Chapter 81

Chapter 81

“Didn’t you leave?”

Hadn’t he left? How could he be here now?

“If I’d left, how could I catch you?” Fu Xunian’s voice was icy, like a demon crawling from hell to drag the man down with him.

The man suddenly understood—Fu Xunian had known about him all along.

He tried to wrench free from Fu Xunian’s grip, but before he could break loose, a punch landed in his gut.

Perhaps because the man had intended to harm Jiang Yiwei, Fu Xunian held nothing back, laying into him with kicks.

The man’s face was bruised and swollen like a bloated pig’s head.

Jiang Yiwei started to worry that Fu Xunian might go too far and kill him.

“Xunian, enough. Don’t kill him.”

She didn’t care about the man’s life, but she cared about Fu Xunian—she didn’t want him getting into trouble.

Only then did Fu Xunian stop.

“He’s got somewhere to be.” Once they got the answers they needed, Fu Xunian would personally take him to the police station.

Understanding, Jiang Yiwei prodded the groaning, bloodied man on the ground with her foot. “Talk. Why’d you follow me?”

The man hesitated, continuing to whimper in fake agony.

Seeing that he wouldn’t speak, Fu Xunian kicked him again, forcing a yelp as he clutched his side.

“Start talking, or I’ll beat it out of you.”

If the man stayed silent, Fu Xunian would beat him until he cracked.

Fu Xunian cocked his fist back, and the man panicked.

“Stop—I’ll talk!”

“Then answer straight, unless you want more.” Since he didn’t want pain, he’d better cooperate.

Pain made the man sing, answering every question Jiang Yiwei and Fu Xunian threw at him.

Jiang Yiwei glared down at him. “What’s your name? Why were you following me?”

“My name is Wang Dayong. It—it was Chen Songzhi who paid me to rough you up for payback.”

Jiang Yiwei’s eyes went wide. *Chen Songzhi?*

Honestly, it’d been ages since Jiang Yiwei had heard that name. Hearing it now hit her like a gut punch.

“You know Chen Songzhi?” Fu Xunian didn’t miss how Jiang Yiwei’s face froze at the mention of the name.

Jiang Yiwei nodded. “We were once best friends.”

"Once." Fu Xunian picked up on those two words.

Obviously, Yiwei and Chen Songzhi had some beef. Otherwise, why would Chen Songzhi get Wang Dayong to go after Yiwei?

But what threw Jiang Yiwei off was that since the day she took fifty yuan from Chen Songzhi, she hadn’t seen her again.

Even stranger was the fact that Chen Songzhi had sent someone to follow her and beat her up.

That just didn’t make sense.

If Chen Songzhi wanted revenge, there’s no way she’d wait nearly a year. Jiang Yiwei found it extremely odd.

She kicked Wang Dayong. "Wang Dayong, don’t you know I haven’t seen Chen Songzhi in over a year? Why would she send you after me now?"

Wang Dayong clutched his stomach and insisted, "It really was Chen Songzhi! She gave me twenty yuan to take her anger out on you."

Ow!" Wang Dayong yelped as Fu Xunian kicked him again. Fu Xunian crouched down. "I doubt that’s all there is."

If Fu Xunian hadn’t been there, and Jiang Yiwei had been alone, Wang Dayong would’ve definitely done something worse to her.

Fu Xunian’s eyes darkened with anger.

Jiang Yiwei caught his meaning and gave Wang Dayong another hard kick. "You sick creep."

"Xu Nian, let’s haul him to the cops."

The cops would handle Wang Dayong’s case.

He was definitely going to jail.

"No, no! I wasn’t thinking straight—please! Don’t turn me in!" Wang Dayong begged Fu Xunian and Jiang Yiwei not to take him to the station.

"Figures you didn’t think about the cops *before* doing it."

You made your bed, now lie in it.

You can’t expect to do something like this and face no consequences.

"Xu Nian, don’t waste time arguing with him. Let’s drag him in."

