Chapter 37: The Reversal Came Too Fast

Zhang Xiang had already heard about the situation from his subordinates and couldn't help but exclaim, "Damn it, that’s truly bizarre."

"Who’s to say it isn’t? A thief wouldn’t just target our belongings over and over, would they?" Old Madam Li whined, tears streaming down her face.

"Did you lose anything?" Zhang Xiang turned his gaze toward the Gu family.

Gu Mingyu looked at his parents, and after confirming with them, he shook his head.

"Not a single thing?"

Gu Mingyu nodded. "Not a single thing."

"See there, Officer? This whole affair is so suspicious. I don't believe for a second that they have nothing to do with it. Who knows who they might be colluding with? What if they’re planning to stage a highway robbery? We should report this to the authorities before something else happens!" Li Ye suggested.

Li Mumu raised an eyebrow. She suddenly felt that her second uncle, despite spending all his time with a bunch of good-for-nothing friends, had actually become a bit sharper.

Zhang Xiang’s expression darkened. "Did you people do this, or not?"

"We did not!" Gu Mingtang replied with firm, ringing clarity. "Why would we do such a thing?"

"Wh... why, obviously because Brother Yuan divorced Miss Gu!" Lin Siyan had been holding it in all night, and she finally found the opportunity to vent her spite.

"Shut your mouth!" Although Gu Mingjing was young, he possessed the fiercest temper in the Gu family. However, his aggression was strictly for the outside world, not his own; he carried a youth’s unyielding pride and would not tolerate anyone speaking ill of his family.

Lin Siyan was stunned by his roar, but she wouldn't give up. "Officer, this matter must be investigated thoroughly. Otherwise, I fear our journey ahead will be treacherous. I believe we should report this to our superiors—the Gu family harbors malicious intent and is conspiring with outsiders. They are plotting to rescue the prisoners!"

That was a heavy accusation to drop. Li Mumu secretly thought that Lin Siyan was truly ruthless.

"Don't spout nonsense! Even if we were the ones who stole it, where would we have hidden it?" Song Qiang said, growing anxious. As a young lady from an official's household, she naturally understood that if this accusation reached the higher-ups, they would face even harsher punishment.

"Who knows? Why don't you explain why the thief only targets our family and not yours?"

Lin Siyan looked at everyone triumphantly, then bit her lip. "Miss Gu, you and Brother Yuan were husband and wife for ten years; why not part on good terms? Why go to such lengths to destroy us? Now that I think about it, your framing us like this—who’s to say you weren't the ones who hired that fortune-teller yesterday?"

She secretly congratulated herself on being so clever. By following the flow of the argument, she could finally shed the label of a "jinx."

"I did no such thing, and I am not even familiar with that fortune-teller."

"Exactly, my sister didn't even go out yesterday," Song Qiang added.

"But you went out! You are all one family; it’s entirely possible you splashed mud on me just to vent for Miss Gu. Miss Gu, why go to such trouble? If you still had Brother Yuan in your heart, why insist on the divorce in the first place? I never once asked for a formal title."

Li Mumu almost laughed out loud. She really knew how to talk. Then again, it made sense; in the novel, she was a schemer who used her silver tongue to deceive everyone.

The Gu family was upright and kind, neither harboring malice nor prone to slandering others. As they began to lose the upper hand, Zhang Xiang’s gaze toward them had already turned suspicious.

Li Mumu yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Auntie Lin, what about the meat you promised to give Mumu?"

"Wh... what meat?" Lin Siyan was bewildered. "Are you still half-asleep? What nonsense are you spouting?"

Li Mumu’s eyes widened. "You took a lot of things out yesterday, and then you told me not to tell anyone, didn't you?"

"I... when did I take anything? Don't talk nonsense! How can a child like you frame someone?" Lin Siyan panicked.

"Damn it, what the hell is going on? You, shut your mouth! Li Mumu, you tell me," Zhang Xiang said coldly.

Li Mumu nodded obediently. "I woke up in the middle of the night yesterday and saw Auntie Lin taking things out. She said if I didn't tell, she would give me meat. I didn't tell, but because Auntie Lin didn't give me the meat, I’m telling now."

Zhang Xiang’s icy gaze swept over Lin Siyan, then looked at the Li family, and asked, "What did she take? Where did she go?"

"Officer, don't listen to her nonsense! I didn't do it!"

Li Mumu first shook her head, then said, "I don't know what the things were, but she went that way. Auntie Lin told me she was going to pee."

"Wait, that's right. I was groggy when I opened my eyes last night, and I did see someone heading in that direction," said the guard who had been on duty.

"I... I really just went to relieve myself. You know, women who are pregnant need to go often," Lin Siyan hurriedly explained, losing all her previous triumph. "Officer, why would I take anything?"

Zhang Xiang glanced at her and ordered his men to search in the direction Li Mumu had pointed, to see if there were any traces.

To no one’s surprise, Liu Zi and the others soon returned to report that the items had been found.

Looking at the pile of items tossed on the ground, Old Madam Li’s face was filled with the joy of recovery. "Found it! We won't have to go hungry."

Li Yuan furrowed his brows, eyeing the weak, weeping woman before him, feeling as if he had never truly known her at all.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Zhang Xiang questioned Lin Siyan coldly.

"I didn't! I really didn't! Why would I do such a thing? You can't listen to her; she’s just an idiot!"

"The words of an idiot are far more trustworthy than those of a clever person," Zhang Xiang scoffed. To be a leader, one needed more than just experience; without a bit of wit, one couldn't manage such a group of people. Zhang Xiang wasn't actually stupid; in fact, he was quite calculating.

"Brother Yuan, believe me! We... we are a family. I have no reason to do this," Lin Siyan turned to Li Yuan, pleading for his trust.

"Pah! She’s an idiot; you couldn't teach her to lie even if you tried," Madam Zhao spat. She was the one with the most experience in this—whenever she did something bad or made a mistake and wanted the little girl to take the blame, it always backfired, driving her mad.

The Li family had lived with Li Mumu for three years, and they firmly believed that Li Mumu was incapable of lying.

Song Qiang added fuel to the fire. Even if she hadn't known how to do it before, after having mud thrown on her, she had learned quickly. "A family? Who knows? Maybe there’s someone on the outside acting as an accomplice. Officer, I also think we should investigate thoroughly, otherwise, this journey will be far too unsafe."

This was exactly what Lin Siyan had said earlier, now returned to her word for word.

Before Zhang Xiang could send someone to investigate, the inn’s waiter hurried over. "Officer, Officer! Did you lose any items?"

Zhang Xiang perked up, sensing something was wrong. "What is it?"

"A guest mentioned that in the middle of the night, a figure climbed into the backyard. Judging by the stature, it was a man. I hurried over to ask—you all must make sure you haven't lost anything valuable."

"A man? Heh..." Zhang Xiang looked at the completely stunned Lin Siyan with a playful expression. "So, there really was a man involved after all."