Feng Rou was anxious and said, "What kind of talk is that? Qining has had such a big accident, how can I, as his mother, not go and see him?"
"Without your indulgence, could he have become like this? Too much motherly love spoils the child!" Xie Zhendong already had a belly full of anger with nowhere to vent. Upon hearing Feng Rou's voice, he unleashed his fury upon her.
Feng Rou said aggrievedly, "It's all my fault for spoiling him. Doesn't your mother spoil him too? When do you ever pay attention to your son? You're still chasing after other women at your age..."
"Since you already know, I won't hide it from you. I haven't looked for other women outside all these years, which I consider to be fair to you. But Zhan Jiayi is different. You'd better not harass her, or don't blame me for not valuing our marital ties," Xie Zhendong said with extreme dissatisfaction.
Feng Rou was completely shocked. She had thought that by bringing up Zhan Jiayi, Xie Zhendong would at least feel some guilt towards her and promise never to associate with that vixen again.
She never expected him to so brazenly tell her to accept that he had another woman outside.
"Xie Zhendong! You ungrateful wretch, don't forget how you gained control of the Xie family back then. If it weren't for my father helping you..."
"Enough," Xie Zhendong said, even more displeased. "Are you going to use this to make me thank you for the rest of my life?"
"I didn't mean that," Feng Rou quickly explained. "I'm just too worried about Qining, and I momentarily forgot that you hate it most when I mention this..."
"Qining is my son too. I will do my best here, you don't need to come over," Xie Zhendong said coldly and hung up, feeling a terrible headache. Thinking he had to deal with those lawyers tomorrow, he turned off his phone.
He picked up the sleeping pills by his bedside and took two before going to sleep.
Feng Rou didn't expect him to hang up so impatiently. When she tried to call again, she found that he had turned off his phone.
She gripped her phone in anger, deciding that no matter what he said, she would go over tomorrow. She had to see her son, no matter what, and personally understand what Qining had done.
If Xie Zhendong couldn't save Qining, she could always seek help from her own family.
She thought about it. After the unpleasant conversation with Xie Zhendong, it would be better to bring Shasha along when she went abroad tomorrow.
She could just say that Shasha missed Qining and insisted on coming, which would make her meeting with Xie Zhendong less awkward.
...
Susu and Tianyi returned to their normal lives, busy with their own work during the day.
Since An Jing had not yet returned, and the Ao Xiang Group had taken on a large urban construction project, Tianyi had to deal with all aspects of it alone.
Susu's studio had recently taken on the design for a well-known brand's launch event. During the stage of confirming the design theme, she held meetings with the designers every day to discuss proposals and find inspiration.
However, she had also been keeping a close eye on Xie Qining's situation.
After Lan Yu recovered somewhat, An Jing went to New York. As a victim's family member, he submitted a petition to the court requesting severe punishment for Xie Qining.
He also released Xiaoxiao's adorable photos through the media, creating public pressure and preventing the Xie family from using their influence to exonerate Xie Qining.
After Xiaoxiao's photos and her kidnapping experience were released, they garnered widespread attention. Everyone was worried about the girl who had gone missing and had not yet been found.
Suddenly, the pressure on the team of lawyers hired by Xie Zhendong increased. Furthermore, Xie Zhendong's influential friends and acquaintances in the area no longer dared to help him with the matter, fearing they would get into trouble.
Xie Zhendong looked at the lawyers who were still repeatedly discussing the case and knew that the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable. He asked helplessly, "Gentlemen, who among you proposed the plea bargain and sentence reduction plan last time?"
The lawyer who had proposed the plan raised his hand and said, "Mr. Xie, it was me. You didn't agree at the time, so we did our best to help your son get acquitted."
"Can he still get acquitted now?" Xie Zhendong retorted.
The lawyers present remained silent. They were all experienced lawyers and knew that any further defense would be futile.
However, they were being paid to do their job. Even if they lost this case, they would still receive their due compensation, just not as much.
The lawyer hired by Zhan Jiayi stood up and said, "Mr. Xie, even if you let your son plead guilty now, it's useless. The public opinion stirred up by the victim's family is too great. It makes no difference whether he pleads guilty or not."
"Then what should we do?" Xie Zhendong asked loudly. "I've spent so much money hiring you, and you can't even come up with a feasible solution!"
The lawyer continued, "The only way is to contact the victim girl's family and have them withdraw their application to the court, reaching a reconciliation. Then, if he pleads guilty, he might receive a lighter sentence."
The other lawyers nodded in agreement.
Xie Zhendong slapped the table. The thought of having to swallow his pride and seek reconciliation with Xiao Anjing made him frown in worry.
But given the current situation, he had no choice but to talk to Xiao Anjing.
That girl was just Xiao Anjing's adopted daughter. He didn't have to confront the Xie family to the end for an adopted daughter.
"You guys continue discussing the defense plan, I'm leaving." Xie Zhendong left the conference room without looking back.
...
Xiao Anjing arrived at a high-end French restaurant as scheduled, looking at Xie Zhendong sitting opposite him.
He hadn't expected Xie Zhendong to invite him out. Upon seeing him, Xie Zhendong immediately asked him to stop deliberately stirring up public opinion, to withdraw his petition, and to name his price for reconciliation with the Xie family.
He observed that Xie Zhendong was wearing a Chinese Tang suit, his short black and white hair meticulously styled. He had heavy bags under his eyes, and the nasolabial folds on his face were noticeably deeper than before.
It seemed that Xie Zhendong was truly worried sick about his son, Xie Qining. He smiled faintly and did not reply.
He had already decided not to reconcile with the Xie family. Xie Zhendong hadn't even offered a basic apology upon seeing him, which was too disheartening.
Seeing that he remained silent, Xie Zhendong repeated impatiently, "Just name your price."
Xiao Anjing smiled and asked, "Mr. Xie, are you trying to do business with me?"
"You can think of it that way if you wish. I want to buy my son's freedom. Of course, freedom is priceless, but as long as you name your price, I will do my best to satisfy your appetite," Xie Zhendong said, picking up his wine glass and taking a sip of red wine.
Xiao Anjing's expression turned serious as he said, "I'm sorry, you've miscalculated. I will not trade my daughter for anything. I only want to seek justice for her."
"As far as I know, that child is only your adopted daughter. Your biological daughter is still well," Xie Zhendong maintained his condescending demeanor.
Xiao Anjing clenched his fist under the table, but smiled outwardly and said, "Mr. Xie, I'm very curious, why can't you let Xie Qining go to jail? Is it really out of father-son affection, or is it just for the sake of the Xie family's reputation? People like you only care about transactions and have no feelings. I'm truly sorry, but I will not reach a reconciliation with you. Xie Qining must pay the price for his mistakes, and you will also face retribution one day."
After saying that, he stood up, too annoyed to even glance at Xie Zhendong again, and turned to leave the restaurant.