TPW – Chapter 124 – Extra 5

The design draft that Qin Xiaoman stole was originally a piece Qiao Lu had planned to launch as part of the summer collection. She had poured a lot of effort into it.

Now that the draft was gone and someone else had already produced the clothes, if Purple Dragonfly released an identical version, it would go against their long-promoted ethos of original design.

So Qiao Lu had no choice but to use a different design.

It wasn’t something she needed to worry too much about—if there was one thing she didn’t lack, it was design drafts. But as she flipped through the sketches of various dresses, none of them seemed to match the current mainstream trends.

Just then, Qiao An toddled over pushing a baby stroller, wearing a fisherman hat identical to his little sister’s. He bobbed his head and asked, “Mama, what are we eating tonight?”—and a lightbulb went off in Qiao Lu’s head.

That’s it! They had been talking about launching the “Little Bee” parent-child outfit for ages, but it had never materialized!

Now that she was unsure what to pick for the summer release anyway, why not go ahead with the parent-child outfits? With Anqiao still trending, it was the perfect time to launch the Little Bee brand. In the future, whenever anyone mentioned parent-child outfits, the first thing they should think of was Little Bee!

Once the decision was made, she cradled her son’s head and planted a big kiss on him. Then she dug out all her design drafts and found the two sets of parent-child outfits she’d sketched before.

The styles and colors were decent, but bright yellows and reds were in vogue that year, so Qiao Lu pulled out her colored markers and gave the designs a fresh coat of color.

Meanwhile, Xu Haizhou personally took the bus to the neighboring city to visit the headquarters of Jinqiang Apparel.

Lian had a branch of theirs, and this order had been placed through that branch. The collaboration came about after the branch manager saw a feature on Anqiao in the Lian Daily, and followed the buzz to conduct a market visit. After inspecting Anqiao’s factory, he found both the quality and design of their garments impressive, which sparked the idea of a partnership.

The bus ride covered forty kilometers and took about an hour and a half. He brought only a junior assistant with him.

After getting off the bus, he walked straight out of the station. A few pedicabs were waiting to pick up passengers. Xu Haizhou picked one that looked newer and paid five yuan to be taken to the Jinqiang headquarters.

Jinqiang lived up to its name as the leading wholesale clothing company in the southern province. Its headquarters warehouse was a combination of six rooms—three times the size of their Lian branch! Only Yun City, being the provincial capital, could support such large-scale operations. Other cities simply didn’t have the consumer base to justify something so grand.

He had called ahead to say he was looking for the person in charge at Jinqiang’s headquarters and was bringing samples to discuss potential orders, hoping for future cooperation.

Though Jinqiang’s sales were mainly concentrated in Yun City, they had branches all over the southern province.

It was only 1986, yet in nearly every decently sized city across the province, one could find a Jinqiang wholesale department. This made them one of Purple Dragonfly’s strongest potential future competitors.

However, Purple Dragonfly focused on retail, whereas Jinqiang dealt in wholesale, so they weren’t direct competitors in the strictest sense.

Jinqiang’s management had one significant flaw: they didn’t own their own production factories. They relied on third-party factories for inventory, which significantly increased their procurement costs.

Their entire focus had been on opening new branches, with little attention paid to the production side—a real missed opportunity.

The only advantage was flexibility. Without a factory, they could source goods from various suppliers without worrying about the costs of fabric, machinery, or equipment maintenance.

Xu Haizhou suddenly felt that starting his own factory had been the right move. He could earn from both ends, keep costs low, and wouldn’t have to worry about stock or quality issues.

At Jinqiang’s headquarters, the reception desk immediately invited them into the office upon learning the visitors were from Anqiao Clothing Factory.

As the wholesale industry leader, their office was far grander than Xu Haizhou’s. There were two large potted money trees on either side, lush and clearly well-cared for. There was also a bookshelf—not filled with books, but rather various odds and ends: fabric scraps, family photos, even children’s toys.

