At that moment, a gentle breeze stirred, and Wen Zhuqing could feel it brush against his face.
The wind carries certain things with it, perhaps even distant calls…
Wen Zhuqing lowered his gaze, enduring the pain as the corners of his lips curled into a bloodthirsty smirk.
Every ounce of humiliation he had suffered would be repaid—doubled—in due time.
He raised his head, his eyes attempting to peer past the crowd to where the search party was.
There should be results by now.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than voices rang out.
“Nothing was found.”
“There’s nothing here that violates regulations.”
Wen Zhuqing was stunned.
This time, he could no longer conceal his emotions—his eyes widened in disbelief.
How could they not find it? He had clearly placed it in Old Man Gu’s bedside drawer…
Could these people be covering up for the Gu family?
Ignoring the pain in his backside, Wen Zhuqing forced his way through the crowd.
When he saw Old Man Gu’s bedside drawer pulled open, revealing nothing but clothes inside, his face twisted with shock.
“How is this possible? I clearly…”
“Comrade Wen, you clearly what?” A voice sounded beside him, startling Wen Zhuqing.
He turned to see Gu Yunzhou.
Meeting Gu Yunzhou’s clear, penetrating gaze, Wen Zhuqing’s heart skipped a beat. “N-nothing.”
Gu Yunzhou chuckled softly. “They didn’t find anything forbidden. It seems Comrade Wen is a little disappointed.”
Wen Zhuqing forced a smile. “How could that be? You’re joking.”
Gu Yunzhou stared at him for a long moment before finally looking away without another word.
By then, the leader of the search team had stepped forward to apologize to Old Man Gu, insisting that the anonymous tip must have been a false accusation.
“…If I ever find out who wrote that letter, they won’t get off easy.”
As he spoke, he secretly felt relieved. Fortunately, he had hesitated earlier and hadn’t conducted a more aggressive search.
Otherwise, if they had ransacked the place and still found nothing, it would have been a massive embarrassment—and would have earned him the Gu family’s enmity.
A village chief wasn’t someone they particularly feared, but the Gu family’s son-in-law—a regimental-level officer—was someone they had to tread carefully around.
“It’s good that nothing was found.”
“I always knew the village chief and his family were trustworthy.”
“Whoever wrote that anonymous letter—if I ever find out who it was, I’ll beat them to death!”
“It must be someone here. We just don’t know who yet.”
The villagers murmured among themselves, their eyes scanning the crowd suspiciously.
Whoever wrote the anonymous letter was like a venomous snake, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
This time, it was the village chief’s family, but who knew who might be targeted next?
Not everyone would be as lucky as the Gu family.
After all, those were forbidden books.
If they had actually been found, it would have been over.
Most of the villagers’ suspicious gazes landed on the educated youths.
Who else but them had the literacy to write an anonymous accusation?
Most of Huaihua Village’s residents were descended from the same ancestors, bound by blood ties.
Even those who had moved in later had lived here long enough to develop deep connections.
Though they might bicker occasionally, there were no real grudges—certainly nothing serious enough to justify such malicious acts.
But these educated youths? That was another story.
The educated youths who were being scrutinized understood the villagers’ suspicions all too well. They felt wronged but had no way to defend themselves.
Just as everyone thought the search party would leave empty-handed, one of them suddenly raised their voice and asked, “Who is Wen Zhuqing? And where is Bao Shanyan’s house?”
The crowd froze, then instinctively parted, revealing Bao Shanyan and Wen Zhuqing.
Wen Zhuqing was stunned. What’s going on?
Bao Shanyan was equally confused.
But they soon got their answer.
“We received another anonymous letter, accusing Wen Zhuqing and his wife of also hiding forbidden books.”
What? There’s more?!
Before Wen Zhuqing and Bao Shanyan could react, the search team—already informed of the Bao family’s location—marched out of the Gu household and headed straight for theirs.
The villagers, naturally, followed closely behind.
Wen Zhuqing and Bao Shanyan had no choice but to grit their teeth and hurry after them.
Wen Zhuqing’s mind was in chaos.
How could the Gu family have nothing? I planted those books myself!
And I only wrote one letter—just to accuse the Gu family. Who wrote the second one accusing me and Bao Shanyan?
A sense of losing control settled over him. As he watched the search party advance toward the Bao residence, an ominous feeling grew stronger and stronger in his chest.
His gaze involuntarily shifted toward the Gu family.
Soon, he locked eyes with Gu Yunzhou. The latter’s expression was unreadable, his face nearly emotionless—yet when their eyes met, the corners of Gu Yunzhou’s lips curled into a meaningful smirk.
Wen Zhuqing’s eyes widened. His heart plummeted, and his mind felt as if it had been struck by a hammer. In that instant, he understood.
There was no doubt—Wen Zhuqing was clever.
And now, he realized the truth.
The Gu family knew.
They had discovered his plan.
Everything that had just happened—it was all an act.
The Gu family had found out about his scheme, which was why nothing had been found during the search.
And after uncovering his plot, they had turned it against him.
Wen Zhuqing was certain—the second anonymous letter, the one accusing him and Bao Shanyan, had to have been written by the Gu family.
If nothing had been found in the Gu household, then that could only mean…
We’re finished.
For the first time, Wen Zhuqing felt genuine panic. His hands trembled slightly.
He was one hundred percent sure—those forbidden books were now in the Bao residence, hidden somewhere in his and Bao Shanyan’s room.
If they were discovered…
Just imagining the consequences sent a bone-deep chill through him.
He hurried to Bao Shanyan’s side and whispered urgently, “Yanzi, you have to stop them. You can’t let them search our place.”
Bao Shanyan frowned at him.
At first, she had been confused, but now that she had processed the situation, she understood—if they could avoid the search, they absolutely should.
But if they couldn’t… well, there was nothing to be done. Even the Gu family, as the village chief’s household, hadn’t been spared.
And she had no powerful connections to rely on.
Still, Bao Shanyan believed herself innocent. She was sure she hadn’t hidden anything illegal, so even if they searched, she had nothing to fear.
But seeing Wen Zhuqing’s panicked expression, doubt crept in.
Bao Shanyan wasn’t stupid.
The look on Wen Zhuqing’s face told her everything—something was very wrong.
Could it be… Could they actually find something in our house?
If that really happened…
The thought sent a jolt of terror through her. For the first time in her fearless life, Bao Shanyan felt true dread.
“What the hell is going on?!” she hissed through gritted teeth. “Explain it to me—now!”
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