On their way back, Song Wei and Li Juan found themselves in an unexpected situation.

It started when Song Wei picked up on Luo Yecheng’s voice nearby. Her sharp ears caught him speaking with an unfamiliar woman, and she quickly gestured for Li Juan to be quiet.

“Shh, Luo Yecheng’s talking to someone. Let’s sneak up quietly,” Song whispered.

Li Juan’s eyes widened. “Could it be Jiang Xiaowan?”

Since he and Jiang Xiaowan were practically engaged, sneaking out for a late-night meeting wasn’t out of the question. But Song Wei shook her head. “No, it’s a voice I don’t recognize—a stranger.”

At her words, Li Juan covered her mouth, stifling any sound she might make. She watched as Song Wei, moving with surprising skill, tiptoed closer to the voices.

Li Juan hesitated, torn between her conscience and curiosity. But after only five seconds of deliberation, curiosity won out. She followed Song Wei, as quietly as possible, and the two of them crouched behind a large tree, listening in.

Their eavesdropping paid off, and the voices became clear.

“Luo Zhiqing, are you really going to marry Jiang Xiaowan? What about me? I’ve loved you this whole time! What does she have that I don’t?” The girl’s voice was both angry and hurt.

“You accepted my gifts, you said I was the sweetest girl you’d ever met. Were all those words lies?”

Wow. Song Wei and Li Juan exchanged shocked glances—this was big gossip. Li Juan looked stunned, while Song Wei’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Xiao Cao, calm down,” Luo Yecheng’s smooth voice replied. “Of course I meant what I said. You are the sweetest, most resilient girl I’ve met since I came to this village. But love isn’t that simple, and you know that. I’m just a poor Zhiqing with nothing to my name. I would be a burden to you—your parents wouldn’t accept me.”

“Then let’s run away together!”

Xiao Cao’s voice was filled with emotion, verging on tears. “I love you, Yecheng. Why should Jiang Xiaowan get to marry you, while I can’t?”

Luo Yecheng’s voice softened. “Xiao cao, that’s impossible. Even if we eloped, we wouldn’t have anywhere to go without a letter of introduction from the captain. We’d be homeless and without food, and worse, we might even get caught and sent to the reform camp. Do you know what that’s like?”

He continued, his tone grave. “Have you seen the people who live in the bullpen? Life in the reform camp is much worse. Is that the life you want? Even if you’d sacrifice that much, I can’t drag you into it. You deserve more than that.”

Xiao cao began sobbing into his shoulder, heartbroken, but she no longer spoke of eloping. Luo Yecheng’s cautionary tales had hit home.

“You’re so kind, Yecheng. Even now, you’re looking out for me. I just can’t bear it. I can’t bear that Jiang Xiaowan gets to be with you. She doesn’t deserve you!” Xiao cao cried.

Song Wei and Li Juan gaped, jaws practically on the floor. Was this girl serious? Did she actually buy Luo Yecheng’s excuses?

Apparently, she did.

After a while, Luo Yecheng, clearly worried about being caught, coaxed Xiao cao to leave first. Then he made his way back to the Zhiqing quarters.

Once he was out of sight, Song Wei and Li Juan emerged from behind the tree.

“He’s shameless!” Li Juan muttered angrily.

Song Wei looked unimpressed. “Luo Yecheng just sees the girls who like him as meal tickets. He’s got mooching down to an art.”

Remembering how Song Wei had also fallen for Luo Yecheng’s act once, Li Juan’s face darkened.

“Shouldn’t we expose him?” she asked. “He’s giving all of us Zhiqing a bad name.”

While she didn’t want to admit it, the bad reputation of one Zhiqing could affect them all. In a rural village, solidarity was essential for the city Zhiqing, who were already seen as outsiders.

Song Wei thought for a moment. “And how do we do that without proof? We don’t even know who that girl was.”

They had only heard her voice in the darkness; they hadn’t seen her face.

“Even if we figure out who she is, what’s the point without solid evidence? Luo Yecheng would just deny it, and she’d probably deny it, too. Her family wouldn’t want their daughter’s reputation to be ruined—they’d turn on us instead.”

Li Juan also thought about how tough this country people were and shuddered immediately. “So… do we just let it go?”

“Just for now.” Song Wei rubbed her chin thoughtfully. They would have to find a way to get this information to Jiang Xiaowan. For a jerk like Luo Yecheng, Song Wei figured a bit of scheming was well worth it.

The next day, Li Juan avoided Luo Yecheng, eyeing him with a mix of suspicion and disgust. Oblivious to the reason behind her stares, Luo Yecheng assumed it was because she admired him.

With a smug smile, he sauntered over to her. “Li Zhiqing, would you like to walk to work together?”

Li Juan immediately shook her head and rushed over to Song Wei, clinging to her arm. He’s not on to us, is he?

But Luo Yecheng’s gaze followed her, eventually landing on Song Wei.

His expression stiffened briefly, but he quickly recovered and gazed at Song Wei with his signature, overly affectionate look.

“Song Wei…”

“Stop looking at me with that look you’d give a dog.”

“Pfft…”

With a single comment, she froze Luo Yecheng in his tracks, while another Zhiqing, brushing his teeth nearby, snorted, accidentally spitting out his water.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” Gao Le muttered, suppressing his laughter as he went back to brushing his teeth, though his shoulders shook with amusement.

Luo Yecheng’s expression darkened, but he tried again. “Song Wei, can’t we talk this over civilly? I think you’ve misunderstood me.”

“Oh, there’s no misunderstanding. Besides, when are you returning my ration tickets?” she asked casually.

His face flushed with anger. “You’re impossible!” he snapped, striding off in frustration.

Song Wei scoffed, muttering loud enough for him to hear, “Look at him, acting like some gentleman with that dramatic exit. You’re here to work the fields, not recite poetry.”

At the door, Luo Yecheng stumbled and nearly fell, his face twisted in fury. “Song Wei!”

“What? Calling for your creditor?” she shot back.

He finally stormed off, humiliated. Li Juan, still clinging to Song Wei’s side, looked up, curious. “What did you mean by ‘looking at you with a look he’d give a dog?’”

Gao Le, also interested, nodded.

Song Wei grinned. “Doesn’t his face just scream ‘I love you’—the way you might look at a cute dog?”