Chapter 200: Madam Ying, you have committed the crime of defamation [1]

Not to mention Xi Weihuan’s name alone, West Wind Law Firm was already enough to be startling.

The policewoman knew that Ying Zijin had arranged for a lawyer to come, but she hadn’t expected it to be from West Wind Law Firm.

West Wind Law Firm could not be engaged with money alone, especially since Shanghai City was thousands of kilometers away from the capital.

The policewoman accepted the business card, very courteously, “Please have a seat.”

“No need to be courteous, the matter is quite simple, just a few words, no need to sit down,” Xi Weihuan smiled, “Miss Ying should have come by herself, but there are some people she didn’t want to meet, so she sent me instead.”

“It’s all the same,” the policewoman nodded, “As the client’s lawyer, you can negotiate.”

“Lawyer?” Zhong Manhua finally reacted, incredulous, “Who did you say you are the lawyer for?”

All this fuss for such a trivial matter, involving a lawyer?

She just wanted the police station to help call Ying Zijin back, so how had it come to involve a lawyer?

Zhong Manhua’s heart began to pound violently, suddenly getting a bad premonition.

“Madam Ying, I presume. I am Miss Zijin’s lawyer,” Xi Weihuan said as though he had just noticed Zhong Manhua, his smile faded, his expression becoming very cold, “I am here to address the crime of defamation you’ve committed against Miss Zijin.”

“Defamation?” Zhong Manhua almost laughed, “Fine, then tell me, how did I defame her? If I defamed her, would she not have come by herself?”

Xi Weihuan did not reply but took out several documents, placing them one by one on the table.

The first document was about the lost Pink Diamond.

“This Pink Diamond was an item at an auction in O Continent, eventually bought by Mr. Ying Tianlv for the high price of Eight Million, and then given to Miss Ying Yuexuan,” Xi Weihuan began, “If the crime of theft is fully established, then the thief will be sentenced to a fixed-term imprisonment of five to ten years.”

Zhong Manhua interrupted him in displeasure, “When did I say I wanted a sentence?”

All she wanted was to call Ying Zijin back home, not to really send Ying Zijin in.

Once she arrived, brought back to the Ying Family, everything else would be handled privately.

The second document concerned the crime of theft, with different amounts resulting in different punishments.

The larger the amount, the greater the crime.

“Madam Ying, you have no evidence and directly accused Miss Ying of the deed, that constitutes the crime of defamation,” Xi Weihuan pointed to the third file, speaking in a voice devoid of warmth, “According to legal provisions, under the following circumstances, detention not exceeding five days can be imposed.”

“For more serious circumstances, detention of not less than five days but not more than ten days, and a fine of 500 yuan,” he said.

He indicated a particular clause —

Fabricating facts to falsely accuse or frame others in an attempt to subject them to criminal prosecution or administrative penalties.

Zhong Manhua was both shocked and angry, she burst out laughing, “So? Do you have evidence that it wasn’t her?”

“Madam Ying, I must remind you, you are the plaintiff, it’s your responsibility to provide evidence,” Xi Weihuan stated indifferently, “If you fail to produce evidence, the crime of defamation is established.”

He turned, pointing to the confession on the table, “This is the evidence for your crime of defamation.”

The policewoman nodded, “Madam Ying, I asked you multiple times, and you said you were certain.”

“That wasn’t what I meant at all!” Zhong Manhua didn’t know any of this, she was flustered, a rush of red coming to her face, “I just wanted her to come home!”

The policewoman’s expression also turned cold, “So, you’re saying that you have no evidence.”

“I…” Zhong Manhua opened her mouth, about to say something when her cellphone started ringing.

Her awkwardness was somewhat dispersed as she answered the phone.

“Mom, where are you?” It was Ying Yuexuan on the other end, “The Pink Diamond has been found, it was the housekeeper who, afraid of damaging it, placed it outside, and it ended up falling into a crevice behind the bookshelf.”

“I told you it wasn’t sister who did it, you didn’t actually go to the police station, did you?”

Zhong Manhua went cold all over, her face turning deathly pale in an instant.

“Mom? Mom?”

Ying Yuexuan was still calling her from the phone, but Zhong Manhua couldn’t hear anything anymore, her ears buzzing.

“It seems that the item has been found,” Xi Weihuan nodded, “So it’s confirmed, Madam Ying, you have indeed committed the crime of defamation.”

Turning again to the policewoman, he said, “Given the large amount involved, a ten-day detention may not suffice.”

This plummeted the policewoman’s impression of Zhong Manhua to rock bottom.

