C6 Rumors

Why is it that wherever Shuling goes, men seem to be drawn to her? Even Mr. Fuqing was captivated by her, and now, despite being pregnant, she’s caught the eye of a handsome businessman with a car!

Why?

"Ugh, she just snagged a ride with some boss. What's the big deal? They probably knew each other long before, and who knows what’s really going on," she said loudly.

"I’ve seen her all dolled up, heading into town. Maybe she’s sneaking off to meet him."

"No wonder she’s always been so cold to Mr. Fuqing. Maybe..." Liu Xue deliberately covered her mouth, leaving the rest unsaid.

But being women, they all could guess what Liu Xue was implying.

Maybe the baby isn’t even from the Lim family.

Oh dear, poor Lim Fuqing. He’s gone, and the only child left might not even be his.

This rumor spread like wildfire, reaching every household in no time.

The next day, Shuling returned home with dirty clothes to cook and make porridge. As soon as she entered the village, she sensed something was off.

There were always one or two people trailing her, whispering and pointing.

"What are you saying about me?" Shuling stopped and turned to ask.

The two women didn’t shy away, hands on their hips, they began to scold, "Shuling, you’re not planning to run off with someone, leaving poor Lim to fend for himself, are you? That’s not right. Times may have changed, but having a child with some random man will still get you talked about for life."

"Just because your husband passed away doesn't mean you should ruin our community's reputation by acting out. I lost my husband too, and I still managed to raise two kids on my own."

Shen Shuling knew that before education became widespread, rural areas often held outdated beliefs. Still, she was surprised by how much gossip they could conjure up.

Just because she got into Xu Qian's car, rumors of an affair started flying. It was utterly ridiculous.

"Who started the rumor that I was seeing another man?" Shen Shuling asked, barely containing her anger.

"It was Liu Xue. She said you knew that man for a long time."

Shen Shuling picked up a stick from the roadside and, with her pregnant belly, calmly headed to Liu Xue's house. She needed to stay calm to avoid stressing the baby. A little exercise would do her good.

She pushed open the gate to find the Liu family gathered around the table for dinner. Three generations were present—perfect timing.

Shen Shuling walked over, and before the Liu family could react, she slammed the stick on the table. With both hands, she flipped the table over with a thud.

"Well, while I've been getting slandered, you all still have the appetite to eat?"

"Come on, Liu Xue, tell me when I supposedly seduced the man with the car. When did I conceive this so-called illegitimate child to shame Lim Fuqing?"

"I can't keep things bottled up. If I'm upset, I have to let it out. It's not good for me or the baby to hold it in."

"If you don't clear this up here and now, we're heading to the police station to sort it out."

Shen Shuling's face wore a smile, but her entire demeanor was icy.

Liu Xue was trembling, never expecting Shen Shuling to be so bold as to confront her directly at her home.

What should she do?

Shen Shuling's commotion was loud enough to draw the attention of the neighbors on both sides of the Liu family, who thought a fight had broken out and rushed over to see.

Faced with her family's angry and suspicious looks and Shen Shuling's cold, furious smile, Liu Xue just wanted to disappear. Her face flushed red with embarrassment, her lips quivered, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Liu Xue's mother was the first to step up and defend her daughter. With so many people watching, if word got out, who would still consider marrying Liu Xue?