Aunt Qi claimed she came to seek an explanation, but everyone knew what she really wanted was an attitude—and the betrothal money her nephew had already given.
Even if both sides had simply made a mistake, or even if it had been intentional, the woman was already married and had been for nearly four months. Could they really tear the couple apart now?
Yan Xue was beautiful, but not so stunning that someone would disregard everything—even remarrying—just to claim her.
Besides, Qi Fang clearly had a gentle temperament and wasn’t the type to make things difficult for others. Aunt Qi had taken the initiative to confront the issue precisely because she feared her nephew was too soft-hearted and might end up shortchanged.
So Qi Fang apologized, returned the money, and did so with utmost sincerity. Everyone assumed the matter was settled.
No one expected the most easygoing person to suddenly become unyielding today, declaring outright that he didn’t want the money—he wanted the woman.
The room fell silent. Qi Fang simply lowered his gaze, staring at the man across from him without a word.
The man was tall, with naturally striking peach-blossom eyes, yet his demeanor carried an innate coolness. When expressionless, his presence was overwhelming.
Qi Fang wasn’t the type to pick fights, but today, he stubbornly held his ground under that pressure. "She was originally introduced to me. I even paid the betrothal money. S-switching back shouldn’t be a problem, right?"
His voice faltered at the end, less like an attempt to persuade the other party and more like he was trying to bolster his own courage.
Seeing the situation take a bad turn, Aunt Qi quickly pulled her nephew aside. "They’ve shown real sincerity. Besides, this wasn’t done on purpose. Let it go."
She clearly thought he was just venting his frustration, deliberately picking a fight.
Qi Fang pressed his lips together, offering no explanation. His gaze remained stubbornly fixed on the other man.
Perhaps only Qi Fang had some inkling of his thoughts—and precisely because he understood, his mood was especially sour. Worse, he was the one at fault here.
Back when they first met on the mountain, neither of them could have imagined things would come to this.
It was Yan Xue who stepped in to mediate. "Let’s all calm down and talk this through properly."
Her eyes softened as she looked at Qi Fang. "This is mostly my fault. At the time, I wasn’t sure if Aunt Qiufang had misspoken. I planned to check Jinchuan Forest Farm first, and if I didn’t find anything, I’d go to Xiaojinchuan. But I found him here in Jinchuan. I didn’t ask further, which ended up wasting your time and causing you unnecessary worry."
The young woman’s voice was pleasant, her words diplomatic, but it was clear she also believed he was a good-natured man pushed too far, finally snapping back.
Qi Fang averted his eyes. "I don’t need your apology." His stance remained unchanged.
Just as Yan Xue was about to speak again, a hand rested on her shoulder.
Qi Fang had no habit of letting his wife apologize for him. He looked directly at Qi Fang. "First, let me clarify—the woman from yesterday was a childhood betrothal arranged by our families. We only met once, and the engagement was called off by her family before I even met Yan Xue."
Before Qi Fang could interject, as if anticipating his words, he added, "She came to see me without my consent. I didn’t even recognize her as the girl from that one meeting years ago."
This made Qi Fang swallow his retort. The foundation of his earlier argument quietly crumbled.
After a long pause, he finally turned to Yan Xue. "Back then, you said you’d bring your younger brother. I agreed."
If he hadn’t brought it up, Shan Qiufang might have forgotten about this detail entirely. She also looked at Yan Xue.
Only Qi Fang didn’t glance at his wife, his attention fixed on Qi Fang. "When we built our new house, we made three rooms. The one across is reserved for Jigang."
That left Qi Fang with nothing more to say. He couldn’t pinpoint any advantage he held beyond being technically in the right.
But he couldn’t let it go. What had seemed impossible now felt like a stolen chance—how could anyone accept that the woman who should have been his wife was now another man’s?
Sometimes, when a gentle person dug in their heels, they became harder to sway than anyone else. No force could pull them back.
