Chapter 80: Responsible?
This appearance, coupled with the torn clothes and Zhou Zhengping's "heroic rescue" act, confirmed the ambiguity of "accident" and "Zhou Zhengping having to take responsibility" in the eyes of onlookers.
"What on earth happened?!"
Section Chief Li's face was grim. It was a disgrace that this kind of thing happened in the back office under her jurisdiction!
The staff around them whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with strange looks.
"Section Chief Li, Fifth Brother, no..."
Zhou Zhengping wanted to explain, but seeing Lu Linlang clutching the corner of his vest and crying miserably, he hesitated.
Looking at the eyes of those around him, he realized that any explanation would be pale and powerless in the face of this "ironclad evidence".
Feeling frustrated and powerless, he held onto Lu Linlang's hand, frozen in mid-air, unsure whether to push her away or not.
Looking at the sudden turn of events before her, and at Lu Linlang's seemingly fragile and helpless yet actually ruthless and calculating eyes, Nan Zhiyi felt a chill rise from the bottom of her heart.
Lu Linlang was willing to ruin her reputation to drag Zhou Zhengping down with her...
As the crowd of onlookers grew larger, Lu Linlang cried even more bitterly, while Zhou Zhengping's expression grew increasingly grim.
For a moment, the well-informed Section Chief Li was overwhelmed and at a loss.
Nan Zhiyi looked at Zhou Zhengping, who was speechless, and quietly nudged Gu Xiao's hand.
Gu Xiao sighed silently before speaking in a cold voice, "Dr. Lu, you fell? Are you hurt? Should I take you to the infirmary?"
Under Gu Xiao's all-knowing gaze, Lu Linlang felt guilty and cried even more pitifully: "Fifth Brother... I'm fine... I'm just... just scared... my clothes..."
Gu Xiao turned to Zhou Zhengping, "Staff Officer Zhou is helpful and deserves praise. However,"
He changed the subject, glancing at the protruding metal support beside Lu Linlang, "The clutter in the backstage area poses a safety hazard. Section Chief Li, immediately organize a team to investigate and clean it up! As for Dr. Lu's fright and damaged clothing, the organization will consider offering condolences and compensation as appropriate."
He made no mention of any "private meeting" or "moral conduct" issues, directly characterizing the incident as an "accident" and "Zhou Zhengping's act of bravery."
Even if Gu Xiao finds out the truth about tonight, he will never touch her again…
After all, she was the victim, and from now on, she would belong to Zhou Zhengping…
Out of respect for Zhou Zhengping, Gu Xiao had no choice but to give up pursuing the matter.
Ha... If she marries Zhou Zhengping, Nan Zhiyi, Zhou Anping, and the others will definitely be devastated.
She sneered inwardly; the more miserable they were, the happier she would be.
Looking at Lu Linlang, who was still sobbing and clutching his shirt tightly, Zhou Zhengping felt a surge of powerlessness and anger.
He knew he had likely fallen into a trap from which he could not escape.
Section Chief Li realized what was happening, nodded gratefully to Gu Xiao, and quickly defined the nature of the matter.
"Gentlemen! It was all an accident, a misunderstanding! It was Staff Officer Zhou who acted bravely! Everyone, please don't say anything and ruin his reputation! Quickly disperse and finish up the work!"
She quietly called over a girl from the performing arts troupe and asked her to lend Lu Linlang a piece of clothing…
The onlookers whispered among themselves and slowly dispersed.
The security personnel also arrived, and one of the officers immediately summoned Zhou Zhengping for questioning.
On the contrary, Lu Linlang was taken aside and comforted by a female cadre.
Nan Zhiyi felt a pang of pity and said to Gu Xiao beside her, "Go and see Zhou Zhengping. He must be feeling terrible right now. Say a word for him."
Gu Xiao nodded, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment. "Mm."
A short while later, Zhao Yaqin returned after finishing her work. She had obviously heard about the "accident" backstage, and her expression was not very pleasant.
"Zhou Zhengping is finished; he's definitely going to be blamed!"
Nan Zhiyi felt a pang of sympathy and told Zhao Yaqin everything about how she almost ended up in the prop room.
Zhao Yaqin was filled with righteous indignation. She felt sorry for Zhou Zhengping and was also afraid for Nan Zhiyi.
"She was targeting you and Zhengping from the very beginning! She's utterly vicious! Can the security department find any evidence?"
Nan Zhiyi shook her head. "It's difficult."
She added, "Sister Yaqin, I asked Section Chief Li for leave this morning. I'll go back to Jian'an tomorrow and tell Anping as soon as I get there, so she can talk to Aunt Song and see if there's any room for negotiation."
Zhao Yaqin nodded vigorously. "I'll go see Li Weidong before I go to work tomorrow and we'll think of a solution together. I'll be so resentful if Zhou Zhengping marries Lu Linlang!!"
Nan Zhiyi also sighed. Zhou Zhengping was soft-hearted, and Lu Linlang insisted on her 'innocence'... It would be difficult for him to extricate himself.
The finishing touches are complete.
Zhao Yaqin asked, "Where is Fifth Brother?"
Nan Zhiyi then said goodbye to Zhao Yaqin and went to find Gu Xiao.
She walked through the now empty backstage corridor toward the club's front hall.
The lights were mostly dimmed, with only a few wall lamps casting a warm glow. Gu Xiao stood alone near the intersection of light and shadow close to the door, his shadow stretched long.
Hearing footsteps, he immediately came over, took her hand, and walked out together down the corridor.
Night had fallen, and all around was quiet.
"Are you tired?" He raised his hand to brush away the stray hairs from her cheek.
Nan Zhiyi shook her head, only asking, "What did Zhou Zhengping say? What about Lu Linlang?"
Gu Xiao said calmly, "The security department has finished questioning us. Lu Linlang insists it was an accident; she was terrified, and Zhou Zhengping saved her. Zhou Zhengping... didn't say anything, just acknowledged the scene description."
Being seen "hugging each other in public, their clothes disheveled" would ruin the woman's reputation. If Zhou Zhengping doesn't take responsibility, the Lu family is unlikely to let it go.
"Is there anything else..." she said softly.
"Zhiyi, the Zhou family will handle the Zhou family's affairs."
He had already sent a message to the Zhou family through his orderly; there was no point in saying anything more now.
Nan Zhiyi remained silent.
She understood the reasoning, but the thought of the gentle Zhou Zhengping being forced to face Lu Linlang made her feel a little choked up.
She subconsciously moved closer to Gu Xiao, absorbing the warmth emanating from him.
Gu Xiao gently squeezed her hand. "Don't think about it anymore. Let's go home."
Nan Zhiyi felt a tightness in her chest, for Zhou Zhengping, and for herself.
"If...if I hadn't dodged, what everyone would have seen was me..."
Gu Xiao's expression suddenly darkened.
He looked directly into her eyes. "There are no 'ifs.' Even if there were, I would still believe you. I won't let anyone slander you."
The chill in Nan Zhiyi's heart seemed to dissipate. She didn't speak again, but simply nodded slightly.
Stepping out of the club, the night breeze carried the chill of early autumn.
Gu Xiao pushed out the bicycle, straddled it with his long legs, and sat firmly.
Nan Zhiyi sat down sideways and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Have you taken the leave?" she asked.
"Okay. I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Nan Zhiyi finally felt a little relieved. She hummed in agreement, rubbed her cheek against his back, and didn't say anything more.
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