B5SB -Chapter 355 Pretending to Be Crazy and Foolish

Lu Huailin’s eyes narrowed slightly at her words. He paced over to his wife, glancing contemptuously at Madam Chang.

He spoke lightly, “Wife, don’t waste words on someone not worth it.”

Gu Yihan nodded and gave a small “hm,” then brusquely shook off Madam Chang’s hand.

Madam Chang stumbled slightly, steadying herself, about to get angry—but when she looked up at Lu Huailin’s attire, her heart skipped a beat.

Four pockets, three-piece dress shoes, a woolen military uniform—this wasn’t clothing that an ordinary soldier or regular officer had the right to wear.

Realization dawned on her. Her gaze fell on Gu Yihan; her eyes narrowed. So this was the wife of the divisional commander that Li Yajing had spoken of.

Gu Yihan bent down and helped pull Li Yajing, who was crouched on the ground holding her head and crying, “Don’t hit me!”

Seeing the casual way Madam Chang had just struck her, Gu Yihan quickly rolled up her sleeves and examined the terrifying crisscrossed bruises.

Her nose went sour, and tears immediately welled in her eyes. These marks were clearly from being beaten with a thin bamboo stick.

She abruptly lifted her head and fixed Madam Chang with a cold, piercing stare, as if she could tear her apart.

Lu Huailin noticed and lightly tugged at his wife’s sleeve, signaling her to restrain herself.

A mother-in-law hitting her daughter-in-law was, unfortunately, all too common—no outsider could intervene, and even if they tried, it wouldn’t work.

A fair official can hardly settle domestic disputes; it was never that simple.

Madam Chang, however, seemed oblivious to the expression on Gu Yihan’s face. She eagerly stepped forward with a smile.

She said, “You must be Xiao Han. Yajing talks about you at home all the time.”

“She says you’re her best friend.”

Then she sighed, putting on a tone of solemn concern. “Xiao Han, since you and Yajing are close friends, I won’t hide anything from you. Her maternal family has relatives abroad. They didn’t bother to conceal it, which is one thing. But they even casually left correspondence and remittance slips lying around, making it easy for people with ill intentions to notice.”

“Now look, the whole family has been sent to the countryside to farm.”

“You tell me, with a relationship like that, shouldn’t she have quickly published a notice to cut ties? Yet she secretly spends our Chang family’s money to send them things.”

After speaking, she glared viciously at Li Yajing.

Gu Yihan paused for a moment upon hearing this. Seeing Li Yajing lower her head and remain silent, her eyes flickered, but she said nothing.

Madam Chang noticed Gu Yihan’s silence and a flash of displeasure crossed her eyes. You need cooperation to put on a show, after all.

This woman was like a mute, not saying a word, leaving her unable to guess what was on her mind.

Lu Huailin glanced at Madam Chang, who was full of scheming, and turned to his wife.

He spoke softly, “Wife, it’s getting late. My eldest sister will start worrying soon.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yajing instinctively clutched Gu Yihan’s clothes tightly, refusing to let go.

Gu Yihan cast a glance at Madam Chang and gently patted Li Yajing’s hand to reassure her.

Knowing that she wanted to leave with her, she thought for a moment.

Then she looked up at Lu Huailin and gave a small smile. In a soft voice, she said, “Huailin, can I let Sister Yajing stay at our place for a few days?”

Lu Huailin was about to refuse, but when he met the clear, earnest gaze of his wife, he sighed helplessly.

He nodded. “Alright.”

Gu Yihan relaxed and turned to Madam Chang.

She said calmly, “Aunt, I want Sister Yajing to stay at my home for a few days. I don’t think you would object, right?”

Madam Chang cast a casual glance at Li Yajing, who looked like a quail. No matter what, this girl couldn’t cause her any trouble.

She curled her lips. “Fine, as long as you don’t mind her family background.”

She didn’t believe that Gu Yihan could truly not care about someone with overseas political ties.

The group returned to the military jeep.

Lu Huailin drove, and Gu Yihan slowly released Li Yajing’s hand, turning her head to look at her.

She spoke softly, “It’s alright, Sister Yajing. You don’t need to pretend anymore.”

Li Yajing adjusted her hair and clothes, forcing a small smile at Gu Yihan. “Thank you, Xiao Han. If it weren’t for you today, I don’t think I could have escaped.”

Whenever Li Yajing thought about her maternal family’s recent troubles, and how Madam Chang had immediately restricted her freedom—preventing her from leaving, forcing her to publicly cut ties—she shivered.

When she refused, Madam Chang and her aunt tied her up and beat her. Alone, she could not fight them; she had no choice but to feign madness and foolishness every day.

“Sister Yajing, where was Secretary Chang? He just watched his mother hit you?”

Gu Yihan could not understand. Secretary Chang didn’t seem like someone who could simply stand by and watch his wife get beaten.

Hearing this, bitterness rose in Li Yajing’s chest. She said with difficulty, “The Kun City Textile Factory said there were problems with his handover, so he had to go back. But the next day after he left, my family was reported for having overseas connections.”

She paused, looking up at Gu Yihan.

Choking back tears, she said, “My family never had any overseas connections. How could there possibly have been correspondence or remittance slips?”

Gu Yihan’s eyes narrowed at the coincidence: Secretary Chang left for Kun City, and immediately after, Li Yajing’s family ran into trouble.

Meanwhile, outside, Elder Sister Lu paced back and forth at the doorway, glancing constantly toward the alley.

Muttering, “It’s almost lunchtime. Why isn’t Huailin here yet?”

Fang Yi couldn’t help but snicker. “Eldest sister, surely Gu Yihan doesn’t want to cook, so she’s deliberately keeping her younger uncle occupied, making him arrive later.”

Since being enlightened by Elder Brother Lu last time, she hadn’t spoken negatively about Lu Huailin in front of Elder Sister Lu again.

She thought a moment more and added, “Eldest sister, you’ve seen it yourself. Ever since Mom was discharged, Gu Yihan hasn’t visited even once. She doesn’t see Mom as a mother-in-law, or you as the eldest sister.”

Elder Sister Lu agreed. Gu Yihan was clearly just trying to be lazy and enjoy a ready-made lunch.

Thinking this, a flash of displeasure crossed her eyes. If this girl was so scheming, she wouldn’t let her have her way.

No way she’d get a ready-made meal.

“Eldest sister, look! They’re here!”

Elder Sister Lu looked up and saw Lu Huailin walking with a net bag, Gu Yihan slightly ahead of him.

Fang Yi saw the expensive items in Lu Huailin’s hands and hurried forward to receive them.

Smiling, she said, “You came, and even brought something?”

Gu Yihan frowned slightly at Fang Yi’s toothy grin.

In a cold voice, she said, “Sister-in-law, these are for Mom.”

Fang Yi waved dismissively, laughing, “I know, I know. Seeing how stingy you are, do you think I’d snatch Mom’s supplements?”

She didn’t care about what Gu Yihan said. In her view, no matter how many things were given, Mother Lu would have Elder Brother Lu bring them to their room.