Chapter 1 Kissing a Strange Man

“Don’t you want me either? Is there not a single person in this life who wants me?” He Wanwan’s eyes were wet and slightly red, her fair and delicate face full of sorrow. She looked up at the handsome, stern stranger in front of her. At this moment, she didn’t care about anything and pressed her warm lips to his, giving him a kiss.

Gu Yuhan, already tipsy from drinking, spoke in a low voice, “Teacher He, you…” His Adam’s apple moved as she kissed him again, sending a shiver through his body. His gaze darkened. At this moment, if he took her, he would be a scoundrel; if he didn’t, he would still be a scoundrel. Since that was the case… Gu Yuhan wrapped his arms around her slender waist and said in a low voice, “I want you!”

The chaos startled even the birds in the mountain, who flapped their wings and flew away.

When He Wanwan regained consciousness, her whole body ached as if it were about to split apart. Her mind cleared, and memories rushed back. Before falling off the cliff, she had mistakenly drunk the aphrodisiac water her cousin He Lingling had given to a sow, and was being chased by the village rogue Wang Laoliu who wanted to assault her! In desperation, she tried to escape despite her body’s discomfort, but accidentally fell off the cliff. When her head hit a rock and she lost consciousness, she only then began to understand many truths.

Her parents had always favored He Lingling, who had been raised in the He family because she was the orphaned daughter of He Wanwan’s aunt. All the inheritance left by her aunt was spent on He Lingling, and even the He family’s money and her parents’ attention were all lavished on He Lingling. He Wanwan had been admitted to high school, but her mother hid her acceptance letter, telling her she had failed. He Wanwan worked hard as an elementary school teacher, yet her monthly salary was taken by her mother to support He Lingling’s indulgences.

He Wanwan wore patched rough cloth clothes, had no room of her own, and slept on the floor. After work, she still had to do farm work and house chores. Meanwhile, He Lingling constantly had new dresses, ate the best food, enjoyed a large wardrobe and a 1.5-meter bed, and didn’t need to do any labor—just sit and be served. Everyone in Dongfeng Village praised the He family as kind and generous, willing to let their own daughter suffer rather than wrong a relative’s child.

No one understood He Wanwan’s hardships. She cried and threw tantrums, but her mother, Chen Cuihua, slapped her countless times. “Do you know how pitiful Lingling is? She grew up without a mother! You complain to her? Are you human, He Wanwan?” Each time, these words shut her up.

Later, after He Lingling killed her, she took over He Wanwan’s elementary school teaching job. Soon, a friend of He Lingling’s biological father approached the He family, saying that Gu’s youngest son had been betrothed to He Lingling since childhood, and proposed that He Lingling marry into the city. She happily married, but shortly after, her new husband died in an accident. He Lingling then married Gu’s more powerful eldest son. Around this time, her biological father Li Guozhen returned from a secret work mission. Li Guozhen accomplished great feats, became an influential figure in Jing City, and had enough wealth to provide his daughter with a lifetime of comfort. To make up for the lack of care during her upbringing, he doted on He Lingling to the extreme. He Lingling’s life seemed like a sweet romance novel.

However, no one knew that He Lingling was not Li Guozhen’s daughter. Li Guozhen’s real daughter was He Wanwan! It was Chen Cuihua, that poisonous woman, who had tampered with the adoption when taking He Wanwan in. That was why, over the years, she could so confidently lavish love on the “niece” while cruelly oppressing Li Guozhen’s real daughter He Wanwan—killing two birds with one stone.

In the original story, Li Guozhen soon discovered He Lingling’s true identity and the tragic death of his real daughter. Before he could take revenge, He Lingling staged a gas poisoning accident for him. After Li Guozhen’s death, He Lingling moved into Li’s family villa with her biological parents, inherited Li Guozhen’s immense fortune, and lived a blissful life with her powerful husband.

Scenes flashed through He Wanwan’s mind, making her heart ache to the point of being unable to breathe. The despair washed over her like a tidal wave, and she was filled with hatred. In that chaotic instant, she saw the stranger holding her and calling her name. Her shattered life, the anguish of never having been loved, and the pain gnawing at her body left her barely conscious. She desperately wanted to hear someone say they loved her, that they wanted her.

But when she fully opened her eyes and looked at Gu Yuhan, she saw his tall figure, arched brows, starry eyes, and handsome features, his deep gaze like a hidden galaxy. Looking down at her own shoulder, covered by his oversized army-green coat, her face instantly flushed red. She subconsciously closed her eyes.

A blush spread across her fair, delicate face. She bit her lip nervously and said, “Y-you… go ahead… let’s pretend nothing happened!” After all, it had been her who first asked him to take her.

Gu Yuhan frowned slightly and gave a self-deprecating smile. “But it’s my first time.”

He Wanwan suddenly opened her eyes wide. Her long lashes fluttered, and her almond-shaped eyes were as serene and beautiful as a springtime lake. She felt momentarily confused—was he going to take responsibility?

Gu Yuhan’s Adam’s apple moved. He had come to the mountains near Dongfeng Village on a mission to capture a criminal. The villagers may not have seen him before, but he had already investigated the main figures in the village. The girl in front of him was the most beautiful in Dongfeng Village, an elementary school teacher, gentle and sweet, kind-hearted yet somewhat timid. Gu Yuhan admitted that He Wanwan had grown into the perfect figure according to his aesthetic.

But thinking of his daily life, which was constantly life-and-death missions, he had never considered getting close to He Wanwan. Before leaving Dongfeng Village, he had a few more drinks with some brothers to relax in the mountains, never expecting to encounter He Wanwan rolling down the hillside. Her skin had a strange pinkish glow, and she was begging him to have her. It felt like a dream! Yet Gu Yuhan was determined to seize this dream.

He leaned in, staring into He Wanwan’s eyes. “Do you understand? You took my first time, so you have to take responsibility. My name is Gu Yuhan. I’m a soldier. In a month, I will come to your home to formally propose. Everything about the wedding will follow the highest customs of Dongfeng Village.”

Saying this, he pulled a pen from his coat pocket, lifted her delicate, fair hand, and wrote three elegant characters in her palm:

“Gu Yuhan!” Clearly, it was his name.

He Wanwan’s heart skipped a beat. Biting her lip, she asked, “Then… after we’re married, can I go with you?” She absolutely did not want to stay in Dongfeng Village.

Gu Yuhan had thought she would refuse. Hearing this, he raised a brow. “Of course. If you’re not going with your man, then who else would you go with?”

He Wanwan blushed deeply. Gu Yuhan stood up and glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. I’ll take you to the back of your village.”

At that moment, a group of people shouted from nearby, “He Wanwan! He Wanwan, where are you?”

He Wanwan hurried to get up, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in her ankle—she had twisted it when she fell! Before she could react, Gu Yuhan scooped her up in his arms, carrying her sideways, and strode down another path.