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墨書 Inktalez
A bowl of noodles quickly turned into a lump.
From beginning to end, Li Hui never denied the affair, which seemed to be a fact. Comforting words were hard for Lin Xiao to utter, and she couldn't bring herself to ask about the details.
When Li Hui was being beaten, Luo Qianwei was in Li Hao's office reporting on work. Li Hao's office was at the far east end, while the commotion was at the far west end; by the time the noise reached the closed office, it had diminished considerably.
"Go take a look at what's happening outside," Li Hao instructed after finishing his tasks. Both of them heard an unusual racket coming from outside.
When Luo Qianwei stepped out, the farce was nearing its end; Lin Xiao was angrily scolding Zhang Yuguo's wife. Luo Qianwei sighed inwardly, wondering how Mrs. Zhang could be so oblivious to the situation, causing such a scene at the government building. She returned to report the events to Li Hao.
"Lin Xiao is going to handle it?" Li Hao looked up from his pen, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Lin Xiao to wade into this murky water. He thought Lin Xiao was someone who would avoid trouble and navigate social situations with remarkable tact for her age.
"Well, they are roommates. Chairman Zhang's wife even scolded Lin Xiao a few times," he added.
Li Hao gestured for Luo Qianwei to continue. However, she hesitated to elaborate further; discussing it would only implicate the county chief. After stammering through a few sentences, she finally suggested, "Let's have Secretary Wang from the Disciplinary Committee report this situation to the City Discipline Inspection Commission."
Upon hearing Luo Qianwei's words, Li Hao's expression darkened slightly.
Listening to Li Hui recount her story made Lin Xiao feel as if a stone were lodged in her heart; she numbly handed over a tissue.
Li Hui graduated from high school and came to work in the county town. Just then, the County Guesthouse was hiring waitstaff. The County Guesthouse had been an early venue for hosting official banquets in Yurou County and was considered a state-owned enterprise.
Although it was just a waitstaff position, many people applied due to its prestige. Li Hui had a fresh appearance and a tall, slender figure; with her high school education, she easily secured the job. Shortly after arriving at the guesthouse, she began serving high-ranking officials—essentially taking care of food and drinks.
At that time, Zhang Yuguo was the director of the County Office; he would often arrive early at the guesthouse for receptions. Zhang Yuguo was quite charismatic and not as rigid as Luo Qianwei; whenever he encountered the young women at the guesthouse, they would eagerly serve him without expecting anything in return.
Li Hui met Zhang Yuguo in a rather ordinary way; they would exchange a few pleasantries each time they encountered each other. However, as the situation changed, with a new hotel opening and the County Guesthouse's business declining, Li Hui found herself facing unemployment. She had no desire to return to her hometown to farm.
One day, Zhang Yuguo casually asked Li Hui why she looked so troubled. She explained the impending layoffs at the guesthouse. In response, Zhang Yuguo arranged for her to work at Fu Ban Wen Yin Shi. The County Office needed to print more documents than ever, and outsourcing was risky due to confidentiality concerns. Since this role wasn't included in the county's fixed staffing plan, they could only hire temporary workers, and it was difficult to find college students at that time. Li Hui, being a high school graduate, fit the bill perfectly.
Li Hui never imagined she would go from being a waitress to working in the county building, and her gratitude towards Zhang Yuguo deepened. As the years passed, she and Zhang Yuguo grew closer.
Time flew by, and soon Zhang Yuguo had progressed from being the director of the County Office to the Executive Deputy County Head, and now he had moved up to the city level.
Lin Xiao listened quietly as Li Hui shared her story, feeling increasingly confused. If it was indeed years later, Zhang Yuguo's wife must have known about Li Hui's existence; why was she only confronting her now?
"I'm pregnant," Li Hui said hesitantly.
"He took me to Hong Kong for a check-up; it's a boy."
"Are you planning to divorce him and be with this guy?" Lin Xiao genuinely didn't know what to say.
"No, he can't get divorced, but he promised to give me ten thousand yuan and said he would take care of the child."
This revelation left Lin Xiao speechless; she truly didn't know how to respond. This situation was beyond her comprehension.
"This apartment is one he bought for me, under my brother's name."
Lin Xiao felt as if her mind had gone blank. All this time, she had thought of Li Hui as a kind older sister. When Lin Xiao moved from Gulou District to Yurou County, Li Hui had been the first person on the fifth floor to show her kindness by inviting her to move in when she was looking for a roommate. Whenever Li Hui stayed over, she would always bring water to share with everyone.
Whenever Lin Xiao faced troubles, Li Hui had always been there as a loyal listener, comforting her. Now, Lin Xiao didn't know how to reconcile her view of Li Hui or how to comfort her.
Just then, Luo Qianwei's phone rang like a lifeline.
Sister Hui, Director Luo is looking for me regarding something; there’s a meeting in the county this afternoon. After finishing the call, Lin Xiao explained to Li Hui.
"Will your family come to keep you company?" Lin Xiao asked tentatively. At first, she was worried that Li Hui might not take it well or that she was still affected by Zhang Yuguo's past threats, but it seemed she was overthinking it.
Li Hui gently shook her head.
In the afternoon, Li Hao convened a meeting to discuss major projects for the second quarter. When Lin Xiao's phone vibrated, Li Hao was delivering his final remarks. She sat in the last row and quickly hung up.
"Xiaoxiao, I’m moving. I’m going to Du Hao’s place." Lin Xiao saw a text from Shang Wenjuan but didn’t reply. She understood; to be honest, she was also planning to move. The house had been bought by Zhang Yuguo for Li Hui. She hadn’t known before, but now that she did, even if it meant renting somewhere more expensive, she didn’t want to live there anymore.
However, with Li Hui just having gone through this incident, it seemed inappropriate for her to rush into moving. There were still less than two months until the lease expired; she could look for a new place during that time.
As the meeting concluded, Lin Xiao followed behind Li Hao and Luo Qianwei, preparing to go on-site for research. Shang Wenjuan called again. "Lin Xiao, you need to come back quickly; someone is about to throw your things out."
"I can’t right now. Is Sister Hui there?" Lin Xiao asked urgently, lowering her voice.
"She’s crying."
Lin Xiao sighed; what a situation this was. No one should be allowed to throw her belongings out like that. If it were an ordinary rental issue, she would have called the police by now.
"Director Luo, I need to take another leave." Lin Xiao stepped forward and gently tugged at Luo Qianwei's sleeve.
"Lin Xiao, don’t get too involved in Li Hui’s matters," Luo Qianwei said with an unusual seriousness as she rarely spoke to her like this.
"Director Luo, they’re causing trouble at home and want to throw my things out." Lin Xiao felt a mix of grievance and irritation as she spoke.
Upon hearing this, Luo Qianwei could only wave her hand in concession, allowing Lin Xiao to go.
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