Chapter 23: Forgot About Me

Shen Tuo She’s underlings saw their boss captured, gave up pretending to sleep, and opened their eyes one by one.

Zhao Yu noticed the cut ropes at his feet and found a metal piece on Shen Tuo She. Who knows where he managed to get it—he had spent half the night sawing through the hemp rope with it, yet the night watch didn’t catch on.

Shen Tuo She had just freed himself and was feeling pleased, but before he could help untie his men, Zhao Yu walked in, leaving Shen Tuo She furious.

Zhao Yu retied him tightly.

Shen Tuo She’s face darkened, his eyes narrowed with hostility. “How did you know?”

Zhao Yu replied calmly, “I didn’t. But people like you, all asleep with no reaction to someone coming in to check? Next time you pretend, have a couple of people ‘wake up’ startled. Unfortunately, there might not be a next time.”

If men who lived on the edge weren’t alert, they would have died countless times already.

Zhao Yu shoved him back into the corner of the bed. Unable to sleep, he woke up Liu Shuan and the others, and everyone kept watch on Shen Tuo She and his men.

Li Zhuang broke out in a cold sweat when he heard what happened. If Zhao Yu hadn’t noticed, and Shen Tuo She had freed everyone, the consequences would’ve been unimaginable.

Zhao Yu personally kept watch for a while. At dawn, he remembered Dai Ning, who was still sleeping soundly in their room, and told Liu Shuan, “You all stay and keep guard.”

Liu Shuan nodded immediately.

Back in the room, Dai Ning was indeed still asleep. Though often unruly, her sleeping posture was neat, hands folded over her stomach, her long eyelashes casting shadows, her breathing steady.

Zhao Yu woke her up. “Get up for breakfast. We’re heading out.”

Hearing there was food, Dai Ning got up groggily, a stray hair sticking up. Zhao Yu looked away indifferently, not mentioning it.

After she finished washing up, Zhao Yu handed her a pair of shoes. “Come over and put these on.”

Seeing the shoes clearly, Dai Ning’s sleepiness vanished, and she stared at the black cloth shoes in disbelief.

“You want me to wear those?”

Zhao Yu didn’t see the issue. “They’re comfortable.”

Dai Ning shook her head like a drum. “I’d rather go barefoot than wear those.”

Zhao Yu had expected this. He nodded. “Fine, stay at the hotel, and I’ll contact Mr. Qian to come pick you up.”

Escorting Shen Tuo She was risky enough. If she stayed, it would make things easier.

Dai Ning looked at him like he was heartless. “You’re actually leaving me behind!”

“Think what you want. Are you putting them on or not?”

Dai Ning shook her head resolutely; anyone who wanted to wear such ugly shoes could do so.

Zhao Yu glanced at her. “If not, stay in the room. I’ll have food brought to you.”

He left, and soon the hotel staff brought breakfast. This time, knowing she’d go hungry otherwise, Dai Ning reluctantly ate half a bowl of porridge and a bun.

Qingtuan tried to persuade her to wear the shoes. “If you don’t wear them, Zhao Yu and the others will leave, and what if Du Tian and Zhao Yu get close?”

Dai Ning was annoyed. “They’re so ugly! If you want to wear them, go ahead.”

Qingtuan shouted at her, exasperated, “If I had feet, I’d wear them!”

Dai Ning threw her spoon down, yelling louder, “You don’t even have feet, so what’s the point? I’m not wearing them just to spite you!”

“…”

Fine, stay here and watch them leave.

—

In the lobby, Zhao Yu was doing a headcount.

He realized only Du Tian and Dai Ning were missing. After a moment’s thought, Li Zhuang quickly offered, “I’ll go get Du Tian.”

“Go ahead.”

Zhuang Hongxiu asked, “Where’s Miss Ji? Isn’t she coming with us?”

Zhao Yu paused. “She’s staying behind. Someone will pick her up.”

Zhuang Hongxiu, now entirely obedient to Zhao Yu, gave a simple “Oh” and didn’t say more.

Li Zhuang returned with Du Tian, who looked puzzled as he glanced back at her. Du Tian’s face was dark, her expression extremely unpleasant.

The moment she appeared, Zhuang Hongxiu wrinkled his nose. “What’s that smell?”

Everyone looked in unison toward the source of the odor—Du Tian.

Du Tian pursed her lips tightly, throwing a resentful look at Zhao Yu, hoping he’d understand. She dared not open her mouth, knowing the smell would only get stronger.

It was all Dai Ning’s fault—she’d gargled for half the night, and the odor still lingered.

