Marriage in the 1970s: The Political Commissar's Contract Wife

Li Yunxiao stroked his chin, his mind racing, and proposed the boldest and most absurd hypothesis: "Could it be... that Zhixia drugged you herself? And then... you know, forced you to take responsibility?" The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this seemed to be a plot that only appeared in some novels.

Fang Chu looked at him with the same expression she gave him, her tone filled with disbelief and certainty: "She had just gotten off the train that noon, and it was her first time stepping into the family compound. Before that, I had never met her before. Where did she get that kind of drug? And what makes her so sure she could run into me and scheme against me? Is your brain slammed in a door or kicked by a donkey?"

Li Yunxiao chuckled awkwardly after being rebuked, realizing that his idea was a bit far-fetched, and quickly changed the subject: "Then who could it be? Could it be... the sister or daughter of some leader who has taken a liking to you? You know, there are plenty of men chasing you, even if you line up all the way here."

Fang Chu snorted coldly and retorted sarcastically, "You have plenty of suitors, from Uncle Zhao's family to Uncle Sun's family, how come you're all unaffected?"

These words struck a nerve with Li Yunxiao, who immediately spread his hands dramatically, his tone tinged with self-deprecation and a sober awareness of reality:

"Brother! How can that be the same? My family isn't as powerful as yours! My dad's only a deputy division commander at best, how can he compare to your old man? Besides—" He pointed to his face; although it was decent-looking, it was indeed lacking compared to Fang Chu's handsome and dashing appearance, "I'm not as attractive as you! What would someone go to all that trouble, risking their life to scheme against me? Because my salary isn't as high as yours? Because my house isn't as big as yours? Who would bother with me for no reason? The cost-benefit ratio is too low!"

While his words were tinged with a joke, they also pointed out a harsh reality: the other party's scheme was clearly aimed at Fang Chu, and the immense power and value he represented. This was far from an ordinary romantic entanglement; there must be a deeper motive hidden behind it.

Fang Chu fell silent. Li Yunxiao's words, though rough, were reasonable. Having ruled out Zhi Xia and narrowed the scope to those "who had designs on him," the direction of the investigation seemed clearer. However, this scope was still considerable, and the interests involved might far exceed his imagination.

Li Yunxiao's joking expression vanished. He tapped his finger on the table, his eyes sharpening. "Anyone who can get their hands on that kind of potent drug isn't an ordinary person. They must have connections in the underworld, or... insider channels. Have you checked the prescription records at the hospital?"

"I checked." Fang Chu's voice was filled with suppressed fatigue and irritability. "I secretly sifted through all the hospitals in the city that can prescribe this kind of medicine, and even those unlicensed clinics with connections. In the last six months, only two women have obtained this medicine. The registration information was vague, and when they picked up the medicine, they were completely covered up with hats and masks, so it was impossible to identify who they were." This seemingly most direct clue was thus cut off in the fog.

Li Yunxiao frowned and proposed the most basic, and perhaps only, method: "It seems the other party came prepared, and their actions were very clean. Then we can only trace back to the source—on the wedding banquet day, who handed you wine? Who offered you food? Even someone who just touched your glass is a suspect. Do you remember anything unusual? Or was anyone particularly attentive?"

Fang Chu closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples, trying to search for useful information from the fragmented memories blurred and confused by the drugs. But apart from the fever, dizziness, and the final moments of losing his mind, the details of what came before were a complete blur.

"I don't remember." He opened his eyes, his gaze cold and stubborn. "I already checked once, and found nothing. Now I'll check again, using the most basic method, interrogating each person one by one. Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I'll dig him out!"

Seeing his stubbornness, Li Yunxiao wasn't optimistic and couldn't help but pour cold water on his hopes: "Dude, I'm not trying to discourage you. It's been over a month, and they didn't find anything wrong then. Checking again now... it's a bit risky. If they did it, they must have cleaned up the mess long ago."

"We must investigate even if it's suspicious!" Fang Chu abruptly interrupted him, her tone resolute and ruthless, carrying an almost obsessive intensity. "Unless I'm dead, this matter is not over!"

He knew the hope was slim, but he also knew that if he gave up now, the lurking ghost would remain at large forever, and the chasm between him and Zhixia, created by conspiracy, would never be crossed. This was no longer just about revenge; it was about giving himself and Zhixia a necessary explanation.

Seeing that the investigation had reached a stalemate and the atmosphere was too tense, Li Yunxiao suddenly changed the subject, his face once again displaying that smug, teasing expression, and nudged Fang Chu with his elbow:

"But speaking of which, you're really lucky! By some twist of fate, you caught Zhixia. Tsk tsk, that girl, she's got looks, a great figure, and that body... she's one of a kind in our compound, right? Her brother's a powerful regimental commander, although it can't compare to your family's status, but among ordinary people, those are top-notch conditions. You didn't lose out too much, heh..."

His intention was to ease the tension and make a joke between men.

To everyone's surprise, Fang Chu's face instantly darkened to a grim level, her eyes sharp as knives. She glared at him fiercely and squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth:

"roll!"

Li Yunxiao was taken aback by his sudden outburst of anger. Instead of calming down, he became even more enthusiastic, leaning closer with a playful grin and lowering his voice to say in an ambiguous tone that implied "I understand you":

"Oh ho? Why are you getting so worked up? Did I hit a nerve? Tell me honestly, back then... wasn't there a bit of intention involved? Was it just because Zhixia is pretty that you half-heartedly went along with it...?"

"Get the hell out of here!" Fang Chu stood up abruptly, grabbed Li Yunxiao by the collar, veins bulging on his forehead—he was truly enraged. "Don't force me to beat you up here!"

He couldn't tolerate anyone, not even his best friend, using such a frivolous and filthy tone to speculate about what happened that day, or to tarnish Zhixia.

That tragedy was a devastating blow to Zhixia, and Li Yunxiao's joke was undoubtedly rubbing salt into her wounds, as if mocking his heavy and complicated guilt and... emotions that he himself had not yet fully sorted out.

Seeing that he was really anxious, Li Yunxiao immediately raised his hands in surrender: "Okay, okay! I'll leave, I'll leave! Just kidding, is it really that serious..." He muttered as he nimbly slipped out of the office, but he knew very well in his heart: Fang Chu's feelings for that girl were probably more than just guilt.

Fang Chu watched his retreating figure, loosened his collar, and let out a frustrated sigh. Li Yunxiao's joke, like a needle, inadvertently pierced something he had been deliberately ignoring.