Chapter 117: Boiling a Frog in Warm Water

Ke Nian and Yu Zhi followed their original plan and landed precisely at the designated coast. People were already waiting to receive them, yet they waited for three days and three nights, but Fu Juxing and Lin Wanbai never appeared.

They secretly searched the surrounding waters, but found nothing.

A month passed, and there was still no word.

They had originally planned to fake their deaths, but now they were truly missing. Ke Nian’s mood was incredibly complex. Standing on the shore, his temper flared, and he smashed his fist hard into a nearby rock.

This was all his fault; if he hadn’t been so overconfident, leading to Fu Juxing’s injury, things would never have reached this point.

Yu Zhi appeared behind him, and as he prepared to strike again, blocked him with his arm. "Leave this to Twelve."

"No, I want to stay here until I find Brother Xing."

"I think Twelve is more than capable of handling the search. Have you forgotten the task Brother Xing entrusted to us?"

"But he’s not even here..." He stopped himself mid-sentence. After a moment of silence, he looked out at the vast ocean, took a deep breath, and said, "I understand. I know what I have to do."

"Let’s go."

"You go first. I’ll stay a little longer."

Yu Zhi didn't linger and turned to leave.

***

The village where Lin Wanbai and Fu Juxing resided seemed to exist in a blind spot; unless fated, no one could enter, find, or see it.

Under Lin Wanbai’s reprimand, three days later, Fu Juxing followed the old doctor across half the village to the young man's home.

The young man had an older sister, more than a dozen years his senior, and they relied on each other to get by. Seeing her brother’s head bandaged, the sister was naturally heartbroken. If the old doctor hadn't stopped her, she would have already come knocking with a kitchen knife.

Seeing the two at her door, she gave them no pleasant looks, though she paused slightly when she saw Fu Juxing’s face. He was, as the rumors in the village suggested, a man of peerless beauty.

Yet, despite his looks, her brother remained her top priority.

Still, upon seeing the old doctor, her attitude softened. "Uncle Shao."

Shao Xian nodded and said, "I brought him here to apologize to your brother. Yesterday was a misunderstanding. He acted without knowing the situation, and that was his fault. Afterward, he himself said he deeply regretted his impulsiveness. He and his wife are new here and aren't used to our village’s customs. Furthermore, they stumbled upon this place while in danger, which made them guarded toward everyone."

As he spoke, he tilted his head toward Fu Juxing, signaling him to speak.

Fu Juxing kept his eyes down, his expression indifferent, lips pressed thin. For a moment, not a word came out.

Shao Xian coughed and whispered, "Xiao Bai..."

His eyes flickered slightly. "I'm sorry."

Shao Xian said, "Xiao Mei, look, he has apologized so sincerely. Be the bigger person and forgive him this time. If there is a next time... no, there certainly won't be a next time."

At this, the brother suddenly ran out, looked at Shao Xian, and asked, "Uncle, you just said... you just said that pretty lady is what to him?"

This time, without waiting for Shao Xian to answer, Fu Juxing looked straight ahead and said, "My wife."

"That's not right, that's not right at all. The whole village says you’re siblings! How did she become your wife?"

Xiao Mei sensed the coldness in Fu Juxing’s eyes. She immediately shielded her brother, stuffed a towel into his mouth, and said, "Enough. Our village has always been peaceful; I hope this doesn't happen again. My brother didn't know she was your wife; the village kept saying you were siblings, which is why he got interested. It’s all a misunderstanding."

Shao Xian nodded with a smile. "Yes, all a misunderstanding."

Afterward, they didn't stay long. Once the matter was resolved, Shao Xian led Fu Juxing back.

On the way, Shao Xian picked up a wooden stick and handed it to Fu Juxing to use as a cane. He glanced at him, noting his icy expression. "Are you truly suffering from amnesia, or are you faking it?"

Fu Juxing turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, just making conversation. You really don't remember anything?"

"I remember a little."

"The fact that Xiao Bai is your wife?"

He nodded.

"Why? Do you remember marrying her, or..."

"I remember that I love her. Very much."

"Is that so? But it seems Xiao Bai doesn't like you quite that much."

