Chapter 44 – The Female Supporting Character Whose Life Was Taken Away by a Transmigrated Woman

Before marriage, Wen Chengzhi’s family was very poor because he had a mother who was always on medication. However, no amount of medication could save his mother’s health, and when she passed away, their family savings were gone.

Of the two Educated Youth who went to Danxi Village, Zhou Yi was the most beautiful. Countless people in the village admired her. Wen Chengzhi was one of them. However, due to his poor family background, he didn’t dare to court her like the other men in the village. Instead, he quietly did things for her. When Zhou Yi noticed this, she sincerely thanked him and told him that he didn’t need to do such things for her as she didn’t require them.

Wen Chengzhi felt inferior. After being rejected once, he didn’t dare to approach her again, though he still occasionally paid attention to her.

Later, Zhou Yi became pregnant with the child of a man who was in the military. That man died, and one day, Zhou Yi, holding a letter, hid in the mountains and cried until she fainted. Wen Chengzhi happened to be nearby and rushed to take her to the clinic.

When Zhou Yi woke up, she discussed terms with him. She offered to give him twenty yuan every month and proposed a fake marriage. Wen Chengzhi, already infatuated with her, agreed without hesitation.

After they married, Zhou Yi saw how dilapidated his home was and decided to pay for a new house to be built. At that time, they had a written agreement that stated Wen Chengzhi would only have the right to live in the house but not own it. Eventually, the house would belong to the child Zhou Yi was carrying.

At that time, Wen Chengzhi was still caught up in the joy of having married the “goddess.” and there was no way he would refuse her request.

When Zhou Yi was four months pregnant, Wen Chengzhi wanted to be close to her, but she rejected him. He thought she was just worried about harming the baby, so he didn’t press the issue. However, as her pregnancy progressed and her belly grew larger, she continued to reject his advances. Wen Chengzhi grew upset. He felt that Zhou Yi didn’t care about him, and he began to distance himself emotionally from her.

When it was time for Zhou Yi to give birth, Wen Chengzhi purposely delayed things. He thought it would be best if the baby died. If the baby died, Zhou Yi would surely be willing to settle down and live with him. However, he waited for a long time before he pretended to rush her to the hospital. Zhou Yi experienced some difficulty in labor but still delivered a healthy baby girl. Wen Chengzhi hated the child from the bottom of his heart.

During the confinement period, Wen Chengzhi pretended to be clueless and didn’t take proper care of her. Since the baby wasn’t his, Zhou Yi had to do everything herself, washing diapers, doing laundry, and cooking in the cold. This took a toll on her health.

After giving birth, Zhou Yi still refused his closeness, which made Wen Chengzhi’s mood even darker. He received the twenty yuan from her every month and began to drink heavily. Even when he was drunk, he still couldn’t get any affection from Zhou Yi.

When Wen Xin was seven years old, Zhou Yi fell seriously ill with a severe cold. She developed a high fever and remained delirious. Wen Chengzhi, who had never been close to Zhou Yi, saw her in such a dazed state and felt an evil thought arise within him. One night, when Wen Xin was asleep, he sneaked into Zhou Yi’s room. Taking advantage of her unconsciousness, he tried to assault her. Zhou Yi woke up from her sleep and struggled violently, scratching him with her nails. Wen Chengzhi, enraged by the pain, remembered all the years he had lived with a wife but still felt like a bachelor. His anger grew.

In a fit of rage, he grabbed a pillow from the side and pressed it against Zhou Yi’s face. Soon, Zhou Yi stopped struggling. When Wen Chengzhi removed the pillow, he realized Zhou Yi had stopped breathing.

At that moment, any lust he had was gone. He hurriedly grabbed his clothes, stumbled out of the room, and went to his friends’ house to drink. He returned the next day, pretending to just discover that Zhou Yi had died.

