Chapter 52

After Xia Yuying was taken to the interrogation room, she finally realized how terrifying this place, which made all her comrades tremble in fear, truly was!

It was serious, cold, and the bright white lights were glaring, shining directly onto her head.

The interrogators had stern faces, their expressions as harsh as those of the King of Hell!

It felt as though she had committed a grave crime!

“Comrade Xia Yuying, please truthfully explain your relationship with Wu Guohua and Yu Li since you became acquainted!”

Xia Yuying, feeling wronged, started to cry: “I…”

“Serious! No crying!”

Her tears were instantly suppressed, and at first, she thought of framing Yu Li, trying to create the image that her relationship with Wu Guohua was pure and innocent.

But the interrogators’ faces were so terrifying.

“If your testimony later contradicts Wu Guohua’s or does not match the facts we have investigated, you will face severe punishment. I hope you remember this!”

Xia Yuying was almost stunned, gasping for air, her scalp tightening, and sweat covering her body!

She had planned to stubbornly endure, but this interrogation lasted six hours, until late into the night!

Several fierce-looking interrogators took turns questioning her, asking repetitive questions. Xia Yuying had no choice but to piece together and reveal the facts little by little.

But she was still deeply wronged: “It was Wu Guohua who told me that he had no feelings for Yu Li and would call off the engagement sooner or later. I didn’t intentionally get involved. Besides, they weren’t married, just engaged. It’s the one who isn’t loved who is the third party!”

As for Wu Guohua, he knew better than Xia Yuying the power of the inspection team.

These were the people who, every year, would get on a train ahead of time just to avoid being beaten!

They were ruthless and left no room for mercy in their work.

He was silent for a while, then told the truth.

“It was my mistake. I developed feelings for Comrade Xia Yuying. Yu Li was my mother’s arranged fiancée, but I have no feelings for her.

As for Captain Lu, it was a mistake made by my mother, and after all these years here, how could I throw everything away for something like this? I tried to persuade her, but she didn’t listen to me.

But it’s ultimately my fault, and I’m willing to apologize to the organization, to Captain Lu, and to Comrade Yu Li! I accept all the punishments the organization deems fit…”

The interrogator slapped the table with a grim face and shouted at Wu Guohua: “You’re from our 761 Regiment, and you’ve embarrassed us! How could you do such a thing? How will the people see us?

The organization trusted you and promoted you to vice-captain! Look at yourself in the mirror and see if you deserve it! If the people under you find out, who will follow you? Wu Guohua, if it weren’t for the fact that this incident could ruin the reputation of our 761 Regiment, we’d make sure you received everyone’s criticism!”

The two of them were interrogated in separate rooms, sweating profusely, enduring both mental and physical torture!

Finally, it was Commissar Xiao who secured their release, promising that they would never make the same mistake again!

However, they still faced punishment.

Wu Guohua was demoted from the vice-captain position to a squad leader, and the single house he had been assigned was now shared with another squad leader’s family.

Moreover, he was fined three months’ salary, which would be deducted and handed over to Lu Guanshan.

In a single night, Wu Guohua seemed to have gone back in time by several years.

He had struggled hard, sweated countless times, and all the effort he had put in over so many days and nights was instantly wasted!

Xia Yuying didn’t fare much better. As the woman involved, she was considered a half-victim, but she had known from the start that Wu Guohua had a fiancée. After they were married, she spread rumors that caused trouble in the family quarters, sowing discord among the residents. These actions were morally wrong and violated the rules of the family quarters, so she had to accept punishment!

The women’s director intervened, and after discussions, it was decided that Xia Yuying would be assigned to clean the family quarters, and she had to make sure the entire area was cleaned thoroughly, with all the trash removed, every morning and evening!

This punishment would last for a month.

When Xia Yuying walked out of the inspection team, her legs were so weak that she fainted.

Wu Guohua, like a walking corpse, had bloodshot eyes, and only when someone reminded him did he carry Xia Yuying back.

As soon as they got home, Xia Yuying woke up. The two of them stared at each other.

Wu Guohua’s eyes were cold, despondent, filled with deep despair, and suppressed anger.