Fu Juxing paused. Shao Xian walked a few steps before stopping and looking back at him.

Fu Juxing said, "Perhaps I did something wrong that made her unhappy."

He stood there, lost in thought.

Shao Xian returned to his side and said, "Don't dwell on it. When in Rome, do as the Romans do." He patted his back. "Thinking too much is useless. Even if you do figure it out, what then? The past is over. The most important thing is the future, isn't it, young man?"

Fu Juxing glanced at him.

Shao Xian smiled, patted him twice more, and pushed him forward.

As they neared the house, Fu Juxing saw Lin Wanbai standing at the gate, peeking toward them. Upon seeing them, she immediately retreated and sat back down on her chair.

Moments later, Fu Juxing and Shao Xian reached the door.

She kept a stony face, looked at Fu Juxing without a word, then averted her gaze to stare at the herbal medicine in the pot.

Shao Xian said nothing. He went to the shed, grabbed his herb-gathering tools, and said, "I'm heading up the mountain. You two figure out your own lunch."

Lin Wanbai: "Be careful on the mountain, sir."

"You got it." Shao Xian waved his hand and left.

Only the two of them remained inside and outside the house. Fu Juxing was wearing Shao Xian’s clothes; he was tall, so the old man’s clothes didn't fit, looking short in every way.

Fortunately, he wore his pants high, or he would be showing off his midriff.

He stood at the door for a long time before slowly walking over. He stopped three paces away from her. There were no chairs around, so he simply squatted down, looking at her from time to time. He looked indescribably pitiful—very much like the little yellow dog lying under the shed.

Lin Wanbai ignored him, and he didn't initiate conversation. He simply shifted from sneaking glances to staring straight at her, unabashedly. Furthermore, when she wasn't looking, he stealthily changed positions, squatting directly in front of her, resting his chin on his arms, eyes raised, just watching her.

Every time Lin Wanbai glanced over, she met his gaze.

Perhaps she had grown accustomed to his attention, but Lin Wanbai felt no awkwardness. She let him watch her and continued to ignore him.

They held this pose until the medicine was ready. She went to the kitchen to get a towel. Fu Juxing was still physically weak; when he stood up suddenly, he suffered a head rush and staggered, nearly falling.

Lin Wanbai instinctively reached out to steady him. He stood firm quickly, and once his vision cleared, he touched the arm she had grabbed, smiled at her, and reached for the towel in her hand, but she avoided him.

Fu Juxing said, "Let me take it, it's very hot."

"No need. I've been doing this for days; I know how hot it is." She picked up the clay pot efficiently, walked quickly into the house, and placed it on the table.

Fu Juxing followed, keeping his distance of three paces. Breaking the silence, he initiated the conversation: "I apologized, and they forgave me."

"Mm." Lin Wanbai pinched her earlobes, responding faintly. With Old Master Shao stepping in, of course they would give him face and forgive him.

"I know I was reckless, but when I saw him... I felt uncomfortable."

Lin Wanbai chuckled. "He didn't do anything; he hadn't even said a word. What were you uncomfortable about? I wasn't hugging or kissing him in front of you. I didn't even touch his finger. What were you uncomfortable about?"

"I'm uncomfortable whenever he looks at you."

Lin Wanbai turned her head. His brows were tightly knitted. After meeting her eyes, he slowly lowered his gaze. "Am I wrong? You are my wife. Of course I’m uncomfortable when others ogle you."

Lin Wanbai looked at him without speaking immediately. A moment later, as if thinking of something, she huffed and said, "No wonder you wanted to keep me locked up; so that’s the kind of mind you have."

"I was wondering why I dislike you so much. If we were truly a loving couple, childhood sweethearts, how could I have forgotten you so thoroughly, even subconsciously hating you? Before I lost my memory, you must have done something quite something to make me so repulsed."

She muttered to herself. Fu Juxing didn't hear her clearly; he just looked at her imploringly and asked, "What are you saying?"

"Nothing. It's time for your medicine."

She handed him the medicine, her face even darker than before.

Fu Juxing was confused, not knowing what he had done wrong to make her seem even angrier.

