[Edited]

“Don’t be shy when you meet him later. If there’s anything you want to know, ask boldly, understand?”

Standing at the entrance of Heizhu Town were two people.

The older woman had short hair that rested on her shoulders. She wore a navy blue collared blouse and black polyester trousers. As she spoke, she kept glancing toward the state-owned restaurant across the street.

“I understand, Fifth Aunt.”

Lu Qingyuan was eighteen years old this year. She had an oval-shaped face, bright eyes, and pearly white teeth. Her slender figure was graceful and captivating.

She wore a white floral-patterned diagonal-collared blouse, paired with black spring trousers that her mother had just made for her. Though the outfit was simple, on Lu Qingyuan, it made her stand out effortlessly. Anyone who saw her couldn’t help but take a second look.

Fifth Aunt, seeing that no one was passing by on the road, withdrew her gaze and looked at her niece—who was skilled at both housework and farmwork, and well-known in the surrounding villages.

“A matchmaking meeting isn’t just about seeing each other. It’s about getting a basic understanding of one another, so don’t just sit there like a mute gourd, alright?”

Still feeling uneasy, Fifth Aunt continued to remind her, “Marrying a man is like being reborn a second time for us women. You have to be careful, understand?”

Although today’s matchmaking candidate came from a good family and had decent personal qualities, Fifth Aunt couldn’t help but say a few more words.

“Mm, I’ll be sure to ask.”

Lu Qingyuan already had her own plans in mind but did not refuse her aunt’s kind advice. A gentle smile appeared on her fair face, momentarily dazzling Fifth Aunt.

Her niece was truly beautiful.

“Here he comes!”

Soon, a young man wearing a blue high-collared suit walked down the road behind the state-owned restaurant. Though he looked thin, he had a handsome and refined appearance.

“Go on, remember what I told you. I’ll be waiting for you right here,” Fifth Aunt whispered to Lu Qingyuan after confirming that he was today’s matchmaking partner.

“Okay.”

Lu Qingyuan nervously walked toward the young man standing at the entrance of the state-owned restaurant, hoping that he would be easygoing, and that they could sit down, have some tea, and then go their separate ways.

“Hello, you must be Comrade Lu Qingyuan, right? I’m Tan Chang’an.”

Tan Chang’an looked at the girl walking towards him with a sense of admiration, and his voice softened without him even realizing it.

He wasn’t particularly eager to attend this blind date today.

But he couldn’t resist the scolding from his parents. The moment he saw his date, his heart skipped a beat. This girl was truly perfect, meeting all his aesthetic standards.

“Hello, Comrade Tan, I’m Lu Qingyuan.”

Lu Qingyuan quickly glanced at the young man before nodding and greeting him.

The two of them entered the state-owned restaurant.

They had arranged to meet here for the blind date.

Tan Chang’an was quite familiar with this place, as he lived in the town. The chef at the restaurant was even his uncle.

As soon as they sat down, someone quickly brought over tea and a plate of fried soybeans as a snack.

Lu Qingyuan thanked the waiter and took a sip of tea.

Her already rosy lips looked even more beautiful after a sip of water.

Tan Chang’an stared at her lips for a few seconds before smiling and introducing himself. “You might not know much about me yet, but I’m 20 years old, with a high school education, and currently working at the commune…”

Out of politeness, Lu Qingyuan raised her eyes to look at him as he spoke, only to suddenly notice some bright red characters floating above his head.

【Wuhu! The novel I like is now available for live streaming!】

【Looking forward to how the live stream goes, after the neighboring novel started streaming, the ending was completely different from the original, I hope this one will have a different ending too!】

Lu Qingyuan instinctively looked at the waiter who had just brought over a plate of fried melon seeds.

But the waiter didn’t seem to notice the characters floating above Tan Chang’an’s head. The waiter smiled normally when Tan Chang’an thanked him and then left.

Can’t others see this?

Lu Qingyuan stared directly at Tan Chang’an’s head.

Tan Chang’an thought his hair was messy, so he raised his hand and fiddled with it.

When Lu Qingyuan saw those words pass right through his hand, she was even more shocked. What on earth was this?

Tan Chang’an continued introducing his family.

At that moment, a cute mechanical voice appeared in Lu Qingyuan’s mind.

[Congratulations, host! You’ve bound the original text live streaming system. Through the live stream system, you can trigger bullet comments to understand the plot. Once the number of fans reaches 500, you’ll receive gifts from the live stream fans!]

Original text live streaming system? What does that mean?

Lu Qingyuan’s heart raced.

And bullet comments? Does that mean those words floating above Tan Chang’an’s head are bullet comments?

And what’s the plot?

【Sigh, Xiao Qingyuan, run! He’s the source of your tragic life!】

Seeing this comment, Lu Qingyuan’s eyes widened, and she became panicked.

Tan Chang’an thought she was shocked by his family background, feeling a bit pleased with himself. He continued, “Although my father is the town mayor and my mother is the publicity department head at the paper factory, I still consider my family to be quite ordinary…”

【Sisters, say what you will, but this male lead does have something going for him! Sure, he was a premature baby with a weak constitution, and… well, he’s small down there too. But in this era, he comes from a dual-income household, has a bit of talent, and is quite good-looking. No wonder our clueless heroine doesn’t realize he’s all looks and no use.】

Lu—Lu Qingyuan clenched her hands, both embarrassed and shocked. Small where exactly?! Was it what she thought it was?!

