This was impossible!
Zhou Huaijin frantically denied it in his heart.
He asked suspiciously, “Did something happen between us last night?”
Qiao Shuran looked at him through tearful eyes.
“Last night… you lost control. You, you took my innocence.”
Boom!
Zhou Huaijin’s entire body trembled violently.
Qiao Shuran lowered her head and continued crying, looking exceptionally pitiful.
The room was so quiet that it seemed as though everyone was waiting for the sound of a needle hitting the floor.
It took Zhou Huaijin a great deal of effort to force himself to calm down.
He remembered everything from the previous night with absolute clarity.
The embrace, the entanglement, the intimate sensations, all of them belonged to Lin Tingwan. After all, he was far too familiar with her. Her features, her scent, her soft struggles…
How could he possibly have mistaken her?
That person had clearly been Lin Tingwan.
But how had she become Qiao Shuran the moment he woke up?
The more he thought about it, the more something seemed wrong.
Yet if it had been Lin Tingwan, she would never have let the matter go. She would certainly have used the opportunity to force him to take responsibility. How could she possibly have left without saying anything?
His head hurt terribly.
Could it be that he had truly been delirious last night and mistaken Qiao Shuran for Lin Tingwan?
The moment this thought surfaced, his heart grew even heavier.
Qiao Shuran was recognized throughout the entire factory as the gentlest, kindest, and most proper female comrade. Had he actually ruined the innocence of such a pure woman?
At this moment, he would rather the person he had wronged had been the Lin Tingwan he hated most.
Seeing that he remained silent, Qiao Shuran secretly moved her wrist farther out from her sleeve, revealing several fresh and conspicuous red and purple marks.
Had those marks been left behind by her intense struggles last night?
Zhou Huaijin froze.
He really had been extremely wild last night.
Seeing that he was still suspicious, Qiao Shuran immediately retreated in order to advance.
“Director Zhou, I know you could not control yourself last night, and I do not blame you. I know you like Comrade Lin. After all, you kept calling her name last night.”
He really had kept calling Lin Tingwan’s name last night.
Could it be that he had truly mistaken her for someone else?
“I’m sorry…”
At this point, he wished he could kick himself for what he had done.
“Director Zhou, you do not need to make things difficult for yourself, and you do not need to feel burdened because of this. Just pretend this never happened. As long as I do not say anything, no one will know. I will find someone else to marry, so you do not need to take responsibility for me. Really.”
Her words were dignified and generous, and every sentence seemed to be spoken for his sake.
Yet the more she acted this way, the more guilty Zhou Huaijin felt.
He stared at the marks on Qiao Shuran’s wrist, then looked at the injuries on her face and her bitten red lips. The last trace of doubt in his heart finally began to waver.
He really had been very rough last night.
After all, it had been his first time, and he had not known how to control himself!
But that was no excuse for hurting a female comrade!
Zhou Huaijin said solemnly, “Comrade Qiao, I am sorry. I hurt you because I was not in my right mind. If what happened last night is true, I will marry you. If you are unwilling, you can also report me to the police and have me arrested for being a hooligan. After all, I was the one who did wrong.”
Qiao Shuran was overjoyed, but she did not let it show on her face.
“Director Zhou, you know very well that I like you. How could I bear to report you to the police and have you arrested? Besides, if Lin Tingwan had not drugged you last night, you would not have made this mistake. If anyone should be arrested, it should be her! But if this matter becomes a big scandal, it will damage your reputation. Do not worry, I will not say a single word about it to anyone, and you do not need to take responsibility for me. I will go home first.”
Watching Qiao Shuran leave, Zhou Huaijin grabbed his head in anguish.
Perhaps this was for the best. Comrade Qiao was gentle and understanding, and she was ten thousand times better than Lin Tingwan.
A man should marry a virtuous wife.
Yet deep inside his heart, there was a faint, persistent pain.
As for Qiao Shuran, she deliberately slowed her steps as she left. She exposed the faint marks on her wrists and neck, making herself look as though she had been thoroughly mistreated.
She had just reached the entrance of the family compound when she ran into Auntie Liu, Auntie Sun, and the others, who were returning from buying vegetables.
