Chapter 33.2

Though Qian Yu was not a spy, in recent years, she had done whatever it took for money. Even she couldn’t be sure if there were spies among those she worked with.

Moreover, she had done many things that couldn’t be brought to light, which would be thoroughly investigated at the National Security Department. Those dirty deeds would be exposed, and they could end up in her file. Who knew how far it could go? They might even label her a bad element.

She absolutely couldn’t go to the National Security Department. Qian Yu shook her head, her face pale. “I won’t go! I wasn’t following you. I was just passing by. Yes, just passing by. I need to get home.”

As she spoke, she cautiously watched the movements of the others, quickly picking up the bike from the ground and hurriedly running toward the shore.

She wasn’t stupid. These soldiers were clearly there to rescue her, but after hearing her insults toward Lu Nong, their expressions changed completely. If she distanced herself from Lu Nong, she might escape unscathed. If she continued to cling to Lu Nong and insisted she knew her, that would be truly reckless.

Pei Zheng looked at Lu Nong, and Xiao Zhou glanced at Pei Ji’an, both waiting for them to decide whether to stop Qian Yu.

Pei Ji’an’s eyes flickered. Initially, Xiao Zhou’s threat to take her to the National Security Department seemed like a scare tactic. But seeing Qian Yu’s guilty reaction made him genuinely consider investigating her.

He exchanged glances with Xiao Zhou, who immediately called out to Qian Yu from behind. “The female comrade in front, wait a moment…”

Upon hearing that, Qian Yu knew she couldn’t afford to wait. She abandoned her bike and fled, prompting Xiao Zhou to chase after her. One ran, and one chased, creating a hilariously absurd scene.

Lu Nong: “…” How did things develop to this point?

She felt utterly bewildered. What was with this ridiculous scene?

In her memory, Qian Yu was a tough character. How had she suddenly turned into a paper tiger in front of Pei’s family, easily defeated with just a poke? Was this the sense of security that came with marrying a military brother?

Lu Nong felt a deep sense of respect.

As an ordinary person, Qian Yu couldn’t possibly outrun Xiao Zhou, who trained every day. Within moments, Xiao Zhou had captured her. “Be honest, do you think you can escape?”

Qian Yu pleaded, “Please let me go. I didn’t mean to follow you guys. My name is Qian Yu, and I’m the daughter of Wu Xiulan. You know Aunt Wu, right…?”

“Right, and I also know Lu Nong. I followed you to be with her. I know Pei Zheng too. We went to the same high school,” she added, glancing at Lu Nong. “Lu Nong, say something! We grew up together, you can’t just stand by and watch me get hurt.”

Lu Nong was speechless. If her memory served her right, this girl had just called her a bitch and now wanted her help. What kind of saint did she think Lu Nong was to overlook past grievances and save her?

Pei Zheng reacted quickly and questioned her. “You claim to be Aunt Wu’s daughter, so why didn’t you come out in the open? Why do you follow Lu Nong secretly?”

“Because if I didn’t follow her secretly, they wouldn’t pay me any attention!” The “they” included Aunt Wu.

With Xiao Zhou restraining her, Qian Yu felt utterly helpless. Seeing that Lu Nong had no intention of speaking up for her, her face turned crimson with embarrassment. If she was going down, she wouldn’t let Lu Nong off easy either.

So, she looked up at Pei Zheng and said, “This woman, Lu Nong despises the poor and loves the rich. Ever since she climbed up the high branch of your Pei family, she has stopped visiting her biological parents, not to mention me, a friend she grew up with. She also ruined her second uncle’s daughter’s job. If you don’t believe me, you can go check it out.”

Lu Nong: “…” Sister, I’m still here, hello?

Pei Zheng became completely impatient. Initially, he wanted to hear more about Aunt Wu’s daughter, but once he heard her slandering Lu Nong, he realized there was no need to continue the conversation.

