She gripped the strap of her backpack tightly and roared furiously at Giai Moc Vi.
"You went to see Trach Uyen? Why did you go looking for him? He's getting out next month what are you trying to do by visiting him now? You lawyers are really low. What right do you have to meddle like that?"
Giai Moc Vi really had gone to meet Dao Trach Uyen.
The man who had spent ten years in prison had already been drained of all vitality.
He was like an empty shell even his voice carried a hollow sense of exhaustion.
Giai Moc Vi curled her lips, extremely satisfied with how furious Dao Mo Nhien had become. She laughed and said.
"I assume you've been visiting your brother regularly, right? Your parents who long ago gave up on him because of the intentional injury case ten years ago haven't visited him once. Only you, as his older sister, have gone every single month."
"You know your brother is terrified of life outside, that staying in there too long has made him fear the outside world. He must've told you many times, 'Sis, I'm scared. What am I supposed to do once I'm out? Will anyone accept a violent criminal like me? My life ended the day I went to prison. Sometimes I wonder… would dying in here be easier?'"
"And you probably answered him like this.'Don't worry, little brother. I'll find a way to help you. Once you're out, I'll give you the explanation you deserve for this life. You won't be trapped in darkness forever. I'll always be here. Believe me. I'm waiting for you outside. You must wake up. Isn't that right?'"
Moc Vi's voice was calm, unhurried. Sometimes she mimicked his voice, sometimes the sister's.
Her voice flowed like a gentle creek.
But when it landed in Dao Mo Nhien's heart, it stirred up a terrifying storm.
Dam Uyen Chi, shaken by that ghost-like whisper, began to get goosebumps.
Let alone Dao Mo Nhien, whose soul was being struck with each sentence.
She trembled uncontrollably, as if she could collapse or explode at any moment.
Moc Vi's expression was dripping with mockery as she continued without mercy:
"Miss Mo Nhien, you took a whole month off just to earn money for you and your brother's future. May I boldly ask… how much? I've been short on money lately too. If there's a job like that, I'd love to join."
That completely set Dao Mo Nhien off. She spat, "Shut up!" and grabbed her coffee cup, intending to throw it at Moc Vi.
But Moc Vi was faster.
She had anticipated the move.
She reached out, grabbed her wrist, and slammed it down on the table.
Dam Uyen Chi was so shocked she didn't even blink before seeing Mo Nhien's hand pinned firmly in place.
Every one of Mo Nhien's fingers struggled desperately, her left hand clawing at Moc Vi's to free the right.
"Let go! You lawyers will do anything to achieve your goals! You turn other people's suffering into money! You"
"Miss Mo Nhien, your brother has shared all the hardships he endured in prison with you. You spent nine years taking care of the victim's family out of guilt. But have you ever once heard your brother say…"
'Sis, I'm innocent. I didn't hurt anyone. I was framed. Please help me…'
Moc Vi's voice dropped low.
Her pupils suddenly turned deep and dark, like an abyss pulling Dao Mo Nhien in.
Tears spilled from Mo Nhien's eyes.
Because it was true.
Her brother had said that.
Ten years ago, when he was taken away by the Prosecutor's Office, Trach Uyen had begged her like that.
He said he was innocent.
That after the fight, he had calmed down and returned alone to the Youyi Eatery, not knowing the victim had been stabbed by someone else.
But no one believed him.
All the evidence had pointed straight at him.
"Lawyers… only care about money." Mo Nhien glared at Moc Vi, her tears burning like flames over Moc Vi's scratched hand.
"They never intended to clear Trach Uyen's name. As long as they could reduce his sentence, they were satisfied. They even rushed him, saying
'Just plead guilty quickly. In the appeal, maybe you'll get a shorter sentence. The victim is practically a vegetable now this is life imprisonment. You don't want to rot in prison forever, right? I'll help you get out sooner. You're still young. You'll have a long future ahead…'"
The disbelief from everyone, the overwhelming pressure, slowly crushed Trach Uyen in prison.
So.
Before the appeal hearing even happened, he decided to plead guilty.
He wrote a confession letter with tears and blood, hoping he could get out sooner.
Everyone insisted
It was him.
He had no future.
Even Mo Nhien wondered if her brother really had done it.
But now someone told her
"He didn't," Moc Vi said firmly. "Your brother was framed. He is not the culprit."
Mo Nhien's eyes widened, tears falling even faster. "How… how is that possible…"
Dam Uyen Chi, moved, quickly pulled out Moc Vi's intelligence analysis documents and the map of the street grid where the incident happened.
"It's real, Miss Mo Nhien," Dam Uyen Chi said. "We examined the time gap carefully. The shop owner's testimony about the victim's scream matches the time your brother was already back at the eatery."
