Chapter 109: This Is the Guilt of a Thief

"Caixia, is Caixia at home?"

Wu Ya and Liu Qian had walked through the door less than half an hour ago. The family was just enjoying a warm and happy reunion when a voice drifted in from outside. Zhang Caixia frowned.

"Old Lady Zhang? Why is she here?"

Old Lady Zhang, Zhang Qianli, was just like Auntie Shen—a neighborhood gossip known far and wide. If she caught wind of even the smallest triviality, she would turn it into an unforgivable scandal before you knew it. Moreover, she possessed a title that made her especially arrogant, allowing her to question anyone at any time: she was a neighborhood security officer. In those days, such people were famously known as the "Little Foot Detective Squad."

The Wu couple had always maintained a respectful distance from such people, keeping their lives strictly separate. The idea of them visiting each other was out of the question. Especially since Zhang Qianli’s family had always been better off, she had always been high-and-mighty, looking down on the Wu family entirely.

But today, how had this woman broken tradition and come to their door? Judging by the sound of her footsteps, she hadn't even paused to wait for an answer—she intended to walk right in.

"A night owl entering a house never brings good news! What could possibly be good about a person like her showing up out of the blue?" Wu Wanli’s face tightened into a knot. As he spoke, his eyes darted toward Liu Qian. Could someone have seen this girl when she arrived?

Indeed.

"Mom, Dad, we ran into Auntie Shen outside just a moment ago!"

Auntie Shen? Wu Ya’s words made Zhang Caixia’s vision swim with dread. It was over. No wonder Old Lady Zhang had appeared so suddenly, and with such a brazen attitude. She was here to uncover the truth. It was already dark; if she saw Liu Qian still at the Wu house at this hour, both their family and Liu Qian would become the talk of the town.

"What should we do? Ya, have Liu Qian go back to your room! Otherwise, we’ll never be able to clear our names." People’s words were terrifying, especially when fueled by the malicious embellishments of a neighborhood gossip. For a moment, the usually composed Zhang Caixia was filled with panic. They had lived half their lives treating others with kindness and avoiding conflict, living honest and upright lives. They had never been the subject of rumors, and she couldn't bear the thought of being shamed in her old age for letting a young woman stay the night with her son.

"Yes, Ya, let Liu Qian hide for now! Once we send Old Lady Zhang away, everything will settle down," Wu Wanli added. He had no experience dealing with people who thrived on wagging their tongues. He figured if she came in and saw no one, there would be no story to tell. But he didn't realize that evasion is the very root of such people's interest. If they don't see her, they will find every excuse to search the house from top to bottom. Where could Liu Qian hide? And once she was caught, their sneaking around would only become even juicier fodder for gossip.

"Yes, yes, go hide!" Zhang Caixia grabbed Liu Qian, intending to pull her into the inner room.

But it was too late.

*Creak.*

The door was pushed open by Old Lady Zhang. She walked in with the air of someone returning to her own home, completely unbothered.

"Oh, so that’s why there was no answer for so long. It turns out the whole family is here having a chat! How affectionate! Tsk, tsk, tsk. Who is this girl? I’ve never seen her before."

As soon as she entered, Old Lady Zhang’s shifty eyes locked onto Liu Qian. Her words were dripping with sarcasm. So, the Wu family really was hiding a young woman! But why was this girl so beautiful?

*Boom!* A wave of jealousy surged in her heart.

Why had she come in person? And why had she rushed over the moment she heard the news? There was a reason. Her own family was a well-known "ten-thousand-yuan household" in the area, once incredibly prestigious. Auntie Shen, who had tipped her off, was her loyal follower. But who would have thought that the impoverished Wu family, whom everyone looked down upon, would suddenly rise to success and leave them far behind? The prosperity of the Wu house had stung everyone in the neighborhood.

And now, this! The Wu family had not only made a fortune in a short time, but even their son—who was known for nothing but trouble—had managed to bring home such a stunning girl. Calling her a beauty was an understatement. Jealousy burned in Old Lady Zhang’s heart, and Liu Qian instantly became the greatest thorn in her side.

"This..." Zhang Caixia stood there, flustered and at a loss for words. The room fell silent. They had never faced an intruder like this before.

"Aunt Zhang, is there something you need? If not, it’s getting late, so please leave," Wu Ya said finally. His parents were soft-hearted, but he was not. He didn't answer her questions and issued a direct order to leave.

Old Lady Zhang felt a prickle of irritation. She was dying to know: Where did this girl come from? Was she not leaving? If she stayed, was she going to sleep with Zhang Caixia or crawl into Wu Ya’s bed? A series of questions swirled in her mind, making her restless. How could she leave now?

"You child, what kind of tone is that? I haven't seen your mother for days; I just wanted to come by for a chat."

A chat? Someone who never visited suddenly wanted to chat with his mother? She was just trying to kill time to see if Liu Qian would leave, and to fish for information from his mother about who the girl was.

Wu Ya’s face darkened. He wouldn't give her the time of day. The only way to deal with such people was to show no mercy; the more you cowered, the more they would push.

"Aunt Zhang, I..." Wu Ya was about to kick her out again when he stopped.

*Creak.*

The door opened again. Another figure swayed inside—it was Auntie Shen, the neighborhood chatterbox. Wu Ya’s expression turned to stone. But that wasn't the worst of it. Auntie Shen looked at Liu Qian, then at Old Lady Zhang, and finally turned to Zhang Caixia with a gleaming, triumphant look.

"Hehehe, when it got dark, I saw your Wu Ya bringing a girl home, so I brought everyone over to take a look! Hey? Why don't you come in?" Auntie Shen shouted toward the door with a sly grin.

The next moment, "Caixia, what have you been doing lately?"

"Yeah, we’ve missed you so much, why haven't you shown your face?"

"Oh, you busy bee, you must have made a lot of money recently, we haven't even seen your shadow!"

Five or six people swarmed in from outside. They were all the usual gossipers, people who usually never associated with their family. Yet, they acted with such feigned warmth that even Wu Ya was stunned. He hadn't realized in his previous life that envious curiosity could make people act so familiar.

But if he didn't clear them out, the night would be ruined. They would likely pester his mother all night until they got what they wanted.

"Elders, it’s late, and my parents are tired. Whatever you have to say, save it for tomorrow!" he said, issuing another order to leave.

The chatter in the room died down instantly. Everyone looked toward Old Lady Zhang. These people were shameless, but they were also prideful. To be kicked out in front of everyone was an insult.

"I say, Caixia, when did your son start running the house? Besides, it’s late at night, and a strange girl is here. As the neighborhood security officer, I have a duty to ask! How can you chase us out before we've even spoken? Are you hiding something?" Old Lady Zhang’s face darkened as she turned her aggression toward his mother, playing the part of an official.

"You! This..." Zhang Caixia was stunned by the interrogation-style questioning. She was kind and conflict-averse, and she had no idea how to handle such a scene. She stood there, trembling and terrified.

"Old Lady Zhang, don't you dare spout nonsense! This girl is Wu Ya’s classmate, just visiting. Since when is that your business?" Seeing his wife bullied, Wu Wanli finally snapped. He knew her reputation—she used her title to stick her nose into everyone’s business, turning small conflicts into massive scandals.

But she had relatives in the local government, so people just swallowed their anger and tried to stay on her good side. The Wus had no grievances with her, yet she had brought a crowd to interrogate them. It was bullying, pure and simple.

But...