Chapter 5

Lu Manman was still shaken, hurriedly groping to turn on the bedside lamp.

After looking around, her panicked heart gradually calmed down.

She kept comforting herself that dreams were the opposite of reality!

In the dream just now, in this life, her substitute marriage was exposed, and everyone was glaring at her with disgusted eyes!

Her sister-in-law mocked her with a mocking gaze, and her new husband looked at her with icy, bone-chilling eyes...

The neighbors pointed at her and cursed her for being shameless, snatching someone else's marriage.

Elder Lu and his granddaughter glared at her with hateful eyes, accusing her of occupying the magpie's nest!

That person without a face—but in the dark, she knew it was Lu Man, who had died miserably in her past life.

The other party didn't say anything, but the silent sarcasm and gaze made it hard for her to lift her head.

She just wanted to live a good life, just wanted to climb high and marry well under the identity of a Lu family daughter.

The identity of a Lu family stepdaughter was worthless!

She couldn't expose her identity; she didn't want to be looked down upon by her in-laws!

The man beside her was the one she had fallen in love with at first sight, the husband she had dreamed of!

In both past and present lives, she had used unscrupulous means, and both times she had obtained this man!

Even if it meant using lies to deceive, even if it meant getting him drunk with drugged wine, taking advantage of his lack of consciousness, and deliberately seducing him to have a relationship while he was confused, she would not hesitate!

As long as she was pregnant with her husband's child, given his character, he would never refuse to take responsibility!

If she could give birth to the eldest grandson of the Gu family, then even if her identity was exposed, she would have the confidence to continue living in the Gu family and be a secure Mrs. Gu!

Thinking of this, Lu Manman turned off the light, lay down, rolled to her husband's side, moved closer, and closer, curling up in his arms, on his chest...

The next day, the sky was clear and cloudless.

Although Shen Man had only slept for two hours, she didn't mistreat herself, dripping a drop of spiritual liquid into her cup.

After drinking it, all her fatigue disappeared, and she was radiant.

The food on the table was all gone, not even a crumb left.

Shen Man glanced at the corner of the bed, where a little head with cat ears perked up was curled into a ball, and petted it, saying:

"You go into the space first. I'm going downstairs to eat, then I'll go out to hoard food and supplies to prepare for leaving.

When I come home, I'll find a legitimate reason to explain where you came from, and then you can follow me openly."

"Understood, Master."

Tangyuan meowed and was obediently taken into the space by its master.

Unless it encountered life-threatening danger and was urgently teleported back to the space, under normal circumstances, it needed its master's permission to enter and exit the space.

Shen Man put the bankbooks and handbag into the space to prevent anyone from sneaking into her room after she left.

First floor—

After last night's quarrel and the tearing of masks, Elder Lu became even more determined to send his granddaughter to join his grandson.

He had just made a phone call to an old friend, asking him to get a soft-sleeper ticket to the Sea Island, and the friend agreed, saying he would find time to deliver the ticket to him personally in the afternoon.

In addition, he had organized his pension and the coupons he had collected over the years, preparing to give them all to his granddaughter; he wouldn't give them to his grandson, as compensation for his absence from his granddaughter's life for the past fifteen years.

After the family nanny, Wangjie, arrived, she was busy in the kitchen making breakfast.

Because today was the day for the wife's daughter, Lu Manman, to return home, the wife had given her a sum of money before getting off work yesterday, telling her to go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative when she came to work today to buy more meat and vegetables.

It was just strange; the atmosphere in the house today was weird. She hadn't seen the old man sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, nor had she heard the radio. Was he still in his room?

"Knock, knock, knock~"

"Old man, time for breakfast."

"Hey, coming."

Elder Lu tied the organized coupons with a string and put them in his pocket, planning to give them to his granddaughter when he found an opportunity!

As for his son's stepdaughter, humph, if she were a sensible person, he wouldn't necessarily mind treating her like his own granddaughter.

But for the past fifteen years, he had seen her words, actions, attempts, and schemes clearly!

Damn it.

If his wife hadn't injured her body when giving birth to their son, they would have had more than one son; if he had had another son or daughter, he would have packed his bags and left long ago.

Sigh, his son couldn't be relied upon, so he was counting on his grandson and granddaughter to start families. If only someone could pity him, this lonely old man, and take him in to support him in his old age, saving him from looking at his son, that blind fool!

"Grandfather~ time to eat."

"Manman."

The grandfather and granddaughter didn't seem like they had been separated for a long time; the blood kinship was there, so they were intimate without needing to warm up to each other.

"Grandfather, I've thought about it. I want to join my brother as soon as possible."

"Good, Grandfather supports you. These are the coupons and pension Grandfather has saved. You take them; consider it Grandfather's compensation to you. I won't give them to your brother; they are for you."

"Thank you, Grandfather~"

"I've already entrusted someone to buy you a soft-sleeper ticket. Once the ticket is in hand, Grandfather will arrange for you to leave here as soon as possible.

Once you get there, live a good life. Grandfather will tell your brother to take good care of you and find you a reliable military officer partner."

"Yes, I will listen to Grandfather."

"Good child, after you get to your brother's place, keep an eye out for a partner for him too. If you two siblings start families and have room for this old bone, please take me in to support me in my old age.

I don't want to stay in this house at all!"

"Mm, don't worry, Grandfather. I will work hard to find a partner, and I will also work hard to find a sister-in-law, and strive to take you in as soon as possible..."

Shen Man caught a glimpse of someone coming down the second-floor escalator and stopped in time, giving her grandfather a look.

Elder Lu understood in a second, finding a feeling of the revolutionary years.

He sighed inwardly that time makes people old.

"Manman, I'm sorry. Auntie shouldn't have hidden it from your father and grandfather and secretly taken two thousand yuan for your sister Manman's dowry."

It was Zhang Xuemei. Her eyes were red and swollen, with dark circles underneath, and she looked haggard; one look and you could tell she hadn't slept well and was in a terrible state of mind.

As soon as she came down, she apologized to the younger generation.

Shen Man took a tissue, wiped the corner of her mouth, her eyes clear, and pointed out logically:

"Aunt Zhang, stealing is wrong. In this matter, you have betrayed my father's trust in you."

Not all apologies were worth forgiving, especially this kind of hypocritical one.

Shen Man turned her head, smiled at her grandfather, and said in a coquettish tone:

"Grandfather, today is sister Manman's return day. I feel like I'm not very suitable to be at home, so I want to go out and look around, see the Capital, and buy some things.

I won't be eating at home at noon. Let sister Manman have a good return day."

"You, you're just too sensible. Your mother had a strong personality; why didn't you learn even a little bit of that?"

Elder Lu knew how to be sarcastic; he was gentle and caring toward his granddaughter.

Toward his daughter-in-law, Zhang Xuemei, his dislike was overflowing.

"Grandfather, no matter how much Aunt Zhang and sister Manman have wronged me, I have to consider you and Dad. I can't let outsiders see the family's jokes."

Shen Man said it very tactfully and very decently.

But for Zhang Xuemei, it was a naked rejection, even more uncomfortable than being slapped in the face!