Chapter 22 : Apology and Compensation  

Xu Zhigang rushed over to Xu Yaqiu, and the three of them huddled together, whispering furiously.  

Fang Xiaoluo overheard Xu Zhigang snapping at Xu Yaqiu, “Whether you want to or not, this is happening. I make the decisions here!”  

After a long while, Xu Zhigang finally turned to the police and said, “Officer, we made a mistake. We’re dropping the accusation. It wasn’t Fang Xiaoluo who hit my daughter.”  

The officer eyed the family suspiciously. They had stormed in earlier, full of righteous anger and practically ready to devour Fang Xiaoluo. Now, they were retracting their claims so quickly, it was definitely fishy.  

“Are you sure?”  

“Positive, positive.” Xu Zhigang nodded eagerly.  

The officer noted their statement, then handed Xu Zhigang a document. “Alright, then. Please sign and leave your fingerprints here.”  

Xu Zhigang swiftly signed and pressed his fingerprint. Then he pulled Xu Yaqiu over to do the same.  

Although it was obvious that Xu Yaqiu resisted, pulling her hand back and refusing to comply, her strength was no match for her father’s. He pressed her hand down firmly.  

Xu Yaqiu was so enraged that her chest felt tight, her vision darkened, and she nearly fainted from sheer frustration.  

Xu Zhigang then turned to Wei Yan with a forced smile. “Director Wei, you see, I told you it was just a misunderstanding.”  

Wei Yan feigned realization. “See, Old Xu? I told you my benefactor couldn’t possibly hurt anyone. It takes a wise father like you to clear up the confusion. You truly have a keen sense of justice! Otherwise, my benefactor would have suffered a terrible injustice.”  

He added, “Now, shouldn’t your daughter apologize to my benefactor? Look how frightened she is, her eyes are red from crying all the way here. My benefactor is so delicate, she can’t handle this kind of ordeal.”  

Fang Xiaoluo suppressed a laugh. Wei Yan was quite good at spinning a story.  

With him helping, she didn’t need to waste her breath.  

Xu Zhigang dragged the battered and bruised Xu Yaqiu over. “Apologize to Xiaoluo immediately. In the future, stop blaming her for everything that goes wrong. Do you hear me?”  

Xu Yaqiu was seething with anger. She was certain it had been Fang Xiaoluo who hit her, there was no way she could mistake her voice.  

Now her father was forcing her to apologize to Fang Xiaoluo just to protect a business deal. Why should she?  

In her father’s eyes, she wasn’t even as important as this Wei Yan, who had appeared out of nowhere!  

How was it that Fang Xiaoluo always got so lucky, knowing all the right people? She was practically a seductress, charming everyone around her.  

“I won’t!” Xu Yaqiu stubbornly refused.  

Xu Zhigang shoved her, causing Zhao Lihong to rush forward to steady her, worriedly saying, “Old Xu, what are you doing? Yaqiu has already suffered so much!”  

Xu Zhigang ignored Zhao Lihong and glared at Xu Yaqiu. “Why are you so unreasonable? Xiaoluo isn’t even holding a grudge. Would saying sorry cost you anything?”  

“Who said I’m not holding a grudge?” Fang Xiaoluo said calmly. “I’m not a saint. If someone slanders me, should I just laugh it off? Besides, haven’t you all taught me over the years to repay evil with evil and betray kindness?”  

Xu Zhigang suppressed his anger. “Xiaoluo, you… You’re just confused. What nonsense are you talking about?”  

Xu Yaqiu squinted, her swollen eyes barely opening. “You… Fang Xiaoluo… you’re shameless!”  

Fang Xiaoluo turned to the officer. “Officer, Xu Yaqiu maliciously slandered and falsely accused me. I want to press charges against her!”  

Having already recorded Xu Zhigang’s and his family’s signatures and fingerprints retracting the accusation, the officer formally asked, “Xu Yaqiu, you have been accused of slander. The other party demands an apology and 100 yuan as compensation for emotional distress. Do you have any objections?”  

Xu Zhigang glanced at Fang Xiaoluo, seething inside. This was karma coming back to haunt him!  

But when he thought of Wei Yan, he had no choice but to swallow his anger.  

Wei Yan wasn’t just a furniture factory owner, his older brother had factories in both the capital and Haicheng, and his older sister, who had returned from overseas, was quite influential.  

He couldn’t afford to offend Wei Yan, not in the slightest.  

He quickly responded, “No objections, Officer. We’ll pay.”  

Then he leaned close to Xu Yaqiu, whispering, “Hurry up and apologize to Fang Xiaoluo. We can’t afford to offend Director Wei. Don’t act so immature. It’s just a little injury. Besides, it’s not even certain that Fang Xiaoluo was the one who hit you.”  

