Chapter 233 One of the Heroines from the Original Drama

Chapter 233: One of the Female Protagonists in the Original Story

"Take her to the police station!"

Ji Qingqing, held by the plump woman and the aunt who was often scolded by her husband and mother-in-law for spending money recklessly, was being dragged to the police station. Finally, she got scared.

"It's a mix-up! I didn't, I didn't steal anything! I admit I just badmouthed Wang Xiaocui, I have a grudge against her, but I didn't steal any money!"

"Wang Xiaocui, please explain for me, I didn't steal money!" Ji Qingqing desperately yelled at Wang Xiaocui in panic.

Wang Xiaocui imitated Ji Qingqing's previous haughty demeanor, tilting her head high and looking at her like she was an idiot.

"How would I know if you stole or not? I wasn't following you, but you took my pancake without paying, everyone saw it, and you admitted it yourself!"

"You took my pancake without paying, and you even slandered me. My food is super clean, I eat two meals right here at my stall, and many people around can see. If there were any issues with my food, would I dare to eat it myself?"

"Although I, Wang Xiaocui, haven't had much education, I can tell you this: my business isn't just a day or two old. I don't do dishonest things. My ingredients are the freshest and cleanest, I wouldn't even sell anything that's been sitting out overnight!"

As she talked, Wang Xiaocui seemed to recall something and widened her eyes at Ji Qingqing, "Oh, I get it now. Your husband got fired from the canned food factory for fraud, right? Your family's broke now, and your house was taken back by the factory, wasn't it? Is that why you started stealing?"

Without waiting for a response, Wang Xiaocui nodded knowingly, "Tsk tsk tsk, can't you make money the honest way? And you have the gall to look down on me? Even though I'm a country girl, I've never resorted to stealing!"

"But you... sigh, stealing from folks, stealing cash, it's all the same. Oh well, forget it. I got my 20 cents back for the pancake. Since we know each other, I won't report you. But you better pay the others back fast! Everyone has families to support, life is hard for all of us..."

Hearing Wang Xiaocui's words, the crowd's gaze towards Ji Qingqing grew even more furious. This was hard evidence.

This thief had probably been hanging around them for a while, and now she was caught with a fistful of stolen cash.

Many people checked their belongings and found nothing missing, but they still felt uneasy, wondering if they'd just forgotten and actually been robbed without noticing.

Ji Qingqing, being dragged away by the plump woman and the aunt, turned her head and cursed at Wang Xiaocui, "Wang Xiaocui, you'll come to a bad end."

The plump fruit seller, who had been short on money a few days ago and had several fights with her husband, was still fuming. Hearing Ji Qingqing's curses, she reached out and pinched Ji Qingqing hard several times.

The aunt, who had been suffering at home, constantly scolded by her husband and mother-in-law for spending money recklessly, even though she meticulously calculated every penny, always wondered where her money went. Now, all the pent-up frustration from years of mistreatment finally found an outlet.

"Wang Xiaocui, you heartless snake, you... ahhh~"

"Sister, sister, it's a mix-up! I didn't steal anything, I was framed! Listen to my explanation... ow~ wuwuwu, why are you hitting me~"

"Shut up! We caught you red-handed, and you're still making excuses. Whether you're innocent or not, we'll let the police station decide!"

"I'm telling you, if you don't return the money I lost a few days ago, I won't let this go. In such cold weather, I left my kids at home and came out early in the morning, shivering, just to earn a little hard-earned money, and you stole it all, you black-hearted..."

"I said I didn't do it!"

"Ah~ wuwuwu, why are you hitting me!!!"

Listening to Ji Qingqing's cries fading into the distance, Wang Xiaocui felt a great sense of satisfaction.

She turned her head and looked around, "Huh? Where is he?"

She recognized that young man from before. He was the troublemaker she had encountered at the hospital, the one who had argued with his mother, later put his father in a sack and cuckolded his mother. Wang Xiaocui remembered him vividly because he was so unreliable!

"Could it be that that unreliable guy also has a grudge against Ji Qingqing?"

"Auntie, how much for the pancake?" A voice nearby brought Wang Xiaocui back to reality.

"Ah, with egg it's 20 cents, with oil dregs it's also 20 cents, and with those side dishes it's 10 cents!"

Zuo Zuying took advantage of the chaos to escape and headed towards the main street.

Not long ago, he saw Lu Jin'an visiting Su Jiao at the hospital.

He clearly remembered that day when he hit Lu Jin'an on the head with a big rock and kicked him into the lake.

In such a situation, it was a life-or-death moment. If he had sunk for a few minutes, he would have died.

Zuo Zuying thought the other man was dead, but then he encountered him on the street a few days ago and thought he was seeing a ghost.

Later, he followed Lu Jin'an to the hospital and overheard the doctors and nurses saying that Lu Jin'an had been rescued that day. When he was brought to the hospital, he was nearly frozen solid, fell into a coma, and had a fever for a day and night. But by the next day, he was completely fine, with no lingering issues.

It was downright eerie.

Actually, the easiest way to deal with Zuo Shangdang and Lu Yazhi would be to send a tip-off letter. But in the original plot, the protagonist had already tried that.

After the protagonist sent the letter, Zuo Shangdang and Lu Yazhi remained unharmed, but it only tipped them off. Lu Jin'an immediately suspected Hou Li's involvement and quickly struck back at her and her kids.

Lu Jin'an took his surname from Lu Yazhi. When Zuo Shangdang took Lu Jin'an out to meet people, he introduced him as his adopted son, claiming to be taking care of the orphaned child of a deceased friend.

To outsiders, Zuo Shangdang seemed like a righteous and honorable man, brimming with compassion and loyalty.

Those who were aware of the truth wouldn’t touch this mess with a ten-foot pole, especially since most of them were on good terms with Zuo Shangdang. Zuo Shangdang and Lu Yazhi were skilled in covering their tracks.

The key point was that Ai Xiaoqing, one of the male lead's harem members, was the niece of Ai Chengpeng, the deputy director of City A.

Ai Xiaoqing was orphaned at a young age and was raised by Ai Chengpeng and his wife. The couple felt sorry for her early loss and, since she was smart and adorable, they treated her as their own.

Zuo Zuying vaguely remembered that Lu Jin'an and Ai Xiaoqing were in a flirtatious phase before. The moment they truly fell deeply in love happened just a few days ago, at the natural ice rink by the river in the suburbs.

It was already February, and there were still many young men and women skating on the natural ice rink by the river. Ai Xiaoqing was an ice-skating enthusiast, and Lu Jin'an coincidentally saved her when she was standing on a cracked part of the ice. They hugged each other, rolled a few times, and then their eyes locked, time stood still, and their hearts beat as one.

Later, for some reason, Ai Xiaoqing started confiding in Lu Jin'an about how she was bullied by her cousin.

To cheer up the female lead, Lu Jin'an and Ai Xiaoqing ran in the rain, letting the raindrops hit their faces, occasionally gazing at each other affectionately and sharing a smile.