Chapter 7: Don't Be Afraid, I'm Here

A surge of grief and indignation that did not belong to Lu Jianwei welled up within her—she knew these were the emotions of her original self. Zhu Xinfang was indeed beautiful, still carrying the allure of middle age. Just a single tear from her, and the crowd was swept along by her rhythm, turning to criticize Lu Jianwei and the Lu family.

Lu Jianwei’s eyes reddened, tears streaming down her cheeks. If Zhu Xinfang was like an apricot blossom blooming in the misty rain, then Lu Jianwei in this moment was a peony battered by wind and rain—an ethereal beauty, withstanding life’s cruelties, stirring deep sympathy in all who watched.

“Mother, if our Lu family really possessed such a treasure, would you have tried every means to divorce my father, gone so far as to falsely accuse and destroy him, leaving him to die in injustice and pain? If our Lu family really had such wealth, would you have endured the scorn of all, interfered in another’s marriage just for riches, destroyed a loving couple, and stolen another woman’s husband as your own? Everyone knows the Lu family has nothing left but an empty ancestral house, a hollow shell.”

Zhu Xinfang’s face turned ghostly pale as she stared at her daughter in disbelief.

Lu Jianwei choked out a sob, her tears falling like rain. “Mother, my brother and I will never beg you to come back again. Just let us go. We don’t want a mother anymore—we’ll never bother you, never plead with you again!”

A chorus of sighs rose from the onlookers. Who would have thought it would be like this? Even a tiger does not eat its own cubs, and yet, to become a stepmother, she had gone so far as to harm her own children—was she even human?

“Weiwei, how could you wrong your mother like this? When did I ever say I didn’t want you and Xiaozhu? I’m still looking for a suitable marriage match for you—”

Lu Jianwei recoiled in terror, shaking her head desperately. “No, no, please don’t do this. I won’t hold it against Zhu Tingting for stealing my fiancé, just don’t use me for your own gain. I already have someone—I beg you, don’t!”

Zhu Xinfang began to doubt whether this was truly her daughter. “Weiwei, everyone knows the Zhu family’s situation—when we were so poor, how could we have ended up on the city’s poverty list otherwise?”

Lu Jianwei sobbed, “I don’t know, don’t ask me! You’ve always handled the family matters. When father passed away, I got back too late—the house had already been emptied. You said father donated everything, so if it’s all been given away, where could anything else come from? And where’s the donation list? Can you give it back to me?”

It was the start of the workday, and not only the people from the machinery factory but also workers from nearby plants had come to watch the commotion. Hearing all this, everyone was stunned, and the tide of criticism turned toward Zhu Xinfang. No matter how dazzling the cat’s eye emerald was, it was still a lifeless trinket—nothing compared to the drama of this family scandal.

This woman—she stole another’s husband, caused her own husband’s death, emptied her in-laws’ house, and when exposed, tried to use her daughter as a scapegoat, even trading her daughter for benefits.

Only someone cursed through eight lifetimes could end up with such a mother, and at this moment, public opinion had already swung firmly to Lu Jianwei’s side.

This young woman was truly pitiful!

Lu Jianwei knew her goal was nearly in reach. Public opinion was a sharp blade, and she had long been waiting for Zhu Xinfang.

She had not disappointed—she came as expected.

Choosing rush hour to make her move, how could Lu Jianwei let her down?

If she wanted to clear the Lu family’s name, she had to put the Zhu family in the spotlight. Yesterday had been the first move, today the second, and there was still a third to come.

“I know her—her maiden family lived in our compound. You wouldn’t believe it, they were dirt poor, and then suddenly, overnight, they became rich. When everyone else could barely fill their stomachs, her family was eating meat every day.”

“That’s right, I know her too. She reported her own husband to the authorities and then married into the Yin family. Do you know Zhou Meixiu? She’s in the Women’s Federation—she and her husband were deeply in love, but this woman stole her man.”

“Oh my, so it’s all true!”

Of course, only half of it was true.

Lu Jianwei’s accusations were three parts truth, seven parts fiction.

Precisely because of this, Zhu Xinfang had no way to defend herself. She had, after all, married Zhou Meixiu’s husband.

If she denied stealing someone’s spouse, no one would believe her.

Could she claim the property she took to her maiden family was nothing to the Lu family?

Could she say it wasn’t she who reported the Lu family, but her brother?

Zhu Xinfang was fuming with rage. She held up the necklace. “This necklace is from the Lu family! Who else but the Lus could own such a thing?”

“If you continue to slander my fiancée, I’ll call the Public Security Bureau!” A deep, magnetic voice rang out.

Gu Huaizheng stepped down from a military jeep, the crowd parting before him like the Red Sea. In a few strides, his long legs brought him to Lu Jianwei’s side, shielding her behind him.

“Ms. Zhu, last night at the workers’ club, your niece Zhu Tingting was seen wearing this necklace. You’re quick—already trying to pin it on my fiancée first thing in the morning?”

He enunciated each word clearly, “Do you think I’m dead, that you can bully her like this?”

In the crowd, Yang Hongyan from Lu Jianwei’s department saw Gu Huaizheng standing in front of her, and her legs went weak with fear, her face turning pale.

Lu Jianwei’s fiancé was so intimidating!

She had made life hard for Lu Jianwei, mocked her often—would this man come after her now?

The young lady who had studied abroad had ended up finding a military officer as her fiancé!

Lu Jianwei noticed her colleagues’ attitudes shifting—those aunties who had once mocked her now turned their venom on Zhu Xinfang with equal fervor.

“She’s not even human, can’t even tolerate her own children—worse than an animal!”

“She only knows how to spread her legs for favors—shameless!”

Lu Jianwei edged closer to Gu Huaizheng. He thought she was frightened and comforted her softly, “Don’t be afraid. With me here, no one can bully you.”

His words were meant for Zhu Xinfang, but also for everyone at the machinery factory to hear.

Lu Jianwei clung to his arm, tears sparkling in her eyes. “Then praise me, will you?”

She’d been acting so long—she needed to recharge!

Gu Huaizheng racked his brains. What he most wanted to say was “You’re beautiful,” but that would sound indecent if spoken aloud.

After a moment’s hesitation, he looked down at her, her little face scrunched up like a bullied kitten, gazing at him with those clear, shining eyes.

He broke his own rule and, before everyone, said, “Lu Jianwei, you’re very brave.”

[Compliment value from Gu Huaizheng: +1. Convert to life value?]

A touch more green filled the grid—her life value rose to three-tenths of a percent!

Lu Jianwei rejoiced inwardly, though outwardly her eyes brimmed with tears. She clenched her tiny fist and raised it.

“Comrade Zhu, my father didn’t donate everything from our house, did he? You’re the one who emptied the Lu family, aren’t you? You’re simply unreasonable!”

“You—” Zhu Xinfang was about to deny it, but Gu Huaizheng’s murderous glare silenced her, leaving her protest stuck in her throat.