He cautiously took the bowl and drank it dry. "Is there anything you want me to do? I'll go do it now."

"Just lie down. If you collapse, it'll be a hassle for others to get medicine for you. Rest well."

She pointed to the bed nearby, urging him to lie down.

Fu Juxing obeyed her and obediently lay on the bed.

Lin Wanbai took a sip of water and went outside. The medicine was brewed, and with nothing to do, she strolled around the courtyard and went to tease the little yellow dog.

She stroked the dog’s head, and it wagged its tail constantly, showing no fear of her.

She couldn't help but think of the three little ones at the Ningjiang Manor; she wondered if the hired help was taking good care of them. Suddenly, she remembered Aunt Rong and began to worry. Aunt Rong had gone to the restroom with her, and before she lost consciousness, she had heard Aunt Rong’s cry.

But since she woke up, there had been no news of Aunt Rong. She didn't know where they had taken her.

She couldn't help but look back, just in time to see Fu Juxing’s eyes peeking out stealthily. He wanted to retreat, but clearly, she had already spotted him. He simply walked out, grinned, pointed to the sky, and said, "The weather is so nice, I want to soak up the sun."

She said nothing.

Fu Juxing took a chair and sat in the middle of the courtyard, facing her.

After a while, Lin Wanbai stood up, grabbed a chair, and sat directly in front of him. The two sat facing each other.

Fu Juxing instinctively sat up straight, sitting properly with his hands resting honestly on his knees, looking at her with gentle eyes, waiting for her interrogation.

After they stared at each other for a moment, Lin Wanbai spoke: "Have you really forgotten everything?"

"I remember you."

"What about before you woke up? Do you know why we are here?"

He shook his head. "I don't remember."

"Do you remember what you do for a living?"

"I don't remember."

"And you're not even a little bit panicked? When I lost my memory, I wasn't as calm as you."

He smiled. "With you by my side, I'm not panicked."

"So, what are your plans now?"

He pretended to think seriously and said, "Being with you—anything is fine."

In other words, he had no plans. If he were asked to settle down here, he likely wouldn't have any objections.

Lin Wanbai turned to look outside the courtyard. For now, they could only take it one step at a time.

At noon, Shao Xian indeed didn't return. Fortunately, he had prepared ingredients in the kitchen before he left. Lin Wanbai chose a few easy dishes and cooked two vegetable sides. Fu Juxing needed a bland diet, so the vegetables were very light, without a drop of oil.

Fu Juxing helped her bring the dishes into the house, and a few minutes later, they sat down to eat lunch.

In the quiet environment, the occasional sound of birds chirped. Sunlight poured in from the doorway, and occasionally someone passed by, speaking in their dialect. In such a rustic setting, Fu Juxing felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. A warmth surged from the bottom of his heart, causing his hands to tremble.

Even though the food was tasteless, he found flavor in it.

When tears fell, he was startled himself. He lost his grip on the bowl, and it shattered on the floor; more than half the porridge remained uneaten.

Lin Wanbai had been eating intently, lost in her own thoughts, and hadn't noticed him. She was startled by the sound.

Turning to look, she saw Fu Juxing bending down to pick up the broken bowl. In his panic, he cut his fingers. Blood stained the white rice grains, looking particularly stark.

Lin Wanbai set down her chopsticks.

He said, "You don't need to worry about it, I'll handle it."

He rose to get a broom, cleaned it up quickly, and went to wash his hands. The cut was deep, and he bled quite a bit; he rinsed it for a long while until the bleeding slowed before turning off the tap.

Back in the room, Lin Wanbai took Shao Xian’s medical kit and managed to find a bandage. "Give me your hand."

He obediently stretched it out. The wound was deep, and his fingertips were pale from the blood loss.

Lin Wanbai glanced at him, rummaged through the kit again, applied some medicine, and then applied the bandage.

"What are you thinking about? You can't even eat a meal without dropping it; you're not a child."

He looked at his finger and beamed. He didn't seem to hear Lin Wanbai’s words; he just kept looking at his finger.

Lin Wanbai waited for a moment, and seeing him silent, looked over again. Seeing his silly expression, she found it amusing.

