Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Fang Jingheng and I grew up together.

When we were eight years old, we were gathering wild berries in the mountains when we encountered a wolf.

I pushed Fang Jingheng away, telling him to run first, but I was chased until I tumbled into a hidden pit.

My head struck a rock, and I nearly lost my life.

Though I was eventually saved, I became slow-witted.

The doctor said, “I’m afraid she will have the mind of a child for the rest of her life.”

Fang Jingheng held me tight, his scalding tears falling onto my shoulder.

He said, “Zhaozhao, I will take care of you forever.”

The year after my mother passed away, people suddenly arrived from the capital and took Fang Jingheng away.

They said he was the son of the Ningyuan Marquis, Fang Guang, and that he had been swapped at birth by a wet nurse.

Fang Jingheng, who had grown up with me in a rural village, suddenly became the Heir to a noble house in the capital.

On the day he left, he held me repeatedly, reluctant to let go.

“Zhaozhao, wait for me. Once I’ve settled in, I’ll come back for you.”

I waited and waited. I waited for two years.

Whenever Fang Jingheng came to visit, he would always tell me:

“My father favors his concubine over his wife and thinks highly of that fake son. The situation in the manor is unstable. If I take you back now, I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect you.”

To be honest, I often didn’t understand what he was talking about.

But seeing his furrowed brows, I figured he must be in a bad mood.

So, I wove a rabbit out of foxtail grass and tucked it into his hair, hoping to cheer him up.

Fang Jingheng snatched it out and threw it on the ground. “Zhaozhao, stop messing around!”

I stared at him, stunned.

“My status is different now. How can I go back to the manor wearing something like this?”

Fang Jingheng was clearly displeased.

Yet, I didn’t understand why he was so angry.

That time, we parted on bad terms.

Actually, I stopped being mad at him the very next day.

I was even a little worried about him.

After all, he said he was having a hard time in the capital.

I made up my mind that the next time he came, I would tell him that if he wasn’t happy, he should just come back to the village.

I could make very beautiful folding screens now, and many people came to place orders with me.

I also knew how to farm and chop wood; I could support him.

But after that visit, Fang Jingheng rarely came to see me anymore.

…

And now, he says he has always remembered that I saved his life, and that he will find a good marriage for me.

I was a bit happy, but also a bit worried. “Will this affect you?”

After all, he had said his situation at home wasn’t very good.

Fang Jingheng froze for a moment.

“It doesn’t matter.”

The corners of his mouth twitched into a strained smile.

“Tonight, a man covered in blood will faint at your doorstep. That is the husband I have chosen for you.”

After saying this, he turned and left.

“Wait! Hold on a second!”

I suddenly remembered I had a gift for him and hurried back to get it.

By the time I returned, Fang Jingheng was already in his carriage.

A conversation drifted faintly from inside.

“…Did you tell her everything?”

“Yes.”

That was Fang Jingheng’s voice.

Then came the girl’s voice, tinged with a smile. “You really are cold-hearted…”

The carriage drove away before I could catch up.

Clutching the pouch I had made for Fang Jingheng, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss.

Oh well, I’ll just give it to him the next time he visits.