Zhao Yu noticed her look but said nothing, not showing any curiosity like the others. He simply stated, “Everyone’s here. Let’s go.”

As they were about to set off, the elevator next to them chimed and opened.

A girl hopped out, “Not everyone’s here! You forgot me!”

Barefoot, a gold bell tied around her ankle jingled as she moved.

Seeing Dai Ning, rage surged through Du Tian’s eyes, a mix of past and present grievances. But she kept her cool, knowing any confrontation with Dai Ning now would backfire. Even the dullest of men are visual creatures, and with her current state, she couldn’t risk further harming her image.

Du Tian clenched her fists silently. One day, she would make Ji Dai Ning pay for last night.

Aside from Du Tian, the thirty-three men all stared, transfixed, at Dai Ning’s fair, bare feet.

Even Shen Tuo She hadn’t imagined a woman’s feet could be this beautiful.

Zhao Yu’s face darkened completely as he glared at her, practically gritting his words. “Ji Dai Ning.”

Recognizing his voice, Dai Ning found him among the crowd and responded brightly, “Here! Now everyone’s ready. Let’s go.”

Zhao Yu’s expression was rigid. “Where are your shoes?”

“They were ugly, so I tossed them.”

Zhao Yu took a deep breath, then ordered, “Let’s move.”

No one moved; they were all still staring at Dai Ning’s fair feet, including the fifteen-year-old Zhuang Hongxiu, who swallowed hard.

Zhao Yu repeated in a stern tone, “Hurry up. Let’s go!”

The group snapped back to reality and quickly got in the car.

Dai Ning started to get in with Liu Shuan and the others when Zhao Yu grabbed her by the collar. She looked back, confused, “What are you doing?”

“Sit in the back.”

The back was the storage car. Zhao Yu tossed the tightly bound Shen Tuo She into the trunk, then lifted Dai Ning into the vehicle.

He sat next to her, a serious look on his face, and lectured, “Who told you to go out barefoot? A girl shouldn’t be like this.”

Dai Ning argued, “You bought such ugly shoes! If they were a bit nicer, I would’ve worn them. My feet are freezing now.”

To her, it was all Zhao Yu’s fault. After a long silence, he made a small compromise, lowering his voice, “Take off that thing around your ankle.” That kind of accessory… it somehow stirred men’s thoughts in the wrong direction.

Dai Ning found his request puzzling. “I like it,” she said firmly. “I’m not taking it off.”

Zhao Yu tried to reason with her. “Once we reach Huan County, I’ll get you a nice pair of shoes.”

“Really?” she asked, her interest piqued.

“Really,” he assured her.

Dai Ning tilted her head with a playful smile. “Then I’m still not taking it off.”

Zhao Yu gave up arguing. He grabbed her delicate foot, reaching for the bell on her ankle.

Dai Ning struggled desperately. Seeing that the bell was about to be taken away, she panicked and scolded him: “Zhao Yu, you big scoundrel! You act one way in bed and another way out of bed. Once you’re off the bed, you bully me and even snatch my bell!”

Hearing this, the driver up front and Shen Tuo She in the back were instantly all ears, sensing gossip.

Zhao Yu ground his teeth. “Ji Dai Ning, stop talking nonsense. When have I ever…”

He cut himself off as Dai Ning managed to kick him in the shoulder. Zhao Yu withdrew silently, abandoning his attempt to take the bell.

Resigned, he couldn’t help reflecting: he should have maintained his self-control the previous night.

Dai Ning adjusted her skirt and, seeing that Zhao Yu had given up, lowered her head to check if there was any candy left in her bag. Finding only two pieces remaining, she decided not to share them with Zhao Yu and to eat them herself.

With Dai Ning now quiet, the car settled into a peaceful silence.

When she finished her candy, boredom set in. She cast a sidelong glance at Zhao Yu, who was staring out the window, looking deep in thought.

She leaned toward him, studied him for a moment, and stealthily slipped her candy wrapper into his pocket.

There, problem solved, she thought smugly.

Zhao Yu, without even flinching, kept his breathing steady.

When someone is extremely angry, it turns out they can actually become calm and composed.

——

The group kept a steady pace and had lunch in the car, with lunchboxes provided by Uncle Qian. The villagers were delighted to receive their meals.

For them, this journey was more than worth it. They had stayed in a luxurious hotel and had a hearty meal each day, with lunchboxes that were fragrant and satisfying.

But for Dai Ning, the experience was less appealing.

Used to lavish meals, she found it hard to enjoy the mishmash of flavors in her lunchbox. She picked at it, only eating a few pieces of curried beef and refusing to touch anything else.

