Winter nights are especially cold. Today is the fifteenth, and the moonlight in the sky is hazy, as if seen through a thin mist, casting a desolate glow on the ground. The night wind cuts like knives into her collar, and Gu Nanjiao shivers, instinctively wrapping her coat tighter around herself.

Gu Nanjiao didn't dare to go too far, so she lingered nearby and waited. Before long, she noticed torches flickering in the distance.

The hunters from the village have returned, and Lu Yanzhao must be in the group as well.

Gu Nanjiao approached in the moonlight. Zhang San and Li Si in the group were supporting a person who was walking unsteadily. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was Lu Yanzhao.

When Zhang San saw Gu Nanjiao arrive, he looked a little nervous. "Madam Lu, you've arrived. Yanzhao is injured."

After speaking, he glanced cautiously at Gu Nanjiao. Gu Nanjiao was notorious in the village for her bad reputation; she would throw a tantrum at the slightest disagreement and was completely unreasonable.

Upon hearing this, Gu Nanjiao looked at Lu Yanzhao.

Lu Yanzhao's face was somewhat pale, with a faint bluish tinge. His features were sharply defined, like a sculpture, yet they gave him a sickly, delicate beauty. His lips were bloodless, making him appear as if he were seriously ill. However, his expression towards Gu Nanjiao was cold, his eyes equally cold, like an emotionless ice sculpture, devoid of any warmth.

Gu Nanjiao was startled by his cold gaze.

Lu Yanzhao had warned the original owner to stay away from him long ago, but the original owner always ignored his words.

Gu Nanjiao is not the original owner of this body. She only came here because of her mother's sake. She has no feelings for Lu Yanzhao.

Thinking of this, Gu Nanjiao returned a cold gaze.

"Madam Lu, you've arrived. Ah Zhao is in your care now. Take good care of him. We're heading back now." Zhang San placed Lu Yanzhao's arm in Gu Nanjiao's hand and hurriedly urged the others to retreat quickly, as if they would be torn apart if they were slow.

"Are you alright?" Out of humanitarian spirit, Gu Nanjiao still asked with concern, though her tone was somewhat indifferent.

Lu Yanzhao pursed his lips, puzzled. The girl who used to pounce on him like a hungry wolf was now standing motionless to the side. Although she offered a word of concern, her tone was devoid of any emotion.

"Don't tell Mother," Lu Yanzhao replied, his tone indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Due to his injury and weakened body, Lu Yanzhao walked with a swaying gait.

The cold moonlight lengthened his shadow, as if loneliness were his constant companion.

Gu Nanjiao followed closely behind.

Lu Yanzhao did hate the original owner of the body. First, he hated the original owner for forcing him into marriage against his will, and second, he hated the original owner for ruining his exam qualification.

Lu Yanzhao was exceptionally gifted from a young age, passing the imperial examination at the age of eight, a first in the village. If it weren't for a sudden family tragedy that delayed his studies for eight years, Lu Yanzhao would probably have already passed the county-level examination by now.

Now that Lu Yanzhao has grown up, he can go into the mountains with the hunters. Firstly, he can earn some money to supplement his family's income, and secondly, he wants to resume his studies and continue his scientific research.

Despite all the effort, it ultimately failed; this opportunity was destroyed by the original owner of the body.

"Sigh!" Gu Nan sighed softly.

Original body, original body, the mistakes you made, yet I have to bear the consequences.

On a quiet, chilly night, only two people walked home, one after the other.

Just as he reached his doorstep, Lu Yanzhao suddenly fell straight backward with a thud.

Seeing Lu Yanzhao fall, Gu Nanjiao was startled and hesitated whether to help him up.

What if, after getting close, Lu Yanzhao thinks she's trying to pounce on him and beats her up?

After a moment, Gu Nanjiao slowly bent down.

Gu Nanjiao grabbed Lu Yanzhao by the armpits and dragged him into the house with all her might. Lu Yanzhao looked very thin, but he was still a man. Gu Nanjiao was not strong, so it was very difficult for her to drag him. She was so tired that she almost stopped breathing.