Hearing this, Xu Yaqiu felt like the sky was falling. Fury surged within her as if she were about to explode at any moment.  

She bit her lip, unwilling in every possible way, but forced herself to suppress her anger. After an unknown amount of time, she finally calmed down.  

She couldn’t leave the Xu family. For the sake of her future with Zhou Yanwen and ensuring the Xu family would one day look up to her, she had to endure.  

“Xiaoluo, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have slandered you. It was my mistake for not understanding the situation. Please forgive me,” she said through gritted teeth.  

Xu Zhigang took 600 yuan out of his bag. “Xiaoluo, 100 yuan is to compensate on Yaqiu’s behalf, and the other 500 is from your mom and me.”  

He added, “You and Yaqiu are getting married on the same day, and we can’t attend your wedding. Take this as a contribution to your dowry from us. Don’t think it’s too little.”  

Fang Xiaoluo stared at the 600 yuan before reaching out and taking it directly. “Thank you.”  

Turn down money? That wasn’t her style. Only a fool would refuse such a gift.  

Wei Yan clapped his hands from the side. “Old Xu, you’re really something. Well, now that everything is cleared up, I’ll take my benefactor home.”  

Xu Zhigang was putting on a show for Wei Yan. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have handed over a single penny to Fang Xiaoluo, even if he were beaten to death.  

If Wei Yan could help smooth things over and bring in business, it would be far more effective than Xu Zhigang running around on his own.  

Xu Yaqiu stared at the 600 yuan, her teeth nearly grinding to dust.  

She was the one who suffered and got hurt, but somehow Fang Xiaoluo reaped the benefits. Why?  

Seeing Xu Yaqiu fuming with unspent anger, Fang Xiaoluo felt utterly satisfied.  

Serves her right for causing trouble all the time.  

When they left the police station, Fang Xiaoluo was in an excellent mood.  

“Director Wei, thank you so much for today.”  

Wei Yan got into his car and waved dismissively. “This was nothing compared to my son’s life.”  

Wei Yan kept saying this, which made Fang Xiaoluo feel a bit embarrassed.  

After dropping her off at Honghe Village, Wei Yan hurried back to Jiangcheng.  

Initially, Fang Xiaoluo wanted to invite him for a meal, but he was in such a rush to return to his factory that he didn’t even step inside her house.  

When the villagers saw Fang Xiaoluo return so quickly, they became even more convinced that Xu Yaqiu had stirred up trouble again, smearing her as usual.  

Zhang Xinyan and Fang Shijun couldn’t concentrate on their chores and anxiously waited for her.  

The moment they saw Wei Yan’s car appear at the village entrance, their faces lit up with joy. When they saw Fang Xiaoluo step out of the car, their hearts finally settled.  

Zhang Xinyan ran over and hugged her daughter. “Thank goodness you’re okay. That’s all that matters.”  

Fang Xiaoluo patted her mother’s back gently. “Mom, it’s my fault for worrying you.”  

Feeling the soft touch of her daughter’s hand on her back, Zhang Xinyan’s heart filled with warmth. “It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.”  

She let go of Fang Xiaoluo and, looking at her daughter’s features, noticed more and more resemblance to Fang Shijun in his youth.  

If it weren’t for Fang Shijun’s illness and hardships over the years, he wouldn’t look the way he did now at forty.  

But now, with Fang Xiaoluo back, Fang Shijun’s spirits were much better than before.  

Arm in arm with her parents, Fang Xiaoluo chatted and laughed as they walked home.  

—

On the other side, Zhao Lihong took Xu Yaqiu to the hospital.  

The doctor examined her, applied some medicine, and prescribed additional treatment.  

On the way home, Xu Yaqiu was too weak to make a fuss. She ached all over, but when she thought about her wedding in a few days, she couldn’t hold back. “Mom, what about my face for the wedding? What should I do?”  

Zhao Lihong cursed Fang Xiaoluo for half the journey. “Don’t worry, Yaqiu. I’ll apply a thick layer of makeup for you. Just rest up for the next few days.”  

Then she turned to Xu Zhigang. “You call yourself a father? Instead of siding with your daughter, you’re helping an outsider! Yaqiu couldn’t have made a mistake, of course it was that brat Fang Xiaoluo!”  

Xu Zhigang’s face darkened. “You don’t understand anything. That’s Wei Yan! He’s our major client. We depend on him to make a living. Do you want to ruin our business?”  

—

The next day, Fang Xiaoluo deliberately checked the spiritual spring water. Since she hadn’t been with Shen Zheng the previous day and was only around the Xu family, the water level had increased but very slightly.  

Could the surge in water level that day have been related to her registering her marriage with Shen Zheng?