So the two of them dragged Wang Dayong to the police station.

Of course, Wang Dayong ratted out Chen Songzhi.

But Chen Songzhi was ready for this. In front of the officers, she put on a tearful act, claiming that Wang Dayong had once pursued her, but she turned him down. Knowing about her past conflict with Jiang Yiwei, he framed her by saying she ordered him to attack her.

The cops weren’t buying it, but without solid proof linking Chen Songzhi to the attack, and with several witnesses backing her up—saying they’d heard Wang Dayong threaten to get back at Chen Songzhi before—they swore Chen Songzhi was telling the truth.

They convinced the police that Wang Dayong’s following and beating up Jiang Yiwei might have been his own scheme.

Without solid proof and with people vouching for Chen Songzhi, the police had no choice but to let her go.

As for Wang Dayong, the evidence against him was rock-solid. He got twelve years.

Outside the station, Fu Xunian glanced at Jiang Yiwei beside him.

"Yiwei, Chen Songzhi’s playing dumb. Wang Dayong’s a nobody—his word means nothing. No way to pin this on her."

"That’s too bad."

Chen Songzhi actually slipped through the cracks.

The cops might’ve been skeptical about what Wang Dayong said, but Jiang Yiwei believed him.

She knew Chen Songzhi was capable of it.

Chen Songzhi was the person who had it out for her the most in this world.

Jiang Yiwei narrowed her eyes, thinking of someone.

Li Qingjun.

A grin suddenly tugged at her lips.

"What’s got you smiling out of nowhere?" Fu Xunian asked, puzzled.

"Nothing. I just thought of how to pay Chen Songzhi back for her ‘generosity’ toward me."

Fu Xunian stiffened but simply replied, "How so?"

He hoped Jiang Yiwei would protect herself.

"Relax, nothing against the law," she assured him. She wouldn’t do anything illegal—but she definitely knew how to make Chen Songzhi’s life hell.

Otherwise, Chen Songzhi would keep coming after her for kicks.

"So, what’s the move?"

"Just promise me you’ll stay safe."

Fu Xunian only wanted Jiang Yiwei to be safe and sound.

Jiang Yiwei smirked, cryptic. "You’ll find out when it’s over."

"I can handle myself too," she added.

Fu Xunian didn’t press further—he’d wait for her to tell him.

Back home, Zhang Cuifen pounced on Jiang Yiwei for details as soon as she saw her.

"Yiwei, you’re back."

"Did you come straight from the police station?"

"Yeah, right from the station," Jiang Yiwei answered truthfully.

"So, what happened? Are Chen Songzhi and that creep getting serious time?"

"Yeah! How did it go, Third Sis?" Jiang Weilin wanted to know if those who bullied Jiang Yiwei were going away for a long time.

"Wang Dayong’s looking at twelve years. Chen Songzhi played innocent, and witnesses backed her up, so she walked."

"Wait—they let Chen Songzhi go?"

Zhang Cuifen wasn’t having it—she thought Chen Songzhi belonged behind bars.

She actually thought up such a nasty scheme.

Fortunately, Yiwei had no further dealings with Chen Songzhi later on. Who knows what sneaky tricks someone like her might be cooking up against Yiwei behind her back?

"Disgusting! How could they just let Chen Songzhi walk? That's so unfair!" Hearing that Chen Songzhi had been released, Weilin was furious.

Weilin remembered Chen Songzhi all too well. He couldn't stand her—she was always picking on his third sister, just like his second sister used to.

That awful woman even sent people after his third sister. Luckily, his third sister was fine, or else he'd have made sure Chen Songzhi paid for it.

"Yiwei, try to get home earlier at night from now on. Don't stay out so late."

Afraid the same thing might happen again, Cuifen warned Yiwei that if she went out, she should come back early and not stay out too long, to avoid encountering the same trouble.

"I know."

She'd been late that night because she was trying to catch Wang Dayong and turn him in to the cops.

