The moment Da Hu saw the two of them, his legs went weak.
Mother, aren’t you setting your own son up for disaster?
Xu Cuihua shot him a vicious glare, frightening him so badly that he instinctively stepped backward.
Aside from Gu Xiaoxiao and Da Hu, no one else noticed the look in Xu Cuihua’s eyes.
“Da Hu, tell everyone—who was it that pushed me?”
Gu Xiaoxiao asked gently.
Her voice drew Da Hu’s attention away from Xu Cuihua.
The question brought him back to what had happened that day.
His gaze unconsciously shifted toward Xu Cuihua, and he hesitated to speak.
Everyone noticed where Da Hu was looking.
When he glanced at Xu Cuihua, the villagers followed his gaze—and immediately saw the fierce expression in her eyes.
“Oh my goodness, did I really just see that?”
“No, you didn’t imagine it. That look in Cuihua’s eyes was terrifying.”
“Exactly! That’s nothing like the Xu Cuihua we all know.”
“I’m starting to think Gu Xiaoxiao was telling the truth. Maybe Xu Cuihua really did do it.”
“Now that you mention it, every time Gu Xiaoxiao got into trouble, Xu Cuihua would step forward and play the good person. Maybe she was the one encouraging Gu Xiaoxiao to do those things all along.”
“That actually makes sense. Before Gu Xiaoxiao became friends with Xu Cuihua, she used to be a sweet little girl.”
“You’re right! I almost forgot. Back then, Gu Xiaoxiao was such a well-behaved child.”
…
The whispers drifted into Xu Cuihua’s ears one after another.
She nearly ground her back teeth into powder.
This was all Gu Xiaoxiao’s fault.
They could have discussed this privately.
Why did she have to bring it up in front of the entire village?
The good reputation Xu Cuihua had spent years building was being destroyed in a single moment!
Da Hu listened to all the gossip around him, looking somewhat bewildered by the situation.
Then a gentle voice sounded beside him.
“Da Hu, don’t be afraid. Just tell everyone what happened.”
He looked at Gu Xiaoxiao.
At this moment, she seemed so gentle.
Just like an older sister.
Finally, Da Hu gathered his courage and told the truth.
“At the time, Sister Xiaoxiao wanted to take my steamed bun. But I didn’t want to give it to her, so we started fighting over it.
Then I saw Sister Cuihua secretly push Sister Xiaoxiao from behind.”
After saying that, he cautiously glanced at Gu Xiaoxiao.
Seeing the smile on her face, he found the courage to continue.
“When I saw Sister Xiaoxiao fall down, I wanted to help her up.
But Sister Cuihua said Sister Xiaoxiao was fine and told me not to tell anyone about what happened.
She said that if something happened to Sister Xiaoxiao, then I would be the murderer…”
With every word Da Hu spoke, Xu Cuihua felt her world collapsing.
It’s over.
I’m really finished.
She raised her head and looked at Xu Yu.
His eyes were filled with disbelief and disgust.
That look pierced her like a knife.
Suddenly, she whipped her head toward Gu Xiaoxiao.
It was all because of her.
If not for Gu Xiaoxiao, none of this would have happened.
“Gu Xiaoxiao, you bitch! This is all your fault! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have ended up like this!”
With that, she lunged at Gu Xiaoxiao.
But Gu Xiaoxiao had been watching her all along.
The moment Xu Cuihua moved, she stepped aside.
Xu Cuihua missed entirely and ended up falling face-first into the dirt.
Covered in dust and looking miserable, she sprawled on the ground.
Seeing this, Old Madam Gu immediately rushed in front of Gu Xiaoxiao protectively.
Her mouth, however, was far from idle.
“Bah! Who are you calling a bitch?!
How dare you insult my granddaughter! Are you tired of living?!”
Before anyone could react, Old Madam Gu pounced on Xu Cuihua and sat on top of her.
Xu Cuihua was only thirteen years old.
How could she possibly compete with a grown adult?
Pinned to the ground, she was scratched several times across the face.
The sharp pain made her scream.
“My face! My face!!!”
Gu Xiaoxiao didn’t want things to escalate too far.
Her goal had simply been to show the villagers what kind of person Xu Cuihua really was so that she could stop pretending to be a saint.
Unfortunately, Old Madam Gu had accidentally scratched a few bloody marks beneath Xu Cuihua’s chin.
The sight made the surrounding villagers hurriedly back away.
After all, a woman’s face was considered her most precious possession.
If it were scarred, it could ruin her future.
And Xu Cuihua wasn’t even married yet.
Gu Xiaoxiao quickly pulled Old Madam Gu off her.
Meanwhile, Xu Cuihua rolled around on the ground, screaming hysterically.
“My face!”
Gu Xiaoxiao glanced at the injury.
The wound was tiny.
A few doses of medicine and it would probably disappear completely.
“If I were you, I’d hurry and see a doctor now.
Otherwise, the wound might heal before you even get there.”
The villagers finally got a good look at the injury.
Many of them were speechless.
The wound was barely noticeable.
The way Xu Cuihua was screaming, they had thought half her face had been torn off.
Yet she was making such a fuss over a scratch.
Seeing that she still wasn’t receiving the sympathy she wanted, Xu Cuihua shifted her attention to Xu Yu.
“My face… it hurts so much…”
Tears instantly filled her eyes.
They trembled on her lashes without falling, making her look pitiful and vulnerable.
Combined with her disheveled appearance, she appeared genuinely worthy of sympathy.
In the end, Xu Yu’s heart softened.
He stepped forward and helped her up.
“Come on. I’ll take you to see a doctor.”
Supporting Xu Cuihua, he led her away.
The crowd of spectators was left staring at one another.
Looking at them, Gu Xiaoxiao could already imagine the rumors that would spread tomorrow.
The village would undoubtedly start gossiping about Xu Yu and Xu Cuihua.
But that was none of her concern.
Seeing that everything had finally settled down, the villagers gradually dispersed.
Just then, Gu Xiaoxiao called out,
“Da Hu.”
Da Hu was only five years old—the same age as Gu Yanchen.
Walking over to him, Gu Xiaoxiao noticed Da Hu’s mother immediately becoming protective and alert.
Ignoring that, she gently placed a hand on Da Hu’s head.
“Da Hu, you were very brave today.”
At the praise, Da Hu’s eyes instantly lit up.
He thought today’s Sister Xiaoxiao was so gentle.
He liked this version of Sister Xiaoxiao.
“And about before…”
“It was Sister Xiaoxiao’s fault.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Can you forgive me?”
Da Hu nodded immediately.
Of course he could forgive her.
This gentle Sister Xiaoxiao was wonderful.
Whatever she said had to be right.
Seeing him nod, Gu Xiaoxiao broke into a bright smile.
Both Da Hu and his mother stared blankly.
Gu Xiaoxiao had always been beautiful.
Her skin was fair and flawless.
Even the daughters of wealthy county families might not compare to her appearance.
“Since you’ve forgiven me,” she said with a smile,
“then tomorrow I’ll bring you a steamed bun to eat.”