Chapter 1: The Wife

Luo Jiaojiao, dressed in a red wedding gown, clutched the embroidered bridal veil depicting a dragon and phoenix. A suitcase sat at her feet. Her heart was filled with helplessness and fear.

Leng Mohan stood at the door, his crisp military uniform failing to hide the lack of joy on his face. His deep eyes held an unspoken secret. He extended his hand, saying coldly, “Let’s go, my wife.”

Luo Jiaojiao felt as if her feet were rooted to the ground. She looked up at Leng Mohan, searching his face for a hint of warmth. But his eyes were like an icy winter lake, cold enough to chill the soul.

Luo Jiaojiao suddenly looked back. The Luo family’s gate was firmly shut, devoid of any farewell figures. Just like that, she became another man’s wife.

Despair washed over her like a tide. Those she had spent eighteen years with, though not blood relatives, were deeply etched into her life. She had considered them family, and their absence left an unfillable void in her heart.

Neighboring families watched her wedding coldly, perhaps with a touch of malicious mockery. Luo Jiaojiao’s heart grew heavier, but she knew that no matter how difficult the road ahead, she had to bravely forge on.

“Luo Jiaojiao, a country hen will always be a country hen, never a phoenix. Luo Meihui returned, and instead of trying to win her over, you harmed her. It’s chilling. The Luo family showered you with love, yet you disregarded it, usurped Luo Meihui’s identity, and repaid kindness with resentment,” Du Fei said coldly, her words like daggers.

Du Fei’s gaze shifted to the soldier who had come to collect Luo Jiaojiao. He was tall and handsome in his military uniform, yet his eyes held a chilling coldness. She knew that Luo Jiaojiao, marrying such a man, would likely face a tragic fate; he was clearly cold and unfeeling.

Luo Jiaojiao, beautiful yet empty, fragile like a vase, lacking substance within, would eventually be abandoned by the world. Malice flickered in Du Fei’s eyes, fueled by endless jealousy.

The two were neighbors, constantly compared since childhood. Especially their stunning beauty; Du Fei was even mocked as Luo Jiaojiao’s personal maid when they were young.

Now, Luo Jiaojiao’s reputation had plummeted; she was a fraud in the eyes of many. How could Du Fei tolerate being compared to her?

“I never harmed Luo Meihui!” Luo Jiaojiao’s voice trembled slightly as she tried to defend herself. But Du Fei only sneered, unmoved.

“Are you saying Luo Meihui is wrongly accusing you? What a joke! I think you’re jealous that she’s the real daughter, and you’re a fake, so you’re making this up.”

“The Luo family prepared a dowry for you, and you still want to frame Luo Meihui? You’re a truly ungrateful wretch.”

The onlookers chimed in: “That’s right, Luo Jiaojiao, you’re too ungrateful. The Luo family raised you for eighteen years, and not only did you not appreciate it, you also slandered them. You’re utterly shameful.”

“I didn’t do it,” Luo Jiaojiao’s voice trembled. She looked at the people before her; they seemed eager to condemn her, while the truth remained unknown. She bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, unsure how to defend herself.

Finally unable to contain her tears, Luo Jiaojiao’s emotions collapsed, and she wept helplessly.

At that moment, Leng Mohan approached, gently taking her hand, offering warmth and strength. His deep gaze swept across the onlookers, seemingly angered by their blind judgment. His action brought Luo Jiaojiao a sliver of comfort; with him there, she was no longer alone in this chaotic moment.

“Luo Jiaojiao and Luo Meihui’s intertwined fates stem from a tragedy caused by Luo Meihui’s mother offending someone. In this twist of fate, Luo Jiaojiao is undoubtedly the most innocent victim.”

“Conversely, Luo Meihui spent eighteen years under the care of Luo Jiaojiao’s parents, enjoying all the good things in life. She hardly suffered any hardship. However, Luo Jiaojiao’s parents died trying to save Luo Meihui. Luo Meihui’s birth mother caused this tragic separation, and Luo Meihui indirectly led to Luo Jiaojiao losing her parents. So, who bullied whom? The answer isn’t so clear.”

Leng Mohan looked at them, deep thought in his eyes. His words, though calm, revealed deep sympathy for Luo Jiaojiao and displeasure towards Luo Meihui’s family.

“Didn’t Luo Meihui’s family tell you this? Luo Jiaojiao’s father was a soldier, her mother a military doctor, and she was their only child. The tragedy that befell their family was all caused by Luo Meihui’s mother. Their kindness towards Luo Jiaojiao was their way of making amends.”

“Luo Meihui has no right to blame Luo Jiaojiao. She owes Luo Jiaojiao’s parents two lives. If she had any conscience, she wouldn’t have let Luo Jiaojiao’s reputation be so tarnished.” Leng Mohan looked towards the Luo family’s gate.

Everyone fell silent. They truly didn’t know these things.

Some, however, who had long resented the Luo family’s increasingly arrogant demeanor, went to their house, not necessarily to seek justice for Luo Jiaojiao, but simply to cause trouble.

Luo Meihui and her birth mother, Lin Li, had been watching from an upstairs window. Worried about the damage to their family’s reputation, Lin Li went to find Luo Jiahui, asking him to resolve the situation.

“I think that Leng Mohan just wants something from our family. Although Luo Jiaojiao and Meihui were switched at birth because of me, we cherished Jiaojiao for eighteen years. When the girls were born, our families were of similar means, but within a year, you were promoted, and our family’s circumstances improved. We even had a housekeeper; Luo Jiaojiao didn’t have to do anything.”

“And all these years, she’s been pampered. I haven’t even been as attentive to my son as I was to her. Meihui, on the other hand, hasn’t had any improvement in her life in those eighteen years; her parents couldn’t give her anything good. Isn’t that enough? And what about saying Meihui killed Luo Jiaojiao’s parents? If they hadn’t called Meihui back, would she have fallen into the river in panic?”

“It’s a good thing they rescued Meihui; otherwise, I would have settled the score with them,” Lin Li said resentfully to her husband, Luo Jiahui.