Xia Ziyu went to Shangdu?
When Wang Jianhua said Xia Ziyu had gone to Shangdu for Xia Zhangzheng, Xia Xiaolan shook her head upon hearing this news from the police station:
“She must have fled.”
Liu Fen didn’t immediately understand, “Where could she go? Her father is still in custody, and her mother is in Beijing—the police have detained her mother too.”
“You’re just too naive! You think everyone is like your daughter, who wouldn’t go anywhere without taking her mother along.”
Grandmother Yu laughed at Liu Fen’s innocence. Liu Fen finally realized, “You mean Xia Ziyu abandoned her parents and ran away by herself?”
Xia Xiaolan believed so.
“She even deceived Wang Jianhua. Once she got the introduction letter, she definitely wouldn’t go to Shangdu. Now there’s only one introduction letter, and we don’t know what name she filled in or her destination.”
If Xia Ziyu hadn’t run, this might not have fallen on her head.
She had frightened herself into running, and this escape clearly showed consciousness of guilt. Xia Xiaolan didn’t know whether to call her stupid or clever, but she was ruthless. Previously professing undying love for Wang Jianhua, she still used him one last time before fleeing. Look at how the Wang family had been promoting him as some kind of model citizen… Now, helping Xia Ziyu escape—could he claim ignorance?
He could forget about being a model citizen; he’d face disciplinary action at minimum, as Wang Jianhua was now involved in a criminal case.
Xia Zhangzheng and Zhang Cui weren’t even her birth parents, and Xia Ziyu had kept Zhang Cui in the dark too, leaving her waiting foolishly in the rental apartment… This showed just how ruthless Xia Ziyu was.
With Xia Ziyu’s escape, years of hard work were destroyed in an instant. She was both poisonous and cruel, forcing Xia Xiaolan to reassess her danger level. Having such an enemy freely moving about made Xia Xiaolan uneasy even in her sleep.
Where could Xia Ziyu run to?
Hide under an assumed name somewhere in China?
While household registration wasn’t completely transparent now, most legitimate organizations required introduction letters to verify identity. Smaller places were harder to hide in. Only big cities like Shanghai and Yangcheng had enough shadows to make hiding easier.
Hiding meant living a low-profile life—at least during the prosecution period, Xia Ziyu couldn’t emerge. Even if Xia Ziyu was convicted of hiring someone to cause injury, she wouldn’t face many years.
After all, Xia Xiaolan hadn’t been seriously injured. The severity of Xia Ziyu’s crime lay more in its vicious nature, striking at the heart of Yunan’s educational system.
“She won’t be content living under an assumed name. The only place she could go is Hong Kong… Du Zhaohui, she’ll go to Du Zhaohui!”
Would Du Zhaohui turn her in?
Du Zhaohui operated in questionable ways. Xia Xiaolan felt they couldn’t count on his cooperation. To catch Xia Ziyu, they’d need to do it before she met up with Du Zhaohui.
Xia Xiaolan shared what she knew with the police.
When Hong Kong businessmen were involved, things became complicated. One thing was confirmed though—Xia Ziyu truly hadn’t gone to Shangdu.
Wang Jianhua fell silent upon hearing this news at the police station.
The police had parents take turns working on Wang Jianhua. Ran Shuyu cried, begging him not to be foolish. Getting the introduction letter for Xia Ziyu could be explained as not knowing about her planned escape, but now concealing her whereabouts would make him an accomplice to her flight.
“Mom, I don’t know…”
Wang Jianhua hung his head, his eyes bloodshot.
Wang Guangping told Ran Shuyu to be quiet and lowered his voice: “Since you claimed ignorance from the start, stick to that story. You’re also a victim, deceived by Xia Ziyu, understand?”
Wang Guangping was exasperated but chose the most beneficial approach for his son when the police asked him to work on Wang Jianhua.
Wang Jianhua opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.
Wang Guangping slammed the table, “Your relationship with Xia Ziyu ends here. After you leave the police station, make frequent visits to Uncle Zhang’s house. You’re in a passive position now—who knows if Uncle Zhang will still agree? It depends on your performance!”
Ran Shuyu wanted to hack that little wretch Xia Ziyu to pieces.
She had previously looked down on Director Zhang’s daughter as ‘second-hand goods,’ but now she dared not be picky. Securing Director Zhang’s daughter was now the best option available.
…
Following Xia Xiaolan’s lead, the police coordinated with their counterparts in Yangcheng and Pengcheng.
Xia Xiaolan herself had asked Tang Hongen for help—if Xia Ziyu went to seek refuge with Du Zhaohui, she would be walking into a trap the moment she showed her face.
However, two weeks passed without any news of Xia Ziyu.
She had vanished like a drop of water in the ocean, seemingly disappearing into vast China without a trace.
Without ID cards or surveillance systems, using just an introduction letter with an official seal that she filled out herself, finding Xia Ziyu quickly wouldn’t be easy.
Xia Xiaolan suspected Du Zhaohui’s help but had no evidence.
Someone like Du Zhaohui prioritized profit—if Xia Xiaolan could offer him greater benefits than Xia Ziyu, he would turn her in!
But what could Xia Xiaolan offer Du Zhaohui?
At Pengcheng Hospital, Du Zhaohui had been clear—he wanted to cooperate with Xia Xiaolan because of her connections with Tang Hongen, the Kang family, and the Zhou family. These were all she had to trade.
That would mean sacrificing Tang Hongen and others’ interests to deal with Du Zhaohui—something Xia Xiaolan would never do.
Xia Ziyu wasn’t worth Xia Xiaolan burning her bridges.
Her friendship with Kang Wei, Tang Hongen’s care, and the Zhou family’s support—each was more important than Xia Ziyu!
By early May, two weeks after Xia Ziyu’s escape, with still no news, the matter was essentially settled. Xia Ziyu was the primary culprit, with Xia Zhangzheng and Zhang Cui as accomplices. Xia Zhangzheng, who directly hired the thug, would get about 5 years, Zhang Cui 3 years. With Xia Ziyu not apprehended, Beijing Normal College publicly announced her expulsion.
With Xia Ziyu expelled, Wang Jianhua received disciplinary action.
The Wang family must have pulled some strings, as his punishment was handled quietly.
Facing these results, Xia Xiaolan felt somewhat unfulfilled.
She was happy.
Opening her eyes to find herself reborn in ’83, she had faced a mess.
Before she could settle scores with Xia Ziyu and Wang Jianhua, Xia Ziyu had tried to prevent her from attending university. Yet she had made it into Huaqing University while Xia Ziyu’s situation deteriorated day by day. Now Xia Ziyu was a fugitive criminal, expelled from Normal College—their circumstances had completely reversed. Except for Xia Ziyu’s escape, Xia Xiaolan was generally satisfied.
She had a feeling that for a long time, Xia Ziyu wouldn’t be troubling her.
Wang Jianhua?
What right did Wang Jianhua have to compete with her? A grown man who boasted about his abilities while happily living off others… Xia Xiaolan could hardly consider him an opponent.
Now, two letters lay before Xia Xiaolan.
The letters were from Guan Huie.
“So, Xia Ziyu really wouldn’t give up. Even while fleeing, with no concern for her mother, she still had the mood to expose my dark history?”