Chapter 1.28

Mu Ningmian and Mu Ninghua stared into each other's eyes. Mu Ningmian's gaze bored into Mu Ninghua, but Mu Ninghua's gaze seemed repressed. She was holding back all of her feelings as she peered at the other.

Her slightly agape mouth told of her currently shocked state while she deliberated on what to do. For a girl who always had an answer, she had no response to this situation. It was unexpected yet warranted.

Her sister had every right to stand up there and testify against her. It was just… heart wrenching to know that her sister felt the need to do this. That she considered Mu Ninghua so evil that she was willing to give a witness report against her when the other had never committed any crimes against her.

But she had every right.

After coming to this realization, Mu Ninghua finally mustered up the courage to make a choice. She could have jumped out of her seat in rage, or demanded answers, infuriated, but she simply closed her mouth, weary acceptance on her face.

Just like glass, Mu Ningmian's heart cracked. The sight of Mu Ninghua's eyes almost broke her resolve. Almost.

A pang of guilt resonated within her heart for letting herself be swayed so easily. She had only just told herself that she would go against her sister, and yet here she was, almost jumping down to embrace her sister.

But it was only because her resolve had just been built up, she told herself. Only because it hadn't fully formed yet.

She took a deep breath, not letting her eyes stray to her father as she put the brick wall back into place, knowing that the accusation in his eyes would only serve to dampen her resolve further. Calmly, she recited her testimony, trying to keep any fluctuations, any sign of emotion, out of her tone.

The questioning period felt like it took centuries; having to face her father was her nightmare, but she got through it. She heaved a sigh of relief when the judge called for a break. Everybody could leave their seats, mingle with each other, discuss and relax.

She really needed a break. She hurried out of the courtroom, heading straight to the restrooms to have some time alone. Maybe then she would be able to comprehend what she had just done for the past thirty minutes.

After a few minutes had passed, she found the courage to go back out.

As she stepped out of the restroom, she instantly spotted Mu Chang waiting for her. Frightened, she swung the door closed in front of her, so she wouldn't have to see her father. A few blinks and a slide down the door later, she was ready to face him.

Hesitantly, she pushed open the door once more, this time walking out confidently. Her father was staring at her, and she made her way to him with hidden nervousness.

"Mianmian," her father called out.

Mu Ningmian only nodded in response, not trusting herself to speak coherent thoughts. She tried stepping past him, but he blocked her, apparently having more to say.

"You were helping them put Xiao Hua in jail."

Guilt surged over her once again. She bit her lip, keeping silent.

"Xiao Hua is your sister! And you were helping them put her in jail." Mu Chang wasn't able to bear Mu Ningmian's silence anymore. He raised his voice, wanting to elicit some response from his daughter, anything to tell him why she would do this.

Mu Ningmian's fists clenched and unclenched, in similar fashion to Mu Chang's. She nodded, swallowing.

"That's all? Why would you condemn your own sister to such a terrible fate? What did she ever do to you to deserve this?" Mu Chang pleaded for an answer, his eyes searching Mu Ningmian's desperately.

The previously guilty and quiet eyes turned steely when Mu Ningmian heard Mu Chang. The conversation had turned from an inquiry for a reason to a challenge of her morals, and she had already asserted to herself that she wouldn't stand for that.

"Father, it's not what she did to me, it's what she did to everybody else. You, of all people, should understand that. You fought against your uncle because you believed that he deserved his sentence, okay, so you have no right to scold me about this."

Mu Chang seeed to be at a loss. Mu Ningmian was actually fighting back. His hands clasped together behind his back as he tried to justify his actions, both to Mu Ningmian and himself.

"But she's my daughter. I have to protect her." Mu Chang knew it wasn't a very convincing argument, but he forged onward. "And your sister! How could you do something like this? Family is supposed to be the most supportive and closest to a person, yet you go off and commit such a horrible act!"

Mu Ningmian was taken aback. She tried to find an argument to counter this, but how would she be able to make Mu Chang completely change his values? She had to make him see that family was not as important as doing what was right.

Fortunately, she was not required to do so. From the hallway, she heard somebody interrupt their conversation. "Excuse me."

It was Ling Xia. He had a slightly awkward expression due to intruding on a conversation he wasn't meant to be listening in on, but he felt the need to say something.

Mu Chang turned around, irritated. "Yes?"

A smile formed on Ling Xia's face. "Um, you do know that she didn't commit any such horrible act, right?"

An element of confusion was added to Mu Chang's irritation. "What are you talking about? She just testified against her sister!"

"Well, yes, that's what she did, but it was in no way horrible at all." As Ling Xia spoke, he moved closer to Mu Ninghua, standing next to her as if an ally.

Mu Chang raised his eyebrows, staring deep into Ling Xia's eyes. Finally, he sighed, realizing that Ling Xia actually meant what he said. Trying to defend himself, he asked "How so?"

"Horrible is just another word for bad, and there's really no such thing as good and bad in this world. She made a choice. That's all it was, and that's all it will ever be. Please don't classify her choices into arbitrary categories such as good and bad." With a polite smile, Ling Xia finished his short speech.

He left no gap for Mu Chang to answer him, gently placing a hand on Mu Ningmian's shoulder and guiding her away.

Mu Chang was left standing with swallowed words. But after he thought about it, he found that Ling Xia was indeed correct. Right and wrong were imaginary sides that humanity created for themselves. Why else would people have differing morals?

Still, he felt that his eldest daughter deserved his youngest daughter's help. But it seemed that Mu Ningmian had grown up now, enough to make her own choices and go down her own path.

Mu Chang sighed, squeezing his eyes tight, his pain hidden behind. Once again, he found himself at a crossroads. He knew he would be fighting with Mu Ninghua, but should he fight for or against her?

It only took him a second of contemplation for him to quickly realize that he could never choose the second option when it came to his daughter. He would fight for his daughter till the very end, even if her fate was doomed to be a horror.