He Zhilan directed these words at Zhou Hongjin and then turned to Liao Qinghong, her tone faintly mocking, before she asked, "Liao, since you’re Ding Long’s girlfriend, I assume you must know him better than all of us do, right? Everyone in his circle knows he flits from one woman to another like a butterfly. He’s a playboy, and you should understand this better than anyone else. I don’t know how you see him or how much you truly care for such a man, but let me tell you this, I, He Zhilan, wouldn’t want a man like Ding Long. I’m a country girl, I know I’m not a match for such a playboy. I’d rather avoid him altogether. In fact, I can even tell you this, even if every other man in the world were to die, I still wouldn’t fall for Ding Long. So, have I made myself clear? Please stop dragging me into your relationship with Ding Long. Even a clay figure has a temper. You may not be able to rein in your playboy, but please don’t vent your self-pitying resentment on innocents!"
He Zhilan’s words were undeniably a slap in the face and subtly mocked Liao Qinghong for claiming to have such a pure love life. It’s not for her to add fuel to the fire, let alone act selfishly, disregarding Liao’s welfare.
He Zhilan sneered. She’s no savior. Her well-intentioned advice was disregarded, and she was even accused and insulted. If she were to stay here and argue with Liao and let everyone misunderstand her more, she would be a fool.
"Liao, country folks aren’t like city people. In the country, all we have is our reputation. Maybe you don’t care about that, but for us, it’s very important. So, please stop trying to tarnish me. Whatever’s going on between you and Ding, it’s none of my business. Today, I’ve stood here talking to you, advising you for so long, I, He Zhilan, am at peace with myself. From now on, whether you want to come back or stubbornly jump off the deep end, it’s not my concern. You living or dying will not affect my life in any way. There’s so many people dying every day, I, He Zhilan, can’t possibly persuade each one."
With that, He Zhilan called for Jiang Biyun and Chen Xiting to make their way out of the crowd.
Upon leaving the lab, Jiang Biyun and Chen Xiting finally let out a sigh of relief, privately bemoaning the unjust treatment He Zhilan had received. "Has Liao been kicked in the head by a donkey or something? She is so selfish and self-serving, blaming others for no apparent reason while playing the victim, dragging our poor Zhilan into it for no good reason."
To be honest, even now, He Zhilan still felt unjustly blamed. It was as if she was getting hit by stray bullets even while lying down. She had almost died from it!
"That really scared me. Zhilan, you’re already married. If rumors like these got to your husband and in-laws, it would be really bad! Those words you spoke earlier were so satisfying! Liao is just shameless. Judging by her attitude, she must be after Ding’s money, right? Otherwise, why would she know about him buying things even after they broke up?" Jiang Biyun vented her anger, not realizing that she’d inadvertently let slip about He Zhilan’s marital status.