Qingyan on the other end of the phone paused, then replied, "Yes, what does she want?"
Sun Zhewen lowered his voice, trying not to let the other diners hear, "She's gone crazy, and she's pregnant."
Qingyan's voice suddenly rose an octave, clearly startled by the news, "Ah, what happened? Tell me quickly!"
Sun Zhewen recounted everything that had happened that day to Qingyan, trying not to miss any details. After Qingyan finished listening, her voice was filled with obvious panic, "Zhewen, I'll be implicated too, what do you think I should do?"
Sun Zhewen frowned, knowing that this matter was indeed a significant blow to Qingyan. He sighed and said, "Now, Chairman Wang from the Provincial Women's Federation is coming to see her and understand the follow-up of that matter. That's the most troublesome part."
Qingyan was silent on the other end of the phone for a moment, seemingly trying to calm her emotions. Sun Zhewen heard her take a deep breath, and then her voice stabilized a bit, "Zhewen, I want to see you."
Sun Zhewen's heart raced. He knew that the relationship between Qingyan and Secretary Liu had always been a hidden danger, but he didn't expect things to get so bad. He frowned and asked worriedly, "But if you come out tonight, what about Secretary Liu...?"
Qingyan's voice was filled with helplessness and anger, "Hmph, he's probably dead on some other woman. Come pick me up, okay, Zhewen. I'm so scared."
Sun Zhewen's heart clenched when he heard this, and he immediately agreed, "Okay, I'll go right over."
After hanging up the phone, he quickly put on his coat, grabbed his car keys, and rushed out the door. All the way there, his mind was racing with possible scenarios, and his heart was in his throat.
When he arrived outside Qingyan's house, he saw a black Audi A6 drive into the courtyard. The license plate looked like Secretary Liu's. His heart tightened, and he quickly sent Qingyan a message: "Secretary Liu is back!"
However, Qingyan didn't reply to the message or answer the phone. Sun Zhewen's mood became even more tense; it seemed that Liu Qunqi had returned.
The Secretary's Audi stayed for over an hour before driving out again. Sun Zhewen breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still uneasy. Just as he was about to leave, his phone suddenly vibrated. A text message from Qingyan had arrived: "Where are you?"
Sun Zhewen quickly replied, "Outside the community, in the Sagitar."
"I'll be right down."
A moment later, a hurried figure appeared at the community entrance; it was Qingyan. Sun Zhewen flashed his headlights, and Qingyan hurried over. Her appearance was a bit strange; a scarf covered her face, and she wore sunglasses. Once in the car, she didn't remove these coverings.
Sun Zhewen thought she was worried about being recognized, so he started the car and drove away. He drove to the rented apartment, and they went inside together. After he closed the door, he asked curiously, "Qingyan, take off your scarf."
Qingyan's eyes flickered, and then tears welled up. She trembled as she took off her glasses and scarf, revealing a bright red handprint on her face.
Seeing this, Sun Zhewen's heart ached terribly. He quickly said, "Qingyan, what happened?"
Qingyan choked, her voice laced with sobs, "Jiaxin… he… he hit me."
Upon hearing this, Sun Zhewen was filled with rage, but he suppressed his emotions and tried to remain calm. He asked, "Why? Why did he hit you?"
Qingyan hugged him, her voice trembling, "I was about to go out when he came back. He had been drinking a lot and questioned me about where I was going. I said I was going to buy something, and he dragged me back and tried to… He was drunk, and I told him not to do anything stupid, and then he hit me. Waaah. He also said that I was useless and would ruin everything. He told me that if the Provincial Women's Federation investigated, I should just admit it myself and not involve him."
Sun Zhewen's eyes flashed with a mix of heartache and anger, but he still tried to stay calm. He clenched his fists and softly comforted her, "Darling, don't cry. It's not the end of the line, is it? At least Chairman Wang hasn't said when they'll come to investigate, right? We still have time."
Tears welled up in Qingyan's eyes. She tightly held Sun Zhewen's hand, her voice trembling slightly, "Zhewen, if I'm dealt with, will you still want me?"
Sun Zhewen answered without hesitation, "Yes, no matter what happens to you, I want you."
Tears streamed down Qingyan's face again, and she choked out, "Zhewen."
Sun Zhewen gently stroked her hair and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I'll always be by your side."
After the frenzy, Qingyan nestled in Sun Zhewen's arms, her voice low as she said, "Zhewen, take me back, I'm afraid he'll come back."
Sun Zhewen nodded and said gently, "Okay."
On the car ride, Qingyan held Sun Zhewen's hand tightly, her eyes filled with reluctance and anticipation. "Zhewen, how long until we can be together? I really don't want to leave you."
Sun Zhewen patted the back of her hand gently and said firmly, "The day he falls is the day we'll be together."
Qingyan gave a small smile, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes. "Jiaxin, I'll get you transferred to my side as soon as possible. Did you say yesterday that my cousin agreed to help?"
Sun Zhewen said, "You might have misunderstood your cousin. She was given to Liu Qunqi by Liu Qingfeng to play with, and she doesn't even know who the father of the child in her belly is. She also wants revenge; she wants to take control of Fengyun Group and completely cripple the Liu family."
"But that's going to be difficult. Liu Qingfeng made his fortune through illegal means. Under the protection of his cousin, he's done countless bad things. Although he appears to be clean now, he's probably still involved in criminal activities. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to handle the demolitions that others can't, and they're the only ones who can do the dirt transport. So, Zhewen, I'll have you come over and help me as soon as possible. Several of the previous officials in Chengguan Town who were removed from their positions had connections with them; some were corrupt themselves, and some were framed."
The car slowly stopped outside the apartment complex. The night was like water, and the streetlights illuminated Qingyan's profile, making it soft and warm. She held Sun Zhewen's head and gave him a light kiss on the forehead. "I'm going back," she said, her voice gentle but with a hint of reluctance.
Sun Zhewen nodded and watched Qingyan's figure disappear at the entrance of the complex. Then, he started the car and drove towards Li Zhiyan's house. The city at night seemed exceptionally quiet, with only the car headlights cutting through the darkness, creating streaks of light and shadow. He thought no one was home, so he went straight to his room. When he passed Li Zhiyan's room, he heard the suppressed sounds, causing him to frown involuntarily and quickly walk past.