The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 194 - 193

Chapter 193

The next morning, Mu Yingying wasted no time arriving at the forest behind the village just as the sun was rising. However, when she got there, she found that Lu Jiu was already waiting for her. She smiled unwittingly as she approached him.

"I thought I was early, but you beat me here."

"If I were any later, the Bai family would wake up and not let me leave,"

Lu Jiu replied calmly. Hearing this, Mu Yingying couldn’t help but think that the Bai family treated Lu Jiu like a caged animal, needing to ask her for permission wherever he wanted to go, or let her go with him all the time.

Even she had never treated Lu Jiu that way!

"She must really be possessive of her husband,"

Mu Yingying said half-jokingly, but Lu Jiu didn’t respond. He simply began walking into the forest, prompting Mu Yingying to quicken her pace to follow him. They found a suitable spot under a large tree and sat down. Mu Yingying looked at Lu Jiu, who no longer showed anger towards her like the previous night.

She also wanted to know about Lu Jiu and Bai Niu’s relationship, specifically whether they had truly married and lived together as husband and wife.

"How long have you been married to Bai Niu?"

"A few days ago. Actually, I don’t really know...When I woke up, she told me I was her husband and that they had just held a grand wedding," Lu Jiu explained without hiding.

Mu Yingying could guess parts of the story now. She felt a strong dislike for Bai Niu, as everything she had done to Lu Jiu seemed like deception. Taking what wasn’t hers—what was the point?

Sensing Mu Yingying’s displeasure, Lu Jiu changed the subject.

"So, what happened between us to end up like this?"

Mu Yingying exclaimed and began to recount their story to Lu Jiu, mixing truth with some embellishments. At least she wasn’t tricking anyone into marriage like Bai Niu.

"We were traveling back from Daliang, but a storm hit, causing the carriage to overturn. I fell from the carriage into the river, and you jumped in to save me, so we both ended up in the water."

As Lu Jiu listened, fragmented memories started to surface in his mind. He remembered the carriage procession encountering a torrential rainstorm, and the dark clouds obscuring his vision. He raised a hand to his head as pain throbbed, attacking his head.

"Are you okay?"

Mu Yingying asked, concerned. She placed her hand on his, squeezing gently. Lu Jiu looked up and shook his head, wanting to know more despite the pain.

"I’m fine. Keep going. I want to know about us."

"Let’s stop here for today. I’m afraid forcing it will make your headache worse,"

Mu Yingying said, keeping hold of his hand and gently rubbing it to soothe him, unaware of her own actions.

"As you say,"

Lu Jiu replied, speaking minimally as usual. But Mu Yingying knew this was the Lu Jiu she knew—a man of few words with a stoic expression, yet always looking out for her.

“We’ll meet here every day from now on. I believe your memory will come back soon, is that good?” Mu Yingying suggested. Lu Jiu agreed, nodding with a slight smile in response.

It was the first time since he lost his memory that Mu Yingying saw a faint smile on his lips.

“Good...”

The next day, in the forest behind the village, Lu Jiu arrived before Mu Yingying again. This time, she brought some apples with her, so they ate and chatted to make the atmosphere more relaxed since Lu Jiu still occasionally acted distant.

“Do you eat apples without peeling them?” Lu Jiu asked when he saw Mu Yingying biting into an unpeeled apple, while she had peeled one for him.

“Yes, I like them this way. But you said the skin is tough and sticks in your throat, so you prefer them peeled,”

Mu Yingying replied unhurriedly. Today’s conversation was more about everyday life rather than serious matters, as she didn’t want to stress Lu Jiu too much.

Lu Jiu stared at the apple slice in his hand for a long time before taking a bite. The sweet taste of the apple lightened his mood. He felt more relaxed with Mu Yingying than with Bai Niu, who always made him feel uneasy.

“Do you remember anything else?”

With that, Lu Jiu fell silent, his face contorting slightly as he was deep in thought. The images in his mind were blurry and unclear. He saw fleeting images of himself and Mu Yingying walking, talking, and laughing together, but they came and went.

“I don’t remember,” Lu Jiu shook his head.

Mu Yingying’s smile faded instantly, and she sighed, realizing it would take time for Lu Jiu’s memories to return. Nonetheless, she reassured him patiently,

“It’s alright. I have plenty of time to wait until your memories come back.”

