Chapter 20 — Return to Eighteen

Looking at his gesture, I couldn't help but laugh. Dung Diec Lam saw me smile, his eyes also curved into a bright smile: "You look very beautiful when you smile." I lowered my head to drink coffee, my ears burning slightly. Suddenly the phone vibrated. I picked it up to see, it was a message. The content was only one line, but it made my fingers freeze. "Australian Nhue Ninh, the first instance trial of Au Kien Quoc, Lam Tu Cuc, and Au Nhue Dao on charges of illegally detaining people and conspiring to replace university entrance exam results will be opened on August 15 at the People's Court of Giang Thanh District. You are requested to be present as a witness."I stared at that line, my fingertips suddenly turned cold. Dung Diec Lam noticed my unusual attitude, put down the spoon, and softly asked: "What's going on?" I turned the phone screen towards him. Dung Diec Lam glanced over, the smile on his lips gradually retracted, replaced by a calm, determined look. He reached out, gently touched my fingers on the table, then let go immediately. "I'll go with you." He said, his voice was not loud, but steady like a nail driven deep into the wood. I looked up, looked straight into his clear eyes, and suddenly felt the chaos held in my chest dissipate somewhat. "Okay." I replied. Outside the window, bright sunlight shined straight down on the space between the table. Our shadows leaned toward each other, so close that it seemed like we were about to become one. Ten days later, I stopped going to the coffee shop to work any more. I need time. To remove layer by layer of tangled emotions, then layer by layer to suppress them back to their original place. Dung Diec Lam comes almost every day. Some days he brought breakfast, other times he brought two glasses of milk tea, other days he came empty-handed, just silently sitting downstairs at his grandmother's house waiting for me. We wandered around every corner of Giang Thanh, from the riverside dike to the mountaintop park, from the ancient alleys of the old neighborhood to the bustling commercial centers of the new urban area. The days passed like that, calm and peaceful like flowing water and clouds. Dung Diec Lam told me about Vi Danh lake and Bac Nha tower on Bac Dai campus, telling stories he collected from books and word of mouth from his seniors. "I heard that autumn is coming, both sides of Vi Danh lake are filled with the yellow color of fallen leaves." He said. I walked beside him, stepping on his shadow, a small smile on my lips. August 15, Jiangcheng People's Court. I wore a clean white shirt, tied my hair in a low ponytail, and stood in front of the court gate. Grandma held my hand tightly, her fingers trembling constantly. Dung Diec Lam stood on the other side, holding a bottle of water, waiting silently. "Let's go." I took a deep breath and strode up the steps. The courtroom was not large, with only a few people in the audience. Lac Tu Hanh sat in the last row, his eyes staring at me from the moment I entered. His face was very bad, the dark circles under his eyes were dark, he looked like he had been awake for several nights in a row. I didn't even look at him and walked straight to the witness stand. The sound of hammers rang out. Uc Kien Quoc, Lam Tu Cuc, and Uc Nhue Dao were taken to the defendant's stand. All three people were wearing plain clothes and wearing handcuffs number 8. The prosecutor's representative read the indictment: crime of illegally detaining people, crime of intentionally causing injury, and crime of failing to replace university exam results. Lam Tu Cuc was also charged with bribery. Her "related" relative was prosecuted in another case. Evidence was presented one after another. Lam Tu Cuc bowed his head and was silent from beginning to end. Au Kien Quoc spoke up, but not to admit guilt, but rather

Arguing and arguing: "What law do I violate when I educate my daughter?" The judge knocked his gavel, forcing him to shut up. Uc Nhue Dao stood on the defendant's stand, from beginning to end without saying a word. Occasionally she raised her head, glanced at the audience bench, her eyes stopped at Lac Tu Hanh for a second and then immediately looked away. I sat in the witness chair, my eyes met hers for a moment. At that moment, Uc Nhue Dao's lips moved, as if she wanted to say something. But in the end she said nothing and lowered her head. The trial lasted three hours. After a break, the judge announced the sentence in court. Uc Kien Quoc was sentenced to three years in prison. Lam Tu Cuc committed many crimes and was sentenced to four years in prison. Uc Nhue Dao received a sentence of one year in prison, with the sentence postponed for one year. In addition, her university exam results were annulled, and she was banned from participating in any national educational exams for the next three years. The moment the hammer of condemnation fell, Lam Tu Cuc completely collapsed. She collapsed on the defendant's stand, crying fervently: "On what basis do you punish me for four years! On what basis!" When being taken out of court, Uc Nhue Dao cried non-stop, tears falling to the floor. The audience gradually dispersed. I stood for a moment, looking at the quiet space of the courtroom, the rock that had weighed heavily in my chest for eighteen years finally crumbled.