The villagers knew that Zhou Yi had been seriously ill, and when she died, everyone expressed their sorrow. No one suspected that Zhou Yi had been killed. She had quite a bit of money, and after her death, it naturally went into Wen Chengzhi’s hands. Half a year later, he used the money to marry Huang Xiangqin, claiming it was to find someone to care for Wen Xin.

Years passed, and Wen Chengzhi thought he had forgotten that night. But when the events were brought up again, he realized that he hadn’t forgotten at all. Every detail from that night, no matter how small, was still vividly etched in his memory.

Wen Chengzhi also knew that Zhou Yi had family. In 1977, after the university entrance exams resumed, Zhou Yi had planned to take the exam. But the day before, he took Wen Xin out to play, intentionally letting Wen Xin catch a cold, which led to a fever. Zhou Yi had to stay home to take care of Wen Xin and didn’t go to the exam.

In 1978, Zhou Yi learned that many people had been exonerated and sent a letter to the capital. Wen Chengzhi was terrified of losing her, so during that time, whenever Zhou Yi went out, he secretly followed her. He took the letter she wrote to her family and never sent it. 

When the letter went unanswered, Zhou Yi wrote several more letters, all of which Wen Chengzhi intercepted. Eventually, Zhou Yi stopped sending letters altogether. Wen Chengzhi sighed in relief.

Wen Chengzhi’s strange behavior aroused suspicion, and Wen Xin, sensing something was off, used a truth spell on him.

Old Master Qin also sensed that something was wrong and released a terrifying aura. “Speak, now!” he ordered.

Wen Chengzhi shivered under the pressure of Old Master Qin’s anger. He would never admit to killing Zhou Yi, but contrary to his desires, the more he tried to avoid it, the more details spilled out of his mouth.

Wen Chengzhi tried to cover his mouth, but under the influence of the truth spell, it was useless. His words still escaped, revealing everything—the murder, his hatred for Zhou Yi, his manipulation of her, his abuse of Wen Xin. All of it came out in the open.

Xiao Huang and Xiao Zhang quickly subdued Wen Chengzhi. As more people from the Wen family arrived to witness the commotion, they were all stunned by the shocking revelation. Su Quihe, blending into the crowd, watched Wen Chengzhi being restrained, seething with hatred.

He was so arrogant, even killing his wife—why didn’t he kill that cheap daughter too? What was the point of keeping her alive?

Qin Yishu picked up a wooden plank from the corner of the room and rushed toward Wen Chengzhi, screaming, crying, and beating him as she did. Old Master Qin, who had never imagined his youngest daughter had been murdered, was overcome with grief. Tears streamed down his face, and he rushed over, kicking Wen Chengzhi several times. As a former soldier, even though he was old, he still had strength in him, and Wen Chengzhi was kicked until he spat up several mouthfuls of blood.

Old Zhang, fearing that Qin Yishu might accidentally kill Wen Chengzhi, quickly stepped in to pull him away and tried to calm him down. After a while, Qin Yishu grew tired and paused, but then she continued to strike him. Wen Chengzhi eventually lost consciousness from the pain. Xiao Zhang and Xiao Huang quickly dragged him to the car—they were taking him to the police station.

With the connections of Qin Yishu and Old Zhang, Wen Chengzhi was definitely going to face the consequences. He was done for.

Qin Yishu clutched Wen Xin and sobbed, while Wen Xin, with tears in her eyes, gently wiped her mother’s face. As they looked past the crowd, Wen Xin’s gaze met Huang Xiangqin, who was standing near the kitchen door.

Huang Xiangqin looked stunned. She never imagined that Wen Chengzhi had actually killed Zhou Yi. Suddenly, Wen Chengzhi was a murderer.

Huang Xiangqin wanted to blame Wen Xin, but after a moment of thought, she realized she had no right to. After all, it wasn’t her own mother who had died.

After regaining his composure, Old Master Qin walked up to Huang Xiangqin, bowed deeply, and said: “Thank you for your protection of our little Xin all these years.”

