Chapter 681 - 668: "Evidence
Chapter 681: Chapter 668: "Evidence
Li Xiaojuan frowned slightly, thinking about the arrangements Su Shengguo and his wife had made. She calculated that it would be almost another month before they could plant the so-called "evidence" in the Li family’s home. That would be December, and she wondered if she’d be able to make it to Xiangcheng in time for the New Year.
The night grew darker and the wind colder. Li Xiaojuan wrapped her coat tightly around herself and walked quickly toward home. She failed to notice a person walking toward her, who was also clearly in a hurry. Neither of them saw the other, and they collided.
The person she’d run into was a rather tall man, and the force of the collision sent Li Xiaojuan staggering back a couple of steps before she fell to the ground.
"Ouch!" Li Xiaojuan felt a sharp sting in her palm and cried out in pain.
"Oh, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you. Are you all right?" The man was startled as well. Seeing that he had knocked Li Xiaojuan to the ground, he rushed forward, embarrassed, to help her up.
Li Xiaojuan frowned and snapped, "Why don’t you watch where you’re going?"
"I’m sorry. I was rushing to my night shift and didn’t see you. Are you really okay?" The man apologized profusely. "Do you need to go to the hospital? Don’t worry, whatever the medical bills are, I promise I’ll pay them."
"That’s not necessary." Li Xiaojuan pursed her lips. ’I can’t go to places like the hospital or the police station. Although that young master from Xiangcheng helped me change my name and get a new identity, it won’t hold up under scrutiny. I’m worried that if they investigate and find out my real identity, it’ll blow my cover. After all, I know for a fact that many people at the police stations and hospitals in Beijing have close ties to the Li family. If I slip up and reveal anything, it could jeopardize the whole plan.’
So, Li Xiaojuan glared at the man and said, "Forget the hospital. Just give me ten yuan, and we’ll call it even."
"What? How much?" The man’s eyes widened as he stared at Li Xiaojuan. "Ten yuan? You just have a little scrape. One yuan would be more than enough, at most. Why are you asking for ten? No, let’s just go to the hospital. I’ll pay whatever the doctor says, no questions asked."
Li Xiaojuan’s brow tightened, and she glared at him. "Fine, fine! It’s my unlucky day. Just give me one yuan. I’ll take care of it myself."
"All right, here." Although the man hated to part with the yuan, he felt it was only right to offer some compensation since he’d knocked her over. He promptly pulled a one-yuan note from his pocket and handed it to Li Xiaojuan.
Li Xiaojuan shot the man a glare before turning and walking away.
The man didn’t like Li Xiaojuan’s attitude at all, but they were strangers who’d just met by chance, and he was the one who’d injured her. So, he decided not to make a fuss about it. Noticing it was almost time to clock in, he rushed toward the factory.
When he arrived at the factory, the man hurried to relieve his coworker. The coworker who was ending his shift grinned. "Zhang Dahai, what made you so late? I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it on time."
The man who had run into Li Xiaojuan was none other than Zhang Dahai. He grinned and scratched his head. "Ran into a bit of bad luck on the way. I bumped into someone, and when I offered to take her to the hospital, she refused. Instead, she demanded ten yuan right off the bat."
"Whoa, sounds like she was trying to scam you," Zhang Dahai’s coworker said in surprise.
"You can say that again." Zhang Dahai recounted the whole incident. His coworker listened and shook his head. "Wow. And from a young woman, at that."
"I know, right? I’ve memorized what she looks like. If I ever see her on the street again, I’m steering clear," Zhang Dahai said, shaking his head.
"Well, it’s a good thing you only lost one yuan. Anyway—oh, I’d better get going. The missus has probably got dinner waiting for me. See ya," the coworker said to Zhang Dahai with a grin.
Zhang Dahai couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re just showing off."
"Heh, jealous? Then you should hurry up and find yourself a wife," his coworker chuckled.
At his words, an image of Su Qing instantly appeared in Zhang Dahai’s mind. He let out a soft sigh and suppressed the thought. "All right, you’d better get home."
"Okay, I’m off then. Stay safe tonight."
"I’ll be fine."