Chapter 420: The Unfortunate Cui Meili
Chapter 420: The Unfortunate Cui Meili
Lu Jiajie had only intended to stand up for Lu Jiaxin, but he ended up getting scolded instead. After hanging up the phone, he felt so dejected that he called two friends to drink with him. However, after suffering so many losses, he was now more cautious and did not reveal anything, merely stating that he was feeling down.
His friends thought he was lonely and advised him to remarry. Seeing him shake his head like a rattle drum, they changed their suggestion, "If you don't want to remarry, then find yourself a girlfriend."
Lu Jiajie listened to this suggestion. After being away for so long, it was inevitable that he felt lonely at times. Moreover, as a man, he had certain needs. Some people might pay for satisfaction, but he disliked that idea.
Lu Jiaxin, on the other hand, had no idea that he was drinking away his sorrows. She just felt that within the span of two years, things had changed so much, and she saw this as a dangerous sign. Thinking it over, she decided to call Lu Jiaguang.
Lu Jiaguang asked in disbelief, "Are you saying that he instigated someone to entice the gambler to rob the Ding family? That's impossible. How could Jiajie do such a thing?"
Lu Jiaxin replied, "I asked him about it, and he denied it, but I feel that he's behind this. He's been in business for a few years now and has come into contact with all sorts of people. I'm worried that he might have been led astray."
Lu Jiaguang also started to take the matter seriously, "When he comes back, I'll have a serious talk with him."
Lu Jiaxin asked a private detective to look into Cui Meili's husband, initially just as a precaution, but she never expected to actually uncover a problem. The repair shop where he worked was owned by a relative of Ah Hao's former gang's second-in-command.
The private detective said, "Ah Hao works as a repairman at the shop, but he's involved in some shady business behind the scenes. I didn't dare to investigate further into the specifics."
"How do you know he's doing something shady behind the scenes if you didn't investigate further?"
The private detective explained, "He often works overtime and sometimes doesn't go home for two or three days. His wife trusts him, so she doesn't suspect anything. But I found out that while the repair shop does have good business and often requires employees to work overtime, Ah Hao is not among those who stay late."
Upon discovering this, the detective sensed danger and chose not to continue the investigation. Of course, he wasn't afraid of danger, but proceeding would have required a different price.
Cui Meili and Ah Hao had been married for some time now, and she was already four months pregnant. The two shared a deep emotional bond, which made the situation difficult to handle. After some thought, Lu Jiaxin called Cui Zhihui and told her about it.
Lu Jiaxin didn't blame Ah Hao. She said, "Don't go scolding your brother-in-law. I believe that when he said he wanted to leave the gang, he was sincere. However, once you're in that kind of organization, it's not easy to get out. He probably chose this path out of desperation."
Although Cui Zhihui had been accepted into Harvard Law School, she hadn't received a full scholarship for her first semester, and the difference had been made up by Cui Meili. Not wanting to burden her sister further, she decided to work part-time while studying. Her efforts paid off, and once she secured a full scholarship, she no longer needed her sister's financial support.
Seeing that Cui Zhihui had fallen silent, Lu Jiaxin knew that she must be feeling terrible. Indeed, anyone would feel distressed upon encountering such a situation.
After a while, Cui Zhihui asked, "Sister Jiaxin, what should I do?"
Lu Jiaxin said, "Since it's a family matter, I shouldn't say too much. Zhihui, your sister has had a difficult time these past few years. Don't let her suffer any more harm."
Since the private detective had mentioned that Ah Hao was involved in shady business, it likely involved at least one of the three vices: gambling, drugs, or prostitution. Perhaps he was even involved in more unsavory activities. Lu Jiaxin would never associate with such a person, but thinking of Cui Meili, she still felt pained. Life had been so unfair to this woman.
Cui Zhihui thanked her.
After hanging up, Lu Jiaxin sighed. The fate of a gangster was either to die young or end up in prison, so falling in love with one was destined to bring heartache.
Nie Zan came to find Lu Jiaxin for dinner and noticed her low spirits. When he learned about Cui Zhihui and Ah Hao's situation, he said, "You can send your deskmate's sister and brother-in-law abroad and settle them in a remote town. That way, the gang won't go through the trouble of looking for him."
Lu Jiaxin shook her head and replied, "He's definitely involved in illegal activities. I won't help such people because doing so would be condoning crime."
Niezhan knew that she had high moral standards, and that was a good thing. She wouldn't do something unethical just because she had the money to fix it. While money could smooth over many issues, damaging one's reputation could impact future endeavors. After all, no one would want to partner with someone who had no boundaries and might stab them in the back.
Two days later, after school, Lu Jiaxin returned to the apartment, and Zong Jinghua told her about an incident. "Boss, the husband of your classmate, Cui Zhihui, was attacked. Fortunately, a patrolling police officer happened to be nearby, or he would have surely died on the street."
"Do you know what caused it?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
Zong Jinghua said, "I'm not sure about the specifics either. If you want to know more, I can ask my friend at the police station."
Lu Jiaxin nodded and went back to her room to do her homework.
Zong Jinghua thought she would go to the hospital to accompany Cui Meili, as Lu Jiaxin had always been a kind and helpful person. However, he was surprised to find her staying in her room until it was time for dinner.
After dinner, Lu Jiaxin went for a walk in the backyard garden and asked Zong Jinghua to accompany her. Once outside, she asked, "Have you found out what Ah Hao has been up to behind everyone's back?"
Zong Jinghua nodded and said, "Ah Hao is still unconscious, but the attacker confessed that they went after Ah Hao because he stole their goods, and they wanted revenge."
"Goods? What kind of goods? Drugs?"
Zong Jinghua glanced at her and then said, "They were young and pretty girls. In the eyes of these criminals, those girls are nothing but commodities to make money from."
Lu Jiaxin had suspected Ah Hao of being involved in gambling, drugs, or prostitution, but she never imagined that he was engaged in human trafficking. Whether it was drug trafficking or abducting women, he deserved the harshest punishment.
"Does Cui Meili know about this?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
Zong Jinghua shook his head. "I'm not sure. But even if she doesn't know now, she'll eventually find out the truth from the police. If you don't want her to know, you can send her abroad."
Lu Jiaxin shook her head again. If Cui Meili truly wanted to leave the country, she could do so without her help. However, she knew that Cui Meili was loyal and wouldn't leave until Ah Hao's situation was resolved.
Two days later, Lu Jiaxin received news that Cui Meili had suffered a miscarriage. The continuous stream of distressing news had caused her to go into premature labor, and she lost the baby.
Carrying supplements, Lu Jiaxin went to visit Cui Meili in the hospital. As she entered the ward, she spotted a familiar figure and asked, "Wisdom, when did you get back?"
Looking exhausted, Cui Zhihui replied, "I arrived an hour ago. My younger siblings are still very young, and I couldn't put my mind at ease, so I requested a week off from my teacher."
Lu Jiaxin only knew about Cui Meili's miscarriage from the neighbors after returning home. She hadn't expected Cui Zhihui to come back so soon, but it was understandable given the circumstances.
Cui Meili felt guilty for burdening her sister. "Miss Lu, please convince Zhihui to go back to school. I'm fine here."
Seeing her pale face, Lu Jiaxin said, "Zhihui is so talented that a week's delay won't set her back much. She can easily catch up. On the other hand, if you don't take care of yourself properly, you might develop health issues. Meili, don't think about anything else for now and just focus on getting better."
(End of Chapter)
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