Chapter 2: She Returned to Twenty Years Ago!

She lifted her head and saw the calendar hanging on the wall.

February 4, 1976!

She had returned twenty years into the past!

Looking outside, she saw Jiang Yubai’s mother, Tong Caihe, coming out of the kitchen holding two green thermos containers.

Tong Caihe pointed to one of the containers, which had a red ribbon tied to it, and cheerfully said to Lin Jianxue, “Xiaoxue, this one is chicken soup for Teacher Shen. Her due date is today, she might go into labor tonight. This will help her keep up her strength!”

Lin Jianxue slowly began to remember.

Not long after she and Jiang Yubai got married, her parents hadn’t been careful enough and ended up with an accidental pregnancy.

By the time they found out, Shen Wu was already more than three months along.

To avoid gossip, Shen Wu originally planned to terminate the pregnancy.

It was Lin Jianxue who stopped her.

She said, “Since this child has come into our family, then they are one of us. Let others talk if they want.”

Jiang Yubai and Tong Caihe supported her as well, promising that once Shen Wu gave birth, they would help take care of the baby too.

At that time, their understanding and kindness made the Lin family truly grateful.

But on the day of delivery, Shen Wu suddenly suffered massive bleeding. To save the mother, they had to give up on the child.

A full-term baby boy was born. He cried twice—then died.

That incident devastated Shen Wu. Her health took a sharp turn for the worse, and she developed chronic conditions. She passed away not long after.

Her father, upon hearing the news of Shen Wu’s death, rushed back from the factory and died in a car crash on the way.

Shen Wu had always been healthy. She was 19 when she had Lin Jianxue, and 37 with the second pregnancy. The doctor had said she was in good shape and the delivery shouldn’t pose a problem—so how did she suddenly bleed out on the day?

Lin Jianxue glanced at the chicken soup on her bedside table, then at the green thermos on the table, and narrowed her eyes.

She asked deliberately, “Aunt Tong, why are there two thermos containers on the table? Which one is for my mom?”

Tong Caihe had looked after her since she was little, so Lin Jianxue had always called her “Aunt.” Even after marrying Jiang Yubai, she hadn’t changed the habit.

Tong Caihe had always been considerate, saying, “It’s just a formality. Call me whatever you like—we’re all family.”

But thinking back, it was probably because Tong Caihe never truly saw her as family. That’s why she didn’t care.

Tong Caihe replied, “The one with the red ribbon is for Teacher Shen. The other one doesn’t have chicken soup in it. My old friend’s daughter just had a baby in the city, so I made her some brown sugar and egg soup to nourish her. Don’t mix them up.”

Hearing this, Lin Jianxue lowered her eyes and curled her lips into a cold smile. Then she looked up and said to Jiang Yubai, who was urging her to drink the soup, “Yubai, I think my coat is hanging on the rack in the hall. Could you bring it to me? I want to change and go to the hospital to visit my mom.”

Jiang Yubai nodded, “Oh… sure. I’ll get it. Make sure you drink the soup, Jianxue.”

She smiled sweetly at him, “Of course. You served it to me yourself—I’ll definitely drink it.”

Jiang Yubai gave a shy smile, his ears turning red. He scratched his head, coughed lightly, and went out to get the coat.

Watching his fake gentlemanly demeanor, Lin Jianxue’s eyes gleamed with a flash of coldness.

In her previous life, she adored Jiang Yubai’s gentle and scholarly nature. She loved teasing him, making him blush. Even after marriage, he seemed disinterested in sex—they practically had a celibate marriage.

She thought he was just a shy intellectual… Never realizing he was already getting his fill elsewhere.

Based on the timeline, Jiang Yuning was already three or four months pregnant.

Later on, when Lin Jianxue found herself unable to get pregnant and was diagnosed with weak blood and a thin uterine lining, Jiang Yubai used it as an excuse to adopt an unwanted baby boy from his relatives, supposedly to carry on the family name.

And she, out of guilt, agreed.

Even Shen Wu, having just lost her own child, grew emotionally attached to the boy, and the Lin family spoiled him like their own.

