Chapter 2: Origins

At this point in the story, Wen Jiancheng was just about to take her back to the capital, Beijing.

The biological father of the supporting female character was a soldier and once a comrade-in-arms of the Lu family from Beijing — that is, Lu Binghuai, the commander of the Capital Military District.

During a border battle, he used his own body to shield Lu Binghuai from a bullet aimed at his chest.

He died heroically.

Before dying, he entrusted Lu Binghuai to look after his beloved and the unborn child in her womb.

But the war dragged on for years.

By the time Lu Binghuai returned, his comrade’s lover had already passed away, and the child’s whereabouts were unknown.

Later, political movements swept the country, delaying the search for over a decade.

Too much time had passed, and it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The child’s trail had gone cold.

Lu Binghuai used every possible resource, even issued a bounty.

Whoever could provide any leads would be handsomely rewarded.

The news eventually reached Wen Jiancheng. After verifying the details, he realized the child the Lu family was looking for was none other than the baby he had picked up in the mountains nineteen years ago.

Wen Nian.

Panicked and rushed, he headed to Shanghe Village to bring Wen Nian back with him.

The Lu family in Beijing was the crème de la crème of the elite.

Lu Binghuai was the top commander of the Capital Military District, and his only son, Lu Hanzheng, was also a regimental-level officer.

As it happened, Wen Nian’s biological daughter had reached marrying age — so he decided to have her take the adopted daughter’s place.

Wen Nian’s birth father had saved Lu Binghuai’s life.

As long as Wen Xue took on her identity, marrying into the Lu family would be a piece of cake.

As for the adopted daughter, he wouldn’t treat her too poorly. He even arranged a good marriage for her.

Zheng Weiguo, the deputy director of a steel plant, was troubled over his youngest son’s marriage prospects.

Marrying the adopted daughter off to that family was just right.

If this marriage went through, his own job as workshop supervisor would be secure too.

Two birds with one stone.

Perfect.

He gleefully calculated everything, each mental abacus bead clicking away.

What he didn’t expect was that the adopted daughter would attempt suicide by jumping into a river.

Luckily, someone rescued her in time.

“Wen Nian, kneel!”

Wen Jiancheng’s face was twisted with anger.

Wen Nian was still recalling the plot, sighing over the tragic fate of the supporting female character.

Her identity had been stolen, and she was married off to a domestic abuser.

It wasn’t just tragic — it was downright cruel.

Now fully awake, she suddenly became aware of how wet she was. Water still dripped from her hair.

Her soft feet were bare, stepping directly on the hard muddy ground.

Didn’t she transmigrate while lying in bed?

She remembered holding her phone and reading a novel.

Then, somehow, she had dozed off — only to be pulled into the book.

How did she end up soaking wet?

When had she jumped into a river?

Wen Jiancheng saw her spacing out and felt his authority as head of the household being challenged.

Furious, he yanked the leather belt from around his waist.

“Wen Nian, I’m talking to you! Are you even listening?”

“You dare try to kill yourself? You laid hands on your Aunt Chen and little Xue? You’re completely out of line! Today I’m going to teach you a lesson — show you what discipline means!”

Wen Xue eagerly added fuel to the fire.

“Dad, you really have to teach her a lesson. She must’ve been pretending this whole time. Just now she nearly strangled me! She doesn’t want to marry into the Zheng family and even tried to kill herself. She must have someone else in mind already!”

Wen Nian finally snapped back to her senses.

What a rotten family.

A heartless adoptive father, a stepmother with a sweet face and a bitter heart, and a malicious stepsister.

Wen Jiancheng looked at her disheveled appearance, and upon hearing what she said, his anger flared up like fire.

He raised the leather belt and lashed it toward her body with full force.

Wen Nian, expressionless, grabbed it midair, yanked it away, and threw it violently to the ground.

Then she stomped on it hard a few times.

Wen Jiancheng froze on the spot.

He hadn’t expected the usually timid, quiet, and obedient adopted daughter to actually fight back.

Fuming, he raised a hand to slap her.

But Wen Nian stared coldly into his eyes and said,

“If you dare lay a finger on me again, I’ll smash my head right in front of the steel plant gates. I’ll make sure everyone sees how you sold your daughter off to climb the ranks, how you forced her to death just to get a promotion. Let’s see if you can still keep that precious job of yours.”

“You—you’re crazy!”

Wen Jiancheng was startled by her angry glare and threatening words.

His raised hand froze mid-air and ultimately didn’t come down.

But deep down, he was rattled.

The only person who knew about his competition for the workshop director role was Chen Qiuwei. He hadn’t even told Wen Xue.

How did this damn girl know?

A sliver of fear crept into his heart.

Wen Nian stared him down without flinching.

Anyone who provoked her now, she’d drag them down with her.

Worst case, she’d die and take them with her — and maybe even return to her original world.

Wen Jiancheng, now that his true intentions had been exposed, was ashamed and angry, but didn’t dare push her further.

If Wen Nian tried to kill herself again, everything would go up in smoke.

Chen Qiuwei saw right through his thoughts and quickly stepped in to smooth things over — while taking the opportunity to throw Wen Nian under the bus.

“Jiancheng, don’t be mad. Nian Nian did grow up in the countryside after all. Her mother passed early, and her grandmother was blind, deaf, and illiterate. No one taught her anything since she was little. It’s no wonder she doesn’t understand the rules or have proper manners. We can teach her slowly — why get so angry? It’s not worth harming your health over it.”

Then she turned to Wen Nian and spoke with a tone full of false kindness:

“Nian Nian, your father is doing this for your own good. Marrying into the city and getting an urban household registration is much better than spending your whole life toiling in the fields. Besides, your grandma is gone now. You’re just a young girl—how can we feel at ease leaving you alone here? The Zheng family took a liking to your looks, that’s why they agreed to consider this match. With their status, they can marry any kind of woman they want! If Zheng Jiahe likes you, that’s a blessing! If you marry into the Zheng family, you’ll be living the good life—fine food, comfort, and luxury!”

Wen Jiancheng also softened his tone.

“Your Aunt Chen is right. With the Zheng family’s standing, plenty of women would jump at the chance to marry into it. I pulled a lot of strings just to get them to consider this match. If this marriage goes through, you’ll have a good home, and I’ll secure the director position. It’s a win-win. I’m your real father—how could I possibly mean you harm?”

Pah!

If she hadn’t read the novel, she might’ve actually been fooled by their flawless performance.

As if they didn’t know about the filth behind the Zheng family’s walls.

Yes, the Zheng family was well-off, but the real problem was Zheng Jiahe.

That man, on the surface, was refined and elegant, proper-looking, and gentle in demeanor.

He even doted on his wife, earning him a stellar reputation in the military family compound.

But behind closed doors, he was a violent, controlling scumbag in disguise.

At the slightest displeasure, he’d beat his wife black and blue.

He had an extreme need to control — even just chatting with a strange man would earn his wife a brutal beating at home.

His first wife had been a village girl.

Her family had accepted a hefty bride price and, fearing the Zheng family’s power, turned a blind eye to the abuse.

She had nowhere to turn for help. In the end, unable to endure it any longer, she jumped into a river and ended her life.

The Zheng family told everyone it was an accidental drowning.

At her funeral, Zheng Jiahe cried bitterly, mourning his late wife to the point of fainting several times.

He even remained unmarried for years after her death.

To outsiders, he was the image of a loyal and devoted man.

That made him a hot commodity on the matchmaking market.

Even as a widower, he was in high demand.