Chapter 13: Jasmine Goes Missing, Li Zhi Gets Blamed

Li Moli hadn’t gone to visit her biological relatives in the countryside.

They’d searched all of her friends’ homes, but no one had seen her — she had simply vanished.

Li Yongge and Yuan Huilan were starting to get worried.

They had checked every possible place she could go. Could something have happened to her?

The world outside was getting more and more chaotic. Robberies were happening everywhere, especially from those ruthless motorcycle gangs who would snatch people’s bags as they sped by.

If a pedestrian held onto their bag, the gangs wouldn’t hesitate to slash their hands off or drag them along the road until they crashed into walls. Whether the person died or was injured, the gang would flee without looking back.

Their faces were always disguised, making it nearly impossible to catch them.

Her third son, Li Jingyou, was a captain in the Public Security Bureau, constantly busy chasing down criminals.

He was so tied up with work that he couldn’t even attend his own sister’s wedding or join his father’s birthday dinner.

Yuan Huilan said, “Maybe we should report her missing to the police.”

Li Jingze placed all the blame on Li Zhi and shouted at her, “Moli’s missing! Are you happy now?”

Li Zhi calmly asked, “Have you checked the Lu family’s house?”

“The Lu family? Lu Yanzhi’s house? Why would she go there?”

He hadn’t gone there. The two families had fallen out. Why would Li Moli go to the Lu family?

“She’s close with Lu Jiaxin. They’re like sisters. Of course that would be the first place she’d go.”

Li Zhi knew that in this timeline, the person Li Moli liked was Lu Yanzhi.

Now that she was planning to break off the engagement with Lu Yanzhi, Li Moli would definitely use her friendship with Lu Jiaxin to get close to him.

Whether it was Li Moli or Lin Xuewei marrying into the Lu family, Li Zhi didn’t mind — she’d be entertained either way.

A green tea bimbo versus a manipulative schemer — it’d be a good show.

Li Jingze went to the Lu family to look for her. Li Moli, however, had hidden herself and even got the Lu family to lie and say they hadn’t seen her.

When Li Jingze came back, he deliberately made a scene to stop Li Zhi from resting. Since Moli was missing, why should Li Zhi get to sleep in peace?

Li Zhi didn’t respond. She pulled the covers over her head and went back to sleep.

In her previous life, Li Moli had ruined her so badly — if she was dead now, even better. And if not, she deserved a fate worse than death.

Worried that Li Jingze might barge in with a spare key, she had locked the door and even dragged her nightstand over to block it.

Just as Li Jingze was about to break in, he heard movement inside and pounded on the door harder. BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Li Zhi! I know you’re not asleep! Get out here! Moli’s missing, and her life’s at stake — how can you sleep so soundly?!”

Li Yongge came and pulled him away. “Jingze, stop it. The doctor said she can’t take any more emotional stress. What if she has a breakdown? No news is good news. We’ll keep searching, and if we still can’t find her, we’ll report it. Your mom’s heating up food in the kitchen. Go eat, then go search again.”

“…Fine.” Li Jingze cooled down and admitted he was being impulsive. He ate quickly and went back out to look for her.

Li Zhi got up early the next morning. She didn’t want to stay at home and endure Li Jingze’s glares.

She was going to the temple — to throw away the blessing tablet she’d once hung there, wishing for a lifetime with Lu Yanzhi. She wanted to erase all signs of her foolish past.

It was only a hundred meters of mountain — not very tall. Her body could handle it.

When she woke up, the housekeeper had already prepared breakfast.

Normally, they would wait for everyone to gather before eating.

But Li Jingze deliberately started without her, even giving her a provocative look as she walked in.

Li Yongge and Yuan Huilan were too focused on finding Moli to care about his behavior.

Li Zhi ignored him. Childish.

She sat down to eat.

Just as Li Jingze was about to scold her, Li Yongge shot him a glare to shut him up.

So instead, he expressed his displeasure through his actions — dragging his chair noisily across the floor as he got up to scoop porridge, making an unpleasant screeching creak.

Li Zhi knew they were only refraining from blaming her because they felt temporarily guilty and were worried about her health.

One daughter was missing, and if another had an incident, they wouldn’t be able to handle it.

“Dad, Mom, I’m heading out.”

“Where to?”

“She can go wherever she wants!” Li Jingze snapped. “Moli’s missing, I’ll look for her. If you go missing, no one cares.”

Li Yongge shouted, “Li Jingze! What kind of talk is that? Studying made you dumb?”

Li Zhi sneered, “I don’t need you to care. Li Moli’s your real sister. Worry about her — just tell her not to mess with me.”

She finished eating, packed her things, and got ready to leave.

Yuan Huilan chased after her, stuffing 20 yuan into her hand. “Take this and buy yourself something good to eat. Take a walk up the mountain to relax, but be careful. If you feel unwell, come right down. Your third brother only said those things because he’s worried about Moli. Once he calms down, I’ll talk to him. Don’t take his words to heart.”

Li Zhi replied coolly, “I won’t.”

In her previous life, words like that would’ve sent her crying in her room.

Not anymore. She no longer longed for anyone’s love. If no one loved her, she’d love herself.

She took the money and bought some snacks and water, packing them in her backpack.

The ticket to the mountain was only two yuan — a bargain.

She bought her ticket and headed up, not rushing. The scenic area hadn’t been developed yet, so much of the natural landscape was still intact.

It was serene and peaceful, the air fresh, birds chirping, and flowers fragrant.

Thirty minutes later, she arrived at Nengren Temple.

The temple retained the traditional Lingnan architecture, with gray tiles and red walls, and eaves that curved upward, giving it a stately, elegant feel.

The main buildings, like the Hall of Heavenly Kings and the Grand Hall, were slightly weathered, showcasing their century-long history.

Admission to the temple was free. She entered and headed to the side shelves of the Marriage Shrine to look for the blessing plaque she had hung up last year.

Amid the countless wooden plaques, she found the one she had written:

“May Lu Yanzhi and Li Zhi share the snow, grow old together, and love each other without doubt.”

Back then, she had gone on a date hiking with Lu Yanzhi. She had taken it so seriously, she couldn’t decide what to write.

“Together for life.”

“Hold your hand, grow old with you.”

“To find someone who truly loves me and never part.”

…

In the end, it was Lu Yanzhi who had come up with the line.

“Share the snow”? Lin Xuewei?

So even when he was with her, the one he truly thought about was Lin Xuewei.

She should have realized long ago. She was the fool who suffered through a loveless marriage for sixteen years, dying exhausted and broken.

She had poured out her heart for nothing — it was like swallowing a fly, utterly disgusting.

Her hands trembled with anger. She untied the string, and the wooden plaque fell to the ground with a solid “pa!”

Just as she bent down to pick it up, a long, slender hand with distinct knuckles reached out faster and grabbed the plaque before she could.