The prosecutor also argued that in such a situation, Xi Xianya could have sought help from bystanders or staff instead of stabbing Zhao Jianhua in a vital area.
Because she was in a public place and not restrained or gagged by the victim, she had other means of self-rescue. Killing the victim was not her only option.
Both sides presented their arguments, and by noon, neither had gained the upper hand. The judge announced a recess and that the trial would resume in the afternoon.
At noon, Susu and An Jing accompanied Yifeng, along with Xi Xianya's mother, to a restaurant outside the courthouse for lunch.
Despite a table full of dishes, Xi Xianya's mother barely ate, constantly worrying about her daughter.
Susu and Yifeng comforted her, saying that based on the morning's proceedings, Xi Xianya would surely be deemed to have acted in self-defense.
After lunch, Yifeng accompanied Xi Xianya's mother back to the courthouse, fearing that the judge might summon family members and not wanting to linger at the restaurant.
When only Susu and An Jing remained at the table, Susu felt immense pity for Xi Xianya's mother, who had already lost her husband and whose only daughter might now face imprisonment. She sighed repeatedly.
An Jing asked, "Didn't you just say Xi Xianya would definitely be acquitted? Why are you worrying now?"
Susu gave a wry smile. "That was to comfort my brother and Xi Xianya's mother. I'm not really sure how it will turn out. Listening to the prosecutor, their points seem reasonable. At the time, Xi Xianya didn't necessarily have to harm Zhao Jianhua to save herself; she could have taken other actions."
"It seems you understood," An Jing said. "I think the best outcome would be a verdict of excessive self-defense. But if the judge accepts the prosecutor's argument of subjective intent, Xi Xianya could be convicted of intentional assault."
"Does that mean she'll go to jail?" Susu recalled her own painful experience of discovering her pregnancy in prison and giving birth there, and she didn't want Xi Xianya to suffer the same fate.
An Jing nodded. "Imprisonment is likely. But have you considered that Xi Xianya's stabbing of Zhao Jianhua might have been intentional, not just for self-preservation, but also for revenge? She hated Zhao Jianhua deeply, making it a crime of passion."
Susu couldn't deny the possibility. If she and An Jing could think of such motives, the judge would surely consider them too, making it difficult for Xi Xianya to escape conviction.
"If she goes to jail, what about my brother? What about her unborn child?"
An Jing proposed a solution. "Given the situation, we might need to leverage the media and public opinion. While the judge's verdict of excessive self-defense or even intentional homicide might be legally sound, if public opinion overwhelmingly sympathizes with Xi Xianya, how do you think the judge would rule?"
"A lighter sentence," Susu replied, uncertainly.
"Exactly," An Jing said, standing up. "Let's quickly find Xi Xianya's lawyer and ask him to claim at the afternoon session that a key witness has been found, which might delay the verdict. Once public opinion starts to build tomorrow, it might help Xi Xianya."
Susu nodded repeatedly and immediately followed him to find the defense lawyer.
Following An Jing's plan, after the afternoon court session, there was indeed no immediate verdict. The judge stated that a decision would be made at a later date.
After a full day of trial, Xi Xianya felt completely drained, relying on Yifeng to help her back.
Having gone through a day of proceedings, both Yifeng and Xi Xianya's mother felt the situation was not optimistic. However, to spare Xi Xianya further distress, they appeared cheerful in the car, assuring her she would be fine.
Upon returning home, Susu immediately contacted her media friends, urging them to repost threads about the inside story of Xi Xianya's trial.
The post was written from a female perspective, detailing the unfortunate events a female university student encountered upon entering society.
Xi Xianya was described as being deceived, threatened, manipulated, and bullied by a powerful boss – essentially portraying her as a representative of a vulnerable woman.
Overnight, the post became a trending topic, generating widespread sympathy for Xi Xianya and calls for her acquittal.
Early the next morning, Susu was eating breakfast while reading the online comments, feeling optimistic. She quickly called An Jing.
"An Jing, your plan worked! Public opinion is now entirely on Xi Xianya's side. She won't have to go to jail, right?"
An Jing was not as optimistic. "We still need to do one more thing. I've arranged to meet Yifeng at noon. Do you want to come?"
"What else needs to be done?"
"We need to get a doctor's note from a psychiatrist stating that Xi Xianya suffers from depression," An Jing explained.
Susu asked, confused, "Why do we need such a certificate?"
"With public opinion on our side, the judge might rule it as excessive self-defense, but excessive self-defense still carries a prison sentence," An Jing said. "If we can also prove she has depression, and that she developed it under Zhao Jianhua's oppression, she could be considered not fully responsible for her actions. This would greatly increase our chances of her avoiding jail time."
"Okay, where are you meeting? I'll come over at noon and see if I can help," Susu said, feeling that An Jing's plan was thorough and that Xi Xianya now had a chance.
When the court reconvened a week later, Tianyi had returned from his business trip abroad.
He also attended the trial and witnessed the verdict.
The judge ultimately ruled that Xi Xianya had acted in excessive self-defense, but considering her depression and loss of capacity during episodes, she was given a lenient sentence of six months' probation, avoiding actual imprisonment.
This outcome was virtually the same as being released immediately.
Zhang Yuyun, present in the courtroom, raised no objections to this verdict.
Whether Xi Xianya was convicted or imprisoned was of little concern to her. However, as Zhao Jianhua's wife, she felt compelled to attend each hearing, merely going through the motions.
The outcome was satisfactory for all involved.
Susu happily linked arms with Tianyi as they left the courthouse.
As they walked down the steps at the entrance, they saw Xi Xianya being interviewed by reporters.
Yifeng stood by her side, but they both smiled at the media, answering questions one by one.
Susu and Tianyi got into the car, and in the back seat, Tianyi smiled and said, "Now you don't have to worry about Yifeng and the others. I heard from An Jing that you played a significant role in Xi Xianya avoiding jail."
"What I did was nothing. It was mainly An Jing's thoughtful planning; the idea was his. Yifeng and Xi Xianya should thank him profusely," Susu said, leaning into his embrace.
Tianyi put his arm around her. "You're all quite capable."
However, he harbored a private concern: with Xi Xianya's case resolved, she would likely investigate her father's affairs, potentially stirring up even greater turmoil.
Susu asked, thinking of something, "Is your group working on overseas projects? Why did you have to travel abroad yourself?"
"It's still under negotiation. I wanted to understand the other party's situation firsthand. The follow-up will be handled by senior management," Tianyi replied nonchalantly.