"You don't mean anything." Gu Jin said with a chuckle, "Because the moment you do, you kill."
Then she turned toward the judge and said calmly,
"Now that I have given my statement, and she has accepted her crime, I hope you will give her a befitting punishment."
The judge's gavel struck once, sharp and clear.
"Order," he said firmly, silencing the low hum of whispers still drifting through the room.
Han Xiaoyu stood frozen, her mouth slightly open, but no more words came out. Her lawyer reached for her arm, trying to pull her back into her seat, but the damage had already been done.
The judge looked down at the papers in front of him, then raised his gaze to the courtroom.
"After hearing all evidence, including the recorded confession, the court will now deliberate," he announced.
"We will reconvene in one hour for the verdict."
He gave a final nod, and the court was adjourned—for now.
