170: Completely end the beauty salon problem

Xu Ning霜's words not only surprised outsiders like Gao Ze, Wei Haoran, and Han Jingmei, but even Zhou Xiaodong was shocked and puzzled, pressing, “What exactly happened?”

“Sister Meijuan has endometriosis and cannot have children!”

Xu Ning霜 looked at Zhou Xiaodong and asked, “Do you know how Sister Meijuan brought me into the company? And when did I join the company?”

Zhou Xiaodong frowned slightly and said, “You and Meijuan are from the same village, and you’re also cousins. Meijuan is your older cousin. She saw that you were diligent and capable, so she brought you into the company fifteen years ago!”

“Sister Meijuan is indeed my older cousin, but she brought me into the company not because of our cousin relationship, but because she wanted me to be a surrogate.”

Xu Ning霜 took a deep breath, recalling, “After Sister Meijuan had been married to you for several years and found that she hadn’t gotten pregnant, she secretly went to the hospital for a check-up and was diagnosed with endometriosis.”

“Mr. Zhou, Sister Meijuan loved you very much. She didn’t want to be without a child with you, nor did she want you to bear the consequence of her inability to conceive, so she came up with the idea of surrogacy and came to our village to select suitable young women.”

“At that time, the village was very backward, and I yearned for the bustling life of a big city, so I volunteered myself to Sister Meijuan.

She chose me, but she didn’t immediately make me a surrogate tool. Instead, she brought me to Donghai City, to the company and factory that you and she built, and even arranged for me to be your secretary.”

“She wanted me to accept you, to like you, and to like that future child.

And during the two years I was your secretary, I did develop a good impression of you, without any repulsion, and only then was I arranged by Sister Meijuan for surrogacy.

To be honest, I am grateful to Sister Meijuan for this action for my entire life, and I also know that my liking for you is simply admiration for strength, and I can never compare to Sister Meijuan’s love for you.”

Upon hearing this, the expression on Zhou Xiaodong’s face gradually solidified.

Because more than ten years ago, he clearly remembered that after Xu Ning霜 worked as his secretary for two years, she mysteriously disappeared for a whole year, and then returned to the company.

He had asked his wife, Xu Meijuan, and was told that Xu Ning霜 wanted to make her own way, but after working outside for a year, she still found that here was the best place.

At that time, he didn’t mind, and out of respect for his wife, Xu Meijuan, he still heavily relied on Xu Ning霜.

“It seems Mr. Zhou, you have already recalled.”

Looking at Zhou Xiaodong’s expression, Xu Ning霜 smiled and said:

“When I gave birth to Lina through surrogacy and returned to the company, you didn’t doubt Lina’s identity; you always believed in Sister Meijuan.

Moreover, at that time, the company was in a period of rapid development, with a large number of domestic and international orders every month. For almost ten months out of the year, you were either negotiating business domestically or meeting clients overseas.

You were very happy about Lina’s birth, and I also received many benefits from Meijuan.

Until seven years later—”

“What happened seven years later?”

Zhou Xiaodong’s heart trembled; seven years ago was precisely when he and his wife, Xu Meijuan, divorced.

“Seven years later, Sister Meijuan contracted a terminal illness. As I just said, because of this terminal illness, she chose to divorce you.”

Xu Ning霜 said with a sorrowful expression, “Late-stage cancer, incurable.

But she was such a good person; even with a terminal illness, she didn’t want you to be sad for her, and even less did she want you to live the rest of your life alone.

So, Sister Meijuan deliberately created phenomena like being addicted to card games and gambling, and dating younger men, to make you lose your feelings for her.

Because she knew that you had invested your true feelings and sincerity in her, and if she didn’t break your heart, you wouldn’t agree to divorce her, nor would you enter a new marriage, which would also be a harm to your next wife.”

“Wuwu!!!”

“I’m sorry, Meijuan, I didn’t see it at the time.”