Without waiting for further clarification, Pei Ji’an and Xiao Zhou also felt no need to listen to Qian Yu’s nonsense. When Pei Ji’an went to pick up Lu Nong, Xiao Zhou helped with the move. They had both seen the parasitic nature of the Lu family, and it was understandable that Lu Nong ignored those people.

Given this, Qian Yu’s words couldn’t be taken seriously. Her mouth was full of lies, and it was clear she needed to be examined further.

If Qian Yu knew her fate after all this, she would probably be shocked.

In the end, Xiao Zhou took Qian Yu away, while Pei Ji’an drove Pei Zheng and Lu Nong back to the small red building.

On the way, Lu Nong thought for a moment and decided to say something about Qian Yu. “Regarding Qian Yu, don’t mention this to Aunt Wu when we get back. I’m afraid it will upset her.”

“Qian Yu announced in the newspaper a long time ago that she severed her mother-daughter relationship with Aunt Wu. Later, she recognized Aunt Wu’s ex-husband’s mistress as her mother…”

As she spoke, Lu Nong briefly recounted the story of Aunt Wu’s ex-husband and the mistress. “Back then, Aunt Wu’s ex-husband, Qian Dayou, abandoned his wife and daughter for another woman. Aunt Wu thought he was dead and worked at the Li family with Qian Yu. After the liberation, Qian Dayou’s mistress’s father, who had eagerly supported the public-private partnership policy, became a small official, making life difficult for the Li family, who came from a capitalist background.”

“Qian Yu demanded that Aunt Wu publicly denounce the Li family for their exploitation. When Aunt Wu refused, she slapped Qian Yu. Failing to achieve her goal, Qian Yu turned to her biological father and his mistress, and after a few years, she announced in the newspaper that she had severed her relationship with Aunt Wu.”

At that time, Qian Yu was just a young girl in her early teens. Her actions were both ruthless and decisive, leaving people shocked.

Lu Nong felt sorry for Aunt Wu. What was worse was that Qian Yu had sent copies of the newspaper to the Li family specifically for them and Aunt Wu to see.

Aunt Wu was not illiterate. In her youth, she had accompanied the young masters and young ladies for their studies. She could not only read but also play musical instruments and chess, displaying her talents. One look at Qian Yu’s delicate features revealed Aunt Wu’s youthful charm, which was sadly destroyed by a scoundrel.

So much time had passed. The Li family had moved overseas, and Aunt Wu remained alone in Li Garden, with Qian Yu never to be seen again.

Just now when Qian Yu said that she was Pei Zheng’s classmate and “exposed” herself as trying to climb the Pei family’s social ladder, Lu Nong guessed the reason why she appeared again.

She must have observed that Pei Zheng’s family background was extraordinary and, from the last trip to Peking University, learned that Lu Nong had become Pei Zheng’s stepmother. Qian Yu probably thought she could exploit Aunt Wu’s connections to gain some benefit and attempted to ingratiate herself.

Little did she know that she had encountered several men from the Pei family who didn’t play by the rules, and in their first meeting, her scheme had backfired.

Lu Nong shook her head. There’s a saying: if you live without a guilty conscience, you won’t fear ghosts knocking at your door. Those who walk the night road too often will eventually meet ghosts.

After hearing Lu Nong’s account of Aunt Wu, Pei Zheng fell silent. Such stories were not surprising in this era, but they were still poignant and thought-provoking.

That evening, Pei Zheng eagerly helped Aunt Wu with chores, his words dripping with sweetness as he praised Aunt Wu until she could barely contain her smile, her wrinkles deepening with joy.

Gu Xiaohuai followed her brother around, holding Xiao Bai, her chubby cheeks puffed up. Xiao Bai scratched its hooves, sticking out its tongue as if panting. This little chubby dog seemed exhausted even when being carried.

After dinner, Pei Zheng picked up both Gu Xiaohuai and Xiao Bai, telling Aunt Wu, “Grandma Wu, tonight I’ll take the little ones and the dog to sleep. You don’t have to worry about them waking up. I’ll take care of everything. You can get some rest.”

