Chapter 42: The Unclean Woman

For Huo Nanchuan, he didn’t fully believe what the young woman said.

From the moment this woman appeared, her flustered demeanor, her evasive gaze, and her unconvincing words, all added a layer of false fog to the lie.

But…

What if?

Huo Nanchuan couldn’t bear the risk of that “what if.”

Even if it wasn’t as the young woman said, “Chi Wan tripped and twisted her ankle,” it could be that Chi Wan had an accident.

Just thinking about it…

Huo Nanchuan’s heart would skip a beat uncontrollably.

All the muscles in his body tensed up with worry.

Needless to say, the aura he exuded was chilling.

This was the second time Huo Nanchuan realized how much he valued Chi Wan, his little wife.

It was stronger and deeper than he had thought.

Interwoven with tension and worry, the man’s long legs took increasingly faster strides.

…

On the other side.

Besides Huo Nanchuan and the young woman, there were others who rushed to the grove.

Another group of people also stepped into the grove.

They included men and women, elderly women and young aunts.

They rushed forward, chattering away.

“You mean Chi Wan and Song… Song… Song what’s his name, the young male intellectual, went into the grove together? Really? Isn’t Chi Wan the wife of the eldest Huo now?”

“Who cares if it’s true or not, let’s go take a look.”

“Those rumors from a few days ago weren’t baseless… Those male and female intellectuals… They gather together every day and say all kinds of sour things. I think those two are definitely having an affair!”

At this point.

The group of people who came to watch the show exchanged glances.

They looked at each other, their playful expressions clearly anticipating something.

Hopefully, something exciting, so they would have something to talk about for a while, something to drink and eat with!

Thus.

The group of people all entered the grove, one after another.

This dilapidated grove had probably never seen so many people, never received so much attention.

The fallen leaves and dead branches on the ground were crushed underfoot, making a cracking sound.

As if foreshadowing that someone’s life would be broken and changed in this place.

This grove was neither big nor small.

If you really wanted to find someone, it would only take a few minutes.

So, after a while.

“Ah—”

A loud scream came from the grove.

Huo Nanchuan’s brows were furrowed and his expression was tense.

He was already worried about Chi Wan, and after seeing so many people come, his worry turned into a heavy feeling.

A strong sense of unease enveloped him.

It was definitely – definitely not just an injury!

There could be greater danger!

Huo Nanchuan’s mind raced.

Was it the incorrigible Huo family’s second son and his men…

Or Lu Xiangxiang, who had clashed with Chi Wan before…

Or some enemy he didn’t know about…

Chi Wan must be alright! She must be alright!

Even a man who didn’t believe in ghosts and gods couldn’t help but pray at this moment.

But at that moment.

Huo Nanchuan heard the piercing scream.

He was the first to rush through the crowd, his figure darting through the grove, striding towards the direction of the scream.

The young woman beside Huo Nanchuan couldn’t keep up with his speed.

She only saw a flash of a figure and Huo Nanchuan was already three meters away.

The other onlookers immediately followed.

They knew Chi Wan and Song Jing were in the grove…

They also saw Huo Nanchuan there…

This was a good show of a husband catching his wife cheating!

They didn’t dare say anything in front of Huo Nanchuan, but in their hearts, they were already overjoyed.

The disordered footsteps all went in the same direction.

After a while.

Everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment at the scene before them.

Exciting!

It was truly exciting!

But it was completely different from what they had expected to see.

But what did it matter if it was different?

As long as there was something fresh and exciting, it would make people feel exhilarated.

“Good heavens… This shameless… In broad daylight… Doing this kind of thing in this place!”

“This woman… This woman doesn’t look like Chi Wan…”

“Of course it’s not Chi Wan, it’s the third daughter of the Lu family! It’s Lu Xiangxiang!”

“Why is Lu Xiangxiang with the male intellectual from the production team… Doing this together!”

What they saw was the absurd scene of Lu Xiangxiang and a crazed Song Jing.

Naked.

Completely naked.

Some people closed their eyes, some had lewd looks on their faces, some scolded, but no one rushed forward to wake up the two crazed people or give Lu Xiangxiang a piece of clothing.

They let the absurd scene continue to unfold.

Huo Nanchuan had no heart for such things.

He didn’t care about Lu Xiangxiang, nor did he care about Song Jing.

The only person he had in his heart was Chi Wan.

But where was Chi Wan?

“Where is Chi Wan?! Where is Chi Wan?!”

Huo Nanchuan turned around.

His dark eyes locked on the young woman who had brought him here.

He grabbed her wrist, his eyes cold as he questioned her.

The young woman was already afraid of Huo Nanchuan, and now that her wrist was being pinched, she felt a sharp pain and trembled even more.

“I don’t know… I don’t know… I really don’t know… Someone told me… To pass on a message!”

Huo Nanchuan continued to press her, “Who told you to pass on the message?”

“It’s… It’s… It’s…”

The young woman’s lips trembled constantly, and her face grew increasingly flustered.

Under the overwhelming fear, she confessed the truth.