Qi Fang turned to Aunt Qi instead. "This was indeed our mistake, but Yan Xue and I have been married for nearly four months. Our relationship is stable, and we have no intention of divorcing. I can only apologize to you and your nephew."
Aunt Qi had arrived full of bluster, but her nephew’s sudden stubbornness left her exasperated. "Well, you didn’t know."
Her words were a clear signal to drop the matter.
Qi Fang held out the five hundred yuan again. "Regardless, we owe your family an apology—and our gratitude for the help you gave Yan Xue back then."
Yan Xue had no parents, only a younger brother who seemed quite young. The fact that she had accepted a mere hundred yuan as betrothal money and rushed into marriage suggested other hardships.
The Qi family’s willingness to step forward at that time had been her greatest support. Without their involvement, he would never have met Yan Xue.
The young man spoke earnestly. Though his demeanor was cool, his looks were undeniably striking. Aunt Qi could only sigh. "Guess they just weren’t meant to be."
Who wouldn’t call it fate’s cruel twist? How else could so many coincidences pile up, each misstep leading them further apart?
With that, the matter was settled. No one brought up Qi Fang’s earlier demand, and no one pressed him further.
Qi Fang glanced at Yan Xue one last time but ultimately said nothing. He stepped forward, took the five hundred yuan, then counted out ten bills and returned the rest.
"I only want my hundred back." With that, he pulled Aunt Qi away.
Aunt Qi was caught off guard, but seeing her nephew stride off without looking back, she could only offer a few polite words to the others before hurrying after him.
Once they were well away from the new house, Qi Fang finally slowed down. Aunt Qi gasped for breath, patting her chest. "You knew that girl, didn’t you?"
Though she’d initially misread the situation, she knew her nephew well. His persistence had quickly clued her in.
Sure enough, Qi Fang’s head drooped further, like a drenched puppy.
Aunt Qi’s heart ached for him, but there was nothing to be done. She patted his shoulder. "Who could’ve guessed it’d turn out like this? If even one detail had been different, it wouldn’t have come to this."
Yet Shan Qiufang had given the wrong location. Yet the young man had a childhood betrothal also named Yan Xue. Even a storyteller wouldn’t spin a tale this convoluted.
"Let it go. You can’t seriously expect the girl to divorce and marry you. She’d be labeled a divorcee—think of the gossip."
She knew her nephew well. At this, Qi Fang immediately lifted his head. "Aunt, please don’t tell anyone about this."
Even now, he was worried about damaging the girl’s reputation.
Aunt Qi sighed. "I know. Even if you hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have spread it. We still need to find you a match later."
Their family had suffered the most in this mess. Why air it out for others’ amusement?
Yet after a long silence, Qi Fang surprised her. "Aunt, could you hold off on introducing me to anyone? I’m not ready to look again."
After they left, Shan Qiufang couldn’t help remarking, "Young Qi’s not bad. Didn’t take advantage at all."
The phrase "Xiao Qi" clearly wasn’t referring to Xiao Qi (Qi Fang). Qi Fang paused briefly before handing the remaining money to Yan Xue as usual and pouring a cup of water for Shan Qiufang. "Aunt Qiufang, have some water."
Seeing that Yan Xue managed the household finances, Shan Qiufang felt three parts satisfied already. "Where is Xiao Qi from? How old is he?"
This time, it was definitely about Xiao Qi (Qi Fang). Qi Fang answered truthfully, "I’m from Yanjing, twenty-two years old, two years and two months older than Yan Xue."
"Yanjing? Were you a sent-down youth?"
Shan Qiufang began to ponder, as sent-down youths weren’t considered formal employees and usually didn’t earn much.
But Qi Fang replied, "No, I graduated early and found work here afterward."
"So you came to support local construction after graduation? That’s quite progressive."
Luckily, Shan Qiufang didn’t blurt out, "High school graduate?"—otherwise, she might have been shocked.
