Xiao Hei was barking incessantly in the yard. Jiang Yu listened carefully and heard a knocking sound outside the gate. Her guard went up, and she couldn't help but call out towards the door:

"who?"

The person knocking on the door was clearly taken aback, and upon learning she was home, they were furious. They'd agreed to meet at their usual spot at eight o'clock tonight, and she dared to stand them up? What did she mean by that?

Lu Yi retorted irritably:

"I am Lu Yi. Open the door!"

Upon hearing the name, Jiang Yu was clearly frightened. She hadn't expected this shameless, freeloading man to come to her house so late at night. Although Shen Ying wasn't home, what would people think if word got out that a man and a woman alone together like this? This Lu Yi clearly didn't care about the female lead's innocence at all.

After much thought, Jiang Yu was furious. Did the original owner of this body really think she could touch someone's heart? She treated someone who used and schemed against her like a treasure.

"I'm going to sleep. Come back another day."

Jiang Yu deliberately lowered her voice, afraid that the neighbors would overhear and misunderstand. She thought that by refusing in this way, the sensitive Lu Yi would give up.

However, the man seemed determined to see her.

"I know you're deliberately avoiding me. Can't we just talk things out face to face?"

Lu Yi didn't expect that even though he had swallowed his pride and come to her house to see her, she still acted indifferent. Where did things go wrong?

However, the more she acted this way, the more it piqued Lu Yi's interest, something Jiang Yu never expected.

“Lu Zhiqing, you go your way and I'll go mine. Wouldn't it be better if we just kept to ourselves? Why do you have to make things so ugly that you have to tear each other apart? What good will that do you?”

Jiang Yu patiently explained to him, her tone filled with impatience.

Inside the house, Shen Sui Sui heard a noise outside and rubbed her eyes groggily, looking around. Seeing that her mother wasn't home, she worriedly put on her clothes and went outside.

When she opened the outer door, she heard voices and listened for a while behind the door.

Lu Yi felt that since he had braved the strong winds and traveled such a long way, he should demand compensation from her even if they didn't meet in person. Youyou spoke up:

"If you really want to do this, that's fine too. You said we'd meet at our usual place at eight o'clock tonight, but you didn't come. I came all this way in this cold weather. What if I catch a cold? Here's what I'll do: give me fifty yuan. That way, if I get sick, I'll have some protection."

He'd heard that this woman had made a lot of money a couple of days ago from some pickled vegetable business. He initially thought it was just a gimmick, but seeing her arguing so fiercely with Zhang Xinhua, he knew she must have made quite a bit. Lu Yi, a gentleman and a cultured young man, didn't want much; fifty yuan was enough.

Jiang Yu's eyes widened as if she had heard some earth-shattering news, and she laughed in anger.

Shameless, utterly shameless.

Hearing laughter, Lu Yi felt confident of victory.

"What? You also think my request is reasonable, right? In that case, let's stop talking nonsense. You pay up, I'll leave, and from now on, everything between us is settled."

What's the point of this woman pretending to be so arrogant? In the end, she still had to compromise. It's all his fault for being too handsome and talented. If it weren't for his poor background, he would be a complete winner in life.

"Lu Zhiqing, people have pride, trees have bark. You're groveling at my doorstep demanding money for medical expenses. Who's going to compensate me for my emotional distress? Besides, I didn't even invite you to my house. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I just did a rough calculation, and you owe me at least a thousand yuan over the years. When are you going to pay me back?"

Jiang Yu had never seen anyone so shameless. Since he was already there, she decided to settle the bill all at once. Whether he took out a loan or borrowed money, he should pay back the money first and then talk about other things.

"A thousand yuan? Why don't you just rob me? Even if I owe you, I need evidence. You think you can extort me with just a few words? Jiang Yu, are you sleepwalking?"

Lu Yi didn't believe she had any proof of borrowing money. Besides, wasn't she just pulling this stunt to get him to pay more attention to her? Little tricks, all little tricks.

Jiang Yu was too lazy to waste words with him, so she tossed the bill through the crack in the door as a reminder:

"Take a good look at yourself. If there's nothing else, please leave here as soon as possible, or I'll unleash the dogs."

She didn't give the man a chance to argue, and called out "Xiao Hei" twice, filling the yard with barking. Jiang Yu lightly stepped into the house, her feet barely touching the dirt.

"Jiang Yu, don't forget, I gave you this dog."

Lu Yi dared not speak loudly, afraid of losing face if people found out he had come to see Jiang Yu. The rumors in the village always said that this woman was shamelessly clinging to him, and the persona she cultivated was always centered around him. It wasn't worth losing face and being gossiped about tonight.

By the moonlight, Lu Yi picked up the paper from the ground and unfolded it to read. At that moment, a cold wind blew by, making him shiver.

On the way back to the compound, they had to pass a pond. In the past, when the original owner of the body upset him, Lu Yi would always say some mysterious things.

For example, people who died unjustly can hear the sound of weeping by the river every night. Especially in the dead of winter, they are also prone to encountering ghosts, being haunted by stray cats, and so on...

Lu Yi didn't bother to look at the note, stuffed it into his pocket, and ran towards the dormitory. He heard the howling wind along the way and almost wet his pants.

Only after entering the compound did he dare to collapse to the ground, glancing back at the rising smog with lingering fear. Sun Ming, seeing him return from outside, looked completely bewildered.

"Brother Yi, where have you been?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Lu Yi immediately changed his demeanor and resumed his act. He glanced around disdainfully, and seeing that only Sun Ming was there, he said indifferently:

"I didn't go anywhere. It's just that I ignored Comrade Jiang Yu this afternoon. She was afraid I'd be angry, so she brought over five catties of pork, but I refused. We're not the kind of people who take things from the masses, don't you think?"

Hearing this, Sun Ming felt that Lu Yi's image had been elevated even further. No wonder he was so flustered just now; he was worried that Comrade Jiang Yu would catch up with him and offer him meat. His brother Yi is such a good person; he'll have to spread the word about him throughout the hospital tomorrow.

Having successfully deceived everyone, Lu Yi got into bed, opened the paper, and secretly read it.

The handwriting was neat and legible, and the date and reason for each payment were clearly listed. He clenched the crumpled paper tightly, gritting his teeth, and thought to himself:

'Jiang Yu, what a clever trick you've been up to!'

......

Jiang Yu returned to the house and saw Shen Suisui standing behind the door, wearing a cotton-padded coat and looking at her timidly. Her legs were shivering, seemingly because it was too cold.

"What's wrong? Did Mom wake you up?"

Xiao Hei kept shouting in the yard, and she argued with the man outside the door, saying that it was impossible to disturb the child.

Shen Sui Sui initially thought her mother and that man were plotting something, so she couldn't help but listen for a while longer before realizing that it was actually that man who had been harassing her.

Thinking of her mother's hardships, Shen Suisui rushed into Jiang Yu's arms. Compared to Shen Niannian's openness, this was the first time she had been so intimate with her mother, and her face flushed with shyness.