Chapter 34: What Are You Trying to Hide?

Xu’s father desperately wanted to resist with all his might and escape, but his whole body ached terribly, leaving him with almost no strength to fight. With Wang Mingliang and his men maintaining heavy fire from above, Zhang Qian and the others were shot one after another and fell, losing their ability to fight back.

Helpless, Xu’s father could only crouch down with his hands over his head, saying nothing—his priority was simply to save his own life.

Old Madam Xu and Xu Nuan clung to each other, trembling with fear. Xu Nuan whispered, “Grandma, do you think Xu Lin is dead?”

“She should be,” the old woman replied. “With so much gunfire, even if she were some kind of immortal, she couldn’t dodge all those bullets.” Imagining Xu Lin lying in a pool of blood, Old Madam Xu’s face twisted into a satisfied smile. That troublesome girl was finally dealt with, and her own days of suffering were at an end.

To avoid being caught in the crossfire, Old Madam Xu decided to wait until her son called for her before venturing outside to check.

Xu’s mother shared a similar thought, and even let out a laugh inside her room, leaving Wang Mingliang and his men startled and bewildered. Who could still laugh after such a barrage of gunfire? Whoever was inside must be a true hard case.

As a result, Xu’s mother became a focus of attention. When the door was kicked open, several formidable men rushed in. Xu’s mother’s smile hadn’t faded before she was pinned to the ground, crying out in pain from the force, finally realizing something was wrong.

After Xu’s father and Zhang Qian’s group were captured, Xu’s mother, Old Madam Xu, Xu Nuan, and Xu Kun were pulled out one after another.

Finally, when it was Xu Lin’s turn, the moment the enforcement officer opened the door, he sensed something was off and immediately held his breath and withdrew. Only after donning protective gear did they rush in, carefully lifting the unconscious girl out. The officer was noticeably gentle as he carried her, laying her on a lounge chair in the main hall and instructing a female officer to care for her before beginning the search.

They quickly found several incriminating letters in the bedroom of Xu’s father and mother—irrefutable evidence. When he saw them, Xu’s father’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets in disbelief. He had clearly hidden those letters—how did they end up back there? Who did this? There was definitely a traitor!

Xu’s bloodshot eyes shot toward Xu Lin, only to find she had just opened her eyes. Their gazes met, and she gave him a scornful, mocking smile that sent a chill running down his spine and rattled his very soul.

Xu’s father finally realized: this wretched girl had been pretending for sixteen years, deceiving him completely. When she fought back, she didn’t hold back—her retaliation was absolute, leaving him no chance to survive.

Ruthless—far too ruthless! Sixteen years, enough time to grow attached even to a dog, but this girl felt nothing for them—only hatred. If only he had drowned her at the very beginning! Regret surged in Xu’s father’s heart.

With the evidence in hand, as well as the illegal firearms and toxic spray found on the scene, Wang Mingliang and his men decided to begin interrogations immediately. To prevent collusion, the Xu family members and Zhang Qian’s group were separated. The first to confess were Xu Nuan and Xu Kun, who were both terrified.

They had never imagined that trying to deal with Xu Lin would bring so many enforcement officers. Had they known, they would have run away themselves. As to what extent they were involved, Xu Nuan couldn’t say—her father had plotted behind her and her brother’s backs. In a way, that indirectly shielded the two of them.

Next came Old Madam Xu. Though she was fierce before her children and grandchildren, she was timid when faced with the officers. Under their questioning and intimidation, she confessed everything she knew without reservation.

As for Xu’s father’s espionage, Old Madam Xu insisted she knew nothing of it; if she had, she would have been the first to report him. Espionage was a crime that harmed not only others but also one’s own family—no such scourge would be tolerated in the Xu household. Old Madam Xu was righteously indignant, publicly declaring she would sever all ties with Xu’s father and no longer acknowledge such a disgraceful son.

The officers made no comment on her words but recorded them faithfully. Whether she truly knew nothing, they would investigate thoroughly.

In another room, Xu’s mother also swore she was unaware, claiming she was just a house-proud woman. What her husband did outside, she had no idea—after all, a man handled matters outside, a woman inside, and her sole task was to run the household. That was always how they had divided the work, and they cooperated perfectly.

Moreover, both Xu’s mother and Old Madam Xu, in an attempt to drag Xu Lin down with them, painted her as thoroughly evil. They claimed Xu Lin beat them every day—three times a day, in fact—and, worst of all, left no trace, so they had no way to prove their suffering. Xu’s father, they argued, was forced into action against Xu Lin, with no other choice.

To support their story, they even accused Xu Lin of blackmailing them: she had falsely accused them of switching children and extorted five thousand yuan in compensation—they were truly at their wits' end.

But they didn’t realize that the more you say, the more mistakes you make. The officers hadn’t paid much attention to the child-switching until their testimony brought it to the forefront.

The officers then questioned Xu Lin about the real story. Would Xu Lin spare them any dignity? Certainly not. She not only refused to cover for them, but also didn’t spare the Qin family.

Despite the Qin family having paid five thousand yuan, Xu Lin had no intention of preserving their reputation. She calmly laid out the truth, producing both the letter of severance and the compensation contract as evidence.

Finally, Xu Lin added with a sly smile, “Officer, I made an outrageous demand, thinking they’d bargain with me. But to my surprise, they agreed at once. When they handed over the money so readily, I felt uneasy—almost as if they were trying to cover something up.”

The officer taking notes looked up sharply. Cover something up? Hide the child-switching? But the Qin family already knew the child wasn’t theirs—what else was there to conceal? The officer made a note to investigate this point thoroughly.

Xu Lin insisted she knew nothing of Xu’s father’s espionage. She only developed a vengeful heart after learning she had been maliciously switched at birth, which led her to retaliate against the Xu family. Considering her sixteen years of sacrifice, she felt her beatings were well-deserved.

As for not leaving a mark, Xu Lin denied it outright—just look at the Xu family members. Their bodies were covered in bruises, clear as day. The fact that they never reported it showed their own guilty consciences.

Only then did the Xu family realize that, indeed, they bore fresh and old bruises—another charge of dishonesty added to their list.

Having done her duty, Xu Lin covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. She was no fool—knowing they planned to attack her and would soon be arrested, there was no way she’d leave such a glaring loophole. When she fought back at night, she’d deliberately brought out the bruises on their bodies, making it impossible to tell which were new and which were old.

Once it was clear Xu Lin had been the victim from start to finish, the officers couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her.