to throw it at Su Li.’
’He believed Grandma Ge truly felt some remorse, but after everything they’d done, that remorse just seemed laughable.’
"Grandma Ge, I still call you ’Grandma.’ May I ask you a question in return?"
"Go on," Grandma Ge nodded immediately.
"If I beat Aunt Fengyang until she was black and blue, then threw her to a group of homeless men, and then came back to you to atone for my sins, offering you everything I own... would you forgive me?"
Aunt Fengyang, whom Wu Sheng had just mentioned, was Grandma Ge’s daughter—her only daughter, and Ge Ba’s biological aunt.
Upon hearing Wu Sheng’s question, Grandma Ge’s face instantly turned ashen.
"Wu Sheng, your Aunt Fengyang has always been so good to you! How could you use her as an example like that...?"
Wu Sheng cut her off. "And why not? Aunt Fengyang is your treasured daughter. Su Li is my fiancée—the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. Why shouldn’t they be mentioned in the same breath?"
Grandma Ge was struck speechless.
"Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire, Grandma Ge."
Wu Sheng said in a heavy tone, "I’ll pretend I never heard what you said today. Grandma Ge, you should go."
He finished speaking and stood to leave, but Grandma Ge grabbed him.
"Wu Sheng, don’t be so heartless! Yes, I was wrong to say that, and Little Eight was wrong to do what he did."
"But nothing actually happened in the end, right? She’s fine, isn’t she? No real harm was done, so you..." In her desperation, Grandma Ge blurted out what was truly on her mind.
Wu Sheng’s expression changed completely.
"Fine? You say Su Li is fine?"
Wu Sheng recalled Su Li’s condition and the doctor’s words, and he laughed, his anger boiling over.
"HAHA! Grandma Ge, you think Su Li is fine?"
’How could she say something like that so casually? He’d been wrong. Grandma Ge might have had an ounce of remorse, but it was so insignificant, so flimsy it would vanish with a single breath.’
’Because in her mind, Su Li was perfectly fine.’
"You call that being fine? Grandma Ge—do you really think that’s what ’fine’ looks like?"
As a sense of foreboding washed over Grandma Ge, Wu Sheng’s expression turned grim.
"Do you have any idea how agonizing these past days have been for me? How worried I’ve been? I’ve been worried sick that Su Li is trapped in nightmares at night, that she’ll be frightened by the slightest thing."
"Since you were looking into her condition, why didn’t you do a thorough job? Why didn’t you find out that she freezes up and her hair stands on end anytime a man comes near her? That she feels the need to shower all the time because she thinks she’s dirty...?"
"Mrs. Ge, even at your age, you are still a woman. How could you possibly say that Su Li is unharmed!"
Grandma Ge’s face went pale, and she sank limply into her seat.
"I’m sorry, Wu Sheng. I... I didn’t know it was that bad... It’s my fault."
After apologizing, Grandma Ge looked up and grabbed Wu Sheng’s hand once more.
"I know our family has wronged Su Li, but Wu Sheng, I can’t just abandon Little Eight. He’s in such a pitiful state."
"He’s my grandson, the apple of my eye! I can’t just abandon him!"
Not wanting to waste any more words, Wu Sheng pulled his hand free and started to walk away.
Seeing his resolve, Grandma Ge’s expression hardened.
"Wu Sheng, take a step back. There’s always room for compromise."
When Wu Sheng remained unmoved, a threat slipped from Grandma Ge’s lips.
"Wu Sheng, an unbending bow is easily broken. Aren’t you afraid of what will happen if you push me too far...?"
Wu Sheng spun around, his gaze as sharp as a blade slicing toward Grandma Ge and cutting her off mid-sentence.
"Little Yangqin is fifteen this year, isn’t she?"
All the color drained from Grandma Ge’s face, and she swayed, looking as if she might collapse.
Little Yangqin was Aunt Fengyang’s daughter, which made her Grandma Ge’s granddaughter. She was just at that tender age, blossoming into womanhood.