ending
In the solemn courtroom, the national emblem hung high, and all was silent. The judge, dressed in a black robe, announced the final verdict in a loud and solemn voice.
"According to this court's judgment: the defendant Zhang Shuo is guilty of illegal business operations and collusion between officials and businessmen. The facts are clear, the evidence is conclusive, and he is sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment with all his personal property confiscated..."
"According to this court's judgment: Defendants Wang Qiang and Liu Li are guilty of gross negligence and contract fraud. The facts are clear, the evidence is conclusive, and the sentences are combined. They are hereby sentenced to ten years imprisonment and confiscation of all their personal property..."
When the judge finished delivering the verdict, Wang Qiang trembled all over, Liu Li's legs went weak as if she was about to faint, and Zhang Shuo glared fiercely at the place where Yun Jin was behind them.
Zhang Shuo's gaze made Yun Jin a little nervous, but he was quickly subdued by law enforcement officers. Seeing this, Yun Jin's tense body slowly relaxed, and a hand with distinct knuckles quietly reached out and intertwined its fingers with hers.
She turned her head and met Shen Yi'an's calm and relieved eyes. Yun Jin pursed her lips and a light smile appeared on her lips.
Seeing this, Yun Chen curled his lip, his face clearly showing that he "couldn't bear to watch".
Next to Yun Chen was Qi Qi, who seemed completely out of place in the solemn scene. He was staring at the screen with a bored expression, muttering to himself, "Why is it so slow..."
The crow in his arms peeked out, its curious beady eyes darting around as it surveyed the hall, a place it had never been before.
As the court hearing ended, sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the high steps in front of the courthouse and onto them. The group walked down the steps with light steps.
"Hmph, I thought the laws you mentioned would punish them severely, but they didn't. They were just locked up and served a few years in prison," Qiqi said, kicking away a stone at her feet. "And all that hard work we did was for nothing."
"Come on," Yun Chen glanced at him, "Judging from your tone, anyone who didn't know better would think you're the one who handles the most cases. If anyone should say that, it should be my sister who says it."
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention to Yun Jin, but Yun Jin was talking to Shen Yi'an at the moment.
“Shen Yi’an, I thought people online would clear your name?” Yun Jin looked at her phone with disappointment. “Although it’s trending, I see a lot of people actually believe those ridiculous conspiracy theories, saying that you framed Zhang Shuo.”
Yun Jin grew angrier as she spoke, her cheeks puffing out: "How can people on the internet be like this? I thought they would apologize to you!"
Shen Yi'an glanced at the trending topics list on Yun Jin's phone. The hashtag "[Shen Yi'an Clarification]" was at the bottom, with few people participating in the discussion. The comments section was a mix of well-intentioned support and malicious speculation. Some people were apologizing, while others were taking the opportunity to spread some strange conspiracies. In short, the topic wasn't trending.
“But there are also many people who are willing to believe in me,” Shen Yi’an patted her head. “I don’t really care about these things, as long as you know what kind of person I am, that’s enough.”
"Alright, since you've said that," Yun Jin put her phone away, but secretly kept an eye on the internet.
"Alright, alright, sis, Shen Yi'an, the big star!" Yun Chen squeezed in, affectionately took Yun Jin's arm, and winked at Shen Yi'an. "The dust has settled, the bad guy has been brought to justice, shouldn't Shen Yi'an treat us to a big meal today to celebrate?"
"I agree," Qiqi and Crow said in unison.
"How about we go to one of those high-end, five-star hotels, like in the TV dramas? We've never been to one before!"
Yun Jin also looked at Shen Yi'an with starry eyes.
Looking at his expectant companions, Shen Yi'an cleared his throat, feigning seriousness, and said, "I did indeed intend to treat everyone to the best restaurant."
But then he changed the subject, smiling apologetically, "But considering that I'm still a 'popular figure' right now, I might drag you down, and your experience probably won't be very good."
"So, I prepared everything at home in advance. The ingredients are all top-notch, guaranteed to be no worse than a five-star hotel. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Jin said, "Hmm...that's more like it."
As the last rays of the setting sun slowly sank below the horizon, the lights in Shen Yi'an's villa remained bright. At the enormous round dining table, a grand feast blending Chinese and Western styles was drawing to a close.