The older women had sharp eyes. They immediately noticed that something was wrong with Qiao Shuran. When they saw that she had come out of Director Zhou’s dormitory building, they instantly exchanged knowing looks, their expressions becoming suggestive and full of gossip.
“Comrade Qiao, what happened to your face and neck?” Auntie Liu asked with a smile.
Qiao Shuran hurriedly covered her face.
“Auntie Liu, I did it to myself by accident. I am going to see Doctor Wang now and get some medicine.”
After saying that, she hurried away.
Before long, rumors had spread throughout the entire family compound.
“I told you there was something going on between Comrade Qiao and Director Zhou! Sure enough, they have already slept together!”
“I heard Director Zhou had a fever yesterday, and Comrade Qiao took Doctor Wang to see him in the middle of the night.”
“I heard she stayed there the whole night. Think about it, a single man and a single woman alone together, with the fire burning hot between them.
How could they possibly hold themselves back?”
“Director Zhou has always had excellent character. He will definitely take responsibility for Qiao Shuran. If it were someone else, we would certainly report him and have him arrested for being a hooligan, but he is Director Zhou!”
“They were both willing, so why report anything?”
“Exactly. Maybe they had already secretly gotten engaged.”
“That’s right. Every time Comrade Qiao looks at Director Zhou, she looks as though her soul is about to leave her body. She is truly devoted!”
The news that Director Zhou was going to marry Comrade Qiao quickly spread throughout the entire factory. Everyone was offering the two of them their blessings.
Meanwhile, inside the small room of the apartment building, Lin Tingwan had fled back to her dormitory and spent the entire night packing her belongings.
However, Zhou Huaijin had completely drained her of all her strength, causing her to fall into a deep sleep the moment her head touched the bed.
She slept until late morning.
“Bang!”
The door was suddenly shoved open, and her mother in law, Wang Cuihua, stormed inside with her hands on her hips, her voice loud enough to shake the heavens.
“Lin Tingwan! You lazy good for nothing! The sun is already high in the sky, and you are still sleeping! Are you planning to sleep until you break the bed?”
In the past, if the original owner had been publicly insulted like this, she would certainly have exploded on the spot. The mother and daughter in law would have confronted each other until they ended up fighting, giving all the neighbors a good show.
But today, Lin Tingwan remained completely calm, without the slightest intention of arguing back.
Seeing that she said nothing, Wang Cuihua assumed she was feeling guilty and became even angrier.
“I knew you were up to no good! Every day, you shamelessly run around trying to seduce Director Zhou!
“I am telling you, give up on that idea as soon as possible! What kind of person is Director Zhou? He is young, capable, and upright. How could he possibly take a liking to a rule breaking widow like you?
“I just heard everyone in the compound talking. Director Zhou and Comrade Qiao slept together last night, and the two of them are about to get engaged and married!
“From now on, you had better stay home and behave yourself as a widow.
Do not go outside looking for other men and ruin the reputation of our Ji family! You belonged to Awen in life, and you will belong to Awen in death! If you dare betray him, be careful that he climbs back from the grave to settle the score with you!”
Li Cuihua was like a machine gun, firing off one accusation after another without stopping!
Lin Tingwan only heard that the male lead and female lead had slept together.
Her eyes immediately lit up.
According to the plot in the book, they really had slept together.
Could it be that Zhou Huaijin had woken up last night, Qiao Shuran had happened to enter, and the effects of the drug had not yet worn off, so the two of them had slept together again?
Good heavens, what kind of parts was Zhou Huaijin made from?
Was he really that durable?
Would Doctor Wang be extremely embarrassed?
The kind of embarrassment that made him wish he could gouge out his own eyes?
Now the plot had Qiao Shuran sleeping with Zhou Huaijin, and the two of them were going to get married.
It seemed that the deadlock had finally been loosened. As long as she clung tightly to the female lead’s support, she should be able to change her fate, right?
Then she did not need to rush to sell her job and run away, did she?
Although the original owner was only a clerk, she still had a secure job.
Until she found a new way to make a living, it would be better to hold on to it for now.
Her mother in law, Wang Cuihua, was still grumbling and cursing.
Lin Tingwan replied calmly, “I understand.”
Wang Cuihua had a whole stomach full of curses ready, but they were abruptly stuck inside her. For a moment, she felt completely unaccustomed to this.
Why was this wretched girl being so obedient today?