Chapter 294 You Have No Right to Interfere
Every strange look, every whispered conversation, every sudden cold attitude from the child's parents reminded her that rumors were quietly spreading.
These are probably what the children in the kindergarten are secretly talking about.
She stood in the corridor outside the classroom, watching several childcare workers huddled together whispering to each other. As soon as she approached, they immediately shut up and avoided eye contact.
Those hesitant, ambiguous expressions, like fine needles, pierced beneath her calm exterior.
Who could it be?
She already knew the answer in her heart.
No need to think—it's probably Liu Piaopiao again.
The woman who grew up in the same courtyard as her, who appeared to be as close as sisters, but secretly kept pressing her.
Only she knew those things—those past events she never wanted to mention again, those secrets hidden in the corners of old photo albums.
Only she truly enjoys tearing apart her good reputation and trampling everything she has worked so hard to build into the mud.
Qiao Wanyin steadied herself, took a deep breath, and gently pinched her palm with her nails to keep herself awake.
She looked down at her mother, who was busy in the kitchen, and said in a low but exceptionally clear voice, "Mom, I'm going out for a bit. When Li An comes back, just tell him I'm going to take care of something and I'll be right back."
Her mother glanced at her, hesitated, and finally just nodded gently.
She knew her daughter never went out without a reason, let alone left home at this time.
But she also understood that once Qiao Wanyin made a decision, she would not turn back.
Outside the rehearsal room of the cultural troupe, the dappled shadows of the plane trees spread layer upon layer on the cement ground, like a watercolor painting disrupted by the wind.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering into dappled golden spots that fell on her shoulders, making the dust on her epaulets gleam.
The wind rustled through the treetops, carrying the heat of early summer and a vague sense of unease.
Inside, an accordion was playing a lively tune, its melody bouncy and cheerful. The female soldiers stood in a row, practicing and humming songs, their clear laughter like bells swaying in the wind.
The cheerful atmosphere was completely opposite to Qiao Wanyin's mood at that moment.
"Oh, Director Qiao, what brings you here today?"
Liu Piaopiao's voice drifted from behind, like a slender needle gently piercing the tranquility.
His tone was tinged with laughter, yet it couldn't hide the sharp barbs; every word was deliberately sarcastic.
Qiao Wanyin slowly turned around.
Liu Piaopiao stood a few steps away, dressed in a crisp military uniform with straight shoulders and a neatly buttoned collar. Two shiny black braids hung down her chest, the ends curled as if they had just been carefully combed.
Her lips curved into a gentle smile, but her eyes were as cold as an icy lake, concealing sharp knives.
"Let's talk."
Qiao Wanyin looked directly at her, her voice neither loud nor soft, neither hurried nor slow, yet like a stone sunk to the bottom of the water, leaving no room for avoidance.
Her gaze was neither evasive nor angry, but rather possessed an almost calm firmness that compelled the other person to look away.
Liu Piaopiao raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise, and lightly touched her temple with her fingers, pretending to be innocent: "Oh, do we need to 'talk' about it? What happened? You're so serious, I thought someone had died."
"Those rumors about me in the compound, didn't you spread them?"
Qiao Wanyin didn't beat around the bush; she went straight to the point.
Her eyes were fixed on him, unblinking, as if trying to dig out the truth from his pupils.
Each word was like a hammer blow, striking the air and silencing the surroundings.
Liu Piaopiao's smile froze, her pupils contracted slightly, and then she exaggeratedly covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly: "Oh my god, you've come to settle scores with me? I'm so busy, how could I have time to meddle in your business? Rehearsals, performances, political studies, which one of them doesn't kill you? Did you think I specially set aside time to gossip about you?"
"No one knows those things except you."
Qiao Wanyin took a step forward, and the two were almost nose to nose, their breaths audible to each other.
Her voice remained steady, but carried a hint of pressure. "Why are you doing this to me? What did we do that makes you hate me so much?"
The music just stopped.
The accordion stopped abruptly with its last note, and the laughter and singing inside gradually faded away.
The surroundings suddenly became eerily quiet; even the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves could be clearly heard.
All they could hear were their breathing and the taut string hidden deep in their hearts.
Liu Piaopiao glanced around and caught a glimpse of several female soldiers secretly looking in their direction.
She lowered her voice, her tone like a viper's hiss: "Qiao Wanyin, don't make false accusations! What shady things have you done to attract so much gossip? The eyes of the masses are discerning, aren't they?"
Qiao Wanyin smiled slightly, the corners of her mouth raised, but there was no warmth in her smile.
She took a half step back, her gaze sweeping contemptuously over the other person's face: "Hiding in the shadows and gossiping, how low. Don't you get tired? Time and time again, you insist on portraying me as an utterly wicked person?"
"Oh."
Liu Piaopiao sneered, her eyes filled with icy coldness, like something deep in a frigid pool on a winter night, cold and dangerous.
"Qiao Wanyin, who do you think you are? Are you worth me playing these games with? What would I gain? To see you suffer? Or to make myself look bad?"
Several girls from the performing arts troupe peeked over from a distance; some were holding sheet music, others were leaning against the doorframe, their eyes filled with curiosity and speculation.
Liu Piaopiao immediately put on a wronged look, her brows furrowed and her eyes reddening, as if she was about to shed tears at any moment.
But her voice remained icy cold: "I know you've always disliked me, but you can't just make things up out of thin air, can you? You're accusing me of spreading rumors? Do you have any evidence? Can you produce it?"
Qiao Wanyin stared at her face and suddenly found it particularly ridiculous.
A slow smile crept across her lips, but the smile didn't reach her eyes; instead, it carried a chilling undertone: "Liu Piaopiao, I'm determined to get to the bottom of this. I'll search every corner, dig out every clue, and find out the truth. If you did it, I won't let you off the hook. You'd better stop now, or—you'll face the consequences."
"check?"
Liu Piaopiao shrugged as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world, and sneered, "Fine, go ahead and investigate. Don't forget to tell me what you find. I'm quite curious too."
She crossed her arms, her expression dismissive, as if Qiao Wanyin's threat was nothing more than a breeze passing by her ear, not worth taking seriously at all.
"If you can't even control your own family, what are you pretending to be so great about?"
Liu Piaopiao suddenly lowered her voice, her tone sarcastic, like a fine needle piercing silently.
Qiao Wanyin's heart tightened, and her brow twitched as if she had been hit hard by something.
She instinctively took a step forward, her voice trembling slightly: "What do you mean by that? What do you mean by 'can't even control your own family'? What exactly are you trying to say?"
Liu Piaopiao took a step back, her high heels making a crisp "tap" sound on the cement floor.
A forced smile plastered on her face, her lips barely upturned, but her eyes darted around: "It didn't mean anything, I just said it offhand, I just felt—you have no right to tell me what to do."
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