Gu Yunche watched as Bai Lin cried until she was gasping for breath, his heart softening with pity.
He took out a handkerchief and handed it to Bai Lin. "Stop crying. Even though life hasn't been kind to you in the Zhang family, that's no reason to hurt Mu Cheng."
Bai Lin nodded, apologizing profusely.
"I will definitely beg for Sister Guiying's—no, Sister Mu Cheng's—forgiveness."
To recognize one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue!
Gu Yunche sighed. He wasn't fond of the complicated dynamics between women, but he couldn't bring himself to resent Bai Lin either. After all, she had suffered in the Zhang family over the years, and what she did was merely an attempt to secure her own household registration quota.
Bai Lin twisted her rough hands together.
Tears still glistened on her face. "Brother Yunche, do you… like Sister Mu Cheng?"
Gu Yunche was taken aback. He found Bai Lin's question abrupt—how could he possibly like Mu Cheng?
He frowned, displeased. "Why do you ask?"
Bai Lin bit her lip shyly, looking as if she wanted to say more but hesitated.
Seeing the impatience on Gu Yunche's face, she finally spoke. "I think Brother Yunche treats Sister Mu Cheng very well. You take good care of her."
Did he take good care of Mu Cheng?
Gu Yunche didn't think so.
He only pitied her. After all, her situation in Liu E's household was even worse than Bai Lin's, and he kept a closer eye on her to prevent her from straying down the wrong path again.
Liu E had raised her for over a decade and had already twisted her character. He couldn't let her become any more corrupted.
"I don't like her. I take care of her because her circumstances are even worse than yours."
With those words, Gu Yunche stopped dwelling on the matter and strode forward.
Bai Lin watched his straight, broad back, a ripple of emotion stirring in her heart.
She had always known Gu Yunche would never look favorably upon Mu Guiying—even after changing her name to Mu Cheng, he still wouldn't regard her highly.
A good name couldn't change the emptiness inside her.
But she had just been humiliated by Mu Cheng. Why should she suffer because of the conflict between Zhang Qingqing and Mu Cheng?
That night, as Gu Yunche lay in the bed of the room the Zhang family had specially cleaned for him, Bai Lin's question about whether he liked Mu Cheng flashed through his mind. He found it utterly absurd.
He closed his eyes and gradually drifted off to sleep.
In his dream, Mu Cheng's face, as pure and delicate as a lotus emerging from water, appeared before him again. His lower abdomen tightened, and he turned over.
Gu Yunche opened his eyes, his forehead beaded with sweat and his cheeks flushed. He couldn't believe he had dreamed of Mu Cheng, and in the dream, he had been utterly shameless…
He threw off the covers and got out of bed, starting to do push-ups on the floor. By the twenty-eighth push-up, he realized the motion overlapped and resembled his actions in the dream—it was too shameful.
Gu Yunche quickly stopped and stood by the bed, assuming a military posture. He regulated his breathing, trying to calm his emotions and suppress the inappropriate desires.
He thought he must be going mad. What was happening to him?
Meanwhile, Bai Lin slept beside Zhang Qingqing.
Zhang Qingqing had cried several times, and Bai Lin comforted her impatiently.
She patted Zhang Qingqing's shoulder. "Qingqing, I'm tired. Let's stop talking."
Bai Lin yawned and turned away.
She muttered, "If the rice is already cooked, and Mu Cheng becomes someone else's wife, none of this would be an issue!"
Zhang Qingqing's heart leaped with joy.
That's right!
If Mu Cheng really married a man from the provincial city, wouldn't the household registration quota naturally fall into her hands?
Zhang Qingqing began to scheme, turning over happily to sleep.
After Zhang Qingqing fell asleep, Bai Lin got up and deliberately opened the window, letting the quilt slip off as she allowed the early summer's chilly wind to sweep over her body again and again.
Over the years, she had endured so much hardship—she would never let anyone stand in her way.
The next day, Mu Cheng stretched lazily, dozing a little longer under the covers before finally getting up.
As previously agreed, they were to go to the Gu family in the capital today.
Mu Cheng rose, washed up, and combed her hair. Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she suddenly understood what natural beauty meant.
Without the aid of toner, moisturizer, primer, foundation, or setting powder, her skin could breathe freely every day. Yet, the lack of sunscreen and hydration troubled her.
Once ready, Mu Cheng went to wait for Gu Yunche and the others at the guesthouse entrance.
The guesthouse staff, knowing Mu Cheng was a relative of Director Zhang Qingguo, let her sit by the door to wait.
Seated on a chair, Mu Cheng watched the bustling crowd outside, but Gu Yunche and Bai Lin never showed up.
For a moment, she felt as if Gu Yunche had abandoned her midway, while he and Bai Lin had already boarded the train back to the capital.
A sense of panic began to swirl in Mu Cheng's heart!
She had no money, no household registration, no identity—if she were truly left stranded in the provincial city, what could she do?
Mu Cheng stood up and asked the attendant wiping the front desk, "Comrade, do you know how to get to Director Zhang's home?"
The attendant paused, shaking her head. "I don't know. But Aunt Qiu does. When she comes for her shift this afternoon, I'll have her tell you."
Mu Cheng nodded and sat back down to wait.
By nearly noon, Mu Cheng still hadn't seen Gu Yunche, but she did wait until Aunt Qiu arrived for her shift.
Aunt Qiu was warm-hearted. Worried Mu Cheng might get lost, she asked her nephew, who also worked at the guesthouse, to escort Mu Cheng to Zhang Qingguo's home.
On the bus, Mu Cheng felt utterly dejected, her mind racing with thoughts of how to find a way out for herself.
But Gu Yunche had promised to help her register under the name Mu Cheng—how could he just give up on her like that?
Qi Heng, Aunt Qiu's nephew, sat beside Mu Cheng, his heart fluttering nervously.
There were many well-dressed and pretty girls in the provincial city, but he had never seen one like Mu Cheng—radiant, delicate, and soft, with a sweet fragrance about her.
Just sitting next to her and stealing glances made Qi Heng so tense that his palms grew sweaty.
Mu Cheng turned her head slightly, giving Qi Heng a polite nod. "Sorry for the trouble!"
Qi Heng stammered for a moment before managing to say, "It's no trouble at all."
Having spoken to Mu Cheng, he felt so flustered he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, clenching the fabric over his knees tightly.
When they arrived at Zhang Qingguo's home, the Zhangs' door was firmly locked—no one was home!
Staring at the glaring lock on the door, Mu Cheng felt a wave of despair.
The Zhangs' absence clearly meant they had gone to the train station to see off Gu Yunche, Bai Lin, and Zhang Qingqing.
Before, with Gu Yunche by her side, Mu Cheng hadn't felt afraid. Now, she was terrified.
Seeing tears welling up in Mu Cheng's eyes, Qi Heng quickly said, "Don't worry, I'll ask the neighbors where Director Zhang's family has gone."
As Qi Heng went to inquire, Mu Cheng leaned against the red brick wall, her heart desolate, repeatedly wondering what she, as an unregistered person, should do!
Suddenly, a magnetic voice called out, "Mu Cheng!"
Mu Cheng looked up at Gu Yunche walking toward her against the sunlight.
His tall figure was draped in mottled shadows of varying depths, his features softened in the faint light, carrying an ethereal handsomeness and composure.
"Gu Yunche!"
Mu Cheng ran toward him, reaching out to grasp his arm as if in an embrace.
Gu Yunche froze completely in place…