In the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month, with the chilly mountain wind, Wan Tong tightly wrapped herself in a tattered thin coat. Guided by the faint moonlight, she walked on the uneven mountain path.
This world was relatively underdeveloped, akin to the level of the 1980s. Wan Tong had not yet received the plot and memories from Shishi. But, some scenes spontaneously appeared in her mind.
Her current surname was Yan. She was eighteen years old, dropped out after junior high, and had been assisting with the family’s farming ever since.
She had three older brothers and one younger sister. Her father was a construction worker. Since she could remember, he had been away for work.
Her mother had intermittent mental illness. Ten years ago, during an episode, she fell into the river and passed away. The three brothers took up farming after completing primary school, along with their father’s income, making their life manageable.
Thus, she got the opportunity to attend junior high, and her younger sister, Yan Wan’ying, was now peacefully studying high school in the town.
A few days ago, Yan Wan’ying suddenly returned home, stating she didn’t want to continue studying and planned to work in the city with a friend.
The brothers naturally opposed, so after nightfall, Yan Wan’ying secretly slipped out of the house.
Wan Tong followed Yan Wan’ying and discovered that Yan Wan’ying’s friend was Xu Jie, Yan Wantong’s former junior high school classmate. Xu Jie indeed went to work after junior high, and he had returned several times, bringing many young girls to work, claiming they would earn well.
Wan Tong was initially tempted but later heard from a male classmate privately that Xu Jie was actually deceiving those girls and selling them. She couldn’t confirm it, but it dispelled her thoughts of working in the city.
Seeing Xu Jie taking Yan Wan’ying away, she naturally wanted to stop them. Unexpectedly, during the struggle, Wan Tong was pushed down the mountain road by Xu Jie.
In the world’s plot, Yan Wantong died here. Yan Wan’ying was frightened and escaped with Xu Jie.
Now, Wan Tong finally managed to return to the mountain path after detouring down the slope. The surroundings were eerily quiet. Despite the moonlight, the muddy road was barely visible. She constantly imagined something leaping out from the dry yellow grass and felt terrified.
The cotton-padded jacket on her couldn’t resist the cold wind. She exhaled and felt her nose freezing.
She stumbled and fell to the ground, her palm scraped against the rough surface, causing a searing pain.
This time, she entered this world ahead of the Raider.
Lying on the icy ground, she couldn’t get up immediately, just breathing heavily.
*Swoosh…*
A soft sound came from the roadside. Wan Tong, frightened, almost had her heart stop. She turned her head to look, and a black shadow made her scream, “Ah!”
However, the black figure didn’t move, seemingly non-threatening.
Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a person, likely a man.
He seemed to be observing her situation and didn’t approach.
In the dim light, Wan Tong couldn’t connect him with the people in the village from her memory and didn’t know how to ask for help. So, she silently looked at him.
After a moment, he emerged from the dry grass and walked away.
Watching his figure, Wan Tong felt a bit anxious. “Are you from Datang Village?”
She hurriedly climbed up from the ground because she was shivering from the cold, and even her voice was trembling.
The man heard her voice, suddenly turned back, stared at the person in the middle of the road, but only vaguely saw a shadow, unable to see the face at all.
The man stood in front of her, his face dark and oily, with a pair of eyes reflecting the moonlight, making them particularly bright.
“I didn’t expect to find someone on the road in the middle of the night. Do you want to be my wife?” The man’s voice was playful.
Upon hearing this voice, Wan Tong froze.
Many memories flashed in her mind. The man in front of her was none other than the boss in this world, Yan Qinglu.
Yan Qinglu was also from Datang Village. His mother was a widow, but the village gossiped about her loose behavior, alleging affairs with several married men, even earning money through illicit means. The villagers looked down on her, and Yan Qinglu grew up in this environment, developing an eccentric and sinister personality. He often hung out with a few idle boys in the village, engaging in questionable activities in town and gaining some notoriety.
Yan Qinglu was good-looking, and the girls in the village admired him, but due to his mother’s reputation, people kept their distance.
