Chapter 1 The Kidnapped Girl Returns

In the Department Store Employee Residential Compound, many people gathered together for a casual chat; one of them brought up the latest hot topic, "It's been over a month since Jiaxin disappeared, and it looks like she won't be found."

It just so happened that Xiao Xu's Wife came back from buying groceries and joined in, saying, "I heard that Jiaxin left home out of a fit of anger to return to her hometown in Ancient Capital, but she encountered a kidnapper on the train and was taken by human traffickers."

As Xiao Xu's Wife was on good terms with Manager Lu's recent wife, Ding Jing, when she spoke, most of the people immediately believed her.

Those with kind hearts quietly felt sorry for the young girl, while those with malice or jealousy thought that Lu Jiaxin had brought it on herself. Mainly because the girl was often dismissive towards the people in the compound, frequently causing Ding Jing to go door to door apologizing, so everyone talked about how Manager Lu's only daughter was pampered and unruly.

An old woman with a black mole at the corner of her mouth bluntly said, "I heard that if the kidnapped girls are pretty, they get sold into filthy places where thousands ride over them."

As Lu Jiaxin was recognised as a beautiful girl in the compound, the implication was clear. As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly quieted down, and many people's expressions changed.

At this moment, a crisp voice chimed in, "So Auntie, you actually witnessed with your own eyes as the kidnapper sold Jiaxin into one of those sordid places?"

The mole-faced Auntie did not dare to admit it; she was just gossiping for a laugh, so she turned her head while speaking evasively, "When did I say Jiaxin..."

But when she saw who was speaking, the words got stuck in her throat, and she stammered out, "Jiaxin, you, you weren't kidnapped by traffickers?"

Lu Jiaxin replied coolly, "It seems you really did see me being kidnapped, Auntie. Why didn't you call the police then? Or is it because you're related to the kidnapper, which is why you covered for him when he took me? Should I go to the Public Security Bureau now and report you?"

Upon hearing this, the mole-faced Auntie's face changed immediately, "What nonsense are you talking about? I wasn't the one who said you were kidnapped. I always hoped you were alright."

She certainly had no connection to traffickers.

Lu Jiaxin said sarcastically, "You hope I'm okay? From your mouth, I've already been sold to the lowest of places. Auntie, I can't accept your well-wishes; keep them for your own family! And next time if your mouth is still dirty with rumors about me, we'll see each other at the Public Security Bureau."

The original host was gentle and shy, and despite being the subject of gossip by these busybodies every day, she never dared confront them. She was certainly not the original owner of this body, who suffered in silence.

Everyone present was stunned. It had only been a little over a month, but how had Jiaxin become so sharp-tongued and relentless?

At this point, an apparently kind and compassionate old woman stepped forward and said earnestly, "Jiaxin, you're too haughty and arrogant. How could you just run away from home because you did poorly on the college entrance exam? Do you know how worried your parents were?"

As soon as Lu Jiaxin saw this old lady, her face showed disgust. This Aunt Zhao seemed caring towards the original owner on the surface but was actually Ding Jing's lackey, spreading rumors and besmirching her reputation behind her back.

Anyone can play a role, and with tears in her eyes, Lu Jiaxin said, "Aunt Zhao, I did not run away from home. Even though someone sabotaged me during my college entrance exams, I just wanted to go back to my ancestral home to clear my mind. I never expected to encounter a trafficker on the train."

"That trafficker knew everything about me, and on the way, he tried to cozy up. Thinking he was a relative from my hometown, I got off the train with him in Ancient Capital. Fortunately, I realized something was wrong after we left the train station and immediately ran for it. The trafficker chased after me and made me fall down the steps, where I hit my head against the wall and passed out. The trafficker thought I was dead since I wasn't breathing and took my things and left. But I wasn't dead; I was just holding my breath at the time."

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It wasn't just a momentary loss of breath, but the original body had indeed died, and then she, a person from the year 2023, traveled into this body and came back to life.

After hearing Lu Jiaxin's explanation, people began whispering among themselves. Some said that she was blessed with a great fate, some accused her of being too headstrong, while a few started to murmur doubts. What did she mean her college entrance exam was affected by someone else? What did it mean that the human traffickers knew everything about Lu Jiaxin's background? How could those traffickers have known her details?

Aunt Zhao immediately changed the subject, "How did those traffickers know about your background? Could it be someone from your hometown, which is why they recognized you?"

Lu Jiaxin fanned the flames, "How I looked five years ago and how I look now are known to all of you. Not to mention strangers, even my uncle and big aunt might not be able to recognize me if they saw me now."

Those with a clear insight felt a chill in their hearts. This was too cruel.

The dark-moled auntie was on the slower side and she raised her voice, "You girl, since you escaped from the kidnappers, why didn't you call home right away?"

Some matters are best left ambiguous; being too direct can arouse suspicion instead.

Lu Jiaxin sighed and said, "Because I injured my head at that time, I had a cerebral contusion and forgot who I was and where I belonged."

In truth, as soon as she woke up, she had received all of the memories of the original body. The reason she did not return was to avoid the Lu family members. Her personality was different from the original body's, and being much older as well, even with the original memories, she would have been suspected upon returning. So she simply pretended to have amnesia and stayed in Ancient Capital.

After explaining, Lu Jiaxin turned to go upstairs, but Aunt Zhao followed up with, "Jiaxin, your dad has gone to work, and your mom hasn't come back from buying groceries. You can't get into your home if you go up now; why not sit here for a while?"

Lu Jiaxin immediately stopped in her tracks and said darkly, "Aunt Zhao, don't talk nonsense here. My mom died four years ago."

The original owner had never called that woman mom, and she was even less likely to.

Aunt Zhao's heart skipped a beat. Something was wrong! In the past, whenever she spoke kindly to this girl, she would be moved to tears, and even when persuaded to get along with Ding Jing, if she disagreed, she would just lower her head and say nothing, never confronting her like she was now.

While she felt that Jiaxin was acting abnormally, she didn't show it on her face, "Jiaxin, you don't know, during the time you were missing, your Aunt Ding searched for you day and night. When she learned from your classmates that you might have gone back to your hometown, she bought a ticket and went to find you immediately. Jiaxin, your Aunt Ding really loves you like her own daughter."

Seeing her tell bald-faced lies, Lu Jiaxin found the old lady too detestable. She was cloaked in a facade of kindness, deceiving a young girl without fear of retribution.

If heaven wouldn't deliver retribution, she would expose this old lady's hypocritical face herself.

Lu Jiaxin's eyes immediately reddened, and tears started rolling down as she sobbed, "Aunt Zhao, why do you always speak well of that bad woman? As the person involved, don't I know whether she was good or bad to me?"

Let me tell you the truth, if not for that mother-daughter pair named Ding deliberately harming me, I wouldn't have messed up my college entrance exam; if I hadn't messed up, I wouldn't have listened to my classmates and gone back to my hometown; if not for going back home, I wouldn't have been targeted by the traffickers who knew my background. Thank heavens for letting me escape from those traffickers, otherwise, their scheme would have succeeded."

What a scandal! The aunties and the younger wives present all had their eyes shining.

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