What did she mean? Why couldn’t she understand a word of it?
Xia Yiyi grabbed the railing and shouted, “Xia Wanqing, what do you mean? Say it clearly!”
“Your father is a murderer. Your mother was an accomplice. Your whole family is a bunch of criminals!”
As soon as those words fell, the area around Xia Yiyi immediately cleared out. The other inmates looked at her with fear, yet couldn’t resist the urge to watch the drama, stealing glances at her with their eyes.
“Impossible! You’re talking nonsense!” Xia Yiyi shouted in disbelief. “I’m calling the police—you’re slandering people!”
Bang!
A baton slammed heavily against the iron bars, making a deafening noise.
“Quiet!”
Xia Wanqing looked at Xia Yiyi’s terrified face, which overlapped with Xia Yiyi’s face from her previous life.
Back then, Xia Wanqing had been kneeling on the floor scrubbing it when Xia Yiyi suddenly showed up at the door.
The jewelry on her body was worth twenty million, the limited-edition handbag she carried was worth three million, and not to mention her clothes were all custom-made haute couture.
This stepsister walked straight in without taking off her shoes, dirtying the freshly cleaned floor, then pretended to be embarrassed. “Sorry, sis, I dirtied the floor.”
Her mother-in-law smiled and pulled Xia Yiyi over. The two of them were as close as conjoined twins. “It’s fine. If it’s dirty, just clean it again. Let’s go inside and talk.”
Hand in hand, they headed for the bedroom. As they passed Xia Wanqing, Xia Yiyi didn’t even look at her, kicked over the bucket of water, and filthy water spilled everywhere.
The dirty water splashed onto her mother-in-law’s feet. She flew into a rage on the spot, rushed over, and shoved Xia Wanqing’s head straight into the filthy water.
Xia Wanqing’s hair and face were soaked with dirty water; she even swallowed several mouthfuls.
But she was like a block of wood—completely motionless, her expression numb.
She had once been subjected to public denunciation. At the beginning, it wasn’t that she hadn’t resisted.
It was just that the more she resisted, the more torment she suffered—and the onlookers only became happier…
If she hadn’t transmigrated to the apocalypse and gone through life-and-death struggles, Xia Wanqing probably wouldn’t even have the strength to resist now.
She withdrew her gaze, her eyes narrowing dangerously, her stare as cold as a thousand-year ice pool.
This is already too much for you?
This is only the beginning.
From now on, she would let Xia Yiyi truly experience what hell on earth really meant.
“Let’s go,” the officer reminded her.
Xia Wanqing pulled her gaze back and walked inside.
After finishing the statement and coming out, she saw that Xia Yiyi had already left.
Xia Jianye and Zhou Huiping were both being held. Zhou Huiping’s natal family lived far away, so at the moment, there was probably only one person who could take Xia Yiyi away.
Perfect. No need for her to go looking for him.
She wondered whether that person had been involved in swallowing up the family’s assets.
Whether he was or not, he must know something.
Zhou Huiping might not necessarily be convicted, but if there were a witness…
When they exited the station, the sky had begun to pale with the white of dawn.
Morning mist filled the air. When the wind blew, there was a hint of chill.
Xia Wanqing rubbed her arms, which had broken out in goosebumps. Without the heat island effect, the temperature really was lower.
“Wait for me a moment,” Gu Huaichuan said, then ran off.
After a while, Gu Huaichuan came back, holding up a piece of clothing and handing it to her. His face was turned to the side, the tips of his ears faintly red.
“Sorry. These are the only styles available here. Make do with it.”
Xia Wanqing took it and unfolded it. It was a thin, long-sleeved gray shirt.
She slipped it on, and instantly no longer felt cold. She looked down at what she was wearing—it was actually quite similar in style to the shirt.
“Gu Huaichuan, do my clothes look ugly?” Her aesthetic sense had always been lacking.
Gu Huaichuan lifted his head to glance at her, then quickly looked away. His face visibly flushed as he stammered,
“On… on you, they look good.”
He actually didn’t know much about clothes either. He’d only once heard the family members talking about them, saying that style was ugly and made people’s skin look dark and sallow.
But when that piece was worn by Wanwan, how did it look so good?
The sleeves were wide, and Xia Wanqing casually rolled them up, revealing her slender wrists. The hem swayed gently with her movements, highlighting a waist so slim it could be encircled with one hand.
The dull gray took on a lazy charm when worn by her. Morning sunlight poured down, casting a soft glow over her, making her skin look even fairer.
Seeing Gu Huaichuan’s face flushed red, Xia Wanqing couldn’t help finding it amusing.
In her memories, many people liked Gu Huaichuan. Who would’ve thought he was actually quite pure?
He seemed like he’d be fun to tease.
But Xia Wanqing was simply too tired. After tossing and turning all night, all she wanted to do now was sleep.
Gu Huaichuan would be leaving tomorrow, and Xia Wanqing hadn’t forgotten the important matter.
“Gu Huaichuan, can you get the certificate with me tomorrow before you leave?”
Gu Huaichuan clenched the hand at his side tightly, barely suppressing the upward curve of his lips.
“I’d like to pay a formal visit to your uncle.”
“Didn’t you already meet him last night?”
“Since we’re getting married, this is the respect you deserve.”
Xia Wanqing yawned, her eyes barely able to stay open, relying entirely on sheer willpower to keep walking. “After I sleep enough this afternoon, let’s go together.”
Unexpectedly, near her home, Xia Wanqing ran into familiar faces.
Xia Jiayao threw himself at Xia Yiyi and wailed loudly. “Sis! Xia Wanqing, that bitch, got Mom and Dad arrested! What do we do?”
“What are we going to do?” the man beside Xia Yiyi said anxiously.
Hearing the man’s voice, Xia Jiayao suddenly looked up in disbelief. When he saw the man’s face clearly, he rushed toward him as well.
“Uncle Zhang, wuwuwu… I was bullied by that bitch Xia Wanqing. You have to stand up for me!”
The man patted Xia Jiayao’s head, a vicious look spreading across his face as he ground his teeth. “She dared bully my son and daughter. Don’t worry—I definitely won’t let her off!”
“Don’t stay in the house tonight.”
Xia Yiyi’s heart jolted violently.
Tonight, the man would take action.
The man before her had once been her father. She knew his methods all too well.
Xia Wanqing would definitely be tortured until she wished she were dead.
Imagining Xia Wanqing’s miserable state, Xia Yiyi grew so excited that her breathing quickened.
Gu Huaichuan’s fists clenched with cracking sounds. He couldn’t help stepping forward, but Xia Wanqing pulled him back and pressed him against the wall.
Seeing Gu Huaichuan’s tense jawline, his fists whitening at the knuckles, and his gloomy eyes, warmth rose in Xia Wanqing’s chest once more.
She lowered her gaze and discovered another one of Gu Huaichuan’s good qualities—he had a strong sense of justice.
“Going out now without evidence won’t help. Beating them up won’t solve anything. I want them to pay the price.”
Most importantly, if they ran off now, how could she make them take the blame?
Gu Huaichuan pressed his thin lips together, his voice hoarse. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”
Xia Wanqing smiled. “You can help. I’ll need you tonight.”
Gu Huaichuan’s eyes lit up as he stared straight at Xia Wanqing.
Their gazes met in midair. Xia Wanqing’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately looked away.
What was wrong with her heart lately?
Gu Huaichuan didn’t return to the inn to sleep, but instead headed toward a row of tenement buildings ten li away.