Chapter 118: Ning Xiaoxiao’s Downfall (Part 2)
Ning Xiaoxiao picked up the letter thrown by the team leader and opened it. Seeing the handwriting, she couldn’t believe her eyes, murmuring blankly: “Impossible… impossible… I didn’t write this… I didn’t.”
Chen Yechu quietly took Ning Xiyue’s hand, giving her a thumbs-up in her palm. Ning Xiyue returned the gesture, signaling it was fine.
“Team leader, the public security officers have arrived,” a male officer reminded from behind.
“Your matter will be handled by the public security officers. I’m done here.” The team leader turned and led two officers into the room.
Liu Guifen panicked — why had the police arrived now?
Wang Mazi, on the other hand, remained calm. With this evidence, he was completely safe. All he had to do was insist that Ning Xiaoxiao had acted voluntarily — or, better yet, play his favorite strategy: keep his wife and child warm in bed.
Even if Ning Xiaoxiao resisted, she had no choice but to comply. Wang Mazi’s eyes flashed with a cruel thought — if she refused, a broken leg would teach her a lesson.
When the officers arrived, everyone present quieted down. These days, people had a natural respect — and fear — of the police, and no one dared act out of line.
Since Ning Xiaoxiao and Liu Guifen were protesting, and Wang Mazi called it a misunderstanding amidst this chaotic scene, the officers began their questioning.
Ning Xiaoxiao, wearing Liu Guifen’s clothes, was interrogated in a separate room with Wang Mazi’s family.
Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu were also called in. Ning Xiyue spoke honestly and was quickly allowed to leave.
When questioned about Chen Yechu, Ning Xiyue provided crucial information: “Officer, yesterday, Ning Xiaoxiao came back acting strangely, secretive and evasive. I don’t know what she was doing, but she had something in her hands.”
The officers noted this. When asked about Wu Guifang, the educated youth who shared a room with Ning Xiaoxiao, Wu handed over a package from Ning Xiaoxiao’s bed.
The officers opened it, and their expressions shifted slightly. They called Wang Mazi over to look.
Seeing it, Wang Mazi thought, “These educated youths really know how to handle things,” and awkwardly said, “Comrades, these are my underwear. I was wondering where they went, didn’t expect Xiaoxiao took them. As for the other items, I’ve never seen them.”
Ultimately, the investigation found everything against Ning Xiaoxiao. Realizing she would be arrested for indecent conduct, Ning Xiaoxiao recalled the recent labor reform. She had kept protesting and even dragged Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu into it, but with solid evidence, her cries were useless.
“No, I didn’t… I’m innocent!”
She kept calling for the Immortal, but there was no response. Her face turned ashen.
“Save me!” Ning Xiaoxiao knelt frantically, banging her head, but even the Immortal she longed for — the gray ash — had vanished.
Ning Xiyue inwardly chuckled. “Pray all you want. It won’t help. Your great Immortal still has a bottle of mushroom sauce and two large buns left.”
The Immortal couldn’t rescue her from misery, but Wang Mazi could pull her from the knife’s edge into his fire.
“Comrade, she is my wife. We both agreed. Tomorrow, we will hold a banquet. It’s really embarrassing to make this public, isn’t it, wife?”
Wang Mazi squatted beside Ning Xiaoxiao, tightly holding her shoulders and lifting her up. Whispering quickly in her ear, he warned: “If you resist, argue, or scream, you’ll truly be charged with indecent conduct. If you don’t want to die, cooperate.”
“Wife, look at it this way — our household affair has already become the talk of the whole team. Now we even troubled the police. Quickly, go apologize to everyone.” Wang Mazi smiled, guiding Ning Xiaoxiao forward.
Ning Xiaoxiao, clinging to a last lifeline, knew this was the only way to save herself. Lowering her head, she walked forward reluctantly, bowing to everyone and biting her teeth to force herself:
“I’m sorry. I was willful. I was jealous of Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu, afraid Wang Mazi would like them. That’s why I wrote the fake letters for everyone to see. Wang Mazi and I will hold a banquet tomorrow. Please remember to come.”
Liu Guifen had already smoothed things over with the other members, and the rest, to save face, agreed with a few favorable words, successfully shifting the nature of the incident.
The two public security officers sternly reprimanded Ning Xiaoxiao, had her apologize to Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu, and, at the request of the parties involved, made her pay ten yuan each as compensation.
Wang Mazi grinned, flattering them: “Comrades, be sure to come to the banquet tomorrow.”
One officer, Sun, who had once sent Ning Xiyue a letter of praise, said: “I’m free tomorrow. I’ll attend.”
Ning Xiaoxiao paled but didn’t dare show it, keeping her head down.
Once the officers left, the farce was halfway resolved.
Ning Xiyue didn’t regret that Ning Xiaoxiao wasn’t taken away. From what she learned, this wasn’t a strict enforcement period. Ning Xiaoxiao’s indecent conduct wasn’t a capital crime — at worst, she would be sent to a labor farm for over twenty years.
As the pseudo-female lead of a poor-quality script, Ning Xiaoxiao’s independent presence was too risky. It was better to keep her under watch. With Wang Mazi and his mother around, her life would be far worse than labor reform.
Ning Xiyue guessed right. Indeed, Ning Xiaoxiao’s belongings had been taken by Liu Guifen from the educated youth compound, and Ning Xiaoxiao was confined at home.
The next day, Wang Mazi’s family held a small banquet. Under the officers’ supervision, they obtained a marriage certificate. Once the officers left, Ning Xiaoxiao tried to escape, but Wang Mazi and Liu Guifen caught her, breaking one leg. She could never run again, trapped inside without seeing daylight.
Wang Mazi then came to Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu for medicine and to claim credit, explaining Ning Xiaoxiao’s current situation and even inviting them to see. Ning Xiyue saw Ning Xiaoxiao curled up on the kang like a dog, murmuring “Immortal, Immortal” — and felt elated.
Chen Yechu was even more delighted, wishing he could pull out a phone to record her miserable state.
Ning Xiyue took a few pills from her pocket: “This is a one-year antidote. If you want a longer-lasting or permanent one, it depends on your behavior. Good luck.”
Chen Yechu followed with his own: “Mine is also a one-year supply. Everything else is as Ning Xiyue said — don’t disappoint us.”
Wang Mazi gratefully accepted the medicine. “Thank you! I won’t let you down. Once I have a child, I’ll bring you the good news.”
After returning to the youth compound, Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu celebrated in their room, drinking fruit wine — of course, Chen Yechu had found an excuse to bring it out. She indulged once more in a taste of modern products.
With the Ning Xiaoxiao problem resolved, Ning Xiyue felt much lighter. Lying in bed that night, her study efforts were more focused than ever.
