Lin Xiaoxiao stared in astonishment as Cheng Mingyue walked away. The situation seemed to be getting more and more bizarre.

The term "worn-out shoes" that had burst from Cheng Mingyue's lips clearly hinted at some past incident, yet the original host's memories contained no intimate interactions with any man.

Could it have happened during the period of the original host's memory that was missing?

The more Lin Xiaoxiao thought about it, the more suspicious she became. Zhou Huai'an definitely knew the reason but refused to say anything. Could it be that he was the male lead in this "worn-out shoes" incident?

Was that why he had married the original host and was willing to spend a huge sum of two thousand?

But that didn't make sense either. If it were Zhou Huai'an, Cheng Mingyue wouldn't have said that he married her for her grandfather's influence.

Lin Xiaoxiao believed in seeking answers when in doubt. Since Zhou Huai'an wasn't willing to talk, there was still Sun Ailing, the original host's best friend. She could go ask her.

She remembered that Sun Ailing also worked at the textile factory. After her afternoon classes, Lin Xiaoxiao went back to tell Zhou Huai'an she had something to take care of, then headed to the textile factory gate to wait for Sun Ailing.

It was just after shift change, and small groups of female workers were leaving together. Dressed similarly, they made Lin Xiaoxiao's head spin.

Sun Ailing, however, spotted Lin Xiaoxiao immediately and approached her in surprise. "Xiaoxiao? Are you here for me?"

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded quickly. "Yes, I came specifically to wait for you after work."

Sun Ailing looked skeptical. When she had visited Lin Xiaoxiao a couple of days ago, Lin Xiaoxiao had acted like she never wanted to see her again. Why would she seek her out now? Could it be to ask about Chen Wei? Her face fell. "Are you here because of my marriage to Chen Wei?"

Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't understand it—how did that ugly, toad-like creature become such a hot commodity?

She waved her hand dismissively. "I'm here to talk about something else."

Still half-doubtful, Sun Ailing followed Lin Xiaoxiao to a quieter spot by the roadside.

Lin Xiaoxiao got straight to the point. "I remember we once promised each other that if one of us got married, the other would buy her a red scarf and embroider a pair of mandarin duck pillowcases. You didn't give me anything when I got married."

Sun Ailing hadn't expected Lin Xiaoxiao to bring this up. It was completely different from what she had imagined. Anxiously, she replied, "Was it that I didn't want to give you anything? You got married in such a hurry. We had just talked about going to the city to see a movie, and within a couple of days, you were engaged. I went to see you, but you ignored me."

Convinced that Sun Ailing wasn't lying, Lin Xiaoxiao frowned. "I was in a bad mood back then.

But since we're good friends, you should have tried harder to comfort me."

Sun Ailing thought Lin Xiaoxiao was being as unreasonable as ever. "How could I comfort you?

Your stepfather and mother had already agreed to the marriage. Everyone at the factory said your mother sold you off to Zhou Huai'an for a high price so they could move to the provincial capital. Some even said you'd been violated, and your mother married you off to Zhou Huai'an in a hurry to avoid shame before moving away."

"I wanted to comfort you, but you wouldn't listen. You yelled at me and told me to get lost. You said you would definitely divorce Zhou Huai'an and marry Chen Wei."

"The day before your wedding, didn't you promise Chen Wei that you wouldn't let Zhou Huai'an touch you, that you'd divorce him and come back to marry him? You even hugged each other. If Zhou Huai'an hadn't shown up, you might have kissed."

Lin Xiaoxiao stared at Sun Ailing, her jaw dropping in shock. This was another part of the past the original host didn't remember!

Thank goodness she couldn't remember—the mere thought of this body almost kissing Chen Wei, only to be caught by Zhou Huai'an, made her cringe. And Zhou Huai'an had never said a word about it.

The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. But one thing was clear: the original host had not been violated or disgraced.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked Chen Wei to wait for her or promised to preserve her purity for him.

Noticing Lin Xiaoxiao's distracted expression, Sun Ailing assumed she was reminiscing about that night. She had promised to help Chen Wei by arranging a meeting with Lin Xiaoxiao.

The two had talked on the riverbank behind the factory's residential area.

Just as they were about to kiss, Zhou Huai'an appeared with a dark expression. Chen Wei was so scared he ran off, but Lin Xiaoxiao pointed at Zhou Huai'an and called him a country bumpkin reeking of mud.

She even said he was a toad.

So, what was Lin Xiaoxiao thinking now?

Did she now appreciate Zhou Huai'an's promising future but still want to string Chen Wei along?

Sun Ailing's expression darkened as she glared at Lin Xiaoxiao. "I thought you were committed to building a life with Zhou Huai'an. Why are you asking about Chen Wei?"

Lin Xiaoxiao was baffled. "When did I ask about Chen Wei? I came to mend our friendship. We grew up together, and I should be happy for your marriage. But it makes me sad that you didn't come to my wedding or give me a gift."

"Are you upset with me because you like Chen Wei? If that's the case, pretend I never came. I wish you and Chen Wei a long and happy marriage."

With that, she turned and left quickly. She had already learned what she needed from Sun Ailing.

As for the rest, she would have to get it from Zhou Huai'an. She refused to believe he would never talk.

Fuming, Sun Ailing stamped her foot. Was that Lin Xiaoxiao's idea of a blessing? It felt more like a provocation.

Thinking about how the original host had nearly cuckolded Zhou Huai'an, Lin Xiaoxiao felt sorry for him. If she hadn't wanted to marry him, she shouldn't have agreed in the first place.

But since she did, she should have upheld basic moral principles.

On her way home, she passed a street vendor and bought seven fruit candies for ten cents—orange and apple flavors. She planned to use them to sweeten Zhou Huai'an up.

When she returned, however, she found Lin Zihao there, playing chess with Zhou Huai'an on Li Yunlan's bed.

The bedding had been rolled up, and the two sat on the bare bed board, focused on their game.

Lin Xiaoxiao felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when she saw Lin Zihao, as if he were her future brother-in-law. "Brother Zihao, you're here. Don't mind me—I'll start preparing dinner."

Zhou Huai'an stopped her. "Don't bother. We'll eat at the cafeteria later."

Lin Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly. Eating out cost money, and they still had a two-thousand-yuan debt to pay. "It's fine. I can cook quickly."

Lin Zihao also insisted, "There's no need, sister-in-law. Two more people will be joining us later.

We'll all eat at the cafeteria."

Hearing that two more were coming, Lin Xiaoxiao gave up on cooking—there wouldn't even be enough space for everyone to sit indoors.

She sat next to Zhou Huai'an and watched the two men play chess. Both were pleasing to the eye, and though they played in silence, the tension between them was palpable.

Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes darted between them. This must be what they meant by experts competing—a battle of wits without visible moves.

The final match ended in a draw. As Lin Zihao gathered the pieces, he said, "I'll be transferred for the rotation. The front lines are still tense. You should also be prepared—we might be deployed at any time."

His words were vague, but Lin Xiaoxiao understood. She turned to look at Zhou Huai'an.

Zhou Huai'an shook his head. "I'm afraid I'll never set foot on the battlefield again."