Case Dismissed (2)

All eyes were on her.

Qian Meigui kept her expression composed, but on the inside, she trembled. She passed the judge some documents about past hospital records of the plaintiff's son. "Your honour, I obtained these on the permission of the police as we acquired a warrant on behalf of our case."

Mrs. Jian stood up, her face red with anger, "That is against the law! Breaching patient confidentiality!"

Qian Meigui looked at her, unwavering, "Mrs. Jian, you sit here accusing a large corporation about such serious matters. It's against the law to keep them from the relevancy of court."

Mrs. Jian was fuming, but Qian Meigui was not amused. Instead, her face was grave.

"According to hospital records, the plaintiff's son had a small dosage, but his bloodwork shows that the allergic reaction appeared to be inflicted by a needle from another one of his medicinal dosages. I believe this may be a case of Factitious disorder imposed by another or Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy. Your honour, if you look through various medical records, Mrs. Jian's son has been sickly for years, but none of the symptoms he faces appear to be progressive. Therefore, it is safe to assume and prove that Mrs. Jian is abusing her child and wanted the opportunity to obtain compensation because the ingredients were similar."

"In other words, Mrs. Jian gave her son these dosages slowly until he got sick. Other than her inflictions, this boy should be healthy. There is also evidence that proves that she has been obtaining money by charity donations. But to sue a large corporation can allow her to obtain millions and defame us at the same time," Qian Meigui finished.

Mrs. Jian's face drained of colour, and she looked terrible. There was some relief in the boy's eyes. The woman rose to try to leave when the police arrived to take her. "It was Sun Group!" she yelled, "They made me do it!"

Qian Meigui turned and said, "Sun Group didn't force you to be a terrible mother. That was all you." Mr. Jian, the boy's father, appeared to be dumbfounded by the accusation. Not aware of what his wife had done.

Without her knowing, the crowd watched Qian Meigui with awe. Song Ren wore an appreciative smile, Zhong Liu was stunned, and Song Sheng stared at her with a complicated look of pride and admiration.

The judge spent the next few hours reviewing the case. When she returned, she dismissed the case, and Song Corporation was innocent.

Qian Meigui felt as if her shoulders dropped in relief. She turned, and Song Ren gave her a bear hug. "You did it!" she said. Qian Meigui granted her sister a genuine smile. If it weren't for Song Ren, she wouldn't have made it this far. Now, all she had to do were get her credentials.

As they all left the courthouse, Zhong Liu stopped her at the entrance. "Xiao Mei," he said with a deep magnetic tone. Qian Meigui faced him. "You did well," he began, "It surprised me." She then grinned at him widely. He blushed a bit, scratching the back of his head, preventing her from noticing.

"I've studied law, but I need to get my full credentials to practice it. Today, I just assisted Wen Zhaohui, and he let me," Qian Meigui responded.

Zhong Liu stared at her with his depthless black eyes. He had black hair and just like those days in high school; he was still handsome and thoughtful. Qian Meigui was about to bid him farewell, when he asked, "Xiao Mei, can I take you for some coffee some time? We can talk more about law, and I can provide you with some connections."

Without much thought, she said, "Mhm, I would like that." Zhong Lui pulled out his phone to exchange numbers when she heard a deep voice say, "Mei, we should be getting home."

Qian Meigui froze. She did not realize that Song Sheng was behind Zhong Liu. Politely, Zhong Liu greeted him by shaking his hand. Zhong Liu knew who he was, but was surprised by how tight Song Sheng's grip was. Could he be protective of his sister?

"Mhm, give me a moment," Qian Meigui said calmly to him. They finished exchanging numbers. And Qian Meigui left the courthouse with Song Sheng. As they walked side by side quietly, she realized something. "Oh, I was supposed to leave with Song Ren back home."

Song Sheng gave her an agitated look. "It's all right," he began tonelessly, "Ren left with Su Feng. So I will take you home."

"But I don't want to trouble you," she said.

"It's no trouble at all," he slightly gritted out.

Again, the drive home was silent. The mood between them was also quiet and tense. And Qian Meigui could not figure it out. When they arrived, she left the car abruptly, closing the door shut without uttering another word. Song Sheng waited for her to get into the house. He then opened the window of his car, lighting a cigarette, inhaling a deep drag. He was the reason why they can't move forward, yet why did his heart feel so torn when he saw her agree to go on a date with another man so nonchalantly?