Episode Summary
The hearing reveals a complex web of high school bullying centered around Zhang Yuan, who manipulated Zhou Lin and was connected to Jiang Ting's past. After the court's reasoning for the "excessive self-defense" verdict is laid out, Li Mufeng withdraws his appeal. The case forces Duan Hongshan to confront the troubling parallels with his own past, leading to a personal crisis. Mei Zheng, finally confessing her part in the cover-up, is left to face the consequences of her silence.
Spoiler Alert
"Justifiable Defense" Episode 8 Spoilers
The hearing continues with Li Mufeng stating he also wants to uncover the real truth of what happened that day. Fang Lingyuan's investigation confirms that Zhang Yuan, a key figure in Jiang Ting's past case, was also the librarian present during the incident. The original investigators explain that based on all interviews, the legal facts pointed to only three individuals at the scene, which is how they determined the nature of the crime.
Fang Lingyuan directly questions Li Mufeng about his relationship with Mei Zheng before the incident, but Li Mufeng remains silent. Presenting Li Mufeng's high school library card records, which show a pattern of borrowing a book one day and returning it the next, Fang Lingyuan theorizes it was a secret code for Li Mufeng and Mei Zheng to meet. He suggests that Li Mufeng, driven by his feelings for Mei Zheng, accidentally killed Zhou Lin while trying to stop him and Zhang Yuan from assaulting her. However, Li Mufeng firmly denies ever meeting Mei Zheng in the library before that day.
When Jiang Ting is called to testify, Duan Hongshan warns her that sticking to her original story will only lead to her own downfall. Years ago, Jiang Ting had viciously slandered Mei Zheng, calling her promiscuous and claiming she was trying to get rid of both Li Mufeng and Zhou Lin. At the current hearing, she claims that "everyone was saying" Li Mufeng and Mei Zheng were seen kissing, admitting she didn't witness it herself. She adds that after the incident, Zhang Yuan had told her Mei Zheng was promiscuous.
As Fang Lingyuan prepares to question Zhang Yuan, Jiang Ting has an outburst, accusing Fang Lingyuan of trying to frame her for murder. Knowing her aversion to violence, Fang Lingyuan presents a dress—the very item that triggered the bullying Jiang Ting endured. He then drops a bombshell, revealing that Jiang Ting had bullied him for all three years of high school. He posits that Zhang Yuan is a similar, masterful bully. Pointing to cigarette burns beneath a tattoo on the victim Zhou Lin's arm, Fang Lingyuan asserts that Zhou Lin was also a victim of bullying. Mei Zheng corroborates this, recalling a time she saw Zhang Yuan, under the guise of friendship, emotionally manipulating Zhou Lin into burning his own arm with a cigarette. She speculates that Zhang Yuan was the one who sent Zhou Lin to the library on the day of the crime.
Duan Hongshan admits he was unaware of Zhang Yuan's presence at the scene. He explains the original verdict: they concluded Li Mufeng was being unlawfully assaulted, making his actions defensive. However, Zhou Lin's weapon—a randomly grabbed wooden stick—wasn't lethal, and he had no clear motive to kill. Li Mufeng, on the other hand, used a knife, resulting in death. This classified the act as excessive self-defense. It couldn't be ruled as "special justifiable defense" because there was no concrete evidence or testimony proving that Mei Zheng was in the process of being sexually assaulted.
Upon hearing this, Li Mufeng withdraws his appeal on the spot. The revelation causes Duan Hongshan to collapse, overwhelmed by the shocking similarities to his own case. In a nightmare, he sees Li Mufeng confronting him, screaming, "Zhou Delong was old and dying of cancer, he couldn't have done anything to you, yet you stabbed him to death! That went far beyond self-defense! If you insist your actions were justified, on what grounds do you say mine weren't?"
After waking, Duan Hongshan confides in Lei Shuang, admitting that, just like Li Mufeng, he believes he acted in self-defense but has no way to prove it. The episode highlights the hardships Li Mufeng faced after his four years in prison: with a criminal record, he was barred from the college entrance exam and the bar exam, and even faced discrimination while trying to rent an apartment.
In the end, Li Mufeng and Mei Zheng meet one last time. She apologizes for hiding the fact that Zhang Yuan was there, but Li Mufeng simply gets up and walks away without a word. Alone at home, Mei Zheng burns her cherished photos of her and Jiang Ting, severing her ties to the past.
