Su Wanrou’s face turned as white as paper.
She clutched the diagnosis tightly, her fingernails nearly tearing through the sheet.
The courtyard was silent.
Everyone could see it now—
Su Wanrou had been lying.
The diagnosis was fake.
The pregnancy was fake.
She had tried to force a marriage.
“I… I…” Su Wanrou’s lips trembled as tears poured down her face. But this time, there was desperation in her sobs. “Comrade Lu… you can’t treat me like this… I did everything for you…”
“For me?” Lu Zhanye cut her off, his voice as cold as ice. “Drugging me, forging a diagnosis, publicly forcing a marriage—this is what you call ‘for me’?”
He turned toward Zhao Dehai and the villagers gathered in the courtyard.
“I will report this matter truthfully to my unit. As for Comrade Su Wanrou—”
He paused, his gaze settling on her pale face.
“Take care of yourself.”
With that, he turned to leave.
“Wait!”
Su Wanrou suddenly let out a shrill scream and lunged forward, grabbing his sleeve.
“Lu Zhanye! You can’t leave! You have to marry me! Otherwise… otherwise I’ll report you to the military! I’ll accuse you of rape!”
Lu Zhanye stopped.
Slowly, he turned around.
Looking at Su Wanrou’s hysterical face, the last trace of warmth disappeared from his eyes.
“Report me?” He gently pried her fingers from his sleeve. The motion was slow, but impossible to resist. “You can. But you’d better think carefully first.”
He leaned down and spoke into her ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“Before you accuse me, think about how you’ll explain where the Spring Breeze Intoxication drug came from. And…”
His gaze flicked toward the diagnosis in her hand.
“What crime forging medical documents falls under.”
Su Wanrou shuddered.
It was as though all the strength had left her body.
She collapsed onto the ground.
Lu Zhanye straightened up.
Without another glance at her, he strode toward the courtyard gate.
The villagers instinctively moved aside to make a path.
The lantern light shone on his straight back, casting a long shadow behind him.
Just as he was about to step out of the gate—
[Side Quest Triggered: Expose the Fake Pregnancy]
[Objective: Publicly prove that Su Wanrou is not pregnant.]
[Reward: Beauty Enhancement Pill ×1 (improves skin quality and reduces scars after consumption)]
[Failure Penalty: None]
The system notification echoed in Su Wantang’s mind.
She suddenly looked up.
Her gaze shifted from her sister—collapsed on the ground and trembling with sobs—to the tall figure about to disappear into the darkness.
Her heart hammered wildly in her chest.
Expose it?
How?
In front of the entire village?
Tell everyone the diagnosis was fake?
Tell everyone her sister wasn’t pregnant?
Then what about her?
What about the real child growing inside her?
Would that be exposed too?
Su Wantang dug her fingernails deep into her palms until they broke the skin and drew blood.
The farewell gathering ended in chaos.
The lanterns hanging in the courtyard swayed in the night wind, casting distorted shadows across the ground.
The villagers drifted away in small groups, whispering about the dramatic confrontation they had just witnessed.
Some shook their heads and sighed.
Some secretly enjoyed the spectacle.
Most cast curious glances toward Su Wanrou, who remained sitting in the middle of the courtyard.
She still held the forged diagnosis.
The paper had been soaked with tears and crumpled into a soggy ball.
The collar of her floral blouse had been torn during the commotion, leaving two buttons undone and exposing part of her pale neck.
It was completely bare.
No red mole.
Nothing at all.
Zhao Dehai’s face was dark with anger.
Several times he seemed about to help her up, but under the watchful eyes of the villagers, he hesitated. In the end, he merely let out a heavy sigh and returned indoors.
At the gate, Lu Zhanye’s figure had already vanished into the night.
Su Wantang pushed herself upright against the earthen wall.
Her legs were still weak.
Her mother, Wang Xiuying, grabbed her arm so hard her nails nearly pierced the skin.
“Come on! We’re going home! Don’t stand here making a bigger fool of yourself!”
But Su Wantang didn’t move.
Her eyes remained fixed on Su Wanrou.
On the forged diagnosis still clenched in her hand.
[Quest Countdown: 30 Minutes]
[Please complete the side quest “Expose the Fake Pregnancy” as soon as possible.]
The system’s cold voice urged her relentlessly.
Thirty minutes.
If she failed to expose the lie, the quest would automatically fail.
She didn’t care about the Beauty Enhancement Pill.
But if the system had issued the quest, it meant someone had to reveal the truth.
Su Wanrou was still crying.
Her sobs had changed from hysterical wailing to quiet, restrained sniffles.
Her head hung low.
Her shoulders shook.
Moonlight fell across her disheveled hair, making her look especially pitiful.
But Su Wantang noticed something.
Through the loose strands of hair, she could see her sister’s eyes.
They were dry.
Not a single tear.
She was pretending.
Still pretending.
A sudden surge of courage rose within Su Wantang.
She shook free of her mother’s grip and began walking toward the center of the courtyard, one step at a time.
“Wantang! What are you doing?!”
Wang Xiuying’s anxious shout rang out behind her.