Chapter 68 – The Self-Pitying Stepsister in a Historical-Era Novel (Part 16)

Ever since their meeting at the matchmaking event, Nie Sheng had been actively looking for chances to see Wu Yu.

But he always did so with proper boundaries—first writing her letters to ask for her consent before quietly waiting for her in the alleyways near the factory.

He deliberately avoided loitering near the factory gate, since it was always crowded with people coming and going, making it easy for rumors to spread. Nie Sheng understood: since their relationship was still unclear, being seen together in public could seriously affect Wu Yu's reputation.

Though he had never dated before, his mother had always impressed upon him: "Treat your future wife with respect and care. Be like your father."Hmph. As if he couldn't compare to that research-obsessed dad of his—he'd show them he could do even better!

Nie Sheng's cautious and respectful behavior added a few more points in Wu Yu's heart.

Her initial rating of him had merely scraped a pass—mostly because he had a stable job, and his parents were national researchers with good family background.

Yes, when Wu Yu looked for a partner, she absolutely prioritized personal capability. She wasn't about to "uplift" some mediocre guy. Those average men who expected her to rescue them financially? Not even on the list.

It wasn't being materialistic—it was being clear-headed. Wu Yu always put her own needs above romance. A marriage without bread would only lead to constant conflict.

After all, she had her own job and money. Naturally, her partner had to be someone equally capable.

Recently, the two had been meeting about once or twice a week. There weren't many fun things to do in this era, and unmarried couples still had to be mindful of how they interacted.

So their "dates" were usually in public places—state-owned restaurants, movie theaters, parks—and they were still technically just friends. Mainly because the inwardly insecure Nie Sheng didn't dare confess his feelings outright.

Every time he was about to speak, his throat would go dry, and he'd stammer and fumble his words. Eventually, he gave up trying.

But Wu Yu didn't mind this ambiguous relationship. In her past lives, her relationships usually progressed quickly—if both parties were compatible, they got together. If not, she decisively broke things off. She was a laid-back person. Romance, to her, was a luxury, not a necessity.

Still, the way people treated relationships in this era was more cautious, so Nie Sheng's behavior wasn't unreasonable.

But recently, an incident brought their relationship to a turning point, breaking down the emotional barrier that had existed between them for the past two months.

On their way home from watching a movie, they were accosted by three drunk hooligans. Emboldened by alcohol, the men tried to grope Wu Yu.

Though Nie Sheng was physically weak, he still bravely stepped forward. Even after getting beaten black and blue, he remained firmly in front of her.

Wu Yu, of course, wasn't going to just watch her friend get thrashed. She was trained in combat. In a matter of seconds, she took down all three arrogant thugs.

Dealing with brute-force idiots like them was a breeze—she only used about twenty percent of her strength.

Nie Sheng, now with panda eyes, looked at her with starry-eyed admiration.

Wu Yu had assumed that seeing her fighting skills might trigger Nie Sheng's fragile male ego and lead to weeks of sulking.

After all, one of her ex-boyfriends from her previous world was exactly that type—constantly butthurt by her competence. Eventually, she got tired and dumped him, and since then, she had no patience for that kind of man.

But Nie Sheng's thoughts were entirely different:

"She was so cool just now. It's official—today, I like her even more. Having someone protect you feels amazing. I'm going to cherish Wu Yu and never let anyone steal her away."

Nie Sheng had been born prematurely and had poor health since childhood. Later, he spent years cooped up in labs, so in short—he was a classic case of "all brains, no brawn."

He had told Wu Yu this honestly, following his mother's advice: never hide anything from your future wife, not even your weaknesses.

And proud little Nie Sheng never felt ashamed of his lack of strength. In his mind, nobody's perfect—it was just a normal flaw.

After this incident, Wu Yu's opinion of him rose significantly. He may have been weak, but when danger came, he stepped up without hesitation. That was a huge plus.

She was very aware that most men in this world couldn't beat her in a fight. Her future husband didn't need to be strong, but he did need to have her back.

And in this regard, Nie Sheng performed quite well. Plus, he didn't subscribe to traditional ideas like "men must be stronger than women." Honestly, 80% of men wouldn't be able to handle a partner more capable than them. But Nie Sheng? He was different.

After that day, Wu Yu's attitude toward him softened noticeably. She even took the initiative to invite him out occasionally—this thrilled Nie Sheng beyond words.

Meanwhile, over the past year or so, Wu Yu had also been quietly visiting the local scrap station, rummaging for old books on traditional Chinese medicine. She especially looked for ancient prescriptions and foundational theory texts. Of course, she didn't pass up any materials related to the college entrance exam either.

But she had to be careful. She couldn't openly search for books, so she always pretended she was looking for old newspapers to paper her walls, and then secretly scavenged the valuable ones, slipping them into her storage space.

In this politically tense era, collecting such materials could easily get her reported and punished.

Luckily, the old man guarding the place didn't stay in the scrap house, but lounged outside, which gave her some breathing room.

Wu Yu planned to use these next few years to thoroughly study traditional Chinese medicine. That way, when she went to college, she wouldn't be completely clueless and would have a smoother academic path.

As for why she chose traditional medicine over Western medicine—it was because she was more adept at the humanities. Western medicine required strong science skills, which weren't her strength.

Also, she believed traditional Chinese medicine had unique advantages—gentler, less invasive, and more suitable for use across different parallel worlds.

As for finding rare antiques or gold and silver in the scrap station? That was a pipe dream. Anything valuable had long been pocketed by opportunists. There was no way it would end up at a public scrap yard.

In short, Wu Yu was currently juggling work, study, and romance with equal energy. Her life couldn't be better.

Compared to her first two worlds—this one was pure bliss.