Li Si lifted her gaze solemnly, staring at Ye Duowei’s tear-stained face with a cold laugh: "Ye Duowei! You seem to have misunderstood sothing! Are you telling that her throwing acid didn’t hurt , yet sohow it’s turned out to be my fault? And you call ruthless? Why shouldn’t I be ruthless? When you all did those despicable things one after another, did you ever stop to think about being ruthless yourselves?"
"Following your logic, there are plenty of people in late-stage cancer—does that an everyone can just grab a bottle of acid to exact random revenge? And when they face punishnt, their families can always co up with excuses like this? Wouldn’t this chaos completely destroy society? Moreover, though your mother didn’t manage to hurt , she still injured one of my employees who was protecting . This isn’t sothing I can privately resolve; it depends on how the police assess the severity of the injury and its broader social impact!"
Li Si firmly believed she could not show leniency toward Tian Yaru. This matter was different from others; the nature of the cri was far too egregious.
Besides, she was sowhat aware that incidents like this typically warranted heavier penalties under criminal law.
And if she let Tian Yaru and the Tian Family off easily this ti, next ti they might escalate their actions, emboldened, perhaps using sothing even more horrifying than acid to target her.
Ye Duowei was rendered speechless by Li Si’s words: "Li Si! You—!"
She had known for so ti that Li Si had changed, but she hadn’t anticipated her to beco so sharp-tongued.
At this mont, looking at her still fair and delicate face, Ye Duowei felt an impulse to tear it into pieces.
Leng Mochen gave Li Si an approving pat on the shoulder. The little one had finally learned to harden her heart.
Li Si turned to glance at him, her bright black eyes shimring.
Yin Xian caught sight of the subtle exchange between the two, his gaze dimming. Though what Li Si said was undeniably true, Tian Yaru was still pitiable, yet detestable.
Lowering her eyes, Ye Duowei softened her tone and pleaded, "Li Si! I know you still resent us for what happened before, but that’s all in the past. Why don’t you be magnanimous and let my mother off this ti?"
"Although the police ultimately decide, since no serious harm was done, as long as you agree, we’ll double the compensation for your injured employee. Can’t this be resolved that way?"
"My mother acted out of foolishness; perhaps she only wanted to frighten you and never really intended to throw it."
Li Si sneered sarcastically: "Frighten ? You dare to say that? There were countless witnesses in that store. My driver, bodyguard, along with Yin Xian—four or five full-grown n suffered burns while grabbing that acid out of her hand. Does your ’maybe’ remotely hold water?"
Ye Duowei froze. Hearing it so plainly, it beca clear her mother had truly harbored a malicious intent to see Li Si dead.
A pang of regret hit her deeply—this must have all stemd from the words she had provocatively said to her aunt that day, overheard by her mother. That would explain why her mother had been acting so strange lately.
Mrs. Tian Sr., seeing the situation becoming irreconcilable, quickly interjected: "Li Si! No matter what, Tian Yaru is still..."
She was about to emphasize their connection but was suddenly stopped by Tian Yaruo, who tightly grabbed her arm from behind.
"Mom! Please! Don’t say another word! This is Tian Yaru’s fault entirely! What reason does Li Si have not to pursue it?"
What Tian Yaru did was shockingly malicious. If she had succeeded, Li Si would have been ruined.
Even if Leng Mochen adored and cherished Li Si deeply, could he still see past disfigurent in loving her?
From her own perspective, she wouldn’t bla him if he couldn’t.
Moreover, she feared that if the conversation continued, Li Si might say sothing even more gut-wrenching.
Mrs. Tian Sr. looked at her daughter’s distraught expression, her heart aching. Li Si had once been flesh of her flesh—how could she not grieve?
But thinking of Tian Yaru, who was likely still suffering, she couldn’t abandon hope.
"Daughter! Think about your sister’s current predicant. Wouldn’t resolving this privately be better? After all, Li Si isn’t hurt, is she?"
"Mom!" Tian Yaruo’s heart turned icy.
Was this the family she had always fought to protect?
Mrs. Tian Sr. clung to Tian Yaruo, her tears streaming as she begged Li Si: "Li Si, for old tis’ sake, can’t you show us rcy. Don’t think of Tian Yaru if you don’t want to; just know that I’m your birth mother. Can’t you pity us just this once?"
Li Si shot a cold glare at Mrs. Tian Sr. and Tian Yaruo: "Pity you? Why should I? I’ve said it before—I don’t have a mother! The blood in my veins cos from my father! I returned my mother’s blood when she donated her marrow to Yan Kesong—I gave that back fully and completely!"
"So whatever you say now doesn’t matter to . I will wait solely for the police to make their final judgnt!"
Tian Yaruo covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably. Why had things between them turned into such an irreparable ss?
Mrs. Tian Sr., overwheld by the sharp words, held her head as her half-closed eyes murmured bitterly: "What a sin! What a sin! Whose fault is all this?"
At that mont, a policeman opened the door and stuck his head out: "Keep it down! This is a police bureau!"
Mrs. Tian Sr.’s knees buckled, nearly causing her to collapse, but Tian Yaruo and Ye Duowei quickly steadied her and helped her to a nearby chair.
The two groups sat diagonally across from each other. Though the verbal sparring ceased, their eyes continued to dart toward one another.
Tian Yaruo’s mind was preoccupied with concern for Mrs. Tian Sr.’s health; afraid she couldn’t take much more. Yet she couldn’t help her eyes from straying to Li Si, constantly assessing if she remained unhard.
Lips curled into a cold smirk, Li Si’s gaze swept over the other three. She had made up her mind today—no one’s words would sway her.
She ignored Tian Yaruo’s concerned glances; so wounds and estrangents were too deep to be erased by re displays of care.
Though her heart stirred upon seeing a much older and haggard-looking Tian Yaruo, she steeled herself against feeling pity for anyone in this mont.
After all, as people often say, the pitiable often have reprehensible reasons behind their misfortune.
If she were to pity others, who would pity her?
Leng Mochen squeezed her fingers gently to catch her attention: "Why isn’t Bai Shasha out yet? Xu Er couldn’t be reached in the end?"
At the ntion of this, Li Si muttered quietly to him: "Still no connection. His phone won’t go through. What’s Xu Er up to? Is sothing wrong?"
Leng Mochen shook his head. "It shouldn’t be."
He recalled Xu Er calling him earlier, when he casually ntioned that Bai Shasha might be pregnant. Xu Er hadn’t known about the possibility and had shouted loudly in response.
Over the phone, he exclaid he would return imdiately, then swiftly hung up.
Li Si felt troubled. If not for the sudden ergence of the Tian Yaru incident, she and Bai Shasha would likely have been brainstorming solutions by now.
Just as she was thinking, Bai Shasha finally erged, with a young male police officer trailing behind her.
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