“Ah… ah… it hurts, it hurts!”
The moment Wang Fugui reached out his wrist, Shen Linzhou seized it. His grip was so powerful it felt as though he might crush the bones. Wang Fugui’s face twisted instantly, and he sucked in sharp breaths of pain.
“You just said you wouldn’t hold back. I’d like to know exactly what you planned to do.”
Li Fengmei, who had been cowering silently for quite some time, suddenly cried out, “What are you doing? A soldier is assaulting someone! Somebody come save us!”
The Wang family’s three sons looked at Shen Linzhou’s imposing build, and not one of them dared step forward.
Shen Linzhou casually flung Wang Fugui aside. Wang Fugui staggered backward and was caught by Xiao Zhenyu.
The next second, Shen Linzhou turned to Xiao Mandong.
“Xiao Mandong, you’re a smart person. How could you do something so foolish? Why did you take this matter to the factory?”
Li Fengmei, who had just been about to start wailing again, immediately shut her mouth.
See? They had finally encountered someone reasonable. They were all relatives, and anyone with eyes could tell who was really at fault. How could a family make such a scene and humiliate themselves like this?
Xiao Mandong’s heart clenched.
She had never expected Shen Linzhou to say something like that. She had always regarded him as a friend, but it turned out that he also thought she was wrong to report Wang Fugui.
But what had she done wrong? Why should she swallow her anger and endure the humiliation? Weren’t the Wang family the ones who were insatiably greedy? She was a member of the Xiao family—wasn’t she entitled to seek justice for them?
Xiao Mandong felt as if she had been betrayed. She bit her lower lip and was just about to argue when Shen Linzhou spoke again.
“Was it really necessary to take this to the factory?”
His tone sounded reproachful, but his voice was very low.
“He cheated on his wife twenty years ago, behaved immorally, and drove his first wife to her death. That’s a clear-cut case of hooliganism. What good would it do to report him to the factory? What problem would that solve?”
“I’ll call the Public Security Bureau later. Leave this matter to the authorities. I guarantee they’ll help you find your brother and recover those three thousand yuan. Swapping children is human trafficking. This isn’t a minor offense.”
Li Fengmei’s face changed instantly. The arrogance she had displayed only moments before was extinguished by Shen Linzhou’s words.
“You… You’re talking nonsense! What do you mean, drove his first wife to her death? What do you mean, human trafficking? You’re slandering us!”
Wang Fugui looked even more ashen. Under Shen Linzhou’s cold, intimidating presence, he didn’t even dare breathe too loudly.
Xiao Mandong’s heart was pounding wildly.
Though she had lived two lifetimes, she had never been in love, nor had anyone ever protected her. In her previous life, she had shielded those two ungrateful ingrates. In this life, she had been protecting her younger sister. This was the first time someone had stood in front of her, and the sensation felt unreal.
Xiao Mandong tried to clear the muddle from her mind. She reminded herself that this was something she and Shen Linzhou had planned together. It was only an act.
She wasn’t a little girl. She knew what she wanted and wouldn’t let a moment of kindness sweep her away.
Soon, Xiao Mandong gathered her thoughts.
“Then let’s report it to the authorities. I don’t want to have anything more to do with their family.”
“You can’t report it to the authorities. I promise I won’t bother you again.”
Wang Fugui hurriedly tried to stop Xiao Mandong. Losing his job was one thing, but if the matter went to the Public Security Bureau, wouldn’t he end up behind bars? His former mother-in-law hated him to the core. If the authorities began investigating, he would only be giving them the opportunity to destroy him.
Shen Linzhou’s voice was quiet and slightly hoarse, yet it carried an invisible pressure.
“I don’t want to waste words on you. You have two choices. First, go to the Public Security Bureau and await investigation. Second, tell us where the real Xiao Zhenyu is and return the three thousand yuan. I’ll give you three minutes to decide.”
Xiao Mandong simply stared at Shen Linzhou.
She had known him for so long, but this was the first time she had seen the commanding presence of someone accustomed to being in charge.
Shen Linzhou was extremely perceptive. He could feel Xiao Mandong watching him. His expression remained cold and stern, but his mind uncontrollably recalled the softness of her lips when he had touched them on the train.
His heart itched like a cat scratching at it. Fortunately, he spent most of his days outside on missions, and his skin was dark from the sun. Otherwise, the flushed, burning tips of his ears would certainly have betrayed the turmoil in his heart.
Xiao Mandong looked away and drew a deep breath before saying slowly, “Time’s up. I think I’ll still report this to the authorities and clear the Wang family’s name.”
“Wait!”
Wang Fugui hurriedly called out to stop her. After carefully considering his words, he said, “Your biological younger brother died the day he was born. Your maternal grandmother was afraid that your mother would be despised by your grandmother for failing to give the Xiao family a son, so she had Xiao Zhenyu take your brother’s place.”
“No matter how you put it, she did it for the sake of you sisters. If your mother hadn’t given the Xiao family a son, and your mother had been driven out despite the Xiao family’s wealth and influence, what would have happened to you sisters in the future?”
Xiao Mandong couldn’t help sneering. She hadn’t expected Wang Fugui’s mind to work so quickly.
“If that’s the case, then I’m curious. When exactly was Xiao Zhenyu born? As far as I remember, the only child born at the same time as my brother was Wang Lei.”
At that moment, Wang Lei’s palms were slick with nervous sweat.
If he was truly a member of the Xiao family, would the three thousand yuan that was returned belong to him? He could use it to buy himself a job and avoid being sent down to the countryside.
Besides, even a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. The Xiao family had already received word that they were about to be sent away. There was no way they hadn’t secretly put aside some valuable things. And they even had an aunt living overseas. What did it matter if their political background was problematic? Nothing in the world was more frightening than poverty.
Wang Fugui let out a deep sigh.
“Xiao Zhenyu is my biological son. Wang Lei was the one we adopted back then. How could the Xiao family’s excellent circumstances be handed over to an outsider? Xiao Zhenyu is also your mother’s biological nephew. When all is said and done, you’re still related by blood.”
“You’re lying! That’s impossible!”
Before Xiao Mandong could say anything, Wang Lei could no longer contain his anger and shouted.
It was clearly Xiao Zhenyu who had taken his place and enjoyed a life of comfort for more than a decade. Now that things had reached this point, Wang Fugui still refused to let him return to his true family. How could he possibly endure that?
“Dad, you said I was adopted. Where was I adopted from? And where are my biological parents?”
“Am I the real Xiao Zhenyu? Did you switch the two of us so that your own son could inherit the Xiao family’s fortune? Things have already come to this point, yet you still refuse to let me acknowledge my family. How can you be so selfish?”
Li Fengmei looked at him with open disdain. “Wang Lei, can’t you look in a mirror? Do you resemble even a little bit of either the Wang family or the Xiao family?”
Wang Lei had always been ashamed of his appearance. Both the Wang and Xiao families were exceptionally good-looking, while he looked like an oddity among them.
“Actually, you really don’t look like either family,” Jiang Yue, who had been watching the show from the side, carefully examined their faces and added with complete seriousness.
Jiang Yue’s words struck a nerve with Wang Lei.
“Shut up! What does this have to do with you?”
“Dad, just tell me the truth. I won’t blame you. I only want to know who I really am.”
Wang Fugui cursed Wang Lei countless times in his heart.
That idiot. With his looks, how could he possibly be a member of the Xiao family?
