Chapter 170: Chapter 170

Zhou Qin had been detained in the holding cell for more than ten days and had just been released; she certainly wouldn’t give up so easily. She would stir up trouble again.

Unable to enter the residential complex or locate anyone at their workplace, she could only go and harass Luo Wan.

Shen You’an even suspected that if Luo Wan’s place didn’t work out, Zhou Qin would head to Lanya High School to block her there.

This woman had utterly thrown away all her dignity.

If that’s the case, then she didn’t deserve any mercy.

Zhang Jian had long since returned the borrowed car to Sister Zhao, so the two of them could only take a cab outside the complex.

It was at this moment that Shen You’an began to feel the inconvenience of not having a car.

Zhang Jian walked ahead in a rush, while Shen You’an lagged one step behind. She took out her phone to make a call, but coincidentally the other party called her first.

"Sister An, Wei Dahai borrowed money at high-interest rates for gambling. The lender is pressing hard. That bastard is starting to panic and acting recklessly. It’s my fault too—my mom’s been hospitalized the past few days, so I left Xiao Sun in charge of watching him, but he was careless and almost caused big trouble."

"Mr. Gao—Gao Jie. It’s said he’s backed by a major financial corporation, and he struts around Qingzhou unchecked. But for such small matters like debt collection, he wouldn’t personally handle it. Instead, it’s his underling, a thug named Ma Liu, who takes care of it."

"Help me contact Ma Liu. Tell him I want to make a deal with him."

Luo Wan’s home was in the old city district, an area filled with uneven clusters of low residential buildings near factories, with extremely poor security management.

She lived on the third floor, and while standing downstairs, Shen You’an could already hear Zhou Qin’s shrill curses.

Zhang Jian wanted to charge upstairs, but Shen You’an stopped him.

"Uncle, wait for the police to arrive."

Zhang Jian’s face was covered in sweat from anxiety. "But Xiao Wan...."

"Aunt isn’t opening the door—they can’t do anything. If we rush up there now, that Wei Dahai will do anything in desperation."

Unfortunately, given her current physical condition, she could only act cautiously.

At this moment, the police arrived. After Shen You’an explained the situation to them, their expressions turned particularly serious upon hearing that both people involved had criminal records.

The officers sent two policemen upstairs, equipped with batons.

Shen You’an and Zhang Jian waited downstairs.

Not much later, Wei Dahai and Zhou Qin were escorted down by the police.

Upon seeing Zhang Jian and Shen You’an, Zhou Qin went berserk, trying to rush at them, but she was immediately held back by the officers behind her.

Zhou Qin looked far from presentable—her hair was disheveled, one of her eyes was swollen shut, and her cheeks and the corners of her mouth were bruised in varying degrees.

It was clear she’d taken quite a beating from Wei Dahai.

Wei Dahai, on the other hand, stared at them with a sinister expression, his eerie smile sending chills down their spines.

Shen You’an stared at them expressionlessly.

Following the police down was Luo Wan, accompanied by a thin, frail-looking boy.

The moment Luo Wan saw Zhang Jian, she couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. "Brother, An’an...."

The boy walked over, pursed his pale lips, and softly called out, "Cousin."

Shen You’an gently stroked his head. "Xiao Qian, were you scared?"

The boy shook his head. "I’m not scared. If they dared to bully Mom, I would fight them."

As he spoke, the boy clenched his fists tightly, his eyes flashing with a level of fierceness beyond his years.

Shen You’an smiled and said, "Xiao Qian’s growing up—you’ll protect Mom now."

Shen You’an turned to Zhang Jian. "Uncle, take Aunt and Cousin home first. I’ll handle the police here."

"An’an, your health...."

"Don’t worry, I’m not that fragile. Hurry and take Aunt and them back."

After Zhang Jian left, Shen You’an took the police car to the station to give her statement.