He was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly remembered that Lu Yanzhao had told him not to let Lu's mother know.

Lu's mother treated Gu Nanjiao very well, which made Gu Nanjiao, who lacked maternal love since childhood, see the shadow of her mother in Lu's mother. Gu Nanjiao was also afraid that Lu's mother would worry if she knew.

Sigh, I was born to serve others.

Gu Nanjiao sneaked to the kitchen, where Lu's mother had left food for Lu Yanzhao, keeping it warm with water, and the fire under the stove was not completely extinguished.

Gu Nanjiao put the food aside, picked up a ladle, filled it with hot water, and carried it to Lu Yanzhao's inner room.

The man's face was strikingly handsome, as if sculpted by a master craftsman. He lay quietly on the bed, and several sharp scratches added to his delicate, sickly beauty.

With a face that is both gentle and strong, and strong yet gentle, not only was the original owner of this body infatuated with it, but even Gu Nanjiao couldn't help but have her eyes light up when she saw it.

"Hey, wake up," Gu Nanjiao gently patted Lu Yanzhao's face.

Lu Yanzhao did not react.

"Is he dead?" Gu Nanjiao checked his breath and found he was breathing. She felt a weight lifted from her heart.

Gu Nanjiao ripped off Lu Yanzhao's clothes and prepared to wipe his wounds with warm water. Looking at his fair skin and smooth muscle lines, Gu Nanjiao couldn't help but touch her nose to make sure she wasn't bleeding.

Lu Yanzhao was injured in his back. He heard from Li Si and the others that he had an unfortunate night and had been attacked from behind by a wolf.

Gu Nanjiao helped Lu Yanzhao turn over and wiped the bloodstains off his back with warm water. She rummaged through drawers and cabinets to find some medicine and applied it to the wound.

In the middle of the night, Lu Yanzhao developed a high fever and his face turned red, so Gu Nanjiao didn't sleep all night.

Gu Nanjiao didn't have much affection for Lu Yanzhao. It was just that Lu Yanzhao was the only male heir in the Lu family, and if he died, the elderly, women, and children of the Lu family, including herself, would definitely be bullied terribly.

Besides, Lu's mother treated her well, taking good care of her with food and drink. She couldn't just stand by and watch her son die.

Gu Nanjiao had fallen asleep on the bed at some point. When she woke up, she was met with a pair of indifferent and ruthless eyes. At that moment, those eyes were staring straight at her.

No one knew when Lu Yanzhao woke up, nor what he was thinking.

Afraid that he would misunderstand, Gu Nanjiao quickly stood up from the stool to explain:

"Don't misunderstand, I only came over because you were injured. I treated all your wounds."

Lu Yanzhao remained silent, his gaze towards Gu Nanjiao still indifferent and cold. After a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice:

"water"

Gu Nanjiao immediately poured a glass of water for Lu Yanzhao.

Lu Yanzhao seemed extremely thirsty, gulping down the drink in two gulps and then asking for another cup.

After Lu Yanzhao finished drinking the water, his complexion improved slightly, and his lips didn't look so dry anymore.

"Ha!" Lu Yanzhao looked down at his torn clothes and looked at Gu Nanjiao with a low, mocking tone.

Gu Nanjiao blushed: "Don't be ungrateful. I have no ulterior motives towards you. How can I apply the medicine to you if I don't take off your clothes?"

After hearing Gu Nanjiao's words, Lu Yanzhao closed his eyes. At this moment, he did not want to pay attention to Gu Nanjiao.

...

When I came out of Lu Yanzhao's room, I ran into Lu's mother who was about to enter.

When Lu's mother saw Gu Nanjiao come out of her son's room, she thought that her son had finally come to his senses.

He glanced at the astonished Gu Nanjiao, thinking that it wouldn't be long before he could hold his grandson. He gave Gu Nanjiao's belly a meaningful smile and quickly ran away.

Gu Nanjiao...