She knew that night had scared everyone.

Yiwei returned to her small room.

Lying in bed, she remembered bumping into Li Xiaojuan on the street a while back.

Xiaojuan was thrilled to see Yiwei—she never expected to run into her like that. Since they both had time to kill, they ended up chatting for a bit.

Yiwei listened as Xiaojuan talked about what had happened at the First Garment and Textile Factory after she left.

Yiwei had already heard half of it from Hong Su and Huang Cuizhu.

Then, out of nowhere, Xiaojuan got all secretive.

She asked Yiwei, "You remember Li Qingjun, right?"

How could she forget? Back then, Qingjun had been Chen Songzhi's little lackey, making sure Yiwei got mocked, sneered at, or glared at every time she crossed paths with him at the factory.

Xiaojuan told Yiwei that Qingjun and Chen Songzhi had started dating.

Qingjun had even brought Chen Songzhi around the factory a few times, but given their history, nobody had forgiven Chen Songzhi.

Yiwei had long suspected this possibility—that Qingjun and Chen Songzhi would get together.

Qingjun was likely the best catch in Chen Songzhi’s social circle. Someone like her would always go for whatever gave her the biggest advantage.

Xiaojuan also told Yiwei that Qingjun had been griping to his coworkers—he wanted to marry Chen Songzhi, but she hadn’t agreed, saying she wanted to wait a little longer.

But Xiaojuan didn’t think so. She figured Chen Songzhi was just leading Qingjun on. The second something better came along, she’d drop him.

Yiwei nodded along—she felt the same way.

On top of that, Xiaojuan mentioned that Qingjun’s mom was against his relationship with Chen Songzhi. Even if Chen Songzhi agreed to marry him, it wouldn’t matter.

Yiwei sat up, grabbed the jacket she’d tossed on the chair, and headed out.

"Yiwei, where you off to?"

"Don't stay out too late."

Zhang Cuifen trailed after Jiang Yiwei, nagging her.

"I know, Ma."

Jiang Yiwei waved at her, signaling her to go inside.

At the entrance of a large courtyard in Yuncheng Alley, a bunch of neighborhood ladies huddled in a corner, just out of reach of the cold wind, talking a mile a minute. Their faces grew more animated as they spoke, and some were even slapping their knees in excitement.

"I told y’all he was shooting blanks—if he wasn’t, his wife wouldn’t have gone so many years without getting pregnant."

"Thank God they got checked out. Turns out it was Qinglin’s issue, or else Ye Qing would’ve kept getting abused by Wang Dafen."

"Bet they’ll split now."

"Ye Qing’s been put through hell by Wang Dafen all these years. If I were from Ye Qing’s family, I’d tell her to dump his ass."

"Either way, we’ll get the tea soon enough," one of the aunties said.

The auntie leaning against the wall suddenly asked them, "Do you all know about Qingjun’s girlfriend?"

"What about her?"

Everyone turned to the corner auntie with excitement and curiosity.

The corner auntie preened. "You really don’t know? Y’all are way behind."

This piece of gossip was currently known only to her, and she was eating it up.

"Just spill it already. What’s going on with Qingjun’s girlfriend?"

Since Li Qingjun had brought Chen Songzhi to his home many times before, everyone recognized her.

They all thought Chen Songzhi seemed like a sweet girl—what could possibly have happened?

"I heard from someone that Qingjun’s girlfriend put someone up to bullying a young girl, but they got busted and hauled down to the station. They spilled the beans that it was Qingjun’s girlfriend who told them to do it."

"But Qingjun’s girlfriend swore up and down she was set up and refused to admit anything, so she got locked up right along with them."

The other aunties’ jaws dropped—they couldn’t believe Chen Songzhi could do something like this.

"Li Feng, no way! You sure you didn’t get it wrong?"

Hauled down to the station?

And putting a hit out on some girl?

