Chapter 27

Gu Xizhi’s moves were precise—just one strike, and both Wen Ze and Xu Mei were knocked out. However, they wouldn’t be unconscious for long.

After confirming that no one was paying attention, Gu Xizhi quickly adjusted their positions, making their clothes appear slightly disheveled.

Then, he stepped back and shouted loudly, “Comrades Wen and Xu, what are you doing over there?”

His voice was so loud that it immediately attracted the attention of the people nearby.

“Huh? You… you… Oh, I’m sorry for disturbing you!”

Gu Xizhi dramatically covered his eyes, feigning shock, and took several steps backward in a panic.

His reaction instantly piqued the curiosity of the crowd. Some people tiptoed to look past the rocks, while the children ran straight over.

“Oh no! They’re hugging!”

“How shameless! My mom says people who do this have no shame.”

A young boy, after exclaiming, suddenly rushed forward and pushed Wen Ze and Xu Mei, causing them to fall against the rocks. The impact woke them up immediately.

Before they could even sit up, onlookers had already surrounded them.

They were sprawled on the rocks with their clothes in disarray—especially Xu Mei, whose hand had somehow ended up under Wen Ze’s shirt.

Both of them were utterly confused. They had merely been sitting and talking—how did their positions change so drastically? And why were so many people watching them?

Stunned by the bizarre situation, they remained huddled together, forgetting to separate.

The crowd soon burst into a flurry of discussions.

“Oh my! How disgraceful! And these are educated youths? How can scholars be so shameless?”

“Ugh! Doing such things by the sea—can’t they control themselves? This is a terrible influence on the children!”

“Someone hurry up and get the brigade leader! They need to be taken to the commune for discipline.”

Gu Xizhi stood quietly to the side, letting the crowd criticize the two. When someone finally decided to fetch the brigade leader, he stepped in to stop them.

“There’s no need to find the brigade leader—he’s at the educated youth station right now.”

His expression turned furious. “I was actually looking for Comrades Wen and Xu to bring them to the brigade leader. Who knew they would be…”

Before he could finish, someone in the crowd, sensing there was more to the story, quickly asked,

“Why were you looking for them? Did they do something else besides this?”

At that moment, Wen Ze and Xu Mei finally snapped out of their daze. They jumped apart as if electrocuted.

Hearing the crowd’s speculations, Xu Mei glared angrily. “What do you mean? Wen Ze and I are completely innocent! It’s not what you think!”

Wen Ze, straightening his clothes, echoed, “Xu Mei is right! Stop spreading false rumors! Things aren’t what they seem!”

However, the crowd had already made up their minds about them. No one was willing to listen. Instead, they all turned their expectant gazes toward Gu Xizhi.

“This… sigh! Don’t look at me like that. I don’t even know how to explain it. If you really want to know, just follow us back to the educated youth station and see for yourselves.”

Xu Mei and Wen Ze were furious. “Gu Xizhi, what do you mean by this?!”

“Heh, you both know exactly what I mean. Let’s go. The brigade leader is waiting for you.”

Gu Xizhi strode off without looking back.

Just accusing them of inappropriate behavior wasn’t enough—multiple crimes should be punished together.

Wen Ze, feeling wronged but self-righteous, stormed after him.

Xu Mei, on the other hand, hesitated. She faked a limp, pretending she was still sore from the fall, and deliberately slowed down.

At the same time, her mind was racing, replaying the events to ensure she hadn’t left any clues behind.

After carefully reviewing her actions, she was convinced that she had covered all her tracks. Only then did she quicken her pace.

—-

At the Educated Youth Station

Jiang Aiguo, the brigade leader, and his deputy had already been called over by Sun Yuqing. Accompanying them was the island’s only doctor.

On their way there, they had already heard what had happened.

The revelation that someone had drugged Lan Xiruo made them both furious and uneasy.

Just that afternoon, officials from the commune and Beijing had praised their island. Yet, by evening, such a disgraceful incident had occurred. Wasn’t this a direct slap in the face?

Moreover, Lan Xiruo had just received the title of “Patriotic Model Worker with Special Contributions,” and now someone had tried to frame her. What was this supposed to mean? Was someone challenging the higher-ups’ decision?

If outsiders used this as an excuse to stir up trouble—suggesting that their island harbored hidden enemies—it could spell disaster.

Jiang Aiguo resolved to investigate the matter thoroughly. No matter what, they had to uncover the culprit.

“Doctor Zhong, please examine Lan Xiruo’s food carefully and determine how it was tampered with.”

Doctor Zhong nodded and took the lunchbox from Lan Xiruo, inspecting it closely.

First, he sniffed it. Then, he dipped a finger into the broth and tasted it.

“Ugh! Pah, pah!”

“It’s croton seeds! They have a spicy taste. Didn’t you notice it?”

Lan Xiruo was taken aback. “I thought the spiciness came from the chili in the seaweed.”

Doctor Zhong shook his head. “The spiciness from seaweed and croton seeds is different.”

Sun Yuqing frowned. “But we all ate the same meal. Why was Lan Xiruo the only one affected?”

“Yeah, we all ate the same food. Why were we fine?”

Doctor Zhong paused, deep in thought. “Lan Xiruo, where was your lunchbox before you ate?”

Lan Xiruo hesitated. “It shouldn’t have been tampered with. I got it back from the fishing boat just today and only brought it to the kitchen at mealtime.”

Doctor Zhong frowned. “Then is it possible that someone tampered with it while you weren’t looking?”

“Even if they did, once porridge was put in, there wouldn’t be any visible signs.”

“Oh! It must have been those two bites of food!” Lan Xiruo suddenly recalled Xu Mei giving her some food.

Xu Mei, who was just entering the shelter, overheard this and immediately protested, “Lan Xiruo, what are you saying? Are you accusing me of poisoning you?

I didn’t just give you food—I gave Sun Yuqing some, too! She’s fine!”

Lan Xiruo sneered. “The food you gave me was on top. Who knows if you laced just those bites with poison?

Croton seeds only require a tiny amount to work. I was wondering why you clumped the food together like that. Now it all makes sense.”

The more Lan Xiruo spoke, the more convinced she became. This was the only logical explanation for why she was the only one affected.

“You—you’re just making baseless accusations!”

Xu Mei was panicking. She had taken such careful precautions, yet Lan Xiruo had still managed to figure it out.

But…

“Everyone knows that if you accuse someone of theft, you need to show the stolen goods. If you have evidence, show it! Otherwise, don’t frame me for something I didn’t do.”