In criminal cases, the criminal aspect is prosecuted by the procuratorate on behalf of the victim, so the victim does not need to hire a separate criminal defense lawyer. Ye Nianwen, serving as the attorney for the incidental civil action, sat beside the public prosecutor. Beyond seeking economic compensation for Ye Sibei in the civil claim, his more crucial role was to understand the entire trial process of the case.
As a case involving sexual assault, which carries high privacy concerns, the trial was generally not open to the public. Moreover, Ye Sibei’s status as a witness outweighed her role as a victim, preventing her from participating in the entire trial. If she didn’t attend, her family might never know what truly transpired in court.
Ye Nianwen listened as the presiding judge declared the trial open. The judge then verified the identities of the parties involved and their legal representatives, announced the composition of the collegial panel and the court clerk, informed the parties of their litigation rights and obligations, and confirmed there were no recusals before proceeding to the court investigation phase.
The court investigation began with the public prosecutor presenting the claims, describing the case details, and providing evidence.
The female public prosecutor seated at the head stood up and calmly outlined the case: "On April 8, 2018..."
As the trial progressed inside the courtroom, the families of both parties stood on opposite sides outside, awaiting the final outcome.
Zhang Yong noticed Qin Nan leaning against the wall and nudged him with an elbow, glancing outside. "Want to go for a smoke?"
"Yeah."
Qin Nan straightened up, and the two walked out of the courtroom, strolling to a corner of the corridor. Zhang Yong handed Qin Nan a cigarette and lit it for him with a lighter, offering reassurance: "Don’t be so tense. What’s meant to be will come, and what’s unavoidable can’t be escaped."
Qin Nan leaned against the white marble railing, smoking as he gazed at the overcast sky. With no one else around, he finally turned to ask, "What are her chances of winning?"
"I’m not the judge."
Zhang Yong chuckled, lighting his own cigarette. After a moment’s thought, he answered, "Generally, when we transfer a case to the procuratorate, if they find insufficient evidence, they’ll either return it for further investigation or simply refuse to file charges. If they review it and believe the defendant is indeed guilty, they’ll submit it to the court. If the court rules against them, they might even have to compensate the defendant." He glanced at Qin Nan. "Who wants to take on a losing deal?"
"So we’ll win?"
"All I can say," Zhang Yong looked at Qin Nan’s restrained hopeful expression before flicking his cigarette ash, "is that every one of us has done our utmost to seek the truth. So I hope you—"
He paused, then raised his head. "No matter what difficulties you face, you’ll persevere."
"But sometimes," Qin Nan lowered his head, "perseverance is far harder than I imagined."
The two lingered in the corridor, smoking. Inside the courtroom, after the public prosecutor finished the victim’s statement on their behalf, the defense lawyer presented Fan Jiancheng’s claims, followed by Fan Jiancheng’s own statement as the defendant.
Fan Jiancheng was brought to the witness stand, enclosed in a cage-like box, where he stood wearily.
He appeared noticeably thinner, his usually amiable features now edged with sharpness."On April 8th, I received a call from Zheng Qiang, the deputy general manager of Wanfu Real Estate, saying he was willing to discuss a potential collaboration with us. Since he enjoys lively gatherings, I invited some employees who were still working overtime to join us for dinner, including Tao Jie, Chen Xiaoyang, Zhao Chuchu, and Ye Sibei. During the meal, Ye Sibei offended Zheng Qiang and was forced to drink heavily. She insisted that I take her home afterward, so when the dinner ended, I escorted Zhao Chuchu and Ye Sibei back. Along the way, Ye Sibei kept talking, expressing her gratitude to me."
Fan Jiancheng seemed to have recounted this many times, speaking fluently: "Zhao Chuchu lived closer, so I dropped her off first, then took Ye Sibei home. But as we neared her place, she suddenly told me she wanted to go to the reed field. When I asked why, she said her husband was waiting for her there and she had to go."