In her impression, Fu Juxing was a man who rarely smiled, his brows always furrowed with worry, as if nothing in the world could make him happy. She couldn't see through his mind; she knew very little about their past or about him.

She only had an intuitive sense of fear toward him. Every time he came to eat or visit, she felt repulsed—a deep-seated, inexplicable repulsion.

But this time, he had risked so much to save her that she felt somewhat moved, and the strong sense of repulsion had faded.

Seeing him like this now, she felt a strange ache in her heart.

Finally, her heart softened, and her tone grew gentler. "I'll go get you another bowl."

"It's okay, I'll go myself." He caught her hand, pulled her back to her seat, ran to the kitchen, and refilled the bowl.

Afterward, the atmosphere between them eased slightly. Lin Wanbai told him about the origins of the village.

"We probably can't leave for a while. Don't be so impulsive again. The people here are all hiding their true depths; don't offend them. Besides, I'm good-looking, so it's normal for people to like me. Even if you're unhappy, you can't hit people. They haven't done anything lewd. Wait until I actually cheat on you, then you can hit them. Do you hear me?"

The word "cheat" made his expression change. His hand holding the chopsticks tightened. He looked at her deeply, saying nothing for a long time.

"What's with that expression?" Lin Wanbai, seeing his silence, glanced at him and found his expression ugly, with a trace of thin anger in his eyes. Immediately realizing something, she clicked her tongue. "I said 'if,' it's not real. Fu Juxing, if you're going to be this difficult, I'm going to get angry."

She frowned, slapped her chopsticks down, and pulled a long face.

"I'm not eating." She rose to leave.

Fu Juxing grabbed her. "I'm not being difficult."

Fu Juxing’s injuries gradually healed. Shao Xian’s medical skills were brilliant; his special golden sore ointment seemed tailored for gunshot wounds and was highly effective.

Once he recovered, he took over all of Lin Wanbai’s chores. Washing clothes, cooking, and helping Shao Xian with herbs—he took care of everything that needed doing throughout the day. As for Lin Wanbai, she only needed to make a cup of tea and sit by and watch.

Once his body improved further, he would go out to find her delicious food.

Seeing that his clothes didn't fit, Shao Xian went to the village tailor and had two sets made for him to change into.

Fu Juxing was intelligent and quick to learn. In his spare time, Shao Xian would lecture him on medicinal herbs and provide them with many books on traditional Chinese medicine.

Since his daughter had left Peace Village, his house hadn't been this lively, and he hadn't spoken this much with anyone in a long time.

Most of the villagers were warm and hospitable. Lin Wanbai, having nothing to do, had become familiar with several nearby households.

Because she was pretty and had a good personality, the villagers liked her, young and old alike.

However, the men in the village were quite respectful when interacting with her, especially after the story of Xiao Mei’s brother had spread throughout the village; everyone knew they were husband and wife.

The husband was jealous, so they consciously kept their distance.

Once she became familiar with the villagers, someone came to call her to do this or that almost every day.

Lin Wanbai didn't refuse. It was even more boring here than at Ningjiang Manor; there was no TV, no entertainment programs, so she was naturally happy to go out. Eventually, she successfully learned to play Mahjong. They didn't gamble for money, but for food—whatever was available. Lin Wanbai had nothing but Shao Xian’s medicinal herbs.

Although she lost at first, once she mastered it, she won every time.

She left empty-handed every day and returned with a full load.

As for Fu Juxing, he was extremely uncomfortable with her going out every day. Yet, every time he was about to blow up, Shao Xian would, as if by intuition, arrange some tedious work for him. Once his mind was on work, the urge to lash out became easier to endure.

Shao Xian seemed to have taken him as his apprentice, not only teaching him to identify herbs but also how to take pulses and treat illnesses.

Incidentally, he also taught him a bit about the affairs between men and women.

He had sensed the problem between the two long ago. Like an experienced mentor, he educated Fu Juxing: "You have to know how to play hard to get. Don't be like a greenhorn, just staring at her. What's the point of staring? Do you know how to fly a kite? You have to let it out and pull it in at the right times; only then will things get better between you two. She doesn't cherish you now; locking her up is useless. Love is the most beautiful thing in the world; it’s meant to make people happy, not miserable."

