The sudden turn of events left everyone in the room stunned, taking a moment to process what had just happened.
Chaos erupted.
Zhou Yinghuai shielded Cheng Fangqiu, moving toward the corner. In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yingchen, seemingly out of nowhere, also jumped out the window, clearly going after Ma Changjun.
“Ma Changjun! Do you have no conscience, abandoning us like this?” Yang Liqun collapsed into a chair, her eyes hollow, muttering to herself, paying no attention to the two children crying uncontrollably beside her.
Zhang Guixiang’s vision darkened, and she nearly fainted. She still couldn’t accept the reality, sitting on the ground, throwing a tantrum and shouting about her son’s innocence. But the son she had been so devoted to had just abandoned her.
Ma Shugen lay on the hospital bed, his dull eyes darting around, trying to come up with a solution, but no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t find a suitable way out.
Because this was a crime! It meant jail time!
Since the factory had sent people to apprehend him, they must have had key evidence. Now, no matter what they did, it was futile. He could only hope that Ma Changjun wouldn’t be caught.
The Ma family had only this one heir!
But at the same time, he couldn’t help but inwardly blame Ma Changjun and the others for not being careful enough, leaving traces that the factory had discovered!
“Comrade Zhou, Comrade Cheng, given the current situation, it might not be convenient to handle your matter. You can go home first, and we’ll notify you once there’s a result,” Secretary Qian said, feeling a headache coming on but still remembering to offer comfort. “Don’t worry, Ma Changjun’s crimes are enough to keep him in prison for life, and the factory won’t keep his family around either.”
Cheng Fangqiu and Zhou Yinghuai weren’t surprised by this outcome. Those who bring trouble upon themselves deserve their fate; their downfall was self-inflicted.
“Then we’ll head back first,” Cheng Fangqiu and Zhou Yinghuai nodded and walked outside. Halfway, they met up with Xu Qiqi and Chang Yan’an, and the two couples left the scene together.
“Is your brother okay?” Xu Qiqi patted her chest, still shaken from the earlier dangerous situation. After all, this was the third floor!
Zhou Yinghuai shook his head: “Don’t worry about him. He’s from military school.”
Moreover, there was a small platform outside each window of the hospital. Zhou Yingchen wasn’t foolish enough to jump straight down; he would have used it to his advantage.
“That’s good.” Hearing this, Xu Qiqi remembered that Zhou Yingchen had mentioned during the day that he underwent daily physical training at military school. His physical fitness was far superior to that of an average person.
Once reassured, Xu Qiqi couldn’t help but praise: “Your brother is amazing! I just saw him zip to the window, then vault over it and jump down. That move was so cool! Right, Qiuqiu?”
Seeing Xu Qiqi seeking agreement, Cheng Fangqiu smiled and nodded, “Definitely cool.”
Perhaps it was because women have an irresistible interest in scenes brimming with masculine strength, but the two began discussing Zhou Yingchen’s smooth, fluid movements.
However, as they talked, the air around them grew increasingly tense and silent.
The two pursed their lips and changed the subject.
“Qiqi, why did you come?”
“Of course, I had to come for your sake. My husband is a deputy factory director, after all. I brought him along to back you up so you wouldn’t be bullied.”
Xu Qiqi said the incident had caused quite a stir, and almost everyone in the factory knew about it. She and Chang Yan’an had been out for a walk when they heard the news and rushed over immediately.
Cheng Fangqiu was deeply moved and hugged Xu Qiqi’s arm tightly, saying softly, “Qiqi, you’re so good to me.”
“Who else would I be good to if not you?” Xu Qiqi patted Cheng Fangqiu’s back in a domineering yet gentle manner, then angrily cursed the Ma family for their despicable actions.
“Evil people get their due. They were involved in such shady dealings behind the scenes. Heaven has eyes.” After saying this, Xu Qiqi paused and added in a low voice, “But this is such a coincidence…”
How many coincidences like this could there be in the world?
Cheng Fangqiu glanced at Zhou Yinghuai, just then, their eyes met, and they exchanged a knowing smile.
