Chapter 20 He doesn’t want to get divorced, and he doesn’t like the heroine.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Qiyue asked nervously when she saw Lan Yuchu looking at her like that. Why was he staring at her so intently? What was he planning to do?

Lan Yuchu came to his senses and quickly looked away, somewhat awkward. “Nothing,” he said, lowering his head and continuing to dry the water from his neck and head.

Droplets slid from his hair down his face, tracing his neck and dripping onto his defined abs. It was pure, unfiltered temptation!

Lin Qiyue’s cheeks flushed red—it was both exciting and utterly embarrassing.

Lan Yuchu thought about how his leave was only a month long, and several days had already passed.

“Qiyue, I want to talk to you about something,” he said. He felt they needed a proper conversation.

Lin Qiyue looked up as he walked over.

“Qiyue, Shen Qingmiao and He Weiguo have confessed everything. I know you’ve suffered a lot these years. I’m sorry,” he said, his voice filled with guilt. “If it weren’t for that drugging and scheming, maybe you could have married a man who truly cherished you.”

As he explained, he kept his gaze on her.

Lin Qiyue heard the meaning behind his words and asked, “So… are you trying to talk to me about getting a divorce? I’m okay with it. We can tell your parents tomorrow—they’ll understand.”

Lan Yuchu frowned. When had he ever said anything about a divorce?

Just as he was about to clarify, Lin Qiyue added, “Don’t worry. Once the divorce is settled, I’ll move out of the Lan family home right away. I’ll also wish you and Duan Yueman all the best.”

She meant it sincerely. There wasn’t a shred of falsehood in her words. A divorce would be a good thing. When the reform and opening up came in a couple of years, she could plan her life however she wanted. Besides, her job at the factory paid well and there weren’t as many toxic people around anymore.

Lan Yuchu panicked. He grabbed Lin Qiyue’s shoulders and said, “Qiyue, I don’t agree to a divorce. That’s not what I wanted to talk about!”

“Then why not? What do you want to say?” Lin Qiyue asked, confused. She had no idea what he was getting at.

Yes, he was a good man—but that was because the author had written him as such, to match the female lead’s personality. She was just a side character. Since she had taken over the original host’s life, she had vowed to change the tragic ending—but not to rewrite the main couple’s story.

So far, she felt she had honored that promise. According to the original plot, the male lead should have already proposed divorce by now. So why wasn’t he?

Lan Yuchu said seriously, “I know you’ve been wronged. It’s my fault, and my family’s too. I want to build a life with you. We can try to get to know each other, give it a chance. If we find we’re not compatible, we can still divorce. But I won’t agree to a divorce just because you think I like someone else.”

He really couldn’t understand what was going on in Lin Qiyue’s mind. He had been actively getting closer to her lately—hadn’t she noticed?

“I don’t have feelings for Comrade Duan. That childhood engagement was something our parents arranged years ago. If that’s what’s causing this misunderstanding between you and her, I’ll ask my mom to clear it up.”

Lan Yuchu tried his best to explain. He had only learned about the engagement with Duan Yueman when he was 18 and had already told his parents he didn’t support it. Times had changed—it was the era of free love. When his family went through hard times, both families had agreed privately that the engagement no longer counted.

After they returned home, Duan Yueman had spoken with him a few times, but only in passing. There was never anything inappropriate.

“I…” Lin Qiyue was frustrated. Something was wrong—this wasn’t how the plot was supposed to go! She had only wanted to change the original host’s tragic ending, not mess with the main couple’s story.

“Qiyue, there’s really nothing between me and Comrade Duan. Even before we got married, I told her we weren’t suitable. Please believe me. I would never do anything to betray you,” Lan Yuchu said nervously, seeing her remain silent.

He began to shake her shoulders gently, his brow furrowed with tension.

“I believe you,” Lin Qiyue replied. “But our divorce has nothing to do with Comrade Duan. It’s because we have no feelings for each other. Once your leave ends, you’ll return to your unit. We won’t even see each other much. It’s better if we separate now.”

She thought this reason was more than justified. She still believed in the original storyline: he might not like Duan Yueman now, but with time and more interaction, he likely would. Besides, such a good man—it was a shame he wasn’t ending up with the female lead. That thought made her feel a bit down.

“Then come with me as a military spouse. My current rank entitles me to housing,” Lan Yuchu said.

He was already a company commander, fully qualified to apply for family housing and bring his wife with him.

“I’m telling you, we don’t have feelings for each other. That whole mess with Shen Qingmiao was just a series of accidents that tied us together. Now that the truth is out, even your parents won’t object to a divorce,” Lin Qiyue insisted, still focused solely on ending the marriage.

Lan Yuchu saw how determined she was, how she kept talking and wouldn’t even listen to him.