Xu Haizhou happened to come at the right time. The staff at Jinqiang had recently been so busy their feet barely touched the ground, but today was relatively calm. Otherwise, even the general manager wouldn’t have had time to meet him.

“Hello, President Jin. I’m the person in charge of Anqiao Clothing Factory. We spoke over the phone,” Xu Haizhou greeted.

Setting down his teacup, Jin Shenglin looked up to study the two men. His gaze lingered on Xu Haizhou’s features, and a flicker of admiration passed through his eyes.

Then he got up, stepped forward, and extended his hand. “Hello, hello! So you’re the factory director of Anqiao? I didn’t expect you to be so young! I’ve heard great things about you.”

Jin Shenglin was at least twenty years older than Xu Haizhou—forty-eight this year—but looked younger than his forty-one-year-old brother-in-law, Liu Shiren.

He was in excellent shape, with no sign of a pot belly or sagging cheeks, dressed in a Zhongshan suit that gave him an air of scholarly elegance.

With the image of the chubby-faced Liu Shiren fresh in his mind, Xu Haizhou was pleasantly surprised. His impression of Jin Shenglin instantly rose; he and Liu Shiren were simply not on the same level.

After sitting down, Jin Shenglin personally brewed tea for them. Since starting his factory, this was the first time Xu Haizhou had received such treatment.

Before, whenever he chased orders, Anqiao was still a new and unknown factory. No one really took him seriously. If it hadn’t been for Anqiao’s growing reputation, he probably wouldn’t have even gotten a chance to introduce himself.

“The Lian branch has always been managed by my nephew,” Jin Shenglin said. “I’d heard of you before, but I’ve been too busy to look into it in detail. I didn’t expect you to bring samples in person—very thoughtful of you.”

From his demeanor, no one would guess he was related to Director Liu at all.

Jin Shenglin was Liu Shiren’s brother-in-law—his wife’s eldest brother. A stable and capable man, he now held the reins of Jinqiang. With such a leader, Jinqiang was bound to grow stronger and more successful.

Xu Haizhou smiled and replied seriously, “It’s no trouble at all. Sincerity is key to any collaboration.”

Nodding, Jin asked, “How did you get here?”

“By bus.”

“How long does it take from Lian? You came straight here without resting? Did you book a hotel? If not, I’ll have my assistant arrange one for you.”

Xu Haizhou quickly declined. “There’s no need to trouble yourself, President Jin. We’re not staying overnight—just brought the sample clothes for you to take a look. If nothing else comes up, we’ll head back this afternoon.”

Jin nodded. “That’s quite a rush. You’ll be getting back pretty late.”

“It’s fine. Buses run until 5:30 p.m. We’ll time it right, and if needed, finding a hotel later won’t be hard.”

In these times, business travel wasn’t common. Hotels were more worried about having no guests than overbooking—even during holidays.

Jin Shenglin didn’t waste more time. “Alright then, let me take a look at your samples.”

Xu Haizhou had brought two summer outfits and one autumn set—none of which had yet hit the market. The designs were fresh and unique. Qiao Lu had said that even Jinqiang wouldn’t have seen anything like them.

And sure enough, the moment Jin saw the samples, he couldn’t stop himself from praising them. “Not bad, not bad at all. No wonder my nephew insisted we carry your stock. The quality is good, and the designs are fresh. To be honest, I’ve never seen a dress like this before.”

A low-saturation light blue printed dress, with tasteful floral patterns—not tacky at all. The neckline was shaped like a teardrop, injecting the piece with energy and vibrancy. The tailoring of the waistline was perfect for the slim figures of modern women. The fabric had the texture of a qipao—soft and smooth to the touch. Its unique design gave the dress an elegant air, without any hint of cheapness.

Even just picking one at random made Jin exclaim in admiration. The second and third pieces impressed him just as much. In his professional opinion, all of them were excellent and worth carrying.

