The biting chill of winter hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the frigid grip on the county. Xu Ying, her heart ablaze with a fierce determination, made her way to the Public Security Bureau the following morning. She clutched the tape recorder, its contents a desperate plea for justice, a raw testament to the truth. She believed this evidence would shatter the carefully constructed lies and expose the true orchestrators of the tragedy. Yet, she gravely underestimated Director Wu.
Later that day, as the weary sun dipped below the horizon, Zhao’s mother rushed home, a harbinger of what she believed was good news. “Yingying, Cheng Yinglan and Zhang Guoqing have been arrested!” she exclaimed, relief etched across her face. “They truly deserve their punishment. It’s wonderful that they’ve been apprehended. Now, you and your cousin can finally find justice.”
She continued, oblivious to the storm brewing within Xu Ying, “It’s all over the town now. People are saying Zhang Guoqing was infatuated with Cheng Yinglan, but Cheng Yinglan was in love with your cousin. When your cousin married someone else, Cheng Yinglan’s hatred festered. She conspired with Zhang Guoqing to harm your cousin, promising to marry him if he helped her. Alas, how can someone be so cruel? And Zhang Guoqing, that fool, so utterly besotted with a venomous woman like Cheng Yinglan.” Zhao’s mother shook her head, a sigh of regret escaping her lips. She had always seen Zhang Guoqing as a generous man, never suspecting such a twisted devotion.
Xu Ying’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Xu, turned to her, her voice laced with concern, “Mom, is this truly what everyone is saying?” Xu Ying’s face had paled to an ashen shade. Zhao’s mother, still unaware of the depth of Xu Ying’s distress, nodded. “What’s wrong? Isn’t that what happened?”
A surge of pure rage ignited in Xu Ying’s eyes. “That’s not it at all!” she cried, her voice trembling with indignation. “Zhang Guoqing and Cheng Yinglan killed my cousin, but Wu Zhengyi was the mastermind!” As the words left her lips, she sprang to her feet.
Zhao’s mother gasped, a chilling realization dawning on her. She reached out, her hand finding Xu Ying’s arm, “Yingying, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to the Public Security Bureau to find out what’s going on!” Xu Ying declared, her voice raw with an unyielding resolve.
Zhao’s mother hesitated, a wave of discomfort washing over her. Wu Zhengyi was the son of the deputy factory director, a man of considerable influence in the county. Xu Ying, a mere village girl, stood no chance against such power. She longed to stop her, to tell her to rein in her emotions, but how could she deny someone their fight for justice?
Xu Ying eventually made her way to the Public Security Bureau, but as she approached the entrance, a middle-aged man intercepted her. He wore glasses, projecting an air of polite scholarly detachment, yet his words filled Xu Ying with a profound revulsion.
“You are Xu Ying, I am Wu Zhengyi’s father. Let’s talk alone,” he began, his voice dripping with condescension. “I can give you money, and this will all end here. Don’t you just want money now?” He inwardly scoffed. It’s been so long since this happened, and she didn’t want to find out what happened? Now she’s thinking of overturning the case again. They underestimated this girl. They should have acted sooner, destroyed the Xu family, so they wouldn’t be able to speak of it anymore. Now that things have come out, the Xu family will definitely be on guard against them. It will be difficult to eradicate the situation.
Xu Ying lifted her chin slightly, her gaze piercing through the facade of the high-ranking official, a bitter smile playing on her lips. He was indeed a man of power, yet his words were utterly devoid of grace. “Deputy Director Wu, do you believe money can measure everything?” she sneered, her voice edged with defiance. “Then what of my cousin’s decades of hard work? What of the tireless efforts of my second uncle and second aunt, their dreams of their son becoming sucsessful? What of my cousin-in-law’s unwavering persistence all these years? Are you, that powerful, so mighty that your mere words can render all our struggles meaningless?”
The winter wind, a merciless force, howled around them, cutting into the skin like a sharpened blade. Xu Ying stood her ground, unyielding in the face of its cruel stance, her small face already red from the cold, yet her spirit remained unshaken. She had come too far to retreat now.
