The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 193 - 192

Chapter 192

Lu Jiu stared into the eyes of the unfamiliar woman for a long time. A strange feeling stirred within him, a feeling he couldn’t quite place. It felt as though he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn’t recall where. Her big, round eyes made him feel an uncanny sense of familiarity.

"Husband, what are you looking at?"

The woman named Bai Niu asked in confusion, noticing the odd behavior of her husband. She followed his gaze and froze when she saw who he was looking at. Her eyes widened in shock and fear.

How did she get here!?

Wasn’t she supposed to be dead?

Bai Niu’s face darkened with a scowl instantly. She turned to her husband and spoke in a sweet, coaxing tone, "I’m very hungry. My stomach is burning. Let’s go home quickly, alright, ah..."

Bai Niu cried out in surprise when her husband sidestepped, avoiding her attempt to grab his arm once again. He had always shown disdain towards her, never allowing her to touch him, which frustrated her greatly.

Lu Jiu tore his gaze away from the unfamiliar woman and turned to leave without glancing back at Bai Niu, who couldn’t help but click her tongue in displeasure. She quickly followed him, not wanting to lose sight of him, but still cast an unfriendly look at the woman standing opposite before hurrying to catch up with her leaving husband.

Though the couple walked away, Mu Yingying remained rooted to the spot, her eyes filled with confusion as she watched Lu Jiu walking away until he disappeared from sight, her heart flooded with a mix of emotions.

The look in his eyes was not like the Lu Jiu she knew. They were cold and distant, unlike his usual warm and gentle gaze that always made her heart flutter. Now, it was...as if he was a different person entirely.

What had happened to Lu Jiu?

How could he change so drastically in just a few days?

Mu Yingying was certain she hadn’t mistaken Lu Jiu for someone else. That man was definitely not someone who looked like him. But she wasn’t sure of the reason why he had changed.

Moreover, the woman standing beside Lu Jiu also called him husband. Did it mean that Lu Jiu had married her? The thought alone left Mu Yingying feeling dizzy and followed by a sharp pain in her chest. This strange feeling made it hard for her to breathe. Her chest ached as if a heavy stone was pressing down on it.

Reflecting on the encounter of Lu Jiu and that woman, Mu Yingying couldn’t contain her curiosity. Upon returning to Granny Ma’s house, she resolved to ask the old woman about it. Granny Ma, being knowledgeable and well-acquainted with the locals, might know who that woman was and what her connection to Lu Jiu might be. Given that the village wasn’t very large, it was likely that everyone knew each other.

"Granny, who was that woman we saw on our way back?"

Mu Yingying asked curiously. Granny Ma paused for a moment to think. When she remembered who Mu Yingying was referring to, she said, "You must mean Bai Niu. She’s the daughter of the Bai family. Their house is also in this village. Her father passed away, so she lives with her mother, Da Shan."

"Is that so?"

Mu Yingying nodded in acknowledgement. But there was something else she needed to know—about the relationship between Bai Niu and Lu Jiu. After only a few days of not seeing each other, how could an unexpected event, like Lu Jiu marrying another woman, occur?

No matter how she thought about it, it was strange.

"Then...Who was the man with her? I heard her call him husband."

"The man?" Granny Ma pondered for a moment. Due to her advanced age, she was not very agile, but her memory was still sharp.

"That’s her husband. They just had a wedding two days ago. It’s quite a grand ceremony. I don’t know how the Bai family managed to find such a handsome son-in-law," Granny Ma explained, and Mu Yingying listened quietly. Thinking Mu Yingying was interested, Granny Ma continued,

"I heard the Bai family received a lot of betrothal gifts. They recently renovated their house and bought many things as if money was no issue. Bai Niu is truly fortunate."

As she listened, Mu Yingying frowned. She couldn’t believe Lu Jiu would marry another woman so easily. The whole situation seemed strange and suspicious that she couldn’t ignore. When they met by chance, Lu Jiu acted as if he had never known her, his behavior and gaze cold and distant. It was as if he had forgotten her completely.

Forgotten her completely?