Zhao Yu noticed this, and without a word, transferred all the beef from his lunch to her box.

Instead of being grateful, Dai Ning looked at him with disdain. “Your chopsticks have your saliva on them!”

Zhao Yu replied coolly, “We’ve already kissed. Is this really the time to be squeamish?”

Seeing his point, Dai Ning happily ate the beef and nibbled on a couple of carrot shreds, then stopped eating altogether.

Unlike Dai Ning, Zhao Ping or Zhao An’an would never waste food. Even the younger ones ate everything clean.

Zhao Yu didn’t reprimand Dai Ning, understanding that some people take certain things for granted, simply because everyone has different life circumstances.

He lowered his gaze, staring at the map of Huan County in his hands, lost in thought.

It was precisely for this reason that he needed to remind himself repeatedly that he and Ji Dai Ning were from different worlds.

Dai Ning had been born into privilege, free to act however she pleased.

He was born in the dust, with no choice but to claw his way upward.

At their current pace, they reached Huan County by nightfall. Zhuang Hongxiu was especially thrilled, as his return home marked the end of a two-week ordeal as a hostage.

His family lived in a high-end neighborhood. His father, County Chief Zhuang, was an upright official, while his mother came from a wealthy family. The family lived comfortably.

Having worried day and night for the past two weeks over their missing son, Zhuang’s parents were overjoyed upon hearing of his safe return and had prepared everything for his arrival.

Several police cars were already waiting. The ropes binding Shen Tuo She and his gang were replaced with handcuffs, and they were loaded into the police vehicles.

Zhuang’s mother hugged her son, bursting into tears once again.

“Mom, don’t cry. I’m fine now,” Zhuang Hongxiu said, embarrassed.

“These are tears of joy, dear,” she replied.

Seeing that everything was in order, Zhao Yu began to gather his group to leave when Zhuang Hongxiu called out, “Brother Yu, wait a second. Dad, I’d like to introduce you to Zhao Yu. He’s the one who saved me and captured Shen Tuo She and his men.”

Without shoes, Dai Ning watched from the car, observing how the protagonist enjoyed all the credit.

Look at that—surrounded by so many people, yet only Zhao Yu got mentioned. That’s the charisma of a true protagonist. Otherwise, why didn’t Zhuang Hongxiu praise the straightforward and simple-minded Li Dazhuang?

Chief Zhuang took a good look at the young man before him.

With his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, Zhao Yu struck girls as handsome. To someone like Chief Zhuang, he had a clear gaze and a steadfast demeanor.

Even the old man Ji, who’d seen it all in the business world, would find nothing to fault in Zhao Yu’s character.

Chief Zhuang said “good” multiple times, gratefully shaking Zhao Yu’s hand.

“Thank you, young Zhao. You all worked hard. I insist on treating everyone to a meal tonight to thank you for saving Hongxiu and capturing Shen Tuo She. It’s a huge achievement!”

Zhao Yu expressed his gratitude but politely declined. “The villagers are eager to get back to the harvest. We won’t be able to stay, Chief Zhuang.”

Chief Zhuang replied, “That won’t do. Besides thanking you, there’s some formal paperwork related to Shen Tuo She. Tomorrow, people from the bureau will follow up, and also…”

He paused, considering his words. “Shen Tuo She is a wanted criminal with a bounty. Your contribution deserves a reward.”

The villagers exchanged astonished glances, hardly daring to believe this stroke of fortune.

Zhao Yu, also surprised, accepted the offer. “Thank you, then, for the hospitality.”

—

That evening, Chief Zhuang hosted a dinner at a local restaurant.

Before they left, Zhao Yu approached Zhuang Hongxiu. “Young Zhuang, I have a favor to ask.”

Having grown to respect him, Zhuang Hongxiu quickly agreed. “Of course, Brother Yu. Just say the word.”

Zhao Yu hesitated a moment. “Could you help me buy a pair of soft, nice shoes for a young lady? I’ll pay you back.”

In his mind, Zhao Yu pictured the women from his village, who either wore cloth shoes or sturdy boots. Someone like Ji Dai Ning, with her refined tastes, was truly one of a kind.

Zhuang Hongxiu thought back to the young lady’s delicate feet and cleared his throat.

“Don’t worry about it, Brother Yu. I’m the one who owes you for saving my life. I’ll ask my mother to prepare a pair of shoes for her.”

Zhao Yu nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” After all the time he’d spent with Dai Ning, he no longer felt embarrassed asking for help from Mrs. Zhuang.