After saying this, Lu Xiao walked ahead.  

Su Tang followed him into the house and saw him fetch an enamel basin to fill with water.  

Before long, Lu Xiao returned and called Su Tang over.  

“Those thorns carry a bit of poison, and the wind and sand in the northwest are harsh. If the wounds aren’t treated, they’ll fester.”  

He explained briefly, motioning for Su Tang to stretch out her hands to wash them first.  

The clear water in the enamel basin reflected Su Tang’s pale face. She stared at the fine scratches left by the jujube thorns on her palms and dipped her hands in.  

After rinsing away the sand clinging to the wounds, Lu Xiao crouched on a small stool to treat them for her.  

The grip of his fingers around her wrist was exceptionally gentle, but the moment the iodine swab touched Su Tang’s finger, she flinched slightly.  

“If it hurts, don’t stare at it.”  

Noticing her trembling, he spoke up.  

His lowered lashes cast shadows like butterfly wings under his eyes, and his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he spoke.  

The man appeared cold, but his heart was warm. As for his looks—well, he was the most handsome man Su Tang had seen here so far.  

“Lu Xiao.”  

Su Tang looked at him and suddenly called his name.  

Hearing this, the man’s fingers paused briefly.  

He didn’t look up, only humming in acknowledgment, as if sensing what Su Tang was about to say. He spoke again.  

“My dad said that without Professor Su, there would be no me.”  

“Besides, I’m his biological son.”  

These words were meant to tell Su Tang that no matter what happened to the Su family, his father already knew everything.  

Lu Xiao was his own flesh and blood—would his father ever harm him?  

The words tightened Su Tang’s chest, filling her with an awkward sense of having her thoughts completely laid bare.  

She recalled how the book often mentioned that the Lu and Su families shared a life-and-death bond.  

It was because of this bond that the original host’s life had been spared.  

But the original host, spoiled since childhood, had never considered how much effort her family had expended to protect her.  

She didn’t respond further, simply letting Lu Xiao tend to the wounds on her fingers.  

……  

Over the next few days, Su Tang didn’t bring up the matter of work with Lu Xiao again. Knowing his predicament, how could she have the heart to press him with such an ill-timed request?  

No job? Fine.  

After her residency, she had spent eight years in the hospital—she’d had her fill of work anyway.  

One day, when Lu Xiao returned from training, he mentioned that, following the customs of the family quarters, they would be hosting a dinner for friends in a few days.  

As newlyweds, inviting guests to warm the house and stove symbolized prosperity and a flourishing family in the future.  

While washing his face, Lu Xiao said to Su Tang, “I’ve already spoken to Sister-in-law Zhang Cui. She’ll help with the cooking that day.”  

Considering that Su Tang had never lifted a finger to cook in her own home, Lu Xiao made the suggestion.  

Su Tang nodded without objection. After all, hosting a meal was something she couldn’t manage alone.  

Lu Xiao watched the somewhat despondent Su Tang, hesitating as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.  

Three evenings later, a few of Lu Xiao’s comrades arrived at their door, bringing two bottles of sesame oil.  

Zhang Cui helped prepare the dishes before returning home to tend to her child.  

Her little one was still young and couldn’t be left unattended for long.  

On the earthen stove in the kitchen, radish soup bubbled and steamed.  

As Su Tang bustled about in the kitchen, she heard Zhao Tiezhu outside slapping Lu Xiao’s shoulder and exclaiming loudly,  

“Old Lu, you’re something else! The promotion list is out, and you’re still keeping it from us?”

Lu Xiao, who was scooping rice, jolted slightly. He glanced toward the kitchen first, then replied in his usual tone, “Don’t talk nonsense.”  

Zhao Tiezhu took a swig of liquor, his speech already slurring. “Quit pretending. The instructor already let it slip, said your promotion got held up because of your family background—”  

Before he could finish, Lu Xiao kicked his stool, causing the liquor bottle to thud heavily against the table.  

Zhao Tiezhu’s face was flushed. He wanted to say more, but his comrade Lao Chen nudged him under the table.  

Su Tang came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of radish soup and set it on the table.  

“Getting drunk before even eating the dishes? I knew you couldn’t handle your liquor.”  

“But Sis-in-law’s radish stew smells way better than the mess hall’s.”  

Lao Chen gave Su Tang an apologetic smile and reached out to steady Zhao Tiezhu. “This guy can’t keep his mouth shut when he drinks. Sis-in-law, don’t take it to heart…”  

Everyone glanced at Su Tang, then silently averted their gazes.  

Even though they knew Zhao Tiezhu’s words were true, there was nothing more they could say.  

After all, she wasn’t their wife.  

“I was busy with the soup in the kitchen earlier and didn’t catch much. What’s going on?”  

Su Tang tactfully pretended not to notice the unspoken tension.  

As someone who had suddenly dropped into their lives, she felt more like a patch clumsily sewn onto fabric—conspicuously out of place no matter where she was.  

After three rounds of drinks and when the meal was nearly finished, the group helped Zhao Tiezhu to his feet.  

“Uh, we’re—we’re done eating. Wishing Brother Lu and Sis-in-law a happy union for a hundred years!”  

Zhao Tiezhu really had a knack for saying the worst possible thing.  

The evening had been going smoothly until now. Tomorrow, Lu Xiao would make sure the guy learned the consequences of running his mouth.  

Lu Xiao stood to see everyone out. When he turned back, he found Su Tang waiting by the door.  

“About what Zhao Tiezhu said…”  

“What about it? Didn’t you say you didn’t hear?”  

The atmosphere was heavy, but Lu Xiao still tried to lighten the mood.  

Su Tang didn’t play along, so he finally sighed and answered, “The process is standard—they investigate everything, including immediate family.”  

“Who knows where the holdup is? If there were really an issue with you, the marriage application wouldn’t have been approved in the first place.”  

Su Tang bit her lip, her nails digging into the faint scars on her palms.  

The original host’s father was still under investigation, and as a politically problematic family member, she was now a stubborn shadow cast over Lu Xiao’s otherwise bright future.  

“I’m sorry.”  

She suddenly turned away, her back pressing against the cold brick wall, as if standing in for the Su family to apologize to him.  

Marriage shouldn’t have been a bargaining chip. If not for Lu Xiao’s father wanting to repay a debt of gratitude, none of this would have happened.  

“You city folks really love saying sorry, huh?”  

Flecks of light danced in his eyes, like wind-polished pebbles on the Gobi Desert.  

“This was my choice.”  

“Besides, some things are the result of many factors. Don’t take it to heart.”  

Lu Xiao had never explained himself so much before, yet now the words kept coming.  

A misunderstanding was nothing—what he feared was that Su Tang, unable to bear the weight, might do something drastic.  

Women’s pride was fragile, after all.  

Choice.

Su Tang turned the word over in her mind.  

She knew what this marriage meant to Lu Xiao.  

It was repayment for the Su family’s life-saving grace, the fulfillment of a promise—but it was never about love.  

Just like the yellowed marriage contract tucked away in his drawer, the ink of his father’s pen strokes piercing through the paper:  

“A debt of life is hard to repay.”

The night deepened. The kitchen lightbulb swayed gently in the wind, casting flickering shadows.  

“I wrote a letter to my father. I’ll mail it tomorrow.”  

It was originally just a letter to reassure him she was safe. But now, Su Tang needed to ask—what was the worst possible consequence?  

“Letting him know you’re safe is fine, but don’t mention this matter. Professor Su would only worry about you.”  

“Sending you here was so I could take care of you. If he finds out about these things, he’ll be even more uneasy.”