Chapter 20: Song Jianhua Gets Caught

Song Jianhua’s head buzzed. The moment he realized what was happening, he bolted—only to forget that the inspection team and the police were standing right at the door.

He charged forward.

And was immediately caught by both sides.

The inspection team, following the details in the anonymous report, entered the house for a search.

They rummaged through everything and, behind the vanity, found a hidden compartment containing a notebook that recorded embezzled funds—along with a few gold bars.

After a quick glance through the notebook, the team’s expressions turned grim.

They put the notebook away and stepped outside to exchange a few words with the police.

Without hesitation, both teams took Song Jianhua into custody.

As they escorted him downstairs, they found a crowd of elderly neighbors gathered at the stairwell entrance, watching the commotion.

When they saw that the one being arrested was Song Jianhua, they were dumbfounded.

Song Jianhua was a good man! Whenever he saw them, he always greeted them warmly. If they needed help, they only had to ask, and he would lend a hand.

So why was he suddenly being arrested by the police?

They bombarded the officers with questions, and the answers left them even more stunned.

The “good man” they knew—Song Jianhua—was suspected of selling his own daughter… and embezzling collective funds.

The elderly neighbors were in disbelief. They immediately reached out to their own connections to dig for more information.

What they found out shocked them even further.

Not only was Song Jianhua involved, but so were Li Huijuan and Song Tiezi.

Song Tiezi was Song Jianhua’s biological son.

He was two years older than Song Yue.

Song Jianhua had married Song Yue’s mother, Yun Qing, about a year after they started dating.

Which meant that when Song Jianhua was courting Yun Qing, Song Tiezi had already been born.

And as it turned out, Li Huijuan was never actually a widow—she had only ever been with Song Jianhua.

Even before she married him, it was Song Jianhua’s money that supported her and her son.

The elderly neighbors felt their world crumble.

The man they had once regarded as an upstanding citizen turned out to be a two-timing scoundrel who engaged in illicit affairs… and worse, a criminal who embezzled public funds and sold his own daughter!

What a vile person!

Their anger boiled over, and that was when they remembered the poor child, Song Yue. They insisted that the police must save her at all costs.

At the police station, they wailed about how miserable Song Yue had been ever since her stepmother, Li Huijuan, moved in.

Their relentless crying and shouting gave the officers no peace, forcing them to explain that Song Yue had already escaped from the traffickers’ den on her own. She had even gone to the local police to report the crime.

The authorities there had swiftly cracked down on the trafficking ring, rescuing other kidnapped women and children in the process.

The elderly neighbors were dumbstruck once again. They hurriedly asked when exactly Song Yue had returned.

It was only then that they realized the timing perfectly matched the days when Song Jianhua and Li Huijuan had told them that Song Yue had thrown a tantrum and gone to her maternal relatives’ home.

Furious beyond words, the elderly neighbors cursed Song Jianhua and Li Huijuan’s ancestors up and down.

They then drafted a collective petition, demanding severe punishment for the two.

Within their request, they specifically stated one condition: while punishing Song Jianhua, the authorities must ensure that Song Yue’s future was not affected.

Having such a father and stepmother was already misfortune enough for her.

If she were to suffer further consequences because of them, wouldn’t that be even more unfair?

The police, overwhelmed by the public outcry, quickly reported the matter to higher authorities.

After reviewing the situation, the leadership approved the petition.

Song Jianhua was forced to submit an application for severance of paternal ties.

Once the official seal was stamped, the declaration was published in the newspaper.

From that moment on, the father-daughter relationship was legally and completely severed.

All of this—the dramatic upheaval—happened within just three days.

Unaware of any of it, Song Yue was still on the train.

After three days and two nights, she had witnessed countless passengers boarding and disembarking during their short journeys.

Everyone around her had changed several times over—except for the person sitting directly across from her: Liu Wei.

And now, they had arrived at a major station—Beijing.

Passengers all around them got up, grabbed their belongings, and disembarked in a hurry.

But neither Song Yue nor Liu Wei moved.

Song Yue gazed out the window, watching the chaotic rush of people getting on and off.

Meanwhile, Liu Wei frowned as she looked at Song Yue, wondering: Where on earth is this person getting off?

For days now, Song Yue had barely spoken to her. Sitting across from her in silence was getting on her nerves.

Sensing Liu Wei’s stare, Song Yue glanced at her.

Liu Wei quickly masked her annoyance and forced a smile.

“Comrade Song, I heard you’re also being sent to the countryside. Can I ask where exactly you’re going?”

“Who knows? Maybe we’re heading to the same place. We’re both from Rong City, and our personalities seem to match pretty well.

If that’s the case, we could look out for each other, don’t you think?”

Song Yue withdrew her gaze and looked at Liu Wei.

Liu Wei smiled at her expectantly.

To be honest, despite finding Liu Wei annoying, Song Yue couldn’t help but envy her boundless energy.

After sitting on a train for three days and two nights, she could still manage to smile so optimistically.

Unlike Song Yue, who already felt like she was falling apart.

And there was still a whole day and night left before she reached her destination.

Just thinking about it made her feel even more exhausted.

Liu Wei, noticing Song Yue’s prolonged stare, started to feel uneasy.

She spoke up again. “Comrade Song, are you still mad at me for stepping on your foot when I got on the train?”

“It’s been days already… You can’t still be upset about that, right?”

Song Yue snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Liu Wei’s pitiful expression.

She almost replied, It’s not just about stepping on my foot—it’s also because you talk too much.

But before she could say anything—

A female voice cut in, “Zirui, our seats are over here.”

Song Yue turned to look.

A young woman.

Round face, big eyes, small cherry lips, fair skin, and twin braids tied with red ribbons.

She wore a cardigan over a dress, leather shoes on her feet, and carried a small suitcase in her hand.

Beside her stood a young man.

He wore a Zhongshan suit, looked quite handsome, and had a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that gave him a scholarly air.

In his hands were two large suitcases.

A beautiful young lady and a dashing young man—a perfect match.

Hmm.

Looks like a rich young miss and young master going to the countryside for an “experience.”

Song Yue withdrew her gaze, but in her peripheral vision, she caught a fleeting look of jealousy flash through Liu Wei’s eyes.

It disappeared in an instant.

Song Yue pretended not to notice.

Meanwhile, the young woman examined her seat ticket and frowned. “Ugh, why are we seated apart?”

She looked at the young man. “I want to sit with you, Zirui.”

Before Zhao Zirui could respond, she scanned her surroundings and glanced at both Liu Wei and Song Yue.

One was looking at her. The other was staring out the window, head wrapped in bandages, not even sparing her a glance.

How dare she not look at me?!

The young woman pointed a finger. “You!”

Liu Wei followed the direction of her finger, looking at Song Yue, eyes flickering with schadenfreude before quickly hiding it.

She eagerly waited for Song Yue’s reaction.

Noticing the shift in atmosphere, Song Yue turned her head and saw Liu Wei staring at her.

The young woman’s impatient voice rang out. “I’m talking to you!”

Song Yue looked at the two standing there.

From their expressions and the girl’s earlier complaint, she immediately figured out what was happening.

She raised a hand and pointed to the bandages on her head.

Taking the initiative, she spoke first:

“My head hurts. I’m carsick. I feel nauseous and want to vomit. No seat swapping.”