But An Qihui kept wailing, refusing to back down.

“My father died saving Gu Liancheng’s parents! A life for a life—how dare he refuse to repay us?”

Gu Liancheng’s comrades had had enough.

“On the battlefield, we’d die for our brothers. My old squad leader… he died saving me too. That’s a debt we honor—but no one milks it for over a decade like your family.”

“When Gu Liancheng’s parents were alive, they treated your sisters better than their own kids. Now they’re gone—how many generations do you expect to keep repaying that kindness?”

Finally, Gu Liancheng dropped the bombshell:

“I’ve found proof—your father isn’t dead. So from now on, no one can say we owe your family a life.”

An Qihui’s father is… alive?

If Gu Liancheng said it, he had evidence—he wouldn’t lie.

The Gu family elders held their ground.

“Even if the Qi family switched grooms, your sister walked into it willingly. Complaining now is useless—either marry or break it off. The Qi family gave her a way out. She didn’t take it, and now you’re blocking our Liancheng’s wedding? What law is this?”

“Enough talking. Let’s just call the cops.”

The An relatives panicked, dragging An Qihui away.

“Don’t call the cops! We’ll keep her in line.”

Meanwhile, Qi Junshan, who had been ready to leave, suddenly changed his mind after hearing the news.

“Elder Sister An, I’ve got plenty of patience. Why don’t you go ask your sister—does she still want to marry me or not?”

…

At the Bridal Chamber 

Jiang Zhen, caught up in the wedding excitement, was taking the ceremony seriously now.  

One of the groomsmen—a young soldier—grinned at her.  

“Sis-in-law, during that bandit raid, you gave me emergency first aid! You probably don’t remember me, huh?”

If this were the real Jiang Zhen, she wouldn’t have forgotten a face so soon. But the one who’d bandaged him was the woman she’d replaced.  

She quickly smiled to cover her slip.  

“Sorry, it was so chaotic that day—I didn’t get a good look at anyone.” 

Gu Liancheng, crouching to carry her, glanced back.  

“That’s Xiao Qingfeng. My brother-in-law’s nephew. Director Wan’s son-in-law.” 

Jiang Zhen recognized the name—Director Wan, the organizer of the matchmaking event. She’d spoken to him briefly, though as a temp worker, she’d never met him at the hospital.  

Xiao Qingfeng, like Gu Liancheng and An Xiuqing, shared overlapping memories with the original timeline.  

So far, three people had been affected by the “mirage” phenomenon.  

A wild thought struck her—had her secret been discovered?

Yet if the authorities knew, why hadn’t they arrested her? They’d even approved her marriage to Gu Liancheng.  

She reassured herself—as long as she followed the rules here, she’d be fine.  

With this realization, Jiang Zhen felt a mischievous thrill—she now held a secret over Gu Liancheng.  

I know you’ve figured out my secret… but you don’t know that I *know you know.*  

Giddy, she happily climbed onto his back.  

“I’m a little heavy. Can you really carry me down five floors without stopping?”  

Gu Liancheng: “…Whether I can or not, I’m not dropping you halfway.”  

Internally, he was uneasy.  

After submitting their marriage application, a simple phone call to Jiang Zhen’s hometown police station for background checks should’ve sufficed.  

But instead, the organization had sent two senior investigators—even asking about her exact height and weight.  

Before coming to find her relatives, Jiang Zhen had likely weighed around **50 kilograms**. The woman on his back now felt roughly the same.  

Yet the fact that his wife had **secrets**—and that he was probing them—left him nervous. What if he uncovered something irreversible?  

Fortunately, the authorities held no ill will toward Jiang Zhen. If anything, she was flagged for special protection.  

The reason Xiao Qingfeng had been discharged early to join the groomsmen?  

To verify if this Jiang Zhen was the same one who’d bandaged him.  

Gu Liancheng wanted that answer too.  

But regardless, the organization wouldn’t interfere with Jiang Zhen. For him, though, it was personal—he wanted to understand the woman he’d partnered with.  

…

By the time they reached the third floor, the An sisters’ heated argument echoed through the stairwell.  

Jiang Zhen immediately whispered in Gu Liancheng’s ear:  

“Slow down—I want to hear more.”  

He almost laughed. The sisters were loud enough that even if they missed parts now, the gossip would reach them later.  

But if she wanted to listen, he’d oblige.  

Then they heard An Xiuqing roar at her sister:  

“Yes! I knew I was marrying Qi Junshan! I lied about it being Dr. Qi because you would’ve refused! Today, no matter what you do—I’m marrying him!”  

Both Jiang Zhen and Gu Liancheng were stunned.  

“She didn’t know before… but she’s choosing this now,” Jiang Zhen murmured.  

Gu Liancheng agreed. Likely, her reborn memories convinced her this marriage offered opportunities she couldn’t refuse.  

“We’ll be neighbors with them. Will that bother you?” he asked.  

“Whoever’s miserable will be the bothered one. Not me.”

Gu Liancheng smiled silently. Her attitude was infectious—if she’s happy, the whole family’s happy.  

But hiding his own secrets from her? Making sure she never noticed?  

That was going to be torture. 

…

Downstairs, Jiang Zhen finally got a clear look at the one-eyed Qi Junshan.  

She urged Gu Liancheng to get closer instead of detouring:  

“I need to observe him.”  

“Why?” (If not for his comrades blocking bystanders, even their whispers would’ve been overheard.)  

“On my way here, I ran into bandits. One of them—I gouged his eye out. I need to see if it’s him.”  

Gu Liancheng’s brows shot up.  

**That brutal?** Against bandits, ruthlessness was a virtue—but few had the stomach for it.  

Now he fully believed Jiang Zhen’s “friendly warning” during their matchmaking:  

“Don’t abuse my family. Don’t hit women or children. Or I’ll kill you.” 

He didn’t avoid Qi Junshan, who was deliberately blocking the way. Jiang Zhen wanted to confirm if he was a bandit, and Qi Junshan wanted to confirm whether Jiang Zhen recognized him.

Gu Liancheng was carrying Jiang Zhen on his back. Qi Junshan had one eye covered with a black cloth, and his smiling expression hid a probing intent. The two sides passed each other slowly, taking their time to observe each other up close as much as possible.