“If it weren’t for you stirring up trouble, Yu Li and Lu Guanshan would have let us off. From the day we returned, you started to sow discord among the wives in the family quarters, didn’t you?”

Xia Yuying, feeling wronged, cried out immediately, her pale face filled with resentment: “Is it my fault? Is it? Isn’t it because of your mother! Why did she not handle things more carefully? Do you know how much I’ve suffered today? I was interrogated like a criminal! Did you even care about me at all?!”

Wu Guohua sneered: “So, have you ever cared about me? How many times did I tell you to stay away from Yu Li? Now I’m demoted to a squad leader, my salary was docked, and I’ve been given a warning! Are you satisfied now?! It’s the same situation, yet Yu Li didn’t cause a scene. It’s you who made this mess! Do you even have a brain?!”

Hearing him compare her to Yu Li and scold her for not having a brain, Xia Yuying raised her hand to slap him again!

But this time, Wu Guohua grabbed her hand, gritting his teeth: “Don’t you know how important a man’s face is? Look at any other woman who slaps her husband!”

With that, he slapped Xia Yuying without hesitation!

The slap made Xia Yuying’s ears ring, and the pain made her tears flow even more fiercely!

She lunged at him, screaming angrily: “I’m done with you! Wu Guohua! You coward! You’re the one who wronged me, and now you dare hit me! If it weren’t for my uncle, could you have gotten out of this?”

The two of them started pulling and tearing at each other. Xia Yuying used her long nails to scratch a cut on Wu Guohua’s right cheek!

It was like a contest, throwing furniture, tables, stools, thermoses, and ceramic bowls, until the floor was covered in mess!

Xia Yuying crouched on the ground, crying, while Wu Guohua kicked the door violently and stormed out.

Just a few dozen meters away, at the Lu family’s house.

Lu Guanshan had just eaten the steamed buns that Yu Li made and couldn’t stop praising them. After they both showered and brushed their teeth, they lay down in bed.

“I need to tell you something…”

“Wait until later, let’s focus on the important stuff first!”

Yu Li helplessly pressed his hand down: “Lu Guanshan! What I’m talking about is also important!”

“Then let me finish my buns, and once I’m done, I’ll talk to you about it.” He said seriously.

Yu Li was confused: “Big brother, you just ate nine big buns! Do you still want more?”

He smiled playfully, his deep eyes glimmering like stars: “But I want to eat an even tastier bun.”

With that, Yu Li suddenly felt the tight button on her chest being deftly undone.

Lu Guanshan lowered his head and started to get busy…

Yu Li’s face flushed red. She quickly reached for the bedside lamp cord, pulling it to pretend she couldn’t see anything!

But in the dark, her senses became more attuned.

Yu Li had never known that there could be a kind of “eating” like this in the world!

She closed her eyes, letting herself go with the flow.

Although they didn’t speak, she could clearly feel that, over the past few days, their encounters had become more practiced, more in tune, and the sparks between them were getting more intense.

It was so intense that, in the end, she fainted. When she opened her eyes again, it was already the next morning.

Lu Guanshan had already gone to work early in the morning, feeling refreshed.

He took four buns that had been warmed on the stove and brought them to the office to eat.

He left two buns for Yu Li in the pot, along with a bowl of tender boiled eggs he had prepared for her.

Yu Li hadn’t even had the chance to talk to Lu Guanshan about Bai Lingling yet.

But early in the morning, when Lu Guanshan arrived at the office, he ran into Bai Lingling.

She was wearing a pure white dress, had carefully curled her hair, and was waiting there with a bow tie.

Men passing by couldn’t help but take a look, because she was indeed beautiful—pure, delicate, and so beautiful that it made one feel pity.

Lu Guanshan didn’t notice her, thinking only that he would need to close the door when he ate his buns in the office, or else they would be taken away.

Bai Lingling jogged up and blocked him, her eyes filled with tears: “Lu Guanshan! You owe me an explanation!”

Lu Guanshan paused, frowning: “Someone died? Why are you crying so early? What explanation do you want from me?”