"I followed her request and drove her to the reed field. The whole way, she complained about her husband, saying he was poor and their marriage was failing. When we arrived, she asked me to stop, saying she felt unwell. Worried, I went to check on her in the back seat. As soon as I got close, she hugged me and said she liked me and didn’t want to stay with her husband anymore."
Fan Jiancheng lowered his head as he spoke, as if ashamed.
Ye Nianwen clenched the pen in his hand, struggling to control his emotions.
"She kissed me while saying these things. I told her to stop, that I had a wife and children, but she said she didn’t care. She was grateful for how I’d always looked out for her, that no one had ever treated her so well. Then she handed me a condom and said I could do whatever I wanted. In a moment of weakness, I gave in. I laid her on the back seat, undid her clothes, and in my excitement, I took photos with my phone..."
"At first, we did it normally, but later I blindfolded her with her scarf... I recorded the audio on my phone, thinking I’d revisit it later. Afterward, I thought of my family and panicked. I told her this was a one-time thing, never again. But she refused. She demanded 100,000 yuan, threatening to expose everything if I didn’t pay."
"Her words angered me. I felt deceived and didn’t believe she’d actually tell anyone, so I left her in the reed field. Afterward, she called me, threatening to accuse me of rape if I didn’t pay. I refused, and then she actually went to the police. The next day, she called again, saying she’d filed a report but there was still room for negotiation. She gave me time to reconsider."
Fan Jiancheng began to cry: "Let her sue me then. I won’t be intimidated. I didn’t break the law, and I don’t believe the courts will wrongfully convict me."
As Fan Jiancheng finished recounting the events through tears, Ye Nianwen stared at him with barely contained fury.
"Your Honor, I request permission to question the suspect."
A prosecutor stood up, and Fan Jiancheng tensed visibly. The prosecutor fixed him with a stare: "The police identified you early in their investigation. Why did your initial statement omit any mention of sexual relations with Ye Sibei, instead claiming you took her straight home? It wasn’t until forensic evidence—semen stains on her clothes and skin cells under her nails—matched your DNA that you changed your story to say she seduced you?""Because such matters are inherently disgraceful, it's best not to mention them if possible," Fan Jiancheng replied naturally, his face showing shame. "After all, I'm a married man. Not resisting temptation was my fault."
"After the case was transferred to the prosecutor's office, your wife Zhao Shuhui submitted an audio recording and several intimate photos as evidence. This evidence clearly works more in your favor. Why didn't you submit it initially?"
"I... I didn't want people to see these things," Fan Jiancheng lowered his head. "Everyone has a sense of shame. Unless absolutely necessary, I didn't want to show such things to others."
"Even if it meant going to prison?"
"I believe," Fan Jiancheng looked up at the prosecutor, "that our judicial system is capable of uncovering the truth."
The prosecutor stared at him intently. Fan Jiancheng remained calm. After a moment, the prosecutor turned to the documents on the table: "You claim Ye Sibei actively seduced you and repeatedly threatened you. Since you had already been threatened once, why didn't you record subsequent interactions or preserve evidence?"
"When such things happen, I thought... as a man... I didn't expect she would actually report it to the police, nor did I consider suing or having her arrested."
The prosecutor nodded and turned to the judge: "Your Honor, I have no further questions."
The prosecutor interrupted him, nodded to the judge, and sat down.
After Fan Jiancheng finished his statement, it was time for witness testimony.
The judge reviewed the records and called the first witness: "Witness Zhang Cui, please take the stand."
Hearing Zhang Cui's name, Ye Nianwen frowned. Shortly after, a woman around fifty years old emerged from the side room, wearing a white shirt and looking nervous.
After standing where Fan Jiancheng had been, she haltingly introduced herself: "My name is Zhang Cui, 49 years old, originally from Nancheng. I'm a cleaner at Fuqiang Real Estate."
Zhang Cui repeated her testimony, which was very simple: "That morning, Ye Sibei arrived very early and seemed troubled. I accidentally knocked over her bag and went to help pick up her things. She tried to stop me, but I didn't understand why. When I crouched down to help, I saw that her bag contained... well..."
