Hearing about going to the Public Security Bureau, Fu Chunhua instantly deflated. Although neither of them had spelled it out, she knew exactly what her son had done. She hadn’t expected this girl to be so fierce—unafraid of gossip and actually daring to insist on calling the police?
But if they really went to the Public Security Bureau, with this soldier testifying, it was very likely her son would actually go to jail.
“What, you don’t dare?” Xu Zhouzhou looked at Fu Chunhua with contempt.
Fu Chunhua’s eyes darted around. “Hmph, I call you a slut and you won’t admit it. This soldier has only been here a few days, and you’ve already hooked him.”
“Comrade, please watch your words. Don’t spout nonsense,” Gu Beizheng shouted sternly.
Fu Chunhua curled her lip: “I’m spouting nonsense? That day you kissed her and touched her—everyone saw it. Did we wrong you? Now you’re helping this little slut fight. Who knows what kind of dirty business is going on between you two?”
“Oh, isn’t that the truth?”
“Their relationship isn’t normal.”
“When did they hook up?”
“This little educated youth has some tricks up her sleeve; she’s found herself a backer, hasn’t she?”
The onlookers began chattering all at once.
Gu Beizheng frowned and said coldly, “I told you, that was just a lifesaving measure.”
“What lifesaving measure? We’ve never seen anyone save a life by locking lips,” Fu Chunhua snorted, looking sideways with a curled lip.
Fine, I’ll seize this opportunity then.
“He was saving me, and…” Xu Zhouzhou swallowed hard. “And he is my boyfriend now, so none of that matters anymore.”
Gu Beizheng turned his head in astonishment, seeing a pair of small, fair hands linking through his arm. He frowned, his eyes looking at Xu Zhouzhou with icy sharpness.
Xu Zhouzhou looked up, forced a stiff smile at him, and then quickly avoided the gaze that looked ready to cleave her in two.
“A couple? You two are dating?” Fu Chunhua* and the people around were all filled with surprise.
“That’s right.” Xu Zhouzhou hugged Gu Beizheng’s arm and answered before he could.
“He kissed me and touched me, so… so he has to be responsible for me. I, Xu Zhouzhou, am spoken for now. Whoever dares to mess with me again is messing with the army.”
Xu Zhouzhou braced herself, raising the stakes with her words.
Gu Beizheng looked at the woman who was bluffing by borrowing his authority. He had already guessed her intention. He tried to pull his arm out, but she held it firmly. With his arm pressed against her soft chest and abdomen, he felt his entire body go stiff.
“Alright, alright, Auntie, stop making a fuss. I think it’s most likely a misunderstanding. It’ll be fine once everyone talks it out.”
At this moment, a young woman walked out from the crowd.
Her name was Zhao Ying. She was the heroine of the book, the village chief’s daughter.
Zhao Ying walked forward, raised her eyebrows slightly to glance at Gu Beizheng, her face glowing with affection.
She held Fu Chunhua’s arm and shook it, comforting her softly: “Auntie, I just saw Uncle Dahai come back from the city. You should hurry home and check. Look at your face; go back and apply some medicine quickly. If it leaves a scar, Uncle will be heartbroken.”
“Your Uncle Dahai is back?”
Hearing that her man was back, Fu Chunhua didn’t want to entangle herself any further. Once Dahai got home and saw their son beaten like that, he wouldn’t spare this adulterous pair either. So, she turned and stormed home aggressively.
Seeing there was no more drama to watch, the onlookers dispersed, laughing and chatting.
Zhao Ying stepped forward, glanced at Xu Zhouzhou who was still holding Gu Beizheng’s arm, and said with a smile: “Educated Youth Xu has been wronged. Look at how your little face has been scratched. I have red potion at home; I’ll send some over to you in a bit.”
The heroine was indeed the heroine—gentle, generous, considerate, and lovely.