Wan Tong and Yan Qinglu were not from the same world, but she remembered that every time he saw her, he would tease her a bit.
Has he recognized her voice now?
In the world’s plot, after Wan Tong’s death, everyone believed she had run away to work. Later, when Yan Wan’ying couldn’t make it outside and returned home, she reluctantly told her brothers that Wan Tong had eloped with someone.
Her father and three brothers were furious, considering her a shame, and never mentioned her again.
However, Yan Qinglu investigated the matter, found her body, and kept it a secret. He knew no one would believe it, and Yan Wantong’s reputation might be further tarnished because of him.
So, he orchestrated the deaths of Xu Jie and Yan Wan’ying and left Datang Village with his mother, settling in the city. From then on, he embarked on a violent and bloody path to wealth with a group of followers.
This world’s boss was both good and evil, starting from a brutal demolition team member to becoming a real estate tycoon. Before his death, he donated all his property and left no heirs, shocking the world. However, his past could not be completely whitewashed.
Wan Tong touched the scar on her face and lowered her head. Because of that scar, she often covered her face with her bangs and rarely looked up, as she felt a deep sense of inferiority.
When she rolled down the hill and was about to die, she had actually felt relieved.
But, thinking back on it now, her death stained Yan Qinglu’s hands with blood, burdening him with two lives. It was also her death that initiated a transformation in his life.
But now that she has resurrected, would it affect his development?
Wan Tong remained silent, her head bowed for too long. The lowered bangs covered half of her face. Yan Qinglu, observing her actions, reached out and lifted her chin.
He bent down, his face approaching hers as if deliberately teasing her, “What’s the matter? Are you really starting to consider it?”
Wan Tong lifted her head, reached out, and placed her hand on his hand, softly speaking, “Yan Qinglu, I’m cold…”
Yan Qinglu suddenly stiffened; her hand was very cold, but for some reason, he felt as if his entire hand had been scalded.
He had tried to talk to her before, but she always looked at him expressionlessly, not even bothering to speak to him…
But now, her voice sounded so sweet.
Yan Qinglu abruptly withdrew his hand. In the evening, his vision would be slightly weaker than others, but inexplicably, he seemed to see her lips moving and the eyes looking at him.
“Yan Qinglu…” Wan Tong spoke softly again, “Can you carry me home?”
She knew he must be stunned right now, especially since she hadn’t treated him well before, and he probably had no idea when he had developed feelings for her.
Yan Qinglu was stunned, wondering if he had misheard. He took a step back, and the biting cold wind sliced through his ears like knives. Without his figure blocking her, the delicate girl in front of him trembled even more.
Suddenly, Yan Qinglu’s mind seemed to turn a corner, and he lifted her up, taking big strides forward.
Wan Tong’s exclamation got stuck in her throat. Seeing him heading in the direction of Datang Village, she stopped struggling. In fact, she didn’t have the strength to struggle anymore…
Yan Qinglu walked quickly, holding her tightly, providing her with some warmth.
When they almost reached her home, Wan Tong reached out and tugged at the torn cotton jacket on his chest. “I can walk back on my own.”
Yan Qinglu took small steps, lips tightly pursed. In the end, he just sneered, “Don’t worry, no one saw it.”
After walking a little further, Yan Qinglu put her down without looking back and walked away.
He was used to everyone in the village keeping their distance from him, even rolling their eyes and spitting at him. But at this moment, he felt as if his heart had been whipped.
Wan Tong watched his back, knowing he might have misunderstood, but she didn’t explain.
A while ago, Shishi told her that the Raider had arrived, and it turned out to be Yan Wan’ying.
Yan Wan’ying had shaken off Xu Jie, hurriedly returned home, and unexpectedly alarmed the family.
So, Yan Wan’ying lied, saying her older sister eloped with Xu Jie. She had intended to persuade her older sister, but her older sister didn’t listen and had already left with Xu Jie.
The Yan family had many male members, but the expenses were also high. They still lived in a rudimentary house with a small courtyard, a low wall about half a person tall. Before entering, Wan Tong saw the dim light inside and heard voices.