If the bulk orders could maintain the same quality as the samples, there was no doubt Jinqiang would profit.

Xu Haizhou smiled. “All our original designs at Anqiao are created by my wife. We’ve even set up a dedicated design department focused solely on developing new styles. Our brand philosophy is rooted in original, independent design.”

“That’s a great philosophy. I’ve never heard of anything like it.”

Most clothing factories at the time simply copied whatever was trending in the market. They didn’t care who created it or whether it was plagiarized—if it sold well, they made it.

“Your wife must be very capable! Is she a college graduate?” Jin asked. Xu Haizhou had the look of a scholarly type, so he assumed his wife must be similar.

But Xu Haizhou shook his head and said, “No, she only graduated from middle school. She taught herself.”

Jin immediately gave a thumbs-up. “Amazing—absolutely amazing! Director Xu, your wife’s self-taught talent is even better than a college graduate’s. If she’d had a chance to attend high school and university, who knows how incredible she’d be!”

What no one knew was that Qiao Lu hadn’t just graduated from college—she had a master’s degree, completed overseas, no less. She’d even worked in a top-tier fashion design studio, with rich experience and outstanding ability. Designing everyday dresses in the 1980s was child’s play for her.

Before she transmigrated, designing red carpet gowns for the rich and famous—that was what truly drove her to hair-pulling frustration.

When people praised his wife, Xu Haizhou was even happier than when he himself was complimented. He curved his lips into a smile and didn’t deny it. “You flatter us, but my wife truly does have a talent for this kind of thing.”

Without her, there wouldn’t be today’s Anqiao or Purple Dragonfly, and in the future, there would be Little Bee too.

In short, she was the main contributor to the family. So now, aside from factory matters, everything big or small at home was basically decided by her. She also managed the finances, leaving Xu Haizhou free to focus wholeheartedly on his career.

Jin Shenglin nodded and smiled repeatedly. “Good, good, very nice. Which style did my nephew take?”

Xu Haizhou gave an apologetic smile. “I didn’t bring that one. I thought you’d have it here.”

“Hahaha, forget it then, no problem. The three models you brought are good too—I like them.” He waved his hand and called in a female secretary. “I’ll take all three. Send a batch over—let’s say thirty thousand units. I have some cheap drivers on hand. Do you need one?”

Xu Haizhou was overjoyed. He’d only come here looking for Qin Xiaoman under the guise of business, but ended up securing a huge order!

The surprise came so suddenly, but luckily his steady personality was deeply ingrained. On the surface, he remained calm and composed, wearing a polite smile as he asked about the driver’s transport fee.

It was indeed cheaper than in Lian, and the drivers here were experienced with long-distance routes, so he agreed. “That works. Could you please give me a contact?”

And just like that, they signed the order. After some more conversation, it was lunchtime, and Jin Shenglin invited Xu Haizhou and his assistant to a restaurant.

Jin Shenglin was quite fond of this young man. Honest, sincere, humble, and polite. No scheming, no ulterior motives. Most importantly, he was steady. Though young, he wasn’t brash or noisy—a reliable person.

It was just a shame he was already married with children. Otherwise, he would’ve liked to introduce his younger cousin to him…

After lunch, they discussed more cooperation details. Xu Haizhou was about to head back, but he hadn’t forgotten his true purpose today.

He said goodbye to Jin Shenglin but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he went to the reception area.

“Hello, is Director Liu not working today?”

“Director Liu?” The receptionist looked a bit confused upon seeing Xu Haizhou. It took her a moment to tear her gaze away from his handsome features, her cheeks slightly red. “Director Liu’s been on leave for four or five days. He hasn’t come in.”

Xu Haizhou slightly frowned. “Then what about Secretary Qin, who works with him? She’s not here either?”

“Secretary Qin? You’re looking for her? She resigned.”

“She resigned?”

“Yeah, she quit after returning from that business trip to Lian.”

“I see. Then would it be possible for you to tell me where Director Liu lives?”