Chen Songzhi didn’t seem like that kind of person, so some aunties wondered if Li Feng had misheard.

"You know I have a relative working at the station. I was afraid of messing up, so I went straight to the source," Li Feng said. To confirm whether Chen Songzhi was actually arrested, she had even checked with her contact, who told her it was all true.

"So it really happened?"

Everyone knew Li Feng had a relative in the police, and she’d name-dropped them before.

So they all believed her.

"I always thought Qingjun’s girlfriend was so nice. I wouldn’t have pegged her for that." They truly couldn’t imagine Chen Songzhi putting someone up to messing with another girl.

"Is there any chance Qingjun’s girlfriend really didn’t do it and got railroaded?"

One of the aunties scoffed, "Why would they accuse anyone else? Why single out Li Qingjun’s girlfriend?"

"You can know someone’s face, but not their heart—don’t underestimate people."

Ever heard the saying, "You can know someone’s face, but not their heart"? Don’t look down on anyone.

Just 'cause someone looks sweet and meek doesn’t mean they ain’t rotten inside.

"Oh man, this is golden. If Chen Songzhi marries into the family, Wang Dafen’s gonna be in for it."

Folks just wanted a front-row seat to the mess.

Since Chen Songzhi dared to boss people around like that, she’s bad news—no way she’s easy to deal with.

If she really married Li Qingjun, Wang Dafen’s life would be hell.

They’d have a real show on their hands.

"Back then, Wang Da made Ye Qing’s life miserable. Now Wang Dafen’s gonna get the same treatment from Li Qingjun’s wife."

The more they talked, the more excited they got, not noticing someone standing nearby, shaking with anger.

That someone was Wang Dafen.

Wang Dafen had always disliked Chen Songzhi and wanted Li Qingjun to break up with her. But her dumb son was head over heels for Chen Songzhi, insisting he’d only marry her.

So even though Li Qingjun wanted to marry Chen Songzhi, Wang Dafen had dug her heels in.

Her son might like Chen Songzhi, but she could see that if Chen actually came into the family, life would be chaos. And she knew Chen wasn’t some meek little thing.

That’s why she’d never agreed.

Now Chen had landed in jail for putting someone up to harassing that girl.

Whether it was true or not, there was no way Wang Dafen would let Chen into the family now.

She was going to find a matchmaker to find her boy a decent girl—absolutely no chance of letting Chen through the door.

She stormed off down the alley ahead.

At the same time, Chen Songzhi sat on the ground, a bright red slap mark glaring on her cheek.

Chen Dahe pointed at her angrily. "You good-for-nothing brat! You’ve humiliated me in front of everyone!"

The second he walked in, people started whispering behind his back.

Chen Dahe felt like he’d been shamed in public.

Chen Songzhi kept her head down, her eyes burning with hate—but she didn’t dare show it in front of her father.

"Dad, I didn’t do anything! Wang Dayong set me up!"

"Yiwei must’ve put him up to it!"

"Dad, I’m innocent!"

Even then, Chen Songzhi kept dragging Jiang Yiwei into it.

"Pfft. I’m your dad. You think I don’t know your game?"

Chen Dahe was no fool. On the contrary, he was shrewd—even a little cunning.

Chen Songzhi was his daughter, and even if he didn’t like her, she’d grown up under his watch.

His daughter had been selfish, greedy, callous, and ruthless since childhood.

He knew her inside out.

Chen Dahe was aware that Chen Songzhi was a master at putting on an act. Folks often thought he and his wife treated her badly, but Chen Songzhi was still under their control—she’d even landed a job.

She’d even volunteered that she could find a wife for Chen Songbai when they planned to marry her off for a hefty dowry.

So, he believed what Wang Dayong said.

Besides, Chen Songzhi and Jiang Yiwei hadn’t kept in touch for ages. That damn girl must have offended Jiang Yiwei, who then put Wang Dayong up to it.

"I didn’t do it! And the fact that I was released by the police proves I’m innocent!"

