Chapter 168: The Bargaining Chip for Betrayal

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: The Bargaining Chip for Betrayal

Outside, Guo Dongmei hung her head, looking utterly heartbroken.

Hua Yusen sat in the doorway of the small gate leading to the backyard, blocking Guo Dongmei from entering.

As darkness fell, Guo Dongmei seemed rather pitiful, all alone with nowhere to stay.

Wang Yuan stepped forward and said softly, "Dongmei, it’s not our place to get involved in your affairs, but it’s getting dark. Why don’t you squeeze in with us for the night?"

Li Qiong was surprised. ’Wang Yuan is even more eager to help than I am.’

’Then again, maybe Wang Yuan just thinks Guo Dongmei is pitiful and is being proactive because they’re from the same hometown.’

Guo Dongmei glanced at Wang Yuan with a grateful expression. Wiping away her tears, she said, "Thank you, thank you so much. Otherwise, I’d have to sleep outdoors. To think I traveled thousands of miles to see my fiancé, only to find he’s had a change of heart. Not only does he not care about me, but he even accuses me of having ulterior motives."

Veins bulged on Hua Yusen’s forehead and his fists clenched. He must have had eight lifetimes of bad luck to be engaged to this woman.

’When I see Father again, I have to tell him not to use an engagement to repay a debt of gratitude,’ he thought. ’It’s a huge trap—the kind you fall into and can never climb out of.’

Seeing Hua Yusen’s fury, Guo Dongmei was secretly delighted. ’Hua Yusen, how dare you develop feelings for someone else behind my back? I really underestimated this block of wood.’

Guo Dongmei felt that her relationship with Li Gongming was a case of mutual affection. It was only natural for a person to strive for greater things, just as water flows downward. But Hua Yusen’s wandering affections? That was unforgivable.

This time, she couldn’t act herself, but she could find an accomplice.

As for Hua Yusen and Zhao Nuanyue, that wretched pair, she would make them pay and utterly disgrace them.

After a quick wash-up, Guo Dongmei slept in Wang Yuan’s bed, with Wang Yuan beside her.

In the middle of the night, Wang Yuan got up to use the toilet. Guo Dongmei, a light sleeper, woke up and followed.

Coming out of the latrine, Guo Dongmei looked at Wang Yuan and asked in a low voice, "You’re being so kind and enthusiastic. You must have some other motive, right?"

Hearing Guo Dongmei’s words, Wang Yuan froze, then gave an awkward, sheepish laugh. "What motive could I have? You’re overthinking it. We’re from the same hometown; I couldn’t just watch you sleep outside!"

"Heh," Guo Dongmei chuckled, not believing a word. "You want to go back to Jincheng City. I have a way. If you’re willing to cooperate with me and complete a task I give you, I’ll get you back to Jincheng City."

Wang Yuan was taken aback again. She retreated several steps, shaking her head and waving her hands in refusal. "I do want to go back to Jincheng City, but Nuanyue and Hua Yusen once saved my life. I can’t do anything to betray them."

"Heh, so loyal," Guo Dongmei sneered. "Fine. Very good! What if I not only get you back to Jincheng City, but also arrange a respectable, high-paying job for you? Are you still unwilling then?"

Hearing this, Wang Yuan fell silent.

Seeing her reaction, Guo Dongmei smiled. "I’ll probably stay one more day. You have only one day to think about it. Cooperate with me, and you’ll reap enormous benefits. Don’t cooperate, and, well... you know I have plenty of ways to make sure you never return to Jincheng City. You’re a smart person. You should know what to do."

With that, Guo Dongmei walked past Wang Yuan and went inside first.

Wang Yuan stood there for a moment, hesitating, before returning to the room. Her mind was in turmoil, and she tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

’Returning to Jincheng City would mean betraying Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen, maybe even doing some terrible things.’

’But if I don’t agree, I’ll be stuck in this poor backwater for the rest of my life, never getting married, with no hope for the future...’

Torn by her dilemma, Wang Yuan thought of Shijia Lane, where Guo Dongmei lived. Only high-ranking officials lived there. If she agreed to Guo Dongmei’s proposal, she could go back to Jinchen City and get a respectable job. No one would know about her experiences in Nianqiao Village. She could find a good family to marry into and live a happy life.

’What a wonderful life that would be!’

For most of the night, Wang Yuan was consumed by this entanglement of hesitation and contradiction.

Zhao Nuanyue had been keeping an eye on Guo Dongmei, even through the night. She had originally thought her Special Ability—the one that allowed her Divine Sense to merge with water—would disappear after completing the Old Dragon King’s task. Unexpectedly, the ability had actually grown stronger, and its range had increased.

She was startled when she heard Guo Dongmei threatening and enticing Wang Yuan. When she heard Wang Yuan’s refusal, Zhao Nuanyue was relieved. But as Guo Dongmei’s bait became larger and more tempting, Wang Yuan fell silent.

Zhao Nuanyue’s heart sank.

Zhao Nuanyue was reminded of a saying: there is nothing in this world that cannot be betrayed; it is merely a matter of whether the price is high enough.

Under Guo Dongmei’s threats and temptations, Zhao Nuanyue could already guess what Wang Yuan’s choice would be. This deeply disappointed and pained her, but she wasn’t afraid. She would counter every move.

No matter what tricks Guo Dongmei tried, she would be ready.

As for Wang Yuan, her fate would depend on her own choice.

If she chose to collude with Guo Dongmei, Zhao Nuanyue would not let her off the hook just because of their past friendship.

「The next morning」

Guo Dongmei woke up and wandered around the Dragon King Temple. When she saw Wang Yuan emerge, she gave her a look that was not quite a smile.

Embarrassed, Wang Yuan immediately ducked into the kitchen to cook.

Guo Dongmei followed her in. Zhao Nuanyue kept a close watch on Guo Dongmei, afraid she might poison the food.

However, Guo Dongmei did nothing.

Not wanting to stick around and be insulted by Guo Dongmei, Zhao Nuanyue picked up the Little Red Carp, took Zhao Nuan Yang, and went out to fish.

But before she left, she went to the livestock team’s quarters to visit the elders.

Hua Yusen happened to be there, so Zhao Nuanyue recounted the conversation she had overheard between Guo Dongmei and Wang Yuan the previous night.

"Yesterday, I exposed Guo Dongmei’s reason for coming here, but she played dumb and refused to admit it," Hua Yusen said. "What you overheard last night is enough to prove she has ulterior motives. However, we were already on guard against her, so she probably felt she had no opportunity to act and decided to find an accomplice. If you hadn’t heard their conversation, Nuanyue, we really wouldn’t have suspected Wang Yuan."

Old Sir Qian, Old Madam Qian, Sun Haoran, and He Qiang listened, dumbfounded.

Good heavens, was it really all so complicated?

"Nuanyue, are you absolutely certain you heard them say that?" Gu Qingyu asked. He was worried that Zhao Nuanyue’s feelings on the matter might cause her to distort the facts.

Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "Elder Gu, I am positive. While Guo Dongmei and I have our conflicts over Hua Yusen, that’s not enough to make me lie and slander them."

Hua Yusen was taken aback by her words. He looked at the calm Zhao Nuanyue, a mix of happiness and disappointment stirring in his heart.