On the third day of their meetings in the forest behind the village, as they talked more, Mu Yingying noticed that Lu Jiu’s memories were slowly returning, though still not clearly. She told him how he always stayed by her side, protecting her wherever they went.

Sometimes, Lu Jiu seemed to remember more clearly, but when he tried too hard, the headaches would return.

“I...remember riding a horse beside your carriage,” Lu Jiu said hesitantly. The memory came and went, but he could still see it vaguely. When he said that, Mu Yingying’s face lit up with joy.

“Yes! Lu Jiu, you remember!”

“Barely. Trying to remember too much makes my head hurt.”

“That’s already very good.” Mu Yingying held his hand. They looked into each other’s eyes and smiled, feeling more at ease than before.

In the following days, Lu Jiu began to remember more. He recalled where they had been together before, though not always with certainty. Mu Yingying was delighted, seeing it as a positive sign that his memories would soon fully return.

"Did I ever teach you how to ride a horse?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Lu Jiu asked on the sixth day of their meetings. The two were walking out of the forest behind the village as evening approached, their conversation interspersed with laughter.

"Yes, it was you who taught me. The first few times I tried riding, I always ended up getting hurt. It made me dread it,"

Mu Yingying said jokingly. She had become proficient at horse riding because of Lu Jiu, who had taught her, and not just in that but many other things as well. To her, Lu Jiu was a friend, an older brother, a guard, and all other statuses that always had her best interests at heart.

"Ah, one has to endure some pain to learn quickly. I think that..."

"My husband!"

Both Mu Yingying and Lu Jiu froze in their tracks as they emerged from the forest around the village entrance to find Bai Niu waiting for them, her face and demeanor showing clear displeasure. She screamed and rushed at Lu Jiu, hitting him repeatedly.

"How could you do this to me!? I am your wife."

Bai Niu shouted, not caring that some villagers had begun to gather and watch. The quarrel between a husband and wife always drew attention.

Bai Niu had been suspicious for days about where her husband was going every day, leaving early and returning late for several days. Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she told her mother and secretly followed him, eventually finding out he went into the forest behind the village.

Bai Niu and her mother had been waiting all day, and now she saw Bai Ye walking back with that woman. Her heart raced wildly, and anxiety was gnawing at her heart once again, so she rushed forward to take her husband back home as quickly as possible.

Lu Jiu didn’t respond; he stepped aside and moved to stand next to Mu Yingying. Seeing this, Bai Niu became even more enraged. She pointed at Mu Yingying and began shouting angrily, attracting more attention from passersby who stopped to see what was happening.

"You whore! How dare you seduce my husband!? Having an affair in the forest shamelessly. Everyone, look at this shameless woman trying to steal someone’s husband!"

So many vulgar words that came from Nai Niu’s mouth had stirred a commotion among the villagers. They gathered to see the beautiful woman accused of being an adulteress with Young Miss Bai’s husband.

"You look so decent, you shouldn’t act like this, dear. Why should you get involved with someone else’s husband?"

"Indeed, there are plenty of young men in the village. This is disgraceful."

Neither Mu Yingying nor Lu Jiu retaliated, remaining composed and dignified, contrasting sharply with Bai Niu and her mother’s frantic outburst. Seeing Mu Yingying remain silent only fueled Bai Niu’s anger further.

"You two, doing this to my daughter..."

Da Shan pointed a finger and yelled, her face contorted with rage that her daughter was being trampled like this. However, when she met Lu Jiu’s cold, piercing stare as he scanned around, she went silent abruptly. His sharp gaze then turned menacingly towards her and her daughter.

Despite her fear of Lu Jiu’s intimidating look, Bai Niu did not back down easily. She continued to scream insults at Mu Yingying, terrified that this woman would take her husband away.

"You shameless woman! If you don’t feel ashamed, at least have some respect for the heavens. Didn’t your parents teach you any manners!?"

Mu Yingying tilted her head slightly, listening to the tirade. A sly smile formed on her lips as she stepped slowly towards Bai Niu and stopped right in front of her.

Slap!

Mu Yingying’s hand struck Bai Niu’s face with a force that left her head spinning. The shouting ceased instantly amid the shock and panic of the onlookers. Bai Niu’s mouth agape, unable to believe she had been slapped. Her mother, equally shocked, couldn’t fathom that this woman would dare to strike her daughter.

"Y...you! You whore! How dare you slap me!"