Pei Zheng felt he had done a great favor for Aunt Wu and decided to continue this routine. He could pamper the little ones and ensure Aunt Wu had a good night’s sleep. He had wanted to do this for a long time.

“Ah…” Aunt Wu hesitated for a moment. She adored Gu Xiaohuai and didn’t find it troublesome to sleep with the little ones. However, today Pei Zheng had been so well-behaved that she didn’t want to dismiss his offer. So, with a resolute heart, she finally agreed, “Alright then.”

Thus, through their conversation, both believed they were doing what was best for each other, reaching a perfect understanding.

As soon as dinner was over, Lu Nong headed to the study. She rolled up her sleeves and pulled out Pei Zheng’s class schedule, carefully arranging his self-study courses to ensure he had no free time to play basketball, bother his brother, or cuddle with the dog. After tonight, Pei Zheng would likely have to study even after dinner.

This clearly shows just how packed Lu Nong’s schedule was.

After arranging Pei Zheng’s study time, Lu Nong rolled up her sleeves and tied her hair back. The desk was piled high with books, so much so that even Pei Ji’an, who was in the study, glanced over in surprise.

Lu Nong had no idea that, in her pursuit of knowledge, she had given up all her worldly desires. Even with the handsome Pei Ji’an right in front of her, she had no interest in him at all.

When it came to studying, men were simply not worth her attention.

As time passed, Lu Nong eventually fell asleep at her desk, still mumbling about what she had learned in her dreams.

Pei Ji’an: “…”

He looked at his watch and saw it was one-thirty in the morning. From the time they finished dinner, Lu Nong had been studying non-stop for seven hours. If she had always studied like this, it was no wonder she had been admitted to Peking University.

A table full of historical materials and books caught his eye, and on top of the pile was a course schedule for law studies. Pei Ji’an paused and picked it up to read.

He noticed that the previously blank spaces were now filled with handwritten notes. Not only did her days revolve entirely around studying, but she also planned to study until midnight every night. The two words “self-study” clearly expressed the writer’s intent.

Pei Ji’an: “…” For a moment, he didn’t know whether he should be happy that Pei Zheng had a place to vent his energy or feel sorry for his son, who would learn so much that he would vomit.

He nudged Lu Nong, hoping to wake her up and get her back to bed. After several attempts with no success, he rubbed his temples in frustration and picked her up, carrying her back to her room.

Once inside, Lu Nong instantly woke up and asked, “What time is it?”

“…One thirty.”

“I can still study for another half an hour. Damn it, I should have held out until two.”

“It’s already late, go to bed.” Pei Ji’an said gently.

After a moment’s thought, Lu Nong relented. She grabbed her pajamas and dashed to the bathroom, taking ten minutes to wash up. When she returned to her room, she quickly applied some cream to her face, not bothering with much else, and lay down on her bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Before drifting off, she thought about how studying and being a delicate girl were simply not compatible. Never mind, studying was the priority.

That night, Lu Nong had a dream where someone was preventing her from studying. She was so furious that she ended up waking herself up.

When she opened her eyes, she was filled with dread, wishing she were still in the dream, but reality confirmed that she was indeed awake.

…It would have been better if she hadn’t woken up.

She soon realized that she, Lu Nong, was completely wrapped in Pei Ji’an’s arms. One of her legs was boldly draped over his waist, while the other leg was nestled between his. Her thigh even grazed a rather inappropriate area.

Even more alarming, she was holding onto Pei Ji’an with one hand, while his large hand rested gently over her waist. Lu Nong didn’t know if Pei Ji’an had pulled her in and then wrapped her hand around him or if she had initiated the embrace herself.

Lu Nong: “…” Either way, this is very concerning.

Her heart raced, and trembling, she tried to remove Pei Ji’an’s large hand from her body. However, as soon as she moved, his hand instinctively tightened around her.

“Mm…” Lu Nong let out a soft moan.