Volume One, Chapter 11: Owing Fang Shenzhai Another Favor

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Li Shuhe took the pen and paper, but when she heard the words "Ministry of Foreign Affairs," she hesitated before putting pen to paper.

She recalled why Aunt Li had been able to submit the evidence so smoothly—it turned out someone had gone to see the bureau chief.

Could it have been Fang Shenzhai?

Li Shuhe bit her lip, unable to suppress her curiosity and even a faint hope.

But in the next moment, she came back to herself and forced a bitter smile.

What was she thinking? There was no chance for her and him.

Having resolved this, Li Shuhe no longer hesitated and quickly wrote.

After all, she still owed Fang Shenzhai a favor.

When she came out, other officers brought Duan Xiaoqiu over.

In just about an hour, Duan Xiaoqiu seemed to have suffered a great injustice; she pouted and threw herself into Duan Xiadong’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

But Duan Xiadong coldly pushed her hand aside and turned her body towards Li Shuhe.

“Apologize to your sister-in-law.”

Tears still clung to the corners of Duan Xiaoqiu’s eyes as she looked back at Duan Xiadong in disbelief.

“I won’t! I didn’t do anything wrong!” she snapped sharply.

Duan Xiadong’s expression remained unchanged, his voice low and threatening, leaving no room for argument: “Duan Xiaoqiu, apologize.”

Li Shuhe stood silently to the side, her mind clear as glass. Duan Xiadong was only putting on a show in front of the police; he didn’t care about the truth, only wanting a tidy conclusion.

Well then, she’d just give him a little trouble.

With that thought, Li Shuhe gently tugged at Duan Xiadong’s sleeve, her voice soft: “Xiadong, let it go. Xiaoqiu is still young; she probably just acted on impulse.”

Duan Xiadong looked at her skeptically and glanced down.

Suddenly, Li Shuhe smiled faintly at an inappropriate moment, locking eyes with the stunned Duan Xiaoqiu, and continued: “Besides, Xiaoqiu has already given up the accounting job as an apology gift. I’ve forgiven her.”

Duan Xiaoqiu’s face instantly turned pale, her voice sharp as she could hardly believe her ears: “What did you say?”

Feigning surprise, Li Shuhe spread her fingers to lightly cover her slightly parted lips: “You didn’t know? Xiadong gave your job to me as compensation.”

Duan Xiaoqiu was shocked and lunged at Li Shuhe: “What did you say!”

Her strength was so great that Duan Xiadong couldn’t hold her back for a moment.

Li Shuhe let herself fall to the ground following Duan Xiaoqiu’s momentum, wearing an exaggerated look of grievance.

“Duan Xiaoqiu, apologize!”

Duan Xiadong snapped back to reality and covered Duan Xiaoqiu’s mouth, but it was too late; Duan Xiaoqiu’s sharp voice had already drawn the attention of the police.

A young officer stepped forward and stood before Li Shuhe, blocking her expression: “Ma’am, we now have doubts about whether Miss Li signed the reconciliation agreement voluntarily. We need to protect the victim.”

“It’s all a misunderstanding. Duan Xiaoqiu, apologize.”

Duan Xiadong spoke again, gripping Duan Xiaoqiu’s arm tightly and whispering near her ear: “I’m doing this for your own good.”

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It was still unclear why the authorities were placing such extraordinary importance on this fire case; even the cinema manager had been taken in.

During the brief moment Li Shuhe was taken away, he had gone to the bureau chief’s office, only to be turned away by Director Liu.

Duan Xiadong’s eyes darkened; today, no matter how unwilling Duan Xiaoqiu was, she had to apologize.

With that, Duan Xiadong released his hand from Duan Xiaoqiu’s mouth.

Duan Xiaoqiu calmed down, realizing she had spoken rashly in her anger. She lowered her head trembling and murmured, “I’m sorry, sister-in-law. I was wrong.”

Li Shuhe lowered her head and smoothly hid behind the young officer.

It seemed Duan Xiaoqiu wasn’t utterly hopeless after all, Li Shuhe’s eyes darkened.

