Chapter 325 We've Got It
But she quickly smiled again, waving her hand dismissively, "I understand, I understand. Your family has its difficulties, and I shouldn't have bothered you. However..."
She abruptly changed the subject, her tone suddenly becoming meaningful. She glanced furtively at Fu Maihe standing in the corner, and lowered her voice, "I just ran into Maihe at Uncle Zheng's place. He was sneaking around rummaging through the old cabinet in the backyard and even asked Zheng Xiaowen for the key. Things are really tense right now, the higher-ups are cracking down hard, so you'd better not be careless."
Qiao Wanyin's heart tightened suddenly, as if someone had squeezed her heart tightly.
Her pupils contracted slightly, and she subconsciously looked at Fu Maihe.
Did she really know that Maihe went to the Zheng family?
Or...did they have been eyeing him all along?
Fu Lian'an's eyes turned cold instantly, like ice covering a lake, and his voice was so low it was almost squeezed out between his teeth: "You were following him?"
"How could that be?"
Fang Wanyu chuckled lightly, raised her hand to gently straighten the collar of her military uniform, and said calmly, "Zheng Xiaowen and I are old classmates. We've known each other since we were little. I stopped by her house today to chat for a bit. Who knew that she would casually mention that Maihe's visit today was strange, that she was acting oddly, rummaging through drawers and cabinets as if she was looking for something... I immediately sensed something was wrong and came to warn you."
She paused deliberately, a half-smile still playing on her lips, but her eyes were chillingly cold, like a blade sweeping across everyone's faces: "Tell me, what is a little kid in such a hurry to find? Is it... something he shouldn't be touching?"
Inside the room, the air seemed to have been sucked out, and even breathing became difficult.
Qiao Wanyin stared at her delicate yet hypocritical face, her mind racing.
Those fragmented clues suddenly came together—how could news of the Zheng family spread so quickly?
Why did the police precisely seal off the backyard?
Why did the search team arrive so soon after Mai He left?
She finally understood.
It was Fang Wanyu who betrayed them!
From beginning to end, she was the one who stabbed him in the back!
"Fang Wanyu".
Fu Lian'an's voice was as cold as a knife scraping across ice, every word carrying a chill, "What exactly do you want? Why did you do this?"
She was unhurried and composed, as if she had prepared everything in advance.
She slowly pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from her uniform pocket, flicked it with her fingertip, and gently handed it over, her movements elegant to the point of sarcasm: "Don't waste your time. Uncle Zheng moved everything a long time ago. You can search the entire old house and you won't find anything."
Qiao Wanyin stepped forward, snatched the note, her fingertips turning white from the force.
She quickly unfolded the paper—an address was clearly written on it, the ink was clear, and the handwriting was stiff.
It was the farm where Song Heting was imprisoned!
"you!"
Fu Maihe was so angry that her face turned pale, and her voice trembled. She pointed at her and could barely speak, "Why did you help Zheng Mingyuan? Uncle Song has treated you well. Do you remember the bowl of longevity noodles he made for your birthday? Is this how you repay him?!"
Fang Wanyu slowly pinched her cuffs, her movements gentle, as if she were brushing away a speck of dust.
She looked up at Fu Maihe, her tone gentle yet tinged with condescending pity: "Maihe, you're still young, you don't understand the complexities of these things. This isn't about helping anyone, nor is it about harming anyone, it's... reality."
She paused, then suddenly glanced at Qiao Wanyin, her words carrying a hidden meaning: "Some people always think they can get by on feelings alone. But these days, feelings are the least valuable thing. Only the smart ones live long."
Qiao Wanyin stared straight at her, her gaze sharp as knives, and pressed her for an answer, word by word: "What benefits did Zheng Mingyuan promise you? A promotion? A house? Or... were you already in cahoots with him?"
"benefit?"
Fang Wanyu chuckled as if she had heard a joke, her eyes slightly upturned. "Sister Wanyin, why are you still so petty? Your mind is full of scheming and suspicion. Every step I take is not for myself, but for Li An's good."
She turned to look at Fu Lian, her eyes suddenly softening, even carrying a hint of deep affection that almost overflowed. Her voice also softened, as if flowing from the bottom of her heart: "Lian, don't you understand? The matter of Uncle Song has already been settled by the higher-ups, and there's no way to overturn it. The more you struggle and get entangled, the more you'll drag yourself down with you. Rather than being implicated by him and carrying this burden for the rest of your life... it's better to extricate yourself sooner rather than later. You think I'm harming him? No, I'm saving you."
How about we do it?
Fu Li'an's voice was frosty, each word spoken slowly and deliberately, as if it had been pulled from an ice cellar, carrying a chilling coldness.
Fang Wanyu took a half step closer, her toes almost touching his boots. She lowered her voice, her tone as sinister as a viper's hiss: "Why not withdraw as soon as possible? As long as you agree, my father can guarantee your safety and ensure you don't suffer the slightest grievance."
Qiao Wanyin finally couldn't take it anymore. She stood up abruptly, her chest heaving, her eyes burning with anger: "Your condition is that Li An marry you and dump me? Is it that simple? Is it that despicable?"
Fang Wanyu smiled.
That smile was devoid of warmth; the corners of his mouth were tugged into a cold arc, like a winter knife scraping against one's face—cold, painful, and agonizing.
"Sister Wanyin, you've finally figured it out."
She spoke lightly, her voice laced with sarcasm and the arrogance of a victor.
After she finished speaking, she turned and stared at Fu Li'an, her gaze fixed on his face like a nail, her words carrying an undeniable ruthlessness: "Li'an, I came back not to take revenge on you, nor to fight over a woman. I came back to save your family. Do you understand? To save people."
"You were lucky to escape this time; but what about next time? If you can't escape, the Fu family is finished. Don't think you can get away with it. You know this very well, even better than I do."
“As long as you marry me, as long as this marriage is settled, my father’s decree will protect everyone in the Fu family. No one will be implicated, no one will be persecuted, and no one will have to go to the countryside to dig for food.”
"But if you choose her—"
She suddenly raised her hand, her fingertips pointing directly at Qiao Wanyin's face, her movements ruthless. "All of you will be dragged into the mud, skinned alive, and never able to rise again. Can you bear the consequences? Do you dare to gamble? And who can afford to gamble?"
In the past, she always lost to this country woman.
From childhood to adulthood, in the Fu family courtyard, it was always Qiao Wanyin standing beside Fu Li'an, smiling as she handed him a bowl of hot soup, while she could only stand at a distance and watch.
But this time, she felt certain of winning.
This time it's different.
The situation changes, and so do people's hearts.
love?
What's the point of that thing?
At the critical moment of life and death, when the giant wheel of fate is crushing down, it is nothing more than a thin piece of paper, which can be torn with a gentle puncture.
On sunny days, Fu Li'an could only see Qiao Wanyin's face.
He shielded her from the rain, spoke up for her, and couldn't bear to say a single harsh word to her.
But when faced with a knife to his throat, when the fate of his family hangs in the balance, he will definitely choose the path of survival.
He will understand that living is the most important thing.
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