Wasn’t that voice just now the second daughter-in-law’s?  

Lin Min had been married into the family for less than a day, and everyone was still unfamiliar with her. For a moment, they didn’t recognize the voice coming from behind them as belonging to the second daughter-in-law.  

As Wang Guixiang froze in her steps, Gu Decheng and Gu Jingxiu also stopped.  

The three of them turned around in unison.  

They saw the tall figure of the young woman standing straight at the door of the eastern room, looking at them.  

“Xiao Min, you…” didn’t run away?  

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Wang Guixiang realized how abrupt that would sound and quickly changed her phrasing. “Jingxiu couldn’t find you in the outhouse earlier and thought you’d gone out.”  

Lin Min smiled. “I’m in an unfamiliar place—where could I go?”  

The family of three standing at the gate felt both awkward and relieved, unsure how to respond.  

She hadn’t run away!  

They’d nearly been scared out of their wits!  

Lin Min’s expression was calm. “I was cooking for Jingchuan and didn’t hear you calling me.”  

The family exchanged glances again.  

Cooking for Jingchuan?  

And the way she called him “Jingchuan” wasn’t awkward, forced, or distant.  

It sounded as if they were an old married couple.  

“Second sister-in-law, you’re so good to my second brother.”  

Gu Jingxiu was the first to snap out of her daze and ran over to flatter Lin Min.  

Lin Min replied nonchalantly, “It’s just cooking, nothing special.”  

Wang Ying, lying on the kang in the western room humming a tune, was too absorbed in her happiness to hear the conversation outside.  

But Gu Jinghui heard it.  

He looked at Wang Ying and said, “Mom and Dad seem to be talking to our second sister-in-law.”  

“What?” Wang Ying abruptly stopped her off-key humming, her face darkening.  

“I’ll go see if they’ve brought her back.”  

Gu Jinghui went out just in time to hear Lin Min say, “I was cooking for your second brother.”  

So, she hadn’t run away at all—she’d just gone to the kitchen.  

Gu Jinghui turned back and said excitedly, “Second sister-in-law never ran away. She was in the kitchen cooking for Jingchuan.”  

Wang Ying’s face twisted in anger as she yanked the blanket over herself and lay back down on the kang.  

Idiot! I gave her such a good opportunity, and she didn’t take it!

She refused to believe Lin Min’s attitude could change so quickly.  

She must have chickened out and not dared to run.  

It seemed she, the elder sister-in-law, would have to give her another push.  

A sinister glint flashed in Wang Ying’s eyes.  

…

Lin Min remained well-behaved all day. At noon, Gu Jingchuan sat in his wheelchair in the yard, sunbathing and reading a book. She sat beside him, sorting through memories of her past life in her mind and making plans for the future.  

Her so-called mother, Li Qiumei, had never treated her well. She’d been forced to do all the household chores since childhood, and even buying a notebook for school would earn her a beating.  

She had to drop out of school several times, and it was only because of her excellent grades—and a partial waiver of tuition fees—that she barely made it to high school.  

Later, Li Qiumei outright refused to let her continue her education, only funding Lin Jiao’s schooling.  

Unfortunately, Lin Jiao was a hopeless student—utterly useless.  

In her past life, after her master saved her, she studied medicine while attending night school, finally obtaining the diploma she’d always dreamed of.  

Now, as a married woman, her top priority wasn’t anything else but to heal Gu Jingchuan as soon as possible.  

But…  

Lin Min glanced at the cold-faced man who hadn’t spoken a single word to her.  

How could she convince him that she knew medicine and get him to cooperate with her treatment?  

That was the real challenge.  

Lin Min spent three quiet days in the Gu household, during which the family practically treated her like a goddess.  

Yet, Gu Jingchuan remained as indifferent as ever.  

He even refused to share the same kang with her at night, pushing his wheelchair to sleep with Gu Jingqi instead.

Though it was their newlywed period, she found herself alone in an empty room—a rather bleak situation.  

But Lin Min didn’t mind much. She knew Gu Jingchuan was acting this way precisely because he was upright and kind-hearted.  

He simply didn’t want to burden her.  

He wanted her to give up and leave on her own.  

In her past life, Lin Min had lived exhaustingly.  

With great ability comes great responsibility.

After her master retired, she had to see countless patients every day.  

She barely had time for her own personal affairs.  

It was because she poured all her energy into her work that she overlooked the venomous gazes behind her back.  

In the end, her own senior brother and that woman had conspired together to take her life.  

Now that she had been reborn, she wanted to live for herself this time.  

As for those so-called family members? They could all go to hell.

While Gu Jingchuan read, Lin Min also picked up a book and sat beside him on a small stool.  

The mid-autumn sunlight was no longer scorching, just warm and gentle on their skin.  

It was utterly pleasant.  

From the corner of his eye, Gu Jingchuan occasionally stole glances at the woman beside him.  

But he quickly averted his gaze each time.  

He didn’t dare look too long—afraid he might fall deeper into something he couldn’t afford.  

Even though Gu Jingchuan treated her this way, Lin Min acted as if nothing was wrong. She ate, drank, and worked as usual.  

Wang Ying couldn’t figure out Lin Min’s thoughts either. She had given her so many chances to run away, yet this woman showed no intention of taking them.  

Wang Ying decided to have a heart-to-heart with her as a sister-in-law.  

That morning, after the rest of the family had gone to work in the fields, she pulled Lin Min into her room and sat her down on the kang.  

With a sympathetic gaze, she sighed, “Sister-in-law, you’ve suffered. Marrying a man like Jingchuan… ai.”  

Lin Min lowered her head, secretly smirking.  

This woman finally couldn’t hold back anymore.  

She stayed silent, waiting for Wang Ying’s next move.  

Wang Ying sighed again. “I’m a woman too—I understand how you feel. Look at me, I got pregnant just half a year after marriage, and by the end of the year, I’ll be a mother. But with Jingchuan’s condition… you’ll probably be living like a widow, never able to have a child of your own. Just thinking about it makes me sad for you. Jingchuan doesn’t dare share a room with you, probably because he’s afraid you’ll resent him.”  

Lin Min lowered her head even further, still silent, playing along with her act. She let out a timely sob.  

Hearing this, Wang Ying smirked triumphantly and patted the back of her hand, cautiously steering the conversation toward her goal.  

“I heard… you have a sweetheart?”  

Lin Min shyly nodded.  

Seeing that she was willing to confide in her, Wang Ying eagerly pressed on, “Why don’t you meet him?”  

“Meet him? Can I?” Lin Min abruptly lifted her head.  

Wang Ying patted her hand reassuringly. “Of course! Talk to him, pour your heart out—it might make you feel better.”  

At least, that’s what she said.

What she really meant was—once you meet your lover, why would you ever come back to the Gu family?

Lin Min lowered her lashes, her expression dim. “But Father and Mother don’t want me going out.”  

“Do you trust me, sister-in-law?” Wang Ying asked.  

Lin Min’s face was full of naive sincerity as she nodded obediently.  

“Then here’s what we’ll do—tell me where your sweetheart is, and I’ll go talk to him first. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out under the pretense of buying women’s necessities. We’ll arrange a quiet place for you two to talk.”  

Lin Min hesitated for a moment. Then, under Wang Ying’s expectant gaze, she revealed Li Qingming’s workplace.

It was already afternoon. Without delay, Wang Ying headed out.