Chapter 3187: Chinese Toon Lane Bitter Summer 30

Jin Xiu Mei jumped up suddenly, the chair legs scraped on the floor tiles with a sound, she stared fixedly at Zhang Jianguo, "What eighty thousand? You… you didn't say it was only thirty thousand?"

Zhang Jianguo hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to look at her.

Jin Xiu Mei's gaze swept back and forth between Zhang Jianguo and Xu Hong hiding behind him, her whole body trembling with anger, her lips quivering, fingers clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms, she lunged and grabbed Zhang Jianguo's collar, "You… you!!"

Zhang Jianguo staggered a step then steadied himself, Xu Hong shouted sharply from the side: "What are you doing hitting someone!"

Zhang Yue also stood up, her face pale as she glanced at Jin Xiu Mei then at Zhang Jianguo, her lips trembling, not knowing whom to support.

Jin Xiu Mei felt it was utterly absurd; she had thought she and her husband were on the same side at least in this matter, but now she realized she didn't even qualify to be deceived—even that thirty thousand had been discounted!

Jin Xiu Mei was still processing the eighty thousand matter, looking at Jin Chen across the tea table, that face smeared with tears and sweat churned with something she couldn't tell whether it was resentment or another emotion, her voice hoarse, on the verge of hysteria: "You knew all along… you knew everything… why didn't you tell me!"

Her voice carried the accusation of betrayal, as if she herself should have been the one kept in the dark.

Jin Chen let out a soft sigh, "Doesn't it feel awful to be deceived, Aunt?"

Jin Xiu Mei shook her head, then suddenly turned to Zhang Jianguo, lunging to tear at his clothes: "You beast! What right do you have to give fifty thousand to outsiders! What right! That's our family's money! You said it was only thirty thousand! You liar! You said you'd leave the money for Yue Yue…"

"That's fifty thousand! If… if I had known earlier…"

Zhang Jianguo was pulled by her, staggered a step, then impatiently shoved her away: "Get lost!!"

The judicial staff hurried to intervene: "Please cooperate with the investigation, no violence!"

Jin Xiu Mei glared fiercely at Xu Hong again; Xu Hong's face fell, she shrank guiltily behind Zhang Jianguo, yet she retorted unkindly: "Well… there's nothing we can do about it."

"You know Lele is the Old Zhang family's only grandson. His father died early, what's wrong with Jianguo giving a bit of money to his nephew?" The more she spoke, the more she felt justified, her voice rising: "It's all a family matter—how dare Jin Chen call the police! Insisting on taking this outside, just so you'd feel better seeing your own uncle locked up?"

Jin Chen turned away, utterly disliking this person, he tilted his head to rest in Chenshu's neck crook, eyelids slightly drooping. His brother had said he would settle today's affair.

Chenshu, unlike his usual gentle self, looked at Xu Hong, his voice low with a rare coldness: "Ms. Xu Hong, you really don't understand the law."

The judicial officer spoke up in time: "According to Article 35 of the Civil Code, a guardian may not dispose of the ward's property except to safeguard the ward's interests. Mr. Zhang Jianguo's conduct already constitutes embezzlement, a malicious misappropriation of a minor's designated support funds, involving a huge sum."

Xu Hong: "……"

Chenshu: "Jin Chen's demand is simple—just compensate him, and we can still settle out of court."

Upon hearing the two words "compensate," Zhang Jianguo immediately spat and said, "No money!"

"He's a lunatic who's ruined my father's reputation! What right does he have to come after me for money!" He was being beaten by Jin Xiu Mei, yet he shoved her away with his face, finally tearing apart his composure.

He pointed at the pale-faced Zhang Yue in the corner and roared at Jin Xiu Mei: "Who let you not bear a son! This is the Old Zhang family's seed!"

Jin Xiu Mei was shoved by him into the wall, slid down to sit on the floor, covering her face as she began to cry. Zhang Yue stood there, tears silently welling from her swollen eyelids, she didn't wipe them, just stared straight at Zhang Jianguo, at the man she had called father for eighteen years.

Chenshu didn't want to linger with him, he soothingly rubbed Jin Chen's palm, slightly turned his head, and said to the man in the suit behind him: "Attorney Su, thank you."

The man in the suit finally spoke, stepped forward, took out a folder from his briefcase, opened it, and faced Zhang Jianguo.

"Mr. Zhang Jianguo, let me introduce myself first. My surname is Su, I'm a professor hired by Didu University's Data Science Institute, and I am the retained lawyer handling this case for Mr. Jin Chen."

Zhang Jianguo's face shifted: "Lawyer… lawyer? What do you want to do?"

Attorney Su continued: "I have some evidence here."

He pulled out several sheets from the folder: "These are photocopies of the transfer slips from ten years ago when Jin Chen's uncle sent money to you. The originals are filed with the bank and can be retrieved anytime." He then pulled out another document: "This is the contract record of you using that fifty thousand to buy a house, including bank transfer records, the property purchase contract registration information, and all vouchers of the subsequent flow of funds into Ms. Xu Hong's account."

