Chapter 9

The people around were still whispering and gossiping. Looking at the attendant’s face, Lu Zhiyao explained:

“I don’t know this man. He tried to steal my belongings. When I saw him, his hand was already inside my luggage.”

“After I caught him, he made up a story to tell everyone that I’m his wife. In reality, I don’t know him at all.”

“He said I’m his wife just to cover up the situation and later threaten me for money!”

As soon as Lu Zhiyao finished speaking, the thug quickly defended himself: “Don’t listen to this woman! Her mouth is full of lies. She looks pretty, but she’s done a lot of disgusting things!”

“This isn’t the first time either.”

“You’ve got to believe me!”

Lu Zhiyao sneered coldly, “Then tell us your identity. What’s your name? And what’s my name?”

“I have identification; you don’t!”

As she spoke, Lu Zhiyao grabbed the thug’s hand with one of hers and used the other to take out a letter of introduction from her pocket and handed it over.

The letter of introduction listed her destination, her place of departure, and even had the village’s official stamp.

The attendant could read the letter, and it was clearly authentic.

Lu Zhiyao’s destination was the military district in the capital.

“There’s no issue with this letter of introduction,” the attendant had just finished speaking when the thug shouted, “No one in the village gave her that letter! She must have stolen it. There’s no photo on it—how can you tell it’s hers?”

“Her name is Wang Er’ya! She’s my wife!”

The thug was starting to panic. He had a feeling Lu Zhiyao had a plan all along.

At first, he thought she would be easy to bully.

Turned out, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

“I’m going to the military district in the capital because my husband is an officer stationed there. I’m accompanying the army as a military spouse.”

“Once we reach the next station, just make a call to the military base and my identity can be confirmed.”

“You can arrest him then, but I think he should be detained right now!”

The thug instantly panicked when he heard that. Her husband is an officer? She’s a military wife?

Crap! How did he end up provoking a military spouse?

The attendant nodded. “The letter does clearly state her identity. This comrade’s husband is in the military, and she’s headed to the base in the capital.”

Upon receiving confirmation, the surrounding onlookers were shocked. A letter like that wasn’t easy to obtain!

At that moment, the thug was completely flustered.

He quickly begged for mercy, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Don’t let them arrest me. I really was trying to steal something. She’s not my wife. Everything I said earlier was made up!”

“I promise I won’t do anything like this again!”

Since the theft hadn’t succeeded, the attendant couldn’t really do much to him for now—it was up to Lu Zhiyao whether or not to pursue the matter. The thug was terrified.

If he had known Lu Zhiyao was this tough, he wouldn’t have tried it!

He had stolen from people before—this was his usual routine at the train station, and it always worked out. He’d usually get the money in the end.

Who would have thought he’d fail today!

“Then tell me, how did you pick me as your target? My kids and I don’t look rich at all,” Lu Zhiyao found something suspicious.

They were dressed plainly and only had one large bag. Why would he think they had money?

“A young woman told me!” the thug was nearly in tears. “She said you acted arrogant just because you had money and looked down on everyone!”

Lu Zhiyao was puzzled—a youngwoman? Could it be Bai Shui Shui?

“You just believed her?” Lu Zhiyao questioned. “Look at our clothes—we’re not dressed particularly well. My children and I are very thin and frail. Do we look like rich people to you?”

“My children and I are poor. I’m taking them with me to accompany my husband in the military, hoping life will get a little better.”

The onlookers finally noticed what Lu Zhiyao and her children were wearing. They were indeed skinny and weak—didn’t look like people with money at all.

Pale and thin—they looked malnourished.

Definitely not wealthy.

After learning the truth, the crowd felt awkward. They had just criticized Lu Zhiyao for being immoral—turns out, they were wrong.

The thug glanced again at Lu Zhiyao and her kids and realized she might be right.

Their clothes were shabby, and they looked pale and skinny.

Definitely poor.

So he had been tricked. The thug was furious. Why did he believe that nonsense the woman at the station said?

Sofrustrating!

“Since you’ve confessed, come with us,” said the attendant, handing the letter back to Lu Zhiyao.

He then prepared to take the thug away.

The thug protested loudly, “I didn’t even manage to steal anything! I didn’t do anything wrong, so why are you taking me away?”

“You falsely accused someone. If that female comrade didn’t have proper ID, and everyone believed your lies, what would’ve happened to her?” said the attendant, dragging him off.

The thug cursed in his head but didn’t dare say a word.

If he talked too much now, they’d remember his face—and that would be the end for him.

If he ever saw the woman from the train station who tricked him again, he swore he’d…

Just as the thug was thinking this, he turned his head and saw BaiShuiShui sitting in a nearby seat.

Aha!

Already angry, the thug shouted, “It’s her! This is the woman who told me the other woman had money, so I went after her!”

“Who knew she was lying!”

He began cursing loudly, furiously recounting what had happened at the train station earlier that day.

Lu Zhiyao thought the situation had been resolved and was planning to rest with her children.

But suddenly she heard noise coming from that direction—something felt off.

She took her children and went over to check.

As the thug told everyone about Bai Shui Shui, the crowd gathered again.

“Could this woman have a grudge against that other comrade? Why else would she claim she had money?”

“Maybe the thug was set up by her!”

Bai Shui Shui didn’t expect the thug to recognize her—or to have failed in his theft.

Failing was one thing, but now he was calling her out in front of everyone!

What if Lu Zhiyao came over?

“What are you saying? I don’t know you!” Bai Shui Shui’s eyes darted around. “I don’t know anything about what you’re talking about, and now you’re accusing me to my face?”