【What’s the point of good looks and talent if he can’t even fulfill basic marital duties? The heroine was married to him for five years and never got pregnant, giving her in-laws every excuse to torment her! They even forced her to adopt several children, all of whom turned out to be ungrateful brats!】

【Exactly! The male lead is just a useless pushover! He’s good for nothing except lying in bed while our heroine does all the hard labor. And yet, he still manages to stay well-fed and comfortable!】

【I still don’t understand how he became the male lead.】

【If the male lead weren’t like this, how would the female lead become the tragic heroine? Only when the male lead is weak, can the female lead suffer and struggle…】

【Yes, yes, tragic female leads are always like this, suffering their whole life and finally getting a little happiness at the end, only to enjoy it for two or three years after decades of hardship.】

Lu Qingyuan struggled to remain calm and carefully read the comments, understanding what was happening.

She was the heroine of a tragic novel, and Tan Chang’an, the person sitting across from her, was the male lead.

According to these bullet comments and spoilers, she would marry Tan Chang’an, but due to his inadequacies in certain areas, they would have no children after five years of marriage. Her in-laws would force her to adopt children, but those children wouldn’t improve her life—instead, they would make it worse.

Her in-laws were picky and controlling, Tan Chang’an’s health was poor, and he couldn’t do any hard work. The children would also cause trouble, leaving her to handle everything. Her life would be full of hardships, while her husband would just try to smooth things over.

Lu Qingyuan’s heart grew colder with every bullet comment.

Regardless of whether these comments were true or not, she had no intention of pursuing a relationship with Tan Chang’an.

Tan Chang’an continued talking non-stop. Lu Qingyuan picked up a handful of melon seeds and cracked them open, occasionally responding with a few words.

When Tan Chang’an finished talking, Lu Qingyuan had finished her tea.

“Comrade Lu Qingyuan, if you think we’re suitable, we can meet our parents tomorrow and then go register for our marriage the day after.”

Tan Chang’an looked at her expectantly.

【Don’t agree! Don’t agree!】

【Wake up! Don’t marry into a wolf’s den!】

【Oh no, I really hope Xiao Qingyuan can see the bullet comments we’ve sent. Then she can turn around in time and escape from this misery!】

【Wuwuwu, she can’t see it. Only readers who enter the live stream can see the original world. The characters in the original world are unaware of our existence. We can only once again watch them follow the original storyline.】

【I don’t believe it! The heroine in the story next door has already deviated from the plot. My Xiao Qingyuan can do it too!】

Lu Qingyuan glanced at those comments on the screen and gave Tan Chang’an a distant and polite smile. “Comrade Tan, I think we’re not compatible. Sorry, waiter, settle the bill please.”

She wouldn’t leave any signal that would encourage further contact. She stood up, paid for her tea, and, after bidding farewell to Tan Chang’an, who was still in disbelief that he was rejected, quickly walked out of the state-owned restaurant.

At the same time, a mechanical voice popped up in her mind again, [Live stream ended. 28 new fans. Total fans: 28. Host, keep up the good work.]

Tan Chang’an’s uncle suddenly slammed the kitchen door open, rushing to him with urgency. “What did you say? Why did the girl refuse to continue? And how could you make her pay for the tea?”

“I—I don’t know!”

Tan Chang’an was completely confused.

“Didn’t you ask her why things didn’t work out?”

His uncle was furious, slapping the table. Lu Qingyuan is such a good girl. Everyone in Heizhu Town knows her. He thought he could help his nephew and her get together, but the moment they met, it fell apart!

“I didn’t ask, and she didn’t say anything!”

Tan Chang’an felt aggrieved and full of resentment.

“I didn’t even mind that she’s from the countryside, but she looks down on me! If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work. Do I, Tan Chang’an, really not deserve a good girl?”

After saying this, he stood up and left.

“Tsk, this stubborn kid! He couldn’t even pay for the tea. If I were that girl, I wouldn’t look at you either!”

His uncle was still stomping his feet in frustration behind him.

After leaving the restaurant, Lu Qingyuan ignored the voice in her mind that disappeared as soon as it spoke. She looked up at the clear blue sky and sighed.

What had just happened was truly bizarre. Her mind was a mess, but she didn’t regret rejecting Tan Chang’an.

From the moment she learned about his family’s background from Aunt Wu, Lu Qingyuan felt that they weren’t a good match. Her parents were ordinary people, and her whole family worked in the fields.

Climbing higher in life may be tempting, but Lu Qingyuan knew her own worth. In a relationship where their families were so unequal, life wouldn’t be as happy as imagined.

But when her sick grandmother insisted she meet him, Lu Qingyuan reluctantly agreed. This was her first time going on a blind date, and she had already planned to make up a reason to decline after meeting him.

She never expected to see the barrage of comments, and according to the spoilers in the comments, she ended up marrying Tan Chang’an. How did that happen?

