At this moment, someone showed up at the door asking specifically for Yan Xue, making it impossible for Qi Fang not to overthink the situation.
Especially since the other person had once told him outright that they couldn’t find their blind date…
But didn’t Yan Xue say her blind date was a tall, handsome guy over six feet? Was this what she called tall? Was this what she called handsome?
Qi Fang pressed his lips together, staring fixedly at the visitor. For a brief moment, he wished he could go back in time and take back his words, "Don’t worry, you’ll find her eventually."
The other Qi Fang was simply surprised to see Qi Fang standing there.
He scratched his head and glanced behind him. "Yan Xue lives here, right? I didn’t get the wrong place?"
Qi Fang really wanted to say he had, but before he could, Yan Xue, having heard the commotion, stepped out.
Seeing her, the other Qi Fang instinctively assumed she was the one he was looking for and approached her. "H-Hello."
"Hello," Miss Yan replied politely, her manners impeccable despite her obvious confusion.
Under her puzzled gaze, the other Qi Fang scratched his head again. "Uh, I’m Qi Fang—the one you were supposed to meet for the blind date. I didn’t run into you that day, and your aunt Shan Qiufang thought you’d gone missing. When she heard your address was in Jinchuan, she asked me to come check on you."
His explanation was a bit jumbled, but Miss Yan understood. She turned to Yan Xue. "He’s here for you."
Following her gaze into the room, the other Qi Fang froze. "Y-You’re Yan Xue?"
Yan Xue almost wanted to echo his question: "So you’re the Qi Fang she was talking about?"
Mixing up Jinchuan and Xiao Jinchuan was one thing, but where was the promised six-foot-tall, exceptionally good-looking man?
And she had seen his childhood photo—his eyes used to be so big. How had they shrunk over the years? Did he only grow in height but not in eye size?
As absurd as it all was, since he had come all this way, Yan Xue still invited him inside to sit.
Seeing her stand up again, Qi Fang stepped forward to help her back onto the kang. "Stay seated." He then poured water for the other Qi Fang and Miss Yan himself.
Only then did Miss Yan realize that Qi Fang hadn’t offered her a single sip of water since her arrival.
The other Qi Fang, still bewildered, accepted the enamel mug with an awkward "Thank you," earning a strange look from Qi Fang.
When Qi Fang sat back down beside Yan Xue, pressing close to her, the other Qi Fang finally pieced it together. "She… married you?"
Wasn’t that obvious? They’d even introduced themselves back when they were all on the mountain.
But since the other Qi Fang was the original intended, and he was the one who’d stumbled into this marriage by accident, Qi Fang chose not to respond.
The other Qi Fang turned to Yan Xue. "S-So you were originally supposed to meet me for the blind date?"
His voice, usually steady, now carried an unmistakable despondence.
Even though he was a straightforward man, faced with this situation, he couldn’t help but ask, "How did you end up marrying him instead?"
Yes, how had she ended up marrying Qi Fang?
Yan Xue paused before answering. "That day, Aunt Shan Qiufang was supposed to bring me to meet you, but her son Da Qiang fell into an ice hole, so she couldn’t make it. When she left, she told me your name was Qi Fang and that you were at Jinchuan Forestry Station."
"Wha—?" The other Qi Fang hadn’t expected the mix-up to be this convoluted. "Then what about him?"
He was clearly referring to Qi Fang, who took over. "My surname is Qi—the one with the single ear radical—and my given name is Fang."
"You’re also called Qi Fang?" Now the other Qi Fang was starting to understand.
Aunt Shan Qiufang had given the wrong location, so Yan Xue had gone to the wrong place, and at Jinchuan Forestry Station, there just happened to be someone with the same name…
It was all a series of coincidences, as if fate had orchestrated this mess—except he was the one who’d lost his chance in the chaos.
The other Qi Fang grew even more disheartened, regretting that he’d been too busy with work to take time off and meet her himself.
No, he should have taken extra days off and gone back to his hometown for the blind date. Then none of this would have happened…
Overcome with frustration, he rubbed his face, unable to speak.