She understood clearly that Zhong Manhua had accused her second daughter of the theft.

If the crime of theft were really established, wouldn’t that mean sending her own daughter in?

“Call Zijin for me,” Zhong Manhua finally panicked, “I really just wanted her to come home, I didn’t intend for this to happen.”

If she was actually detained and fined, where would she put her face?

How would the other noble ladies see her?

“I’m sorry, but Miss Ying doesn’t wish to see you, which is why she sent me,” Xi Weihuan said with a polite smile, “Moreover, I must remind you, Madam Ying, that Miss Ying’s residence registration has already been moved out of the Ying Family, and the adoption relationship has also been dissolved.”

“From a legal standpoint, you are not her mother.”

“From a moral standpoint, you don’t deserve to be her mother.”

Three sentences, like successive slaps, were mercilessly thrown onto Zhong Manhua’s face.

She stood there stiffly, an unprecedented sense of shame and anger surged up, threatening to drown her.

“Of course, we still have to go through the process,” Xi Weihuan said with another smile, “Madam Ying, please be prepared to engage a lawyer. We’ll see each other in court, although it won’t make any difference. And as for tonight—”

His tone was one of regret, “It looks like you’ll be spending the night here.”

**

After leaving the police station, Xi Weihuan picked up his mobile phone and made a call, “Hello, Miss Ying, everything has been taken care of.”

“It’s been hard on you,” the girl’s voice was cool and slow, “I’ll transfer the fees over in a bit.”

“You’re too polite, Miss Ying,” Xi Weihuan shook his head, “You are also my lifesaver; it’s only natural that I would take care of this for you.”

He had taken up the online defamation case because it was assigned by the law firm.

But everything that followed was done willingly.

His mother suffered from severe migraines and hadn’t found relief in several hospitals.

It was Ying Zijin who had given him a prescription that cured his mother’s illness.

“One favor deserves another,” Ying Zijin said while yawning, looking weary, “In any case, thank you.”

She hung up the call and returned her gaze to the television.

It was now eight o’clock, just the time for melodramatic dramas to air.

Wen Tinglan was writing logic problems nearby, occasionally looking up at the computer screen.

If it wasn’t concubines tearing at each other, it was the protagonist threatening to jump into the river or hang herself.

But his sister seemed to enjoy watching it.

“…”

Wen Tinglan expressionlessly glanced at the problems he needed to work on.

He felt exploited.

After writing another logic problem, Wen Tinglan looked up and said, “Sis.”

“Hmm?”

“Is it really that good?”

“It’s okay,” Ying Zijin propped her chin with her hand and pondered, “The plot is a bit bland, predictable from the beginning, just killing time.”

Wen Tinglan silently swallowed the words “I think it’s already quite melodramatic” and resigned himself to continue working on his problems.

Ying Zijin, lost in thought, watched the drama’s female lead and remembered she owned an entertainment company.

With that in mind, she picked up her phone and sent a WeChat message to her female secretary.

[Send me all the film and television scripts from the company recently.]

**

Upon learning that Zhong Manhua was at the police station and even detained, Ying Yuexuan didn’t have the chance to tell Ying Zhenting or Ying Tianlv and immediately rushed over.

Seeing her, Ying Yuexuan was baffled, “Mom, why were you detained?”

Zhong Manhua pursed her lips, her face still hot with shame and completely at a loss for words.

She had never imagined things would escalate to this extent.

With a forced smile, Zhong Manhua said, “Your sister didn’t come; she sent her lawyer instead, who claimed I committed defamation, so I must be detained. Go call your father and your elder brother.”

“Defamation?” Ying Yuexuan figured it out instantly, “Mom, how could you defame your own daughter?”

Zhong Manhua’s complexion worsened, “I didn’t mean to, I just wanted her to come home. Hanging around outside all day, what does it look like?”

She couldn’t see who Ying Zijin was associating with all day.

What if a scandal arose?

Who would clean up the mess?

Did she think cutting off ties would free her from burden?

When trouble comes knocking, it will still be the Ying Family they seek out.

“Mom, you’ve really gone too far,” Ying Yuexuan took a deep breath before speaking, “I initially disagreed with posting that Weibo, but you and dad said if we didn’t, the Ying Family’s businesses would suffer, so I posted it.”

“But did you ever think, it was my aunt who really abandoned my sister?”

“There’s no difference,” Zhong Manhua’s expression grew colder when Ying Zijin was mentioned, “Have you ever seen a daughter who would send her mother to a detention center?”

She pressed her forehead, “Your dad is too busy, better call your elder brother first.”