Facing Lin Fengxia’s gaze, Lin Lanzhi’s heart suddenly jumped into her throat.
She clenched her palm, trying to calm herself, and forced a smile at her.
“Fengxia, why are you looking at me like that?”
“D-do I have something dirty on my face?”
Lin Lanzhi wiped her face with her sleeve and subconsciously glanced at Qin Jianguo, embarrassment appearing on her face.
The air seemed frozen; the atmosphere became awkward.
Lin Lanzhi coughed lightly to ease the tension. “Fengxia, those things you said earlier… were you joking?”
She stepped closer. “We used to have such a good relationship. You must have been lying to me when you said that, right?”
“I… I’ve always treated you as my best sister.”
As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Lin Fengxia sneered, as if hearing a joke.
“Best sister?”
She pointed to her chest. “Don’t you feel guilty saying that?”
It seemed unless she exposed Lin Lanzhi’s true nature, she would never admit it.
Lin Lanzhi’s face instantly turned pale as paper.
Her eyes widened, staring unblinkingly at Lin Fengxia.
Zhang Landi couldn’t stand it anymore and stood beside Lin Fengxia, saying dissatisfied, “Fengxia, you hate me and your father — we can understand.”
“But Lanzhi is your best friend. She didn’t do anything wrong. How can you hurt her like this?”
Lin Lanzhi blinked and tears fell first.
She looked pitiful, making people feel sympathy at a glance.
“Fengxia, why have you suddenly become like this?”
“Y-you must have misunderstood me, that’s why you’re saying these things, right?”
Tears brimmed in her eyes, her tone helpless.
Lin Fengxia didn’t bother wasting words with her.
For someone so good at acting, saying one more sentence was a waste of time.
She was just about to take out the disownment document when Lin Lanzhi asked in a choked, probing voice:
“Do you think I brought uncle and aunt here to make things difficult for you?”
Lin Fengxia sneered back, “Isn’t that so?”
Lin Lanzhi was struck as if by lightning.
She almost hysterically refuted, “No!”
“No!”
“I came to visit you and happened to meet uncle and aunt — they’re so pitiful!”
“Don’t you feel that at all?”
She looked aggrieved, as if she were the one being bullied.
Lin Fengxia didn’t buy it.
It felt as though Lin Lanzhi’s heart had been stabbed.
She bit her lower lip, tears falling like broken pearls.
Lin Fengxia was already getting impatient.
The silent Qin Jianguo stepped forward and stood in front of Lin Fengxia.
His expression remained stern as he stared at Lin Laohan and Zhang Landi with an interrogative gaze.
“Just now, you kept saying Comrade Lin stole money.”
“May I ask — how did you learn about what happened in the base?”
Lin Laohan and Zhang Landi looked at each other.
Lin Lanzhi said weakly, “When the news spread outside, uncle and aunt heard it and were worried about Fengxia.”
As soon as she finished speaking, soldiers surrounded Lin Lanzhi, Lin Laohan, and Zhang Landi.
The three huddled together, unable to hide their panic.
Lin Lanzhi looked at Lin Fengxia. “Fengxia, what is this?”
“Tell Commander Qin to call these people away — I’m a little scared.”
Lin Fengxia was also confused.
Qin Jianguo said, “What happened in the compound leaked out so quickly.”
“I suspect there are illegal elements in the compound leaking confidential information.”
“As people involved, you must undergo investigation!”
With such a serious accusation falling on them, Lin Laohan’s legs trembled.
Zhang Landi nearly lost all strength.
“H-how are we involved?”
Her voice shook. “Commander Qin, we’re just ordinary civilians — how could we be involved?”
“You must have made a mistake!”
Lin Lanzhi nodded repeatedly. “Yes, it must be a misunderstanding.”
The soldiers advanced step by step, fully treating them like criminals.
They were completely panicked.
They had only planned to come make a scene so Lin Fengxia would obediently return home.
Who would have thought they’d become suspects?
Peace hadn’t lasted long — if they were treated as spies, they might even lose their heads!
When a soldier grabbed Lin Laohan’s arm, he collapsed to the ground.
Zhang Landi cried with snot and tears, shouting they were wronged.
“Wuu… you can’t treat us like this!”
“We’re innocent!”
It was Lin Lanzhi’s first time facing such a situation; she was terrified into stupidity.
The three were taken into the compound’s temporary holding cell.
Although it was just a rumor spreading out, it still showed the base’s confidentiality work was poor — letting hearsay spread so widely was his failure as a regiment commander.
When Qin Jianguo looked at Lin Fengxia again, his face was full of apology.
“Comrade Lin, I’m sorry. My negligence allowed these rumors to hurt you a second time.”
“I will definitely investigate this thoroughly.”
Lin Fengxia never felt Qin Jianguo was responsible.
He had already helped her a lot.
Her comforting him only made him feel more guilty.
“I’ll go investigate first. You go rest.”
He left with a grim face.
Lin Fengxia sighed — sometimes being too responsible wasn’t a good thing.
Gossip was hard to control, and those who disliked her were eager for it to spread.
She had expected the rumors to reach outside.
She just didn’t expect Qin Jianguo to pursue it so thoroughly.
Lin Laohan, Zhang Landi, and Lin Lanzhi were interrogated separately.
Already frightened out of their wits, they confessed everything Qin Jianguo asked.
Qin Jianguo began a carpet-style investigation based on their testimonies.
Soon it led to Wang Cuiping.
Wang Cuiping was cutting vegetables in the kitchen, still cursing Lin Laohan and Zhang Landi.
When Qin Jianguo arrived with soldiers, she didn’t realize anything was wrong.
Until Qin Jianguo said expressionlessly, “Sister Wang, please cooperate with the investigation.”
Her brain froze as she stared at him in shock.
Still holding the kitchen knife and seeing the stern soldiers, she swallowed nervously.
The knife in her hand clanged onto the chopping board.
Soldiers stood on either side of her.
“Sister Wang, come with us.”
Wang Cuiping was dazed and followed them mechanically.
Xu Changping reacted first and rushed forward, blocking the doorway.
“What’s going on?!”
“Why are you taking Cuiping away for no reason?!”
Qin Jianguo said, “I’ve investigated that—”
“Now we’re taking Sister Wang for further questioning.”
Wang Cuiping jolted, eyes wide. “Impossible!”
“Absolutely impossible!”
“I’ve worked in this compound for so many years — don’t I know what can and cannot be said?!”