After making a phone call together, Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Huai'an began strolling leisurely toward home.

Along the way, Lin Xiaoxiao brought up Wang Wenju's divorce and sighed, "What a shame. Someone as good as him—why couldn't he find a good wife?"

Zhou Huai'an stayed silent. He didn't mention that he already knew. Instead, he quietly held another grudge against Wang Wenju. It wasn't that Wang had done anything wrong himself, but he'd failed to teach his wife better—allowed her to hurt Lin Xiaoxiao. That, in Zhou Huai'an's eyes, was Wang's fault.

Since he couldn't confront Zhang Yimei directly, he directed his resentment toward Wang.

Lin Xiaoxiao also told him about Li Yu: "Who would've thought that just picking someone off the street would work out so well? She's steady and takes good care of Shanzi. I initially thought Wang Wenju was being reckless, entrusting his child to a stranger."

Most of the way home, Lin Xiaoxiao did the talking while Zhou Huai'an listened. She also mentioned Dong Hongmei returning to the countryside with her three children.

"Don't you think it's unfair?" she wondered aloud. "Dong Hongmei goes back to farmwork with three kids, without even getting a divorce—while Li Guohao gets to do whatever he wants here?"

Zhou Huai'an shook his head. "That won't happen. Li Guohao is about to be transferred—either to guard a warehouse up in the mountains or sent back home."

After causing such a scene, there was no way he'd get off unscathed.

Relieved, Lin Xiaoxiao nodded. "That's more like it. No one would feel right if he walked away without consequences."

By the time they arrived home, Li Yu was washing clothes in the yard with Shanzi. When she saw Lin Xiaoxiao, she stood up to greet her—then paused, staring at Zhou Huai'an beside her.

After a moment of surprise, she exclaimed, "Brother Shen?"

Lin Xiaoxiao looked around, confused. "Brother Shen? Do you have the wrong person? This is my husband, Zhou Huai'an."

Li Yu approached hesitantly, studying Zhou Huai'an carefully. "But... he looks exactly like Brother Shen."

Suddenly understanding, Lin Xiaoxiao realized Li Yu must have seen Zhou Xiaocheng. She quickly took Li Yu's hand. "Come inside," she urged. "Shanzi, come with us—Auntie has cookies for you."

She guided a bewildered Li Yu into the house, gave Shanzi a piece of peach shortbread, and began questioning Li Yu. "Have you met a man who looks just like my husband?"

Now convinced it wasn't the same person, Li Yu nodded. "Yes, exactly like him."

Lin Xiaoxiao grew excited. "When did you see him? What was his name? Where was he?"

After a moment's thought, Li Yu replied, "Three years ago. He was badly wounded—my grandfather found him while gathering herbs in the mountains and saved him. He said his name was Shen Duo."

So he'd even changed his name. But that wasn't important. What mattered was that Lin Xiaoxiao now felt certain it was Zhou Xiaocheng. "What happened after? Where did he go?"

Li Yu hesitated. "After he recovered, someone came and took him away."

"Who?" Lin Xiaoxiao pressed. If someone picked him up, why hadn't he returned home?

"I don't know," Li Yu admitted. "But he writes to my grandfather every year. I'm not sure what the letters say."

Puzzled, Lin Xiaoxiao turned to Zhou Huai'an, who sat on the edge of the bed, deep in thought. "So Zhou Xiaocheng is alive. But where is he? What is he doing? Why would he write to your grandfather but not his own family?"

Then a wild idea struck her. "Could he have lost his memory?" She turned back to Li Yu. "Did he seem like he'd forgotten things?"

Li Yu shook her head again. "I'm not sure. He spent most of his time with my grandfather. I only saw him when I delivered meals."

She went on to describe how her grandfather had found Shen Duo: "Grandpa said he was unconscious and covered in blood. He made a stretcher from branches and dragged him down the mountain. Grandpa lives alone at the foot of the hills. My uncles and dad take turns bringing him food each month."

"After Grandpa brought this injured man home, no one wanted to feed an extra mouth, so my father ended up taking responsibility. I delivered three meals a day."

"Shen Duo was unconscious for a month. When he woke up, he seemed fine—talked normally with Grandpa, no sign of memory loss."

As an unmarried young woman, Li Yu never stayed long—just dropped off the food and left. She didn't know Shen Duo well.

Lin Xiaoxiao still wondered how far Sunjia Village, where Zhou Xiaocheng had nearly been buried, was from Li Yu's hometown, Beiwā. She asked Zhou Huai'an, "How far apart are Sunjia Village and Beiwā?"

After a moment, he replied, "By the main road, it's quite a distance. Over the mountain, though—they're on opposite sides. One south, one north."

Li Yu nodded. "Yes, Sunjia Village is south, Beiwā is north. Just one mountain apart, but Sunjia has water—life is easier there. Beiwā depends on rain—much poorer."

Lin Xiaoxiao explained to Li Yu that Zhou Huai'an had a twin brother named Zhou Xiaocheng, who'd been injured and gone missing three years earlier. They looked identical.

"So the man you knew as Shen Duo," she concluded, "was almost certainly my brother-in-law, Zhou Xiaocheng."

Li Yu glanced shyly at Zhou Huai'an and nodded. "You look so alike—that's why I mistook you. But Brother Shen had a gentler temperament."

Lin Xiaoxiao almost laughed. Li Yu seemed to be implying Zhou Huai'an didn't. When pressed further, Li Yu didn't know where Zhou Xiaocheng was now.

After Li Yu left with Shanzi, Lin Xiaoxiao asked Zhou Huai'an curiously, "Do you think he lost his memory? Or is there another reason he hasn't come back?"

Zhou Huai'an was already certain. "He's on a mission. He'll return when it's time."

Lin Xiaoxiao reflected that there were many people like Zhou Xiaocheng—working in secret, leaving behind their families and identities, risking their lives in special roles without anyone knowing.

She sighed softly. "I hope he comes back safe and soon." Maybe then Li Yunlan's health would improve.

At noon, Zhou Xiaoling arrived with some meat. Lin Xiaoxiao told her that Li Yu had seen Zhou Xiaocheng—and that he was alive.

Zhou Xiaoling dashed off immediately to question Li Yu herself. She returned tearfully and threw her arms around Lin Xiaoxiao. "Oh, Mom—it's wonderful! My second brother is really alive!"

Zhou Huai'an tensed, rising quickly, his eyes fixed on Lin Xiaoxiao's stomach—terrified Zhou Xiaoling might hug too hard and endanger the baby.