At that moment, Mu Yingying thought that maybe Lu Jiu had lost his memory. Even she had suffered a head injury, though not severe. If Lu Jiu had sustained a serious head injury, it was possible he could have lost his memory entirely!

"Granny, what is Bai Niu’s husband’s name?"

"Eh...What was his name again?"

Granny Ma thought for a long time, causing Mu Yingying to hold her breath in anticipation. But if she didn’t ask Granny Ma, Mu Yingying didn’t know who else to ask. Because right now, Granny Ma was the only person she knew.

"I remember now. The young man married into the Bai family, and I heard people say that he changed his surname to Bai. His name is Ye."

"Bai Ye?"

Mu Yingying repeated, Granny Ma’s reply had cleared all her doubts. She was now convinced that Lu Jiu had indeed lost his memory, and there must have been some misunderstanding that led to him marrying Bai Niu. Otherwise, how could he show such disdain towards his new wife?

If this were true, Mu Yingying could no longer remain passive...

Bai Family House

Late that night, Mu Yingying used her lightness skills to sneak into the Bai family house. She wanted to talk to Lu Jiu and clear up the confusion. Mu Yingying disliked unresolved matters that left her feeling uneasy, so she decided to confront him that very night. After some observation, she discovered that Lu Jiu and Bai Niu slept in separate rooms. Bai Niu’s room was on the left side, while Lu Jiu’s room was on the right.

Without hesitation, Mu Yingying entered the dark room on the right. However, before she could fully set foot inside, a strong hand swiftly grabbed her and pushed her against the wall.

“Ah...”

“Who are you?!”

Lu Jiu’s grip on her shoulder was firm. Mu Yingying winced in pain and looked up to see his empty gaze and emotionless face, which she could never get used to.

“It’s hurt...”

“I asked who you are and what you want here!”

Lu Jiu’s harsh voice made Mu Yingying flinch. Despite the situation, she tried to converse calmly, raising her hands to show she was unarmed. Lu Jiu’s attitude softens slightly.

“I mean no harm, Lu Jiu. Please, calm down.”

Seeing her face, a strange feeling stirred in Lu Jiu’s heart. However, he couldn’t understand it, it was also accompanied by a sharp headache that made his face pale noticeably.

“Are you...alright?”

The intruding woman asked with concern. Lu Jiu didn’t respond, but he stared into her big round eyes, then his brows furrowed tightly. The strange familiarity made his tone soften slightly.

“You know me, right?”

Lu Jiu asked, keeping his arms braced against the wall to trap her, preventing her from escaping. During that time, he scanned the person in his embrace. She was small, her head level with his chest. When he questioned her, she had to look up to answer, and he had to look down to meet her gaze.

“Are you starting to remember?”

Mu Yingying asked with a mix of excitement and joy. However, the silence that followed told her that Lu Jiu still didn’t remember anything. She sighed before responding, “Yes, I know you, and I know you well.”

“Then what is our relationship?”

Lu Jiu’s question left Mu Yingying momentarily speechless. She didn’t know how to explain their relationship in simple terms. He wasn’t exactly her guard, nor just her friend. It was a relationship too intricate to describe easily. Mu Yingying was silent for a while as she hesitated.

In the end, she decided to answer in the simplest way possible.

“We are husband and wife. I am your true wife,” Mu Yingying said. Lu Jiu’s face showed clear surprise. Fearing he wouldn’t believe her, she quickly added,

“Sigh. Don’t you believe me? We are truly husband and wife. But on our way back to the capital of Qingzhou, an accident occurred, and we fell into the river. When I woke up, you were nowhere to be seen.”

Lu Jiu listened and thought about her words. Suddenly, fragmented memories appeared in his mind, and it aligned with what she said. Though it was vague, he recalled an image of himself submerged in water, He was holding a woman in his arms, but her face was blurred.

“You...are not lying, are you?”

Lu Jiu stared into her eyes for confirmation. Mu Yingying smiled and took his hand.

“Why would I lie to you? If we weren’t husband and wife, why would I follow you here?”

