The Lu family exchanged stunned glances, too shocked to speak.

“Nannan is so well-behaved—how could she possibly stir up trouble? Besides, Ah Yuan is with her. I can’t speak for others, but Ah Yuan would never provoke anyone first,” Grandma Lu asserted firmly, having regained her composure.

Zhang Xiaofeng nodded in agreement.

“Enough talk—let’s go back and see what’s happening!” Lu Fang said anxiously.

“Uncle, I’m fast. I’ll run ahead and check,” Lu Ming offered immediately.

“Go, hurry!” Lu Zheng urged his son.

As the Lu family mobilized, villagers eager for gossip trailed behind them, curious to witness the unfolding drama.

Meanwhile, He Ye had rushed to Han Yan in a panic, hastily recounting the situation. “Quick, go talk to Lu Heng! Tell him this mess was all Lin Nannan’s doing—I was framed!”

When Han Yan heard what her mother had said, her pulse spiked with disbelief. “Mom, have you lost your mind? How could you say such things?!”

If this escalated, she’d become the target of village gossip too.

“I was just furious the Lu family rejected you back then! Seeing Lu Heng like this felt like justice, so I couldn’t help venting,” He Ye admitted with an awkward laugh.

“What are you even saying? Lu Heng is in this state, and you still expect me to have anything to do with him?” Han Yan almost laughed at the absurdity.

Her subtle digs at Lin Nannan stemmed from resentment—why would the Lu family choose a fool over her? But actually being with Lu Heng now? Unthinkable.

Her past interest in him had been purely pragmatic: his promising future could have taken her out of this village. But opportunity and risk went hand in hand.

When news broke of Lu Heng’s paralysis, she’d actually felt relief. The last thing she wanted was entanglement.

He Ye shrank back, finally realizing her mistake. “…So what do we do now?”

Han Yan took a deep breath. “I’ll handle it.”

This couldn’t spread further. Lin Nannan had to take the blame.

She was certain of one thing: compared to Lin Nannan, she—having grown up alongside the Lu family—held their trust.

…

The two households were close. By the time Han Yan arrived, Lin Nannan and the others hadn’t returned yet. She strode directly to Lu Heng’s door and called out softly, “Brother Heng, I need to talk to you about something—”

Lu Heng, still wrestling with his conflicted feelings about Lin Nannan, frowned at the sound of Han Yan’s voice. “Han Yan, I’m married.”

An unmarried woman lingering at a married man’s doorstep—he knew exactly what that implied, and he doubted Han Yan was oblivious.

Moreover, he was acutely aware that the current version of himself held no appeal for her. Whatever her motives, he refused to let her in.

The rebuke made Han Yan grit her teeth. “Brother Heng, you’ve misunderstood. This is urgent—”

“Your business has nothing to do with me!” Lu Heng cut in coldly.

His indifference pushed her toward fury. “What if it involves Lin Nannan?” she challenged.

His silence confirmed his concern, fueling Han Yan’s bitterness.

Just yesterday, Lin Nannan had been a stranger. Yet after a single day, Lu Heng was already protective of her? After all their shared childhood years—this was how he treated her?

“If it’s about Nannan, I don’t want to hear it from you,” Lu Heng said flatly. Lu Heng was only worried about Lin Nannan getting into trouble, but he had no interest in listening to Han Yan’s instigation.