“Ma Changjun has escaped. If he’s caught immediately, that’s fine. But if he isn’t, you should be extra careful about your safety.”
Chang Yan’an’s eyes flickered with a hint of something unspoken. He wrapped an arm around Xu Qiqi’s shoulders, pulling her close, then let go, maintaining a proper distance.
But as soon as he released her, Xu Qiqi clung to Cheng Fangqiu again, worriedly grabbing her hand. “That’s right, Qiuqiu. Why don’t you stay at our place tonight?”
Chang Yan’an looked at the empty space beside him and sighed helplessly, closing his eyes slightly.
Cheng Fangqiu also considered the issue. Their homes were close, and if Ma Changjun, in a fit of rage, went crazy…
“Don’t be polite with us. It’s settled,” Xu Qiqi warmly insisted, even thoughtfully adding, “Qiuqiu, are you scared? I can sleep with you tonight.”
Zhou Yinghuai and Chang Yan’an both frowned simultaneously, but before they could speak, they heard Cheng Fangqiu decline with a smile, “No need, I’m not scared.”
The two men breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
Afraid that Xu Qiqi might say something else, Chang Yan’an quickly changed the subject, “Let’s head back first. With the suspect still at large, it’s dangerous outside.”
Xu Qiqi nodded in agreement.
“Qiuqiu, you go back with them first. I’ll stay to help catch the suspect,” Zhou Yinghuai said, squeezing Cheng Fangqiu’s hand. She immediately gripped his hand back, furrowing her brows, “There are so many people here, and the police will arrive soon. You…”
“If I don’t catch him, I won’t feel at ease. Besides, Zhou Yingchen doesn’t know where he’s chasing the suspect. I need to make sure he gets back safely,” Zhou Yinghuai knew Cheng Fangqiu was worried about him, and a warm feeling surged in his heart. But he had to go.
Seeing Zhou Yinghuai’s determination, Cheng Fangqiu sighed and reluctantly agreed, “Then be careful and come back soon.”
“Okay,” Zhou Yinghuai gently squeezed her palm, promising solemnly, then turned to Chang Yan’an and Xu Qiqi, speaking softly, “Please take care of Qiuqiu for me.”
“Don’t worry.”
The group parted ways at the hospital entrance. When they arrived at the Chang residence, Cheng Fangqiu went straight to wash up and get into bed. She was truly exhausted, both physically and mentally, and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Originally, she wouldn’t have been this tired because Zhou Yinghuai had said he would handle it himself.
But Cheng Fangqiu thought about it and realized that Zhou Yinghuai’s position in this incident was somewhat awkward. The more he said, the more mistakes he might make. Moreover, as Ma Changjun’s superior, if the two argued, those who didn’t know the full story would likely side with the underdog. Therefore, the best approach was for her, as his wife, to step forward.
Additionally, as the person directly affected by the slanderous rumors, no one was better suited to forcefully clarify the situation than herself.
In a marriage, there’s no distinction between who does what. Helping each other is the way to go further.
Cheng Fangqiu slept dreamlessly. When she woke up, she instinctively reached out to touch the space beside her. It was empty—Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t returned all night. She rubbed her temples and sat up.
Had Ma Changjun not been caught yet?
This realization made her feel a wave of irritation. After a good night’s sleep, she wasn’t tired at all, so she decided to get up and wait in the living room. As she went downstairs, she saw Xu Qiqi curled up on the sofa.
Hearing the noise, Xu Qiqi groggily opened her eyes, “Qiuqiu, you’re awake?”
“Just woke up,” Cheng Fangqiu walked over and sat down beside Xu Qiqi, asking curiously, “Why are you sleeping here?”
“Early this morning, when Chang Yan’an was called to a meeting, I came downstairs with him,” Xu Qiqi scooted over to make more room for her. “I was woken up and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I decided to wait here for you to wake up so I could tell you two things right away.”
“What things?” Cheng Fangqiu’s heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help but press for details.
“One good news, one bad news,” Xu Qiqi pursed her lips and continued, “The good news is that Ma Changjun has been caught. His whole family has been taken to the police station for questioning.”