"This is proof he's not the culprit!"
Mo Nhien stammered, "But the shop owner heard the victim call my brother's name… how do you explain that?"
Dam Uyen Chi turned around, pointing to the left side of her lower back:
"Moc Vi said if the wound was here, the victim must've had their back to the attacker. How could he know who stabbed him?"
"So calling your brother's name cannot be used to judge he was the attacker!"
"Maybe the victim misunderstood. After all, he had just fought with your brother earlier. When he was stabbed, he might've instinctively thought your brother retaliated in anger. That is completely possible!"
Moc Vi added, "And the photo of the victim shows blood on his face. But the wound was on his abdomen and waist there's no way the blood could splash onto his face."
"That only means the attacker covered his mouth to stop him from calling the real name. When the victim turned around, the attacker stabbed him again from the front."
Mo Nhien said weakly, "It could still have been my brother who covered his mouth…"
Moc Vi laughed. "If he covered the victim's mouth, he would've been bitten. Did your brother have bite marks?"
Mo Nhien's eyes widened. She suddenly collapsed onto the sofa, crying uncontrollably.
"Oh God… if that's true… oh God…"
Moc Vi released her wrist and sat back down.
Dam Uyen Chi also burst into tears, handing tissues everywhere.
"So pitiful… hic hic hic."
"…" Moc Vi.
Over the sound of their crying, Moc Vi said calmly
"Miss Mo Nhien, if you agree to testify for us in court, I can help you and your brother catch the real killer. He's been free for ten years. It's his turn."
Mo Nhien choked, "But… it's been ten years. How could there still be evidence? Trach Uyen is about to be released… what's the point of finding the killer now?"
Dam Uyen Chi slammed the table:
"Of course it matters! If you catch the real culprit, your brother's innocence can be restored. You can sue for huge compensation from the killer and from the Prosecutor's Office that wrongfully imprisoned him!"
"That will be more than enough for you, your brother, your parents your entire family to live comfortably for the rest of your lives! And most importantly, your brother will be vindicated. He'll be able to stand tall again! Isn't that what he needs for his future?"
Mo Nhien lifted her tear-stained face. "Can… can I trust you?"
"You can trust anyone you want. And you can doubt anyone you want. That's your choice," Moc Vi said with a soft smile. "But I promise you this: the day you testify, your brother's innocence will also be revealed."
Just then, someone pushed open the café door.
Moc Vi pouted in that direction.
"Next, a criminal investigator will explain everything he found. I think you'll be interested. Would you like to go?"
Ve Dinh Tieu walked in, showed his police badge, and nodded politely.
"There's a police vehicle waiting outside. Please come with us, Miss Mo Nhien."
When Mo Nhien was taken away by the City Police Department, Moc Vi went to meet the victim's family.
Two hours later, the victim's mother saw her out.
"So it's as you predicted… Could the killer really have been someone else?" the elderly woman asked weakly.
Her pupils were grayish, clouded with despair.
Moc Vi nodded slightly. "Please come to court tomorrow. You will know everything then."
When Moc Vi stepped out of the hospital, the sunlight was warm, brightening the world and softening the trees along the roadside.
Someone was waiting for her there.
He stood where the shade met the light, a half-burned cigarette between his fingers.
His fingers were long, fair, unblemished nothing like the hands of a man who fought often.
When he saw her, he flicked the cigarette away, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked up to her.
"All done?" Ve Dinh Tieu asked.
She nodded. "They agreed to testify."
He smiled easily. "Then you've found the last 10%, huh?"
Moc Vi shrugged. "More or less. Where's Mo Nhien?"
"After we talked, we let her leave. She seemed fine determined, even. Like she's finally ready to fight for her brother."
Moc Vi looked up at the sun.
It was so bright she had to squint.
A hand suddenly rose to shield her from the light.
His fingertips still carried a faint, bitter scent of tobacco.
He gently turned her head toward the courthouse.
From her angle, she couldn't see it blocked by buildings.
But she knew.
The courthouse was there.
For a lawyer, that place was the battlefield.
Where evidence became a blade, and words became a shield.
A battlefield without smoke.
Tomorrow.
Would be her first step on that path.
He leaned slightly against her back, his warmth making her heartbeat stumble.
Even his voice felt like winter sunlight soft, warm, enveloping.
"Good luck."
Mm.
She would do her best.
He then turned her head toward a bench.
A gift bag sat there.
"For you. Wear it tomorrow and defeat them so thoroughly they won't even have armor left," he said with a bright, confident grin.
Inside was a silver-white women's suit with a V-neck collar, matched with a crisp floral-collared shirt.
Perfect. Beautiful. In her exact size.
He leaned closer.
His breath brushed the skin behind her ear.
"I expect a reward."