Chapter 1

Lu Yujiao’s husband had died again.

This was already the third one.

All had died mysteriously on their wedding night.

Rumors in the village spread faster than weeds after a heavy rain—

“Which man could withstand her? I bet they’d wish to die on their wedding night with her.”

“Just one look from her eyes, and a man’s soul is practically stolen.”

“Exactly! Even her voice alone makes people weak; don’t even get me started on what she does at night.”

“I swear she’s some fox spirit who came down from the mountains to suck the life out of men!”

“Tell all the young lads in the village—stay away from her, don’t even glance at her.”

“Luckily, her uncle and aunt plan to marry her off to Old Shui, that deaf and blind widower. At least then she won’t lure anyone else.”

“Old Shui? That old widower who’s deaf and blind? He’s more than thirty years older than her.”

“What, feeling sorry for her?” A woman shot her husband a sharp glance.

…

Lu Jingze returned home on leave and passed through the fields, slightly furrowing his handsome brows.

The villagers, busy hoeing, looked up and saw him in crisp military uniform, carrying a large pack, his arms strong and capable under the weight of all his luggage.

Many women’s eyes lit up.

“Jingze is back? Going back to the unit after the New Year?”

“Mm.”

“I heard you’re already a big officer?”

“Just a company commander, not an officer,” he replied.

“This time, you should get a wife and leave a child before you go! Even the kids we grew up with can now go gather firewood in the mountains.”

“I’ll see about it.”

“….”

Lu Jingze responded politely to the villagers’ enthusiasm but didn’t stop walking.

Through the fields, the houses became sparse.

His family was poor, living in the most remote western part of the village.

Behind their newly built two-tile-roof houses stretched endless green mountains.

In front of the house was a small pond.

Next to the pond, a neat little vegetable patch grew.

As Lu Jingze approached, he saw a “rabbit” dart out from the back of the hill.

No—it was a girl.

Her head was bowed under a straw hat, only half her chin and neck visible, as white as snow.

It was freezing, yet she wore very little.

Her slim waist and full chest were hard to hide.

Lu Jingze knew he shouldn’t stare, but he was momentarily distracted.

The girl bent down to pick something up and accidentally bumped into him.

Her startled “Ah!” echoed as she pressed against his broad chest, the stiffly starched uniform making contact.

Lu Jingze instinctively reached out to steady her.

Their eyes met—bright, glistening, moist.

His hand froze mid-air; he forgot what he intended to do.

She bent to pick up the straw hat from the ground and glanced at him timidly.

She seemed afraid of him and ran off as if startled.

From a distance, she looked exactly like a little gray rabbit.

…

“Jingze, why don’t you come inside? What are you looking at out here!?”

Lu Jingze’s father, Lu Fusheng, had come out carrying firewood. Seeing his son, he was first delighted.

Then he noticed Lu Jingze staring blankly in one direction and felt uneasy.

Following his gaze, he saw the slender figure disappearing into the distance.

Lu Fusheng understood immediately, masking it with a stern face.

“That’s Lu Yuanyuan’s niece. The more beautiful the girl, the more trouble she brings. Stay away from her.”

Lu Jingze withdrew his gaze and said sternly, “Dad, in the military, gossiping about others behind their backs is against regulations.”

Hearing that, Lu Fusheng quickly lifted the bundles on the ground.

“Come, come, go inside. Your mother has missed you.”

…

Meanwhile, Lu Yujiao’s heart was still pounding wildly.

She was very beautiful, her skin fair and soft, her eyes clear and pure.

But she knew herself—her heart was dark.

Hearing that Lu Jingze would return home, she had been sneaking around the back hill for days just for this encounter.

Fate had played cruel tricks on her.

When she was eight, her father left home and disappeared.

At ten, her mother remarried, never to be heard from again.

Little Lu Yujiao, holding the address from a letter, had traveled from Forty-Nine City to her uncle and aunt’s rural home.

Her uncle and aunt were no better than anyone else; life as a dependent was harsh.

If she had been truly as innocent as her face suggested, she might have died countless times over.

…

Back at “home,” her aunt Ma Ying scolded her at once.

“Where have you been, you useless girl? Didn’t gather firewood, didn’t start the fire! You’re getting lazier by the day!”

Lu Yujiao stormed into the small shed and slammed the door.

“I’m not doing it! Let whoever wants to do it, do it!”

Once, she had tried her best to please her uncle and aunt, working tirelessly from dawn to dusk.

She thought that would make them like her.

She had been too naive!

At sixteen, they married her off to the village idiot next door—just because the bride price was a full five hundred yuan!

From then on, Lu Yujiao gave up entirely.

…

In the courtyard, Ma Ying ground her teeth in anger.

“This girl is completely out of control!”

“Mother, I’m hungry,” Lu Zhaohu said, frowning as he came out of the western room.

“Why rush? I just came back from the fields, and the house is still cold. Blame that girl!” Ma Ying glared at Lu Zhaohu, exasperated.

Lu Zhaohu shrugged. “You can’t blame Sister Yujiao. Who’d be happy to marry her off to an old widower?”

Ma Ying, furious, threw the firewood to the ground.

“What’s wrong with marrying her to an old widower? With her cursed husband-fate, who else would dare take her?”

“I’m telling you now—I not only plan to marry her off, but I want her to be wed tomorrow!”