Tch! Whether she did it or not didn’t matter. What mattered was that she had been let go—that made her innocent.

"I don’t care if you’re innocent or not. You’ve embarrassed me, and that’s your fault!"

With that, Chen Dahe rolled up his sleeves, ready to take his anger out on Chen Songzhi.

Chen Songzhi trembled, shrinking back in fear.

"Dad, Qingjun said he wants to marry me."

Chen Dahe paused.

Li Qingjun.

Chen Dahe was quite satisfied with Li Qingjun. In fact, he thought Chen Songzhi had hit the jackpot by getting involved with him.

Li Qingjun had mentioned before that aside from his mother and younger sister—who didn’t work—all three men in his family had jobs. And Li Qingjun himself was a clerk at the No. 1 Textile Factory, with a solid paycheck and benefits.

If Chen Songzhi married Li Qingjun, he could still squeeze a fat dowry out of him. With that money plus a little extra from their own pockets, they could buy a job for Chen Songbai.

Chen Dahe’s expression shifted. Chen Songzhi already had a job.

A sneaky idea came to him—he could strong-arm Chen Songzhi into handing over her job to Chen Songbai. He knew she would never agree willingly, but if he threatened her, saying she could only marry Li Qingjun if she gave up her job, otherwise she could forget about marrying at all…

If Chen Songzhi didn’t marry, her salary would still go to the family. But letting her take the job to her husband’s house? That was a raw deal Chen Dahe wasn’t having.

In short, if she wanted to marry, she had to hand over her job to Chen Songbai—that way, they wouldn’t need to spend money buying one.

Just as Chen Dahe was about to spell out his terms—that she must surrender her job if she wanted to marry—a shrill wail cut through the air outside the house.

"Chen Songzhi, you little witch, get out here!"

"Everyone, come see! Chen Songzhi got my Dayong sentenced to twelve years in prison! My poor Dayong!"

"It was Chen Songzhi who started this! My son just took money to do the job, yet Chen Songzhi walks free—where’s the justice in that?"

A white-haired old woman sat wailing in front of Chen Dahe’s door, flanked by two other women shouting toward the house.

"Chen Songzhi, get out here."

"Don't hide inside—get out here!"

"You must make things right for our family."

"Who are they?" This came from a neighbor who lived in the same compound as Chen Dahe.

"They're Wang Dayong's family. That older woman on the ground is Wang Dayong's mother, and those two women are his older sisters."

Looking at Wang Dayong's mother's demeanor, someone muttered, "Looks like they're here to settle scores with Songzhi."

"But wasn't Songzhi framed by Wang Dayong?"

The person next to them shrugged. "Who knows? Just watch the show."

Chen Songzhi's face turned pale; her expression flickered.

What was Wang Dayong's family doing at her house?

"Hmph." Chen Dahe snorted coldly.

"Get them out of here now, or you'll pay for it."

Since Songzhi had caused the trouble, she should deal with it herself.

Thinking about the gossip that would follow among the neighbors, Chen Dahe's face darkened further.

Chen Songzhi gave a small shudder before opening the door and stepping outside.

Old Lady Wang, Wang Dayong's mother, rushed toward Chen Songzhi as soon as she saw her, swinging to slap her. But Chen Songzhi dodged, and the old woman lurched forward empty-handed.

Wang Dayong's two sisters cried out, "Mom!" and hurried to her side.

"Dear heavens! Why must I suffer so?" Old Lady Wang wailed, as if she had endured unbearable injustice.

Chen Songzhi faced them coldly. "You're Wang Dayong's family. Why come to my home? I haven't even confronted you about Wang Dayong lying and saying I told him to hurt Yi Wei—Yi Wei is my best friend. How could I possibly ask Wang Dayong to hurt her?"

"You have the gall to come here and push me too far."

Chen Songzhi took charge of the situation first, then emphasized that Jiang Yiwei was her best friend—all to make her words more believable to the crowd.