Fu Juxing asked: "Then what should I do?"

"Boil the frog in warm water. Be good to her in the small details of life. Make her happy; let her feel happy when she sees you. Then, one day, when she discovers you're gone, she will naturally come looking for you."

"How?"

Shao Xian scoffed: "Have you never chased a girl?"

He didn't answer.

"That's right. With your looks, you probably didn't have to chase; girls came to you automatically. Why would you need to put in effort?" Shao Xian puffed on his pipe. "Since you two are fated to meet me, and you're both so sensible, and you work so efficiently, I'll help you."

He sat with his legs crossed, eyes narrowed, thinking of who knows what.

Lin Wanbai and Fu Juxing shared a room—Lin Wanbai on the bed, he on the floor.

Now that the weather was turning cold, the bed was always freezing.

That night, Fu Juxing finished his work early, stripped himself bare, and slipped into the bed first.

Lin Wanbai came out of Shao Xian’s room, feeling it was strange. He had dragged her into talking about nonsense, wasting her bath time.

She went straight into the bathroom.

Fu Juxing had made her a bathtub two days ago—a bathtub exclusively for her. She filled it with water, steam rose, and she sprinkled unknown petals on top. The small bathroom soon became hot.

An hour later, when she finished bathing and returned to the room, she saw that Fu Juxing was nowhere to be seen.

Normally, he would be guarding the door waiting for her. Seeing the empty doorway, she felt a bit strange.

She closed the door, turned around, and looked carefully, only to find him lying on her bed.

She frowned, walked to the bedside, and coughed. "Why are you lying there?"

Fu Juxing heard her, poked his head out, and said, "It's cold. I was warming up the bed for you. You hate the cold most, don't you?"

Without waiting for her to speak, he immediately got up and consciously climbed off the bed, standing to the side wearing only his trousers.

"Go to sleep."

Lin Wanbai was stunned. "You... what are you doing?"

He just smiled and returned to his floor pallet on his own. "Good night."

Lin Wanbai hadn't expected this. She stood there for a long while before sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching into the covers. It was indeed warm.

She cast a glance at Fu Juxing, who was already lying down. Looking at the thin quilt beneath him—with the weather getting colder—it must be freezing sleeping on the floor.

Lin Wanbai untied her hair tie, loosened her hair, hesitated, and finally lay down.

Inside the quilt, it was full of his scent. Closing her eyes, it felt as if she were lying in his arms.

She reached out and clicked off the light, burying half her face in the quilt. After a while, she surfaced, felt cold again, and shrank back in.

She did this back and forth several times and found she had no sleepiness at all.

She turned over. After her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see everything in the room by the moonlight coming through the window, including Fu Juxing lying on the floor.

Only then did the events of the past few days surface in her mind. Fu Juxing had been very well-behaved lately. She went out every day, and he didn't interfere, aside from coming to find her at noon to call her for dinner; he said nothing else.

He just helped Shao Xian manage the household and had even cleared out Shao Xian’s abandoned vegetable garden. He didn't know what he was doing, but he seemed to have a full schedule every day.

She coughed deliberately.

The next second, Fu Juxing lifted his head. "Do you want water?"

"No, go to sleep."

"Mm."

He lay back down.

Lin Wanbai turned inward and closed her eyes to continue sleeping.

The first night, she didn't sleep much. The quilt was full of Fu Juxing’s scent, lingering, impossible to shake off.

When she woke up the next day, Fu Juxing was already up. In the outer room, breakfast was laid out on the table, and beside it was a hand-woven grasshopper. A smiley face was drawn on the table with water stains.

Lin Wanbai turned and scanned the room, but didn't see Fu Juxing.

Shao Xian, however, walked in, stretching. "Oh my, this breakfast is getting more and more lavish. Where did this kid get these ingredients? He must have seduced the daughter of Aunt Fang’s family."

"What?"

"Nothing." Shao Xian chuckled, sat beside her, and started eating a steamed bun.