Miss Yan, having finally grasped the situation, cautiously glanced at Qi Fang. "Since you’ve found each other now, why don’t you two just… swap back?"
"Swap back?" The other Qi Fang was stunned.
Miss Yan nodded carefully. "Well, I was originally engaged to Qi Fang and came here to marry him…"
"Yan Xue." Qi Fang’s voice dropped low.
Both Yan Xue and Miss Yan turned to him. He hesitated, then instinctively grabbed Yan Xue’s hand. "Not you."
The scene was chaotic, but even more chaotic was the other Qi Fang’s mind at that moment.
He struggled to untangle their relationships, but before he could, Qi Fang spoke again.
"I’m sorry for the misunderstanding back then, but Yan Xue and I are already married, and I don’t plan on divorcing."
Qi Fang didn’t dare look at Yan Xue beside him. "I heard you gave her money. How much? I’ll pay you back right now."
The other Qi Fang wasn’t in the mood to care about that. What he truly cared about, he didn’t know how to address.
Finally, he stood up, rubbing his aching head. "Let’s talk about this tomorrow. My aunt and Aunt Shan Qiufang will be here by then."
He needed time to sort through his thoughts.
"Aunt Shan Qiufang is coming?" Yan Xue caught the key detail.
The other Qi Fang nodded. "When my aunt heard I hadn’t met you, she took me to see Aunt Shan Qiufang. She thought you’d gone missing and even sent a letter to your hometown. The reply only arrived this afternoon, saying your address was in Jinchuan. By then, there were no buses left, so my aunt called the station office and asked me to come check."
In this era, most ordinary families didn’t have telephones. Who knew how much effort his aunt had gone through to find the number and make that call?
But now that he’d found her, instead of relief, his chest felt heavy, as if something were lodged inside.
The other Qi Fang lowered his head. "I… I should go."
Seeing his distress, Yan Xue moved to stand, but Qi Fang tightened his grip on her hand.
She turned to him, and after a brief stare-down, he released her. "Your foot’s injured. I’ll see him out."
Walking him out was awkward, to say the least.
One man had lost his would-be wife by sheer accident, while the other had gained one by the same twist of fate. There was no way they could interact comfortably.
It was only because the other Qi Fang was good-natured that they weren’t arguing. Anyone else would have lashed out at Qi Fang—or even at Yan Xue.
After a long silence, Qi Fang spoke. "About that money—"
"Let’s talk tomorrow. I can’t think about it right now." The other Qi Fang’s tone was strained.
Then, realizing how harsh he sounded, he added, "It’s not your fault. You didn’t steal her on purpose."
But saying anything more pleasant was beyond him at the moment. Instead, he blurted out, "Thanks for helping me on the train that day. I really did find her."
Now it was Qi Fang’s turn to feel a pang of discomfort. He even gave the other man a sidelong glance, wondering if that was deliberate.
But the other Qi Fang remained lost in his own thoughts, his expression too guileless to suggest any hidden meaning.
There was no need for words now. The last stretch of the journey was completed in complete silence, neither knowing what else to say to the other.
When Qi Fang returned and faced Miss Yan, the atmosphere shifted entirely. "Are you leaving now, or should I report you for lacking an introduction letter and have someone escort you away?"
If he had treated Miss Yan with this attitude from the beginning, even if she hadn’t realized she’d mistaken him for someone else, she would never have married him.
Miss Yan was clearly intimidated by his cold expression and silently began gathering her things without a word.
Yan Xue, however, couldn’t help but ask, "Without an introduction letter, how did you manage to travel all this way?"
In these times, an introduction letter was required for everything. Without one, it was nearly impossible to move freely, let alone travel thousands of miles.
Facing her, Miss Yan seemed less tense. She tugged at the red armband on her sleeve and said, "I have this. With it, I’m welcomed everywhere, and I don’t even need to buy train tickets."
It suddenly dawned on Yan Xue that in the early days, such things had indeed been possible. There were even cases where elementary school students, wearing red armbands, had traveled across the country alongside older students.
