A full minute of silence stretched across the room. Yasushi's smirk widened, his gaze flicking between the three girls as he taunted, "Well? Aren't you going to do something?" His mocking tone grated on their nerves, fueling a mix of dread and fury.
Then, an unexpected turn of events unfolded. Zihan's laughter erupted, starting as a normal chuckle before morphing into a manic, almost deranged cackle. It echoed through the room, reminiscent of the unsettling, lunatic laughter from anime characters who had lost their grip on reality.
The room fell silent, save for the disturbing sound of Zihan's laughter. Every eye was fixed on her, bewildered. Shuyin and Fanglan, her remaining friends, exchanged glances of confusion, unable to make sense of her reaction to their dire situation. Zihan laughed until her tears flowed freely and her eyes reddened with strain.
In an abrupt change, her laughter stopped. Without a word, she lunged towards Jingliu. The move was so sudden it left everyone stunned. Zihan drew out a canister of pepper spray, her hand steady as she aimed it directly at Jingliu. She released a blinding cloud of pepper spray.
A servant, concealed in the shadows, acted decisively. He shoved Jingliu aside, sending her tumbling toward Yasushi, while he absorbed the pepper spray's full force. He crashed to the floor, his cries of pain and curses rising as the burning sensation overwhelmed him.
Yasushi's eyes narrowed as he recognized Cormac, but there was no opportunity for rescue. Zihan's wild laughter erupted once more, her gaze locking onto Yasushi. She charged at him with frenzied energy. Yasushi sighed deeply, bracing himself for what was to come.
He quickly positioned Jingliu behind him, yanked off his shirt, and hurled it at Zihan. The shirt momentarily obscured her sight, catching her off guard. Seizing the moment, Yasushi closed the distance between them. He used his foot to trip her, sending her sprawling. As she fell, he intercepted her, and with a powerful shove, slammed her down to the ground. The impact expelled the breath from her lungs and sent the canister of pepper spray skidding away.
Yasushi pressed down with his full weight on Zihan's back, pinning her to the ground. The force of his foot bearing down reminded him of Daiki, who had used the same tactic on him in a vengeful act.
He pulled out his phone, preparing to call for help, but before he could dial, Yinhaie and several servants burst into the room. They quickly moved to assist Cormac and begin restoring order. The other two accomplices, still stunned and disoriented by Zihan's violent outburst, stood frozen, unable to act or even speak.
Zihan's fury erupted with a piercing scream. "I'll kill you all!" Her voice was filled with venomous rage. "You're all supposed to follow my orders like the mindless dogs you are!! You're nothing but dogs!!!" Her shouting continued as she writhed beneath Yasushi, but every attempt to escape only met with greater pressure from his foot, intensifying her discomfort.
Zihan's screams grew increasingly frantic, escalating into a full-blown tantrum. Her face was streaked with tears of rage as she struggled beneath Yasushi. This situation was unprecedented for her. She was used to getting her way, even when faced with legal troubles, always finding a way out. But now, everything was collapsing around her.
Then, in a shocking twist, Zihan lost control completely. A dark, brown stain appeared between her legs, accompanied by an unbearable stench that quickly filled the room. The foul odor made everyone nearby recoil in disgust, turning their heads away in an attempt to escape the repugnant smell.
Yasushi stared in disbelief, his voice catching in his throat as he managed to ask, "Did you just…shit yourself?"
Zihan's response was an eruption of maniacal laughter. She cackled uncontrollably at the horrified faces around her, her sanity seeming to unravel in real-time. With her escape routes blocked and her usual manipulations failing, she opted to embrace utter madness. She played the role of the insane, her laughter echoing through the room as she surrendered to her outrageous, desperate act.
Yinhaie approached Yasushi and leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "We might need to arrange a psychological assessment before she's taken to court. If she's genuinely lost her sanity, the best outcome might be a rehabilitation program. However, if we catch her lying again, the court's response will be far more severe."
Yasushi absorbed her words, nodding in acknowledgment. He glanced at Zihan, his eyes conveying a silent question. Yinhaie understood immediately and prepared to address Zihan.
"Miss Zihan," Yinhaie said, her tone sharp yet controlled, "you do realize the consequences of feigning insanity in court, don't you?" Zihan continued to ignore her, her laughter now a twisted display of madness.
Yinhaie pressed on, her voice firm. "If you are found to be pretending, there will be significant repercussions. Increased charges or penalties could be imposed, such as perjury or obstruction of justice, leading to even harsher consequences. Furthermore, your credibility would be severely compromised. This damage to your reputation would make it exceedingly difficult for any defense to argue effectively, as the court would regard you as unreliable."
Yinhaie continued, her voice steady and authoritative. "If the court finds that your insanity plea is fraudulent, and it is determined that you are mentally fit to stand trial, the court will move forward with the original charges against you. In this scenario, the jury or judge might become less lenient, which could lead to a conviction and potentially a much more severe sentence than you might expect."
She paused for a moment to let the weight of her words sink in before continuing. "Additionally, the court might order a comprehensive mental health evaluation conducted by independent experts. Should these professionals conclude that your claims of insanity are false, their findings will be reported back to the court, further damaging your case."