Before coming, she was sure they weren’t a good match. She was only going to meet him and explain it was not suitable. How did she end up married to him?

The more Lu Qingyuan thought about it, the more confused she became. As she saw her Fifth Aunt waving at her in front of the commune gate, Lu Qingyuan temporarily set aside her confusion and hurried towards her.

“How did it go?”

Fifth Aunt looked behind her but didn’t see Tan Chang’an following her out. Her heart sank.

Lu Qingyuan shook her head, lowering her eyes and softly saying, “We’re not compatible.”

Well, it didn’t work out. If it did, would that boy not have come out to send her off?

Fifth Aunt cheered her up and smiled at Lu Qingyuan, saying, “It’s okay. Let’s go home.”

“Mhm,” Lu Qingyuan didn’t ask any further, feeling a bit relieved in her heart.

The two of them quickly walked towards Guangfu Production Team. It was early spring, and the fields were busy.

The Guangfu Production Team where Lu Qingyuan worked was not far from the town. It took half an hour on foot, and if they had a bicycle, they could get there in ten minutes or so.

When Lu Qingyuan returned to the Lu family courtyard, her two little nephews were playing in the yard, their backsides stuck in the mud.

“Aunt!”

“Aunt, aunt!”

Seeing Lu Qingyuan return, the two kids ran over excitedly.

They knew their hands were dirty, so when they stopped in front of Lu Qingyuan, they proudly raised their little muddy faces and grinned at her.

Lu Qingyuan smiled at the two dirty little faces. “Little kittens.”

“I’m a little brainy fox!”

Seven-year-old Jiasheng cried out, making a fox sound.

Six-year-old Lusheng quickly followed suit, making a similar sound, “Right, we’re little brainy foxes!”

“Little tigers, not brainy foxes,” Lu Qingyuan washed her hands with water, then wiped their faces clean. As for their hands, the two little rascals were going to keep playing, so she didn’t bother with those.

“Qingyuan’s back?”

Lu Qingyuan’s grandmother’s voice came from inside the house.

Lu Qingyuan responded, reminding Jiasheng and Shisheng to play in the yard and not leave, before entering her grandmother’s room.

Her grandmother had been sick for almost a month. She had been to the county hospital for a few days, but insisted on returning home, saying she wanted to die in her own house.

The old lady caused quite a scene, and in the end, her three sons had no choice but to bring her back to care for her.

Lu Qingyuan’s father was the eldest, so the old lady lived with their family.

The Lu family courtyard housed the three brothers of the Lu family. The house on the far left was the third brother’s, the middle one was the eldest’s, and the house on the far right was the second brother’s.

The three families shared one big yard, and the family’s personal plots were all in front of the yard, three acres of neatly cultivated land. The Lu family had no lazy people, and the vegetable plots were tidy and clean.

“Didn’t work out?”

Lu Qingyuan’s grandmother, who had been propped up with pillows, looked at her for a moment before speaking.

Lu Qingyuan lowered her head. “No, not suitable.”

“Did he say it wasn’t suitable, or was it you who said it?”

Her grandmother asked.

“… I said it.”

Lu Qingyuan bit her lip and spoke in a soft voice.

Her grandmother sighed and stretched out her thin hand to poke her granddaughter’s forehead twice.

“You! Tan family has such good conditions. Everyone else would want to marry into that family. Why are you so stubborn? If you can win Tan Chang’an’s heart, you can secure your place in that family. He’s the only son, and if you have children, that’s even more secure! What’s wrong with it?”

Lu Qingyuan covered her forehead, which had turned red from being poked. Thinking of the comments in the barrage, her porcelain-white face turned even redder.

Seeing this, Grandma Lu narrowed her eyes and grabbed her wrist, lowering her voice. “What’s going on? Does this young man have any other problems besides being a little frail from being born premature?”

They all knew that Tan Chang’an had been born premature.

Lu Qingyuan’s face became even redder. Seeing Grandma Lu still staring at her, she could only speak softly. “What if… what if he can’t have children? If I marry him, people will think it’s because I can’t have children.”

That’s how it is in this world. If there are no children, people usually focus on the woman’s ability to bear children, never considering whether the man is capable.

Grandma Lu let go of her hand and lowered her head, thinking for a moment. “That’s true. He was born prematurely and always been so thin and frail… But who told you this?”

Lu Qingyuan covered her burning face. “I just think we’re not suitable. Grandma, I’ve already told him clearly. This matter is over now, so can we not talk about it anymore?”

“If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work,” Grandma Lu sighed. “I was just worried you might miss out on such a good match. I don’t know how much longer I’ll live, but I thought… if you could get married before I pass, at least I would be at peace when I close my eyes.”

“Grandma! You’re saying such depressing things again.”

Lu Qingyuan’s eyes reddened as she hugged her. “I don’t want to hear that!”

“Don’t listen,” Grandma Lu smiled gently, wrapping her arms around her little granddaughter. “If this one isn’t suitable, we’ll just look for another.”

Lu Qingyuan could only feel that Grandma Lu had become even thinner. Her heart ached, and she hugged her even tighter.

“Grandma, you must live a long life.”