Zhang Cui paused, as if remembering she was in court, and spoke with some distaste: "It contained condoms. I quickly left."
Hearing the word "condoms," Ye Nianwen's heart skipped a beat. Then he saw Meng Xin stand up and request to cross-examine the witness.
"What did the condom you saw look like?"
He began his questioning. Zhang Cui seemed embarrassed but answered: "It was... purple."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Zhang Cui nodded. "The color was quite distinctive."
"Was it this one?"
Meng Xin produced a photo of a purple condom with silver patterns. Zhang Cui examined it briefly and nodded: "Yes."
Meng Xin showed the photo to everyone in the courtroom, ensuring all had seen it, then produced another photo.
This second photo was taken at the crime scene in the reed field, showing the ground mixed with stones and a torn condom wrapper. Though torn, it was clearly the same as the one in the previous photo: "Please look again. Is this it?"
Zhang Cui carefully examined it once more and nodded: "Yes, that's the one.""I have no further questions."
Meng Xin smiled and returned to his seat.
Both Ye Nianwen and the prosecutor looked displeased. Ye Nianwen immediately understood Meng Xin's intention—he was trying to prove that the condom used by Fan Jiancheng that day had been provided by Ye Sibei, which aligned perfectly with Fan Jiancheng's testimony.
After Zhang Cui left, the presiding judge summoned Chen Xiaoyang to the stand.
"Sister Ye was always the quiet type at the company, very kind to everyone and quite conservative. I used to have a good impression of her."
"Her husband used to pick her up from work every day, but suddenly stopped recently. I heard from Sister Tao that it was because she lent money to her younger brother to buy a house, which made her husband furious. He wanted to divorce her."
"On April 8th, General Fan suddenly asked all of us present to join a drinking session. During it, Ye Sibei didn't finish her toast, which upset General Zheng. He punished her by making her drink six glasses. She drank too quickly and went to vomit afterward. When she returned, she rested for a while before saying a few words. Later, everyone tried to shield her from drinking, but when they couldn't, she had to drink two more glasses. She seemed in high spirits, so General Fan, worried she might overdrink, asked Zhao Chuchu to take her to rest. She then insisted that General Fan personally escort her and Zhao Chuchu home. After the dinner ended, Zhao Chuchu walked out with her. I asked if she needed me to take her home, but she declined, saying General Fan would handle it. So I ended up taking Sister Tao and two other female colleagues back by taxi."
"Your Honor, I have a question," Meng Xin stood up. Everyone turned to him, and the judge nodded in approval. Meng Xin looked at Chen Xiaoyang: "So, how many glasses did Ye Sibei drink that day in total?"
"About..." Chen Xiaoyang thought for a moment, "maybe ten or so."
"Has Ye Sibei attended company drinking sessions before?"
"Yes," Chen Xiaoyang nodded, "annual parties, dinners—she's been to them all."
"Do you know her drinking capacity?"
"She’s always been cautious with alcohol. I’ve never seen her drunk, so I don’t know her exact limit."
"How much did she usually drink at past annual parties?"
"The most I’ve seen her drink was probably Moutai at 53% alcohol—those small 10ml glasses. She might’ve had around a dozen or so."
"How many exactly?"
"About 15 to 17?"
"After drinking that much, could she still speak fluently, express her thoughts clearly, and remain conscious?"
"Absolutely," Chen Xiaoyang affirmed. "Sister Ye would never let herself get to the point of being incoherent. She’s someone with strong self-protection instincts."
"When she specifically asked the suspect to escort her, did you hear it yourself, or was it relayed by someone else?"
"I heard it myself."
"So, that day, apart from the suspect, there were others available to take her home, correct?"
"Yes," Chen Xiaoyang nodded. "I could’ve taken her, but she refused."
"Alright," Meng Xin nodded. "Thank you."
