Chapter 16: Sowing Dissension

Lin Qiyue’s current body was too slow—she simply couldn’t outrun He Weiguo. Seeing him catch up, she glanced back, stepped on a loose stone, and “Ah—” fell hard to the ground. She didn’t have time to think—just tried to get back up and keep running.

But He Weiguo caught up and grabbed her by the hair.

She was instantly restrained. In her mind, she was cursing herself:
I never should’ve come out. I’m finished this time—dead for sure!

She wanted to cry but had no tears.
Even though she’d read countless novels, she forced herself to stay calm despite the fear.

He Weiguo tied her up tightly with a rope and dragged her to an abandoned factory.

Shen Qingmiao looked at Lin Qiyue, now in her hands, and slapped her across the face—“Smack!”
“So, you finally got what you deserved. Walking right into our hands?” she sneered, grabbing Lin Qiyue’s chin and looking smugly at He Weiguo.
“You were so impatient before—now she’s delivered herself to you. You can finally enjoy her.”

He Weiguo clapped his hands and said, “Once I’m done with her, kill her or sell her off to some faraway place. She knows too much—we can’t let her return to the Lan family.”

His eyes glinted with calculation.

Lin Qiyue quickly surveyed the surroundings. It was too remote—there was no chance anyone would pass by.

After the slap, she glared furiously at Shen Qingmiao.
This vile woman is truly heartless.

She tried to kick Shen Qingmiao’s belly, but she dodged.

“You wretched thing! You still dare to resist?” Shen Qingmiao growled and slapped her again.

Lin Qiyue winced from the pain but kept calculating in her mind—I have to escape. I absolutely can’t die here.

Shen Qingmiao turned to He Weiguo and said,
“After you’re done with her, find a trafficker to sell her off to some remote mountain area. Or lock her up somewhere for now. Once things settle, finish her off.”

“No problem,” He Weiguo said, clearly impatient to get his hands on Lin Qiyue.

At that moment, Lan Yuchu and Liu Yuanzhu had followed He Weiguo’s trail from earlier in the day. Riding a bicycle, they arrived at the abandoned factory.

Their sharp instincts had led them here.

As they slowly approached the building, they heard noises from inside. Carefully pressing against the wall, they peeked in and saw someone tied up—Lan Yuchu instantly recognized Lin Qiyue.

Just in time to see Shen Qingmiao slap her twice.

“Yuanzhu, go call the police—now!” Lan Yuchu whispered.

He wanted to charge in and save Lin Qiyue immediately, but the timing wasn’t right—he needed the perfect opportunity.

Inside, Lin Qiyue knew escape was impossible. She was no match for that old man. There was only one option: drive a wedge between the two of them.

Just as He Weiguo moved to assault her, Shen Qingmiao—smug like a victor—leaned down to remove the cloth from Lin Qiyue’s mouth.

“Shen Qingmiao, you’ll die a horrible death!” Lin Qiyue shouted.

She hadn’t even planned that line—it must’ve come from all the TV dramas she’d watched. But the words burned into her memory and blurted out.

“Go ahead, scream all you want,” Shen Qingmiao sneered. “No one’s going to show up here. And even if they do—what then? Once people know you’ve been violated, do you think the Lan family will still want you?”

She pinched Lin Qiyue’s face and stopped hiding her malice.

“If I hadn’t drugged you back then, you wouldn’t be in this mess. You just got unlucky—it was Lan Yuchu who ended up in your bed, not Bai Lanbo. If it had been him, your life wouldn’t be this miserable. Now just enjoy your last moment of pleasure—because what’s coming next will make you wish you were dead.”

If not for Lin Qiyue, Shen Qingmiao wouldn’t have suffered so much. She’d only gone to buy the drugs so she could marry Lan Chuhe—and on the way back, He Weiguo had violated her.

From then on, he had her under his thumb.

Now, Lin Qiyue was her only ticket out. And the fool had delivered herself.

“Pft!” Lin Qiyue spat in Shen Qingmiao’s face. “You’re just trying to get your scheme to work.”

Shen Qingmiao quickly dodged, furious.

Lin Qiyue went on:
“He Weiguo, don’t forget—I’m in a military marriage. If you lay a finger on me and get caught, they’ll never let you go. Shen Qingmiao has all the evidence of your crimes. She’s just waiting for you to cross the line so she can turn you in and get free of you.”

“Shut up!” Shen Qingmiao panicked and slapped her again.

“What’s wrong? Afraid of the truth?” Lin Qiyue pressed on.

Her sharp words jolted a bit of clarity into He Weiguo.