This was expected, and Cheng Fangqiu breathed a sigh of relief. But then, thinking of something else, her heart tightened again, “And the bad news?”
“The bad news is that the technical department is in complete chaos. Several technicians’ offices and desks have been vandalized. It’s not clear if Ma Changjun did it—the police are still interrogating him—but I think it was him. Who else could it be?”
Xu Qiqi snorted, rolling her eyes in frustration, “Do you think he had nothing better to do? Out of all the places in the factory, he had to target the technical department. There are so many important data and documents there. Losing even one would be disastrous.”
Cheng Fangqiu’s frown deepened as she listened. She didn’t believe Ma Changjun went to the technical department without a reason. He must have had a purpose. Escaping capture was one thing—after all, the most dangerous place is often the safest—but besides that…
“What about Zhou Yinghuai?”
“Comrade Zhou came back this morning, but when he saw you were still asleep, he left again. Right now, the technical department can’t function without him. He has to take charge. Plus, his office was also destroyed. I heard all the cabinets were smashed. It’s unclear if anything was stolen.”
Now, there’s going to be a lot of work to do.
Cheng Fangqiu had a rough idea of what was going on. She figured Zhou Yinghuai would probably think of the same things she did, but she decided she’d remind him once he got back.
After going through such an ordeal, neither Cheng Fangqiu nor Xu Qiqi felt like cooking, so they changed clothes and headed to the state-run restaurant outside the factory. Along the way, they ran into quite a few people who couldn’t help but come up to them to ask questions.
The questions were all pretty much the same, so the two answered what they could.
It wasn’t until they reached the area around the state-run restaurant that things finally quieted down.
After finishing their meal, Cheng Fangqiu parted ways with Xu Qiqi. As soon as she arrived at the foot of the family dormitory building, she noticed a crowd gathered there. After asking around, she learned that the police had just been there searching for evidence.
“The factory has ordered the Ma family to move out within three days.”
“I heard both the husband and wife are going to jail? What’s going to happen to their two daughters then?”
“They’ll probably live with their grandparents, but it doesn’t seem like they care much about their granddaughters. What a tragedy.”
Cheng Fangqiu listened to a few comments before heading straight upstairs. When she opened the door, she saw Zhou Yingchen sitting on the couch applying medicine. She quickly walked over and asked, “What happened?”
“Sister-in-law,” Zhou Yingchen greeted her first, then explained, “I got hurt accidentally while catching the suspect last night. It’s just a minor injury.”
After some questioning, she learned the details of what had happened the previous night. Zhou Yingchen had jumped down after the suspect and was about to catch him, but because he wasn’t as familiar with the surroundings as Ma Changjun, he lost sight of him on a small path.
Fortunately, he later worked with the police to catch the suspect.
“You’ve worked hard. Have you eaten? Should I go to the cafeteria and pack some food for you?” Cheng Fangqiu asked with concern. When Zhou Yingchen said he had already eaten, she didn’t press further.
Zhou Yinghuai returned late at night, and almost at the same time, both Cheng Fangqiu and Zhou Yingchen came out of their rooms to greet him.
“Husband.”
“Brother.”
Zhou Yinghuai was still wearing his work uniform, and the exhaustion on his face was unmistakable. Hearing their voices, he looked up and gave them a faint smile, reassuring them, “Things are mostly taken care of. Don’t worry.”
How could things be mostly taken care of? There was no way all that data could be sorted out in just one day.
But sensing that Zhou Yinghuai was downplaying the situation to keep them from worrying, Cheng Fangqiu and Zhou Yingchen tactfully didn’t ask further.
Zhou Yingchen, realizing that the couple needed to talk, discreetly returned to his room.
As soon as he left, Cheng Fangqiu rushed into Zhou Yinghuai’s arms. Under the dim yellow light, their young bodies pressed close together, their warmth seeping through the fabric and soothing their skin. They were so close that they could clearly hear each other’s frantic heartbeats.
Zhou Yinghuai rested his chin on her shoulder, his large hand gently stroking the top of her head as he slowly closed his eyes, taking in her scent.
Neither of them spoke, simply savoring the moment.