Reborn and awakened, this time I won't be a love-struck fool.

Lin Wu stopped walking unconsciously.

My male colleague has a very nice name, Luo Xurou.

In the entire group, he was the most impeccably dressed. Every time he appeared in front of others, he would always wear a clean and presentable suit, his hair would be combed smoothly and shiny, and he would wear delicate but not too heavy makeup.

She always smells nice and speaks softly.

Lin Wu hadn't had much contact with him before.

I only occasionally heard from others that he had always wanted to have gender reassignment surgery, but eventually gave up for various reasons.

Even his current name was changed by himself.

"What's wrong?" Luo Xurou asked, puzzled, and stopped as well.

"No, I just think what you said makes a lot of sense." Lin Wu smiled at him.

She was just thinking about her past life.

Back then, we were so destitute that we had to stretch every dollar we had to two. Forget about the clothes and bags we liked, even eating became a major problem.

She has never had any financial worries since she was a child, and she is even more unrestrained when it comes to spending money, wanting whatever she wants.

One day, we'll find ourselves living a life where we're full but don't know where our next meal will come from.

We actually made it through.

"Yeah?"

The male colleague smiled somewhat embarrassedly and scratched his hair.

The two walked and took photos, hoping to find some material to use.

Suddenly, a rather sturdy boy ran towards them, sobbing loudly as he ran, as if he had encountered something very wronged.

At a rough glance, he must be over 1.8 meters tall, and he's all fleshy.

This terrified Lin Wu and Luo Xurou.

The two men turned pale and quickly dodged to the side.

The boy continued running forward without stopping.

A disheveled woman was chasing after him.

The woman appeared to have a limp in her right leg, making it difficult for her to move, and she would often fall while walking.

Luo Xurou quickly reached out and supported her, "Auntie, please take it easy."

"Okay, thank you."

After thanking her, the woman quickly withdrew her hand, seemingly out of fear or unease.

Lin Wu glanced down at her legs and said, "Auntie, don't chase after her, you can't catch up."

The woman, panting heavily, braced herself on her knees. "I really can't catch up."

The accent in this village is actually quite strong.

Lin Wu could barely understand a few words as they walked, but fortunately, Luo Xurou's hometown was very close by, so she could understand what she was saying.

But she heard clearly what the disheveled woman in front of her was saying.

Thinking of this village, Lin Wu paused for two seconds, "That person is..."

"It's my son."

The woman smiled, her gaze sweeping over the two of them. "You two are reporters, aren't you?"

"Yes," Luo Xurou said, "if you mind..."

"I don't mind," the woman said. "There's nothing to mind. I'm not even afraid of death."

She ruffled her hair again, barely managing to reveal her forehead. "Are you guys looking for someone to interview me?"

"Yes." Lin Wu nodded.

"I can," the woman said, her eyes shining. "You can interview me; I know everything."

Lin Wu had never seen such a cooperative person before.

They were all stunned for a moment.

Luo Xurou quickly replied, "Of course!"

"Then... let's go to my place," the woman said.

……

The cement road was dilapidated, with mud houses on both sides, and the sky seemed high and far away.

Zhu Xiaoju was only a little over 1.5 meters tall, wearing a faded short-sleeved shirt and trousers, with her medium-length hair casually tied into a low ponytail that looked messy.

Although she was lame, she walked with remarkable agility.

In the dusty mountains, her figure appeared exceptionally thin and petite.

Luo Xurou took a picture of her from behind.

Lin Wu leaned over and took a look.

The short-sleeved shirt she was wearing was probably men's clothing; it was very baggy, and when the wind blew it up, it looked like a bird's wings, as if it was about to take flight.

"Super good," she exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up.

……

Zhu Xiaoju's home is quite close to here.

Pushing open the door, I saw that the yard was very clean.

Lin Wu glanced at the clothesline, which was full of clothes, probably just hung out to dry this morning. Most of them were men's clothes, with only a few pieces of women's clothing.

"This is the main room," Zhu Xiaoju said. "Come this way."

"Okay." Lin Wu lifted her foot, ready to follow her.

Suddenly, the sound of bowls and plates being smashed came from the house next to the main room.

Then came the man's angry roar.

Lin Wu and Luo Xurou were both startled.

"This is..." Luo Xurou's face turned pale, and her hand holding the recording pen was trembling.

"Don't be afraid, the animals in the house are just being disobedient and throwing a tantrum." Zhu Xiaoju smiled easily. "Do you want to go and take a look?"

Compared to Luo Xurou, who was still in a state of shock, Lin Wu was in better condition. "Is it okay?"

"Of course you can."

Zhu Xiaoju took out her key from her pocket and opened the door.

Lin Wu glanced at her from behind.

Upon seeing the scene inside, his pupils dilated in shock.

There was a shockproof bed in the room, covered by something made of iron.

There was a person lying under the bed.

The man was disheveled, his clothes were covered in dust, and he was tightly bound to the bed legs with chains on his wrists and ankles, making it difficult for him to move.

He heard the noise and turned his head to look.

He had been tied up for who knows how long, his face was covered in a beard, and his voice was already hoarse. "Zhu Xiaoju, you damn bastard, once I'm released, I'll grab a machete and chop you into mincemeat. Even if you kneel down and beg me, I won't let you go."

"Okay."

Zhu Xiaoju smiled slightly, stood in front of him, and said calmly, "I'll be waiting."

The man started another round of spewing nonsense.

Zhu Xiaoju, following his lead, led Lin Wu and Luo Xurou to the main room.

Zhu Xiaoju found some disposable paper cups, poured two cups of hot water, and said, "There's only water at home, please make do with this."

"No need to be so polite," Lin Wu quickly said. "Hot water is fine."

"it is good."

Zhu Xiaoju poured herself a glass as well. "That thing on the ground just now, that's my child's father."

Lin Wu listened quietly.

Luo Xurou took out a voice recorder from her bag, turned it on, and placed it on the table.

Seeing Zhu Xiaoju looking over, he explained in a low voice, "A voice recorder."

Zhu Xiaoju asked, "May I touch it?"

"Of course," Luo Xurou said with a smile.

Zhu Xiaoju gently touched it, "So high-end, so high-end."

Her fingers stood out starkly against the recorder; they were dark-skinned, with prominent knuckles, calluses, and short nails. There was a deep scar on her thumb.

"Things must have changed a lot outside by now..."

"There have been many changes in the past few years," Lin Wu said. "But no matter how much has changed, it is still the same society. We follow the Party and serve the people."