Chapter 87 Fleeing in Disarray

As soon as Xiaoling finished speaking, those people started to approach Xinli.

"Wait a moment."

Xin Li raised her palm and smiled at the crowd's questioning or resentful gazes.

"Gentlemen, I did hit someone, but aren't you all going to ask me why I hit someone?"

Xin Li's performance was astonishing, considering that the people Xie Shuangshuang brought were all veterans who had actually experienced gunfire.

When such an aura erupts, most normal people would probably keep their distance.

But Xinli could still smile, as if she were facing a bunch of cabbages.

"They've already hit someone, does the reason even matter?"

One of them, with his neck stiff, said, "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're the deputy division commander's wife. Hitting someone is wrong no matter what, and you have to pay the price for your actions!"

Xin Li nodded seriously: "You are absolutely right."

"But is there a situation where you also can't control yourself from hitting someone?"

"For example, you and your husband are already married and have a loving relationship, but then—"

"Xinli!"

"We're talking about the fact that you hit someone, what are you doing making trouble here?"

Seeing Xiaoling's guilty look and Xie Shuangshuang's evasive expression, Xinli knew that the two of them hadn't told the truth.

She smiled knowingly, deliberately whetting his appetite: "Me, being unreasonable? Weren't you even more unreasonable when someone came to me in such a menacing manner just now?"

"Do you know what they said to me when they came to me? She said—"

"Enough!"

Xiaoling suddenly picked up the teacup on the table and smashed it at Xinli's feet.

As the fragments exploded, Xin Li did not retreat, but looked at Xie Shuangshuang with a faint mockery in her eyes, remaining silent.

Xie Shuangshuang felt so guilty that her palms started sweating.

Are you speaking in riddles? Why can't we understand what you're saying?

Xinli's words were incoherent and rambling.

Xiaoling's behavior once again left both groups somewhat at a loss.

"What exactly is going on?"

A more senior person stepped forward and asked, "Comrade Xiaoling, didn't you just say that Xinli hit you? Now that she's here, why don't you two have a proper talk about this? Why are you stopping her from speaking?"

"Yes, yes, wouldn't it be better to make things clear so everyone knows who is right and who is wrong? Why have you been preventing her from speaking?"

Xiaoling had no way to express her suffering.

Are the things they just said really something they could say out loud?

If people find out that Xie Shuangshuang actually coveted a married man, wouldn't that make the deputy commander lose face?

Moreover, He Mingzhou was standing right behind Xin Li, clearly trying to support her. If the situation became too tense and He Mingzhou stood on Xin Li's side and said everything they had just said, wouldn't she be the one to suffer then?

The deputy commander would definitely choose to sacrifice his daughter to protect her reputation.

This is not the outcome she wanted.

She was still hoping to climb the social ladder by relying on Xie Shuangshuang, and she absolutely couldn't let her true colors be exposed at this time.

"It's not that I don't want her to speak, it's just that she slapped me, and it still hurts. I'm really resentful..."

"How about this, let Xinli apologize to me. After all, it's wrong of her to hit someone, right? It's not unreasonable for me to ask her to apologize, is it?"

Xiaoling settled for second best.

Since she couldn't make Xinli the target of public criticism, she thought of other ways.

Based on their previous interaction, Xiaoling knew very well what kind of temperament Xinli had.

If everyone forces her to apologize, she will definitely lose her temper and become irrational.

In this way, even if Xin Li is in the right, she will be seen as the one who is in the wrong, and naturally others will no longer stand on Xin Li's side.

“It’s fine to apologize after being hit, but Comrade Xiaoling, you still haven’t told us why you were hit.”

"Or, Xinli, why don't you tell us?"

As expected of soldiers trained by He Mingzhou, they were very clever and were not led astray by Xiaoling at all.

Xiaoling was speechless when he asked that question.

He stared intently at the person who asked the question, as if he wanted to pounce on them and bite them.

"Should I do it?" Xin Li readily agreed. "It's not that I can't do it, it's just—"

"Enough!"

Xiaoling said angrily, "I'm a magnanimous person, let bygones be bygones, I won't hold it against you, okay?"

After saying that, Xiaoling looked at Xie Shuangshuang and said in a tearful voice, "Shuangshuang, let's go back."

"Since others don't welcome us, we don't need to get in their way here."

Xie Shuangshuang also noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

Thinking back on what she had said before, Xie Shuangshuang still felt a little scared.

She dared to say those things to the person involved, but she didn't dare let anyone else know.

After all, since He Mingzhou has married Xin Li, she should avoid any appearance of impropriety.

But she absolutely couldn't bear to let go of such a good man.

We can only go back and wait for another opportunity.

"Then let's go back."

“Perhaps there is a misunderstanding today, Deputy Division Commander He. I believe that no one has any ill intentions. We are just worried that the islanders will not have enough food, which is why we are so nervous.”

Hopefully, this little incident won't affect our relationship.

He Mingzhou had no intention of making things difficult for anyone. After all, Xin Li had already backed down, so there was no need for him to pursue the matter further.

The most urgent task now is to get the supplies back to the island as soon as possible.

"certainly."

"We will always remember your kindness in delivering supplies to the people on the island."

Xie Shuangshuang lowered her head shyly: "It was just a small favor."

"Then we'll meet again later."

After saying that, Xie Shuangshuang left with Xiaoling.

With both parties involved having left, the people who escorted Xie Shuangshuang naturally stopped causing trouble.

The previously harmonious atmosphere was disrupted, and everyone left one after another without lingering.

"Deputy Division Commander, are you alright?"

The others all gathered around He Mingzhou and Xin Li, offering their condolences and well wishes.

Xin Li was somewhat surprised: "Aren't you going to ask me why I hit someone?"

Everyone said in unison, "You're our sister-in-law, we all know your personality. For you to take action, they must have said something they shouldn't have."

Xin Li was deeply moved.

Actually, she hadn't spent much time with these people. She thought they would only trust He Mingzhou that much, but unexpectedly, they extended that trust to her as well.

"Don't worry, everyone, we won't let ourselves suffer losses."

"However, we really can't afford to offend those two people. Everyone needs to be careful from now on."

Xin Li didn't reveal that Xie Shuangshuang was eyeing He Mingzhou. It was clear that Xie Shuangshuang was spoiled but not a bad person. Anyway, she wasn't the one who suffered a loss just now, so she was willing to give her another chance.

If there's a next time, it won't be just a simple verbal threat.

Xinli will show her what price she will pay for trying to steal her man.