“It’s Lu Xiangxiang! She gave me fifty cents and asked me to pass on a message. She also said she had to bring you to this grove!”

“Besides that, I really don’t know anything, I really don’t know anything!”

“Huo… Huo Nanchuan, let go, it hurts!”

Huo Nanchuan let go of the young woman’s wrist.

He had heard the truth, but the worry and seriousness on his face never subsided.

His brows remained furrowed.

Where was Chi Wan?

The one who plotted all this was indeed Lu Xiangxiang…

Lu Xiangxiang was with Song Jing for some unknown reason…

But where was Chi Wan?

“Where is Chi Wan? Where is Chi Wan?”

Among the onlookers, someone also thought of Chi Wan and asked the same question.

“Yeah, where is Chi Wan? They said she was with Song Jing… How did it become Lu Xiangxiang…”

“Maybe they got the wrong person, it wasn’t Chi Wan, it was that Lu family girl…”

“Maybe, women’s backs all look the same…”

“That Lu family girl is too shameless! Hey, did anyone go tell Old Man Lu? Hurry up and let his family come and clean up this mess…”

…

While the villagers were chattering.

After exchanging a glance with each other, Huo Nanchuan and Qiao Xinan walked to a secluded corner.

The man’s voice was tight as he asked, “Where is Chi Wan now?”

“I don’t know! I really don’t know! Huo Nanchuan, hurry and go find Xiao Wan, I’m worried that she… she’s also in trouble!”

Facing Huo Nanchuan, Qiao Xinan revealed her inner fear.

She said “also.”

She said “in trouble.”

Huo Nanchuan was actually thinking the same thing.

Just now, they all saw the absurd scene of Lu Xiangxiang and Song Jing.

The two of them were oblivious to their surroundings, and even when people appeared around them, they didn’t stop.

Lu Xiangxiang was even more miserable, her face was covered in tears and dirt, her body was full of scratches, and she seemed to have completely fainted.

This scene.

Anyone with eyes could tell that it wasn’t natural.

Someone had drugged them.

And the person who was supposed to be surrounded, discussed, and pointed at was Chi Wan.

Could it be that Chi Wan also…

Huo Nanchuan’s mind flashed with the same guess as Qiao Xinan.

His heart suddenly constricted.

As if an invisible hand was tightly grasping him.

Even his breathing was painful.

“Thank you just now, I’ll go find Chi Wan.”

Huo Nanchuan simply said this to Qiao Xinan and immediately left the grove.

If Chi Wan really had an accident and managed to escape from Song Jing…

Then with her physical condition, she couldn’t have gone very far.

She must still be around!

She must be hiding in a place around the grove where she could hide.

Huo Nanchuan was a native of the village.

He knew the terrain around here very well, as well as the places where people could hide.

So, when he left, he didn’t take the original road he came on, but took a secluded path.

There were a few abandoned sheds on that path.

Chi Wan might be hiding there!

Huo Nanchuan was worried and anxious, and he hurried forward.

He silently repeated Chi Wan’s name countless times in his heart…

Just as Huo Nanchuan stepped onto the path, a figure suddenly darted out.

The figure, without hesitation, threw itself into Huo Nanchuan’s arms.

Her hands immediately clasped tightly around his neck.

Her feet were almost wrapped around his waist.

The person’s movements were so fast that even Huo Nanchuan was caught off guard, and he couldn’t see her face clearly.

The man’s strong body went from tense to alert, then to…

Relaxed and softened.

This feeling was too familiar!

Huo Nanchuan felt the softness in his arms…

He smelled a familiar faint floral scent in his breath…

Even the black hair that brushed against his cheek was so familiar…

It was Chi Wan!

The woman he held in his heart, the woman he was worried about!

“Xiao Wan…”

Huo Nanchuan called out softly.

The moment he spoke, he realized how hoarse his voice was.

As if it had been rubbed heavily on coarse sandpaper.

It was the pain after relief.

The next second, Huo Nanchuan hugged Chi Wan without thinking.

He held her waist and pulled her into his arms.

At this moment.

His heart, which had been hanging in the balance, finally settled a little.

“Xiao Wan, are you alright? Did Lu Xiangxiang do anything to you? Are you hurt?”

Huo Nanchuan continued to ask anxiously.

The feeling of losing and finding her was too strong, he couldn’t bear to let go.

His tightly clasped palm could only gently rub against Chi Wan’s body, checking to see if she was injured, if she was intact.

Chi Wan just hugged him tightly.

Her slender arms circled his neck, and she buried her entire face in his chest.

Chi Wan seemed to be afraid, and she also seemed to be dodging.

Only her trust and dependence on Huo Nanchuan were instinctive and came from her heart.

After a while…

Under Huo Nanchuan’s concern, Chi Wan finally spoke softly.

“A Chuan, let’s go home, take me home…”

The soft voice.

But it was so heavy, it pressed down on Huo Nanchuan’s heart, one after another.

He instantly realized something.

Chi Wan must have been –

As the man’s face turned somber, his Adam’s apple bobbed as he said in a firm voice, “Okay, let’s go home.”