Listening to Li Hongxia’s sickeningly manipulative words, Shen Zhouzhou nearly wanted to throw up. Every sentence implied that she had already had an improper relationship with Wang Popi.
She could no longer tolerate it.
Without another word, she swung her hand across Li Hongxia’s face.
Smack!
She put so much force into the slap that Li Hongxia stumbled backward and fell onto the ground.
“Shen Zhouzhou, you little bit… You actually dared to hit me?”
Li Hongxia let out a miserable scream.
The slap left everyone present completely stunned.
Was this really the Shen Zhouzhou they knew?
Where had she found the courage to do something like this?
“That’s right. I hit you.”
Shen Zhouzhou immediately squeezed out a few tears.
“Dad, Aunt Xia, you’re the people closest to me. Before even finding out what really happened, how could you so casually ruin my reputation? Are you trying to force me to my death?”
If Li Hongxia wanted to play the innocent victim, then Shen Zhouzhou would beat her at her own game.
“Shen Zhouzhou, don’t go too far! You were the one fooling around outside, and now you think you’re in the right? Dad, hurry up and hit her! Get justice for Mom!”
Shen Fangfang shouted from the side.
Shen Zhouzhou watched their performance coldly, a mocking smile tugging at her lips.
“Aunt Xia, I wouldn’t dare accept such an accusation.”
She lightly brushed away the hand Li Hongxia had reached toward her. Though her voice was calm, it carried an unmistakable chill.
“If you truly cared about me, you never would have tricked me into coming here so that Wang Popi…”
She deliberately paused before glancing toward Wang Popi, who remained tied up nearby.
“…could try to violate me.”
As for the drugging, Shen Zhouzhou deliberately chose not to mention it. Otherwise, she would have to explain how the drug had been neutralized, inevitably dragging Chu Yunli into the matter.
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone was shocked.
They immediately began condemning Li Hongxia for being utterly heartless.
The fact that she had deliberately gathered everyone here suddenly became highly suspicious.
Shen Yong was equally stunned. He stared at Li Hongxia in disbelief.
She was truly incapable of accomplishing anything properly. If she was going to do something so vicious, she should at least have done it cleanly instead of leaving evidence behind.
“Y… You’re talking nonsense!”
Li Hongxia’s expression changed instantly as panic flashed across her eyes.
“When did I ever drug you? Stop slandering me! You were obviously the one behaving shamelessly, seducing this man, and now you’re trying to pin the blame on me!”
“Whether I’m lying or not, we can simply ask the People’s Liberation Army comrade.”
“I live next door. I heard someone crying for help from the neighboring room, so I immediately came over to rescue Comrade Shen and subdued this man.”
As Chu Yunli calmly explained what had happened, he took out his military identification to verify his identity.
Following Shen Zhouzhou’s suggestion, he removed the cloth stuffed into Wang Popi’s mouth.
The moment Wang Popi could speak again, he burst into tears.
“It wasn’t me! It was her! That old woman! She paid me to ruin this young lady! She promised that as long as I got the job done, she’d let me marry her without even paying a bride price!”
Pointing frantically at Li Hongxia, he clung to his only chance of survival.
“It was all her idea! It had nothing to do with me!”
“You bastard! You worthless thug! You’re framing me!”
Li Hongxia shrieked in fury and charged toward Wang Popi, ready to hit him.
“Stop!”
Chu Yunli barked sharply, his eyes as cold as blades.
“In broad daylight, you dared to instigate someone to sexually assault a woman, and now you’re trying to attack someone in front of everyone? It seems you have no respect whatsoever for the law.”
The commanding authority of a military officer radiated from him, instantly freezing Li Hongxia in place.
She didn’t dare move another step.
“Comrade Chu Yunli, those two are definitely involved.”
Shen Zhouzhou pointed toward Li Hongxia and Wang Popi.
“Aunt Xia told me to come here to clean this house. Shortly after I arrived, Wang Popi showed up. Then, by pure coincidence, Aunt Xia happened to bring the neighbors here to catch us in the act. Do you really believe that many coincidences could happen at once?”