With that armband, no one would dare ask for her introduction letter—most people would be more afraid of being questioned by her instead.
It seemed this girl, though appearing naive and sheltered, wasn’t truly foolish—unlike her counterpart in the original story.
In the book, she had spent her entire life confined within ivory towers built by others—first by her parents, then by her husband. Even when her family fell into ruin, she remained oblivious to what her father and husband had done.
She never knew that her seemingly devoted and gentle husband had, after the economic reforms, followed the trend of keeping a mistress.
While she lived frugally on their combined salaries, believing him to be honest, he had embezzled project funds, funneling them to his mistress to support their illegitimate children.
While she exhausted herself trying to save her father and husband, even at the cost of her own well-being, the mistress had already fled with the money, nearly succeeding in leaving the country…
The characters in the book were just that—characters. But now, standing face-to-face with a living, breathing version of Miss Yan, Yan Xue couldn’t help but feel a surge of compassion.
She had intended to personally escort Miss Yan to the guesthouse, but Qi Fang would never agree—nor would he go himself. So once again, Qi Fang carried Yan Xue on his back while Miss Yan walked beside them, clutching her bag.
By the time they returned, night had fallen. A few distant lanterns cast faint, flickering light on the path home. One walked, the other listened, and for a while, both chose silence.
After a long pause, Yan Xue finally spoke. "When did you find out?"
She didn’t ask, "Did you know all along?"—her tone made it clear she was certain he had known. Qi Fang felt a pang of guilt but answered truthfully, "Seven days ago."
Yan Xue did the math. "The day you received the letter?"
"Mm. It was from a friend. I thought you might not be doing well at home and wanted to ask around."
She could probably guess when he had sent the letter—the day after he asked about the scar on her head.
And the reason he had asked about it in the first place…
Yan Xue turned to him. "You never actually saw the scar on my head, did you?"
"Mm."
So they had both been making assumptions. She thought his strong reaction was due to being denied an education, while he assumed her ignorance of his university degree meant she had amnesia.
Somehow, for over three months, they had managed to misunderstand each other without ever slipping up.
And here she had pitied him for being born in the wrong era, unable to attend university—only to find out he had already graduated long ago.
Yan Xue didn’t feel like talking anymore, but Qi Fang, still carrying her, spoke first. "Is it just your younger brother and grandmother left in your family?"
Since she wasn’t the real Miss Yan, her avoidance of mentioning her parents likely meant there was more to the story.
Sure enough, Yan Xue replied softly, "My parents passed away."
Qi Fang’s steps faltered. He carefully adjusted his grip, lifting her slightly higher before stepping over the threshold. "I’m sorry."
"Why apologize?" Yan Xue said. "It’s not like you meant to reopen old wounds."
Yet Qi Fang remained gentle as he set her down by the edge of the kang, then knelt before her, looking up. "Yan Xue."
She was petite, usually craning her neck to meet others’ eyes—especially Qi Fang’s. Rarely did she find herself looking down at him like this.
Gazing into those peach-blossom eyes, she felt as though they held countless unspoken words. "What is it?"
"I won’t divorce you." His hands closed around hers as he leaned closer, his voice firm. "And I won’t exchange you for anyone else."
His grip tightened slightly. "I’ll compensate him however he wants, but we’re already husband and wife."
For him, this was an unusually emotional outburst—especially for the solitary, ruthless man he had been in the book.
Yan Xue had no idea what had triggered this sudden insistence on not divorcing, as if someone had threatened to leave him.
She tugged at his hand. "Don’t listen to your ex-fiancée’s nonsense. We’ve been married for nearly four months—do you really think she’d want to switch back now?"
Who would willingly trade a first marriage for a second one? It wasn’t as if she lacked options for finding a willing bride.
What Qi Fang thought, however, was: Don’t be so sure. But since Yan Xue had said it, he didn’t argue—only corrected, "Former fiancée."
Not just corrected—he even frowned, clearly displeased by the mere mention of the real ex-fiancée.
