Xu Xinghe nodded and followed him out of the office building.
The military compound was exceptionally quiet at night, with only the streetlights casting a dim yellow glow on the ground. The evening breeze carried a hint of coolness, gradually calming the restlessness in people's hearts.
The two walked slowly along the path, neither of them speaking first.
After walking for a while, Jiang Linchuan slowly spoke, his voice low, "I know you didn't want me to worry or get involved, so you went to investigate Xu Mingli's matter on your own, and only told me after everything was settled."
Xu Xinghe paused, a pang of guilt rising in her heart.
She turned her head to look at Jiang Linchuan, her eyes full of apology. "It's not that I don't want you to take care of me, it's just... Xu Mingli is my adopted brother, and we have too many things in the past between us. I want to settle things with him first and don't want to drag you into it and make you worry."
Jiang Linchuan stopped, turned around, gently grasped her shoulders with both hands, and looked at her earnestly. "Xinghe, we're going to live our lives together from now on. Your business is my business, and there's no question of me getting involved. I can accept that you don't tell me everything for now, and I understand your desire to solve problems on your own. But if you feel that I've done something wrong, or don't want me to help you with anything, you must tell me, and I will change."
He lowered his eyes, his eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath them, and his tone carried a hint of barely perceptible grievance, as if he was afraid that he hadn't done enough and that Xu Xinghe wouldn't like him.
Seeing him like this, Xu Xinghe felt a surge of guilt and remorse. She quickly reached out and hugged his waist, burying her head in his chest. "I don't think you did anything wrong. It was my fault. I shouldn't have carried it all alone. From now on, I will tell you immediately if anything happens. I won't make you worry anymore. I promise there won't be a next time!"
Jiang Linchuan felt the warmth in his arms, and a barely perceptible smile crept onto his tense lips.
He said it on purpose, hoping to get Xu Xinghe to make that promise voluntarily.
Although he was using underhanded tactics, he didn't care.
He couldn't accept that Xu Xinghe would face danger alone again without telling him, just like this time.
What if Xu Mingli has an even more sinister plan? What if Xu Xinghe gets hurt?
He dared not think about it.
Jiang Linchuan gently patted her back. "Okay, I believe you."
The two continued walking and soon arrived at the entrance of the courtyard.
Jiang Linchuan stopped in his tracks. "Go inside and get some rest. We need to wait for Political Commissar Wang's message tomorrow."
Xu Xinghe nodded, but did not go in immediately. Instead, she looked back at him every few steps, her eyes full of reluctance.
Only when Jiang Linchuan urged her with a smile did she reluctantly push open the door, saying, "You should get some rest too!"
Jiang Linchuan watched her walk into the house, and only after the lights in the house were turned on did he turn around and leave with peace of mind.
Instead of returning to his own residence, he walked towards the small courtyard next door.
The lights were still on there; Zhang Cishu must still be awake.
He walked to the door and knocked gently.
Soon, Zhang Cishu opened the door, saw it was him, and raised her eyebrows slightly, "Why are you here so late?"
Jiang Linchuan walked into the courtyard and got straight to the point, "When Xinghe went to find Xu Mingli to investigate Feng Qiushi, you were with her the whole time, right?"
Zhang Cishu didn't hide anything and nodded, "Yes."
“If something like this happens again, you must tell me immediately, regardless of whether Xinghe agrees or not. Xu Mingli didn’t hurt her this time, but what about next time? I can’t let her take such a risk again.”
Zhang Ci remained expressionless. "I'm sorry, I can't agree to that. I promised Xinghe I wouldn't tell you, and I won't break my promise. If she still tells me not to tell you next time, I'll still listen to her."
Jiang Linchuan stared at him for a few seconds, then said, "Okay."
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left, his back straight and tall.
Zhang Cishu closed the door.
He didn't care what Jiang Linchuan thought of him; he only had one mission: Xu Xinghe.
The next morning.
Xu Xinghe was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window.
She stretched, got out of bed to wash up, and was just about to make breakfast when there was a knock on the gate.