Huang Xiangqin immediately became flustered. “No, no, Old Master, I really haven’t done anything.”

Qin Yishu wiped away her tears and approached her. “It’s because you haven’t done anything that we want to thank you.” After all, as a stepmother, it was only natural to have some level of resentment toward a child from a previous marriage, especially when her husband didn’t care for the child either. Most stepmothers would go out of their way to make life difficult for such children, but Huang Xiangqin hadn’t done that. Instead, she had treated Wen Xin with care.

The Qin family wasn’t made up of people who couldn’t recognize kindness, and they acknowledged Huang Xiangqin’s goodwill.

Su Quihe, noticing the Qin family’s attitude toward Huang Xiangqin, quickly made her way through the crowd. She hurried to Wen Xin’s side, almost running, and said: “Xiao Xin, Xiao Xin, you’re finally back. Where have you been? Do you know how worried I’ve been about you?”

Wen Xin was suddenly grabbed, and for a moment, she was stunned. Seeing Su Quihe’s tear-streaked face, anyone would have thought they shared a close relationship.

Su Quihe held Wen Xin’s arm tightly, waiting for the pendant to return to her. After all, that pendant had been stained with her blood. Didn’t those cultivation novels say that a magic item would only be usable by its rightful owner once it had been bound by blood? She didn’t know why the pendant had gone missing, but she was certain it belonged to her, and it would surely come back.

The pressure on Wen Xin’s arm was starting to hurt, so she pulled away and coldly stared at Su Quihe. “Su Quihe, is playing pretend fun?”

In Su Quihe’s eyes, Wen Xin was just a foolish girl with no brains, someone she could easily manipulate. Whether it was in the book or from the memories she inherited after transmigrating, Wen Xin had never spoken to her so sharply. Even when Su Quihe had been discovered sleeping with Zhou Wenhai, Wen Xin had only ignored her for a few days.

“Xiao Xin, what are you saying? What pretending? Who’s acting in front of you?” Su Quihe feigned confusion.

Wen Xin couldn’t be bothered to deal with her anymore. “You don’t know who’s pretending? Don’t try to feed me the nonsense about how you’re worried about me. It’s bad enough that you snatched my fiancé, but I didn’t care much about Zhou Wenhai in the first place. You still don’t know why I ran away from home? Wasn’t it all because of you?”

“Su Quihe, what kind of confidence do you have that makes you think I’m just your puppet, something you can twist and manipulate at will?”

Su Quihe’s smile froze. She looked closely at Wen Xin and realized that over the past six months, Wen Xin had changed significantly. She was much more beautiful and had an entirely different aura. The old Wen Xin had been timid, humble, and kind, just like the character described in the book.

Now, Wen Xin was bright, confident, and poised. Most importantly, the boundless kindness that had once been her weakness was gone. Had she been reborn like her, or was she also someone who had transmigrated into the book?

Su Quihe’s face shifted between various expressions. “Wen Xin, what’s your phone number?” she asked, trying to test her.

Wen Xin laughed silently inside. What was Su Quihe trying to do with this question?

“What are you talking about? What phone?” Wen Xin responded, uninterested.

Su Quihe, feeling relieved, was about to probe further, but before she could, Qin Yishu suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her. “Su Quihe, right? Stay away from my niece, or don’t blame me for being rude. By the way, your husband serves in the Beijing Military District, doesn’t he?”

Qin Yishu spoke calmly, but the underlying threat was evident to everyone who heard it. Su Quihe felt a chill run through her, and she couldn’t help but wonder about the background of the people from Wen Xin’s maternal family.

Everything that needed to be done was finished, and Old Master Qin didn’t want to stay in this sorrowful place any longer. They were about to leave, and throughout the entire ordeal, Old Master Qin hadn’t spared Su Quihe a single glance.