After Meng Xin finished questioning, the prosecutor stood up to ask: "When Zheng Qiang pressured Ye Sibei to drink that day, did the suspect try to stop it or go along with it?""Initially, General Fan wanted to help," Chen Xiaoyang recalled the situation with a hint of helplessness. "Everyone wanted to help her, but General Zheng was quite firm. For the sake of the company's deal, General Fan could only hint to Sister Ye. We were the same," Xiaoyang seemed somewhat embarrassed as he lowered his head. "We were all just doing our jobs. That's how we drink, so we encouraged her a bit more, hoping not to offend General Zheng."
After Chen Xiaoyang finished speaking, Zheng Qiang was called next. Zheng Qiang briefly recounted the events of that day, which didn’t differ much from Xiaoyang’s account.
When the prosecutor asked why he pressured others to drink, Zheng Qiang showed visible regret.
"I just thought drinking creates a lively atmosphere. That’s how I drink everywhere—I take a shot, you take a shot. It’s mutual respect. Once everyone loosens up, it gets fun. If everyone stays reserved, what’s the point of the dinner? That girl was a young employee, trying to cheat and avoid drinking. That was disrespectful to me."
As Ye Nianwen listened, he felt an urge to leap down and smash his fist into Zheng Qiang’s face.
He vaguely understood that Zheng Qiang wasn’t just pressuring others to drink—he was reveling in the sense of power as a superior, enjoying the superiority of forcing others to submit.
And this superiority was built on humiliating Ye Sibei.
After Zheng Qiang finished speaking, it was Lin Feng’s turn—the female officer who arrived at the crime scene and was the first to see Ye Sibei.
"At 6 a.m. on April 9, we received a report. The caller said she was trapped in the reed field and needed a windbreaker. I rushed over first and found her hiding in the reeds, pale and trembling uncontrollably, unable to hold a normal conversation. Realizing something was wrong, I immediately called my colleague to request a criminal case filing. Then I took Ye Sibei to the hospital for an examination. But halfway through, her mother arrived. After talking for a while, they decided to leave. Since Ye Sibei didn’t actively state she had been sexually assaulted, we couldn’t file a case. Still, I preserved the evidence at the time, waiting for Ye Sibei’s second report."
"Your Honor, I request permission to question the witness."
Meng Xin stood up again. Lin Feng remained expressionless as Meng Xin held up her statement. "According to your testimony, Ye Sibei’s initial report was that 'she needed a windbreaker,' not a direct report of rape, correct?"
"Yes."
"You took Ye Sibei’s coat, collected biological evidence, and conducted a vaginal examination. Why didn’t you perform a blood test?"
"Because we weren’t initially sure what had happened to her, so the priority was a physical examination to check for injuries. It was only when she requested the vaginal examination herself that I confirmed she had been sexually assaulted. Later, her mother came and took her away before we could conduct a blood test."
"Did Ye Sibei have any external injuries at the time?"
"No."
"You said, 'It was only when she requested the vaginal examination that I confirmed she had been sexually assaulted.'" For some reason, Meng Xin circled back to Lin Feng’s earlier words. Lin Feng paused, then heard Meng Xin ask, "Was this confirmation made after the vaginal examination results came out, or did you believe it at the time?"
As Meng Xin posed this question, Lin Feng’s expression darkened as she realized what he was trying to prove. "At the time," she said stiffly, "that’s what I believed."Meng Xin concluded, "So from the very beginning, you had already made the judgment of sexual assault and proceeded with the investigation based on the premise that my client was guilty, is that correct?"
Lin Feng grew visibly flustered upon hearing this and hurriedly replied, "Ye Sibei's condition at the time was clearly—"
"Yes or no?" Meng Xin interrupted her, fixing her with an interrogative gaze.
Lin Feng stared at Meng Xin for a long moment before answering hoarsely, "Yes. Because I couldn’t deceive my own conscience. Ye Sibei had no external injuries, but her state at the time—anyone could see what had happened."
Meng Xin smiled. "Thank you. That’s all."
With that, he turned to the presiding judge. "I have no further questions."
