Chapter 335 How Did He Treat You Well?

Chapter 335 How Did He Treat You Right?

Jiang Yu heard the commotion behind her but didn't look back as she walked away.

After her day off, she went back to her usual routine of shuttling between two places.

"Good morning, Department Head Lan."

Lan Raoping stopped in her tracks and smiled at Jiang Yu.

"Good morning, Deputy Section Chief Jiang."

Jiang Yu, noticing Lan's tired appearance, couldn't help but ask, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Cai Xiaole glanced over, feeling that Jiang Yu was being too nosy.

Shao Jiakang was still detained in the security department, and with the investigation's outcome still pending, it was no wonder Lan Raoping couldn't sleep well with the threat looming over her.

"Let's talk in the office," Lan Raoping said.

Jiang Yu nodded and followed her.

As soon as they sat down, Lan Raoping started, "Jiang Yu, you know about Director Shao's situation, right? What do you know? Can you tell me?"

Jiang Yu didn't hide anything and spoke frankly, "According to the investigation, the previous loss of chemical fiber materials is related to Director Shao. He has already confessed."

This is a serious matter, and it won't be easy for him to get out of it.

Lan Raoping's eyes lowered, "What if I cover the embezzled money?"

Jiang Yu was taken aback, "Are you going to help him?"

Lan Raoping sighed softly. She had visited Shao Jiakang yesterday.

Shao Jiakang wept and confessed to her, saying that with enough money, this situation could be fixed.

He hoped Lan Raoping would save him.

If he could get out, he would only lose his position, but he still had a chance to make a comeback.

But if he couldn't get out, his life would be ruined.

Last night, she stayed up all night thinking about this.

After all, he was her husband of nearly twenty years. How could she remain indifferent?

Her heart was torn between her missing daughter and Shao Jiakang.

"I don't know what to do. Over the years, even though he's acted a bit extreme at times, he's been good to me."

Jiang Yu: "..."

If she didn't know about Shao Jiakang and Zhou Xue's affairs, she might have thought, like most people, that Shao Jiakang was a decent man.

"Department Head Lan, but if you use that money, will you still have enough to look for your daughter?"

Lan Raoping was stunned. Yesterday, besides Shao Jiakang, she had also seen her mother-in-law.

Her mother-in-law knelt on the ground, begging her to save Shao Jiakang.

She also sought advice from her friends, who believed she should help Shao Jiakang first.

This morning, as she left the house, Zhou Xue was already waiting at the door, pleading with her to help Shao Jiakang.

She was worn out, and at that moment, it felt like the whole world was siding with Shao Jiakang.

And Jiang Yu was the only one who considered her daughter.

"Jiang Yu, to be honest, I don’t know either."

The amount involved with Shao Jiakang is not a small sum; it's not just a simple matter of covering the deficit.

He has to pay a fine that’s several times what he stole over the years.

Throwing money at the problem won’t help; he needs to find someone to vouch for him.

Shao Jiakang kept telling her he could find the right connections; all he needed was the cash.

"Should I not hesitate? He is my husband, of course, I should help him."

Jiang Yu shook her head, "This isn’t about what you should or shouldn’t do—it’s about what you want to do."

Lan Raoping looked down, "If I say I don’t want to, wouldn’t that make me heartless? He’s been good to me all these years."

Jiang Yu propped her chin on her hand and asked, puzzled, "Did he fetch you foot-washing water? Did he cook for you? Did he hand over his salaries to you? If none of these, then how has he been good to you?"

Lan Raoping looked confused; if she really thought about it, none of those things had ever happened.

She didn’t have an answer to Jiang Yu’s question.

She couldn’t help wondering, why did she think Shao Jiakang had been good to her?

Because after she lost two children in a row and decided not to have any more, he chose to be understanding.

From then on, it seemed like Shao Jiakang could do no wrong in everyone’s eyes.

But all these years, he never paid a single bill, never handled any chores, and didn’t even take care of her or her mother-in-law when they were sick.

Jiang Yu’s words cleared the fog before her eyes, and Lan Raoping suddenly felt her mind much clearer.

"Jiang Yu, you don’t like Shao Jiakang, do you?"

It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

"Why? Is it because he and Factory Director Zheng don’t get along?"

