Three people sat in the main room of the production team captain’s house. There was Gao Zhijun, the captain, and Aunt Li. They exchanged glances in absolute silence for a long time.
Gao Zhijun never expected to hear such news the moment he returned.
"Where is she?" But more than anything, he just wanted to know where she was right now.
"Zhijun, don’t blame your wife. She hasn’t had it easy," Aunt Li said, her heart aching for Bai Jiu as she looked at Gao Zhijun’s cold expression.
Over the past few days, Aunt Li had developed a much better impression of Bai Jiu than the rest of the village. The young woman was not only generous but also exceptionally sensible. Seeing him remain silent, Aunt Li grew slightly irritated.
"Just look at what your mother and your second brother did, Zhijun! They were trying to kill Bai Jiu. Did you expect her not to fight back?" Aunt Li said impatiently. Truth be told, if she could, she would have loved to step up and give them a few kicks herself.
The captain glared at his wife, seeing her getting carried away. "Keep your mouth shut."
According to his sources, Gao Zhijun was not someone they could afford to offend right now. One misstep could implicate their entire family. If it were just him, he wouldn’t mind, but with such a large household to protect, he didn’t dare gamble on human nature.
Gao Zhijun snapped out of his daze at the captain’s scolding. "Captain, don’t yell at Aunt Li. I know what my family is like. I’m just a little shocked."
He couldn’t believe something so massive had happened at home while he was out on a mission. Did he blame her? He couldn’t say. Mostly, his heart just ached for her. She had been locked in a cage and thrown into the freezing river in the dead of winter. If she hadn’t been so resilient, she probably would have died.
The mere thought made him want to see her immediately. Even with the indescribable mix of emotions swirling inside him, his first instinct was to find her.
"Captain, where is she living now?" Knowing the family had split up and not seeing her or the children at the old house, his heart was in his throat.
"She’s living in Master Mu’s old estate, in the left courtyard," the captain said, standing up. "Come on, I’ll go with you." Although he wasn’t particularly fond of Bai Jiu, he was worried Gao Zhijun might try to harm her, so he wanted to tag along.
Gao Zhijun shook his head. "No need, Captain. I’ll head back on my own. I’m really sorry for waking you both up in the middle of the night."
Although he wasn’t sure how to face her, she was his safe harbor, his wife, and the mother of his children. Whatever issues they had, he didn’t want to hash them out in front of outsiders.
But the captain couldn’t rest easy. "I can’t let you do that. I’d better take you." He properly put on the coat he had just been draping over his shoulders. Since he was going out into the freezing night, he had to bundle up tightly. No one would feel sorry for him if he caught a cold.
Seeing the two men leaving, Aunt Li immediately bundled up in her own clothes. "I’m going with you."
She wasn’t about to sit this out. She knew her husband better than anyone—he always prioritized saving his own skin. If things went south, he might just stand by and let Bai Jiu get eaten alive by this man. She simply couldn’t let it go.
Gao Zhijun wasn’t stupid; he knew full well the captain and his wife were worried about her. Seeing this made him happy for her, but it also stung. He was supposed to be her closest family, yet now outsiders were guarding her against him. They were terrified he would hurt her. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to tell them to stay behind. If he did, they would only worry more.
"Why are you coming along? It’s the middle of the night. Aren’t you afraid of freezing?" the captain asked his wife reluctantly, listening to the howling wind outside. She had never been this enthusiastic before.
Aunt Li ignored him. "What do you know?" She went inside to grab a flashlight. "Let’s go."
Gao Zhijun followed behind, listening to the couple bicker the whole way. For some reason, it filled him with a sense of longing.
Bai Jiu was in a deep sleep when she was suddenly jolted awake by shouting outside. She sat straight up on the heated brick bed. Listening closely, she recognized Aunt Li’s voice. She immediately got up, threw on a coat, and opened the door. The moment the freezing wind hit her, any lingering drowsiness was blown away.
"Aunt Li, why are you here in the middle of the night? Did something happen?" Bai Jiu asked, shining her flashlight outward.
The beam illuminated not just Aunt Li, but also the captain, and finally, Gao Zhijun. The moment she saw him, Bai Jiu froze.
That man... he had returned.
"Aunt Li," Bai Jiu called out weakly.
Aunt Li knew she would react this way. "Don’t be afraid, I’m here." Pushing open the courtyard gate, she hurried inside and stood protectively by Bai Jiu’s side.
Gao Zhijun had locked eyes with her immediately, and her subconscious, weak call for help pierced his heart. She was afraid. Afraid of him.
Seeing her like this brought him an indescribable pain. He was her husband, yet what did he bring her? Only fear.
"Alright, let’s go inside first. What’s the point of standing out here?" the captain grumbled. Although spring had arrived, the nights were still bitter. At his age, he couldn’t afford to freeze.
Gao Zhijun followed the captain inside. As he brushed past her, he could clearly feel her trembling. In truth, Bai Jiu was slightly overwhelmed, but she wasn’t trembling from fear—she was just shivering from the icy wind.
Aunt Li held tightly to Bai Jiu’s arm. Once the men went inside, she whispered in her ear, "Don’t be afraid. I’m here."
Feeling the warmth from Aunt Li’s hand, Bai Jiu finally snapped out of her daze. She offered her a gentle smile. "Mhm, I’m not afraid."
What did she have to fear, anyway? She hadn’t done anything guilty, nor had she cheated on him. Was she wrong for punishing bad people?
"Good, let’s go inside."
There were only two rooms in the house. The entrance opened into the kitchen, with the bedroom situated right next to it. The captain didn’t go into the bedroom; he sat down directly by the fire pit, poking at the embers to warm himself up.
Gao Zhijun observed his surroundings. After a quick scan of the room, he realized that she had been taking very good care of herself and the children.
For a moment, the four of them sat in complete silence. Eventually, the captain broke the quiet.
"Zhijun, your mother and second brother’s incident wasn’t Bai Jiu’s fault. The whole village knows this," the captain said with a heavy sigh.
Gao Zhijun nodded. "I know." He knew exactly what kind of woman his mother was.
Silence fell over the room once more.
After a long while, Bai Jiu couldn’t stand the suffocating atmosphere any longer. "If you blame me, I won’t argue. Whether you want a divorce or anything else, I accept it." She laid all her cards on the table.
Hearing her mention divorce, Gao Zhijun looked up at her. He stared at her for a long time before finally speaking.
"No divorce."
From the moment he agreed to marry her, he had never once considered divorce.
"Why?" Bai Jiu was completely baffled.
She had sent his mother and second brother to face the firing squad, yet he still didn’t want a divorce? Was this man utterly cold-blooded?
"There is no ’why.’ When I married you, I told you that I would never leave you in this lifetime," Gao Zhijun said steadily.
He had promised her that on their wedding night. Although his work had kept him from coming home often over the years, he had never once thought about walking out of her life. A divorce was something he would never allow, nor would he ever accept.