Chapter 11: An Unexplained Thought

Facing such an unfavorable situation, Feng Qingsnow was furious beyond measure as her reputation as a troublemaker and a liar was about to be firmly established.

At a moment like this, she even wanted to expose the conspiracy against her, tear ties with Ning Ruyun, and shift the blame of being a liar onto Ning Ruyun’s head, hoping to salvage a bit of her own reputation.

Unfortunately, just as Feng Qingsnow was about to stand up and defend herself, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head, exactly the same as the pain she had experienced in her hands and feet moments before.

This sudden turn of events terrified Feng Qingsnow even more; she felt that none of this was coincidental.

But this time, she truly could not hold on any longer. Her head throbbed violently, and before she could make any further moves, she fainted, unable to stand up and clear her name in time.

However, as matters had escalated to this point, everyone’s attention was on Ning Ruyun’s side and on Wei Zhitai and the others in the water; very few people noticed Feng Qingsnow’s abnormal condition.

By then, Wei Zhitai had already climbed out of the water, his face sullen and gloomy.

Casting a cold glance at Feng Qingsnow, who lay unconscious on the stones by the shore, Wei Zhitai felt a deep disappointment at the failure of her scheming.

If Ning Ruyun had truly been pushed into the water by Feng Qingsnow, and he had saved Ning Ruyun, wouldn’t their physical contact mean they were practically married?

Though he felt he should despise such an outcome, vague images flashed through his mind, making Wei Zhitai consider that marrying Ning Ruyun might not be entirely unacceptable.

This shift in thought was a stark departure from his previous stance, and even Wei Zhitai himself found it hard to believe. He wondered if he had been bewitched—how could he suddenly harbor hopes for a disfigured and unattractive woman like Ning Ruyun?

He and his mother, Zhang Lanya, had come to Houwan Village today to break off the engagement with Ning Ruyun. That was the outcome he wanted. How could he now entertain such a bizarre notion of marrying her?

Shaking his head vigorously to dispel the muddled thoughts, Wei Zhitai cleared his mind considerably.

He looked up toward the not-so-distant Ning Ruyun, who was unharmed and still unaware of the whole incident. Compared to before, Wei Zhitai no longer felt such intense aversion or irritation.

The change was drastic enough that Wei Zhitai himself found his behavior strange and unsettling.

Yet, the calmness in Ning Ruyun was also very different from what he remembered.

Suppressing the strange, emerging feelings within, Wei Zhitai gave Ning Ruyun one last glance and hurriedly composed himself, holding back the urge to approach and question her.

He simply thought that Ning Ruyun’s safety was a good outcome, allowing him some peace of mind.

As for why he suddenly felt this way or why he cared about Ning Ruyun, Wei Zhitai had yet to understand. He hurriedly dressed to avoid looking too disheveled.

They had all been deceived by Feng Qingsnow, foolishly diving into the water to save someone who was never in danger. He certainly felt ashamed.

Ning Ruyun had never fallen into the water or been swept away. There was no accident at all.

His rescue efforts had been nothing more than a spectacle for others to watch and mock, with Feng Qingsnow as the instigator.

Moreover, Feng Qingsnow herself had fallen into the water suddenly and was ultimately saved by Zhao Dacheng. They clung to each other so tightly, their hands wandering boldly, even sharing a kiss. Wei Zhitai knew all this and felt an intense, bitter rage, as though someone was trying to seize what was rightfully his—his possession, Feng Qingsnow.

In the past, such a thought would have sent him into a furious rage, charging over to assert his claim immediately upon seeing Feng Qingsnow embraced and kissed by another man.

But this time, though angry, his fury was not as fierce as expected. He had no intention of rushing to Feng Qingsnow’s aid.

After all, he was still betrothed to Ning Ruyun. Recklessly showing concern for Feng Qingsnow would only cause trouble for himself, Ning Ruyun, and Feng Qingsnow alike. It was simply not worth it.

Wei Zhitai understood all this but still felt deeply unwilling and angry.

Yet compared to the situation with Ning Ruyun, Wei Zhitai seemed more inclined to marry her.

His thoughts were so confused that he quickly pushed them aside to calm himself.

Unable to figure out his strange state of mind for the moment, Wei Zhitai grew restless and refrained from speaking to Ning Ruyun.

Ning Ruyun noticed Wei Zhitai’s conflicted reaction and the way his gaze shifted between her and Feng Qingsnow, finding it rather ironic.

However, recalling another matter, she shook her head lightly, not intending to greet Wei Zhitai or do anything else.

She clearly remembered that Wei Zhitai’s widowed mother, Zhang Lanya, had always been very strict with him and looked down on her, believing she was utterly unworthy of Wei Zhitai. On many occasions, she had tried to cancel the engagement arranged by their elders.

At this moment, Zhang Lanya was probably at her house, negotiating with her parents about breaking the engagement.

In her previous life, because she fainted and fell into the water, only to be saved by Wei Zhitai who carried her home, Zhang Lanya’s plans to cancel the engagement ultimately failed.

Because of that incident, Zhang Lanya believed that Ning Ruyun had deliberately engineered the rescue, hoping to force the marriage by creating physical contact, stubbornly clinging to the Wei family.

With Feng Qingsnow’s recent performance—saying all sorts of ambiguous things to deliberately ruin Ning Ruyun’s reputation—Zhang Lanya and Wei Zhitai’s disdain for Ning Ruyun had only deepened, leading to the unpleasant outcome that also brought trouble to her family.

This time, Ning Ruyun intended to break off the engagement with Wei Zhitai from the start. Now that the matter here was basically resolved, achieving her desired result, she could return and finalize the breakup through Zhang Lanya’s side, ending the engagement once and for all.

She was truly resistant to marrying Wei Zhitai and would never allow the old drama to repeat itself.

As for Wei Zhitai’s unusual behavior today, Ning Ruyun barely paid it any mind, genuinely unwilling to focus on him any longer.