Food, clothing, education—he had the best of everything.

Thinking about how she had raised Jiang Yubai and Jiang Yuning’s illegitimate child as her own in her past life made Lin Jianxue’s blood boil.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down and quietly poured the chicken soup on the nightstand into a flower vase. Then she got up and tiptoed to the hall, checking on Tong Caihe.

Tong Caihe had her back to her while changing clothes in her room—likely getting ready to go deliver food to Jiang Yuning.

Lin Jianxue looked away, quickly untied the red ribbon and tied it to the other green thermos.

Just as she finished, Jiang Yubai’s voice rang out behind her, “Jianxue, what are you doing?”

Lin Jianxue looked up and saw him returning through the doorway. She calmly pulled her hand back and said, “Nothing. Aunt Tong’s chicken soup is really good—I wanted to pour myself a little more to taste. Oh, did you find my coat?”

Jiang Yubai walked over, checked the thermoses on the table, and pushed the one with the red ribbon toward her. “You finished the chicken soup? Little glutton, this one’s for our mom. If you like it, I’ll ask my mom to make more for you tomorrow.”

Then he added, “There were only mine and Mom’s coats at the door. Yours wasn’t there—maybe you remembered wrong?”

“Oh… I must have. That coat you got me is so warm—can you check again? I’d really like to wear it later.”

A flicker of impatience flashed in Jiang Yubai’s eyes, but he wanted to confirm whether she had really finished the soup, so he smiled and nodded, “Okay, wait here. I’ll go check again.”

Once inside, he quickly approached the table and picked up the empty bowl Lin Jianxue had used. It was spotless—completely dry. He smirked, eyes flashing with satisfaction.

His mother had repeatedly reminded him: this soup had a folk remedy from their village.

The recipe came from Jiang Yuning, supposedly passed down in her family and incredibly effective.

That woman—soft-spoken and fragile on the outside—was sharper than a needle on the inside and pathologically jealous.

Even though he had sworn countless times that she was the only one he loved, she didn’t believe it. She insisted he feed this medicine to Lin Jianxue to ease her mind.

After Jiang Yuning’s pregnancy was confirmed, she became even more obsessive, crying every day. She said Lin Jianxue was young and beautiful—a city-raised girl—and she feared Jiang Yubai might have a change of heart.

The medicine would ensure that Lin Jianxue could never conceive again. That way, Jiang Yuning would feel completely secure.

Jiang Yubai had no real feelings for Lin Jianxue. What he wanted was the Lin family’s status and connections. These sheltered rich girls were easy to fool—a few sweet words and a fake smile, and she was hooked.

He had worked hard to marry her, carefully crafting the image of a cultured, refined, and talented man to win the Lin family’s approval.

Now, what troubled him most was the child in Shen Wu’s womb.

Word was she’d even consulted a fortune teller—it was a boy! If she gave birth, wouldn’t the Lin family’s assets be split?

Then all his years of scheming would be wasted!

His expression darkened. But he quickly masked the malice in his eyes, straightened his expression, and calmly opened the wardrobe. He found the black cashmere coat Lin Jianxue often wore.

He had bought that coat to win her favor, even personally accompanying her to the department store.

He returned to the living room, coat and empty bowl in hand. His face now wore that familiar gentle smile, and his voice was soft and warm: “Jianxue, I found the coat—it was in the closet. Is this the one?”

Lin Jianxue had been standing by the table, seemingly lost in thought. At the sound of his voice, she turned and broke into a delighted smile, walking over quickly to take the coat and slip it on. “Thanks, Yubai. Yes, that’s the one. You’re so good to me.”

As she spoke, she adjusted the collar, looking sweet and dependent—like a woman happily immersed in love.

At that moment, Tong Caihe also came out of her room, fully dressed. She wore a deep red cotton jacket, her hair neatly combed and her face lightly powdered with cold cream. She looked refreshed.

She immediately noticed the empty bowl Jiang Yubai had placed on the table, clean and upside down.

A satisfied smile bloomed on her face.

She and Jiang Yubai shared a subtle glance—one full of hidden understanding.