"You’re not planning to retaliate against her, are you?" Yan Xue suddenly asked.
Qi Fang looked at her as if she’d said something absurd. "Retaliate? Why would I bother?"
True enough. In the original story, his grudge hadn’t been with the ex-fiancée but with her husband—his ungrateful senior.
The man had first appeared as the male lead’s mentor, a distinguished figure in his forties, refined and humble, earning widespread admiration. Qi Fang, in contrast, had seemed like the antagonist, relentlessly targeting the state-owned engineering machinery group where the male lead worked, even dominating the early conflicts.
But as the plot unfolded, the story took a sharp turn.
The mentor’s true nature was gradually exposed—not only for past misdeeds but also for embezzling funds and claiming his students’ research as his own.
He had even colluded with foreign investors, nearly turning the state-owned enterprise into a foreign-controlled entity. And Qi Fang?
He had poured his heart into salvaging the situation, receiving no gratitude in return. In the end, he donated all his scientific achievements and the company he founded, Evergreen Heavy Industries, to the state, dying before he even reached middle age…
Yan Xue abruptly pulled Qi Fang to his feet. "Weren’t you going to see a doctor? Let’s go tomorrow."
The sudden shift left him momentarily dazed.
But Yan Xue was serious. "Since someone’s coming tomorrow and you can’t go to work anyway, we might as well use the time for that."
The tycoon in the book had been sickly from the start, coughing up blood every few steps. Who knew what other ailments he might have?
Yan Xue had no intention of becoming a widow at forty—or worse, spending her prime years nursing him. She’d had enough exhaustion in her past life; this time, she wanted to rest.
It was impossible to go see a doctor the next day, as Yan Xue had asked around and the recommended doctors were either at the town hospital or in town itself—they simply didn’t have the time to make the trip.
Early the next morning, however, Qi Fang returned covered in dew, carrying a log over a meter long.
Yan Xue was brushing her teeth with one foot propped up, having woken up to find him gone. "Where did you go so early in the morning?"
"Weren’t you looking for ear buds?" Qi Fang propped the log up for her to see. "Are these what you meant?"
Where his slender fingers pointed, there was indeed a translucent, pale yellow gelatinous patch clinging to the wood’s surface—something easily overlooked if not examined closely.
Yan Xue had only spotted them herself because of her experience and deliberate search during their break, but where had Qi Fang found this?
And instead of just cutting out the section with the ear buds, he’d hauled back the entire log…
She glanced at his soaked pant legs. "What time did you go up the mountain?"
"Not too early," Qi Fang evaded.
In truth, he’d set out before dawn, reaching the forest where they’d been tending the saplings just as the first light broke over the horizon.
But there was no need to tell Yan Xue that. "Because of what happened yesterday, we didn’t get to go. See if there’s still time today."
What else could Yan Xue say? "There’s time. I’ll process them after breakfast."
In the wild, black fungus ear buds took at least half a month to mature, but with artificial cultivation, they could be ready in just seven days.
The temperature had to be kept between 10 to 25 degrees Celsius—ventilation was needed if it exceeded 25, and insulation if it dropped below 10.
Humidity had to stay between 70% to 95%, and if it fell short, water had to be sprinkled on the cultivation bed.
Beyond that, airflow and light exposure also mattered. Yan Xue ended up setting up a frame over the heated bed, placing the ear buds face-down where the temperature was most stable.
But this meant the room had to stay heated to maintain the right conditions. Qi Fang eyed the log taking up Yan Xue’s sleeping space. "Let’s move soon. The new place has more rooms."
Yan Xue agreed. "We’ll move after these ear buds mature."
Cultivating the fungal strains later could be done in glassware, making relocation easier. The extra days would also give them time to tidy up the new house properly.
But their current room was already small, and with the fungus cultivation, it felt even more cramped. If Shan Qiufang and Aunt Qi’s family came over, there wouldn’t be enough space—nor was it suitable for discussing certain matters. After some thought, they decided to meet at the new house instead.