Shen Yi'an prepared a beautifully presented Western meal for them, as well as a steaming hot pot with spicy nine-compartment filling. Since Qi Qi and Wu Ya couldn't get used to the food, Yun Jin brought them dog food as well.
In this way, everyone had a hearty meal.
After a hearty meal, everyone lazily lay on the sofa and carpet in the living room. The crow, too full to fly, instructed Yun Jin to place it on the back of the sofa.
"Sigh," Yun Chen said, sprawled out on the carpet without a care in the world, expressing his post-meal thoughts, "I watched Western food on TV and thought it would be amazing, but when I actually ate it... it was just so-so. We still have to look at our Chinese hot pot!"
After saying that, she smacked her lips and touched her slightly round belly.
"Agreed, I raise both hands and both feet in unison." Yun Jin responded immediately, raising her hands high like a primary school student, and even kicking her legs twice in the air.
Hearing this, Qiqi, who was nestled on the sofa, stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Hot pot is not good at all. It's too spicy. It feels like eating fire."
The crow cawed loudly beside them and nodded its little head vigorously in agreement.
Shen Yi'an smiled and shook his head, got up and went to the kitchen to take out a few bottles of chilled drinks, distributed them to everyone, and then naturally sat on the carpet next to Yun Jin, leaning back against the sofa.
A pleasant silence lingered in the living room for a while. Yun Jin gently touched her cheek with the cool beverage bottle, glanced at her companions, and asked softly, "So... what are everyone's plans for the future?"
The lively living room fell silent in an instant, with only the rustling of leaves and the faint chirping of insects outside the window remaining.
Qi Qi was the first to break the silence, and he said softly, "As for me, I would probably continue my cultivation and then go home."
"You're so hardworking, Qiqi." Yun Chen sat up and glanced at Qiqi.
Qi Qi shook her head helplessly: "No, it seems that my cultivation has not even reached halfway."
“Cultivation,” Yun Jin said, looking at the crystal chandelier above her head, the light swirling in her eyes. “Shen Yi’an and I have discussed it, and we plan to move to a nearby city, change our environment, and start over.”
She turned her head to look at Yun Chen beside her, "Yun Chen, what about you? Do you want to come with us?"
After waiting for a long time, there was still no response.
Yun Jin nudged her gently with her elbow, puzzled. "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you asleep?"
Yun Chen raised his head, his eyes flickering, and his lips moved, but no sound came out.
"What's wrong, Yun Chen?" Yun Jin put down her drink, turned around to face her, and said, "Do you think that just because your sister has Shen Yi'an, she'll abandon you?"
"Uh...no!" Yun Chen blushed as if his secret had been exposed, and began to twist the hem of his clothes shyly. "I...I...I plan to be with Qi Yu."
"No way, you little brat!" Yun Jin chuckled, her eyes gleaming with "I knew all along" light. "I told you two were dating before, but you stubbornly refused to admit it!"
"It's not about dating!" Yun Chen hurriedly explained, but his voice grew softer and softer. "It's because during the search for my mother, I followed Qi Yu into the mountains... I really enjoyed that kind of life, going to different places, seeing magnificent nature I'd never seen before, and more importantly, being able to do something tangible to protect that environment."
Yun Chen's eyes gradually became clear and firm. "I want to continue that journey."
Yun Jin was slightly taken aback, then smiled knowingly and reached out to ruffle her sister's hair: "I see. Why didn't you say so sooner? I was so scared just now that I thought you were thinking about some sad and tragic things."
"This is a very interesting life!" Shen Yi'an exclaimed.
Yun Chen lowered his head shyly: "I'm just... afraid you'll laugh at me."
A warm atmosphere filled the air once again.
Yun Jin's gaze finally fell on the crow: "Where are you, crow? We've all gone our separate ways. After we move away, you, a bird all alone... won't you be lonely?"
The crow flapped its wings dismissively: "It's good that you're gone. No one will disturb my sleep anymore. Someone sent me to a dangerous place."
"Hey, crow, you're ruining the mood!" Yun Jin raised her hand and threw a pillow at him.
"Caw!" The crow nearly dodged. "Is this how you treat the wounded? It's heartbreaking for the birds."
Everyone burst into laughter, filling the living room with a joyful atmosphere.