“She hates you,” Lin Qiyue continued. “She’s been luring you in, pushing you to commit more crimes. Once you do, she’ll have all the leverage she needs to send you to prison. No matter how powerful your connections are, she’s trying to bury you for good. Then she can live comfortably with the Lan family, free from your control.”

That speech rattled Shen Qingmiao—because it was exactly what she’d been planning.

He Weiguo turned to her, eyes flaring. “Is what she said true?”

“She’s trying to turn us against each other!” Shen Qingmiao said, grabbing He Weiguo’s hand and putting it on her stomach. She softened her voice and played the emotional card. “Weiguo, I gave you Yangyang. This baby is yours too. Everything I’ve done—it’s all for the kids to have a better life in the Lan family. You’re their father. How could I ever hurt you?”

Cold sweat was already breaking out on her back as she pointed at Lin Qiyue.
“She’s lying! She’s trying to make you suspicious, to pit us against each other so we both lose!”

Lin Qiyue continued, “She’s explaining now just to make you believe her. Why did Shen Qingmiao marry Lan Chuhe in the first place? It was for wealth and status. Deep down, she looks down on you. She thinks once you do something to me, you’ll carry the crime forever and never dare to threaten her again.”

As she spoke to provoke them, she also felt around for a way to untie the rope. Luckily, it had only been tied hastily and wasn’t very secure. With one forceful tug, it loosened.

He Weiguo wasn’t a fool. After all the shady things he’d done in secret—and the things he’d confided in Shen Qingmiao—he finally snapped.
“So you’ve been scheming against me all along?” he roared, grabbing Shen Qingmiao by the neck in a fit of rage.

Lin Qiyue thought to herself, Good. Let them fight it out.

In the next second, she broke free of the rope.

“You’re crazy, He Weiguo! I’m pregnant with your child!” Shen Qingmiao panicked when she saw things falling apart. Trying not to provoke him further, she said calmly, “Getting angry won’t solve anything. I promise I’ll do whatever you say from now on. But right now, you need to deal with Lin Qiyue. She already knows everything.”

He Weiguo slowly began to calm down.

Lin Qiyue, now free, picked up a stick nearby and smashed it directly onto He Weiguo’s neck. Before he could react, she struck him again—twice more.
Seeing that he still wasn’t unconscious, she gritted her teeth, hit him one final time, dropped the stick, and bolted for the door.

Even if it kills me, I’m getting out of here. I’m not looking back!

Shen Qingmiao grabbed her arm, refusing to let her escape. Panicked and frightened, Lin Qiyue kicked at her leg and yanked hard.

Shen Qingmiao cried out in pain and released her grip. But the release was too sudden—Lin Qiyue lost her balance and looked like she was about to crash to the ground.

Am I done for now? she thought—

—only to fall into a firm, familiar chest.

“You okay?” Lan Yuchu caught her in his arms.

When she looked up and saw him, Lin Qiyue’s eyes welled up with tears. “What took you so long?”

It was only upon seeing Lan Yuchu that the anxiety in her heart finally eased.

“Lan… Lan Yuchu? You’re here?” she said, choking back sobs, clinging to him tightly. His appearance brought her a deep sense of relief.

Shen Qingmiao was completely panicked now—Lan Yuchu’s arrival meant she was done for.

He Weiguo, regaining his strength, grabbed a stick to attack Lan Yuchu.

But Lan Yuchu reacted quickly, landing a powerful kick that sent He Weiguo flying. After helping Lin Qiyue steady herself, he charged forward and pinned He Weiguo to the ground, punching him repeatedly in the face.

Shen Qingmiao saw the situation and panicked, grabbing her bag and trying to flee.

But Lin Qiyue blocked her path—and returned the two slaps from earlier.

“Ah—!” Shen Qingmiao yelped in pain and tried to fight back, but Lin Qiyue, enraged, slapped her again—this time hard enough that Shen Qingmiao didn’t dare raise a hand again.

Lan Yuchu had fully subdued He Weiguo, beating him until he couldn’t move, then tied up his hands and feet with the rope.

Soon after, Liu Yuanzhu arrived with the police.

Lin Qiyue and Lan Yuchu went to the police station together. After giving their statements, they waited inside for updates.

Still shaken, Lin Qiyue kept holding onto Lan Yuchu’s hand. He never left her side the entire time.

After about half an hour, Liu Yuanzhu came out and said,
“Yuchu, sister-in-law, you two can go home for now. We’ll let you know once there’s progress. I’ll have someone drive you.”

“Okay,” Lan Yuchu replied without asking further.

He and Lin Qiyue got into the police car and headed back.
The atmosphere in the car was awkward—yet oddly charged with something unspoken.