Xia Wanzhi tensed up. “What?”
The police officer said, “From the tone of the three men, we suspect they were hired to rob you. But they won’t admit it, and we have no evidence. We can only remind you to be careful.”
Xia Wanzhi suppressed her panic. “Okay.”
The officer continued, “That’s all. If you have anything else to report about them, feel free to contact us anytime. If you’re in danger, call us as well.”
Xia Wanzhi replied, “Okay. Thank you.” The call ended.
A breeze blew past, carrying the scent of flowers.
So, they weren’t dead.
Xia Wanzhi breathed a sigh of relief—she hadn’t killed anyone.
And it was a robbery?
Being nearly raped by three men sounded too awful, even if she was the victim.
But when a girl experiences something like this, her reputation is ruined.
Others would only talk about her as a joke.
This was one of the reasons Xia Wanzhi hadn’t dared to report it.
She would be scrutinized, questioned repeatedly, forced to relive every sticky touch and humiliating word from that night. It would be unbearable.
But now, it was changed to a robbery?
Was it Lu Zhuojin?
Had he even considered this?
The moon shines bright, the sun burns fierce…
But who would pay someone to rape her? She always tried to be kind to others and had hardly offended anyone…
Her parents had taught her that girls shouldn’t easily make enemies.
Frowning deeply, she thought carefully but couldn’t pinpoint anyone who would do something so terrible to her.
The shade of the trees was lush.
Nearby, a flowing fountain, a swing, and flower beds swayed gently.
A light breeze carried the conversation of two people.
“That scared me to death earlier.”
“Don’t worry, he’s at the banquet for the succession ceremony. He can’t hear anything.”
“He’s like a perfect model—that body, that face, that aura. He’s just too terrifying.”
“Why did you slap me so hard?”
“Didn’t you hit me pretty hard too?”
“I had to make it convincing, or I was afraid he wouldn’t let us go. I heard he has a manic disorder and really hits people…”
“If we’re talking about suitability, Lu Ruiqian is much better—refined, gentle, and without any bad habits.”
The girl in the white dress said, “Exactly. My dad even sees him as the standard for a son-in-law. He says if I could find someone like him, he’d die in peace.”
The girl in the green dress added, “I just saw Lu Ruiqian’s girlfriend walking around in that fake dress again. Doesn’t she feel embarrassed?”
“Since they’re not planning to marry, he probably doesn’t care. Otherwise, with all the rules in wealthy families, he’d never let her act like this.”
The girl in green continued, “She probably takes it seriously too. The whole world knows they have no future, but she still sees herself as the future daughter-in-law.”
What a coincidence—these were the two wealthy girls who had been coldly scolded by Lu Zhuojin in the restroom for gossiping and forced to slap each other. And here they were again, gossiping.
For some reason, they kept saying her dress was fake. Was this dress… fake?
Xia Wanzhi was confused. Didn’t Lu Zhuojin give it to her?
The two girls made her the target of their ridicule, and their words grew even more outrageous:
The girl in green speculated, “She probably used some trick to keep Lu Ruiqian around.”
“With so many girls chasing Lu Ruiqian, there must be some with better tricks than hers…”
The girl in the green dress said, “For someone from her lowly background trying to climb the social ladder through marriage, there’s so much she has to sacrifice. She has to use her education as a dowry, serve her in-laws, flatter and fawn over her husband, be gentle, considerate, and virtuous—it’s not like us. She even has to learn skills…”
Xia Wanzhi bit her lip, thinking of how Lu Zhuojin had whispered in her ear earlier, “Did it feel good to hit them?”
Her parents always told her not to cause trouble when she went out, to be kind, and to work hard.
But these qualities meant nothing in the eyes of these wealthy girls. All they could see were rumors and gossip.
Only Lu Zhuojin truly understood them. The upper class was nothing but a bunch of lowlifes.
Lu Zhuojin’s question echoed in her ears: “She’s not important. What matters is you. Why do you hand over the right to judge to others?”
Her breathing grew rapid as she questioned herself. Why did she let others decide what was right or wrong?
Her palms were drenched in sweat.
Should she… do something for herself?
Nervous.
She took a deep breath.
Her steps moved slowly, moving forward.
She had never… actively sought trouble before. Whenever faced with provocation, she always avoided it…
She swallowed hard.
Her fair face grew even paler under the moonlight as she stepped out from the shade of the trees.
The two wealthy girls saw her, their expressions shifting slightly before turning indifferent again.
The nearby fountain splashed noisily.
Xia Wanzhi stood still, biting her lip, dazed, unsure how to begin.
Breathing felt difficult.
A fragrant breeze swept past her as a woman in a sheer red dress hurried by.
The woman in red addressed the two with a teasing yet reproachful tone, “Su Duo, Fu Tao, you two—spreading rumors is as easy as opening your mouths, but refuting them takes endless effort. Stop talking. She earned her good education through her own efforts. What are you jealous of?”
Xia Wanzhi recognized this woman in red… At the banquet, when she felt someone watching her, besides Lu Zhuojin, this woman had also been staring at her.
Who… was she? Helping her?
Su Duo in the green dress said, “Oh, we were just chatting casually.”
Fu Tao added, “Yeah, let’s go, let’s go. We won’t say anymore.”
The two of them tugged at each other and headed back toward the banquet hall.
Xia Wanzhi sighed softly and said to the woman in red, “Thank you…”
Thankfully, she had helped. Otherwise, Xia Wanzhi truly wouldn’t have known how to harshly reprimand those two.
The woman in red smiled. “You’re welcome. It’s only right that I help you.”
She extended her hand. “Let’s get acquainted. I grew up with Lu Ruiqian since we were kids. We’re neighbors and very close. My name is Zhong Xi.”
Xia Wanzhi reached out her hand, her mind feeling hazy. This was the childhood friend Lu Ruiqian’s mother had mentioned—the one from a suitable background who had always been… very close to him…
Their hands lightly clasped.
The wind blew gently.
To Xia Wanzhi, the wind felt as though it were howling past.
Zhong Xi was radiant and poised, carrying herself with the confidence of someone the world naturally revolved around.
How wonderful.
Zhong Xi smiled. “I also need to apologize to you. You called Rui Rui the day before yesterday, right? He happened to be at my place helping me fix the water heater. We were both soaked at the time, struggling with it for a while. He couldn’t answer the phone. Please don’t be angry with him.”
Xia Wanzhi slowly grew cold, frozen stiff. So that was why.
It was because of her.
Xia Wanzhi felt that if she spoke, she would choke up. She forced herself to suppress it, squeezing out a smile. “It’s fine. It was just a phone call.”
Zhong Xi smiled brightly, “Indeed, Rui Rui said you’re the most well-behaved and sensible, that you wouldn’t make a fuss over trivial matters. If you get upset, a little coaxing is all it takes.”
“Even gifts—you won’t accept expensive ones. Very cost-effective, very easy to please.”
“He said a girl as obedient and well-behaved as you is hard to come by these days. He really likes you.”