The judge nodded and looked toward the prosecution bench. "Do you have any questions?"
"None."
The judge glanced down at the witness list and calmly announced, "Call the victim, Ye Sibei, to the stand."
Ye Sibei had been waiting in the small room the entire time.
She couldn’t hear the proceedings in the courtroom or connect with the outside world. Fortunately, waiting had become second nature to her. Inside the room, she let her mind wander aimlessly about the future.
She didn’t dare dwell on the negative possibilities—the road to this point had been too difficult. She couldn’t bear to think about what would happen if she failed, so she focused instead on what Qin Nan had told her.
Where would she go after winning the case?
Once the verdict was announced, the media would report the outcome. Would those who doubted her and accused her of framing someone finally fall silent?
Would she finally be able to prove that she wasn’t at fault, that she wasn’t a bad woman?
She wanted to take the civil service exam again—this time, she didn’t want to stay in Nancheng.
It seemed she had mustered the courage to leave again. She thought about moving to the provincial capital. Though housing and living costs were higher there, there would also be far more opportunities.
She hadn’t had Japanese food since college. She remembered the cheapest sushi—eighty cents for a piece, topped with pork floss. The rice was slightly sour, and the seaweed wrapper had a hint of sweetness.
Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard the announcement. Her heart raced—she knew it was her turn.
Escorted by court staff, she stepped into the courtroom and took her place at the witness stand. Though the room wasn’t crowded, every pair of eyes was fixed on her, making her uneasy.
She took a deep breath, recalling the guidance the staff had given her earlier, and began her halting self-introduction.
"My name is Ye Sibei. I’m 27 years old, originally from Nancheng. I was formerly an accountant in the finance department of Fuqiang Real Estate..."
Having repeated this too many times, she had long shed any shyness about these details. But speaking in front of so many people for the first time made her stumble nervously.
"That afternoon, Fan Jiancheng suddenly demanded that all of us accompany clients to dinner..."
"He drove me home..."
"When I woke up, my eyes were covered. I was terrified..."
"He threw me out of the car and forced me to walk forward..."
Ye Sibei recounted everything in meticulous detail, painting a far more horrifying picture than Fan Jiancheng’s version.
Fan Jiancheng had spun a tale of a woman seducing him and attempting extortion—a tawdry story of lust. But Ye Sibei described a criminal case of a woman escaping death.
Ye Nianwen watched his sister as she spoke. This was the first time he had heard her recount these events—nervous and numb, repeating the ordeal before so many people.
After Ye Sibei finished, Meng Xin stood once more.
"Miss Ye, you’ve always been a very rule-abiding girl since childhood, haven’t you?"Ye Sibei nodded, and Meng Xin continued questioning, "Before this, had anyone ever told you that it's dangerous for a girl to drink at night?"
"Yes."
Ye Sibei answered truthfully. Meng Xin showed a puzzled expression, "Then why would someone as conservative as you still do it, knowing the risks?"
"I don't know," Ye Sibei struggled to answer this question. "In that moment, I felt tremendous pressure. Everyone was looking at me. I thought if I didn't drink, I'd be causing trouble for everyone. And I didn't think it would be that dangerous, so I drank."
"After getting out of the car, did you call the suspect?"
"No," Ye Sibei shook her head. "I was blindfolded when I got out of the car. He told me to walk forward and count to a thousand, not to look back, or he'd kill me. I was too scared, so I just kept walking. After counting to a thousand, I took off the blindfold and found myself in a reed field."
Meng Xin keenly asked, "Blindfold?"
"No," Ye Sibei suddenly remembered, "it was a scarf, the one that came with the company uniform."
Meng Xin nodded, looking at the case file. "You reported it to the police afterward. Why did you tell them nothing happened?"
This was an expected question, one she'd been asked many times during the interrogation.
"Because my mother told me not reporting it would be less damaging to me."
"On the day you reported it, you made another phone call to the suspect in the afternoon. What was that about?"
"I was asking for leave," Ye Sibei lowered her head, uneasy. "He was my boss."
