Ji Yu didn’t know what would be the best way to repay her debt.
But since she had already voiced it, she hoped he would consider it carefully when the time came.
Ji Yu looked in his direction, her gaze carrying a subtle recognition.
"You just need to focus on recuperating. I know you could never like me—you must be a wealthy young lady." He seemed a little self-conscious, though watching Ji Yu, a flicker of emotion stirred within him. Still, since Ji Yu had set her stance, it was clearly impossible.
With cooperation already offered, Ji Yu didn’t feel the need to rush.
She sighed softly, understanding that the matter ahead might not be as simple as she had hoped.
Sure enough, trouble came the very next day.
"Young lady, I wonder, have you already been married before?"
"Of course not." Ji Yu knew what they were getting at and kept Lin Zhiyuan’s teachings in mind—this wasn’t the moment to decline them.
"That’s wonderful then. We actually have many suitable matches here, and my son hasn’t married yet. Why not consider him?" The elderly lady was clearly very fond of Ji Yu—not just for her beauty, but also for her apparent refinement and good manners.
Even though Ji Yu felt utterly drained, she recognized that handling this situation delicately was necessary, lest unexpected complications arise.
"Feelings are something that take time to nurture. I am deeply grateful to Brother Lin for saving my life, but if you’re asking me to marry him now, I don’t think I can agree to that just yet."
Her reply was tactful, leaving room for interpretation. The elderly lady couldn’t find fault and felt Ji Yu was a thoughtful young woman who might just settle in over time.
"Young lady, you are truly the most beautiful girl I’ve encountered lately. But where did your injuries come from? Could it be that someone has been bullying you?"
Ji Yu had no intention of telling them the truth. If they found out what had happened in the mountains, they’d likely send her back immediately—and she had no desire to return to that stifling place.
"No one bullied me. I just ran into some trouble while climbing the mountain. I slipped when I couldn’t grab hold of the rope and fell. Thankfully, I encountered you all, or I can’t say what would’ve happened to me."
Her words flowed effortlessly, presenting a plausible explanation without raising suspicion.
"If anyone has bullied you, you need only tell me. In this village, there’s no one with more authority than I. Besides, we’re quite familiar with some of the matters beyond here."
The elderly lady seemed confident, acting as though such troubles were trivial. Anyone who dared threaten Gu Qixiao, she implied, would be dealt with decisively.
Ji Yu couldn’t help but feel curious—what exactly went on in this village to wield such influence? And how long had the elderly lady lived here to know so much?
"Grandma, may I ask where exactly this place is? Is it some kind of important checkpoint?"
"I don’t mind telling you, since one day you’ll be part of our village. In truth, we collect medicinal herbs here for the X organization." She had begun to see Ji Yu as her successor, especially since her son seemed to have an interest in her. Keeping Ji Yu here seemed the perfect choice.
Ji Yu wasn’t familiar with the X organization, though she felt a vague recollection from before.
If Jiang Huai was truly part of this organization, certain things did start to make sense—especially the sheer number of people willing to assist him.
She couldn’t shake her unresolved feelings about the matter, suspecting that it wasn’t Charles’s inadequacy at fault back then, but that someone had already switched him out.
No one knew who the real Charles was, and it was possible that from the very beginning, all of them had been Jiang Huai’s people.
"You may not understand much about the X organization now, but once you marry Zhiyuan, many of these matters will fall to you. At that point, you’ll have plenty of contact with them."
Ji Yu obediently nodded, refraining from further comments and appearing completely docile.
Lin Zhiyuan stood awkwardly to the side, aware that Ji Yu’s agreement stemmed from her desire to leave, not from any feelings for him.
After everyone else had dispersed, the mood between the two eased. Both were realistic enough to understand their current predicament, setting aside any illusions.
"Brother Lin, I truly appreciate you saving me, but this situation leaves me feeling lost. I don’t know what I should do next to resolve things smoothly."
"You don’t need to do anything—just say what I told you before, and they won’t give you trouble. Once we’re ready, we’ll leave here together; I’ll take you away and come back later." He had no intention of marrying just any woman for convenience.
He was content with his current life, free of guilt or regret over coercing anyone.
Ji Yu couldn’t understand why such an upright person existed in this village. She hoped to find an opportunity to take him away someday.
At night, lying in bed, Ji Yu’s thoughts returned to earlier times, and she suddenly missed having Gu Qixiao by her side.
She couldn’t help but wonder how Gu Qixiao was doing now.
Jiang Huai had described the situation as grim—was he truly capable of overcoming it? If something had happened, should she return to him?
In truth, Gu Qixiao was caught in his own internal struggle, fearing that if he fell asleep, he might forget Ji Yu entirely. Yet, staying awake would only lead to a worse fate.
"If you don’t give me the antidote now, and I forget Yu, then we won’t be able to continue searching for her."
Gu Qixiao had tried countless methods without success, forcing him to confront Jiang Huai once more. He could only hope Jiang Huai might produce the antidote so they could keep searching.