"Comrade Xu, hello!" A soldier's polite voice came from outside the door. "Political Commissar Wang asked me to invite you to the military headquarters. He said he has something important to discuss with you."
Xu Xinghe's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately nodded, "Okay, I'll be right there."
She quickly changed into clean clothes and followed the soldiers to the interrogation area, where she met Political Commissar Wang. "Commissar, have they confessed?"
Political Commissar Wang nodded and led her deeper into the corridor. "Feng Qiushi and Zhang Qiang both said that Xu Mingli has been refusing to budge. Just now, he suddenly said he wanted to see you, and that he would confess after seeing you. I've already had the interrogation room checked to make sure he can't hurt you. Why don't you go in and talk to him?"
Xu Xinghe sneered. Now that things have come to this, what tricks does Xu Mingli still want to play?
However, it would be good to meet.
She nodded. "Okay, I'll go see him."
Soon, the two arrived at the door of the interrogation room.
Two soldiers guarding the door saluted immediately upon seeing Political Commissar Wang.
"Go inside, I'll wait for you outside. Call me anytime if you need anything."
Xu Xinghe took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and went inside.
The interrogation room was very simple, with only a table and two chairs. Xu Mingli was tied to a chair, his face still bearing the marks of the beating he received yesterday. His hair was disheveled, his eyes were cloudy, and he looked much more haggard.
Hearing the door open, Xu Mingli slowly raised his head. When he saw Xu Xinghe, his turbid eyes instantly turned venomous as he stared at her intently, as if he wanted to devour her alive.
Xu Xinghe walked over and sat down opposite him, seemingly unconcerned, and asked in a flat tone, "Xu Mingli, what do you want to say?"
"Xu Xinghe!" Xu Mingli's voice was hoarse, filled with boundless hatred. "How cruel you are! You actually sent me to the military headquarters, wanting me to die!"
Xu Xinghe raised an eyebrow. "I'm ruthless? You murdered Erlaizi and his son, tried to harm me and Linchuan, and seized the Xu family's assets. Weren't these things your doing? Now that you've ended up like this, you deserve it. What does it have to do with whether I'm ruthless or not?"
"You deserve it?" Xu Mingli suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, the sound shrill and jarring in the small interrogation room. "Since you want me dead, I won't let you go! You think you can get away unscathed? Let me tell you, you're a monster! I'll tell the military about the dagger that appeared out of thin air in your hand! I'll let everyone know that you're not a normal person!"
It turns out he was trying to use this to threaten him.
Xu Xinghe couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You can say whatever you want, do you think anyone will believe you? You say a dagger appeared out of thin air in my hand, do you have any evidence? Who can prove it? On the contrary, you killed two people, and you have witnesses and physical evidence. Do you think the military will believe your crazy talk or me?"
Xu Mingli's voice stopped abruptly, and his face turned deathly pale.
He stared intently at Xu Xinghe. How could he forget that he was now a prisoner, and no one would believe what he said!
He thought that threatening Xu Xinghe with this secret would scare her, but he didn't expect that she didn't care at all!
"You... don't be so smug!" Xu Mingli still tried to hold on. "Even if no one believes me, I'm going to say it! I want everyone to know that they might just arrest you and dissect you for experiments sometime!"
Xu Xinghe was too lazy to waste any more words with him. "Whatever. If you came to see me just to say this nonsense, then I'm leaving."
"Wait!" Xu Mingli hurriedly called out to her, "No matter what, we've been together for so many years, and you've called me 'Big Brother' for so many years, you...you can ask Political Commissar Wang to give me a lenient sentence? I know I was wrong, and I'll never do it again!"
Xu Xinghe felt nothing but disgust at his sudden change in attitude. "Now you know you're wrong? Where were you before? Did you think the lives of Erlaizi and his son were for nothing? The military will decide how to sentence you. I will not plead for you, nor will I interfere."
After saying that, she turned and left without looking back at Xu Mingli.
The moment the door closed, she heard Xu Mingli's desperate screams coming from the interrogation room, but felt no sympathy whatsoever.
He made all of this himself, so he has no one to blame but himself.
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