Chapter 76: Tangled and Unclear

Wan Yuning was momentarily struck speechless.

“You don’t need to seek me out anymore. I’ve made it clear to Mr. Wan: the debt of raising me has been repaid,” Zhong Yuxiu said, her face expressionless, her eyes cold and indifferent. “There’s something you might as well tell him: the Zhong Yuxiu who first went to the countryside is dead—dead from illness she couldn’t afford to treat, abandoned by her family and dying in utter despair.”

“If you were capable of sending someone away with nothing but two sets of clothes and a pile of books, then you’d already abandoned her completely, leaving her to fend for herself. To come back now and speak of gratitude—don’t you find it hypocritical?”

With that, she turned and walked into Huada University. She possessed all of the original host’s memories, which explained her icy demeanor.

She had felt, with searing clarity, the pain and sorrow of being abandoned by her family—no money, no ration coupons, struggling even to eat, seeking help in vain, her steps shackled in the countryside. The original host’s narrow vision trapped her in the past, convinced that only death could bring peace, and so she surrendered to it willingly.

Wan Yuning stood rooted to the spot, stunned by Zhong Yuxiu’s words. What did she mean, “dead from utter despair”? She was clearly alive—just still blaming them.

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo passed by, a chill breeze trailing behind them. They had listened attentively to Zhong Yuxiu’s words. According to what they’d learned, Comrade Zhong had indeed fallen gravely ill, but she had survived, begun to live seriously, and started anew.

Perhaps it was her past self that had died, and the woman before them was reborn.

“Comrade Zhong, don’t be sad,” Hao Nan comforted her softly as they walked along the path.

Zhong Yuxiu turned to look at them. Both Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo watched her with deep concern, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you for caring. What happened yesterday is already the past. Don’t worry about me; these are but trifles.”

It was the original host who had suffered. When she’d seen Wan Xuetang at the commune, she had indeed felt a pang of sadness. Yet after she’d given him clothes and food, that feeling vanished. Now, seeing the Wan father and son again, there was no sorrow left. Clearly, the original host’s attachment had faded.

“As long as you’re not sad. If they gave up on you, it’s their loss,” Hao Nan said.

Tian Shangguo sighed. “What are you talking about? That’s favoritism, not a matter of having discerning eyes. She’s not an object to be appraised.”

“They have no discernment and they’re biased. Wan Yutong isn’t even fit to shine Comrade Zhong’s shoes.”

“You two can go on arguing. I need to get to class or I’ll be late.” As their bickering threatened to escalate, Zhong Yuxiu interrupted calmly and turned away.

Both men hurried to catch up.

After collecting her lesson plans from the office, Zhong Yuxiu went to class while Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo stood guard outside the classroom, keeping a watchful eye.

Her students were cooperative, and with the progress made yesterday and today, half the material had been covered; in another two days, she’d be caught up and free to focus on her research.

“All right, that’s it for today. We’ll continue tomorrow night. If you have questions, come see me in the office. Otherwise, get a good night’s sleep and be ready for another day of learning tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma’am!” the students chorused enthusiastically.

Zhong Yuxiu smiled, stepped down from the podium, and strode out of the classroom.

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo, always vigilant, waited until the last student left before following her.

Back in the office, Zhong Yuxiu sat down with a sigh of relief. Evening study sessions were long, and teaching continuously was exhausting—her mouth was parched.

“Comrade Zhong, are you going home now?”

“Is anyone else coming?” Zhong Yuxiu glanced sideways at the two men by the door.

Hao Nan shook his head. “No, everyone’s gone downstairs.”

“Then let’s go home and have Gou Dan make us a late-night snack. The clear broth noodles yesterday were delicious. What should we have tonight? Do you have any favorite noodle dishes?”

“Anything's fine. We’re not picky,” Hao Nan replied.

Tian Shangguo nodded. “We’ll eat whatever you like.”

“Great, let’s go home.” Smiling, she walked to the door, switched off the lights, locked up, and headed downstairs.

As they left the campus, they saw Yan Rushan standing beneath the gate light, beside him Wan Yuning, who, surprisingly, was still there.

“Brother Yan, how long have you been waiting? Why didn’t you come inside? It’s freezing out here.”

“I just arrived, guessed you’d be finishing soon,” Yan Rushan replied with a gentle smile, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Come, let’s go home.”

Zhong Yuxiu nodded and was about to go with him when Wan Yuning, unable to hold back, called out anxiously, “Little sister…”

She turned to regard him. “Comrade Wan Yuning, I’ve made myself perfectly clear. Please don’t seek me out again. Some things can be mended, but some roads have no return.”

“But… Father wants to see you,” Wan Yuning said urgently. “The doctor says he has heart palpitations, and he’s had one illness after another. Can you visit him? He’s been plagued with guilt and can’t let it go. If you’d just see him, maybe his spirits would lift and he’d recover.”

“There’s no need. Comrade Wan, your little sister is Wan Yutong—not the original host, and certainly not me. Brother Yan, let’s go.”

“Of course,” Yan Rushan agreed, taking her hand to lead her away. As Wan Yuning tried to follow, Yan Rushan held him back. “Yuxiu has made herself clear. Please don’t trouble her anymore. The moment you abandoned her, you severed your ties.”

Wan Yuning, unwilling and desperate, protested, “We have over a decade of affection…”

“Don’t talk about ten years of affection. What did you offer her for those ten years?” Yan Rushan’s gaze was sharp as a blade. “You brought her nothing but disaster. As I understand it, someone sought revenge against your family back then. Their real target was Wan Yutong, but you offered up Yuxiu in her stead. Did you think of your so-called decade of affection then?”

Wan Yuning opened his mouth, unable to refute him. Their adversaries had indeed aimed to send Wan Yutong down to the countryside, but in the end, the family had submitted Zhong Yuxiu’s name instead.

“You know better than anyone that what you did was wrong—that it was unfair to Yuxiu. But you did it anyway. For Wan Yutong, you abandoned Yuxiu, even cutting off her last means of survival. Did you ever once consider whether she could live without money or ration coupons?” Yan Rushan’s expression grew ever colder and grimmer.

“Enough,” Zhong Yuxiu said, tugging his sleeve. “I’m able to hold my head high only because I never took anything from the Wan family. If they’d given me money or coupons, I might never have turned to you for help.”

Who could say, in the end, whether they would have ended up together?

Yan Rushan took a deep breath, glanced at her, his head throbbing. Was it really so simple?

“Enough,” he said coldly, turning to Wan Yuning. “You and your father have connections and resources—you must know something of Yuxiu’s current situation. Take my advice: know when to stop, and don’t appear before her again.”