"Do you have a habit of carrying condoms with you every day?"
Ye Sibei was taken aback. The word "condom" was too sensitive for her, and she instinctively shook her head. "No."
"Then why did you have a condom in your bag that day?"
This question made her pause. After a moment of recollection, she remembered what he was referring to.
"I... my husband wanted a divorce the night before. He said he wouldn't come to pick me up anymore. I also heard about recent rape cases and felt very uneasy. A colleague told me that keeping a condom in my bag and offering it to an attacker could increase my chances of survival, so I brought one that morning..."
Ye Sibei desperately tried to recall her state of mind at the time. Meng Xin nodded. "I understand. So, who told you that a condom could increase your survival rate?"
Ye Sibei hesitated. She knew such advice was often shared as a joke in private, but in a public setting, it could be damaging to a woman's reputation. She struggled for a long time. Meng Xin pressed on, "Miss Ye?"
"Zhao Chuchu."
Ye Sibei finally told the truth. Meng Xin nodded. "Before the suspect sexually assaulted you, did you give him the condom?"
Ye Sibei shook her head. "No. By the time I woke up, it was already happening."
"Did you ever see his face?"
"No."
"You were blindfolded the whole time, so you’re sure you don’t know who he is, right?"
Ye Sibei continued shaking her head. Meng Xin then pulled out a photo and showed it to her. "Can you explain what’s going on in this photo?"
In the photo, Ye Sibei was completely naked, her eyes open, staring calmly at the camera.
Ye Sibei’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at the photo, shaking her head. "This can’t be... this isn’t..."
"Your eyes weren’t covered," Meng Xin emphasized. "You were conscious. Do you have any explanation for this photo?"
"I don’t remember."
Ye Sibei stared at the image of herself, tears welling up in her eyes. She shook her head frantically. "This isn’t me. I have no memory of this."
Meng Xin put the photo away and pressed further. "During the entire ordeal, did he hit you?"
"No."
Ye Sibei sensed where this was going. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
She tried hard not to cry, but she couldn’t help it.
Meng Xin, seemingly anticipating her reaction, continued, "Did you resist at all?"
"No."
"You moaned voluntarily, right?"
"Yes."
"Did you climax during the act?""No!" Ye Sibei was on the verge of breaking down.
"Your Honor, this question is irrelevant to the case."
The prosecutor abruptly stood up, speaking simultaneously with Ye Sibei to interrupt Meng Xin's questioning.
The judge nodded: "Do not ask questions unrelated to the case."
Meng Xin made an apologetic expression before continuing: "Do you love your husband? Do you want to spend your life with him?"
Ye Sibei nodded tearfully.
"Your monthly salary is 3,500 yuan, correct?"
"Yes."
"You earn 3,500 yuan a month, took out a 50,000 yuan credit loan to be repaid over three years, with monthly payments of 2,400 yuan, leaving you 1,100 yuan to live on. Meanwhile, your family hasn't even paid off your mortgage yet. Your husband runs an auto repair shop, and life isn't exactly comfortable. You love him, you want to spend your life with him—did you not consider the future at all?"
Meng Xin seemed genuinely puzzled: "Or do you have some other solution?"
"Your Honor, Attorney Meng's questions appear to be exceeding the scope of this case."
The prosecutor objected again, but everyone understood what he was trying to prove.
He was proving that Ye Sibei was lying, that she had motive to falsely accuse Fan Jiancheng, proving that Ye Sibei was after money.
Ye Sibei stood in place, tears streaming down her face, her body trembling, completely unable to speak.
"I have no further questions."
Meng Xin knew when to stop. He gave Ye Sibei an apologetic glance and asked nothing more.
By this point, Ye Sibei had completely broken down.
She seemed to sense something. Raising her head, she stared fixedly at Meng Xin, who lowered his gaze to avoid meeting her eyes.
"Please have the staff escort the victim out," the judge said without looking up from the documents, announcing the next witness. "Call witness Zhao Chuchu to the stand."
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