Duan Xiadong nodded with satisfaction, his tone commanding: “Shuhe, come here.”

Li Shuhe took a deep breath in the shadows and hesitated a moment before standing up from the ground.

Duan Xiadong spoke coldly, “Anything else? If not, we’re leaving.”

The young officer rolled his eyes discreetly, his frustration unspoken. Every family has its own troubles; since Li Shuhe had chosen to forgive, he would not meddle further.

The three of them walked out of the police station in silence.

Only when the driver started the car did Duan Xiaoqiu finally burst out.

“Brother! How could you give my job to her! She’s just a lousy painter!”

Duan Xiaoqiu sat in the front passenger seat, gripping the backs of the driver’s and co-driver’s seats, craning her head fiercely at Li Shuhe through the gap.

Duan Xiadong clicked his tongue impatiently, rubbed his nose, and lit a cigarette.

Li Shuhe frowned, rolled down the window, and poked her head out slightly.

Duan Xiadong glanced at Li Shuhe; for some reason, his expression darkened as he crushed out the cigarette.

Duan Xiaoqiu received no answer and instead witnessed a silent, tense exchange between the two, making her even angrier.

“Brother! Speak!”

Duan Xiadong glared at her, “Shut your mouth. If there’s a next time, I won’t care about you.”

Duan Xiaoqiu sat back sadly, blaming everything on Li Shuhe.

Just wait, she vowed fiercely, she would make Li Shuhe pay!

The midday stagnant air brushed against Li Shuhe’s face as the car sped along.

Li Shuhe frowned and rolled up the window, speaking halfheartedly: “Xiadong, don’t be so harsh on Xiaoqiu; she’s still young…”

“You shut up too, or get out.”

Duan Xiadong was in a bad mood. He tolerated these two women’s occasional jealous quarrels and schemes because it was his little pleasure and eccentricity.

But if the fighting happened too often, he wasn’t interested anymore.

Hearing Li Shuhe being scolded, Duan Xiaoqiu smugly turned to mock her.

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Li Shuhe paid no mind to Duan Xiadong’s harsh tone; in fact, seeing his irritated state lifted her spirits.

She closed her eyes, pretending to rest, her mind racing, unaware of Duan Xiaoqiu’s frustrated failure to ridicule her.

The Xiadong Auto Factory had ridden the open spring breeze and secured many government projects, from which there was a great deal of profit. She didn’t believe Duan Xiadong’s hands were clean.

This was an opportunity for her. She must find evidence quickly and expose these matters before the projects were completed.

“Stop the car!”

A sudden sharp brake snapped Li Shuhe’s thoughts.

“You, get out.”

Duan Xiadong pointed at Li Shuhe.

Li Shuhe was stunned, staring blankly at Duan Xiadong.

He said nothing further, opened the door, retrieved Li Shuhe’s luggage from the trunk that he had brought when leaving, circled to her side, and opened the door.

“Take your luggage and wait here for me.”

He placed the luggage on the ground and roughly pulled Li Shuhe out of the car.

Li Shuhe hadn’t yet fully registered what was happening; she let Duan Xiadong handle her, squinting as she stood in place watching him get back into the car and drive away.

She knew Duan Xiadong was venting his anger on Duan Xiaoqiu by abandoning her in a completely unfamiliar place, watching her panic and despair—she herself had endured such humiliation before.

Li Shuhe pressed her tongue against her cheek and looked around.

“Liyuan Residential Area?”

She read aloud the four characters carved into the stone before her, puzzled.

This was an area she had never been to before.

The buildings were brand new, the pristine white walls gleamed in the sunlight.

Unlike the current state of the city, this street was deserted except for her, silent as a graveyard.

Li Shuhe’s gaze darkened.

At last, the roar of an engine shattered the deathly silence.

Li Shuhe ducked with her luggage behind an old tree.

The car stopped right where she had been standing; the old tree perfectly concealed her figure.

“Mom, I’m here!”

A familiar voice reached her, causing her heart to leap wildly.

She could not be mistaken; it was the one who had accompanied her through her entire youth.

It was him, Fang Shenzhai!