Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Wait for Me

Hua Yusen had a job, and a very important one at that, so he couldn’t always stay by Zhao Nuanyue’s side.

At the same time, Hua Yusen felt deeply guilty toward Zhao Nuanyue. To prevent any information from leaking, he couldn’t immediately break off his engagement with that other woman. He planned to return to Jincheng City and end the engagement after completing his current mission. Then, once Zhao Nuan Yang had recovered, he would arrange for both Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuan Yang to return to Jincheng City.

By then, Zhao Nuanyue would be older, and he could properly propose to her.

"I..." Zhao Nuanyue’s heart felt both sweet and bitter. Overcome with emotion, her eyes welled up with tears. "I... I love you, too! Having you feels like having the entire world."

"Silly girl, this is a happy occasion. Why are you crying?" Hua Yusen chuckled.

Zhao Nuanyue shook her head and said between sobs, "I’m just so happy. The fact that you love me makes me feel incredibly fortunate. But everything is so chaotic right now, and our love seems so insignificant in the face of these larger forces. From the way you talk and carry yourself, I know you come from a very good family, one that a common girl like me could never hope to marry into."

Zhao Nuanyue’s tears were half of joy and half of sorrow.

’In her past life, after weathering countless storms, she had met a man who truly cared for her in the final Chapter of her life. He cherished her, protected her, and even avenged her. But by then, she was a ruined woman with a tarnished reputation. Her love felt too insignificant for him, which was why she had thrown herself in front of him when he was about to be killed.’

’If she couldn’t be with him honorably in life, then she would repay him with her humble love in a blaze of glory.’

’Perhaps the heavens had taken pity on her, for she was reborn. Even though she met him again during a time of hardship and poverty, to Zhao Nuanyue, it was the most wonderful thing in the world.’

However, Zhao Nuanyue still understood that while love was a matter of mutual affection between two people, marriage was not. Marriage was a contract between two families of equal standing.

Hearing Zhao Nuanyue’s words, Hua Yusen stiffened for a moment. He then pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered in her ear, "You’re right. My parents both have respectable jobs, but right now, they can hardly protect themselves. We’re living in a very grim situation, which does make our love seem insignificant and difficult. But I want you to know this: I, Hua Yusen, will only love you in this life. I will only marry you. So please, wait for me."

Zhao Nuanyue looked at Hua Yusen through her hazy, tear-filled eyes. Their love was so profound it was daunting, yet after truly falling for each other, she discovered its sweetness was irresistibly tempting, making one yearn to possess it completely.

"Okay, I’ll wait for you." Zhao Nuanyue nodded. ’I have to work hard and improve myself,’ she resolved, ’so I can be a woman worthy of standing by his side.’

’Zhao Nuanyue believed that Hua Yusen wasn’t one to make empty promises; on the contrary, he took his commitments very seriously. Now that he had made her a promise, she would believe him. This man was worth waiting for, worth trusting, and worth loving.’

Quietly, slowly, Hua Yusen and Zhao Nuanyue’s emotions settled.

Hua Yusen let go of Zhao Nuanyue and gazed into her bright eyes. He felt as if he were being drawn into a tranquil, clear spring, feeling a sense of peace and serenity.

"It’s getting late. We should head back," Hua Yusen said softly, taking Zhao Nuanyue’s hand. ’This is the hand I want to hold for the rest of my life,’ he thought. ’I never want to let go.’

Zhao Nuanyue nodded. Walking beside Hua Yusen, she said softly, "Alright. We’ve been out for a long time today. People will probably be curious about why Uncle Miao called for us, so we should get back soon."

"Mhm," Hua Yusen agreed, holding her hand as they walked along the moonlit path. "By the way, we deliberately lured Liu Lanhua over here earlier. What did you have in mind?"

Zhao Nuanyue listened, thought for a moment, then explained slowly, "It’s actually quite simple. The idea is to make Liu Lanhua believe this is our secret meeting spot. Then, when the time is right, we’ll lead her to come here. To prove how ’indecent’ we are, she will definitely bring people to catch us in the act. You’ll slip away out the back, and Liu Lanhua will come up empty-handed. Then I can accuse her of framing me, make a big scene, and create more opportunities for us."

Hua Yusen was dumbfounded.

"Are you sure about this? Disregarding your reputation like that?" Hua Yusen asked, taken aback and a little worried. "Aren’t you afraid of how the villagers will look at you?"

Zhao Nuanyue turned to look at him and said softly, "As long as you know I’m innocent, I don’t care what anyone else thinks. Besides, most of the villagers only see what’s on the surface and have no idea what’s really going on. That gives us an opening. Don’t you think?"

"It’s a good opportunity and a clever plan, but I’m worried you’ll be wronged," Hua Yusen said. "Truthfully, I want to handle these things for you so you don’t have to work so hard. As long as you’re safe, that’s the greatest comfort to me. As for the situation in the village, we have a lot of people in the county town, so there shouldn’t be any major issues. Uncle Miao and Li Guihua are also being very proactive. I’ve already made inquiries with my superiors. It turns out Li Guihua’s son, Li Jian Country, is in our unit. He once wrote a letter home at the unit’s request. The response to that letter confirms our earlier suspicions: Village Chief Miao and Li Guihua have been helping several people, both openly and secretly, from the very beginning."

Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue froze, completely shocked. "Director Li’s son is in your unit?"

"Yes," Hua Yusen nodded. "Li Jian Country is Miao Cunzheng’s son-in-law. That’s why we, Village Chief Miao, and Director Li all share a common enemy. With the timing, location, and people all in our favor, we will definitely be able to complete this mission successfully."

Zhao Nuanyue felt a little more at ease after hearing this. She then asked, "Look, your unit has so many capable people. Why can’t you just take Elder Gu away? If you found a safer place for him, you wouldn’t have to go through all this hardship."

Hearing her question, Hua Yusen gave a bitter smile and said slowly, "There’s an old saying: ’Under all of heaven, there is no land that is not the king’s.’ Where could we possibly run? There are people who want Elder Gu dead, and there are others who, while not wanting him dead, don’t want him living well either. We are his confidants, responsible for protecting him from those who wish him harm. A delicate balance has been struck, and for now, the faction that wants him alive but powerless has the upper hand. That’s why we took the opportunity to come here, to Nianqiao Village—a place that hasn’t seen war or strife in a thousand years."

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