It was time for the final sentencing of w.a.n.g Weimin.
Xue Guangli made sure that she and her sisters arrived early at court so that they could be on time to witness what they have been waiting for years.
w.a.n.g Weimin wore a prison jumpsuit in front of the jury, and Zi Yingtai had to speak to the court again in regards to providing evidence that he was, indeed, the true suspect.
What Zi Yingtai had to keep from the court was how he blackmailed her family for suspicious activity, but when he mentioned it to the judge, Qian Meigui had tried her best to avert the topic by stating that the trial was for his sentencing, no one else"s.
Relief washed over them, as finally, they were getting the closure they needed. Xue Guangli held her father"s hand for the results from the judge. It was hard to hear the details again.
Xue Gao squeezed her fingers, and when she looked at him, it felt surreal that he was innocent.
She should have believed him since the beginning. But the reason why he didn"t reveal more of the truth was that he was protecting Long Huojin, and for that, she was grateful to him.
"For the death of the victim, Xue Hien, I p.r.o.nounce Mr. w.a.n.g Weimin guilty," the judge began. "I sentence Mr. w.a.n.g to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for the second-degree murder of Mrs. Xue. Other charges include false accusations, blackmail, and aversion of justice."
Finally.
Xue Guangli released a breath, and after some time, the police escorted w.a.n.g Weimin who resisted, out of the court, and out of their sight for good.
It felt good to know that w.a.n.g Weimin was going to be locked up and rot for the rest of his life.
Xue Teegan stepped to her side with a wide smile on her face. She hung an arm casually around her. "Well, sister, you did it."
Xue Guangli smiled back. "You contributed, too, by believing in him, when I didn"t."
"I understand," she said. "But even if father did do it, I still would have loved him. Perhaps that is why I couldn"t let my own bias do anything to help him," she said.
Xue Guangli understood now. Whenever Xue Teegan loves someone, she loves hard, which is why she doesn"t let anyone in, unless they"re worthy of having her affection and trust.
Xue Teegan found her way to her father, who was accompanied by Yin Shou. Indeed, Yin Shou was a good man, and Xue Guangli was grateful to know that someone would be looking after her family.
Instead of going straight home, Long Huojin drove towards a different direction. After an hour pa.s.sed, they arrived at an empty beach.
"It"s cold; why are we here?" she asked.
"Let"s go for a walk," he suggested.
"All right," she said.
Xue Guangli removed her shoes to walk near the sh.o.r.eline, feeling the sand beneath her feet. She wore a black coat over a long dress, and she gazed out into the horizon of grey skies. The air tasted like salt and sea, and she caressed her belly as they walked.
"Is there a reason you brought me here?" she asked.
Long Huojin paused their walk. "It seems like you have a lot in your mind," he said.
It stunned her. How did he...?
"I know you"re happy that w.a.n.g Weimin is gone for good, from both our lives. But, now, you should be happier, and you"re not."
Xue Guangli wondered how he was able to tell.
"I...I..." She began.
"What"s wrong?" he asked, concerned.
Xue Guangli pursed her lips. "I contacted Li Delun. He offered me an opportunity to design for upcoming shows, but they are in places like New York, Milan, and Bali. I was going to reject it because I"m pregnant and I"ll be gone for weeks...months. I"m not sure."
She kept mumbling until she glanced at Long Huojin, who was smiling at her.
"Why don"t you go?" he asked her.
"I don"t want to leave everything behind," she said.
"But it"s your dream," he responded.
Xue Guangli kept silent until he stepped closer to her, reaching for her hand. "What if I come with you?" he said.
Xue Guangli looked up at him, her eyes widened. "But...I can"t ask that of you. It"s selfish. You have everything here."
"Not much," he said. "I don"t mind travelling. There could be weeks where I am here, and others where I am with you in other parts of the world, and while I"m not in China, Long Bolin can take over. I can network with foreigners. It could benefit both of us," he said.
Xue Guangli"s mouth hung open, unbelieving. "Are you sure?" she asked, wanting confirmation.
"Mhm," Long Huojin responded. "Who am I to hold you back?" he said.
What Long Huojin could gather was that she was content, not happy. She had the stores, yes, but he knew she always wanted more. And Long Huojin wouldn"t be able to live with himself if she didn"t pursue her dreams just because they had enough money to get by, that"s not how happiness worked.
"But what about the baby?" she said.
Long Huojin smiled. "We"ll figure things out as we go, so long as we"re together."
Xue Guangli felt grateful to him on the spot. She squeezed his fingers tightly, tip-toeing to peck him on the lips. Long Huojin then took over by cupping her face, deepening the kiss. Xue Guangli opened her eyes to find him staring at her with his ocean eyes.
She was breathless and winded as he lifted a leg over his waist, roaming his hands on her thighs fleetingly. Since it was cold, she s.h.i.+vered when the wind brushed her skin.
She began to heat up when she broke the kiss to say, "Let"s stop now before someone sees us."
Long Huojin let go of her leg gently and tugged her into an embrace. "I don"t want to go back, yet," he said.
Xue Guangli snuggled up against his chest while standing, "We can stay in the car."
Her words intrigued him. "And do what?" he asked.
Xue Guangli smiled mischievously. "I can reward you," she said.
At that, Long Huojin took her hand in his, and they both ran across the beach with sand flying behind them. The gulls squawked above, and the sun peered through.