And it wasn’t just shocking—it was downright scandalous.
Holding hands, kissing, sneaking into little groves…
Honestly, Lu Wan kind of wanted to try all of that with Xu Chengan.
But just thinking that the person who wrote these things was some greasy, slimy man made her shiver.
How disgusting!
She had to track down this creep and make him infamous.
She had only been at work for a few days, and she could count on one hand the people she had offended.
Yet here he was, like a persistent ghost.
Lu Wan’s eyes flickered—she already had a plan.
But she couldn’t handle it herself; she had to find the right person for the job.
Her gaze landed on Zhang Na, who was clearly the perfect candidate.
Helpful, righteous, well-liked.
Most importantly, in this matter, she was smart enough to believe in Lu Wan’s innocence.
“Lu Wan, don’t be upset. I believe you. Someone is definitely spreading rumors to ruin your reputation. I’ll report it to the factory myself.”
This girl really was loyal. There was hope!
Zhang Na saw the expression on Lu Wan’s face and felt increasingly guilty. “Comrade Lu Wan, I’m sorry. That day it was my fault. I sincerely apologize.”
She already knew Lu Wan was the granddaughter of the former factory director, that her mother had sacrificed herself to save the factory, and that her job was something the cotton mill owed her.
Lin Zhenzhen, on the other hand, had first taken over Lu Wan’s mother’s work and then used Lu Wan’s connections to get into the mill.
Zhang Na had spoken up for Lin Zhenzhen without checking the facts—it had been her mistake.
Thinking back, she felt like such a fool, tricked by a few tears from Lin Zhenzhen and going after Lu Wan without reason.
Now she despised herself.
Lu Wan arched her brow, acting proudly. “Alright, since you’re sincere, I’ll magnanimously forgive you. No investigation, no right to speak. But in the future, you can’t play the ‘good girl’ act so easily.”
Zhang Na’s eyes lit up. “Really? So can we be friends after this?”
“Well… I’ll think about it!”
Friendship was precious. Forgiving her was one thing; becoming friends was another.
Not everyone had the charm of someone like Xu Chengan, whom she liked the moment she saw him.
Okay, she was thinking about him again.
“What are you going to do about those love letters on the bulletin board? A lot of people are talking about them,” Zhang Na asked, concerned.
The letters were explicit and disgusting; there was no guarantee someone wouldn’t believe them like she had before.
In the end, women always suffered from this kind of scandal, whether true or false.
Lu Wan arched an eyebrow. “I’ve made up my mind, but I need your help!”
Zhang Na nodded eagerly. She felt guilty about the last incident; a verbal apology was too empty. She wanted to do something to make amends.
Lu Wan whispered a few words into Zhang Na’s ear, and Zhang Na immediately understood. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
After discussing the plan with Zhang Na, Lu Wan leisurely went to work.
Broadcast time was coming soon—she couldn’t delay.
Pan Lingling, seeing Lu Wan enter, hurried over to reassure her. “Wanwan, don’t be upset. Feng Tang and I have already reported it to the propaganda department. Don’t worry—we all believe you and stand with you.”
The little girl had only been at work a few days, and the rumors were practically picking on her alone.
The chatter about stealing jobs had only just passed, and now this happened.
As women, they all despised anyone spreading rumors about other women. If the culprit wasn’t caught, her reputation could be ruined.
But Lu Wan looked cheerful. “Don’t worry, Lingjie. I’m not angry at all. And I already have a way to deal with it.”
“Really? What way?”
Lu Wan whispered to Pan Lingling, who looked a little worried. “Is this really going to work?”
“You’ll see, Lingjie. It’ll be spectacular.”
“Alright, I’ll take care of the rest.”
Lu Wan made a special trip to the factory director’s office. She hoped Uncle Liu wouldn’t intervene; she wanted to handle this herself.
She didn’t know how long she’d be here, and she couldn’t rely on others for everything.
Uncle Liu had already helped her a lot—she needed to be grateful.
Otherwise, over time, Director Liu’s goodwill toward the Lu family might run out, and she’d just be seen as a nuisance.
Most importantly, in any era, ordinary people hated those who relied on power. If she leaned on connections too much, even when she was right, she’d end up wrong.
Without interference from the factory, by the end of the morning, everyone in the cotton mill knew about it.
The mill had a staff cafeteria. Pan Lingling didn’t live in the mill’s residential area and was pregnant, so lunchtime was sometimes inconvenient—she would eat in the cafeteria.
At noon, as soon as she got her food and sat down, someone came over to ask about Lu Wan.
Some rude remarks were immediately shot down by Pan Lingling.
Although she hadn’t known Lu Wan long, the girl was not only pretty but also kind, generous, and straightforward—naturally, Pan Lingling supported her.
She overheard someone nearby say, “She’s just using her looks to flirt everywhere. Who knows how many men she’s seduced.”
“Exactly! Look at what’s written in those letters—sneaking into little groves and all.”
…
Pan Lingling slammed her chopsticks down. “Liu Guihua, what nonsense are you talking? Did you see it yourself or hear it yourself? Just because someone says something doesn’t mean it’s true. If someone calls you a tramp, are you really one? Anyone can make up rumors!”
Pan Lingling was a broadcaster, her voice strong, loud, and clear. As a woman and a mother, she utterly despised and loathed people spreading rumors about other women.
“Pan Lingling, stop meddling! We didn’t even mention you. If Lu Wan behaves properly, why pick on her and not someone else?” Liu Guihua retorted.
Liu Guihua was close to Lu Wan’s stepmother, Zhao Yan, and now was seizing the opportunity to put Lu Wan down.
“Ladies, I’m not defending Lu Wan. I’m on the side of all the women in our factory. Everyone knows we have many beautiful female workers here. Imagine how many guys want to marry our girls.”
“If someone wants to marry a girl from our factory, and she says no, then they send disgusting letters like these. In the end, it’s us women who get hurt. We should unite against this bad trend—don’t believe rumors, don’t spread them, and certainly don’t make them.”
“Sisters, the Chairman said women hold up half the sky. If we women don’t help each other in these situations—or worse, enable the bad guys—then half the sky collapses. Liu Jie, you have a daughter too—don’t you worry that she could get a letter like this?”
Before becoming a broadcaster, Pan Lingling had worked in the factory propaganda department. She was educated and articulate. She had only reduced her broadcasts since becoming pregnant.
After she spoke, everyone nodded. Yes, in this matter, Lu Wan was the victim.
“You…” Liu Guihua was furious and embarrassed but had nothing to say.
Others nearby stepped in to mediate. “Alright, alright. Let’s move on. Nobody did it on purpose.”
The commotion calmed, everyone continued eating, and then a thunderous voice rang from the cafeteria entrance.
“The little rumor-monger has been caught! Everyone, come see!”