Shen You’an knew Zhou Qin and Wei Dahai would only be detained for a couple of days before being released. This couldn’t go on—she needed to eliminate future problems once and for all, or these two would always cling to them like flies.

"Shen You’an," Zhou Qin suddenly called out to her.

Shen You’an turned to look toward her.

From the moment they entered the station, Zhou Qin had suddenly fallen silent, but now she abruptly called out to Shen You’an. Who knew what she was planning?

Shen You’an walked up to her, her face void of expression.

"Zhou Qin, if you still have a shred of decency left, you should amicably separate from Uncle. Causing a scene will only hurt yourself."

Zhou Qin suddenly stood up and leaned close to Shen You’an. "You lied to me. You didn’t the money. Shen You’an, you tricked me—you’re a big liar!"

As she spoke, her emotions began spiraling again, and the officer sharply reprimanded her.

Shen You’an quietly stared at her. "Greedy desires swallow reason."

This was a woman who was never satisfied. She rejected a life of normalcy, choosing instead to spiral towards her own destruction constantly.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Qin’s face broke into a sinister grin. "But I’ve lied to you as well. You’ll never find out—never—ha ha ha!"

Shen You’an narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Zhou Qin leaned close to Shen You’an’s ear and whispered in a voice audible only to the two of them, "How Zhang Yun died—you’ll never know."

Every word was colored with triumph, and she savored the moment as she watched the girl’s face twist from shock.

For the first time in a long time, Zhou Qin felt like she had gained the upper hand, like she could manipulate this little brat once again.

She had been biding her time—waiting for this moment.

Shen You’an’s breath caught sharply; her heart seemed to skip a beat.

Even her strongest composure couldn’t withstand the impact of this moment.

Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides as she fixed her gaze on the woman in front of her.

Zhou Qin sneered, "I hated her, yes, but I wouldn’t go that far."

"You think I’ll believe anything you say?"

Zhou Qin remained calm. "Believe it or not, that’s entirely up to you. After all, she’s your biological mother, not mine. Oh, but wait—you probably don’t even remember her face anymore, do you? Tsk, how unfilial of you."

Shen You’an gradually composed herself. "What do you want?"

Zhou Qin jingled the silver handcuffs around her wrists. "Do you really need me to spell it out?"

Shen You’an spoke coldly, "I’ll come for you in a few days."

With that, she turned and walked out of the station.

The cool wind hit her face, and Shen You’an suddenly steadied herself against a column, her expression increasingly pale.

Her mind was in turmoil—it was the first time she ever felt so helpless.

Perhaps, maybe Zhou Qin was bluffing. This cunning woman might deliberately use her mother’s death as bait.

"Shen?" A familiar voice sounded above her.

Shen You’an slowly turned her head, where a man dressed in a crisp uniform stood frowning at her.

It was none other than Wen Zhou, whom she had met not long ago.

Wen Zhou frowned and walked closer. "Didn’t I ask Sun Hui to take you home? Why are you here?"

The girl’s face was even paler than before, holding on to the pillar as if she could barely stand.

Wen Zhou’s impression of this girl was that she was calm and resilient—even when confronted by Leng Yunyang, she had never yielded.

But now, he could see fleeting traces of sadness and helplessness on her face.

Shen You’an pressed her pale lips together. "There was a small issue, but it’s been handled now."

"Officer Wen, please go ahead with your duties. I’m heading back now."

Shen You’an walked a couple of steps before Wen Zhou quickly caught up to her.

"You don’t look well. How about I take you to the hospital?"

Shen You’an shook her head. "I’m fine."

She suddenly stopped, and Wen Zhou followed suit.

In the cool autumn night, a girl’s faint voice floated through the air, scattering with the breeze.

"Officer Wen, I’d like to ask you for a favor."

Wen Zhou stepped in front of her. "Go on."

Even if not for the sake of someone else’s influence, the pale, fragile yet stubborn girl standing before him tugged at his heartstrings—he couldn’t help wanting to give her extra care.