The receptionist was stunned. “Why are you looking for him?”

Xu Haizhou explained, “He left something valuable at our factory in Lian. Since I happened to be in Yun City, I thought I’d deliver it personally.”

“Oh~” The girl suddenly understood and pointed north. “Shengle Community. Go out, turn right, walk 200 meters, then turn left at the intersection and go another 200 meters. Building 7, Unit 1, Room 302—it’s quite close.”

“Got it.” After lunch, Xu Haizhou had bought some Yun City specialty soybean crisps from a small shop near the restaurant. He pulled out a small packet and handed it to her. “Thank you.”

The girl blushed bright red, nervously accepting it. “Director Xu, you’re too kind.”

She’d never met a factory director more polite than him.

Xu Haizhou smiled gently and left the headquarters with his assistant. Since they were carrying several bags of clothes and didn’t want to waste time or energy walking, they hailed a tricycle to Shengle Community.

“Director, weren’t we here to find Secretary Qin? Why are we going to Director Liu now?” His assistant had assumed they’d go straight to inquire about Qin Xiaoman’s address.

“Qin Xiaoman stole our design blueprint. Do you think she’d still be sitting at home waiting for us to find her easily?” A cunning woman like her wouldn’t just sit there like a turtle in a jar waiting to be caught.

Scratching his head, the assistant found this logical and fell silent. The only sound was the tricycle’s wheels rolling across the road.

Shengle Community, Building 7, Unit 1, Room 302.

Director Liu opened the door in oversized pajamas. When he saw who was outside, all his hair practically stood on end like a porcupine.

He visibly flinched and swallowed hard in disbelief. “Xu Haizhou? What are you doing here?”

Thinking about the recent events, Liu Shiren’s mind raced with ridiculous thoughts—Was he here to stir up trouble? To snitch to his wife again? Sent by Qin Xiaoman?

“Director Liu? What happened to you?” Xu Haizhou was also stunned when he saw Liu Shiren’s bruised and battered face.

Liu Shiren snapped out of it, quickly covering his face and peeking into the hallway. Then he yanked the two of them inside. “Damn, I thought it was my wife coming back. Whatever you need, say it inside.”

“Director Liu, your face… What happened?”

Liu Shiren picked up a teacup and took a gulp of water, but the rim accidentally jabbed his cheekbone, making him gasp in pain.

“Tripped in the dark. Didn’t see the road,” he replied grumpily.

Xu Haizhou looked thoughtful and pretended to understand. “You’ll have to be more careful.”

Perhaps thirsty, Liu Shiren gulped down three cups of water in a row before stopping. Then he stared at Xu Haizhou and his assistant, frowning.

“What are you here for? To see me? Didn’t we already sign the last order? What’s the issue now?” he asked impatiently.

“Director Liu, actually I’m not here for you. I was looking for Qin Xiaoman. I heard she resigned. Do you know where she is now?” After all, she was Liu Shiren’s mistress—he ought to know where she went, right?

But Liu Shiren’s reaction completely shocked Xu Haizhou.

“Fuck! Don’t mention that whore to me! She’s nothing but a bitch!” As soon as Qin Xiaoman’s name came up, Liu Shiren erupted like boiling water.

“What happened?” Xu Haizhou exchanged glances with his assistant, puzzled.

“That slut, that damn…” Liu Shiren wanted to speak but couldn’t get the words out. It was just too humiliating for him to explain.

Xu Haizhou had a thought and turned to his assistant. “Yu Kai, wait for me outside. I need to talk to Director Liu privately.”

“Got it.” Yu Kai immediately stood up and left the house without hesitation, closing the door behind him.

Once he was gone, Xu Haizhou lowered his voice and said to Liu Shiren, “I know Qin Xiaoman is your mistress. Just tell me—where is she now?”

He’d deliberately sent Yu Kai out to save Liu Shiren some face. If he’d said it in front of others, who knew if Liu Shiren would’ve gotten angry and refused to say anything—then it would’ve been much harder to find her later.

