Chapter 4 — Lac Lac's Sunny Day

The little girl adapted to her new environment with surprising speed, seemingly even happier than before. Gone was the suffocating atmosphere, her innate childhood playfulness finally set free. My own life had grown more peaceful than ever. Yet beneath that surface tranquility, dark undercurrents churned relentlessly. Exactly one week before the court hearing, I received an unexpected phone call. It was from my sister-in-law, Chu Hang's younger sister and Dao Dao's mother, Chu Ly. Her voice sounded utterly exhausted, laced with an unmistakable note of pleading.

Sister-in-law, no, Su Qing. Can we meet just this once?

I have nothing to say to you.

I flatly refused.

I know you hate us, hate my mother, hate my brother.

She rushed to speak.

But this matter has now dragged Dao Dao into it. Consider it a plea from me, can we meet just this once?

She had mentioned Dao Dao. I fell silent for a few seconds before finally agreeing.

In half an hour, at the cafe downstairs.

Unwilling to let them know my residential address, I chose a place several blocks away. When I arrived, Chu Ly was already there. She looked considerably more haggard, dark shadows bruising the skin beneath her eyes. The woman who had always worn an air of superiority whenever she stood before me now resembled a defeated rooster.

Speak. What is it?

I sat down and got straight to the point. She stirred the coffee in front of her, not daring to meet my gaze.

I... I came to apologize to you on behalf of my mother.

No need for apologies. Save it for the courtroom.

Su Qing!

She jerked her head up, her eyes shot with red.

Must you be so utterly ruthless? You sued my mother for defamation, and now our entire family is in complete chaos! Relatives call us every single day to curse us out, saying our family married a lunatic wife who is now dragging them into a lawsuit as well!

This isn't something I did. It is something she brought upon herself.

I corrected her.

When she spread those malicious rumors in a chat group with over a hundred people, she should have anticipated this exact day.

But she is my mother! She is elderly!

No matter how advanced her age, she must still bear responsibility for her words and actions. In the adult world, there is no such thing as immunity.

Realizing she could not persuade me, Chu Ly drew a deep breath and abruptly changed the subject.

Fine, let's set my mother's matter aside for a moment. My brother... my brother is being driven to the brink of insanity by you. He has even lost his job.

I raised an eyebrow. This genuinely qualified as news.

He was fired by his company. Because the lawyer you hired sent a formal legal letter directly to the corporate legal department, stating that he was suspected of transferring marital assets during the marriage and had engaged in domestic violence. His company places the utmost importance on employee reputation, so they strongly advised him to resign.

Chu Ly's voice carried a bitter resentment. Yet my heart remained completely unruffled. This had been Attorney Wang's suggestion. Although Chu Hang's primary salary card was in my possession, I suspected he might harbor other hidden streams of income. A legal letter delivered straight to his employer was enough to serve as a stern warning while simultaneously compelling the company to provide the most accurate and objective income certificate possible. This was purely litigation strategy; she had no right to blame me.

And so?

I asked.

So can you show mercy and withdraw the lawsuit?

Finally, Chu Ly voiced her true purpose.

Our family will compensate you financially! The piano, we will pay for it! Name your price!

It is too late.

I replied.

Initially, I only wanted an apology, but you all refused to give it. Now, the only thing I want is justice.

Just what will it take for you to stop!

She was on the verge of a complete breakdown. I looked straight into her eyes and pronounced each word with deliberate clarity.

I want a divorce. I want full custody of Le Le. I want Chu Hang to leave with absolutely nothing. I want Zhang Shui Lian to issue a public apology to me and my late father within that family chat group of over a hundred people. Not a single condition can be omitted.

Chu Ly's face turned completely bloodless. She knew there was no room left for negotiation. Rising to her feet, she glared down at me, malice flashing anew in her eyes.

Su Qing, do not celebrate too early! Do you truly believe victory is guaranteed? Let me tell you, my brother holds your fatal weakness in his hands!

With that, she spun around and stormed off. The sharp clicking of her high heels against the floor sounded like a formal declaration of war. I remained seated, calmly lifting my coffee cup to take a sip. A weakness? I was more than eager to see what pathetic tricks they had left to play.

08

On the morning of the trial, the weather was overcast and bleak. I encountered Chu Hang and Zhang Shui Lian right outside the courthouse doors. Having not seen them for days, Chu Hang looked as though he had aged ten years overnight, his face shrouded in a messy beard, his gaze dark and hollow. Zhang Shui Lian wore the defensive posture of someone about to confront a mortal enemy, her hands gripping her son's arm with bruising force. Beside them stood an unfamiliar defense attorney. Upon seeing me, Chu Hang's eyes flared with the venom of a striking viper. Inside the courtroom, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Attorney Wang calmly presented the case and submitted the evidence. The video recordings of vicious verbal abuse, screenshots of defamatory remarks, Chu Hang's deceptive text messages, along with the income certificates and termination notices provided by his company...