"You didn’t hold a knife to his neck, but what you’ve done, is there really a difference from doing so? Gu En, when will you ever grow up? When will you learn to be compassionate? Do you really have to see Lin Deng suffer to feel happy? Marriage is a serious matter, not child’s play. Acting so rashly, sooner or later, you’ll harm yourself as well as Lin Deng!"
Furrowing his brows, Lan Li said, "Who you marry is indeed your business; I can’t control it. I’ve said my piece. If you can take it to heart, then go and tell your aunt and uncle yourself that you don’t want to get engaged. If you choose to ignore my advice, the road ahead will be a cliff, and you’ll just be jumping off with your eyes closed, don’t expect anyone to be able to pull you back!"
With those words, Lan Li turned and walked away, his heart gradually filling with disappointment towards Gu En. From some unknown point, Lan Li could no longer see the obedient girl Gu En had been in childhood; all he saw now was selfishness, and moreover, a cruel kind of selfishness.
Ultimately, the engagement party for Lin Deng and Gu En was held as scheduled. On this day at the end of July, it was so grand that it became the hottest topic of discussion throughout the capital.
Due to Lin Deng’s military status and the Gu Family’s standing, although there weren’t pictures of the engagement party in the newspapers, nor was the event reported extensively, everyone who knew of it understood that the party was extraordinarily lively. Almost nobody who held power was absent.
After returning from the engagement party, Lin Chan mentioned Lin Deng with a face full of sympathy—having a Little Devil as a fiancée is truly the greatest tragedy in the world.
Following the engagement party, Lin Deng returned straight to the military base. However, to everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t long before he applied for a transfer from the capital’s military forces and entered the border troops, becoming a border soldier and putting distance between himself and the capital.
It can be said that this was Lin Deng’s escape after his engagement. Unable to evade the engagement itself, he instead fled from every person and thing associated with it after the fact.
After over a month of training, He Da finally adapted to the prosthetic limb and could walk naturally without the crutches.
As long as he wore long pants and walked at a normal speed, he could almost pass as an ordinary person.
Dropping his crutches for the first time, He Da’s father was so excited that he shed tears. What he wanted most was to see He Da walk like a normal person, and now, that wish had come true.
From now on, as He Da walked the streets, he would no longer endure the unusual stares of an ordinary person. Although he still needed to remove his prosthetic when he returned home, its presence brought He Da much convenience when he was out.
With He Da’s improved situation, his father started thinking about taking him back to the countryside.
Even though the capital was bustling, both He Da’s father and He Da still preferred the tranquility of the countryside and were more accustomed to the self-sufficient life there.
Unable to persuade them, He Zhilan could only buy train tickets to send her father and elder brother back home, and she advised He Da to consider the idea of opening a small supermarket in the countryside. Perhaps he could go to the county town to scout and see if there was a market for it.
Once He Da’s father and He Da had left, He Zhilan and He Dongxue felt uncomfortable living in the house; it seemed out of place without them, and even the food didn’t taste as good.
"Sister-in-law, when you go to my brother’s base tomorrow, I’ll be the only one living here! Ah, I feel so lonely!" He Dongxue lamented with sorrow, "Sister-in-law, why don’t you stay with me a few more days? Stay until your school starts!"