Wan Tong pushed open the wooden door and walked in. “Eldest Brother?”
The people inside walked out upon hearing the sound, seeing Wan Tong holding onto the door, looking weak as if she would collapse at any moment. They hurried over.
“Tongtong!”
Tears still wet on Yan Wan’ying’s face, she stared at Wan Tong incredulously. “H-How could this happen?”
—Wasn’t Yan Wantong supposed to have fallen to her death in the plot? Now that she’s back, what about the words I said to Brothers earlier…?
Supported by her Eldest Brother, Wan Tong also looked at Yan Wan’ying, tears streaming down her face. “Youngest Sister, are you okay? I was really scared just now. I thought you really left with Xu Jie…”
Yan Wan’ying quickly interrupted her, “Fourth sister, how did you become like this? It’s really great that you’re back! Both Brothers and I were very worried about you!”
“Let’s talk inside; Tongtong is injured!” Second Brother Yan, who usually knew a bit about medicine, had already noticed something unusual on Wan Tong’s body.
After entering the house, Third Brother Yan originally wanted to ask Wan Tong about what happened, but he was sent away by Second Brother to boil hot water.
Eldest Brother Yan took off his cotton coat and wrapped Wan Tong in it, instantly making her feel warm.
It was too cold just now, and she hadn’t noticed, but it turned out that her shins and wrists were injured, and her forehead was a bit stinging. Her bangs were already clumped together with blood.
Originally, this was a fatal injury, but now, after bandaging, it should be fine. As for whether there would be scars…
Wan Tong frowned. There were already scars on her face, and she didn’t want to add another one.
She was in a daze, letting Second Brother Yan handle her wounds. Yan Wan’ying was still shedding tears beside her, “Fourth sister, why are you so foolish? Don’t do this next time. It’s good that you’re back. I won’t work anymore. Our family should be good from now on. Let’s not mention this matter again, okay?”
Her words were clever. If Wan Tong was to remain silent and reserved as before, this matter might just pass like this. Her three brothers would then think she wanted to elope but came back after an accident.
“Youngest Sister, where is Xu Jie? Did he harm you?” Wan Tong weakly asked.
Second Brother Yan sensed something first and asked, “Why is Fourth Sister asking like this?”
At this moment, Third Brother Yan couldn’t hold back anymore and grabbed Wan Tong’s hand, asking, “Isn’t Xu Jie your junior high school classmate? What’s going on between you two? Why suddenly… want to leave with him? If you really like him, just tell your Brothers; we will definitely help you!”
In Wan Tong’s memory, all three brothers were good to her, but only her younger sister was spoiled. Yan Wan’ying abandoned her, spread false information about her death, and blackened her. Yan Wan’ying was not worthy of being her family.
Now that Yan Wan’ying had been invaded by the Raider, Wan Tong had no intention of forgiving her.
“Third Brother, don’t force Fourth sister like this; she hasn’t recovered yet!” Yan Wan’ying didn’t give Wan Tong a chance to speak.
Wan Tong pursed her pale lips and spoke in confusion, “When did I leave with Xu Jie?”
“Fourth Sister…” Yan Wan’ying suddenly held Wan Tong’s hand again, her eyes pleading.
Wan Tong looked puzzled, “Youngest Sister, what’s wrong with you? Your grip hurts a bit.”
Second Brother Yan also quickly spoke, “Youngest Sister, Tongtong has injuries on her hands that haven’t been treated yet. Don’t touch her for now.”
Yan Wan’ying awkwardly released Wan Tong’s hand. She had only received the original owner’s rough memories and knew that this sister was not talkative. She wanted to hint at keeping it a secret, but it seemed like Yan Wantong didn’t understand?
She felt anxious.
Meanwhile, Wan Tong lowered her head and continued her unfinished words, “It was Youngest Sister who wanted to work with Xu Jie. I tried to stop her, but Xu Jie pushed me down the slope. When I came up and didn’t see Youngest Sister, I thought she had left with him. So, I came back first. Now that I see Youngest Sister hasn’t left, I’m relieved.”