Lin Wanbai: "Where... where is he?"

"How would I know? I just got up too." Shao Xian glanced at her. "What’s wrong? Do you need him for something?"

"No, nothing." She shook her head.

"Are you going out today?"

"I don't know. If Linlin and the others come to call me, I'll go."

"Go ahead. It’s boring staying in this room alone. Actually, there are plenty of activities in the village. You look like an educated person; if you're willing, you could go to the village center and teach the children. We’re just worried about finding a good teacher."

"Linlin mentioned that to me too. I was planning to go take a look today."

Shao Xian nodded with a smile.

No one had ever asked them if they wanted to stay, nor did anyone ask when they were leaving.

Lin Wanbai had been thinking about this question. After getting familiar with the women here, she had once asked about the path out.

An older woman had told her and dug out a map to show her. She had been only thirty-something when she arrived, originally intending to reorganize and leave, but she kept delaying it until she never left.

Eventually, she fell in love with someone here, got married, had children, and stayed.

Most of these people were fugitives outside—either destitute, living at the bottom of society, in darkness. They had never known a stable, comfortable life. But here, it was like a new world; everyone was equal, no one was petty, and it truly had the feel of a utopian society.

The old woman was at an age where she wouldn't leave, so she gave the map to her. She had kept it hidden in her pillow stuffing; no one knew.

After breakfast, Lin Wanbai still hadn't seen Fu Juxing. She went to Linlin’s house, and Linlin took her to the school in the village center. There was only one teacher and one class, with children of all ages together.

They just learned to recognize characters and some basic math—enough to get by.

The education level here was average. Lin Wanbai’s temperament clearly showed she was educated, and in chatting with her, Linlin felt her upbringing and thought she could educate the children.

She even thought she could be the village chief of Peace Village.

Everyone knew that education was the key. As for the current village chief, he just relied on the position passed down by his father; the village had remained stagnant with no new ideas.

Lin Wanbai looked at those children—their eyes were clean and clear—and without much thought, she agreed on the spot.

Knowledge was still very important.

Wasn't there a saying: knowledge changes destiny?

Linlin was delighted. "That's great! When my child is born, I want you to teach him too."

Linlin was only three months pregnant.

Lin Wanbai smiled, noncommittal.

She might not even be here by the time her child was born.

After that day, Lin Wanbai went to teach the children every day. Without contact with the outside world, it was backward.

There were no systematic textbooks. The middle-aged man who had been teaching the children saw Lin Wanbai take over, handed over all the textbooks he had, gave her the children, and stopped caring.

There weren't many people, and Lin Wanbai could manage.

Shao Xian knew she was teaching, so he took out the textbooks his daughter had used and gave them to her.

In the evening, she prepared lessons. Besides warming the bed, Fu Juxing would help her look through them.

He helped her organize the math materials; it was all primary school curriculum, which was too simple for him. He finished in a few moments.

He glanced at Lin Wanbai, who was still preparing lessons, very intently. He rose, went behind the cabinet, grabbed something, and silently placed it on her bed.

When Lin Wanbai finished and washed up to sleep, she saw a new cotton jacket on the bed. The fabric looked new, and the style was surprisingly not rustic, looking as if it had been bought from outside.

"Where did you get the money?"

"I traded for it."

"What did you trade with?"

Fu Juxing said: "By doing work for others."

No wonder he had been coming and going in such a rush recently, and when he delivered her meals at noon, he would just set the food down and leave.

"Did they buy it from outside?"

"No, I had the village tailor make it. I drew a diagram and told her to make it according to my instructions."

"You’re quite capable, knowing how to design clothes."

"Do you like it?" Under the dim light, his eyes were exceptionally bright as he looked at her.

"It’s alright." She didn't look at him, folded the jacket, and placed it to the side.

He nodded and only said: "Good night, sleep early."

Lin Wanbai got into the quilt, as warm as ever. She lay down but didn't turn off the light immediately, staring at the glow for a while. In the end, she didn't ask him when he planned to leave.

There was always a voice in her heart telling her that he had lost his memory and was so easy to fool; if she were to escape, now was the time.