“When we get to the police station later, I’d appreciate it if you could testify for me.”
“We can’t… we can’t call the police!”
The moment Li Hongxia, Shen Yong, and Shen Fangfang heard the words “call the police,” all three of them immediately panicked.
“Aunt Xia, why exactly can’t we call the police?”
Shen Zhouzhou looked at her calmly.
“Could it be… because you’re feeling guilty?”
Li Hongxia’s heart skipped a beat.
How had that little bitch suddenly become so clever?
Today, she was afraid she could no longer control her.
“I’m only thinking about your reputation. Even though nothing actually happened, once this reaches the police station and people hear about it, your name will still be ruined.”
“Don’t worry about me, Aunt Xia.”
A smile that didn’t reach Shen Zhouzhou’s eyes appeared on her face as she stared directly at Li Hongxia.
“Even if I never get married, I’m reporting this today. I absolutely won’t let the people who tried to harm me get away with it.”
Nice try.
Did she really think Shen Zhouzhou couldn’t see through her little schemes?
Standing nearby, Shen Yong felt cold sweat forming on his back.
He glanced at Li Hongxia, then Shen Fangfang, then Wang Popi, before finally looking at the stern-faced Chu Yunli.
Everything suddenly became clear.
Shen Zhouzhou was determined to pursue this matter to the very end.
The situation had already turned against them.
He had to find a way out.
Turning around, he deliberately put on an angry expression.
“So it was you? How could you treat her like this? Just wait until we get home. I’ll deal with you properly.”
Then he looked at Shen Zhouzhou with an expression full of fake concern.
“Zhouzhou, your Aunt Xia must have lost her senses for a moment. Let’s go home first, and we’ll settle this matter there. I’ll make sure to discipline both of them.”
“Brother Yong, it wasn’t me! Believe me! That little bitch is framing me!”
“Dad, it definitely wasn’t Mom! Shen Zhouzhou is making everything up! You have to believe Mom!”
Meanwhile, the neighbors had already begun whispering among themselves, looking at Li Hongxia with nothing but contempt and disgust.
“I never would have guessed it. Li Hongxia always seemed so honest, but she’s capable of something this vicious.”
“Haven’t you heard? She beats and scolds her stepdaughter all the time.”
“Exactly! Ruining her stepdaughter just for the sake of her own daughter. She’s absolutely evil.”
“And that Shen Fangfang must have been involved too.”
Terrified, Shen Fangfang hid behind Li Hongxia, trembling uncontrollably.
“Zhouzhou, Dad knows you’ve suffered. I’ll definitely deal with them when we get home. How about… we don’t report this to the police after all?”
Shen Zhouzhou looked coldly at the man who was her only father in name.
“Dad, ever since Li Hongxia entered this family, she and Shen Fangfang have bullied me relentlessly. They’ve beaten me and tormented me mentally. Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”
“You simply chose to turn a blind eye because you never cared whether I lived or died. As long as your reputation wasn’t affected and your own interests weren’t threatened, you allowed everything to happen.”
“So you’re asking whether I trust you?”
“The answer should already be obvious.”
Her words cut like a razor straight into Shen Yong’s heart, leaving him completely speechless.
Not every parent truly loved their children.
Some people were simply unworthy of being called parents.
Looking at the people before her, Shen Zhouzhou sneered inwardly.
Shen Yong! Li Hongxia! Shen Fangfang!
Everything you owe the original Shen Zhouzhou… today, I’ll begin collecting every last bit of it.
“Could one of the neighbors please help me report this to the police?”
People in those days were generally very willing to help, and the police station happened to be nearby.
Before long, one of the neighbors returned with several police officers.
“Who reported the crime?”
“I did.”
Shen Zhouzhou stepped forward without the slightest hesitation.
“This man attempted to molest me. As for those two women, I suspect they’re his accomplices. Please take them back to the station and investigate them thoroughly.”