Yinhaie's expression remained stern as she pressed on. "Furthermore, if your defense team knowingly supports a deceitful insanity plea, they could face significant legal and professional repercussions. This might include disbarment or even criminal charges against them."
She concluded her explanation, her tone professional. "Attempting to deceive the legal system with a false insanity plea is highly risky. The consequences could be far more severe than the original charges you're facing."
Despite all the explanations and warnings, Zihan refused to cooperate. She continued to wail and scream, even going so far as to wet herself in a desperate bid to make her supposed "insanity" appear authentic. Her frantic behavior persisted, seemingly designed to convince anyone watching of her mental breakdown.
Finally, Yasushi intervened with a firm tone. "You realize you're being recorded, right? The experts reviewing the footage will easily spot the suddenness of your so-called 'breakdown' as a sign of deceit. So you might as well stop now."
His words cut through her chaotic display. Zihan halted abruptly, her eyes blazing with fury as she fixed her gaze on Yasushi. Her rage exploded into a torrent of curses and threats. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!" she screamed repeatedly, her voice echoing with venomous intent.
As Zihan was forcibly removed from the abandoned building by reluctant servants, her enraged shouts continued to reverberate through the structure's walls, filling the air with her fury.
Yasushi turned to Shuyin and Fanglan, who stood nearby, their expressions marked by unease and resignation. "What will you two do?" he asked, his gaze changing between them, seeking their response to the unfolding situation.
Shuyin was the first to crack. She let out a deep, resigned sigh and allowed her shoulders to slump forward. Her gaze drifted to the ceiling as she spoke, her voice tinged with defeat. "Does it even matter at this point? Everything has been recorded, including our confession from earlier when we spoke to Jingliu. All our past actions will be dragged into the open, and once the Yang family gets involved, they'll uncover even more. Our lives are effectively over, so I'm done fighting."
Fanglan remained silent, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Despite her silence, Yasushi could sense a simmering tension from her. Both Yueqin and Lingxi had described Fanglan as the most physically confrontational of their group, a reputation that seemed to hold true even now.
Her eyes flashed with a steely anger as she looked up at Yasushi, her gaze shifting to Yueqin and Lingxi. "They won't get away with this, will they?" she demanded, her tone laden with fury.
Before Yasushi could respond, Yueqin spoke up. "We're prepared to face the consequences for our actions, acknowledging that we're not blameless in this mess. However, we were coerced into participating in your bullying. Lingxi kept a journal documenting how she was forced into our group, and with our testimonies against our own, we're hoping for some leniency. We're asking to avoid the same harsh treatment as the three of you."
Fanglan's eyes narrowed as she took a step toward Yueqin, her expression a mix of defiance and anger. However, Jingliu swiftly intervened, placing a hand in Fanglan's path. "One more step and we'll add an assault charge to your list," Jingliu warned, her voice icy and detached once more. The coldness that had previously receded now returned with full force, a reaction to Fanglan's earlier comment about her abuse.
Yasushi observed the change in Jingliu's demeanor. The earlier warmth had vanished, replaced by the same indifferent attitude that marked her interactions. Fanglan met Jingliu's gaze, her anger overwhelming her better judgment. Despite the warning, her fury pushed her to disregard the caution and continue her advance.
As Fanglan took another step forward, the situation changed abruptly. In an instant, she found herself staring up at the ceiling, her arms restrained and Jingliu's knee pressing forcefully against her throat. Her attempts to breathe became labored as the pain and pressure intensified her sense of panic.
To those observing, it seemed Jingliu's intent had escalated from merely restraining Fanglan to potentially ending her life. The force with which Jingliu held her suggested a serious threat. Just as Fanglan's fear reached its peak, Jingliu relaxed her hold and moved her knee from Fanglan's throat to her stomach.
The change in position did little to ease Fanglan's terror. The close call with death left her thoroughly shaken, and she had no desire to provoke Jingliu further. Her fear was evident as she lay there, fully aware of the peril she had narrowly escaped.
Jingliu then looked towards Shuyin, who, sensing the danger, raised her hands defensively and shook her head, clearly unwilling to face the same fate as her friend.
+-+
Half an hour had passed since the night's events concluded. By the time everything had settled, it was well past one in the morning. The outside area, once bustling with tension, was now silent, with only Yasushi and Jingliu left along with Yunxue.
Yasushi broke the silence, his tone gentle but serious. "That was rather reckless. You could have seriously harmed Fanglan. If she decides to take action, she might seek retribution in court."
Jingliu, her gaze directed upwards to the moon, offered no response. Her expression was one of contemplation and resolve.
Yunxue added, "Yasushi is right, Lady Jingliu. Unless we alter the recordings — which I doubt we will — they will be shown in court. But we can still argue it was an act of self-defense."
Jingliu's reply was short. "...I'll accept whatever happens." She then began walking away, heading towards her home, her movements stiff as though burdened by the night's events.
Yasushi noticed the impact of Fanglan's comments on Jingliu. Turning to Yunxue, he said, "What Fanglan said clearly affected her. I'll handle this. Let's head back."
Yunxue followed as Yasushi moved to catch up with Jingliu.