Seeing Zhang Xiaofeng nearly faint from anger, the crowd murmured in sympathy. The ones involved in the rumor-mongering deeply regretted their actions, and their resentment toward He Ye grew stronger.

This whole mess had started because of her, yet now she was nowhere to be found. Who wouldn’t be furious?

As a result, Han Yan became the next target.

“Han Yan, where’s your mother? She stirred up all this trouble, but now she’s hiding? Is she treating us like fools?”

“Exactly! Tell her to come out and explain herself!”

With voices coming at her from all directions, Han Yan was filled with regret but didn’t dare lash out.

“I… I don’t know where my mother is…” she said hesitantly.

“You don’t know? But you knew exactly how to twist things and try to sow discord between Ah Heng and his wife?” Lu Yuan scoffed. The crowd had heard everything—there was no fooling them now.

Watching Han Yan’s eyes redden under the accusations, Lu Yuan felt incredibly satisfied. She gritted her teeth and muttered to Lin Nannan, “I thought she was smarter than this.”

“She’s not smart—she’s just too stupid,” Lin Nannan replied, her eyes flashing coldly.

Han Yan had dared to step forward today because she thought she was familiar with the Lu family. She assumed they were kind-hearted and easy to manipulate. She also believed the original Lin Nannan was naïve, which made her an easy target for blame.

What she didn’t realize was that once a situation escalated, no one could escape unscathed.

Especially since Lu Heng had been injured in the line of duty—there was no way anyone would allow his reputation to be tarnished.

The Lu family stayed out of the argument and simply watched as those involved turned on each other. No matter how pitiful Han Yan looked, they remained indifferent.

Despite all the chaos, He Ye still refused to show herself, acting as if the entire incident had nothing to do with her. She didn’t care about Han Yan’s predicament—she simply pretended she didn’t exist.

Then, just as expected, things escalated.

A car arrived from the town, stopping just outside the village. The passengers stepped out, and a group of village children immediately led them toward the Lu household.

Everything played out exactly as Lin Nannan had predicted.

The military had sent people.

Since the situation had unfolded so suddenly, they weren’t Lu Heng’s usual comrades but officers from the nearby town. As soon as they arrived, they harshly reprimanded those who had spread rumors and then took He Ye away.

Everyone was stunned.

No one had expected things to turn out like this.

There had always been gossip in the village. In the past, people had gotten into heated arguments over careless words, but never before had someone been taken away because of it. For the first time, fear crept into the hearts of the villagers.

And when they looked at Lin Nannan, their expressions changed.

Some probably thought she was making a big deal out of nothing.

But Lin Nannan had no regrets.

She scanned the crowd and declared firmly, “You can call me foolish or naive, but if anyone dares to smear Lu Heng’s name, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

“That’s right! From now on, I don’t want to hear a single baseless rumor about Ah Heng in this village. If I catch anyone gossiping, they’ll have to face the consequences!” Zhang Xiaofeng took the opportunity to make her stance clear.

As the villagers exchanged uneasy glances, Lu Ding returned after escorting the officials out. He turned to Lu Fang and said, “They mentioned that since this was an urgent matter, they sent people from the town first. But in a few days, the military will send their own representatives. Be prepared to receive them.”

Lu Fang’s eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded in excitement.

The fact that the town’s officers had taken He Ye away was already a strong statement. But now, knowing that the military itself would be stepping in—it was clear they were backing his son.

He was overwhelmed with emotion.

He had heard the rumors circulating in the village. Though the family had been angry and hurt, they had kept the truth from Ah Heng, afraid it would make him feel worse.

They had assumed that, over time, the gossip would fade. But instead, it had only grown worse, with every possible accusation being thrown at Ah Heng.

They had been furious but helpless.

They never imagined that Lin Nannan would be the one to break the deadlock—and in such a satisfying way—instantly relieving the frustration they had been holding in.