Hearing this, Lu Jiu’s hardened expression softened. The fleeting memories that emerged in his head, combined with her touch, brought a sense of familiarity.

He felt warmth and comfort near her, as if they had known each other before and once shared a deep bond. Not only that, but the desire to protect and cherish her also welled up in his heart, a feeling that had surfaced since he first saw her earlier that day.

There was no reason for Lu Jiu to doubt that she was his true wife.

“Do you really believe what I’m saying? If not, I can tell you about our past,” Mu Yingying asked again, looking deeply into Lu Jiu’s eyes, which now reflected only her image.

“Yes, I believe. I said I believe means I believe you,” Lu Jiu replied. Mu Yingying couldn’t help but think that he was too trusting, which might explain how Bai Niu managed to trick him into marriage.

“In that case, meet me in the forest behind the village tomorrow morning. I’ll tell you about our past and see if it helps you remember.”

“Mm, I will.”

“I have to go now. See you tomorrow,”

With that, Mu Yingying quickly slipped out of his arms and disappeared from the Bai family house as swiftly as she had come, with Lu Jiu’s eyes following her until she vanished into the darkness.

...

..

.

Although it was late, the lamp in the farthest room of the Bai household remained lit. Bai Niu and her mother, Da Shan, were having a tense discussion. Bai Niu’s face showed her distress, troubled since the encounter earlier that day, unable to shake off the feeling until now.

“I’m so worried, Mother. I saw that woman today, and she and my husband stared at each other for a long time. I’m very anxious. What should we do?”

Bai Niu asked, her voice filled with panic. She had been agitated all day, unable to think about anything else, and was worried about the stranger she had seen during the day.

“Don’t be so anxious, Niu’er. Nothing has happened yet,”

Her mother tried to reassure her. When they had found the unconscious man by the river, there had also been an unconscious woman with him. However, they had chosen to save only the man and leave the woman behind. They didn’t expect the woman to be fortunate enough to survive until now.

“How can I not be anxious, Mother!” Bai Niu flung her sleeves in frustration. She was irritated that her mother remained so calm while she was on the verge of panic.

“I don’t know what is her relationship with my husband, but what if they are really married? Wouldn’t it be a problem that I tricked Bai Ye into marrying me?”

Bai Niu was terrified of losing her husband, who had no memory of his past. She had tricked him into marriage, and the woman she met today seemed to be wealthy, so she feared that the woman would soon take him away.

“You don’t need to worry. Right now, your husband has no memory of his past. So what if they meet? She can only try to make him believe her. Trust me, your husband won’t believe a word she says,”

Da Shan said calmly, trying to soothe her daughter, but at this moment, Bai Niu didn’t want to believe anyone.

“But what if Bai Ye believes her? I’m so stressed out!”

“Even if he believes her, he can’t do anything. Everyone knows he married you, so he’ll have to take responsibility for my daughter,” Da Shan tried to find the words that could calm her down. But Bai Niu, already feeling guilty for the deception, was anxious.

“Mother, it’s because we deceived him and everyone else into thinking he married me!”

Bai Niu stood up, pacing the room anxiously. Her hands shook with fear. The so-called marriage was a lie. Bai Ye barely allowed her near him, treating her with disdain. He even recoiled from her touch as if he had touched something hot.

Bai Niu and her mother had taken advantage of Bai Ye’s memory loss, tricking him into believing that he and Bai Niu had just gotten married. They did this because Bai Ye’s face and complexion looked good, seeming like the son of a wealthy family, possibly a young master from a prominent family.

With just a few personal belongings and jewelry that the young man had with him when Bai Niu and her mother rescued him, they managed to sell them for several hundred taels. This money allowed them to indulge in their desires and luxuries.

There was no doubt that he was a person of high status. If Bai Ye remembered everything, he would have no choice but to take responsibility for Bai Niu. When that happened, both mother and daughter would live a life of comfort and wealth, no longer having to endure hardship.

Because of this, Bai Niu was terrified that the woman she saw earlier would help Bai Ye regain his memories, ruining her and her mother’s plan completely!

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