Jiang Yu: "Honestly, I don’t like him, but it has nothing to do with Factory Director Zheng. Department Head Lan, after work today, come with me to a place. It’ll give you the answers you need."

Lan Raoping looked confused, "Where are we going?"

"Let’s talk when we get there. If by then you still think Shao Jiakang has been good to you, then I have nothing more to say."

Jiang Yu stood up and walked out of the office.

By the afternoon, Lan Raoping and Jiang Yu were walking out of the factory gate together.

Lan Raoping quickly figured out that Jiang Yu was leading her to Dongmin Alley.

"What are we here for?"

She was aware that Jiang Yu owned a courtyard here.

Jiang Yu teased her: "You'll find out in a moment."

When they arrived at the door, Lai Liuzi had just finished removing the lock.

"Ma'am, it's ready, you can go in."

"No big deal!" He waved his hand.

Lan Raoping was even more confused. "Don’t you have a key? Why remove the lock?"

Jiang Yu asked, "Department Head Lan, when you gave me the key, were you aware that Zhou Xue also had one?"

Lan Raoping’s expression shifted slightly; she truly hadn’t known.

"So... what are you implying?"

"Zhou Xue has been living in this courtyard for some time. I’ll be frank—she’s been here as long as I’ve had someone keeping an eye on her," Jiang Yu said calmly.

She had always tasked Lai Liuzi with monitoring Zhou Xue’s movements. Zhou Xue was currently with Shao Jiakang at the security department and wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

She guided Lan Raoping into the main room where Zhou Xue stayed. The room was cluttered, but at first glance, it didn’t look like a single woman’s space.

Everything, even the pillows on the bed, was arranged in pairs.

Jiang Yu opened the nearby wardrobe, which held not just Zhou Xue’s clothes but also a noticeable amount of men’s clothing.

"Is Zhou Xue in a relationship?" Lan Raoping frowned.

"But what does her relationship have to do with us? If you want her gone, why not just confront her directly? Why..."

Showing up while Zhou Xue was away and rummaging through her belongings felt a bit rude.

Jiang Yu pulled out the men’s clothes and asked, "Department Head Lan, don’t these look familiar?"

Lan Raoping glanced up, her eyes landing on the white shirt.

A thought struck her, and her face went pale.

Jiang Yu hadn’t brought it up, but now, reminded, she recalled that Shao Jiakang owned an identical shirt.

Her hands shook as she grabbed the shirt.

Looking closer, she noticed the buttons on the sleeves didn’t match. Shao Jiakang had lost a button on one sleeve, and since she couldn’t find an exact match, she’d sewn on a similarly colored one.

At first glance, the difference wasn’t obvious.

Lan Raoping covered her mouth in shock, as if scalded, and quickly tossed the shirt aside.

After a moment of stillness, her expression darkened, and she began rifling through other items.

Finally, in a drawer, she discovered a photo clearly depicting Shao Jiakang and Zhou Xue.

Zhou Xue was sitting on Shao Jiakang’s lap, kissing his cheek, and the man was smiling brightly.

Jiang Yu frowned, her eyes showing disgust.

Lan Raoping's hands trembled, and the photo fell to the ground.

As she lost balance, she collapsed to the floor.

She bit her hand hard, holding back her anguish.

One was her husband of twenty years, the other her carefully raised goddaughter.

Either one was enough to break her heart.

Jiang Yu glanced at the time, "Zhou Xue will be back soon."

Lan Raoping looked up at her, her eyes red, but she kept her tears at bay.

She controlled her anger and despair, her rationality still intact.

Jiang Yu understood her well, which is why she brought her here directly.

"If we don't leave now and run into Zhou Xue later, we'll have to face her head-on. Raising suspicions won't do you any good, because no one will believe that Shao Jiakang and Zhou Xue are having an affair. They'll just think you're trying to defame him."

She could already imagine the accusations. People would stand on their moral high ground, calling Lan Raoping heartless for abandoning Shao Jiakang in his time of need—no better than kicking him when he was down.

Lan Raoping decided firmly: "Let's go!"

The two of them put everything back and walked to the door. Lan Raoping looked at the broken lock.

"What about this lock? Zhou Xue might think there was a thief if she sees it."

Jiang Yu said calmly, "Right now, her mind and eyes are full of your man. She won't have the mood to care about these things, don't worry."