Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 1116 Li Jianjun Wants to Pay Attention

But now? There's been no word from Zhang San, and it's unclear whether the plan succeeded or not. Instead, I've been caught in the trap. Where did things go wrong? Could it be that Gu Nan was prepared all along, setting a trap for me to fall into?

Seeing that he couldn't answer, Lili became anxious, her voice trembling with tears welling up in her eyes: "How am I supposed to know what's going on? From finding the private room to setting the time, everything was decided by you. You told me to go at a certain time, and I went at that time; you told me to do something, and I did it. Now look what's happened, we're both stuck here, and you're blaming me?"

Annoyed by her yelling, Li Jianjun lowered his voice and retorted angrily, "Are you stupid? How could I possibly arrange for someone to arrest me? Do you have any leverage over me? Am I crazy? If I wanted to walk right into a trap, would I go to all this trouble?"

Lili's eyes hardened, and she suddenly leaned close to the railing, almost touching Li Jianjun's face, her tone blatantly threatening: "Alright, it's no use saying all this now! Let me tell you, Li Jianjun, if you don't find a way to get me out of here, when the police ask, I'll tell them all about how you framed Gu Nan, how you embezzled factory funds, and how you were having an affair with a widow! Let's see if your father-in-law, who's the deputy factory director, will still care about you when he finds out! We'll fight to the death, and nobody will get away with it!"

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Li Jianjun's head. He panicked instantly, feeling all his strength drain away. Yes, he had only escaped the embezzlement scandal thanks to his father-in-law Zhang Li's connections at the factory. If his father-in-law found out that he not only showed no remorse but was also involved in such sordid matters, and had even been arrested, he wouldn't help him at all; his father-in-law would likely be the first to punish him, and might even force his daughter to divorce him. Then he would truly be beyond saving—job gone, family broken, and left all alone.

Li Jianjun slumped back into the creaking wooden chair in the interrogation room. His shirt, soaked with cold sweat, clung to his body like a wet rag, the icy touch sending chills up his spine. Cold sweat trickled down the veins on his forehead, gathering into large beads on his chin before splattering onto the scratched tabletop with a soft "plop," leaving a small, dark stain that was quickly covered by fresh sweat.

His mind went blank, as if all thoughts had been ripped out, leaving only one thought swirling wildly: It's over, this time I'm really doomed, utterly and completely doomed. All those dirty deeds I did at the factory, like falsifying accounts and stealing raw materials, might be dug up again. At that point, forget about keeping my job, I might not even be able to escape jail—he could almost see himself in shackles, being led through a crowd, surrounded by pointing and whispering eyes.

He abruptly turned his head to look at Lili, who was being held by the police on the other side. The woman had her head down, and her shoulders were trembling slightly. A fierce glint flashed in Li Jianjun's eyes. He lowered his voice and practically squeezed out the words through clenched teeth: "Alright, nothing else matters now. As long as you cooperate obediently and don't gossip, I'll find a way to get you out once I get out. You'll get your share of the benefits—gold bars, silver dollars, whatever you want, understand?"

Lili bit her lip and didn't speak, but her eyes were full of panic and resentment. Now that things had come to this, how could she still believe Li Jianjun's nonsense? She was tricked into coming here by his promise to "share half with you after it's done." Now that things had gone wrong, he wanted to use her as a scapegoat. Did he think she was stupid?

Before the two could say another word, two police officers pushed open the door and separated them, one on each side: "Li Jianjun, come this way with us. Lili, you come with me." Their voices weren't loud, but they carried an undeniable authority. Clearly, they were going to interrogate them separately to prevent any possibility of collusion—a standard procedure in criminal investigations.

On the other side, Gu Nan explained the whole story in the interrogation room, from how Li Jianjun targeted him every time because of his promotion, to the details of how he set up a trap at the dinner party and tried to frame him with drugs. He even remembered the dishes that were on the table at the time.

After listening to the report, the police officers checked the bottle of sedatives found on Li Jianjun. Preliminary testing confirmed that the small bottle of clear liquid was indeed a strictly controlled sedative drug. There were also fingerprints on the bottom of the bottle that matched Li Jianjun's perfectly. With both witness testimony and physical evidence, the case was irrefutable.

"Comrade Gu, thank you for your cooperation. We will contact you again if needed." The police officer closed the record book, signed his name at the end, and his tone was much gentler than before. "We are aware of your situation. You are a victim. Just go back and focus on your work."

Gu Nan nodded, his frustration finally dissipating considerably, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face: "It's only right, cooperating with the police investigation is what I should do." He got up to leave, not wanting to stay a moment longer—he'd rather go home and spend time with his wife, Ran Qiuye, and their child. He'd been busy with the factory's technological innovations lately, leaving early and returning late every day; even though his child could already call him "Dad," he hadn't heard it properly more than a few times, and he felt deeply guilty.

Inside the courtyard, Jia's servant, Banggeng, was huddled under the old locust tree by the wall, half his body hidden in the shadows, his eyes fixed on Gu Nan's gate like a lurking wildcat. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, his mind racing with calculations: Whenever Ran Qiuye took that toddler out, he'd find a chance to drag them to the back alley and give that woman a few punches to vent his anger—who told her husband, Gu Nan, to always cause trouble for them? Then he'd secretly sell the child; he'd heard there were people outside the city who bought children for a good price. Even if he was sent to the countryside, with the money, he could bribe the team leader, do less work, and live a more comfortable life.

Not long after, the door to Gu Nan's house creaked open. Ran Qiuye came out carrying the child. The weather was exceptionally nice today; the warm autumn sun shone down, making one feel blissfully soft. She wanted to take the child out for a stroll, let him soak up some sun and get some calcium, and also stop by the supply and marketing cooperative at the alley entrance to buy some brown sugar—Gu Nan had been complaining of being tired lately, and she wanted to make him some sweet soup. After all, it was broad daylight, and the neighborhood was bustling with people; what could possibly be wrong?

She glanced down at Heizi, the stray dog ​​Gu Nan had picked up from the junkyard. Though skin and bones, it was incredibly intelligent; it would bare its teeth at strangers but wag its tail happily at family members. "Heizi, you should stay home and guard the house. Remember not to let anyone in."