However, even Yan Xue wasn’t entirely clear how Qi Fang ended up at the forestry station. She only knew his teacher, fearing he’d be implicated, had urged him to leave as soon as the political climate turned unfavorable.
With Shan Qiufang present, Yan Xue couldn’t ask too much. She simply smiled and said, "This time, you’ll have to stay at my place for the night."
"I told you to come to mine back then. If you had, none of this would’ve happened," Shan Qiufang chided, casting a glance at her. Noticing Qi Fang stepping out into the yard, as if he’d noticed something, she lowered her voice. "But this one seems better than the last."
"So you judge by looks too?" Yan Xue couldn’t help laughing.
"Should I marry an eyesore instead? Living with someone like that would be miserable."
Shan Qiufang proudly declared her membership in the "looks matter" club. "Mainly, that Xiao Qi was too meek. With someone like that, you might not suffer at home, but you’d have to fight his battles outside. A tougher man saves you the trouble."
Qi Fang certainly didn’t need her to fight for him. When Yan Xue first read that book, she’d worried he might one day decide life wasn’t worth living and take the entire main cast down with him.
As they spoke, Qi Fang returned, his expression unreadable. Yan Xue didn’t press, standing up to say, "Let’s go to my place."
Before her injured foot could touch the ground, Qi Fang had already hoisted her onto his back. Shan Qiufang watched, satisfaction growing another two points.
Only after leaving the courtyard did Yan Xue spot Miss Yan loitering outside, pretending to be a passerby. She guessed Qi Fang had noticed her earlier.
The girl must still be holding onto hope, having tracked them down. But Qi Fang had likely given her a cold reception—she didn’t dare approach or speak.
Arriving at the small house Yan Xue and Qi Fang now shared, though not as spacious as newly built homes, it was well-equipped and spotless. Shan Qiufang only raised an eyebrow at the log on the kang, but upon learning it was cultivating mushrooms, she said no more. The next morning, she left early on the small train.
"Seeing you’re doing well puts my mind at ease," she said before departing, refusing Yan Xue’s offer to see her off. "Your foot’s still hurt—let Xiao Qi walk me."
Yan Xue still packed some freshly dried bracken and monkey-leg ferns for her to take.
These mountain vegetables, unlike others, could be preserved through winter after drying—just soak them to rehydrate.
The only catch was monkey-leg ferns had tiny hairs that needed rubbing off after blanching. Both types required thorough kneading post-blanching before drying; otherwise, they’d stay tough even after soaking.
After seeing her off, Yan Xue checked the log, sprinkling more water when she found it slightly dry.
After a day of nurturing, tiny mushroom buds were peeking through, darkening as they matured. Once fully grown, the thickest parts could be harvested for spore cultivation.
She moved the log to a spot with diffused light—just in time for Miss Yan’s arrival.
Unlike her frantic demeanor days prior, she seemed calmer today, even offering an uneasy apology. "Do I seem… very strange?"
"A little," Yan Xue admitted bluntly. "You and Qi Fang called off the engagement months ago—at your family’s request. Now you suddenly want to marry him."
"I… didn’t know you two were already married." Miss Yan faltered, her eyes clouded with confusion.
Yesterday, when her family visited yet left without reinstating the engagement, she realized things weren’t unfolding as in her dream.
But how could this be?
This Qi Fang had the same face as in her dream, where he’d remained unmarried.
If she couldn’t wed Qi Fang and appease him, what would become of her father and her husband…?
"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Yan Xue asked gently again.
The day before had been too chaotic to process, but now she saw it—Miss Yan’s behavior wasn’t just odd; it was desperate.
As though not marrying Qi Fang would bring unbearable consequences.
Had she been reborn? Or was she, like Yan Xue, a transmigrator?
Yan Xue suspected the former. A transmigrator would know avoiding Wu Xingde would avert most disasters, not fixate on Qi Fang.
And if she’d truly seen the book’s ending, she’d be stopping her father’s misdeeds, not chasing after Qi Fang.
