Chapter 1: The Husband She Trapped Is Coming Back

“The fever’s gone down, so why hasn’t she woken up? It’s been three days already…”

“Qiqi, how could you be so silly? Even if it came to a divorce, there’s no need to jump into a river!”

“If something really happened to you, how would your dad and I go on living?”

…

In a hazy state of consciousness, Ye Muqi heard unfamiliar voices nearby, along with the pungent scent of disinfectant in the air.

She slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the white light. Her vision was blurry at first, but once her eyes adjusted, she saw the face of a woman who, though older, was still very beautiful.

“Qiqi, you’re awake? How do you feel? Anywhere uncomfortable?” Xia Ying rushed over the moment she saw her daughter open her eyes.

“I…” Ye Muqi tried to speak, but her voice came out hoarse, her throat swollen and burning like it had been sliced with a blade. She barely managed to get one word out before her voice failed her completely.

“Don’t rush, drink some water first.” Xia Ying quickly fetched a cup of water and brought it to her lips.

Ye Muqi noticed the enamel cup was old-fashioned and chipped, clearly from another era… But her mouth was dry, so she drank more than half of the warm water.

After drinking, her throat felt better. At the same time, the memories in her mind began to settle.

She had transmigrated to the 1980s, into the body of a girl with the same name—Ye Muqi. This Ye Muqi was 20 years old and already married.

The original host’s mother had been a “sent-down youth,” one of the most beautiful in her group. Her father, Ye Zhengfeng, worked in a steel factory, and her mother worked in a cotton mill. They were both employed, which made their family quite well-off at the time.

As a result, the original Ye Muqi had been spoiled into becoming a pampered, useless girl. She didn’t even finish high school and stayed home all day. Around this time last year, she had fallen for a soldier who came back to town on family leave. She clung to him persistently and insisted on dating him.

The soldier, however, wasn’t interested. He thought she was the type of girl who had nothing but looks and an air of foolish innocence—not someone suited for real life.

But she wouldn’t give up. She even staged a scene—ran out of his house wrapped in nothing but a bedsheet. The neighbors saw her.

Her reputation was ruined. The soldier, under pressure, had no choice but to file a marriage request with his superiors. They registered their marriage, and he immediately returned to the Northern Military District. A year had passed, and he still hadn’t returned. The townsfolk began saying their marriage probably wouldn’t last. Heartbroken, the original Ye Muqi allegedly jumped into a river in despair.

She was rescued, but burned with fever for days—probably fried her “CPU”—which is how the current Ye Muqi took over.

After absorbing the memories, Ye Muqi’s internal reaction was: WTF?!

This kind of toe-curling plot? Even in modern times, it would be explosive!

“Qiqi, if you and Jingchen really get divorced, Mom will find you another… You’ve always liked soldiers, right? Your dad and I will help you find another one,” Xia Ying said tearfully, seeing her daughter staring blankly after drinking water. “Say something, don’t scare me!”

“M-Mom…?”

Ugh. Calling someone else’s mom “Mom” felt so awkward.

“I’m fine…” Ye Muqi shook her head.

“Good, good. As long as you’re okay.” Xia Ying wiped her eyes, relieved. “Are you hungry? Want something to eat?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite right now.”

Her body had only just awakened, and she had a splitting headache, sore limbs, and no strength—definitely not hungry.

“But you haven’t eaten for three days! I’ll go get you a small bowl of wontons. Just eat what you can.”

“Okay… thank you.”

Once Xia Ying left, Ye Muqi looked around.

She was in a health clinic. The room was a little shabby, with no air conditioning. Two wall fans slowly oscillated, blowing air with a soft whoosh. Her hospital bed was by the window, one corner of the glass patched up with newspaper.

Given the town’s limited medical resources, this setup—with fans—was already considered pretty good.

Xia Ying soon returned with a small bowl of wontons and started feeding her bit by bit.

After just two bites, the door opened, and another woman around Xia Ying’s age entered—her mother-in-law, Yin Lan.

Ye Muqi sized her up. She was short, had a dignified face with sharp features, and seemed rather stern.

Yin Lan looked at the pale, pitiful Ye Muqi and sighed softly. “Awake? Silly girl. No matter what, jumping into a river isn’t the answer. Thank goodness you survived.”

…

Should I tell them the one who jumped is no longer here? Would they even believe me?

“Jingchen wrote last week saying he’d be back soon. He should arrive the day after tomorrow. When he does, you two should have a proper talk.”

“…Ah.”

So her “trapped” husband was coming back?

That was going to be one awkward conversation.

To be honest, Yin Lan didn’t really hate the girl. She was pretty, sure, but also a bit much. After the marriage, she came over declaring she wanted to be a good daughter-in-law, cleaning like mad for a week—only for the house to get messier. Yin Lan had to take over because she couldn’t bear it.

Then she was asked to do laundry. Two days later, she dislocated her hand. Went home to recover.

After over half a year, she finally realized housework wasn’t her thing. So she decided to learn to cook. She almost burned the kitchen down, then went to work at a restaurant to learn properly. Who knows how she’s doing now?

Honestly, since meeting this daughter-in-law, Yin Lan felt her stress tolerance had significantly improved.

“Let Jingchen come to my place when he returns,” Xia Ying suggested. “We can all sit down for a meal and talk things out.”

“Sounds good.”

Ye Muqi: “…”

So… no one’s going to ask her how she feels about all this?

…

That night, after finishing her last IV drip, Ye Muqi was discharged. Xia Ying, noticing her low spirits, patted her shoulder and said gently, “Come on now. You’ll see him soon. You mustn’t do anything foolish again.”

“I know, Mom. I won’t.” Ye Muqi pressed her lips together as a memory flashed through her mind.

The truth was…

The original owner didn’t jump into the river.