Li Mingxin followed Su Wantang all the way, watching her move forward without heading toward the Gu or Zhao families, completely unaware of her destination.
Truth be told, Su Wantang herself didn’t know either.
She had no workplace, and her introductory letter had been accidentally soaked by seawater back in the fishing village. She couldn’t even buy a train ticket from the fishing village to Jingdu, let alone tickets from Jingdu to other places.
She could only wander aimlessly forward.
Once she left the city, she planned to head to the countryside and slowly make her way onward.
When tired, she would rest in her Space.
Wherever she ended up would be where she stayed.
Once she found a place with beautiful scenery and less intense political struggles, she would settle down, safely give birth, and raise her child.
Thinking this way made her feel somewhat better.
The night grew deeper, and the streets gradually emptied of pedestrians.
After walking for over half an hour, Su Wantang felt her legs growing heavy.
Just as she thought about finding a corner to enter her Space, she turned around and saw a figure standing openly behind her.
Su Wantang was startled, barely managing to steady herself by leaning against a roadside tree.
“Li Mingxin, why are you following me? What do you want?”
Li Mingxin hadn’t originally planned to do anything. He was merely curious about where Su Wantang—whom everyone was searching for—was going.
But when Su Wantang confronted him, his brief panic faded, replaced by a surge of malicious courage.
This was Su Wantang’s own doing.
She had been walking fine on the main street but chose to turn into this secluded alley.
This woman had led him on for half a month, only to end up cozying up to Gu Ciyuan.
So he couldn’t be blamed—only she could.
Who told her to look so flirtatious, making people want to have her at first sight!
“Tangtang, you know I like you, but I never expected you to get involved with Gu Ciyuan. You… can’t blame me. Blame yourself for flirting with men recklessly. Don’t worry, once you give yourself to me, I’ll treat you well!”
Su Wantang was truly exasperated.
What nonsense! Who had ever flirted with him?
From start to finish, it was him who had been pestering her incessantly. She had always remained proper, just waiting for Gu Ciyuan to return.
“Li Mingxin, I’m telling you, calm down. You’re still young with a bright future ahead. You wouldn’t want to ruin your entire life over a momentary impulse, would you?”
Su Wantang watched him approach and tried to reason with him, hoping to resolve the situation peacefully.
But Li Mingxin was determined to court disaster—or rather, he was confident he could take advantage of Su Wantang and still escape unscathed.
That brat Gu Ciyuan had always been a thorn in his aunt’s side, and he himself had suffered many losses at Gu Ciyuan’s hands. Marrying Su Wantang would teach that guy a lesson.
After all, no one was on Gu Ciyuan’s side—not even his own father, Li Mingxin’s uncle, wanted Su Wantang to marry him. This way, he’d be doing them a huge favor.
“I’m not acting on impulse, Tangtang. I just like you too much. Since things have come to this, I might as well be honest: it was my uncle and Gu Ciyuan who sent me to find you. Do you really think you can marry him? Look at your status! You’re beautiful, sure, but no amount of beauty is worth sacrificing one’s future. How could he possibly give up everything for you? Just be obedient and yield to me…”
Just as Li Mingxin lunged toward Su Wantang, he found himself grabbing at empty air, crashing directly onto the open ground ahead and landing face-first in the mud.
He scrambled to his feet, looking around frantically. The surroundings were utterly silent, without a trace of anyone.
Where was Su Wantang?
It was already deep night, with dense tree shadows blocking even the moonlight.
Suddenly, a cold breeze brushed against his neck, making him shiver uncontrollably.
Oh my god, a ghost!
Li Mingxin’s legs trembled violently with fear.
Then, to his horror, Su Wantang—who had vanished moments before—suddenly reappeared exactly where she had been standing.
His already shaky legs trembled even more intensely.
A foul odor filled the air—he had wet himself in terror!
Compared to before, Su Wantang now wore a white qipao, her hair neatly styled, making her resemble a movie star from the Republican era as seen in newspapers.
She raised her voice, stood on tiptoe, her skin and lips ghostly pale. “Do you want me?” she asked.
“No, no, no…” Li Mingxin stammered, shaking his head wildly. This time, however, it was Su Wantang who refused to let him go. As her figure drew closer, he screamed, “A ghost!” and scrambled forward on all fours.
At that moment, Su Wantang produced a wooden club, raised it high, and struck Li Mingxin hard on the back of his neck.
The noise ceased as he collapsed face-down in an awkward position, knocked unconscious.
Su Wantang poked him twice with the club to confirm he was truly out cold, then finally let out a sigh of relief.
Tossing the club back into her Space, she looked at the disheveled man before her and hummed a smug little tune.
Pathetic!
With such nerve, he thought he could have her?
What wishful thinking!
This clever idea had just occurred to her inside her Space.
In the dead of night, even a grown man couldn’t handle a scare.
She had chosen an elegant white qipao, pinned up her hair, and powdered her face and lips deathly pale.
Even the tiptoe walk was inspired by rumors that ghosts don’t touch the ground with their heels.
Some thoughts were better left unspoken.
Seeing Li Mingxin faint from fear gave her a twisted sense of satisfaction.
Now, surrounded by silence and dressed as she was, she couldn’t help but feel a chill herself.
Su Wantang hurried back into her Space to change clothes, then emerged and left the area.
Having a Space was truly convenient—an absolute essential when going out!
Recovering the Space was undoubtedly the best decision she had ever made.
As for Li Mingxin’s words, she didn’t believe a thing.
Gu Changsheng might be capable of such deeds, but Gu Ciyuan certainly wasn’t.
She had already resolved not to drag him into her troubles.
Perhaps this trip to Jingdu was a mistake from the start.
Up ahead, a group of people came running, seemingly searching for someone. Su Wantang quickly hid.
Gu Changsheng was, after all, the child’s grandfather. Was it necessary to be so relentless? She had already left, yet he insisted on hunting her down to get rid of her baby?
Su Wantang couldn’t help but feel wronged.
In this vast world, the only person she could truly rely on was herself.
Just as Su Wantang was about to enter her Space and rest there for the night, she spotted two figures approaching in the distance.
A man and a woman, likely a couple, were carrying an infant.
She overheard the woman say, “What should we do? The baby is burning up. If something happens, how can we bear it?”
The man’s voice was hoarse as he replied, “Let’s hurry and get away from here first.”
As the man passed by her, his gaze briefly swept over her before immediately withdrawing.
Su Wantang didn’t notice.
Her attention was drawn to the infant in the woman’s arms. The child lay quietly against the woman, its chubby little face flushed crimson from what appeared to be a fever, with lips and skin burning bright red.
Su Wantang felt something wasn’t quite right.
The child was clearly seriously ill, yet the parents’ expressions showed no trace of concern for their baby.
Just as Su Wantang was thinking this, the man who had already passed by suddenly turned back. “Comrade, could you tell me which way to the hospital?”