“What? How do you know?” Liu Shiren’s eyes widened in disbelief and rage. “Did that slut Qin Xiaoman tell you?!”

No way. Did that stupid woman actually tell him she was someone’s mistress? Did she think it was something glamorous?

Xu Haizhou kept a straight face. “Yeah. She told me everything—including your two mistresses outside.”

Although Qin Xiaoman hadn’t actually said she was Liu Shiren’s mistress, from the moment Xu Haizhou first saw the pair, he had always suspected the true nature of their relationship.

It wasn’t until later, when she said that Liu Shiren had secretly kept two mistresses outside his marriage, that—combined with what he knew of Qin Xiaoman’s character and conduct—he became certain: Qin Xiaoman couldn’t possibly be innocent.

“Damn it! That idiot! That stupid woman! That bitch!” Liu Shiren was so furious his head hurt. He stood up with his hands on his waist, pacing back and forth, utterly agitated.

Xu Haizhou looked up at him. “Director Liu, Qin Xiaoman—what’s going on between you two now?” Why all the cursing?

Originally, he hadn’t planned to tell anyone about this humiliating matter. But since that dumb woman Qin Xiaoman had already confessed everything, there was no point hiding it from Xu Haizhou anymore.

Spitting into the trash can, he said, “That bitch Qin Xiaoman told my wife about the mistresses I was keeping after she quit her job! Then she ran off! Damn it! I haven’t even been able to find her since!”

By all logic, something must have triggered Qin Xiaoman’s sudden “betrayal.” After all, Liu Shiren had always treated her quite well. Qin Xiaoman was sweet-talking and tactful, very shrewd and smooth in social situations—one of his top favorites.

And he hadn’t done anything recently to upset her. It was just that after coming back from a business trip to Lian, she quietly resigned without telling him, then while he was out, spilled the whole mistress scandal to his wife.

Clearly, this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment impulse. She must have long been discontent with Liu Shiren. Not only did she quit, but she metaphorically set fire to his house on the way out—dragging him down and leaving in style.

No doubt about it—Qin Xiaoman was a dangerous woman. A bizarre and crazy one.

Furrowing his brow, Xu Haizhou realized the matter was more complicated than he’d thought. “Where’s her hometown? Did she have any close friends?”

“I’ve checked everywhere—nothing. She doesn’t get along with other women, has no real friends. Her hometown is a small county under Yun City. That woman is a gold-digger. She got used to the good life with me, no way she’d go back to cramming into some broken-down house with a big extended family.”

If anyone “understood” Qin Xiaoman best, it was Liu Shiren—and his hatred for her was far more intense than Xu Haizhou’s.

He was dying to find her and tear her apart.

But if even he couldn’t find her, how much hope did Xu Haizhou have?

Slim to none.

They chatted a bit longer on the topic, but with nothing useful to be gained, Xu Haizhou didn’t want to waste more time—he still had to catch a bus back to Lian.

He smoked cigarette after cigarette, dropping the butts on the ground. Glancing at the mess, Xu Haizhou asked one final question: “Director Liu, your wife found out about the mistresses—she didn’t lose her temper?”

Lose her temper? Of course she did! Couldn’t he see the bruises all over his face?!

Damn it! Why bring that up!

Liu Shiren impatiently waved him off. “None of your business. Go on, go! Even I couldn’t find her, you think you can? That damn design draft of yours—so what if it’s lost? Is that more serious than getting into a fight with your wife?!”

Damn! He’d let that slip!

Xu Haizhou: “……”

Sure, it wasn’t as serious as what Liu Shiren was going through, but who could he blame? If Liu had exercised some self-control and not fooled around, Qin Xiaoman wouldn’t have had the chance to turn his family upside down.

“Your wife didn’t divorce you?” Xu Haizhou couldn’t help asking again.