Sobbing cries echoed low in the forest. Zhou Xiaodong knelt on the barren ground, covering his face and weeping, his body and shoulders trembling slightly.

“Xu Meijuan was truly a good wife, someone who loved Zhou Xiaodong deeply, but fate played a cruel trick.”

Gao Ze sighed in his heart. If Xu Meijuan hadn't contracted a terminal illness, she and Zhou Xiaodong would have been a model couple, loving and sweet. Zhou Lina wouldn't have gone missing and died, and there wouldn't have been today's kidnapping case.

Han Jingmei stood rigidly in place, her eyes filled with an incredulous emotion. There was such a hidden, long-buried secret behind Xu Meijuan’s divorce back then.

She couldn’t compare to Xu Xiaodong’s sacrifice and devotion, and she even… to Zhou Lina…

“But everything was ruined by that woman, Han Jingmei.”

Xu Ning霜’s eyes showed undisguised murderous intent, and she shrieked, “Back then, Sister Meijuan saw that Han Jingmei liked Mr. Zhou very much, which is why she divorced you to fulfill her, but this bitch had no sense of decency and even killed Lina. She must die.”

“Why me, why punish me!”

Zhou Xiaodong’s eyes were bloodshot, his tears had dried, and an indescribable complexity emerged on his face, as if he had lost his will, his heart like withered wood.

“Ningshuang, tell me, after Meijuan divorced me, how did she pass away?”

“After Sister Meijuan divorced you, she went to Switzerland, a country she always loved, a place she and you wanted to travel to. And after she visited many scenic spots, her body could no longer hold on.”

Xu Ning霜 said, “When she passed away that year, I went to Switzerland to cremate her and then brought her ashes back to be buried in our Xu family village.”

“I wanted to wait until Lina was an adult to tell her the truth and let her pay respects to Sister Meijuan, but Lina died—”

Heart-wrenching cries echoed throughout the entire forest.

Xu Ning霜 cried as if her heart and lungs would be vomited out. Zhou Xiaodong had stopped crying, but his entire spirit and energy were depleted, his hair and temples had turned gray, as if he had aged more than ten years in an instant, completely like a withered old man.

Next.

Xu Ning霜, Zhou Xiaodong, Han Jingmei, Zhou Xinchen, and the kidnappers were all taken to the Jinghai District Criminal Investigation Brigade.

“Officer Gao, thank you!”

On the way to Donghai City, Wei Haoran politely expressed his gratitude:

“Today’s kidnapping case was full of twists and turns. If it weren’t for you, we might not have been able to uncover the truth and so many secrets.

Han Jingmei and the child Zhou Xinchen would also have suffered misfortune, and then I would have no way to explain to the Municipal Bureau and to District Chief Han. Fortunately, we had you!”

“No need for thanks, I also have credit for solving the case anyway.”

The perfunctory thanks did not affect Gao Ze’s evaluation of Wei Haoran.

“Officer Gao, I’m curious, how exactly did you know that Xu Ning霜 brought Han Jingmei and Zhou Xinchen here?”

Wei Haoran, full of curiosity, asked, “When Han Jingmei came to the appointment, she didn’t set up any defenses against Xu Ning霜, nor did she leave us any clues.”

“I investigated the household registration of the human trafficker who kidnapped Zhou Lina and concluded that after the trafficker killed Zhou Lina, Xu Ning霜 would arrange to meet Han Jingmei in Tianhe Village to kill them as an act of revenge and remembrance.”

Whether Wei Haoran believed it or not, Gao Ze would only give this explanation.

Even if he didn't believe it, given Wei Haoran’s position and rank, he no longer had the authority to influence him.

When the police car drove into the city, Gao Ze did not follow them to the Jinghai District Criminal Police Brigade. Taking advantage of the remaining time, he went to Ms. Zhao’s beauty salon.

He had promised to help Ms. Zhao solve the problems with her beauty salon.

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