——
The summer sun slanted down, and a gentle breeze blew along the stone path. Yun Jin and Shen Yi'an stood in front of an imposing wooden door. Inside, there was a Chinese courtyard built against the mountain, with a stream of water flowing gently past a series of artificial hills.
"What do you think of this place?" Shen Yi'an turned slightly to the side, the sunlight casting a faint shadow on his angular face, and asked as he turned back.
This scene quietly overlapped with a certain dusk in my memory.
It was the same warm color scheme, but it was sunset then. She and Shen Yi'an sat on the bay window watching the sun slowly sink into the city skyline.
"Yun Jin," Shen Yi'an asked lazily, resting his head on his hand, "where would you like to live if we both left the entertainment industry?"
Yun Jin was speechless for a moment. She thought about it seriously for a while, and suddenly the travel photos of Yun Chen in the forest that he had shared flashed into her mind.
“How about living deep in the mountains and forests? Becoming a lay Buddhist, detached from worldly affairs.” Yun Jin sat up straight, pretending to have a beard, and stroked it a few times in the air.
Shen Yi'an was amused by Yun Jin's feigned maturity, and his shoulders shrugged slightly.
"What's wrong? I saw people say that in TV dramas, what are you laughing at?" Yun Jin immediately clenched her fist, pretending to hit Yi An, "Don't laugh."
"I'm sorry, please forgive me," Shen Yi'an said with a smile, reaching out and easily enveloping her rather intimidating fist in his palm, "because you are just too cute."
He suppressed his smile, but his eyes softened even more. "However, speaking of this place, I guess... you might like this villa."
Shen Yi'an took out his phone and showed Yun Jin a few photos.
Yun Jin saw a quaint Chinese-style villa built against the mountain, its serene and elegant environment making her eyes light up.
Yun Jin was immediately captivated; her eyes lit up instantly, as if filled with stars: "I love this!"
“I stumbled upon this place when I was filming nearby. At that time, I was thinking…” Shen Yi’an’s voice pulled her back to reality, his image overlapping with the figure from that twilight in her memory.
"If one day in the future I could live here with you, right here in this courtyard, doing nothing but drinking tea, chatting, and watching the seasons change, how wonderful that would be!"
"Let's go inside and take a look." Shen Yi'an pushed open the door.
Yun Jin looked around at the interior decoration of her new home, which was a warm and modern Chinese style. She strolled to the bright floor-to-ceiling windows, where the scenery in the courtyard looked like a vivid landscape painting.
“Yun Jin,” Shen Yi’an came up behind her, gently wrapped his arms around her, and met her gaze through the reflection in the glass, “Do you want a grand wedding?”
Yun Jin shook her head almost without thinking: "No, the thought of so many people watching me is terrifying."
Shen Yi'an chuckled softly. He took Yun Jin's left hand and put a diamond ring on her finger. Yun Jin looked up and saw two small, lake-blue diamonds set next to the crystal-clear main diamond, sparkling beautifully in the sunlight.
"Do you like it?" Shen Yi'an rested his chin on the top of her head and gently rubbed her hair.
Yun Jin's vision blurred, and tears welled up in her eyes. She nodded heavily: "I like it, it's very beautiful."
The sunlight cast a golden glow on their silhouettes. Shen Yi'an looked at her cat ears and said with a thought, "Yun Jin, I want to see you in your calico cat form again."
Yun Jin raised an eyebrow, her figure shrinking in the light and shadow. Before long, a calico cat with lively eyes appeared at Shen Yi'an's feet, tilting its little head and meowing.
Shen Yi'an bent down, skillfully pinched the back of Yun Jin's neck, and gently lifted her up.
Yun Jin's heterochromatic eyes met Shen Yi'an's familiar light purple eyes, and time seemed to flow backward at that moment.
"Do you remember the first time we met? I fell in love with you then." Shen Yi'an's voice was soft, and his eyes were overflowing with tenderness.
"Me too."
The next second, light and shadow shifted, and Yun Jin, using her weight and momentum, unexpectedly pushed Shen Yi'an down in mid-air, and the two of them fell together onto the soft carpet behind them.
She propped him up on the ground, her long black hair flowing like a waterfall. She saw the fleeting surprise in his eyes, then lowered her head and kissed his lips.
—The End—
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