Chapter 1

“Sister-in-law, no, don’t pull… hiss… don’t bite…”

“Sister-in-law… look carefully at who I am. I’m not Brother Zhengguo. Calm down, I’m…”

In a daze, Shen Man slowly opened her eyes. Waves of heat surged through her body, making her feel unbearably hot and uncomfortable.

She instinctively licked her dry lips, her consciousness gradually returning.

Shen Man opened her eyes, her vision blurry.

An old-fashioned calendar, red embroidered quilt cover, a bright red thermos… a small, cramped single room, and beneath her, the taut, muscular abdomen of a man with red scratch marks all over it.

Her hand rested on the man’s abs, the surreal feeling making her subconsciously pinch them.

Warm, firm.

Not a dream.

Qi Yuan let out a muffled groan, forcibly suppressing the effects of the drug in his system. Enduring his burning desire, he pushed Shen Man away and wrapped her tightly in the quilt. He then sat at the edge of the bed, harshly pinching his thigh to stay awake and rational.

“Sister-in-law, don’t move. Look carefully at who I am…”

“Someone drugged us. You can’t move anymore,” Qi Yuan said through gritted teeth, his forehead veins bulging as sweat dripped down his neck.

He pinched his thigh harder, fighting to maintain his clarity, but the sight of her pale skin nearly shattered his resolve.

No. Absolutely not. Qi Yuan instinctively increased the force on his thigh.

The values instilled in him since childhood would not allow him to take advantage of someone in a vulnerable state—especially since this woman was his deceased brother’s wife.

On the bed, Shen Man struggled to breathe under the thick, suffocating quilt. Memories flooded her mind, and her consciousness sharpened as she stared at the bare-chested, handsome man before her.

“Qi Yuan…?”

In the book, he called her “sister-in-law” but secretly became her illicit lover.

Now Shen Man was certain—she had transmigrated into the novel.

She had become Shen Man, the malicious stepsister in a 1970s rebirth story, a stunning but barren widow.

Soon, the heroine, Shen Ping, would barge in with the neighbors, catching her in a compromising position.

Shortly after, her husband—declared dead for four years—would suddenly return, divorce her, and thoroughly humiliate her.

Unable to bear the series of blows, the original Shen Man would hang herself.

Her mother, devastated by her death, would lose her sanity and become the town’s outcast.

The villainous stepsister and stepmother who tormented the heroine would meet their downfall, to the readers’ applause.

In mere seconds, Shen Man absorbed all the memories.

She pinched her thigh hard to stay alert.

Qi Yuan, who had been urging her to calm down, was now sprawled on the floor, his consciousness slipping.

He tugged at the sparse clothing on his body, revealing his broad, muscular chest. His entire frame tensed, and sweat glistened on his skin.

His gaze toward her burned with intensity, and he couldn’t help but reach out to pull her close.

“Sister-in-law…”

Shen Man’s expression darkened. Dragging her feverish and weak body, she evaded his hand.

People would arrive soon.

Time was running out.

The sound of footsteps grew louder outside the door.

At the same time…

Shen Ping, carrying the freshly cooked meat, walked into Shen Man’s courtyard.

Wang Luoxue followed behind her, the aroma of meat filling her nostrils. She couldn’t help but frown.

“Xiao Ping, why are you so kind to that vicious woman? Have you forgotten how she drugged you and stole your fiancé?”

“You’re actually sending her meat? You’re too kind.”

Shen Ping shook her head helplessly. “Luoxue, don’t say that anymore. No matter what, she is my sister. She’s lost her husband and is already miserable enough. I can only help her in this way.”

Wang Luoxue wanted to say something else, but Shen Ping interrupted her. “Alright, let’s go deliver the food to my sister. We’ll talk about everything else later.”

She naturally knew what she was going to say. Not holding a grudge?

Heh, how could that be possible.  It’s been a while, and Shen Man must be with another man already.

Thinking about this, Shen Ping couldn’t help but pull Wang Luoxue, quickening their pace, and walking to the front door.

Sure enough, the door was closed, and there were ambiguous sounds coming from inside.

On the other side.

A tall, well-built man in a military uniform, with an imposing presence, appeared in the courtyard carrying a bag of luggage.

People passing by couldn’t believe their eyes and recognized him. “Zhengguo, you’re not dead, you’re back…”

Lu Zhengguo nodded slightly. “Uncle, I’m not dead, I’m back.”

“Good, good, you’re back. Everyone thought you were gone.”

Suddenly, Uncle Li remembered the unusual sounds coming from Lu Zhengguo’s house. He slapped his forehead and looked at him with a hint of reluctance.

“Right, you should go back, go back and see your wife.”

“If you don’t go back soon, something might happen.”

He turned and ran away quickly.

Lu Zhengguo was confused, but he still quickened his pace and headed home.

When he arrived home.

There was a crowd of people watching the scene, and the door to his house was closed.

His former fiancée, Shen Ping, stood at the door, anxiously knocking.

“Sister, open the door quickly. It’s broad daylight, why are you closing the door so tightly? Something must be wrong, right?”

Wang Luoxue looked at the closed door and couldn’t help but raise her voice.

“What’s wrong? I think she’s clearly cheating inside. I saw a man’s figure through the window just now.”

“A woman who drugged and stole her own sister’s fiancé, how could she be content with being a widow? She’s probably rolling around with a man right now.”

The neighbors watching the scene started discussing. “I told you, just look at Shen Man’s seductive face, you know she’s not a good person.”

“That’s right, I saw her flirting with a salesman at the supply and marketing cooperative a few days ago.”

“I saw a man enter her house just now. They must be getting it on now.”

“Oh, thank goodness Zhengguo wasn’t here. Otherwise, which man could bear to see this scene?”

“That’s right, marrying a woman like this, no wonder Zhengguo’s parents didn’t want to acknowledge this daughter-in-law.”

Lu Zhengguo, standing at the courtyard gate, heard all the gossip and sympathy from the people around him.

“Look, this person… this person looks like Zhengguo…”

“It’s really Zhengguo, Zhengguo is not dead, he’s back…”

“Zhengguo, is that really you?”

“Now there’s going to be a good show. After surviving death in the outside world, he comes home and encounters this kind of thing. Which man can tolerate this?”

Hearing the name, Shen Ping turned abruptly towards the tall, well-built man, her whole body involuntarily tense.

It’s him, he’s not dead?