So in this situation, it's very easy for a woman to start having other thoughts.
"Since I'm accused of doing it without having done it, I might as well relax. Guilty or not, you would wrong me regardless. Better to just embrace the label…" It's a hurdle easily crossed, where many voices melt metal, and falsehoods can be spoken into existence.
But if I actually did it, wouldn't that just be playing into their hands?
On second thought, what victory would they claim? A few words of gossip don't matter, as life is one's own to live.
Clearly, Wu Xiulan hadn't reached that point yet.
Her thoughts also went through a stage of wild abandon. If Chen Mo had no such intentions, she would just stay in the phase of thinking to herself. After all, everyone has thoughts, and it's normal to entertain them excessively.
Thinking does not equal doing, as most people's thoughts are never acted upon.
But if Chen Mo were to reciprocate, the outcome would not be the same…