After all that talk, his words were still all jumbled up.
Gu Wan’er watched Zhong Heyang’s retreating figure as the heat on her face slowly faded.
He… really seems overly vigilant!
On the way home, Gu Wan’er ran into a child from the village.
The child held a dirty piece of candy in his hand, occasionally sticking out the tip of his tongue to lick it, his round eyes squinting happily.
When he saw Gu Wan’er, the child quickly extended his hand, sticky with melted candy. “Sister Wan’er, I’ve got somethin’… to— to tell you…”
Gu Wan’er looked at the child in front of her, a little bewildered, but she still stopped.
“Erwa, what do you need me for?”
Erwa was still young and didn’t have a very good memory.
After all that talking, his words were still all jumbled up.
The more Gu Wan’er listened, the more confused she became.
She blinked her eyes, trying hard to extract useful information from Erwa’s words.
“You’re saying someone is waiting for me by the river in the village?”
Erwa froze for a good while before slowly nodding.
“Yep!”
Gu Wan’er rubbed Erwa’s head, her expression gentle. “I see. Thank you for telling me, Erwa.”
Who wants to see me?
And why so secretive?
Gu Wan’er felt a little curious and immediately headed toward the river.
The slowly flowing water drifted in the gentle breeze, shaded by the surrounding trees—a rare perfect spot to cool off.
But for some reason, when Gu Wan’er saw the river in the distance, an inexplicable sense of panic rose in her heart.
It was as if she had once suffered because of water before…
Yet there were no such scenes in her memory.
Could my memories be incomplete? Did the original owner experience things that weren’t fully passed on to me?
Gu Wan’er frowned, looking puzzled.
She found a spot a little distance from the riverbank before turning to look at Gu Ting’er standing by the water.
Looking at Gu Ting’er with curiosity and confusion, she asked, “Sister Ting’er, was it you who had Erwa tell me to come here?”
“Mm, you got here pretty quickly.”
Gu Ting’er’s voice had no inflection at all, which sounded rather strange.
Gu Wan’er vaguely sensed something was off and quietly became alert.
She looked at Gu Ting’er and asked softly, tentatively, “Sister Ting’er, did you need something from me?”
Gu Ting’er didn’t speak, only nodded, her eyes fixed straight on Gu Wan’er’s pretty face.
Gu Wan’er nervously took a few steps back, trying to widen the distance between them.
Her movements were obvious, and Gu Ting’er naturally saw them clearly.
But she did nothing, just stood by the river watching Gu Wan’er.
As if she were waiting for something.
This thought suddenly flashed through Gu Wan’er’s mind.
Before she could think it over, Gu Ting’er’s expression changed.
She rushed over to Gu Wan’er in a few quick strides and grabbed her wrist.
What is Sister Ting’er doing?
Gu Wan’er instinctively began to struggle.
The sense of foreboding in her heart grew stronger and stronger.
A trace of sinister malice flashed across Gu Ting’er’s face. She deliberately pinched Gu Wan’er’s cheek, exposing her to the sight of the man standing not far away.
Then, relying on the strength she had built up from years of working in the fields, she forcibly dragged the slender Gu Wan’er toward the river.
The fear in Gu Wan’er’s heart bound her struggling movements.
The closer they got to the river, the weaker her struggling became—like a stiff puppet, letting Gu Ting’er do as she pleased.
The fear in her heart showed plainly in her eyes.
Gu Ting’er sensed Gu Wan’er’s terror, but it did not change her mind.
Everything was because of Gu Wan’er. As long as she married Chen San instead, the bride price would still be theirs, and her own life wouldn’t be ruined forever.
Look out for yourself, or heaven and earth will destroy you… They forced me into this!
Having convinced herself, Gu Ting’er quickened her movements.
With a splash, Gu Wan’er fell into the water.
Gu Wan’er instinctively flailed her limbs, trying to grab onto a tree at the bank.
But Gu Ting’er was truly ruthless.
She stomped down hard on Gu Wan’er’s fingers.
Gu Wan’er’s hands were slender and fair, well-proportioned—hands that had often drawn praise, hands that had never done a day of hard labor.
They were also the only feature that could distinguish this body from Gu Wan’er’s original one.
The real Gu Wan’er had been an orphan who had done plenty of grueling work, her fingers long scarred by life’s hardships.
But she had never felt such excruciating pain.
Wave after wave of agony spread from her fingertips through her entire palm.
Forgetting her fear of the water, Gu Wan’er let out a scream.
Afraid that Gu Wan’er’s cries would draw others and ruin her plan,
she lifted her foot from Gu Wan’er’s fingers and looked toward the sleazy man standing not far away.
“This is my sister. Pretty, isn’t she?”
Ever since seeing Gu Wan’er’s face, the man’s eyes had glinted with lust.
He walked step by step to the riverbank and crouched down, seeing Gu Wan’er’s fingers, red and swollen from being stomped on.
He couldn’t help saying at once, “You want your sister to marry me in your place?”
Through her daze, Gu Wan’er heard the man’s voice.
Her eyes widened, and forcing herself to stay rational, she looked toward the riverbank.
Before her was a stranger.
The man looked to be in his thirties.
Messy eyebrows, deep pupils in upturned eyes.
Who knows what he was thinking, but he even licked his lips.
Gu Wan’er scrambled backward, trying to put distance between herself and the man.
But she couldn’t swim, her body was terrified of the water, and the river was deep—there was no way to control her body as she wished.
Her flailing only dragged her into greater danger.
Water flooded her nose, and an unbearable stinging sensation spread through her nostrils.
Watching the sleazy man on the bank reach his hand out toward her, Gu Wan’er knew he meant her harm, and she resisted with all her might.
Her pleading gaze fell on Gu Ting’er, who stood high and mighty on the shore. “Ting… Sister Ting’er… glub glub… save me…”
Not only did Gu Ting’er ignore her, she picked up a stick from the roadside and pressed Gu Wan’er’s face down under the water again.
Her movements were fierce and swift, giving Gu Wan’er no chance to make a sound.
Gu Wan’er was forced up and down in the water, swallowing mouthfuls of water through her nose and mouth.
In her daze, thinking her newly gained life was about to end, a flash of unwillingness crossed her eyes.
She had finally gained the family she’d dreamed of, but before she could spend much time with them, something like this had happened… Could it be… could it be that I’m truly fated never to have parents?
Yet no matter how violently her emotions surged, it was all meaningless.
Just as the water completely submerged her, she seemed to faintly hear a splash—as if someone had jumped into the water.
Is someone coming to save me?