Wen Xin was also dragged away by Qin Yishu. Before they left the hospital, Wen Xin turned to look at Su Quihe, but in her heart, she was already thinking about how to torment her.

She enjoyed imprisoning people. In her past life, she had kept the Original Owner imprisoned for a lifetime, so this time, she thought, it would be just fine to imprison Su Quihe as well.

As for who would imprison her? That would naturally be the country. After all, she never did anything illegal.

Wen Xin quietly praised herself for being law-abiding.

On the other side, He Xiunian was being detained by Zhou’s father and Mother Zhou. The group was ready to leave, but He Xiunian hadn’t caught up yet and had only told them to go ahead.

The car was driven away, and it would take some time for them to be picked up, so the four of them decided to walk out. The village chief had been so shocked by the news of Wen Chengzhi’s killing that he was dizzy. By the time he regained his composure, he hurriedly followed them, wanting to have the village’s tractor give them a ride.

Old Master Qin now looked at the people of Danxi Village with a sense of disdain, and he found the village chief, Zhao Guozhong, even more displeasing. Without a second thought, he rejected the offer. Qin Yishu was indeed Old Master Qin’s daughter, and her thoughts were just like his.

Even Old Zhang, who was usually all about smoothing things over, didn’t speak up for him. Wen Xin, he had no expectations for.

the Original Owner wasn’t liked by Wen Chengzhi. Sometimes, the village chief would come to the Wen family to drink, and every time he came, he treated the Original Owner rudely. If anything wasn’t done to his satisfaction, he would complain to Wen Chengzhi. Wen Chengzhi, being someone who cared about his reputation, would take it seriously, and whenever that happened, Wen Xin’s life would be a little more difficult for the next few days.

Wen Xin couldn’t bring herself to like him at all.

The four of them walked back. Qin Yishu held Wen Xin back for a few steps to chat.

Qin Yishu had been married to Sun Jingyong for more than twenty years, but they only had one son, Sun Yi. This year, Sun Yi was over thirty, and he was serving in the military in Tibet. He had also started his own family there, and although they had a grandson, Qin Shu Yi had barely seen him. Qin Yishu had thought about having another child, but when she was sent down during the political upheavals, her health had been damaged, and she couldn’t have any more children.

From the very first moment she saw Wen Xin, Qin Yishu had taken a liking to her, feeling pity for her difficult fate. She treated Wen Xin especially well.

She asked about Su Quihe. Wen Xin’s heart shifted, and she put on a troubled expression. “Aunt, the old Qiuhuo wasn’t like this. She used to be very gentle and kind. She had a particularly good relationship with me. I don’t know what happened, but after she got sick, when she recovered, she completely changed.”

“She’s still the same person, but it feels like a different person to me. If it weren’t for the fact that there’s no such thing as ghosts in this world, I’d think she was a completely different person.”

Su Quihe’s family situation wasn’t very good. Her parents were both biological, but her father and mother were extremely patriarchal. Above Su Quihe, there were two other daughters, Su Chunfang and Su Xialian, and only after giving birth to her did they have a son. As the third child in the family, Su Quihe didn’t receive much attention. She was always given the housework to do, and whenever something went wrong, she was the one blamed.

She and the Original Owner were like two wounded little deer huddled together to keep warm, vowing to be lifelong best friends.

It was also because of this bond that, in their past life, when Su Quihe ended up in bed with Zhou Wenhai, she easily forgave her. Later, the Original Owner did grow cold toward Su Quihe, and when Su Quihe attempted to imprison her, their relationship had already deteriorated. But whenever Su Quihe brought up their childhood memories, the Original Owner’s heart softened.

This softening ended up ruining her life.

Wen Xin, feeling like she had finally found someone to confide in, spoke about the things Su Quihe had done after being “transmigrated” into the novel. She revealed all the inappropriate actions Su Quihe had taken.

