Volume One, Chapter 13: The Worsening Foot Injury

“Eh? Who is that?”

Startled, her mother’s voice came from behind the tree. Lishu He instinctively covered her mouth, her heart pounding wildly. Ignoring her still-healing foot, she grabbed her bundle and took off running.

She simply could not face her mother and Fang Shenzhai.

She had done something so terrible to them; she couldn’t forgive herself, nor had she figured out how to seek their forgiveness.

Though she had been thinking on the car ride, she also kept an eye on the road, remembering the way back.

This remote suburb was deserted, not a soul in sight. She had no choice but to walk back on her own two feet.

Just a little longer, and she’d reach the nearest bus stop.

Lishu He coaxed herself on while cursing the unpredictable Duan Xiadong in her heart.

Fortunately, she had little luggage—just a few changes of clothes and cosmetics. The rest belonged to “her,” and she considered them bad luck, planning to replace them with new things.

Her steps grew slower as a dull pain throbbed in her ankle.

She sighed, dropped her bundle on the ground, and sat down to rub her ankle.

If Duan Xiadong hadn’t suddenly lost his mind and abandoned her in this unfamiliar place, forcing her to walk so far, her injury wouldn’t have flared up again. A few days’ rest would have healed it easily.

Her resentment toward Duan Xiadong surged to its peak once more.

She wasn’t one to complain about fate, but today had been far too much.

First, Duan Xiadong blindly sided with Duan Xiaoqiu;

Then he went mad and left her by the roadside;

And just now, seeing her mother and Fang Shenzhai, she was overwhelmed by intense guilt over the past.

All these tangled emotions left her mind in chaos.

If it weren’t for “her,” how could she be in such a predicament? How could she have parted ways with Fang Shenzhai and been forced to endure life under Duan Xiadong’s shadow?

If only her parents were still alive, how could she have suffered so much injustice?

All these negative emotions, pressing on her heart, suddenly burst forth uncontrollably.

Tears poured like a dam breaking.

She was supposed to have a bright future—she was the top student in the village, had a kindred childhood friend, and a grand vision for a happy family.

But now? She had to feign closeness with a scoundrel, risking her entire life.

How could she not hate?

Yet these feelings were hers alone to bear.

No one would believe the story of being possessed by a future soul.

——

“Was that Xiao He just now?”

Fang Shenzhai and Wang Yuanshan were moving things into the new home. The place was already renovated, and Wang Yuanshan had bought all the furniture long ago. Fang’s mother only needed to bring her own clothes to settle in.

Fang Shenzhai’s eyes dropped when he heard his mother speak, responding with a heavy “Hmm.”

His mother sighed, lips moving as if to say something, then finally spoke: “That young girl is alone out here, in the middle of nowhere. It’s dangerous. I’m not in a hurry, but you should go see.”

Wang Yuanshan deftly handled the boxes but perked up, not wanting to miss any gossip.

Fang Shenzhai remained silent for a moment, then lightly pushed up his glasses.

“All right.”

Wang Yuanshan’s eyes widened in disbelief, as if seeing a ghost. Fortunately, his back was turned, so no one noticed.

Deputy Director Fang showing concern for a woman was unheard of. Known as a workaholic in the bureau, he kept strictly to his work and avoided women altogether.

No matter if a girl appeared alone on a deserted street in the afternoon, or got lost in the mountains at night, Fang would at most call the police—he would never personally go check.

Wang Yuanshan was curious beyond measure. Who was this “Xiao He” to make Deputy Director Fang break his usual routine?

“Deputy Director Fang, shall I drive you?”

With earnest sincerity, Wang Yuanshan offered.

Before Fang Shenzhai could refuse, his mother interrupted:

“Xiao Wang, I actually need you more than Shenzhai right now—help me carry this box to the bedroom.”

She stepped forward, blocking Wang Yuanshan’s line of sight.

Wang Yuanshan reluctantly smiled and said, “Okay, Aunt Fang, I’m on it.”

Fang Shenzhai didn’t know why he found himself agreeing to his mother’s suggestion. Standing at the entrance of the complex, the wind blowing through the buildings cleared his mind a bit.

He gave a self-mocking smile but still headed in the direction Lishu He had gone.

A few minutes later, at a corner on an uphill slope, Fang Shenzhai spotted a woman sitting on a bundle.

Carried on the wind came quiet sobbing.

His heart tightened involuntarily.

Then, Fang Shenzhai clicked his tongue softly.

Ah, Fang Shenzhai, you really are doomed to be undone by this woman. Though she had become a complete stranger in appearance, your heart still stubbornly leaned toward her.

Slowing his pace, he quietly approached Lishu He and stopped about two meters behind her.

Lishu He had been crying for over half an hour. Her tears had long since dried, but the aching feeling inside would not fade.

She let her tears dry up; this was her last chance to vent. From today on, she would no longer grieve over these matters. Her sole purpose in life would be to avenge her parents and reveal the truth to the world.

At last, Lishu He composed herself. She wiped her face, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled the stifling sobs.

She stood and picked up her luggage once more. But as she stepped forward, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, radiating from nerve endings and swiftly engulfing her entire body.

She staggered, cried out in pain, and fell to one knee. Her bundle scattered, spilling clothes onto the ground.

Ignoring the scattered clothes, Lishu He slumped onto the ground, thinking grimly that her misstep had likely worsened her injury.

Looking down, she saw her ankle swollen and raised high.

She tightly closed her eyes, realizing she might have to sleep on the street tonight.

Opening her eyes again, her pupils trembled violently. Disbelief made her close and open them again.

How did she see Fang Shenzhai picking up her scattered clothes?

He pressed his lips tightly, stuffing the garments back into the bundle and resealing it. These clothes were all familiar to him—ones Lishu He had worn back in school, long before she changed her style.

“Can you stand up?”

He crouched down to look her in the eyes, hesitating a moment before asking.

Lishu He gasped, her voice trembling: “I—I don’t think so.”

The atmosphere thickened instantly.

Fang Shenzhai’s eyes fixed unwaveringly on her face, now cleansed of tears. The heavy eye shadow and thick blush were gone, leaving only her pale, delicate face.

And on that pale face was an expression he knew all too well.

Fang Shenzhai was dazed. The girl from his memories suddenly overlapped with the woman before him, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell them apart.

She was too much like her.

The way she looked at him was just like the person who had “died” in his heart five years ago.

He had never been able to reject Lishu He before—and he couldn’t now.

Fang Shenzhai whispered softly, “Sorry for troubling you.”

One hand gripped the bundle, while the other slipped under Lishu He’s knees, lifting her with one arm.

Lishu He’s eyes flew wide open, and she quickly wrapped her arms around Fang Shenzhai’s neck, dazed, nestling against his chest.