“I…” Lin Qiyue tried to explain calmly, but before she could finish, Lan Yuchu suddenly kissed her.

A warm, tingling sensation spread through her lips. He didn’t know how to kiss—he just pressed hard and awkwardly sucked on her lips.

“Mm—” Lin Qiyue let out a muffled sound, patting his shoulder to make him stop.

Only when her lips were numb and swollen did Lan Yuchu finally let go.

“Still want a divorce?” he asked.

The moment he heard her mention divorce, his head started spinning. He didn’t want to hear that word anymore—so in a heat of impulse, he kissed her.

Lin Qiyue was both embarrassed and angry. She pushed him away and snapped, “Y-You shameless scoundrel!”

She raised her hand to touch her lips and couldn’t help but complain, “Was that even a kiss? You were basically just biting me—there was no technique at all!”

Lan Yuchu chuckled and pulled the angry Lin Qiyue into his arms. “It was my first time too. I’ll do better next time.”

He was just glad she finally said something other than “divorce.”

Lin Qiyue didn’t actually resist his kisses or his hugs—mainly because, truth be told, she was quite attracted to him. What she really couldn’t understand was why he was so against getting a divorce. She had genuinely thought that’s what he was going to propose earlier.

“No more talk of divorce. Understand?” he said seriously, looking down at the little woman in his arms.

Lin Qiyue: “…”

She didn’t dare bring it up again. This man… the moment she mentioned divorce, he went and kissed—no, bit—her!

Angrily, she smacked Lan Yuchu’s shoulder.

“You can hit harder if you want—I don’t mind,” he said with a smirk. Her strength barely tickled him.

Held in his arms, feeling the warmth of his bare skin, Lin Qiyue’s heart fluttered wildly. Honestly, she didn’t feel like she was losing out at all. As long as they were still legally husband and wife, she was fine with sharing some physical intimacy. Besides, the man was really attractive—he looked strong, and probably was.

“It hurts~” she said, pretending to protest. She wasn’t going to hit him again. Last time she got into a scuffle with Liu Chao and Zhao Die, her arms were sore the entire next day. If Lan Yuchu hadn’t massaged them for her, it would’ve been worse than just soreness.

Lan Yuchu sat on the bed and held Lin Qiyue on his lap.

“Qiyue,” he said gently, “let’s try to get along—like a real couple. You’ve been through too much over the years. I want to make it up to you. Come live with me as a military spouse, okay?”

This was something he had decided before coming home. His parents had already agreed—they supported Lin Qiyue moving with him.

Lin Qiyue hesitated as she sat in his embrace. Hearing his offer to bring her with him as a military spouse, she started to wonder—should she give him a chance? Or maybe… give herself a chance?

She had already suffered so much, and she was legally married. They hadn’t even tried living as a real couple. It might not be so bad to give it a try. At the very least, it wouldn’t be a loss. After all, they’d both be getting something out of it.

Lan Yuchu saw that she still didn’t respond, so he continued, “Right now, I make 120 yuan a month, and that’s not even including bonuses and allowances. I know if you come with me, you’ll have to quit your job—but there are other things you can do. I’ve already arranged a position for you over there, something easy. I’ll give you my entire salary, too.”

When Lin Qiyue heard that last part—about him handing over his whole paycheck—she couldn’t help but turn to look at him. That was a big deal.

Seeing the sincere look in his eyes, she paused and said, “Can you give me a few days to think about it?”

“Of course. I’ll wait for your answer,” he nodded. “Actually, before I came back, I already applied for housing and talked with my parents about bringing you with me. I’ve even arranged a job for you—it’s a clerical position at a factory. Most of the employees there are military spouses. You won’t have to queue or wait for job assignments—you can start right away.”

Lin Qiyue was shocked. So he had already planned all of this out—he came back specifically to take her with him. In the original timeline, the original Lin Qiyue had been so pitiful—her husband hadn’t even had the chance to tell her all this before she died.

“Qiyue,” Lan Yuchu said softly, “if I hadn’t come back when I did, I might never have seen you again. I didn’t consider how bad things had gotten for you. I was so scared. That’s why you must stay with me—I can’t let anyone hurt you anymore. Only when I see you safe and happy every day can I truly be at ease.”

He had thought long and hard about how to say all this.

He remembered meeting Lin Qiyue when she was just a little girl, maybe eleven or twelve—sweet, rosy-cheeked, and innocent. Back then, he was already seventeen. Because he was underage, he had moved to the countryside with his family during the relocation.

Every day, he had to work in the fields. His older brother was assigned to a nearby village, but the village chief there didn’t like him and treated him poorly. Meanwhile, Lin Qiyue’s father had taken good care of their whole family. Lin Qiyue used to visit their home often. Lan Yuchu had always teased her back then, and she’d giggle and run off, happy as could be.