Shen Xiumei was mentally exhausted from the daily interrogations.
She lowered her head, listlessly awaiting today's session.
After all, it was always the same questions: Where is your brother? She didn't know, she had told them everywhere she knew.
Regarding the espionage, she only admitted to the one instance they had recorded; nothing else.
They had no evidence anyway.
"Creak—"
The door opened.
Shen Xiumei casually glanced up.
"Meimei!" Seeing Shen Xiumei's frail body and pale cheeks, Wei Shikang couldn't help but rush forward.
His voice was laced with anguish, "How did you end up like this?!"
The interrogation room was equipped with iron bars.
Even when Wei Shikang rushed forward, he could only look at Shen Xiumei through the cold iron mesh.
Shen Xiumei hadn't expected Wei Shikang to be able to get in to see her.
This made her eyes light up for a moment.
Did he have another identity?
Or perhaps, he had connections here...
This gave her a glimmer of hope for release.
"Kangkang!" Shen Xiumei's previously listless expression changed, becoming incredibly sorrowful and moving.
Her tears began to fall instantly.
Zhao Wen, standing at the doorway, felt an intense unease watching Shen Xiumei cry.
Just two days ago, she was uncooperative, only crying out when hit, and now she could be so delicate?
The soldier standing guard also twitched his face, finding the sound of her weeping unbearable.
"What exactly did you do? Why are you locked up?" Wei Shikang painfully gripped the iron bars, looking at her. "Don't be afraid, tell me, I'll help you explain."
Shen Xiumei shook her head, looking innocent. "I didn't do anything. They want to find my brother, and since they couldn't, they locked me up."
Hearing her say this, Wei Shikang felt even more heartbroken. "What does your brother's business have to do with you? Because of me, you haven't seen each other for so long..."
As he spoke, he turned back, his gaze sweeping across Zhao Wen's ashen face to land on Huo Rou.
"Teacher Huo Rou, please save Meimei!" Wei Shikang, meeting Huo Rou's somewhat indifferent gaze, mustered his courage and pleaded.
Only then did Shen Xiumei notice Huo Rou.
Her eyes were filled with uncontrollable surprise.
Hadn't they said she was dealt with?
Hadn't the boss said she was dead?!
Why was Huo Rou still here!
Huo Rou also saw the surprise in Shen Xiumei's eyes. She raised an eyebrow, "You thought I was dead?"
Hearing Huo Rou say this, Wei Shikang, not understanding the situation, turned to look.
Shen Xiumei then put on a wronged expression again. "Sister Huo Rou, what are you talking about?"
Qin Ningyi coldly added, "You're older than her."
His gaze lingered meaningfully on Shen Xiumei's face for a moment.
As if remarking on the wrinkles on her face...
Zou Xiaoxiao couldn't help but let out a snicker. How had she never realized Qin Ningyi could be so pedantic before?
Huo Rou poked Qin Ningyi's waist. This man was becoming more and more like An'an.
An'an used to care a lot about such things, unable to stand the villagers calling her "Sister Huo."
Stifled by Qin Ningyi's remark, Shen Xiumei's expression stiffened for a moment before returning to a pitiable appearance.
"I really don't know anything," she looked up at Wei Shikang. "Kangkang, save me."
Just as Wei Shikang was about to speak, Qin Ningyi cast a cold glance his way.
Meeting Qin Ningyi's eyes, Wei Shikang felt a chill run through his entire body, rendering him speechless.
"If you save her..." Qin Ningyi coldly gave him a warning. "Then you're also a traitor."
Wei Shikang's eyes were filled with confusion: Traitor?
"How could Meimei... be a traitor??" Just as he was about to argue, Qin Ningyi raised his hand, and the television on the wall was turned on.
The audio and video he had just asked Zhao Wen to find were played for everyone to see.
Shen Xiumei's phone calls with the boss, every word, pierced Wei Shikang's ears.
The shock in his eyes had nowhere to go.
Shen Xiumei still wanted to argue; what serious crime could a single audio recording possibly warrant?
Before she could speak, a scene appeared on the television.
It was the surveillance footage from the room on the day of the dinner gathering.
She was holding a cup, pouring herself a drink from the wine she had brought. In a corner where no one noticed, her hand subtly moved.
A small object dropped into the wine glass.
Then, she deliberately handed that cup to Huo Rou.
"Meimei..." After hearing the earlier conversation, Wei Shikang saw this scene.
He stared blankly at Shen Xiumei, his voice trembling slightly as he asked, "What are you doing?"