Deputy Director Wu’s face contorted with anger. “Little girl, don’t refuse a toast and then be forced to drink a penalty,” he warned, his voice laced with thinly veiled threats. “If you are dishonest, your entire family will be implicated because of you.”
Xu Ying’s eyes, now bloodshot with fury, met his challenge. She straightened her back, her resolve hardening, and strode into the police station.
Though she already suspected the outcome, Xu Ying persisted, her spirit refusing to yield. She questioned them, only to be met with the cold truth: the tape recorder, her crucial evidence, had been destroyed, and the interrogation was concluded. The official verdict: the Wu family was completely liberated.
Xu Ying emerged from the police station, her body heavy with exhaustion, her hopes dashed.
Deputy Director Wu, a smug smile now gracing his lips, watched her go. “I told you,” he gloated, “if you were honest, I could spare your family. Since you are so dishonest, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Then, a flicker of defiance returned to Xu Ying’s weary eyes. “Deputy Director Wu,” she challenged, her voice surprisingly steady, “our county has its own leaders. Is it possible that the entire province is under your control?”
The words struck Deputy Director Wu like a physical blow. His smug expression vanished, replaced by a mixture of shock and fury. He snorted, a sound of pure indignation, then spun on his heel and stormed away.
At that moment, Mrs. Xu rushed to Xu Ying’s side, her face etched with worry. “Yingying, are you feeling unwell?”
Xu Ying simply waved her hand, a gesture of weary dismissal.
The snow, a relentless cascade of white, now fell in heavy, feathery flakes. The biting wind, a mournful lament, swept through the streets, forcing pedestrians to hunch their shoulders, their necks tucked into scarves and collars pulled tight. The air itself seemed to crackle with an oppressive cold.
In this freezing, desolate landscape, Xu Ying stood motionless amidst the goose-feather snow. Mrs. Xu’s face was a mask of concern. “Let’s go back!” she urged.
But Xu Ying remained still, her gaze fixed on the distant figures, a bitter, self-deprecating laugh bubbling within her.
Suddenly, the relentless downpour of snow seemed to cease, a black umbrella materializing above her head. The umbrella lifted slightly, revealing a tall, slender figure. His broad shoulders and strong chest emanated an undeniable sense of security. He held the umbrella handle firmly, his slender fingers betraying a subtle grace as he stood elegantly in the falling snow. His eyes, fixed on the girl beneath the umbrella, were filled with a profound distress. “You are no match for them,” he stated, his voice a low, steady balm against the raging storm. “Wu Zhengyi is a dishonest man, a womanizer, yet no woman he desires ever escapes his grasp. Many in Xiang County despise the Wu family, but no one dares to speak out. You cannot fight them alone. But what if everyone sues the Wu family together?”
Xu Ying’s eyes, previously dulled by despair, suddenly ignited. She looked at Huo Chen, her face alight with gratitude. “Thank you but Why are you here?”
A subtle flicker of unease crossed Huo Chen’s features. “I came here to do something and happened to pass by.”
“Then how do you know about me and the Wu family?” Xu Ying blurted out, instantly regretting the question.
Huo Chen stood in the snow, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. Facing her direct gaze, he answered truthfully, “I heard about your cousin in the village. I just felt uneasy, so I came here to inquire. Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
A crimson blush bloomed on Xu Ying’s cheeks. She stood in the snow, her heart thundering in her chest. A wave of panic washed over her, an urgent desire to escape this strangely intimate moment. As she lifted her foot to retreat, she slipped, falling towards the snow.
“Yingying!” Mrs. Xu cried out, her hand reaching out in a desperate attempt to catch her.
But Huo Chen was faster. Holding the umbrella in one hand, he swiftly grasped Xu Ying’s slender waist with the other. His fingers encircled her waist, finding it almost impossibly thin, as if it might break with the slightest pressure. In a conditioned reflex, the moment Huo Chen’s grip tightened around her, Xu Ying instinctively clung to him, as if he were a life-saving straw in a thunderous current. Their breaths mingled, her soft hair brushing against his cheek, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance.