The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Qi Weiwei wiped her oily lips with her sleeve, took the water bottle and took a sip—it was sugar water, not too thick, warm, and very sweet.

She ate and drank a lot, and gradually felt warmer. Even her frozen toes regained feeling.

Ling Heping walked away a bit to change Xiao Qi's diaper.

He moved with practiced ease—unwrapping the baby, removing the wet diaper, changing it into a clean one, and then wrapping the baby up again, all in one smooth motion.

Qi Weiwei looked at you and blurted out, "It seems your sister-in-law has taught you very well. Most men wouldn't do these things."

She regretted it as soon as she said it—that was too rash!

Ling Heping was stunned, and looked up at her: "What sister-in-law?"

Qi Weiwei was also stunned: "It's... your lover."

Ling Heping said solemnly, "I am unmarried."

This time, it was Qi Weiwei's turn to be surprised.

Ling Heping is two years older than her; he's twenty-eight this year.

In this day and age, being 28 and still unmarried is considered extremely old.

Especially since Ling Heping was so well-off—he was good-looking, held a position in the military, and came from a good family.

Why... isn't he married?

Qi Weiwei stammered, "Then...then how do you know how to change diapers?"

Ling Heping had already changed the diaper, wrapped Xiao Qi up, and held him in his arms, patting him gently: "I took care of my comrade's needs before—when we were on a mission, he broke his leg and couldn't move, so I helped take care of him."

It turned out to be the case.

Qi Weiwei quickly said, "Brother Heping, I didn't know about your situation, please don't be angry."

Ling Heping smiled, his smile gentle in the moonlight: "What's there to be angry about? But, Weiwei, don't mention this to the old man, he'll get furious."

As he spoke, he made a "shh" gesture.

Qi Weiwei nodded: "Yes, I definitely won't mention it."

She chuckled inwardly—how could Grandpa Ling not be furious?

She secretly considered it—she didn't know any good girls herself, so she couldn't introduce them to Brother Heping.

After getting married, she distanced herself from several of her close girlfriends.

Because Tang Aijun had mentioned several times that those girls had asked him out alone, he had scolded them.

In retrospect, this whole thing was completely made up.

But she believed it in her past life, and had a bitter falling out with her girlfriends.

I have no friends left.

Ling Heping made Qi Weiwei drink the entire kettle of sugar water, then put the empty kettle back in the basket: "Weiwei, go to the bushes over there and use the restroom. Holding it in for too long isn't good for your health."

Qi Weiwei blushed – she had indeed been holding it in for a long time, but had never been too embarrassed to say it.

She looked around. The moonlight was bright, but it was pitch black over the bushes, so she probably couldn't see anything there.

"I'll watch over it for you." Ling Heping held the child, his back to the bushes.

Qi Weiwei quickly ran over, took care of her physiological needs, and felt completely relaxed.

When she returned, she saw Ling Heping still in the same position, with his back to her, motionless, looking as if he didn't want to look at her.

Actually, it was pitch black and we were far away, so we couldn't see anything at all.

But Ling Heping's thoughtfulness and consideration warmed Qi Weiwei's heart.

Brother Heping, you are truly a gentleman.

There are so many normal men in the world, yet she had to encounter that beast, Tang Aijun.

Qi Weiwei quickly suppressed her surging emotions and took Xiao Qi's swaddling clothes from Ling Heping's hands.

Just then—

"Whoosh—whoosh whoosh—"

A whistle rang out, breaking the silence of the night sky.

Ling Heping suddenly stood up, his expression turning serious: "Su Cuilan is here."

Qi Weiwei's heart tightened, and she quickly carried the child back to the locust tree, sat down, and pretended to be asleep.

She buried her face in the swaddling clothes, only revealing a small part of her profile.

Ling Heping quickly packed his things, picked up the basket, and disappeared into the darkness.

He moved quickly, making almost no sound, and disappeared into the shadows of the trees in the blink of an eye.

Qi Weiwei's heart was pounding, but she forced herself to relax and breathe, pretending to be fast asleep.

About five minutes later, footsteps were heard.

"Pat-pat, pat..."

The sound of Su Cuilan's limping footsteps was a mix of light and heavy.

The footsteps stopped in front of her.

Qi Weiwei could feel someone watching her, their gaze sweeping over her.

Then, a foot reached out and nudged her hand with its toe.

"Hey! Wake up!"

Su Cuilan's voice was low, but very impatient.

Qi Weiwei pretended to have just been woken up, and groggily raised her head: "Huh?"

In the moonlight, she saw Su Cuilan's face—a wrinkled face that looked somewhat ferocious in the moonlight, her eyes smaller but very bright, like a wolf.

Su Cuilan tilted her chin toward the outside of the village and whispered, "Follow me."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Qi Weiwei quickly got up, pretending that her legs were numb, and staggered before following.

She deliberately walked very slowly, limping as if she were frozen.

"My legs are numb, please be careful," she whispered.

Su Cuilan turned around and glared at her: "You're so meddlesome! Hurry up!"

But she did slow down a bit.

Qi Weiwei did it on purpose; she was afraid that the people lying in ambush wouldn't follow.

The two left the village entrance one after the other and walked onto the country path.

The moon was very large, illuminating the road surface clearly.

The road is flanked by farmland, but in winter there are few crops, and the land is bare, with only some dry weeds swaying in the wind.

Su Cuilan walked very quickly; although she was limping, she was not slow.

Qi Weiwei followed behind her, trying her best to keep up. She was still wearing those old, patched cotton shoes with thin soles, which hurt her feet as she walked on the frozen dirt road.

The cold wind seeped in through the soles of my shoes, and my feet quickly went numb with cold.

She felt a little regretful—why didn't she wear the new cotton shoes her mother had made?

Those shoes have thick soles and are well-padded with cotton; they must be warm.

But it's too late to regret it now.

Qi Weiwei didn't know how long she had been walking, but she felt it had been at least an hour.

My feet were completely numb from the cold, like two pieces of wood, and every step I took felt like being pricked with needles.

My hands were so frozen that I could barely hold the baby.

Finally, Su Cuilan stopped.

This is a wasteland, pitch black all around, with only the faint shadows of a few trees in the distance.

The wind was strong, making the withered grass rustle.

Su Cuilan coughed three times towards the darkness.

"Cough cough cough!"

The sound traveled far in the quiet night.

A moment later, a response came from the darkness—three coughs, but the sound was strange, hoarse, and short, like the call of an owl.

"Cough cough cough!"

Su Cuilan turned around and snatched the swaddled baby from Qi Weiwei's arms with such rough movements that she almost dropped the child.

"Alright, give it to me!"

She said it in a very impatient tone.

Qi Weiwei stood there, looking somewhat helpless, letting her take the child away.

Holding the swaddled baby, Su Cuilan quickly stepped into the shadows.

There seemed to be a figure there, but it was too dark to see clearly.

Qi Weiwei was extremely anxious!