Under Yan Xue’s warm, perceptive gaze, Miss Yan grew even more conflicted. "I…"
She wanted to say she wasn’t here to break up their marriage—yet her actions said otherwise.
She wanted to confess her fear—but couldn’t explain why she feared, or why Qi Fang was the solution.
Before she could gather her words, a cold voice cut in from the doorway. "Didn’t I tell you to leave today? Why are you still here?"
Qi Fang strode in, his dark gaze making Miss Yan stiffen like prey cornered.
Definitely a rebirth, Yan Xue mused. No transmigrator would cower so before a book character.
Ignoring Yan Xue’s glance, Qi Fang pressed on, "Aren’t you engaged? If your family comes looking, I won’t take responsibility."
Miss Yan paled further, eyes rimming red. "I—I’d never marry him! Or anyone else, I swear!"
Even making promises now? Yan Xue nearly rolled her eyes. Qi Fang, too, seemed momentarily speechless.
Yan Xue cut to the chase: "Are you afraid Qi Fang still resents the broken engagement?"
Bullseye. Miss Yan nodded rapidly, tears welling.
Now even Qi Fang looked exasperated, his tone laced with derision. "You still doubt me, even seeing me like this?"
The problem was, "like this" wouldn’t last forever. Miss Yan stayed silent.
Yan Xue could somewhat guess what was on her mind and smiled. "If he really held such a grudge, wouldn’t he torment me every day after marrying me, thinking of me as you?"
This was an angle Miss Yan had never considered, and her eyes widened in shock.
Seeing this, Yan Xue got up from the bed. Qi Fang reacted instinctively, immediately reaching out to steady her.
Yan Xue then pointed at the man and then at herself. "Do I look like someone being tormented?"
Miss Yan fell silent.
After staying for two more days, Miss Yan finally left.
On the day of her departure, Yan Xue went to see her off. Qi Fang had to work and probably wouldn’t have bothered even if he were free.
Compared to this genuine ex-fiancée, Yan Xue—the fake one—had been treated far better. She even wondered if the man had been keeping a mental tally of grievances, remembering Miss Yan’s words about "switching back."
On the way to the station, Yan Xue added, "If you don’t want to get married, you don’t have to. You’re only nineteen this year."
Though she couldn’t say much more, since Qi Fang had mentioned Miss Yan was about to be engaged, Yan Xue simply assumed she was running away from the wedding.
If she could help the girl stay away from scoundrels, better sooner than later.
Yan Xue pointed at the red armband on Miss Yan’s sleeve and grinned. "With this, you’ve got the perfect chance to travel and see the beauty of our country. How wonderful."
Miss Yan had indeed been wrestling with this dilemma, and Yan Xue’s words struck a chord. For the past two days, she’d been mulling over the events in her dream.
Was it possible Qi Fang’s hostility toward her family wasn’t due to the broken engagement but because of her husband or her father?
Though reluctant to believe it, he had explicitly asked why she hadn’t questioned what her husband and father had done.
But compared to the father who raised her and the husband she’d lived with for twenty years, she still feared Qi Fang more. Hearing Yan Xue’s advice, she couldn’t help but ask, "What about you? Why did you marry so young?"
"I didn’t have a choice," Yan Xue shrugged. "If I hadn’t married and come to the northeast, I might’ve ended up as the shared wife of four brothers."
"Four brothers?" Miss Yan’s eyes widened in disbelief—she’d never heard of such a thing.
Yan Xue treated it as gossip and explained. Miss Yan immediately grew indignant. "How could your family do that? That’s throwing you into a pit of fire!"
"So I left and got married," Yan Xue said. "But I didn’t just marry anyone. Otherwise, what difference would it have made?"
She lowered her voice slightly. "Before I came, Aunt Qi helped me investigate. The man’s family was honest and kind—I wouldn’t suffer mistreatment. And even if I’d mistaken someone else for Qi Fang, I didn’t just marry him blindly. On my first day at the forestry station..."