Taking advantage of the moment Xu Zhouzhou was distracted, Gu Beizheng pulled his arm out of her embrace and looked down at her with a sidelong glance. “What did Educated Youth Xu mean just now?”
Xu Zhouzhou naturally knew what Gu Beizheng was asking. Originally, she hadn’t known how to make a move on Gu Beizheng, but Fu Chunhua had inadvertently handed her an excuse just now.
She had seized the opportunity to speak up, deliberately intending to mislead the villagers about her relationship with Gu Beizheng.
Those people would have some scruples, or at least they wouldn’t dare to provoke her so openly for a while, giving her time to slowly think of a long-term solution.
“I…”
Guilty, Xu Zhouzhou lowered her head, thinking about how to bluff Gu Beizheng first. But Zhao Ying beside them spoke up:
“Comrade Gu, please don’t be angry with Educated Youth Xu. She had no choice. Those people were being aggressive just now. Educated Youth Xu also had good intentions; she was afraid of ruining your reputation, so in her desperation, she spoke without thinking. Right, Educated Youth Xu?”
Zhao Ying wore a smile on her face, looking completely gentle. “However, Educated Youth Xu, I know you have a hard life in the village and want to associate with Comrade Gu to have someone to rely on, but this method of yours was truly inappropriate.”
With just two sentences, Zhao Ying directly exposed Xu Zhouzhou’s calculated plan, catching Xu Zhouzhou somewhat off guard.
Sure enough, without some scheming and tactics, how could one be the heroine?
Zhao Ying looked at Gu Beizheng with eyes full of affection. She had exposed Xu Zhouzhou’s trick and helped him get rid of the entanglement; she assumed this man would look at her in a new light.
Gu Beizheng, who had already seen through Xu Zhouzhou, paid no attention to Zhao Ying’s tender gaze.
He looked at Xu Zhouzhou with a cold face. “If Educated Youth Xu truly did it just to protect my reputation, there was no need. Those matters and those rumors will not affect me.”
Xu Zhouzhou could hear the displeasure in his tone. Being forcibly paired up with someone—no one would be willing to accept that.
Now that the heroine had exposed her to her face, it was to clarify that there was no relationship between her and Gu Beizheng. Afterwards, Zhao Ying could carry out her own plans without any scruples.
Seeing that Xu Zhouzhou remained silent, Gu Beizheng placed the safflower oil he was holding onto the stone mill nearby. glancing at her once more, he turned and walked out.
“Comrade Gu, I have some things I want to ask you.” Zhao Ying immediately followed, her eyes curving into crescents as she looked at Gu Beizheng with a sweet smile.
No, I can’t let the heroine beat me to it.
“Gu Beizheng,” Xu Zhouzhou called out.
Gu Beizheng stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. Zhao Ying also looked back, a look of disgust on her face.
“Is there something else?” Gu Beizheng asked.
Xu Zhouzhou gritted her teeth: “You… you left your belt in my room. Do you want to take it with you?”
Zhao Ying’s face went pale instantly. She looked at Xu Zhouzhou, then turned to look at Gu Beizheng with a face full of disbelief. Could they really have…?
Gu Beizheng’s face instantly turned so dark it looked like it could drip ink. He thought that once the woman’s trick was exposed, she would quit while she was ahead, but he hadn’t expected her to push her luck even further.
“Educated Youth Xu, what nonsense are you spouting?” Zhao Ying glared angrily at Xu Zhouzhou.
“I’m speaking to Gu Beizheng. Does it have anything to do with you?” Xu Zhouzhou looked straight up at Gu Beizheng, tossing this sentence to Zhao Ying with an indifferent expression.
“You…”
“Comrade Zhao, you go ahead. I still have something to discuss with Teacher Xu.”
Gu Beizheng strode over to Xu Zhouzhou, grabbed her arm with his large hand, and pulled her into the room.
“You guys…” Zhao Ying watched the two of them enter the room, her face alternating between green and white.