Bai Niu screamed in anger and humiliation. Being slapped in front of so many people was a huge disgrace. She spat out every curse she could think of at Mu Yingying.

Mu Yingying had endured listening for a long time. She let this shameless woman ramble to her heart content, thinking that she would tire herself out and stop. However, Bai Niu’s persistence in hurling insults was astonishing, keeping a persistent and annoying curse, her voice much like a fly that caused annoyance, and also useless.

"The shameless woman here seems to be you,"

Mu Yingying finally responded, shaking her head. Not only that, but she also pointed her finger at both Bai Niu and her mother.

"The daughter is shameless harlot, and the mother is even more shameless!" Mu Yingying’s voice was icy as she hooked her arm around Lu Jiu’s to show ownership.

"The one who stole someone else’s husband is you, Bai Niu, because I am Lu Jiu’s true wife. You are merely a pretender, claiming to be someone else’s wife! Shame on your ancestors."

As Mu Yingying finished speaking, the villagers began to whisper among themselves, wondering about the truth of the matter. Bai Niu’s face turned pale, and she urgently tugged at her mother’s arm.

"Mother!"

"Stay calm, Niu’er,"

Da Shan whispered, though she was equally unnerved. What they feared had happened. But if they denied it vehemently, what could this woman do? Da Shan raised her head to look at Mu Yingying with disdain.

"What proof do you have to make such claims? Everyone in the village knows that Bai Niu and Bai Ye got married and spent their wedding night together. How could my son-in-law be your husband? Ridiculous!"

Mu Yingying smirked, feeling a mix of pity and disgust for the shameless mother and daughter duo. Even now, they continued their charade.

"This man’s name is not Bai Ye. His name is Lu Jiu. We are lawfully wedded husband and wife. An accident happened while we were returning to the capital, causing our carriage to overturn. Both of us fell into the river...”

Mu Yingying recounted the events in detail, and the surrounding villagers fell silent as they listened intently, as if spellbound. She glanced at Bai Niu and Da Shan alternately as she wasn’t done speaking.

"When my husband woke up, he had lost his memory. You two took advantage of that to concoct this shameless marriage story. What’s wrong if I reclaim my husband?"

The villagers’ chatter grew louder, with differing opinions on who was telling the truth. Some sided with Bai Niu, while others found Mu Yingying more credible.

"When this young miss stands beside the gentleman, they look well-matched, like golden branches and jade leaves. They both look elegant and well off," one villager commented, prompting others to agree.

"I agree. Besides, the gentleman’s gaze is full of love for this young miss. Just now, I saw that he looked at Bai Niu like he wants to tear her spart."

"You!"

Bai Niu cried out in frustration, feeling utterly humiliated in front of the crowd.

"What kind of mother teaches her daughter to steal another woman’s husband?"

The villagers’ reproaches turned towards the Bai family. Mu Yingying thought the confrontation would end there, but the mother and daughter were more stubborn than she had thought.

"What proof do you have to claim you’re really Bai Ye’s wife? Hah! I think you’re just a desperate whore wanting to have a husband, fabricating stories to steal my husband!" Bai Niu sneered, confident that Mu Yingying wouldn’t be able to produce any evidence to support her claim.

"Of course I have proof. My Lu Jiu always carries a jade amulet that matches mine exactly, a token of our marriage,"

Mu Yingying smiled slyly for a moment, fabricating the story on the spot. In fact, the jade amulet she mentioned was a gift Lu Jiu had given her for her hairpin ceremony in the past. Since it was a gift from him, she had always kept it with her. She never thought she would use it for something like this today.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Mu Yingying wondered how many times she had declared Lu Jiu as her husband. Yet, she would never allow another woman to call Lu Jiu her husband. The mere thought of it was infuriating.

"Here it is, my jade amulet,"

Mu Yingying held up the jade for everyone to see. Da Shan and Bai Niu secretly sighed in relief upon seeing it. It was true that Bai Ye had indeed carried this thing with him. However, the mother and daughter duo had already stolen and sold it in the market, leaving Bai Ye without any possessions. As a result, he couldn’t provide the evidence.

Feeling triumphant, the two women believed they had won. Where could Mu Yingying possibly produce matching evidence now?

"Then let him show his proof. Where’s the matching jade amulet you mentioned?" Bai Niu was acting all smug, thinking the charade should have ended already. She and her mother had wasted so much time. She would take her husband back home with her.

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