Qin Yishu was a staunch atheist. After listening to Wen Xin, she thought Su Quihe was simply a person who had learned to disguise herself better. However, Old Zhang, who was walking ahead, didn’t share the same opinion.

Having been through many trials and tribulations and holding a high position, Old Zhang had seen more supernatural phenomena than others might expect.

There had once been a man who claimed to be from the future. He was arrogant and self-absorbed, recruiting people in the early years of the founding of the country, proclaiming himself to be the chosen one, someone who could predict the future. He claimed to foresee disasters and would always predict where they would occur. He was a messenger sent by heaven. Because his predictions about natural disasters were always accurate, he gradually gained many followers. He even made himself a dragon robe and planned to ascend the throne.

The country would never allow a monarchy to return, so the government sent troops to eradicate him, and he was arrested. During the investigation, his predictions hadn’t ended. Everything he said came true, so the authorities intensified their scrutiny of him. Soon, his claim of being reborn was secretly reported to the top leadership.

Old Zhang was one of the officers responsible for interrogating that man. It was thanks to his appearance that the country had avoided many disasters, particularly the Tangshan earthquake.

Now, Old Zhang thought back to the question Su Quihe had asked Wen Xin earlier, and his resolve grew even stronger. After all, the term “phone number” was something he had also heard from that man who claimed to be reborn.

Old Zhang was someone who deeply cared for his country. He recalled how the reborn individual had helped the country avoid many disasters, and if Su Quihe were also someone who had been reborn, what could she bring to this country that was in dire need of rebuilding?

Just thinking about it made Old Zhang’s blood boil, and his whole body trembled with excitement.

As they walked out of the village, Xiao Zhang and Xiao Huang returned. The group got into the car, and Wen Xin and the others went to the provincial public security bureau to give a statement. After leaving the police station, they headed back to Wen Xin’s small courtyard.

Since her biological father and her niece were both living under the same roof, Qin Yishu didn’t want to stay alone in the nursing home. Fortunately, Wen Xin’s house was spacious enough to accommodate her.

Old Zhang returned to the nursing home and used the landline in his room to make a secret call. That night, orders were quietly issued from the national security department. Within two hours, the national machinery began to move. A reconnaissance team was stationed in a remote mountain near Su Quihe’s home.

Meanwhile, Zhou Wenhai, far away at the Military Unit, suddenly found several new pairs of eyes watching him.

Qin Yishu moved in, and Wen Xin no longer had to do any housework. She made dinner that night, but He Xiunian was nowhere to be found and didn’t show up.

During dinner, Old Master Qin mentioned that he wanted to move Zhou Yi’s grave to the capital, to be buried next to Xiao Liangcai. Wen Xin agreed.

Zhou Yi and Xiao Liangcai had a close relationship. They hadn’t been able to be together in life, but being buried next to each other after death would surely bring them joy, if they knew.

Wen Xin didn’t object, and Old Master Qin decided that in a few days, they would find a fortune teller to pick an auspicious date for the move.

Once that matter was settled, Old Master Qin visibly relaxed.

Wen Xin’s courtyard had a beautiful view, and the more Qin Yishu saw it, the more she liked it. She decided to call back and inform Sun Jingyong that she wouldn’t be returning in the near future. After all, her current job was just a low-level position at the Women’s Federation, where she mostly sat in the office, drinking tea and eating sunflower seeds. There was no joy in it compared to farming.

Sun Jingyong, left behind by his wife, sat in front of the phone, stunned and lost in thought after the call ended.

He and Qin Yishu had been in a free-love marriage. Shortly after their wedding, Old Master Qin had been investigated. Many people had advised Sun Jingyong to divorce Qin Yishu, but he hadn’t listened.

Although his own work had been affected, the impact wasn’t too serious. Back then, Qin Yishu had just given birth and was worried about her elderly parents, so she had followed them.

Sun Jingyong had never divorced, nor had he remarried. After Old Master Qin’s case was cleared, the couple continued their life together.

