Qiu Yingxun stopped, his gaze sharp as he fixed on her.
“So, you were lying. The thing my grandmother broke couldn’t possibly have been Mu Xi Grass.”
Cheng You retorted, “What’s the point of you telling me all this?”
“There’s a point!” Qiu Yingxun sneered. “Have you considered what kind of disciplinary action you, Qi Chengyan, or even Secretary Yang from the Disciplinary Committee who helped you, would face if I blew this up and revealed the truth?”
Cheng You pursed her lips. So he was planning to report her and the Disciplinary Committee for colluding to make things difficult for Zeng Xiuyun.
It had to be said, Qiu Yingxun had a truly vivid imagination.
“Qiu Yingxun, do whatever you want. You don’t need to come all the way here to tell me this. I have no authority to release your grandmother.”
Qiu Yingxun interjected, “But you can talk to Secretary Yang…”
“I won’t,” Cheng You interrupted him, then walked into the mess hall.
Qiu Yingxun didn’t follow. Her attitude was already clear.
She wouldn’t release Zeng Xiuyun.
Zeng Xiuyun had a shallow relationship with Qiu Desheng due to her remarriage.
However, she had doted on him since he was a child, pouring all her love into her only grandson.
After Qiu Yingxun turned eighteen, most of his financial support to distance himself from Qiu Desheng came from his grandmother, Zeng Xiuyun.
Naturally, he couldn’t just stand by and watch her.
With a face full of worry, he returned to the military compound. He loitered at the entrance of the disciplinary department for a long time, but ultimately didn’t dare to confront Secretary Yang head-on.
Dejected, Qiu Yingxun returned home and heard Cheng Tao’s wails. He quickly pushed open the door.
Indeed, he saw Qiu Desheng hitting someone.
Gathering a courage he didn't know he possessed, he rushed forward and forcefully grabbed Qiu Desheng’s arm.
“Grandma is still locked up, and you’re in the mood to beat your wife! You’ve been in the military compound for so many years, don’t you have any way to save her!”
Qiu Desheng, seeing him snarling and furious like a little wolf cub, casually flicked his hand away.
“As long as the matter is clarified, your grandmother will naturally be released. What’s the rush?”
After speaking, he staggered out again.
If it weren’t for Old Master Song’s connection, Qiu Desheng would have been expelled from the army hundreds of times over.
Qiu Yingxun glared at his retreating back, full of hatred for his lack of ambition. After a long while, he went to check on Cheng Tao’s injuries.
“Are you alright?”
Cheng Tao’s face, already bearing unhealed old wounds, now had new ones. She was never free of injuries.
She covered her face and sobbed, “Yingxun, why don’t you take me away?”
Faced with this request, Qiu Yingxun froze for a good while.
After a long pause, he stammered, “You’re my dad’s wife, how can I…”
Cheng Tao bit her lip and lowered her head, a cold laugh echoing in her heart.
It wasn't like she only found out she was Qiu Desheng’s wife today. Why didn’t he think of that when he was messing around with her?
When it came to actually doing something, he backed down.
Cheng Tao said plaintively, “But I don’t want your dad to hit me.”
A flicker of pity appeared in Qiu Yingxun’s eyes as he gently stroked her cheek.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was around, he stepped forward and hugged Cheng Tao, comforting her, “Talk less to him, and he won’t hit you. Just endure it a bit longer. I don’t have a job right now, so even if I really took you away, I wouldn’t be able to support you.”
A chilling glint appeared in Cheng Tao’s eyes. In the end, he only wanted to indulge without taking responsibility.
She closed her eyes in disappointment. Men were all unreliable.
Given Qiu Desheng’s character, how could she possibly expect Qiu Yingxun to be any better?
“I understand. I’ll endure it a bit longer, until you have the ability to take me away.”
“Good girl.”
Qiu Yingxun coaxed her for a few more words here, then hurried away.
Cheng Tao’s request had struck him as preposterous.
Getting involved with his stepmother! If this got out, it would ruin him!
From the very beginning, his choice to get involved with Cheng Tao was based on not wanting any responsibility.
He could turn his back the moment they were done, since she wouldn’t get pregnant anyway.
He hadn’t expected Cheng Tao to already be thinking about marriage with him. Qiu Yingxun felt a pang of regret; he shouldn’t have gotten involved with her.
However, putting Cheng Tao’s matter aside for now, getting Zeng Xiuyun out was more important.
Qiu Yingxun pleaded with Cheng You several times, but she never budged.
Unable to stand it any longer, he took his complaint letter to the Disciplinary Committee to lodge a formal accusation.
He stood in the first-floor lobby, righteously accusing Cheng You and Secretary Yang of collusion and illegally detaining Zeng Xiuyun.
However, for the first time in many years, Secretary Yang was being yelled at and had his nose rubbed in it, which amused him.
But at his age, getting into a shouting match with Qiu Yingxun would be too undignified, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He suppressed his anger and smiled reassuringly, “Comrade Qiu Yingxun, I understand what you mean, and I empathize with your impatience. But if this matter were not related to Mu Xi Grass, your grandmother wouldn’t have been held for so long. How important Mu Xi Grass is, I don’t need to tell you, right?”
Qiu Yingxun sneered, gritting his teeth, “I’ve heard this line countless times these past few days. Secretary Yang, you don’t need to repeat it! My complaint clearly states that Cheng You doesn’t have Mu Xi Grass at all, and it’s all a fabricated accusation by you!”
Secretary Yang glanced at the lengthy complaint letter, over a thousand characters long, unmoved.
“I have no comment on this matter. You can go back and wait for news.”
He was also unclear about how Cheng You came to possess Mu Xi Grass.
Many people had come to inquire about it these past few days, but they had been ordered to keep it confidential.
Even high-ranking officials couldn’t pry information about Mu Xi Grass from him, let alone explain it to Qiu Yingxun.
However, his words, in Qiu Yingxun’s ears, sounded like a smug shirking of responsibility.
“Secretary Yang, so you’re not planning to handle my complaint?”
Secretary Yang found it amusing, “You’re complaining about me, so how do you expect me to handle it?”
Qiu Yingxun laughed with rage, clenching his fists and slamming them on the desk.
“If you don’t handle it, then I’ll have to escalate this complaint further!”
Secretary Yang waved his hands repeatedly, “Go ahead if you want. I will abide by whatever arrangements are made by the higher-ups regarding how to deal with it.”
Qiu Yingxun found himself fighting a lonely battle, which was somewhat difficult. After much thought, he decided to seek help from Old Master Song.
At least the complaint letter could be handed over to someone reliable, preferably someone with a higher position than Secretary Yang and some influence.
Old Master Song had been in Yancheng for many years. Although he wasn’t a prominent figure, finding a connection to submit the complaint letter shouldn't be a problem.
With a little incentive, someone would surely help.
Furthermore, some people were already dissatisfied with Cheng You. With their behind-the-scenes push, they found a suitable candidate.
This unfortunate individual, swayed by Old Master Song’s words, foolishly went to Cheng You’s home.
To prove that there was no Mu Xi Grass in her home, he boldly pried open the lock and led people into the courtyard to investigate, casually plucking a few weeds that resembled Mu Xi Grass.
Afterward, he ran to Secretary Yang’s office and slammed the Mu Xi Grass on the table, shouting, “Her yard hasn’t been cleaned up properly, it’s full of these weeds! Where is this Mu Xi Grass? Show me!”