He was genuinely curious. A rich girl like Mrs. Liu, raised in luxury since childhood—how could she accept a husband who constantly cheated? Could Jin Qiang accept her brother-in-law fathering an illegitimate child?

Liu Shiren glared at him like he wanted to skin him alive and stomped out his cigarette. “Hmph. No, she didn’t divorce me. Sorry to disappoint you.”

Xu Haizhou shook his head regretfully and left the Shengle residential complex.

This time, he really left—boarding the last long-distance bus with a printed contract in hand, beginning his journey back.

Though he didn’t have much to go on, Xu Haizhou still tried to track down Qin Xiaoman.

He didn’t act recklessly—just like during the child trafficking incident last time. Staking out stations blindly wouldn’t work; he needed to analyze where she might hide.

A woman who had spent her life as a kept mistress, with work skills limited to sweet-talking, making tea, and driving—a woman who, at a glance, anyone could tell was up to no good—would find it very hard to get a proper job.

And Qin Xiaoman was a materialistic gold-digger who had lived a life of luxury and would do anything to maintain it. Ruthless, venomous, and reckless when provoked.

A person like that wouldn’t hole up in some slum or backwater village. She’d head for big cities, places with high spending, dens of indulgence—

Combine that with her vindictive nature—since she had been humiliated and rejected by Xu Haizhou and Li Hongjun—she was very likely to return to Lian and wait for a chance to strike back.

Putting all these points together, Xu Haizhou suddenly saw things clearly.

“That’s right. No need to search elsewhere—look in Lian!”

By normal logic, after stealing the design, Qin Xiaoman should’ve fled far away to some place no one could find her. But knowing her cunning nature, she would absolutely understand the idea that: “The most dangerous place is the safest.”

So, no point looking anywhere else—she had to be in Lian!

“Huh? L-Lian?”

Everyone was confused, but they still followed Xu Haizhou’s instructions and began a wide-ranging search for Qin Xiaoman in Lian.

Even Qiao Lu was doubtful they could find her here.

Qiao Lu said, “You’d have to be crazy brave to stay in the most dangerous place.”

Xu Haizhou replied, “Qin Xiaoman is pretty bold—no denying that. Pity about her morals.”

“Yeah, she’s a pretty girl, yet she chose to be someone’s mistress. So many years and not a single friend. I really don’t know what kind of life that is.”

Xu Haizhou sneered. “Maybe, to her, making money by any means necessary is the meaning of life.”

So, Xu Haizhou had people stake out Lian’s most luxurious hotels, dance halls, and nightclubs—basically every entertainment venue without exception.

And sure enough, three days later, one of Xu Haizhou’s men found her in the busiest and most lavish dance hall in Lian City.

At that moment, the woman was leaning intimately on a man’s shoulder, whispering in his ear. Her fair fingers held a cigarette in one hand and a wine glass in the other, feeding him drinks with a seductive smile on her face.

But the very next second, that smile froze at the corners of her mouth. Her expression twisted into something more hideous than a ghost’s, baring her teeth in a grimace. Paired with her heavy makeup, she looked utterly ridiculous.

“Ah—hey—hey—who the f*ck are you?! Who?!”

Li Hongjun grabbed her wrist in a reverse grip and dragged her out. Xu Haizhou followed closely behind, locking her shoulder with a force so strong it felt like he’d crush it!

The room was dimly lit, and only after they dragged her outside under the faint glow of the streetlights could she see their faces clearly.

Qin Xiaoman saw the ridicule in Xu Haizhou’s eyes. His thick, sword-like eyebrows sat above a high brow ridge, and just standing there, he was like an unsheathed blade—chilling and dangerous.

“Qin Xiaoman, just a few days apart and you seem to be living quite the life.”

The moment those words fell, Qin Xiaoman felt like she was being stared down by the wolf king of a dark forest, its sharp fangs and claws poised to rip out her throat and peel off her filthy skin.

A cold wind blew past, numbing her legs beneath the short skirt. She shivered violently.

