As Shen Zhaozhao walked toward the educated youth dormitory, she quietly pondered how to rid herself of the dangers and uncertainties surrounding her.
Luo Erfen and Wang Yurou were clearly her top sources of unrest right now.
Wang Yurou was manageable enough—she only wanted to marry Fu Shixuan and return to the compound to live a good life.
That was hardly a concern; after all, Fu Shixuan had already personally promised to marry her.
As for Luo Erfen, loud-mouthed and biased as she was, someone who showed their dislike openly was not difficult to deal with.
These people were all tolerable. What truly worried her were the other villagers.
The original owner had been well-liked, with her own personality and thoughts—her only flaw was that she had been far too careless.
She had already been striking in appearance, drawing attention not only from fellow educated youth and young men in the village, but also from idle layabouts and aging bachelors who kept watching her with ill intent.
Yet that foolish girl had been so naive that she could not tell who was truly trying to talk to her and who was only looking to take advantage.
Often, because she failed to distinguish their intentions, she would unknowingly give them the wrong impression.
This led many villagers to watch and whisper behind her back. The original owner had always been completely confused, never understanding why people spoke of her that way.
Now, Shen Zhaozhao had taken over this body—and all those troubles had become hers.
Her heart ached, but she had no way to voice her grievance.
She made a firm decision to take the main road back to the dormitory.
Though most people were out working in the fields at this hour and the road was quiet, she might still run into someone occasionally. In broad daylight, even the most brazen idlers would not dare to act rashly.
Just in case, she stuffed a handful of sand into her pocket, keeping her hand there at all times, ready for any unexpected situation.
All the way, she remained alert, observing her surroundings quietly without drawing attention. Fortunately, the journey passed without incident, and she reached the area near the dormitory safely.
The dormitory assigned to the female educated youth had been converted from an old house no one else wanted. It was tiny, with two earthen kang beds built inside—three girls shared each bed, sleeping side by side. Six people in total lived in this humble little space; though none owned much luggage, the room felt cramped with everything piled together.
Her belongings were placed right at the very edge. Having been away for a night, her bedding and clothes had been pushed into the corner, all crumpled and creased.
Shen Zhaozhao took a burlap sack and began packing her things, unable to help clicking her tongue in pity.
With such a beautiful face, the original owner had only two sets of worn clothes to alternate between—what a waste. She had only two pairs of shoes as well, patched over and over again from constant work, tattered and old. Even her bedding was just one thin quilt. All her belongings combined still failed to fill the single sack.
Shen Zhaozhao sighed, lifted the sack easily with one hand, slung it over her shoulder, and set off back the way she had come.
She stayed on high alert the entire journey. Just as she neared her destination and turned a corner, she spotted someone standing at the doorway from a distance.
Shen Zhaozhao narrowed her eyes warily, stepping softly as she studied the figure from afar. She tensed her legs, ready to run at the first sign of trouble.
The person stood straight and tall, slender and neat with short hair, dressed simply and cleanly in a plain collared shirt and long trousers. The fabric looked faded from many washes, and even the edges of his shoes were scrubbed spotless.
He stood perfectly still, his posture upright, without a single unnecessary movement. If his stance had not been slightly relaxed, Shen Zhaozhao would have thought he was standing guard.
Clearly, he was nothing like the lazy, shiftless idlers she had been wary of.
She relaxed her guard slightly—and just then, the man turned his head, as if sensing her presence.
In the sunlight, a clean, refined face looked toward her. Strands of hair falling over his forehead caught the breeze, brushing lightly against his eyelids.
Seeing that it was Shen Zhaozhao, he straightened up immediately, his warm gaze holding a hint of conflict.
Shen Zhaozhao blinked in confusion.
Before she could think further, Fu Shixuan had already stepped forward, naturally reaching to take the sack from her hand. He did so without hesitation, barely glancing at her—as if offering such small help was something he ought to do, something he had done countless times before.
His easy familiarity made her feel awkward instead. She gripped the edge of the sack, stopping him.
Fu Shixuan looked back at her, puzzled.
“I cannot accept help without reason,” Shen Zhaozhao said firmly. “Especially now that you and Wang Yurou are already together. Our past history is complicated—we should keep our distance to avoid misunderstanding.”
“If you have something to say to me, just say it directly.”
Fu Shixuan hesitated for a moment, about to explain that it was no trouble at all—but seeing her resolve, he let go of the sack. Facing her, he spoke softly:
“I’m sorry.”
Shen Zhaozhao stared at him in shock.
“You’re apologizing… to me?”
She counted in her mind—the original owner had barely had any interaction with Fu Shixuan, except for drugging him last night. Surely he was not apologizing for that? The woman who had drugged him, and he was the one saying sorry?
Fu Shixuan pressed his lips together. “For what happened this morning.”
Her eyes widened as he continued.
“I know… it seemed you once held some affection for me.”
“I’m sorry I failed to give you a proper response in time.”
“If the drug really was your doing, and it led to all this misunderstanding… I do not blame you.”
“The fault lies with me. If I had answered your feelings sooner, you would not have resorted to such desperate measures.”
“It is all in the past now. I have accepted what has happened—and I hope you can put it behind you too.”
Shen Zhaozhao was utterly stunned. Not only was he apologizing, but he spoke with such sincerity, taking full responsibility for everything—even making excuses for her actions?
She had never met anyone like him, not in her old life or this new one.
In that moment, she finally understood why the original owner had liked him so much. He truly was a gentleman—dignified, thoughtful, and forgiving.
But… her feelings for him went no further than admiration.
Having a powerful, wealthy husband was never as good as becoming powerful and wealthy yourself. Relying on others, placing your hopes and future in someone else’s hands, would never be secure.
Mountains may crumble, people may leave. Only by standing on your own two feet would she never be let down, never live in fear.
Besides, she already had her future planned out. She would have a child born with a lucky fate—a hidden advantage waiting to be born. With her own wits and foresight, she and her child would live well, perhaps even rise to great heights together.
For now, all she wanted was to return to the city as soon as possible.