Chapter 1

He Bingning had a premonition that she was about to die.
Her whole body was rotting, not a patch of skin intact, and from the decay came waves of putrid stench.

It was hard to imagine that, at nineteen, she had been the most beautiful young lady in the city.

Beauty could not be hidden—everyone knew that the He family’s young miss was stunning, unforgettable after just one glance. Suitors lined up at their door without end.

These young men were all of good standing—some were university students, some educated youths. But her grandfather turned down every single one. He insisted she marry into the military compound, to a young soldier.

Even with a hundred times the reluctance, she did not dare disobey her grandfather’s orders.

The man’s name was Gu Huai.
He was an officer—quiet, dull, and in today’s words, a typical straight-laced man.

They met only once before marrying.

He Bingning then moved into the military compound.

Not long after, she became pregnant and gave birth to twins—a boy and a girl.

Life in the compound was painfully boring, and Gu Huai didn’t know how to make her happy. Eventually, she couldn’t stand the loneliness and ran off.

Later, she really did marry a “fun” man.

This man was smooth-tongued and always made her laugh. She married him without hesitation, even though he was divorced and had a son—she didn’t care.

Little did she know this was the beginning of her tragedy.

She devoted herself to caring for him, his son, and his mother. But instead of appreciation, the man and his mother schemed together, tricked her out of the property her grandfather had left her, left her sick and destitute, and finally kicked her out to fend for herself.

Later, she heard that all these years, Gu Huai had been looking for her. Even when people tried to set him up on blind dates, he wouldn’t even take a look.

At the end of her life, He Bingning finally realized—Gu Huai was the best man she had ever met.

All his love, she had ignored.

She had chased after novelty, romance, and excitement, yet had forgotten to cherish the one by her side.

Using the last of her strength, she turned on the radio.

A sweet voice sang:

“If I had never met you, where would I be now?
How would my days go by?
Would I have learned to cherish life…”

Tears slid slowly down He Bingning’s cheeks, and to the sound of the song, she breathed her last.

— The 1980s —

The military compound.

He Bingning felt her whole body ache. Ever since she’d fallen ill, every inch of her body hurt, so she didn’t think much of it—until the sound of a baby crying reached her ears.

That cry… so familiar, yet so strange.

She sat up abruptly and held the two little babies in her arms. At that moment, tears burst from her eyes.

Before her were her twins!

Her own flesh and blood!

The children she had once so cruelly abandoned!

How could she have been so heartless…

Uneasy, she glanced around the room—this was her and Gu Huai’s marital bedroom, every detail exactly as in her memories!

Then she looked at the calendar on the table—this was the very day she had left Gu Huai and her twins to run away!

The day her tragedy had begun!

He Bingning wept uncontrollably. She had come back.

This time, she would never make the same mistake. She would hold on to Gu Huai and live a good life with him.

She would raise her twins safely to adulthood.

The more she cried, the harder she cried—as if pouring out all the grievances of her two lifetimes—until her fingers trembled.

She didn’t even notice when the door burst open.

“Officer Gu, didn’t I tell you that woman ran away? Look at that foxy face of hers—she’s not the kind to settle down and live a proper life. Not like our Juanjuan—now she’s a girl who’d make a good, steady wife!” Auntie Li chattered on, belittling He Bingning while praising her own daughter, Li Juanjuan.

Auntie Li was also a military wife, with a daughter named Li Juanjuan. Li Juanjuan had her eyes on Gu Huai—or rather, the whole Li family did.

So they were always, openly or subtly, speaking ill of He Bingning in front of him, hoping to push the couple toward divorce so that Gu Huai could marry Li Juanjuan instead.

Back then, Auntie Li had played a big role in He Bingning’s decision to abandon her husband and children.

She would say: “You’re so beautiful—you could find any man you want! Staying trapped in the compound is like… like a pearl…”

“What you mean is a pearl cast before swine,” He Bingning had corrected her.

Auntie Li clapped her hands. “Yes, yes, exactly! You’re so educated. Marrying a rough man like Gu Huai is such a waste.”

Every word had hit home, strengthening He Bingning’s resolve to leave.

Only later did she realize Auntie Li had been scheming all along.

In her previous life, that night before she left, she had confided in Auntie Li, saying she would leave no matter what. Auntie Li had promised to support her and even gave her dozens of yuan for travel expenses—an enormous sum in the 1980s.

He Bingning had been deeply touched and insisted she must leave the very next day. Auntie Li had agreed to cover for her.

By now, according to the original timeline, she should have been long gone—so Auntie Li rushed to tell Gu Huai, wanting him to see with his own eyes what kind of woman he’d married.

But to her shock, He Bingning hadn’t left at all.

When Gu Huai heard she had gone, he panicked, dropped everything, and ran home with Auntie Li.

He knocked for a long time with no answer, and thinking she had left, he broke down the door in desperation—only to find her sitting on the bed, crying.

Seeing she hadn’t left, he felt immense relief.

Seeing her cry, he felt a pang in his heart.

Gu Huai had always been the reserved, straight-laced type. He didn’t know how to comfort someone—he wanted to pat her shoulder but was afraid his strength might hurt her. His hand hovered in midair, unsure whether to reach out or pull back.

Auntie Li, on the other hand, was far from happy. If this “foxy woman” stayed, what would happen to her Juanjuan?

She wasn’t very clever, but she had her schemes.

She stomped her foot and confronted He Bingning: “Didn’t you say you were leaving? Didn’t you say you were divorcing Gu Huai?”

The unspoken meaning: Why are you still here?

He Bingning came back to herself, tears still clinging to her lashes, her pale face looking pitiful.

Sniffling, she said, “Auntie Li, I’ve always treated you well. Whenever I had something good to eat or drink, I gave it to you first. Whenever clothes came from home, I generously let Li Juanjuan have them. And now, you repay me by slandering me, trying to stir up trouble between me and Gu Huai—what’s your real intention?”