It was over. That was the first and last thought that flashed through Qin Xiaoman’s mind.

“Let me go! Let go of me! Where are you taking me? This is harassment! Bullying a woman—believe me, I’ll call the police and have you both arrested!”

“Help! They’re molesting me! Somebody help! Officers, please help!”

No matter how loudly Qin Xiaoman screamed, the two men remained unmoved. One of them silently pulled out some tape and sealed her mouth shut.

“Xu—mmph mmph—!”

Xu Haizhou had been thinking for a while: if he ever found Qin Xiaoman, how should he punish her? Report her to the police?

But without solid evidence, even if she were locked up for a few days, it’d be a slap on the wrist—food, drink, and sleep all provided, and once she got out, she’d go back to her carefree life.

After his trip to Yun City, Xu Haizhou no longer hesitated. He’d just send her straight to Liu Shiren. Given how much Liu Shiren hated her, Qin Xiaoman definitely wouldn’t have any good days ahead.

As the saying goes: “Only a villain can deal with another villain.” She’d have her skin peeled off!

First, they took her to a dilapidated old temple to spend the night in the freezing wind. Xu Haizhou and Li Hongjun took turns guarding her. After all, this kind of thing wasn’t exactly legal—the fewer people who knew, the better.

When asked about the stolen blueprints, Qin Xiaoman initially denied everything. But after freezing in the wind for a while, her teeth chattering, she finally gave in. Though her words were still vile:

“Yes, I stole the blueprints—so what? Just one lousy piece of paper. I sold it for two hundred yuan. Pah! Dirt cheap.”

Two hundred yuan in 1986 was the equivalent of a regular worker’s salary for three months. And yet she complained it was too little, calling it trash.

That hit Xu Haizhou’s anger button squarely. Qin Xiaoman only felt a breeze carrying a faint scent sweep past her. In the blink of an eye, a large hand lunged forward like a hurricane, gripping her by the throat.

She couldn’t move her head at all. His burning hot palm gradually tightened:

“You really have a death wish, don’t you?”

It was Xu Haizhou’s first time swearing in front of a woman.

“Qin Xiaoman, how can a woman like you be so shameless? Do you even realize what you’re doing? What you’re saying?”

“I… I… cough cough cough—” She couldn’t say a word. The intense pressure on her throat choked her completely.

Xu Haizhou’s grip kept tightening. Her face turned from flushed red to a bluish-purple. She couldn’t hold on much longer. Her limbs went limp and dropped powerlessly.

Li Hongjun tapped his hand, signaling him to stop before it went too far.

Xu Haizhou’s eyes darkened. He gave a cold snort and tossed her like garbage into the corner of the wall. Dusting off his hands in disgust, he said, “A dog can’t stop eating shit. Let her freeze here all night.”

“Cough cough cough—cough cough cough—”

Coughing uncontrollably with tears streaming down her face, Qin Xiaoman felt a chilling premonition—this time, the usually mild-mannered Xu Haizhou wasn’t going to let her go…

The next day, they borrowed a cargo truck to send Qin Xiaoman to Yun City.

The front passenger seat had space for two, not three. So Li Hongjun stayed behind while Xu Haizhou escorted her.

The truck driver was shocked when he saw the bound and gagged Qin Xiaoman. He kept glancing back and forth between her and the two men, stammering nervously: “You… you guys are…?”

Xu Haizhou put on a furious expression and explained, “She’s my brother-in-law’s mistress. She ruined his marriage, destroyed my sister’s family. I’m taking her back to Yun City to face my sister.”

It was a time when “righteous citizens” were abundant. The driver didn’t even bother to verify the story. One look at Xu Haizhou’s serious face, then another at the provocatively dressed Qin Xiaoman, and he waved them up without question.

“Come on, brother! Toss her in. I’ll take you there!”

Xu Haizhou: “Thanks, brother!”