She glanced at Miss Yan, who was now fully attentive. "What happened on your first day?"
Yan Xue recounted how dangerous the ice trench was and how Qi Fang had risked his life to save someone. "He was willing to brave danger to help others—at least he’s not a bad person."
This surprised Miss Yan. After all, apart from that one encounter in her dream, she didn’t truly know Qi Fang.
Yan Xue’s eyes curved into crescents. "Sometimes, you can’t judge a person by appearances—you have to look deeper. Of course, if you have the choice, it’s better to marry later."
Miss Yan didn’t respond, unsure if she’d taken the words to heart.
Just then, the small train arrived. Yan Xue didn’t press further, urging her to gather her things and board.
Miss Yan had already dashed off but suddenly turned back, gripping Yan Xue’s hand with urgency. "You have to be careful too."
The unspoken warning was clear—in her mind, Qi Fang’s monstrous image remained intact.
Yan Xue found this amusing. That evening, when the man returned, she couldn’t help but study him more closely.
The mountains warmed slowly, and even in early June, many hadn’t switched to short sleeves. Qi Fang slept in his undershirt and long johns, guarding his skin like a miser. But labor made him sweat, and his back was drenched, the damp fabric clinging to his well-defined muscles.
He fetched a clean shirt to change into after washing up, pausing when he noticed Yan Xue’s gaze. "She’s still here?"
"She left this morning."
"Then who else came?"
Seeing his slight frown, Yan Xue guessed the recent events had left him wary. "No one. I was just trying to see what’s so terrifying about you."
This was surely another thing Miss Yan had said. Qi Fang didn’t respond, turning away with his clothes to wash up.
Yan Xue’s gaze followed him through the doorway, catching glimpses of his bare back as he hung his shirt on the basin stand and began cleaning up.
Though half-obscured by the doorframe, the view was enough.
Honestly, he looked sturdy—nothing like the frail, ruthless figure from the book. She wondered if he had some hidden ailment or if it was the result of later hardships.
Testing the waters, she asked, "How did you know she was getting engaged again? Did that friend tell you?"
"Yeah," Qi Fang admitted without hesitation.
"Do you know who she’s marrying?"
"No." He wiped the sweat off briskly, pulling on the fresh shirt and buttoning it as he glanced back at her. "Why do you keep asking about her?"
Of course, she wanted to know if, besides Miss Yan’s "switch back" remark, Wu Xingde was also on his blacklist.
But since he didn’t know, Yan Xue dropped it. Instead, her eyes trailed his fingers as they neared his collar, reminding her of the red mole she’d glimpsed days ago.
Had she imagined it? Its placement was... distractingly suggestive.
Noticing her stare, his fingers hesitated briefly before fastening the last button as usual. "When do you plan to bring Jigang over?"
This was a serious matter. Yan Xue straightened. "Once my foot’s fully healed."
"What about your wood ear mushrooms?" Qi Fang glanced at the logs on the kang.
"Aren’t you here?" Yan Xue countered. "By then, the first round of sapling cultivation should be done."
"You’re going alone?" This time, his hands stilled mid-buttoning.
Yan Xue looked even more surprised. "Of course. Two round trips would cost a lot, especially with Jigang in tow."
Qi Fang fell silent, finishing the cuff buttons with downcast eyes.
Regardless, the looming threat was finally resolved, and the other Yan Xue—who’d stirred up so much trouble—was gone.
That night, while washing up, Qi Fang took extra care to check the swelling on Yan Xue’s ankle. Seeing it had mostly subsided, he went to pour out the water.
Returning, he lifted the quilt, ready to pull her close, but Yan Xue pushed him away.
"What’s wrong?" He thought she might need something.
But Yan Xue did have something. After pushing him back, she turned onto her side, propping her head on one arm, her wavy hair spilling over the pillow.
"Now, let’s talk about why you received that letter seven days ago, and I only found out today. And when exactly you planned to tell me."
Qi Fang: ...Is it too late if I strip naked now???
