Chapter 15: Who Is Whose Prey

These past few days, he’d been lying in bed, wracked with pain. Whether it was the female educated youths at the commune or the village girls, they all brought him plenty of food.

The fish soup in front of him was something Zhao Weihong had traded for with the villagers.

“Comrade Wen, be careful not to spill the fish soup.” Zhao Weihong’s eyes were quick and her hands even quicker—she instinctively reached out to steady the bowl, accidentally brushing against Wen Zhuqing’s cool fingers. Her face flushed red and she quickly pulled her hand back.

Though she told Wen Zhuqing to hold the bowl steady, her face burning with embarrassment, she lowered her head, savoring the lingering sensation of touching his hand, her heart blooming with joy.

Wen Zhuqing thanked her, not noticing Zhao Weihong’s odd behavior. He lowered his head to drink the soup, his mind turning over what Zhao Weihong had just said.

Zhao Weihong had told him all the rumors circulating in the village these past two days, as well as what Gu Jianing had said when they ran into each other.

Even Wen Zhuqing, who had always been confident that Gu Jianing liked him, couldn’t help but feel a flicker of doubt: Had Gu Jianing really changed? Was she truly planning to marry that officer named Sheng Zexi, and not just playing hard to get?

After all, in the past two days, the person most likely to visit—Gu Jianing—hadn’t shown up, had she?

He’d heard that Gu Yunting had already gone back to work.

Wen Zhuqing felt a vague sense that Gu Jianing was slipping out of his control.

No, he still needed to find a chance to meet Gu Jianing in person and ask her directly.

If she was only playing hard to get and didn’t really intend to marry that officer, then fine. But if she truly had changed…

Wen Zhuqing’s gaze darkened.

The prey he had his eye on—how could he possibly let her escape so easily?

At this very moment, Gu Jianing, the “prey” Wen Zhuqing had set his sights on, had just left her grandmother’s house. On the way back, she overheard many villagers gossiping about Wen Zhuqing’s “popularity” after his recent beating.

Gu Jianing’s grandparents had two sons and a daughter. The eldest son was her father, the younger was her uncle. According to the customs of Huaishuai Village, the elderly lived with the younger son. After her aunt married out and her grandfather passed away, her grandmother decided to split the family. She stayed with the younger son in the old house, while the eldest—Gu Jianing’s father—gave more money and built a new house.

Even though the family had split, the two brothers got along well. Her grandmother never favored sons over daughters, and she was especially fond of Gu Jianing, often saving the best food for her in secret.

Now that she was engaged to Sheng Zexi, Gu Jianing naturally had to tell her grandmother and her uncle’s family.

She left the old house in high spirits, only to hear Wu Meili, who was digging sweet potatoes in the field with a group of other village women, talking excitedly about how Wen Zhuqing was being showered with attention by the female educated youths and village girls.

When they saw her approaching, they only spoke louder, as if deliberately for her to hear.

Wu Meili—Aunt Wu—Gu Jianing remembered her well. This woman had once tried to marry her daughter off to Gu Jianing’s older brother, but at the time he was already courting Yang Manman, so there was no chance. Besides, Yao Chunhua didn’t want to be in-laws with Wu Meili either.

So the match was refused.

But Wu Meili and her daughter seemed to have never let it go.

Gu Jianing remembered that in her previous life, her brother and sister-in-law never had children. Wu Meili spread all sorts of nasty rumors in the village, calling her sister-in-law a hen that couldn’t lay eggs. If her brother had had a worker’s job, it would have been fine, but she had given that job to Wen Zhuqing. In the end, her brother failed at everything, while Gu Baozhu—Wu Meili’s daughter—married a carpenter who later made a fortune with custom furniture.

Afterwards, whenever Wu Meili and her mother Yao Chunhua argued, Wu Meili would always say, “A blessed daughter doesn’t marry into an unlucky family,” implying that the Gu family had no luck, while her daughter was blessed. Not only did she belittle the Gu family, she also praised Gu Baozhu.

But this time around, none of that would happen!

Gu Jianing thought to herself that Aunt Wu was probably hoping she’d go to the commune and make a scene.

But she would never do that.

Still, she knew Wen Zhuqing had to be dealt with.

She was well aware that beneath Wen Zhuqing’s gentle and refined exterior, he was actually a ruthless and heartless snake. Clearly, she had become his prey, and until he had squeezed every last bit of value out of her, he wouldn’t let her go easily.

Who knew—now that he’d heard she was marrying Sheng Zexi, he might even try to stir up trouble.

So, she needed to think about how to deal with Wen Zhuqing. Even if she couldn’t get rid of him all at once, at least she could make him suffer a little. That way, after she married Sheng Zexi and followed him to the army, Wen Zhuqing wouldn’t be able to scheme against the Gu family.

Gu Jianing made a mental note of this as she slowly approached Wu Meili and the others.

Wu Meili caught sight of Gu Jianing out of the corner of her eye and started talking even more enthusiastically.

These past two days, Wu Meili had not only heard about Gu Jianing being matched with an officer, she’d even seen him.

The officer looked quite impressive. Wu Meili secretly thought the officer must be blind to have taken a liking to Gu Jianing—her own daughter was so much better!

She felt that Gu Jianing should keep chasing after Wen Zhuqing.

Though Wu Meili was now singing Wen Zhuqing’s praises, deep down she didn’t like these weak, bookish educated youths. She didn’t think they were reliable—aside from a good-looking face and a glib tongue, what did they have? Just look at how Wen Zhuqing had tricked Gu Jianing before—she’d given him food and drink, even tried to drown herself to force her brother to give Wen Zhuqing his job.

Even though Gu Jianing later claimed she’d fallen in by accident and Gu Yunting had gone back to work, denying the rumors, Wu Meili didn’t believe it.

She hoped Gu Jianing would keep chasing after Wen Zhuqing. That way, the whole Gu family would be dragged down.

In fact, Wu Meili’s instincts were right. In her previous life, Wen Zhuqing had used Gu Jianing and squeezed every bit of value from the Gu family.

“…I think Wen Zhuqing is really great—good-looking, good personality, I heard he can even recite poetry, and he’s from Shanghai. Whoever marries him will become a Shanghai resident too.” Wu Meili praised Wen Zhuqing to the skies.

Gu Jianing walked over, arms crossed, and asked in a sweet, puzzled voice, “Aunt Wu, do you really think Wen Zhuqing is that great?”

Wu Meili turned around, pretending to have just noticed Gu Jianing. Knowing her words had been overheard, she smiled brightly. “Of course! I think Wen Zhuqing is wonderful—a perfect husband and son-in-law.”

“Oh, really? Then if Wen Zhuqing became your son-in-law, wouldn’t you be over the moon?” Gu Jianing blinked her pretty almond-shaped eyes, seemingly oblivious to Wu Meili’s hidden meaning, and played along.

“Of course I’d be happy.” Even though Wu Meili didn’t like educated youths, she had to go along with Gu Jianing’s words at this moment.

“No wonder you look so happy, Aunt Wu. So it’s because Wen Zhuqing is going to be your son-in-law!” Gu Jianing said with sudden realization.

Wu Meili was stunned. What did that mean? Wen Zhuqing, her son-in-law?

Gu Jianing blinked, feigning surprise. “Aunt Wu, you didn’t know? Your daughter Zhenzhu likes Wen Zhuqing. Oh, and didn’t your family cook meat today? I saw Zhenzhu getting ready to bring some to Wen Zhuqing. What, Aunt Wu, you didn’t know?”

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