Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was stunned by her direct confession.
Immediately afterward, Qin Qing turned around abruptly and bowed deeply to Zhao Xiaolin. “I’m sorry, it’s all because I love my Captain Zhou too much. I was wrong!”
This statement made several people blush even more.
Most of them were rough-and-tumble types—when had they ever heard such straightforward words of affection?
The previously tense atmosphere turned strange because of Qin Qing’s two sentences.
Zhou Yansheng’s back stiffened even more.
The next moment, Qin Qing had already grabbed his arm and gently shook it. “I’ve apologized… can we go now…”
Tears streaming down her face, she looked utterly pitiful.
“Wait for me outside,” Zhou Yansheng said, his throat tightening slightly.
Qin Qing nodded obediently and left, showing none of the fierce demeanor she had displayed earlier when hitting someone.
With Qin Qing gone, the atmosphere inside the room became eerily quiet.
Especially since Zhou Yansheng made no effort to hide his anger.
He took a step forward. “Hitting someone was wrong on our part, and we’ve apologized. But…” His voice was low, yet every word carried weight. “Isn’t it unfair for the inspection team to detain someone and send them to the police station without asking for the reason?”
“Comrade Zhao openly insulted a fellow comrade and spread filthy rumors. Shouldn’t the inspection team investigate this properly?”
“My wife, Qin Qing, was properly married to me and is protected by the law. If anyone dares to spread another word of slander, just try!”
With that, Zhou Yansheng walked to the door and opened it. “As for this matter,” he paused, “I will demand a formal resolution from the organization.”
After speaking, he strode away.
Bang—
The door slammed shut once again.
Zhao Xiaolin was so frightened that she collapsed onto the floor.
After leaving the interrogation room, Qin Qing ignored the crowd of onlookers still gathered outside and turned toward a small square nearby.
At noon, the square was quiet, with only a few sparrows basking in the sun.
Qin Qing sat down on a bench.
Whew—
Declaring her love in front of everyone had been embarrassing for her too!
But she didn’t want him to keep misunderstanding her…
It was also her fault for being too willful in her past life.
Now she was like the boy who cried wolf.
She’d hide here for a while to clear her mind, then let him lecture her when she returned.
Qin Qing steeled herself mentally.
She stood up, ready to head back.
“Ouch—” A sharp pain shot through her heel.
Unable to walk, she sat back down.
She took off her shoe and pulled down the sock on her right foot.
The newly worn Liberation shoes had rubbed her heel raw.
At least it was only one foot.
Just as Qin Qing was about to put her sock back on, a familiar male voice called out.
“Qin Qing.”
She looked up. How did he find her in such a secluded spot?
“Come back with me,” Zhou Yansheng said, turning away as soon as he saw she had noticed him.
What a jerk.
Qin Qing suppressed the disappointment in her heart.
He wasn’t “educating” her right away—was he waiting to lecture her properly once they got back?
No way!
She was too passive.
Qin Qing quickly thought of a way to respond.
The man turned back. “Hurry up and follow me.”
But the young woman remained motionless where she was.
“Brother, my foot hurts…” she said, lowering her head to look at her foot and avoiding his gaze.
The word “brother,” unheard for so many years, froze the man in place.
Qin Qing had changed!
This was Zhou Yansheng’s most immediate impression.
In the past, Qin Qing would either stubbornly argue with him or run away crying in a fit of anger.
Once his anger subsided, she would continue causing trouble again and again.
Showing weakness?!
That was almost unheard of.
What exactly did she want?!
Zhou Yansheng took a deep breath and stepped forward.
As the man’s footsteps drew near, Qin Qing’s heart pounded wildly.
Would acting spoiled work…?
“What happened to your foot?” His voice sounded somewhat unnatural.
Qin Qing looked up, her eyes already brimming with tears.
Zhou Yansheng deliberately avoided her gaze as he crouched down to examine her foot.
A fingernail-sized area was rubbed red, with a faint layer of skin broken.
Could this even be considered an injury?
“Just this? Can’t walk?” he asked, frowning.
Even if she could walk, she wouldn’t.
Her response was a single “Mm,” laden with grievance, timidity, and innocence.
Zhou Yansheng instinctively clenched his fist.
Was this still Qin Qing?
He looked up.
Meeting her tear-streaked face.
Still the same familiar crybaby.
Habitually, he tossed his handkerchief to her.
Resignedly, he helped her adjust her socks and put on her shoes.
Turning his back to her, he half-crouched. “Get on.”
She had gambled right!
Qin Qing hurriedly pocketed the handkerchief, suppressing the upward curve of her lips, and climbed onto the man’s back with a touch of “restraint.”
The moment the girl pressed against him, Zhou Yansheng momentarily lost focus.
Feeling the light weight on his back.
Had all those years of eating been for nothing?!
He carried her step by step toward the residential compound.
Neither of them spoke.
Both were thinking about how to start the conversation.
Zhou Yansheng was thinking about how to persuade the little woman not to impulsively hit people—using force was indeed wrong.
Qin Qing was thinking about how to use the morning’s incident to make herself seem even more aggrieved and make him feel even more heartache.
“You…”
“You…”
They spoke simultaneously.
“You go first,” Zhou Yansheng conceded.
Of course, Qin Qing had to speak first—she absolutely had to convince him with twisted logic before he started lecturing her!
“Bro—” She uttered one word before immediately retracting it. “You…”
See, I don’t even dare call you “brother” anymore.
The first time was an impulse.
Now, it’s restraint…
Qin Qing felt her performance was flawless.
She choked back a sob and continued, “They said I’m a restless vixen, that I’m keeping you as a backup…”
“That you don’t want me… that you want a divorce…”
“Zhou Yansheng, I don’t want a divorce…”
“I really came to live a life with you.”
“Believe me, please…”
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum, trembling, each warm breath brushing against the man’s neck.
After uttering the last word, she gently rested her cheek against his shoulder.
A single tear fell perfectly onto the exposed skin at the side of his neck…
Scalding!
Zhou Yansheng’s entire back tensed up abruptly, and he almost instantly halted his steps.
Qin Qing didn’t wait for his response but instead began sobbing intermittently.
“I… I was wrong… I’m… I’m sorry…”
She really was wrong, terribly wrong.
In over a decade of knowing her, Zhou Yansheng had never seen Qin Qing so fragile.
The girl seemed to be holding back her sobs, her voice muffled and suppressed.
After a long while, he finally responded with a grunt-like syllable: “Okay.”
Then, Zhou Yansheng continued carrying her forward, his pace noticeably quicker.
For some reason, Qin Qing sensed a hint of awkwardness in the man.
Had she… passed the test, perhaps?
But the sadness in her heart was real…
The regret was real too…
She no longer restrained herself, letting herself sprawl over the man’s back, allowing her tears to flow into the hollow of his neck…
Along the way, many people saw Captain Zhou carrying his wife back.
Cowed by Zhou Yansheng’s imposing authority from the interrogation room earlier, no one dared approach to invite trouble.
It wasn’t until they entered the small courtyard that Zhou Yansheng finally set the little woman down from his back.
“I’ll go get the food.” He hurriedly took out his keys to unlock the door, grabbed the lunchbox, and immediately left.
Watching Zhou Yansheng’s retreating figure.
Qin Qing was overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness.
Was she a monster?
Avoiding her like this…
Zhou Yansheng, you can’t run away.