"Furthermore, Mr. Jin Chen has already filed a criminal private prosecution with the court. If Mr. Zhang Jianguo refuses to return the money, this constitutes a crime—illegally withholding fifty thousand, a huge amount; according to criminal law, the penalty is imprisonment of more than two years up to five years, plus a fine."

The prospect of jail hit him like a heavy hammer; he staggered back two steps, leaning on the doorframe to keep from falling, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

Xu Hong fell silent as well, hiding behind Zhang Jianguo, her gaze darting, afraid to look at anyone, she gripped Zhang Kai Le's hand and pulled back, terrified that the evidence would leap from the paper and bite her.

"Jail? No……" Jin Xiu Mei crawled up from the floor, swayed over to Jin Chen, reaching out to pull him: "No… can't let your uncle go to jail… what about Yue Yue? How will this family manage……"

"Mom!"

Zhang Yue rushed to her front, blocking her hand, she pointed at Zhang Jianguo, voice choking: "He's cheated! He's taken your brother's money to raise someone else's child, and you still don't see it! Don't pressure your brother anymore! Our family already owes him plenty!"

Jin Xiu Mei's lips trembled violently, tears streaming down in strands.

The whole house was in an uproar.

Jin Chen looked at everything before him; he had taken a tranquilizer and was still in that emotionally detached calm state, as if watching a play unrelated to him. Those sounds reached his ears, the medication filtering out the emotional undertone, leaving only dry clamor. Yet his fingertips still twitched.

Chenshu turned his head, looked at Jin Chen, and whispered softly: "Xiao Chen?"

Jin Chen leaned on Chenshu's shoulder, closed his eyes briefly then opened them, his gaze slowly sliding over the swaying figures and finally coming to rest on the glass door of the balcony. Outside was the bright afternoon sunlight; after a while he murmured softly: "Brother, I'm so sleepy."

"Let's just follow the legal procedure; I don't want to get involved anymore."

Chenshu looked at him and replied, "Okay."

He turned to the judicial officer and Attorney Su, nodded in acknowledgment: "Thank you for the trouble."

Attorney Su gathered up the documents, spoke a few low words with the judicial officer, confirming the handover of the subsequent evidence chain.

The judicial officer recorded Zhang Jianguo's identity and contact information, informing him: "Mr. Zhang Jianguo, at the outset of case proceedings we will directly deliver a copy of the indictment and the summons. Please go to court to respond upon receiving lawful notice."

"If you appear without just cause, the court may, under certain conditions, take compulsory measures to summon you."

Zhang Jianguo slumped in the chair, unable to utter a word.

Chenshu took Jin Chen and left; Xu Hong saw the police had gone, still wanting to pull at Jin Chen, but the gloomy look he gave her over his shoulder froze her in place.

They returned to the house next door.

In the living room the light was soft, curtains half-drawn, the westering sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains and streamed in.

The sculpture still stood in the corner, its white plaster surface showing especially soft in the light and shadow.

Jin Chen stood before the sculpture, quietly regarding it; a plastic film half-covered its outline, like a thin veil, shrouding the serene, expressionless face beneath in a hazy glow.

That sculpture, resembling him in form but not in spirit, glowed with a soft matte sheen in the sunset light, standing quietly here, brows and eyes tranquil, expression holy, as if never troubled by worldly worries.

Chenshu stood behind him, watching Jin Chen's state, suddenly feeling a bit anxious.

He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Jin Chen's neck, pulled him close, their lips meeting, his tongue pressing against Jin Chen's teeth and pushing in, almost urgently.

Jin Chen's medicated indifference was something Chenshu hated to see—how could his Xiao Chen look at him with such eyes? Jin Chen was his muse, but he wanted a living, breathing lover, not a cold, holy statue.

Chenshu bit Jin Chen's lower lip just enough to bring him back to awareness, then lifted a hand to caress his cheek, thumb lightly brushing his cheekbone: "Xiao Chen."

He called out, at that close distance their lips nearly still touching, noses almost brushing.

Jin Chen's long lashes fluttered slightly, he lifted his gaze to Chenshu, his eyes faintly darkening. The emotions suppressed by the medication, under Chenshu's warmth, gradually revived, bit by bit.

He deepened the kiss, as if wanting to brand Chenshu's soul with a mark, inch by inch, leaving him no chance to escape; his fingers slipped into Chenshu's hair, gripping the back of his head, pressing him toward himself.

Jin Chen's eyes welled with tears, his dark pupils filling with a hint of mist.

"Brother," he said, his voice hoarse, "I really have only you left."

Only then did Chenshu feel that satisfying sense of being needed, making his scalp tingle to the point of near suffocation.

He embraced Jin Chen's back, head tilted back, breathing shakily, his lips brushing Jin Chen's ear, "Xiao Chen..."

Chenshu kissed Jin Chen's earlobe, his voice low, "I'll give you a new home, a home just for the two of us."