"Both of you, did you hear that? Hurry up and follow me back to the station for a statement. Move!" Fu Shan glared fiercely at Huo Song and his wife.
As Huo Song looked at Fu Shan's changed expression, he was at a loss for words. It was his own hired helper that had turned against him. He had never expected he would be the one escorting him to the police station. He regretted his decision deeply now.
The husband and wife reluctantly agreed to compensate and followed Fu Shan to make a statement.
"I never expected you would carry a recording device with you. Well done, well done, you've got courage and strategy!" Yang Heng observed Xiang Wan with growing satisfaction.
"It was just a coincidence," Xiang Wan said modestly.
The recording device was something Xiang Wan had purchased on a whim from the Shop. Fortunately, such devices existed in this era. Otherwise, who knew how long she would have to be entangled with those two shameless people!
Yang Heng still had important matters to attend to. After bidding farewell to Xiang Wan, he left with Old Zhang.
Seeing that it was still early, she decided to go to the newspaper office to share the good news with Chu Ying.
Upon arriving at the newspaper office, Xiang Wan didn't see Chu Ying. After inquiring around, she learned that Chu Ying had tried to publish an exposé about Huo Song's seizure of the property, but for some reason, it hadn't been successful. Frustrated, Chu Ying locked herself in her office.
Xiang Wan approached the office door and knocked.
"Dong dong dong—"
There was no response from the room.
"Dong dong dong—"
"Don't bother me! How many times have I told you!" Chu Ying's irritable voice came from behind the door.
"Chu Ying, it's me, Xiang Wan." Xiang Wan said through the door.
"… Xiang Wan? Wait a minute!" Chu Ying was surprised.
The door opened from the inside, revealing Chu Ying's disheveled figure emerging from the shadows.
"May I come in and sit for a while?" Xiang Wan was taken aback by her appearance. It was hard to imagine the usually lively and cheerful Chu Ying looking like this. She had suffered a big blow.
Chu Ying was silent for a while, then said "Sure, come in."
"Can you tell me what happened?" Xiang Wan walked into the room and, as she asked, went over to the window to draw the curtains.
Chu Ying remained silent but did not stop her.
The glaring sunlight shone on Chu Ying's face, causing her to slightly furrowed her brows.
"When you're feeling down, as long as there's light coming in, there's hope for everything," Xiang Wan consoled.
"The article I wrote about Huo Song didn't get approved by the chief editor, or I should say he did approve it, but some people don't want anything related to Huo Song to be published," Chu Ying's voice sounded slightly hoarse.
"I had initially planned to publish an article exposing Huo Song's ugly side so that it could help you reclaim your house. But now, I can't even publish it," Chu Ying laughed at herself.
Xiang Wan hadn't expected this reason. She thought it was merely work-related troubles, but it turned out that Chu Ying felt guilty for not being able to help her. Chu Ying's honesty touched her deeply.
Chu Ying was the first true friend Xiang Wan had made in this world. From Chu Ying, she experienced genuine kindness, the kind of courage that would stand up for a friend no matter what. It truly moved her.
"I came here today to tell you that I've successfully reclaimed my house! Huo Song and the others have also been taken away." Xiang Wan couldn't bear to see her in such a dejected state and hoped that this news would uplift her spirits.
"Really?" Chu Ying asked in surprise.
"Yes! So, don't be disheartened. The bad people have received the punishment they deserve," Xiang Wan reassured her.
Xiang Wan didn't expect that there was someone else backing Huo Song up. It seemed they had considerable influence, not even fearing Chu Ying's background. But why didn't 'he' appear when dealing with the property matters?
"That's great. Indeed, there is still justice in this world," Chu Ying sighed. "So, what are you going to do next?"
"Next, I'm going to arrange for someone to clean up that house. After all, they've been living there for so many years, and it just feels uncomfortable without a thorough renovation," Xiang Wan said with a hint of disgust.
Thinking about how Huo Song and the others had occupied Xiang Yuan for a decade, Xiang Wan couldn't help but shudder. It would be best to erase all traces of their presence.
"I came here this time for this matter. I'm planning to go to the countryside for a few days. I might stay outside for a while, so I wanted to ask if you could help me look after the house," Xiang Wan briefly explained her plan.
"Of course, I can do that. But why are you going to the countryside? It's not easy to travel around during this time," Chu Ying readily agreed to take care of the house, but she was curious about Xiang Wan's trip.
"What's wrong with this period? I'm going to the countryside to find my fiancé," Xiang Wan keenly caught onto the keyword in Chu Ying's words.
"Fiancé? You have a fiancé??" Chu Ying was shocked.