This night, Su Wantang slept restlessly.
She kept drifting between dreams and wakefulness.
At one moment she dreamed of being given away by her father and sister to be tortured to death, at another she dreamed of Gu Ciyuan marrying her only to be implicated by her identity. Then the scene shifted to her walking alone on the streets with a child, isolated and helpless.
Su Wantang woke up from the nightmare, realizing she was drenched in cold sweat.
Thank goodness it was just a dream, she sighed with relief.
Lying back down, she couldn’t stop worrying.
What if Gu Ciyuan really got implicated because of her…
No, that wouldn’t happen.
Heaven wouldn’t push someone to the brink. Since it allowed her to awaken and obtain the Space, it meant she was somewhat favored by fate.
It definitely wouldn’t play such cruel tricks on her, making her endure so much suffering.
Su Wantang feared hardship the most – she couldn’t bear even the slightest bit of suffering.
The greatest hardship she had experienced in this lifetime was the recent turmoil in her family.
Dawn had just broken.
When she went out, Zhang Fang was already busy in the kitchen.
She hurried over, “Aunt Zhang, is there anything I can help with?”
Living in someone else’s home, even if the hosts didn’t say anything, she needed to be conscientious and not truly act like a guest.
In this short time, Su Wantang had already learned what it meant to live under someone else’s roof.
“I just finished picking the vegetables on the cutting board. Could you take them out to wash?” Zhang Fang said casually.
Both Zhang Fang and her husband had jobs, especially Zhao Jun, who seemed to be some kind of leader in a bureau, though Su Wantang hadn’t paid close attention.
Their family conditions were quite good, particularly since their children were grown and no longer living with them, so there weren’t major expenses.
Breakfast was relatively light – just ordinary congee, steamed buns, stir-fried vegetables, and a plate of scrambled eggs with chili peppers.
Although it couldn’t compare to what she had in the Su family, for ordinary households, this was already very good food.
After the meal, Zhao Jun called Gu Ciyuan outside, but Zhang Fang wasn’t in a hurry to go to work.
She declined Su Wantang’s offer to help and cleaned up the kitchen herself before calling Su Wantang to the living room.
“Ciyuan has had a hard life. His mother died during childbirth with his younger sister – both lives were lost. Not even two months after his mother’s burial, Li Cuiping married his father with two children in tow. He got into an argument with his father and went to his Maternal Grandmother in Nan Province. Those years, it was thanks to your family’s care that he could grow up safely.”
“Not at all, actually Grandma Zhang and Brother Ciyuan took more care of me. My mother passed away early, and Grandma Zhang raised me since I was little. After Brother Ciyuan came, I followed him around like a little tail.”
Su Wantang didn’t believe Zhang Fang would say these things without reason.
She could probably guess her purpose.
Zhang Fang tried to smile but found she couldn’t manage even a slight one.
She wasn’t an unreasonable person, but compared to Su Wantang, she cared more about the only bloodline left by her own sister.
“Ciyuan has already told me about you two,” Zhang Fang said kindly while looking at Su Wantang. “Child, would you like to hear my thoughts?”
Su Wantang could only nod.
“You’re a smart child. I believe you understand what the situation is like outside now.
“But child, one cannot only think of themselves.”
“You said it yourself—Ciyuan has looked after you for several years. Having failed to protect his own sister, he treats you like a blood sibling and guards you as such.”
“That child has had a hard life since childhood. His father was always away serving in the military, and my sister raised him alone. Then that incident happened… For him to reach his current position wasn’t easy—it was a future bought with his life.”
By this point, Su Wantang was no fool.
“Aunt Zhang, if you have something to say, just say it directly. I can take it.”
Having endured such treatment from her own father, what was happening now seemed insignificant by comparison.
Even if Gu Ciyuan himself were to say these words to her, she wouldn’t feel hurt—only that it was to be expected.
Who doesn’t live for themselves?
It was just that Gu Ciyuan’s attitude toward her had been so genuinely kind, both before her pregnancy and after he learned of it, that it felt almost unreal. This made her cling to it more greedily, wishing to be a little selfish.
“Regardless of whether the child in your womb is Ciyuan’s or not, your identity as the daughter of a capitalist alone means the military would never approve your marriage. Why not terminate the pregnancy early? That way, you can still remain in the family. Ciyuan will always protect you like a sister, and your uncle and I will care for you as our own daughter. What do you think?”
Su Wantang’s face turned pale.
She had thought the objection was merely to her marriage with Gu Ciyuan.
She never imagined they didn’t even believe the child in her womb was his.
Or perhaps it didn’t matter whether it was or not—the real point was persuading her to have an abortion.
“Aunt Zhang, Ciyuan doesn’t know you’re saying this to me, does he?”
No matter whether she and Gu Ciyuan could marry, she was determined to keep the child.
Ever since her Memory Awakening and learning of her fate in the book, she had never once considered giving up her baby.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have clung to that sliver of hope and come to find Gu Ciyuan—she would have taken care of it herself back in Nan Province.
To Gu Ciyuan, she was the child he had cared for over the years; there might be some special affection there.
But to Su Wantang, her eight-year-old self was too young, and Gu Ciyuan’s kindness had long faded in the river of time. Only a handful of memories remained, enough for her to know he was a good older brother.
Deeper feelings? Certainly none. She only wanted someone to rely on.
“He truly doesn’t know I’m telling you this, Wantang. You can see Ciyuan’s feelings for you—they’re those of an older brother for his younger sister. If not for the barrier of your background, I believe he would marry you and treat you well. But such a good brother to you… could you really bear to see him lose everything he’s fought for with his life over the years, to lose the military he loves most, all because he marries you?”
Su Wantang’s fingers clenched tightly, her eyes reddening.
Though she knew she ought to prioritize herself, she wasn’t heartless.
If Zhang Fang had pressured her to leave outright, she might have stood her ground. But playing on her emotions and using Gu Ciyuan’s future against her—how could Su Wantang harden her heart?
“Is it really… that serious?”
Not that she didn’t believe it, but this question was her last struggle.
“How serious the situation really is—you probably wouldn’t believe me even if I told you, but I still have to say it. Things have gotten extremely tense now, everyone is fearful for themselves. Many people are being labeled just for a single remark. You’re a smart kid, and I believe you have the ability to judge for yourself.”
Zhang Fang was still in a hurry to get to work. After saying this, she picked up her bag and prepared to leave.
Just as she reached the door, she turned back and added, “I believe he would be willing to give up everything for you right now. But human hearts are fickle—no one can guarantee that when life gets tough later on, or when he sees others achieving fame and success, he won’t blame or resent you at all.”