The two of them hauled Qin Xiaoman into the truck. They took the regular road, not the highway—no checkpoints along the way—so getting her to Yun City would be easy.

In the driver’s seat, the trucker glanced at the limp woman in the passenger seat and scolded her angrily, “You—! A decent woman, and you go around wrecking families. Serves you right! You should be beaten up by the wife!”

The driver, in his forties, looked like a righteous man—no wonder he was so eager to help punish a mistress.

“Sigh—”

He let out a long sigh and stepped on the gas.

Since Qin Xiaoman’s mouth was taped shut, she couldn’t speak. She could only listen as Xu Haizhou made up an entire sob story about her and Liu Shiren.

He described in vivid detail how she seduced his brother-in-law, destroyed his sister’s family, how their little nephew cried his heart out begging for his dad to stay, only to watch the mistress take him away. The poor kid cried so much his eyes got infected and had to be hospitalized for three days and nights.

So exaggerated! How could he make up such nonsense?! Qin Xiaoman was fuming.

The drive took about an hour, and Xu Haizhou’s mouth didn’t stop the whole way. The story he made up was so detailed, even Liu Shiren might believe it was real!

As Xu Haizhou spun his tale, the driver joined in, cursing Qin Xiaoman all the way. By the end, his mouth was dry, and Xu Haizhou even got him a drink from a roadside stall.

When they reached Yun City, there were still fifteen minutes to go before reaching Shengle Community. Xu Haizhou called the beeper station in advance and told Liu Shiren he had found Qin Xiaoman and to come downstairs immediately.

The driver drove them straight into the community. Shengle wasn’t fancy and had no security guard. The truck drove right up to Building 7.

After parking, the driver still didn’t want to let Xu Haizhou go. He said earnestly, “What about your sister now? Raising a kid alone is tough. If your brother-in-law is willing to come back, maybe they should just remarry.”

Xu Haizhou casually nodded, then pulled Qin Xiaoman out of the truck.

On purpose, he didn’t support her properly. She missed her step and fell hard onto the cement road.

She instinctively lifted her head, but her chin scraped the rough surface, breaking the skin and leaving a bloody mark.

“Mm… mmph—” It hurt. It hurt like hell!

After sending the driver off, Xu Haizhou looked around for Liu Shiren.

Why wasn’t he here yet? Did he miss the message?

It was a weekday morning around 9:30, and not many people passed by the building. But he didn’t dare linger too long.

He hid Qin Xiaoman in a flower bed and waited for Liu Shiren to come down.

Only after the noisy truck had driven away did Liu Shiren spot the two people who had been hidden behind it.

The moment he saw Qin Xiaoman, his eyes lit up with a wild gleam!

It wasn’t the look one gives an enemy—it was like he had just found a long-lost treasure! He ran over, utterly stunned.

“Filthy slut!”

Even Xu Haizhou didn’t react in time before Qin Xiaoman was slapped across the face—smack! A loud, crisp sound. She was completely dazed. Within seconds, a vivid red handprint bloomed across her cheek.

A shocked female voice rang out from behind.

None of the three noticed. Everyone’s attention was on the curled-up Qin Xiaoman.

Still fuming, Liu Shiren grabbed her hair and slapped the other side of her face for symmetry, then roared:

“Whore! Why don’t you f*cking run now? Run!”

Qin Xiaoman was stunned by the slap, but instinct took over and she began shouting back, “Liu Shiren! You hit me again if you dare!”

“Pah!” He spat in her face and slapped her again. “Not only will I hit you again, I’ll f*cking kick you too. You try mouthing off one more time!”

“Ah—” She screamed and rolled on the ground. “Get lost! Get away from me! Liu Shiren, you’re not even human! You hit women—you’re a monster! Get out! Get lost!”

Another kick landed in her stomach, and pain exploded in her lower abdomen.

Only then did Liu Shiren realize there was someone else behind Xu Haizhou—Jin Yuzhen.

“W-wife…”