Chapter 003: She Is Threatening Her

“Old Gu, are you really going to marry that village girl?!”

At this very moment, three kilometers away from the Lu family’s residence, Ling Yulin, filled with anger, stared incredulously at his calm friend.

“Yes.”

Gu Fengji nodded firmly without hesitation, his sharply defined features and piercing eyes showing no hint of emotion or anger.

Ling Yulin immediately lost his composure. Ever since he heard about this earlier that afternoon, he couldn’t calm down.

“You risked your whole future by saving her? If you’d known, you shouldn’t have saved her. People like her deserve to die, saving food and sparing yourself the trouble. As expected, bad people come from poor, harsh lands...”

“Marriage is such a serious matter, and you’re willing to spend your life with a stranger from a village? Will your family agree to that?”

“No way. I have to report this to the leadership. This isn’t something you should handle alone.”

It was too much, utterly outrageous. If everyone acted like this, who would dare to save anyone in the future?

Ling Yulin’s anger only grew as he spoke, and he impulsively tried to find a leader to complain about his friend’s situation. But just as he moved, Gu Fengji grabbed him, stopping him.

“I gave her artificial respiration.”

Now wearing an expression of helplessness, Gu Fengji explained that the situation had been too urgent—if he hadn’t performed artificial respiration, the girl wouldn’t have survived.

As a soldier of the people, he couldn’t just stand by and watch a life slip away before his eyes. The blame lay with the many onlookers at the time; with so many eyes watching, he had no choice but to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If he didn’t marry her, what would happen to her?

Had it not been for this, he wouldn’t have agreed so readily to the family’s threats.

As soon as Gu Fengji said this, Ling Yulin was left speechless.

One could only say, his good brother was truly unlucky.

Saving a life and ending up entangled in a lifelong commitment—could this be called no reward for a good deed?

“Old Gu, will your family agree to this?”

Though Ling Yulin asked, he knew very well the Gu family would never consent to Gu Fengji marrying a village girl. Everyone knew the Gu family’s stature in the capital and the military.

Not to mention the Gu family, even his own Ling family would never allow a village girl into their home. They didn’t match socially; he was from a military compound family, and Gu Fengji even more so, a child of the compound’s elite.

Gu Fengji remained silent.

Ling Yulin instantly understood—the Gu family had yet to find out about this.

“Why don’t we just pay them off? Five hundred yuan? A thousand if that’s not enough.”

Ling Yulin believed that with enough money, they could handle those shameless people.

But Gu Fengji shook his head expressionlessly and calmly told him, “They don’t want money, they want me to marry their daughter.”

Ling Yulin was speechless.

The offer of money came not from Gu Fengji but from the military leadership, who had even offered three thousand yuan. Yet the Lu family insisted Gu Fengji marry Lu Jiaor, unmoved by the sum.

It made sense—three thousand yuan was a lot, but the girl’s reputation was ruined. If he didn’t marry her, she would likely end up with an old bachelor or widower, her life destroyed.

Gu Fengji thought the Lu family’s character wasn’t bad; they hadn’t chosen the money over their daughter’s happiness. After careful thought, he agreed.

At this very moment, at the Luo family’s home.

“Jiaor is here?! Is she alright now?!”

“Oh my, Jiaor’s already fine so soon? Here to see Luo Dainan, right?”

It was late, and Lu Jiaor’s sudden appearance shocked the Luo family. Grandmother Luo and Mrs. Luo couldn’t help but make a snide remark.

Only Luo Dainan trembled visibly, fear flickering in his eyes.

“Grandma Luo, Aunt Luo, I’m fine.”

“Dainan, my dear sister, I came as soon as I heard you were well. Aren’t you happy?! Surprised?! Unexpected?!”

Lu Jiaor smiled as she spoke to the family, then turned to Luo Dainan with a pointed tone.

In short, those who understood, understood.

Luo Dainan’s expression turned terrified; she understood the insinuation and instantly regretted everything.

“Jiaor really knows how to talk.”

The room was dark without electricity. A kerosene lamp barely lit the area within two meters, leaving most of the room in shadows. Mrs. Luo failed to notice her daughter’s discomfort and continued to sarcastically address Lu Jiaor.

“Mom…”

“Auntie, I want to speak with Dainan, then I’ll leave.”

Mrs. Luo’s sarcasm was obvious to everyone. Luo Dainan quickly called out to his mother, afraid of angering her. But Lu Jiaor interrupted with a cheerful smile, insisting on a private talk.

“Go ahead, go ahead. After you’re done, get some rest.”

Before Luo Dainan could refuse, Mrs. Luo answered for her, not wanting her daughter to spend too much time with Lu Jiaor, fearing she might be led astray.

Lu Jiaor continued smiling as if oblivious to the underlying meaning behind Mrs. Luo’s words.

Luo Dainan had no choice but to follow Lu Jiaor out the door under the family’s watchful eyes. But once at the doorway, she froze.

She felt guilty. She was scared.

“Dainan, are you going to make me talk here?”

Lu Jiaor turned, smiling sweetly, completely unbothered.

A threat.

Indeed, she was threatening her.

How could Luo Dainan not realize this? But she dared not disobey—she couldn’t afford to lose this gamble.

Soon, the two girls reached a quiet corner near the Luo family home.

“Jiaor, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I don’t know why I did it—I felt possessed, like a ghost took over me. I really don’t know what came over me. Now that you’re okay, please forgive me.”

Before Lu Jiaor could reply, Luo Dainan pleaded desperately, her face full of remorse.

As long as Lu Jiaor lived, the truth about what Luo Dainan had done could never be hidden.

In fact, Lu Jiaor had been pushed into the river by Luo Dainan.

Luckily, Lu Jiaor was lucky enough to be saved by the passing Gu Fengji, surviving the freezing cold.

So from the moment Lu Jiaor appeared at the Luo family’s home, Luo Dainan knew her secret was out. She dared not let anyone discover she had pushed Lu Jiaor into the river.

What?!

Forgive her?!

Forgiveness was impossible—not now, not ever.

Perhaps no one would ever know that the original Lu Jiaor was already dead; the one alive now was someone else.

She could not forgive the person who tried to kill the original, nor would she let the murderer go unpunished.

She was no saint.

“Forgiving you isn’t out of the question—if you take this.”

Lu Jiaor said calmly, opening her palm to reveal a tiny yellow pill, slightly smaller than a longan seed.

“Once you swallow this, our debt is wiped clean, and I will never mention this again.”