Dong Hongmei watched Li Guohao grit his teeth and curse furiously, but she didn't dare make a sound. Though she felt guilty for betraying Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Huai'an, her fear of being beaten was stronger.

She knew all too well that Li Guohao had lost all reason—he was capable of killing her in this state.

Unaware that Dong Hongmei had redirected Li Guohao's rage toward her, Lin Xiaoxiao went to work as usual after lunch.

At the entrance of the medical station, she ran into Luo Caixia again. Someone she rarely saw before was now crossing her path daily since the scandal.

Lin Xiaoxiao noticed the darkness between Luo Caixia's brows had deepened, and the whites of her eyes held a frightening bluish tint. The poisoning is getting worse, she thought.

She intended to walk right past without acknowledging her, but Luo Caixia called out, "Xiaoxiao, wait! I need to ask you something!"

Her tone was far from friendly.

Lin Xiaoxiao stopped and turned, waiting silently to see what she wanted.

Luo Caixia licked her lips. "Was it you who told everyone? You were the one who passed by the cornfield that morning!"

Her voice was accusatory and certain.

Lin Xiaoxiao was baffled. Is this woman insane? She's having an affair and has the nerve to act entitled?

She gave Luo Caixia a dismissive glance. "What's wrong with you? If you're afraid people will find out, don't do shameful things! Zhou Huai'an is so unlucky to have been stalked by someone as disgusting as you for years. And don't you ever call him 'Huai'an' again—you're not worthy!"

Luo Caixia was stunned into silence. Wasn't she the one confronting Lin Xiaoxiao? How did she end up being scolded instead?

All the pent-up bitterness and anger finally burst out. "What right do you have to judge me? You know nothing! If I hadn't taken care of Zhou Huai'an back then, I wouldn't have been violated by Zhou Chang'an. My life wouldn't have been ruined! Do you think I want to live like this—without any dignity?"

"Maybe I was foolishly infatuated, but is Zhou Huai'an completely blameless? Why was he so nice to my family? Only a prospective son-in-law would work so hard for his future wife's family.

The whole village saw it!"

"When he left to join the army, my mother made him cloth shoes—and he took them. If he had no feelings, why would he accept them?"

The more Luo Caixia spoke, the more upset she became—a mix of grief, anger, and resentment. All her misfortune stemmed from loving a man as dense as wood.

But she refused to believe it was her fault.

Lin Xiaoxiao stared wide-eyed, looking Luo Caixia up and down. "Are you okay? Are you sure a donkey didn't kick you in the head as a child? Anyone with half a brain wouldn't have such shameless delusions. Why was Zhou Huai'an good to your family? To your mother? Don't you get it? It wasn't interest in you—it was repayment for saving his life."

"Thank goodness it wasn't you who saved him, or you really would've clung to him and forced him to marry you! If your brain isn't working, go get it checked. If you're lonely, find someone to marry. Don't throw your life away being used by others."

"Oh, and don't talk to me anymore. I don't want your stupidity rubbing off on me."

With a final glare, she turned and walked away gracefully.

Luo Caixia couldn't retort. She was no match for Lin Xiaoxiao's words—especially because every word was true, each one stabbing like a needle into her heart.

But she didn't want to face it. Three years ago, after Zhou Chang'an violated her, someone had approached her. They promised that if she obeyed, she could marry Zhou Huai'an.

She believed them and did as she was told. But then Zhou Huai'an suddenly married Lin Xiaoxiao.

When her heart was broken, that person returned. They said they could help her destroy Lin Xiaoxiao.

They claimed that once Lin Xiaoxiao was ruined, Zhou Huai'an would remarry—and she could still have him.

Luo Caixia was tempted. Part of her knew it was impossible, but another part couldn't resist trying.

She met Li Guohao six months ago. Four months ago, she woke up in his room without knowing how she got there. She calmly accepted that she'd been drugged and taken advantage of.

She even used her body to negotiate with Li Guohao, securing a job near the Second Institute.

Now, Luo Caixia crouched on the ground, clutching her head, tormented by twisted emotions.

She knew she was doing wrong, but she couldn't stop.

Since her life was already ruined, how could she let Lin Xiaoxiao live happily?

Lin Xiaoxiao knew Zhou Huai'an would be extremely busy these next few days—dealing with Li Guohao, the people behind Luo Caixia, and most of all, the events from three years ago involving Zhou Xiaocheng.

All these threads were tangled together. It seemed messy and confusing, but the goal was clear.

Even Lin Xiaoxiao could guess: it was all aimed at the research projects at the institute.

These years might seem peaceful, but wolves were circling. Not to mention the border conflict about to erupt, and the many traitors—both open and hidden—who had been bought off.

Thinking about the current global situation made Lin Xiaoxiao sigh.

Sometimes she wondered: if Zhou Huai'an and the others knew how advanced and powerful their country would become in the future, standing like a lion among nations, wouldn't they be thrilled?

Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't usually one to worry about the nation's fate, but seeing the determination in Zhou Huai'an and his comrades moved her deeply.

Listening to the radio reports about the border, she felt a surge of emotion—and patriotism stirred within her.

Sitting in the yard, scrubbing clothes with vigorous energy, she felt a passionate fervor. She even fantasized about enlisting if the front line needed someone like her. She might not be able to fight with a gun, but she could save wounded soldiers.

Lost in her excited thoughts, she was startled by a voice: "Xiaoxiao?"

She turned to see Li Yunlan standing there. Surprised and delighted, she exclaimed, "Mom?

What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell us? We could've picked you up from the city."

Seeing that Li Yunlan was alone made Lin Xiaoxiao anxious. She wiped her wet hands on her clothes, took the bag from Li Yunlan, and linked arms with her. "You came by yourself? Does Dad know?"

She was especially worried because Li Yunlan's mind was sometimes unclear—she had a brain tumor. What if something had happened on the way?

Li Yunlan pouted. "They're all busy—too busy to be seen. Your father wants me to have surgery, so I slipped away."

Lin Xiaoxiao led her inside, sat her down, and brought her a glass of cool water with a little sugar."Mom, that was too risky. If anything had happened to you, we'd be devastated."

Li Yunlan's eyes reddened. "Xiaoxiao, I don't want the surgery. I'm afraid I won't make it off the operating table. I was afraid I'd never see Huai'an again... so I came to see him."