Worried that Aunt Qi’s family and Shan Qiufang might get lost, they went to the small train station to pick them up. Qi Fang was already waiting when they arrived.
Unlike yesterday, when he’d shown up in work clothes in a hurry, today he was dressed neatly, his hair freshly trimmed.
This made Qi Fang glance at him again, subtly positioning Yan Xue farther away.
Qi Fang noticed but still greeted them with a smile. "You didn’t have to come. I remember the way."
After just one visit?
He really was attentive.
Qi Fang looked at him. "We just built a new house. We’re meeting there today."
That left Qi Fang at a loss. Scratching his head, he fell silent.
Soon, the train arrived, and Shan Qiufang hurried off, accompanied by a woman in her forties.
One look at the woman’s puffy eyes, and Yan Xue guessed she was Qi Fang’s aunt. Sure enough, Qi Fang said, "My aunt and Aunt Qiufang are here."
Shan Qiufang spotted Yan Xue immediately and rushed over. "What’s wrong with you, child? Disappearing without a word? You nearly scared me to death, you know that?"
Her worry seemed genuine, making Yan Xue rub her nose sheepishly. "I mistook someone else for him. I only just found out."
Aunt Qi, still fixated on the hundred yuan, turned to Qi Fang. "What’s going on? Did you find the person or not?"
"Yes, yes," Qi Fang quickly pulled her aside to explain in a low voice.
Shan Qiufang finally noticed Qi Fang. "So this is the one who abducted—" She caught herself. "The one you mistook for him?"
With looks like his, abduction was unnecessary—if she were Yan Xue, she’d have made the same mistake.
So when they reached the new house and Aunt Qi started complaining—"What kind of mess is this? How do you even mistake a person?"—Shan Qiufang stepped in. "It’s my fault for giving the wrong location, but her mistaking him isn’t on her."
She pointed at Qi Fang, then at Qi Fang. "You told me your nephew was a tall, handsome man over six feet. Now tell me, which of them fits that better?"
Aunt Qi was momentarily speechless. "Who wouldn’t talk up their own nephew?"
She didn’t see anything wrong with that—who’d have thought there’d really be a tall, handsome Qi Fang waiting at Jinchuan Forestry Station?
Qi Fang hadn’t known his aunt described him that way when matchmaking and flushed with embarrassment, tugging at her sleeve. "Aunt, let’s talk calmly. No need to get worked up."
Aunt Qi looked between her nephew and Qi Fang but couldn’t bring herself to claim her nephew was the better-looking one.
But this was ultimately Shan Qiufang’s fault. If she hadn’t given the wrong location, even with a little exaggeration, they wouldn’t have mistaken the person.
Aunt Qi dropped the argument. "Just tell us how you plan to make this right. My nephew paid the betrothal money and waited four months for nothing. You owe us an explanation."
Everything else was negotiable, but the betrothal money was a real issue. Shan Qiufang also turned to Yan Xue and Qi Fang.
Qi Fang wasn’t one for empty words. He pulled a stack of ten-yuan bills from his pocket and handed it to Aunt Qi. "Here’s five hundred yuan—the betrothal money returned, plus compensation for your losses."
A leap from one hundred to five hundred—enough to marry another bride.
This showed their sincerity in making amends, not just empty apologies while keeping the bride.
Aunt Qi’s expression softened slightly, but before she could speak, Qi Fang pushed the money back.
The gesture stunned everyone—he didn’t seem the type to reject an offer so bluntly.
Having interacted with him before, Qi Fang didn’t insult him by asking if it wasn’t enough. He just frowned. "What’s wrong?"
"I…" Under everyone’s gaze, Qi Fang faltered briefly.
But Yan Xue was right there—seated across from him, beside Qi Fang, within sight yet forever out of reach…
He clenched his fists and met Qi Fang’s gaze squarely. "I don’t want the money. You—didn’t you have a fiancée coming to marry you?"
Qi Fang held his ground under the man’s icy stare and forced himself to finish his sentence. "C-Can you switch the person back?"
Qi Fang: In your dreams!!!