Sun Jingyong never imagined that his wife’s visit to a niece would somehow bring him into trouble.

Unable to sit still, Sun Jingyong decided to take a trip. He hadn’t had a break in many years, so after submitting his vacation request, it was quickly approved. Excited, he checked the dates—oh, his vacation wasn’t until two months later.

Two months didn’t seem long, but to Sun Jingyong, it felt like time was crawling.

Spring arrived, and it was time to plant vegetables. The rapeseed flowers sown last year had bloomed, creating a golden sea. Qin Yishu was captivated by the beauty.

Excited, she dragged Wen Xin to the street to buy a painting board and some paints. They started painting together. This was a new field for Wen Xin, something she hadn’t encountered in her past life. She studied hard and showed great talent.

Every time Qin Yishu saw her paintings, she felt regret. She thought that, if only Wen Xin had started earlier, she could have achieved so much more. She increasingly enjoyed taking Wen Xin to various places to sketch.

Since Wen Xin had reconnected with the Qin family, He Xiunian had realized his own shortcomings and had become more diligent. As soon as work started, he proactively went out to get business. He secured several contracts with prices far more favorable than his competitors.

His crew used quality materials, good craftsmanship, and excellent technique, so the clients were very satisfied. The settlements were smooth, and his wages were paid on time. The workers were treated well, and more skilled laborers joined him.

With more workers under him, the projects he took on grew larger and more frequent. Despite his busy schedule, he never neglected Wen Xin. He always made time to visit the small courtyard two or three days a week. Sometimes, if Wen Xin wasn’t home when he came, he would quietly cook and clean, waiting for her to return.

Old Master Qin observed all this, and his attitude toward He Xiunian grew increasingly warm. Qin Yishu looked at him with a touch of affection as well.

Before long, two months passed, and the sentence for Wen Chengzhi was handed down. He was sentenced to death for intentional murder, with a scheduled execution by firing squad on a later date.

On the day Wen Chengzhi was executed, Wen Xin went alone to Zhou Yi’s grave with offerings, lit incense, and burned paper money.

The next day, after Wen Xin left, Old Master Qin and Qin Yishu went to the grave as well.

Finally on holiday, Sun Jingyong arrived at the small courtyard, bringing Wen Xin a big red envelope.

After staying for a few days, Sun Jingyong returned to Beijing alone. Qin Yishu reluctantly saw him off, but Old Master Qin urged her to go back with him. Qin Yishu refused.

Life in Xiang Province was much more peaceful than in Beijing, and she wasn’t ready to leave just yet. She decided she’d go back when she felt like it.

On this day, He Xiunian’s villa, which he had bought the previous year, was finally finished. He took Wen Xin with him to inspect the house.

Wen Xin followed him. On the way to the villa, He Xiunian mustered up the courage to hold Wen Xin’s hand.

Wen Xin took his hand in return, and He Xiunian smiled broadly, his dimples deepening. The atmosphere between them was so sweet that even passersby could feel it.

The villa was elegantly decorated, just the style Wen Xin liked, and the furniture had already been placed inside.

The master bedroom was on the second floor, with a balcony. The wall facing the balcony was made into a large floor-to-ceiling window. When the window was opened, they could see the endless fields at the foot of the mountain, with vibrant flowers blooming in the nearby villa district.

The sunlight was perfect, shining down on the earth. Wen Xin leaned on the balcony railing, taking in the view. He Xiunian gently embraced her from behind.

Wen Xin turned around, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, almost as if trembling on He Xiunian’s chest, causing his heart to skip a beat with longing.

His throat bobbed as he lowered his head and kissed the lips he had long yearned for.

It was as if an electric current passed between them, and their hearts raced with a sweet, tingling sensation.

He Xiunian’s heart pounded loudly in his chest. Wen Xin’s lips, as soft and sweet as he had imagined, made him crave more, more than he could control.