Winter is gradually approaching, and the weather is so cold it makes you shiver. Although it hasn't snowed yet, the persistent east wind carries an unstoppable force, piercing your bones like needles, making it truly bone-chillingly cold.
The grass on the back mountain withered and the trees turned yellow. People gradually stopped going to the back mountain. Only An Jin remained the same, being arranged by her aunt to collect firewood and do farm work.
Today, besides her usual style, An Jin's face was even colder than usual. She was only wearing a thin cotton-padded jacket, which was dusty and gray, and you could occasionally see the blackened cotton inside.
He has naturally tan-resistant skin, and under the east wind, his face turned an unnatural rosy red, but compared to two months ago, it looked healthier and fuller, making him even more beautiful.
He deliberately chose a rugged and difficult path, and after walking for an unknown amount of time, he finally stopped in a cave halfway up the mountain, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.
The cave, which should have been pitch black, was now bathed in a bright, warm yellow light, making it as bright as springtime. If you listened closely, you could also hear the crackling of burning firewood and the occasional sound of something being turned over.
"Brother Yan," An Jin said with a smile, her voice carrying a touch of girlish clarity and liveliness. Two months was enough time for two people who were originally strangers to gradually become familiar with each other, transforming from the unfamiliar "Yan Zhiqing" to "Brother Yan."
"Xiao Jin, you're here. I just caught a rabbit and roasted it. Come and have a taste." Wu You looked up and smiled slightly. He couldn't interfere in An Jin's family affairs, so he could only offer him care and compensation in other ways.
With his social skills, he quickly became familiar with the other person, often treating An Jin to special meals, which made An Jin extremely grateful to him and genuinely respect him as an elder brother. The two people, who were not related by blood, huddled together for warmth, and they truly felt more like family.
Wuyou treated Anjin like a younger sister, and Anjin wasn't stupid either. She quickly nipped any budding romantic feelings in her heart, and they got along like siblings.
In An Jin's mind, or rather, in the mindset instilled in him by Wu You, Yan Wu You was a person who desperately craved love. He was sent to a remote mountain village as a sacrifice by his parents and brothers, where he was isolated and helpless, just like her. Their meeting was fate, and they should cherish it.
Despite being only seventeen, An Jin's long years of living under someone else's roof had shaped her into a sensitive person with an exceptionally keen sense of people. She could clearly sense whether someone was genuinely kind to her. She trusted her feelings, and even more so, she trusted her own heart.
"Was this a trap we set yesterday? We actually caught such a big rabbit." An Jin's eyes lit up. Meat was so rare these days. He had only tried it out, but he didn't expect to actually catch his prey.
"Of course, this is a method specifically taught in a book I read before, it's sure to work." Wuyou smoothed his hair with a smug look on his face, which added a touch of down-to-earth charm and subtly brought them closer.
“Brother Yan is right, studying is really useful! I want to go to school too.” An Jin looked at him with admiration, but her tone became full of disappointment as she spoke. She dropped out of school in the third grade and watched her cousin go to school with envy. She was afraid she would never have the chance again.
Wuyou's heart stirred slightly, and she was about to open her mouth when her expression changed. An Jin felt a gust of wind brush past her ear, and suddenly everyone beside her was gone.
"You brat, hiding here all by yourself to steal food, I finally caught you today! I'll beat you to death, you little brat!" The familiar cursing voice rang out, and An Jin immediately saw the entrance to the cave, her aunt standing with her hands on her hips, and several villagers behind her.
He instantly understood why Wuyou had disappeared so quickly. The two of them were completely innocent and had no romantic feelings for each other, but if others saw them together in one place, they would probably overthink things, and then they would really have no way to explain themselves.
Seeing the woman reaching out to grab his hair, An Jin felt a surge of anger. He shoved her to the ground with a wave of his hand. His disheveled hair couldn't hide his sharp eyes, which were faintly tinged with blood.
"Enough! I killed this stuff, what's wrong with me eating it? Haven't I done enough for you? Are you trying to force me to my death?"
The other villagers whispered among themselves at the sight. They were all aware of Aunt An's actions and felt sympathy and restraint for An Jin. After all, it was a family matter, and they could only discuss it behind her back. But they never expected that this girl, who had always been submissive, would suddenly rebel.
Even Wuyou, who was hiding in the shadows, did not expect that An Jin would change so much. Even in her previous life, after she was forced to marry Yan Wuyou, she was always oppressed by Aunt An's family and Yan Wuyou's parents and brothers, and never turned the tables.
It seems that he was originally a submissive person. He thought it would take him some time to change the other person's personality, but he didn't expect the surprise to come so quickly!
"Well, you little bitch, how dare you hit me! I'll skin you alive!" Aunt An fell to the ground with a thud, wincing in pain and screaming as she tried to pounce on him, but An Jin, who was quite strong, pinned her to the ground and beat her mercilessly.
"Ah...you...what are you all still standing there for? Why aren't you coming over to help?" Aunt An was shocked by the overwhelming victory of the other party, and cried out for help from the villagers while wailing.
Unfortunately, the villagers had long been familiar with his family's antics and knew his true nature perfectly well. They looked him up and down but refused to look at Aunt An. Later, the crowd gradually dispersed, and no one paid any attention to him.
Screams echoed throughout the cave. Hiding in a corner, Wuyou silently gave An Jin a thumbs-up. Saving others is less important than saving oneself. Only by standing up for himself could An Jin achieve the life he desired. Always submitting to fate, having his edges smoothed by these people, would only lead to being manipulated and a life of suffering.
Compared to Wuyou's relief, Sun Xiaoying, hiding not far from the cave, was filled with anger and frustration. She could hardly believe her eyes; was this really the An Jin she knew?
In my past life, An Jin was always a submissive person. She was enslaved, bullied, and oppressed by her aunt's family. She was still unmarried when she left the village. It was said that her aunt didn't want to lose this free laborer, so she suppressed her for all these years.
He believed that even if one were reborn, one's personality would not change much, and no one would be as lucky as him to have the chance to start over.
Ever since he discovered that An Jin and Zhou Jiajun had been in contact, he had regarded An Jin as a major threat and kept a close eye on him. He noticed that An Jin had been frequently going into the mountains recently and saw him walking together with Yan Wuyou, chatting and laughing.
It seems that An Jin is not a law-abiding person either. She is seducing Yan Wuyou while also getting entangled with Zhou Jiajun. She is a promiscuous and shameless woman.
Since that's the case, he should be even less likely to let the other party have contact with his man and expose her true colors. That's why this happened today. He never expected that his attempt to steal a chicken would backfire and escalate to this point.
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